The Money Mustache Community

General Discussion => Throw Down the Gauntlet => Topic started by: limeandpepper on February 04, 2018, 08:26:13 AM

Title: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: limeandpepper on February 04, 2018, 08:26:13 AM
First part is here: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/getting-rid-of-stuff-clearing-out-clutter!/

I haven't been active in the original thread for a while but the other one was getting a bit long so starting a new one doesn't seem like a bad idea.

So, the challenge continues! Anything that's relevant to the thread title goes: donating clothes, eating up things in your pantry, selling goods, giving stuff to friends and family who would get more use out of them, shredding documents, putting things into the recycling bin or throwing out junk that nobody else will take.

My partner and I will be moving into a 1-bedroom apartment interstate and while we have already gotten rid of a bunch of things and packed the stuff that we're going to load on a truck over, I suspect upon arrival I will still find things that I decide to get rid of after all...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 04, 2018, 08:30:21 AM
Thanks for creating a second thread! I will be back with more decluttering adventures :-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 04, 2018, 08:34:21 AM
Following on this one! =) Thanks for making the thread (again)!

Yesterday took a fair amount of stuff for goodwill to the back of the truck. Mattress cover that's more stretched out than we like, dress that I got as a gift that never fit right, pajama pants that came with one leg slightly longer that always annoyed me, and were an obnoxious pattern besides, etc. Some Christmas decor.

Goal soon will be go through the cupboards in the laundry room and the closet in the office.

Things I should sell:
-Reel mower. We replaced it with an electric mower last year.
-Sconces we replaced when we bought the house.
-Old formal dresses
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on February 04, 2018, 09:46:02 AM
This thread has been helping to keep me motivated, so I’m continuing to follow.

I have a few things listed on the local buy/sell; on Friday night someone asked about the availability of the heavy, bulky piece of furniture I really want gone and then ghosted. Gah!! I hate when people do that. I’m only asking $25 for the thing; perhaps it’s time I just change the price to $0 and hope to be rid of it. It was free to me in the first place (20 years ago!) and all I did was paint it... yes, changing to $0 NOW!!

Today I will go through a few more boxes of stuff in the office.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marion10 on February 04, 2018, 10:14:01 AM
Following
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: krmit on February 04, 2018, 10:24:28 AM
Sorted through the bookshelves and pulled a pile of books to donate/sell. Probably mostly donate, since they're 90% old textbooks from six to ten years ago, but it is nice to have cleared a little extra space. As a bonus, made a pile of books to read!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Ms Ida on February 04, 2018, 10:42:33 AM
Ready to go! Goal for this week-relocate the goodwill box from my closet to goodwill!
The original thread has been a great motivator the last few months. I have been keeping up a pretty steady flow of boxes to goodwill and posting to my local buy nothing group.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on February 04, 2018, 10:43:47 AM
new thread!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 04, 2018, 11:42:22 AM
I love that we needed a new decluttering thread because someone decided there were too many posts in the old one. So we got rid of it. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadowmoss on February 04, 2018, 11:45:27 AM
PTF.  Inread the thread every day and sometimes even get rid of something.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 04, 2018, 12:06:32 PM
limeandpepper thanks for this thread and the original!  It really helps to know that I'm not alone and that decluttering isn't weird.

Welp, have scheduled to meet with a real estate agent today (gotta go after this post & get ready for that).  STBX and I are divorcing & live in a HCOL area, so we will sell the condo & each move to a small rental apartment.  There will be a lot of clearing out clutter in the coming months!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 04, 2018, 02:05:50 PM
@limeandpepper - need to lock the old thread, just in case.

On topic - I've got a project going to rewire the whole house. Phase 1 is almost done. They'll be here again tomorrow, and will be cutting into the ceilings on the first floor so they can run the new wires. So as messy as it's been, tomorrow is going to be 10x worse. To help reduce the cleanup time, I moved a bunch of stuff to the 2nd floor and started tarping other stuff. In the process, have identified several items to be donated.

Also contacted the local theater group, they're more than happy to accept unused paint donations. I've got a quart that I got to try, and immediately hated it on the wall. Also have 2 pints of another color, also samples. Once the electrical work is done downstairs, I'll need to touch up the closets then can donate that leftover paint.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 04, 2018, 02:13:52 PM
Gave a couch and a loveseat away.  Really happy to have those out of the house.

The biggest thing for me is to realize it is better to let go, and realize i'm fortunate enough to not need the money; rather than wait around and try to sell them.

The woman who I gave them to was super grateful.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on February 04, 2018, 02:43:39 PM
<3
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 04, 2018, 02:52:51 PM
Mailed three eBay items - happy to get them out of the house. They included: a gifted shirt that didn't fit, a gifted set of yarn from the kids, who thought I might become a knitter, & 5 free drink coupons from United. Earned $31.61 & get to declutter in the process. Woohoo!

Next on the hit list - I have three necklaces that I never wear. (They were gifts.) I need to clean them & see if they are salvageable.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on February 04, 2018, 08:28:56 PM
Thanks for new thread.

Does preventing new stuff from entering your life count as decluttering? My mom gave me something that she had good memories of and wanted it to go to her heirs. But I have bad memories of it. I asked if I can swap with my sister but my mom said no. It kept weighing on my heart because she also forbade me from selling it or giving to someone else. Today I decided I didn't want it (even though it had a lot of cash value) if it came with so many strings attached and gave it back to her (technically still in her possession but the ownership had changed back and forth). I'm feeling way lighter after I returned it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: limeandpepper on February 04, 2018, 09:04:24 PM
@limeandpepper - need to lock the old thread, just in case.

Already sent request to mods when I started this one.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: vikingtantan on February 04, 2018, 10:04:39 PM
I'm moving to a new apartment in a couple of weeks. As a self-proclaimed minimalist, I didn't think I had that much stuff. Boy was I wrong. I mean, it is a lot less then most people and I could easily fit everything into a car before I started the purging process, but I'm still amazed at how much I've accumulated in the past 2 years. When I moved to Korea, I brought over a full carry on suitcase, and a half full check in suitcase. Doing my best to decrease my stuff back into two suitcases and maybe a backpack. So far I've donated two bags of office and school related supplies to one of the schools I work at, and threw away a bunch of old documents I no longer need. I'll be donating at least 50% of the clothes I've accumulated tomorrow to a local thrift store, and planning to sell a few things (guitar, hamster cage, Korean language learning books, etc) by the end of the week. If they don't sell, they will also be donated to the thrift store. I've also already used up most of my food stuff or thrown away what's expired. It's such a relief when I'm not surrounded by so much clutter.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 04, 2018, 10:07:33 PM
YESSSSSS one of my favourite threads!

My dad asked if we wanted something today (offering to buy it). I said no. Decluttering before anything has even entered the house!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on February 05, 2018, 01:25:41 AM
We have had some parts of remote light switches laying on the kitchen counter for the last half year of so (time flies). I once more asked DH is he could take it along on his trip to town today and return it to the store. Then he mentioned that he needed the receipt from 2 years ago and that was the reason he hadn't brought it back yet.
I retrieved the shoebox with "receipts since 2013 until now" and started looking. In 10 minutes I had found the relevant receipt. So this morning the parts and the receipt were laying near the front door to be brought back later in the day. Finally...

I usually cut DH's hair and we have a cordless machine for cutting it. The battery is not great, so we need to load it before use. As our bathroom doesn't have an electricity outlet (stupid previous owner who built the house), and we have a big kitchen, we load it in the kitchen. The machine has been there for quite some time. I have been asking DH if I could cut his hair and he has answered no each time. But today, he has an important meeting, so last night he finally agreed on being cut. Now the machine could he put away again.

Small steps...

I have given up on the room that DH uses for his sewing projects. It is a mess and it is his job to tidy it. But he is constantly having new projects there, which I think is nice for him. As it is one separate room, I leave just leave it like that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Astatine on February 05, 2018, 01:39:41 AM
YESSSSSS one of my favourite threads!

Same.

I don't have anything recent to report but I am hanging out for DH to go through some more of his DVDs and CDs and hopefully get rid of at least 10% of them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 05, 2018, 03:46:43 AM
I had a realisation the other day - towels are like cats, there are just so many in the world that it's really hard to find homes for them. I get given 'towels for the dog', but when I try to pass them on to shelters and groomers they say they have too many. Some of the 'towels for the dog' are actually better than our towels for us so...

Things I have managed to declutter:
- Hubby's dressing gown. It was all musty from hanging on the back of the door for all eternity so it was yet again in the washing pile and I was going to store it in a space bag with a bunch of winter jumpers. He admitted he hasn't actually ever worn it and suggested we donate it :)
- Took a dog that wandered into my garden home :) :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Astatine on February 05, 2018, 03:54:04 AM
- Took a dog that wandered into my garden home :) :)

:D nawwww. Excellent decluttering.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on February 05, 2018, 05:06:57 AM
I have a small bedroom at home and the only space for clothes is the cupboard over the stairs which also houses the water heater.  It's an awkward shape and my solution so far has been to put a cheap chest of drawers that came with the house in the cupboard sideways with drawers that only opened 8 inches, so many of my clothes have been cluttering up the guest bedroom.

Now I'm having much better custom drawers put in which will both open fully and provide more space, they will be fitted this week.  The cheap and flimsy chest of drawers will become firewood.  Any clothes that don't fit in the new drawers, using (somewhat) the Marie Kondo method, will be dispatched to the charity shop. 

This feels like the only place I can fully express the joy this is causing in me this week.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: lizzzi on February 05, 2018, 06:03:58 AM
Make it a habit to clean and tidy your closets/storage areas when you do routine dusting, vacuuming, cleaning of that particular room. Like--my storage closet is off the kitchen, so when I clean the kitchen, I routinely de-clutter the storage closet. Sometimes there is no clutter, but sometimes there is. When you do this routinely, it takes very little time. I learned to keep house this way in the military, where so often we were only living somewhere short-term, and had to keep the quarters nice.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: kaypinkHH on February 05, 2018, 06:43:31 AM
@formerlydivorcedmom
We're seriously considering moving, so I'm starting to consider what I'd need to do to stage our current house and sell it.

I was running through a mental list of things I'd pack and put in a storage unit for a few months ... and now I'm trying to justify why I would need to keep those things at all versus getting rid of them.  If I don't need it/won't use it for three months...do I really need it at all?

My husband is going to be really unhappy with me....he's admitted that I've only given away one thing he actually wanted (but had zero use for), but he is still highly suspicious of my attempts to declutter.


We just did this!! 1 storage pod was used to remove clutter from our house (we had a really small house and maximizing space made the place look way bigger than it actually was), Later, we used 2 pods were used to move rest of furniture/shed stuff after the sale.

In general the 1st pod (declutter) contained the following:
- Giant couch which we love, but made our living room look too small, fits nicely in new house. For staging we moved a smaller couch from our airbnb unit to the living room.
- Winter set of tires for car (should have been the summer ones that got packed..lesson learned)
- Seasonal items (we packed in October, knew we would have a house by spring), summer clothes etc.
- Craft items (things I know I will use once we had a new house but would not need for 4 months).
- Any extra kitchen stuff- stuff for "Hosting"- extra plates etc. Also, big specialty items- turkey/roast pan, giant soup pot. Things we use fairly regularly, but would not need in transition months.
- Personal artwork/decor- wedding photos, wedding gifts, personal trip momentos (not a lot of stuff, we like to curate our own "collections", but no one cares about my personalized artwork).

For staging we kept everything in one colour palate again to increase visual "flow" from one room to another. Anything not in this colour got moved/packed.

What we sold:
Giant ikea entertainment unit- no way we were moving that
Other ikea large furniture pieces- easily replaced and easy to sell
Patio furniture/bbq/Lawn maintenance things (bought second hand, will rebuy second hand in new location)

What we should have gone through more:
I moved out of the house before the 1st pod was packed up for work, I brought my own personal things that I have used for 4 months. Unpacking this weekend I realized a ton of old products (hair products, face/body lotions) etc. got packed. I haven't used it in 4 months, pretty sure don't need to ever use them. They all may get tossed. Same thing with a bunch of costume jewelry. I had a whole box of stuff, that obviously I don't need. At one point I used it, but it may be time to say "kthxbai" and get rid of it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Stachetastic on February 05, 2018, 07:37:40 AM
I loved reading the old thread, glad to be joining in on this one!

We purchased new ikea wardrobes and a new cabinet for the living room (stick with me, here). With the new pieces in place, we were able to get rid of a dresser, a large table, and a small shelf unit. Now everything is kept in enclosed storage, and we have opened up the floor space in two rooms. We also took a truck full of items to Goodwill yesterday, including 4 dining chairs, as well as a couple boxes of kids' clothes and books. They refused 2 Christmas trees, so we need to find someplace to unload those.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JoJoP on February 05, 2018, 08:15:03 AM
I had a realisation the other day - towels are like cats, there are just so many in the world that it's really hard to find homes for them. I get given 'towels for the dog', but when I try to pass them on to shelters and groomers they say they have too many. Some of the 'towels for the dog' are actually better than our towels for us so...


The wildlife rescue in our neighborhood takes the towels.  Perhaps you've got one nearby?

I had a company last week and did a big clean-up & declutter.   Shamefully, a bit of stuff just got relocated (ok, shoved) into a back room.   BUT, the main rooms look fantastic and I'm going to keep it up.  My declutter continues slowly but surely.  Today, a Costco package of AA batteries that got old are going to the battery recycle bin at the library.   One shelf got decluttered of random items belonging to all of us. 

My new declutter commitment is that I try to drop something off at the thrift store several times a week.  Even if it's just ONE item, I swing by and get rid of it.  That way, nothing is piled in the car or the hallway.   

I've got some stuff listed on ebay that isn't selling.  I don't want to fall into the trap of relist relist relist.  If it doesn't sell, it's gone! 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 05, 2018, 08:17:32 AM
I think you guys will appreciate/tolerate/sympathize with me being a little smug =) Husband and I have had our house going on two years now. When we first moved in, we were told by *multiple* people that we'd fill the space up with crap and clutter, that it just happens, so on. In particular this was said about the garage- well you might park the car in there and have a home gym in there NOW, but just you wait. I am happy to report that many months later, our home gym is still used and even more badass, and the car happily and comfortably fits in the garage. We still have empty drawers in our kitchen, and our cupboards for jars and tupperware (we use glass jars and containers for everything) are still filled to exactly the level they were when we moved in, still exclusively have those items, etc.

That's not to say we haven't added stuff, obviously, but Husband pointed out yesterday when we were rearranging the garage how very wrong all those doom and gloom, "you'll be swimming in crap within the year" predictions really were. Made me happy =)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on February 05, 2018, 08:40:31 AM
Bracken, I just don't get WTF is filling peoples' garages??  All the houses in our neighborhood are large, and actually most people do park in their garages, but I see some that are just chock full of... what, exactly?  When we moved into this big house, it just made me extra vigilant about accumulating crap. 

So now that I'm posting to this new thread, I have a couple small boxes to go to the thrift store today - a few old kitchen items that were replaced, running shoes that ended up not working, and a few clothing items I don't wear anymore.

I also decluttered a large toiletries bag that is intended to be taken to horse shows and so on, and had lots of dried up/expired supplies in it.

Pulled out a pair of breeches that are too small for me, too nice to toss, but not likely to bring any money on eBay.  Will give them to someone at the barn who I think will be able to use them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 05, 2018, 11:16:27 AM
Bracken, I just don't get WTF is filling peoples' garages??  All the houses in our neighborhood are large, and actually most people do park in their garages, but I see some that are just chock full of... what, exactly?  When we moved into this big house, it just made me extra vigilant about accumulating crap. 

Tools. Yard/garden equipment. Car stuff. Sports stuff. Bikes. Kids toys and outgrown stuff - this is a biggie. Off season holiday decorations. Motor cycles. In advanced cases, out of season clothing/out grown clothing. General catchall of stuff that should go away and doesn't.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 05, 2018, 12:18:04 PM
I have a small bedroom at home and the only space for clothes is the cupboard over the stairs which also houses the water heater.  It's an awkward shape and my solution so far has been to put a cheap chest of drawers that came with the house in the cupboard sideways with drawers that only opened 8 inches, so many of my clothes have been cluttering up the guest bedroom.

Now I'm having much better custom drawers put in which will both open fully and provide more space, they will be fitted this week.  The cheap and flimsy chest of drawers will become firewood.  Any clothes that don't fit in the new drawers, using (somewhat) the Marie Kondo method, will be dispatched to the charity shop. 

This feels like the only place I can fully express the joy this is causing in me this week.

The new drawers sound amazing. I would be thrilled, too!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FireHiker on February 05, 2018, 12:25:56 PM
I'm so happy for the new thread! I admit I was daunted by the size of the other one, since it was well underway before I discovered it. I'm much more likely to follow along with something from the beginning.

I am very much a minimalist at heart, but we have a giant clown house so there is a LOT to declutter before our eventual downsizing occurs. My husband wants to save everything "just in case we need it someday" but I'm slowly making progress there. I am happy to report that we DO park both cars in our garage, but we have a tandem area that is full of "stuff". I'm working on it. My mom is a borderline hoarder, so I have a lot of stuff from her that I have been sloooooowly sorting through over the years. There have been a couple things I've been really happy to have from her, otherwise I would just chuck it all without even opening the boxes. Anytime I feel complacent about getting rid of stuff I think about how much anxiety I feel when I see all of her stuff in her home. I always come home and want to get rid of stuff immediately.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: frontstepdesign on February 05, 2018, 12:49:46 PM
Yay for new thread, me too!

The new old house we moved into last fall is smaller than the 50's farmhouse, and although we moved more stuff than we really needed (thanks to moving in a swift fashion), I'm pretty happy with progress on going through stuff and getting it OUT.  Good thing, too, because in usual old-house fashion, this place doesn't have so much storage.

Does everyone know about H&M's textile recycling program?  They will take bags of ANY household textile - post-doggy towels, used underwear, 70's curtains.

Amazingly, my new town doesn't have thrift stores, so that's not an option for getting rid of stuff.  (We do have FB selling groups, which I've used somewhat.  I also drive out of town often enough to learn thrift stores in other places.)

Another option I like for nicer 'get it out now' clothing is ThredUp, which is sortof an online consignment store - you fill one of their polkadot CleanOut bags, they give you credit for what they think will sell, and give away the rest for you.  I have gotten AWESOME bargains on my clothing from ThredUp.
(Because I am on the NoClothesShopping challenge this year, I will valiantly try *not* to share my $10 for you/$10 for me code.  Unless someone asks nicely.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 05, 2018, 02:41:53 PM
I think y'all are right - if it's packed up for months, I probably don't need it (except the Christmas decorations.  I'm keeping what survived this year's round of decluttering.)

The house we're trying to decide on is about 10% smaller than ours, but the layout is drastically different.  I was so impressed with Husband this weekend when we toured it - he actually volunteered "if we move here, we'd want to get rid of X, Y, and Z pieces of furniture."  We had a long talk last night that it would be a change to our lifestyle - no more game room to throw the kids into and shut the door (and collect electronics clutter), no more random giant storage spaces to collect office supply/projects/"might-need-it-just-in-case" clutter.

We (mostly meaning the other 4 people in my family) would be forced to be more mindful of what comes into the house.  I LOVE this idea.  I'm trying not to push and wait to see if H will come around on his own.  Either way, I now know he isn't attached to certain stuff in our house, so I can start thinking of ways to get rid of it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: eliza on February 05, 2018, 03:29:27 PM
I'm continuing to slowly make progress.  I still can't believe how I've managed to accumulate so much stuff.  Especially given my general lack of storage space.  And the fact that I call myself a minimalist while not being so minimal.

~Got rid of another bag of random garbage and clothes that were too far gone for goodwill.  (I wasn't aware of the H&M recycling program, but will use that for the future.)   
~Donated a bag of books to the library.
~Went through my pantry, checking expiration dates.  Two small cans of jalapenos got tossed as they were way past date (no idea why I bought them, I don't like spicy food).  And identified a few things reaching the end of their lifespan that will be incorporated into cooking in the next few weeks.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 05, 2018, 03:46:07 PM
Anyone have recommendations on how you would sell new (in packaging) gold jewelry? I have a matching set from my  mother in law, but the jeweler is international & doesn't have much/any eBay brand recognition. Pieces are lovely, but totally not my style. (Note that my husband is totally supportive of getting rid of it). Ideas? Take it to a local jeweler, or put on eBay & hope for the best?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on February 05, 2018, 04:02:39 PM
Anyone have recommendations on how you would sell new (in packaging) gold jewelry? I have a matching set from my  mother in law, but the jeweler is international & doesn't have much/any eBay brand recognition. Pieces are lovely, but totally not my style. (Note that my husband is totally supportive of getting rid of it). Ideas? Take it to a local jeweler, or put on eBay & hope for the best?
lifejoy knows jewellery, I think, so you could tag her or message her.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 05, 2018, 08:11:33 PM
Anyone have recommendations on how you would sell new (in packaging) gold jewelry? I have a matching set from my  mother in law, but the jeweler is international & doesn't have much/any eBay brand recognition. Pieces are lovely, but totally not my style. (Note that my husband is totally supportive of getting rid of it). Ideas? Take it to a local jeweler, or put on eBay & hope for the best?
lifejoy knows jewellery, I think, so you could tag her or message her.

Thanks!  I will try that. @lifejoy Any thoughts? :-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 05, 2018, 08:12:18 PM
All of my kids now play with teeny tiny Legos. Sorted through a big bin of Mega Bloks that has been sitting around our bedroom and had accumulated a huge assortment of other toys and toy parts.  Now the bin is in our car and will go to the children's section of the library (already checked with librarian to see if they will take it.)

That's 4 cubic feet of home space recovered!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: pancakes on February 05, 2018, 08:29:30 PM
Following along. Our little 1 bedroom place is being overrun. I feel like we don’t have much stuff but a baby, cat and two adults sharing a space will do that I suppose.

Step 1 - get rid of all the boxes I haven’t gotten around to taking down to the recycling bins.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on February 05, 2018, 10:05:26 PM
Anyone have recommendations on how you would sell new (in packaging) gold jewelry? I have a matching set from my  mother in law, but the jeweler is international & doesn't have much/any eBay brand recognition. Pieces are lovely, but totally not my style. (Note that my husband is totally supportive of getting rid of it). Ideas? Take it to a local jeweler, or put on eBay & hope for the best?
lifejoy knows jewellery, I think, so you could tag her or message her.

Last year on TV in Norway they showed that it was very difficult to sell private jewelry with diamonds, because the shops that would buy it need to be able to trace where the diamonds comes from.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: happy on February 06, 2018, 04:31:56 AM
PTF
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rowellen on February 06, 2018, 05:25:04 AM
Over the last year or so I've been making adjustments to my fb newsfeed by blocking or unfollowing certain ads, friends, pages etc as well as following pages that support my lifestyle choices (mainly not spending unnecessarily, avoiding things that make me feel "not good enough", decluttering and so on). Then this week, this has come up several times from friends/family and it makes me feel sad for the world. I forget that I'm the weird one sometimes. It makes me want to do another overhaul of my house to remove excess items.

On the positive side, the last time I went to Kmart was to get undies for my daughter. I bought undies and only undies. The kids asked for extras of course, but I told them before we went that I wasn't buying anything else so they were fine when I said no. I'm pleased my perserverence has paid off. I haven't always said no so I encountered some resistence when first limiting spending more strictly.  They are finally getting it lol.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 06, 2018, 08:18:39 AM
All of my kids now play with teeny tiny Legos. Sorted through a big bin of Mega Bloks that has been sitting around our bedroom and had accumulated a huge assortment of other toys and toy parts.  Now the bin is in our car and will go to the children's section of the library (already checked with librarian to see if they will take it.)

That's 4 cubic feet of home space recovered!

Some libraries take Legos and Mega Bloks?  That is such an awesome idea.  I had already planned to start talking the kids into letting go of many of their Legos (they love putting them together, then they just sit on the shelves for years).   I'll have to check and see if our library does this/wants to start a program.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on February 06, 2018, 01:18:10 PM
Yesterday and today I went through my kitchen cupboards and sorted out glassware/dishes we never use.  I have 3 medium boxes to donate next time I go out!  Mr SP was a little perturbed when he saw the cognac glasses we got as a wedding gift in the pile, but we have not used them in 39 years.  We don't drink cognac, and neither do our friends. Out they go!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CU Tiger on February 07, 2018, 08:14:26 PM
I had a realisation the other day - towels are like cats, there are just so many in the world that it's really hard to find homes for them. I get given 'towels for the dog', but when I try to pass them on to shelters and groomers they say they have too many. Some of the 'towels for the dog' are actually better than our towels for us so...

No idea how it works down under, but my vet will take all the towels and sheets I offer them. This is the actual veterinarian, not a groomer.  They use sheets to drape for surgeries, towels to wipe up..whatever needs wiping up, or to line cages for post-op animals.

Have you checked that?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on February 07, 2018, 08:59:26 PM
I had a realisation the other day - towels are like cats, there are just so many in the world that it's really hard to find homes for them. I get given 'towels for the dog', but when I try to pass them on to shelters and groomers they say they have too many. Some of the 'towels for the dog' are actually better than our towels for us so...

No idea how it works down under, but my vet will take all the towels and sheets I offer them. This is the actual veterinarian, not a groomer.  They use sheets to drape for surgeries, towels to wipe up..whatever needs wiping up, or to line cages for post-op animals.

Have you checked that?

"Our" (in quotes because we don't actually have a dog anymore) vet too.  They are happy to take any towels offered, but especially love really big bath ones.   
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 07, 2018, 09:25:25 PM
Thanks for the vet tip, I'll ask there.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 08, 2018, 07:51:50 AM
Got rid of a black tank top. Took it on my last business trip (under sweaters) & it slips & shows way too much to be work appropriate. Timing was poor, as it was one of my limited packed options. Put it in the donation pile for someone else to enjoy. Had hoped to finally get rid of two bulky jackets that have been on our local FB swap site forever, but someone posted about wanting both & then never replied. Pet peeve.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 08, 2018, 09:01:57 AM
Little dehumidifier gifted through Buy Nothing. Was great in our old house with no bathroom fan, but not needed here. Cute lil' basket pending pickup.

Load of goodwill stuff in the truck which I'll drop off next time I go to get gas in it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 08, 2018, 09:37:08 AM
All of my kids now play with teeny tiny Legos. Sorted through a big bin of Mega Bloks that has been sitting around our bedroom and had accumulated a huge assortment of other toys and toy parts.  Now the bin is in our car and will go to the children's section of the library (already checked with librarian to see if they will take it.)

That's 4 cubic feet of home space recovered!

Some libraries take Legos and Mega Bloks?  That is such an awesome idea.  I had already planned to start talking the kids into letting go of many of their Legos (they love putting them together, then they just sit on the shelves for years).   I'll have to check and see if our library does this/wants to start a program.

Yes!  Our library has an after school Lego club so they welcome the little Legos; they also have a tots play area so they take things like wooden puzzles, Mega Bloks, and other toddler toys for quiet play.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FireHiker on February 08, 2018, 10:40:06 AM
I itemize every single thing that we donate throughout the year and just entered all of 2017 into It's Deductible. We did a lot of cleaning out of stuff in 2017, although there is still a long way to go. We went from owing a couple thousand on taxes to getting a couple thousand back. I'm not sure how that will look for 2018 with the new tax stuff, but it definitely reinforced that I would rather have the money on my taxes than the junk I don't use cluttering up closets and cupboards!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on February 08, 2018, 01:09:27 PM
Decluttered seed packets today.  About 10 I won't use will go to the office tomorrow, used up all the seed in about 5 more and tossed a couple that were too old to have good viability.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: cheddarpie on February 08, 2018, 03:43:16 PM
My parents are in their mid-70s and have some hoarder-ish tendencies (dad especially, won't get rid of anything). My mom has decided to tackle their giant basement and start clearing things out in the name of "dostadning" -- "Swedish death cleaning" (https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/swedish-death-cleaning-254273). Our family is of Swedish heritage so this idea seemed to particularly resonate with her.

She is making good progress (though not allowed to touch any of my dad's stuff, ugh) and had my sister and I spend a day with her in the basement going through things she thought we might want. I was very pleased to be able to say, "This is such a neat thing," or, "Oh, I have such good memories of this!" but, "NO THANK YOU I DO NOT WANT IT IN MY HOUSE," and to have that message be heard and received!

There were several things -- funny pictures, old favorite toys, sentimental but useless grandparents' items -- that I took pictures of on my phone so that I can keep the memory without the stuff. Someday I will need to de-clutter all my digital photos too, but this seemed like the perfect balance for maintaining some of the memories without the physical crap ...



Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: happy on February 08, 2018, 04:12:34 PM
I'm still at it even after moving. Currently I have a large garbage bag collecting clothing for donation and 1 box filled with bric a brac for donation.  And another box with old paint/chemicals for the annual chemical cleanup that our council offers for free.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Astatine on February 08, 2018, 06:39:58 PM
I tried on my swimmers (which I haven't worn for a few years) and they no longer fit, so they went straight in the donation bag.

Sadly I will need to replace them because we are going to spend 10 days at the coast in April and I'd like the option to swim. But I guess I can see it as decluttering a piece of clothing that doesn't fit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 09, 2018, 03:53:50 AM
Gave away two big bags of baby clothes today :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on February 09, 2018, 06:05:35 AM
I finally used up my green lentils! Those little guys moved house with me last July. We had been roommates for at least two years since they were housed in a glass peanut butter jar, which was my go-to storage device circa 2016. Yum!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 09, 2018, 10:27:02 AM
Last night I pulled out the 4 small moving boxes of sentimental things from my childhood-college. [[I graduated from college 18 years ago.]

I'm now down to 1 box of stuff.  Half of that is stuff I can scan and then throw away.  I'm hoping to have time to do that tomorrow.

I also went through the box of the kids' baby outfits that I had saved (they are 8 and 12).  We're down to 4 things.  Both kids wanted me to keep the outfits I brought them home in and their first pair of shoes, and my daughter asked me to save two dresses that she remembers loving (or at least has seen herself wearing in umpteen pictures).  The rest went into the donate pile.

The children admitted they don't want their Legos anymore and have agreed to pack those up tonight.

My husband was visibly uncomfortable by all of this.  We were doing all the sorting on the floor in front of him.  I didn't bring up any of his stuff, so I think his stress levels are back down today.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on February 09, 2018, 02:47:56 PM
Yay! Thanks for the new thread.

We cracked down last weekend...I'm tired of storing castoff furniture from relatives. Out out! One bookcase isn't salvageable...it's leaving along with the remains of an old, icky carpet and some other garbage, this weekend. We have set aside to donate next week: a second bookcase, two end tables, a coffee table, a love seat, a bin holder, and a microwave stand. All of it except the bin holder is just on the way out without replacement. Yay for more floor space!!! We did purchase a toy chest for DD to replace the bin holder. It wasn't actually working for her to hold her toys but the chest has been in place for a few days and has dramatically reduced her floor clutter.

I can't believe how much unused junk we have. My only consolation is that we inherited almost all of it so no money was wasted by us on initial purchases. We really need to go through room by room and remove all the items we have never used or don't even know what they are. What a huge project!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 09, 2018, 02:54:22 PM
-Donated a shirt my son has grown out of. One less thing around the house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 09, 2018, 08:26:44 PM
I end up saving ten years of kids clothes because the younger kids wear the older kids' castoffs, plus I also save for my niece and nephew.  However, my sister and sister-in-law are both particular about clothes and only want the best pieces. 

This week a lady on Nextdoor was collecting clothes to send to Syrian refugee children, and my daughter's preschool is collecting clothes to send to an orphanage in Nicaragua. So I went through the clothes and split it into winter clothes for Syria, summer clothes for Nicaragua. About 4 cubic YARDS of space will be freed, once they leave the house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 09, 2018, 08:34:47 PM
I end up saving ten years of kids clothes because the younger kids wear the older kids' castoffs, plus I also save for my niece and nephew.  However, my sister and sister-in-law are both particular about clothes and only want the best pieces. 

This week a lady on Nextdoor was collecting clothes to send to Syrian refugee children, and my daughter's preschool is collecting clothes to send to an orphanage in Nicaragua. So I went through the clothes and split it into winter clothes for Syria, summer clothes for Nicaragua. About 4 cubic YARDS of space will be freed, once they leave the house!

Nice! Great work! My kids wear pretty much exclusively dry fit shorts & shirts, & we're in a super moderate climate, so . . . things last for a long time. We do need things occasionally, but it's more like replacing the worn socks or shoes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 10, 2018, 08:23:53 AM
This barely fits, but I'm gonna share it anyway: I pruned dead wood off a japanese maple. It looks so much better already, and I'm not done yet. It just really felt like a good allegory for minimalism in general: pruning away that dead wood has given the vibrant trunk and living stems the chance to lift and the colors really pop. It's amazing how much easier it is to appreciate what's there, when the dead weight is taken away.

=)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on February 10, 2018, 09:22:19 AM
Super inspired to join and keep minimizing.
We did a bit purge 2 years ago (before a 5 month trip when we rented out our townhouse) but I feel like we are slowly accumulating again but my SO did say we could try weekly to pack a bag for the Re-Use It Center.

I honestly think we have 10 stainless steel water bottles for hiking..he keeps being given more and just received another 2 this week (including an insulated Klean Kanteen).

The idea of 'Refuse' being the 1st R before 'Reduce, Re-use, Recycle' hasn't quite penetrated yet :)

This morning it's time to de-clutter the fridge : meaning all the condiments we never touch.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on February 10, 2018, 04:18:56 PM
I've been accumulating again: this time books for a lit class. The problem? I only have three bookshelves now and no room for my five new (thick) novels. I'm pretty sure I've purged all the books I'm willing to give up at this time, and the dining table will only work for so long...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on February 10, 2018, 04:30:11 PM
I decluttered a child’s wooden rocking chair. It used to be at my grandparents’ house (for as long as I can remember). As the eldest grandchild, I ended up with it (and never had children, so it’s just sat in the basement taking up space). I asked my cousin if he’d like it for his new baby, the first on that side of my family, and he took me up on it. I’m glad it stayed in the family and that he’ll use it, and that it’s out of my basement guilt-free!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Astatine on February 10, 2018, 05:01:57 PM
This barely fits, but I'm gonna share it anyway: I pruned dead wood off a japanese maple. It looks so much better already, and I'm not done yet. It just really felt like a good allegory for minimalism in general: pruning away that dead wood has given the vibrant trunk and living stems the chance to lift and the colors really pop. It's amazing how much easier it is to appreciate what's there, when the dead weight is taken away.

=)

I love the analogy :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 10, 2018, 05:10:36 PM
@Step37 , that seems like a really great home for your grandparents rocking chair!

We are divorcing, selling the condo & moving into separate small apartments.  The decluttering has begun, yay!

Yesterday I threw in the trash 2 knitting projects that didn't turn out & the yarn can't be re-used.

Today I gave 2 bags of yarn to strangers through Facebook marketplace.  Together these things would have filled maybe 1 1/2 banker's boxes. 

I have a small crochet kit that I am giving to a friend and that is already in the car for when I see her in two days.

I have a knitted blanket that is not big enough for Project Linus, so that is the one thing from my yarn "collection" that is presenting a challenge.

Up next, the knitting accessories.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 10, 2018, 09:10:36 PM
Great and brave deluttering, @oneday!  I have not attacked my knitting UFOs yet... finding it harder to let go of unfinished projects. 

How about offering the knitting accessories to an after school program or a local knitting circle?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 10, 2018, 11:00:54 PM
This barely fits, but I'm gonna share it anyway: I pruned dead wood off a japanese maple. It looks so much better already, and I'm not done yet. It just really felt like a good allegory for minimalism in general: pruning away that dead wood has given the vibrant trunk and living stems the chance to lift and the colors really pop. It's amazing how much easier it is to appreciate what's there, when the dead weight is taken away.

=)

I love the analogy :)

+1 It's absolutely perfect.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 11, 2018, 12:24:33 AM
@Step37 , that seems like a really great home for your grandparents rocking chair!

We are divorcing, selling the condo & moving into separate small apartments.  The decluttering has begun, yay!

Yesterday I threw in the trash 2 knitting projects that didn't turn out & the yarn can't be re-used.

Today I gave 2 bags of yarn to strangers through Facebook marketplace.  Together these things would have filled maybe 1 1/2 banker's boxes. 

I have a small crochet kit that I am giving to a friend and that is already in the car for when I see her in two days.

I have a knitted blanket that is not big enough for Project Linus, so that is the one thing from my yarn "collection" that is presenting a challenge.

Up next, the knitting accessories.

Amazing attitude!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 11, 2018, 12:31:29 AM
Airline socks.

I'm so vigilant but the fuckers keep getting in!

Who needs a dozen pairs of cheap socks with grippy patches on the soles?

I just keep throwing them in a bag for charity.

Also... anyone need an eye mask or 12?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on February 11, 2018, 03:03:59 AM
I've been steadily moving books I will never read/reread to the various free libraries nearby, took a bag of clothes to the Vinnies yesterday AND resisted the temptation to buy a book while I was in there, deleting old ebooks from my library and apps from my phone. The latest things I have been removing are the various electronic trackers I have accumulated over the years- toshl, habitica, fitbit. Trying to free up brain space from self-monitoring.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 11, 2018, 04:30:42 AM
Airline socks.

I'm so vigilant but the fuckers keep getting in!

Who needs a dozen pairs of cheap socks with grippy patches on the soles?

I just keep throwing them in a bag for charity.

Also... anyone need an eye mask or 12?

Since refusing is the first of the waste 'Rs' - could you nudge your hubby to refuse the onboard pack?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 11, 2018, 08:17:35 AM
Airline socks.

I'm so vigilant but the fuckers keep getting in!

Who needs a dozen pairs of cheap socks with grippy patches on the soles?

I just keep throwing them in a bag for charity.

Also... anyone need an eye mask or 12?

When I fly business class, I decline the amenity kit. They donate it to charity as a full set, and I don't have to drag it around in my suitcase & then donate it later. I do like to brush my teeth, so keep a travel set readily available in my carry on.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on February 11, 2018, 11:02:33 AM
I found places to show off the decorative things I inherited from my grandma (they were in several boxes) and am putting a set of drawers and a bookshelf on the curb with "free" signs. If no one pickes them up by end of day, I'll call the local charity for pickup.

I'm building my birds a free-standing, larger cage which will free up room on the table their cage has been sitting on.

I'm buidling two planters and have enough compost for both (which means I can start a new round of compost).

I've labeled items going to my sister's house for a party (folding tables and chairs, mostly) and trying to strategize where these things will live in my garage once I get them back.There's room, but things are a but haphazard in there right now (we balked at my sibs paying for storage, so our garage is currently their storage unit).

Lots of progress!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: WootWoot on February 11, 2018, 11:12:32 AM
I threw out some stuff today that was mostly paper. My mom's friend gives her these magazines about high-falutin' travel in Europe, and my mom passes them on to me. I should just tell her I don't want them. I've tried reading them and they're just not that interesting.

I also got rid of a book that I bought on vacation, on a whim.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Prairie Gal on February 11, 2018, 12:37:18 PM
Sold two swimsuits and a swim top yesterday for a total of $30. Still have two left, but if they don't sell in a week, I will just put them in the donate bag.

Went to a condo open house yesterday, and while it's not "the one", it did drive home the fact that there is still so much stuff here that I would need to get rid of before I could move. Gah! Time to get back on the bandwagon.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RamonaQ on February 11, 2018, 01:17:56 PM
Reading through here is inspiring!

Just off the top of my head I have to get rid of:

- a container of hand soap that smells way too strongly for anyone in my house to tolerate
- all my 2017 paperwork that is in my little filing drawer.  Honestly, maybe even my 2016 stuff is still in there as well.
- a box of whatever-the-heck was in my desk from the employer that I left nearly a year ago

Now I just have to actually DO it. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 11, 2018, 01:36:02 PM
-Got rid of some hair elastics that were cracking/over stretched. Also threw out a sample size eye cream that is probably a decade old.
-Ended up with 3!!! open sesame oils. (Had one open and didn't notice and opened a second, then had one gifted by a moving friend). In an effort to use them up, plus make tasty snacks, we've been making shoyu+sesame oil roasted almonds. Very tasty, and will hopefully whittle away at the condiment collection in the fridge.
-Continuing my reorganization efforts. Trying to get more frequently used/more relevant items inside, and items generally where they're used more. Exception being I moved our onions and potatoes to the garage shelves since they sprout too fast inside. Come summer I'll probably move them back in.
-Visually cleaned up the pantry a ton- moved some bags of seaweed into glass, so they're not falling all over. Reorganized so we can see what's there more clearly, and use it up. Also more typical tasks- putting bulk rice into mason jars, same with coffee.
-Going to pull out all of DH's clothes from the dresser today and sort through. Get started keeping an eye out for sales for anything that needs replacing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mrs. Rocker on February 11, 2018, 05:56:13 PM
Last spring we decided to sell our house and move into our small motorhome full-time. We just weren't spending enough time in our house to justify keeping it. In five weeks we sold everything we had that wouldn't fit and be useful in the RV. Yes people thought we were crazy and it was a bit stressful but we have zero regrets. The material possessions brought us little to no joy but did add to our daily stress. It feels so good to be rid of stuff we didn't need. We were already on the minimalist side of the spectrum but still had a ton of junk. Now everything we own is useful, organized and uncluttered. Love it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Ms Ida on February 11, 2018, 10:20:51 PM
-Dropped two big bags of clothes that don't fit to someone one my BuyNothing group
-Another bag  in the car to drop at Goodwill
-Filled a bag to send to Thredup-first time will see if I make much but at least it is another bag out of the house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on February 12, 2018, 02:09:00 AM
Does cleaning snow count as getting rid of stuff? I have already cleaned a lot today and I am only halfway.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 12, 2018, 07:35:57 AM
Does cleaning snow count as getting rid of stuff? I have already cleaned a lot today and I am only halfway.

The amount of effort involved, it better count! I'm in the same boat, though we're supposed to have a thaw this week. At least we'll reduce the piles of snow, though with the amount we have it'll be June before it's all gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 12, 2018, 08:04:52 AM
I'm giving away my one-size-too-big clothes today.

In July I started a new healthy eating regimen (not a diet, a true lifestyle change).  I dropped a size in clothes, and put all my larger clothes in a big plastic tub in my closet.  I promised myself that if I didn't need anything in that tub in 12 months, I'd give away all of it.

It's been 7 months.  I gained a few pounds thanks to hurricane and holidays...but before I needed to open the box, my husband and I reset our family's eating habits again.  The weight is coming off again.

So I'm not waiting the 12 months.  I respect my health enough to reset when necessary to not be that size again.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on February 12, 2018, 08:54:41 AM
We have a bag ready to go to the re-use it store, we add to it and then someone drops it off when they are heading to that part of town and I am going today.

Currently it contains
-1 shirt (given to me by my sister but is too tight)
-1 microfibre sponge (new, a random gift from my dad but we don't wash our car by hand)
-1 bra (newish, given by sister, doesn't fit right)
-2 take-away coffee cups
-3 stainless steel water bottles

Will see if I can find a few more things to add :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: WootWoot on February 12, 2018, 11:39:32 AM
I'm taking three books to the library to donate today.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RamonaQ on February 12, 2018, 11:57:17 AM
I gave away a puzzle that was way too hard for me to finish.  2000 pieces and once I got to the parts that were more similar in color it stopped being fun. 

I also threw away the stupid stinky soap.  Maybe someone could have used it, and I feel kind of bad for just pitching it, but I couldn't think of a good way to donate an open soap pump container.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on February 12, 2018, 12:30:42 PM
Yes! Finally sold a saddle I've had listed on eBay for 3+ months.  Threw a "bonus" saddle pad in the box as packing material and because I wanted to get rid of it.

Grabbed a pair of black skinny jeans this morning and realized I've had them set aside because they're a size or two too small to look respectable on a 40 year old.  Out they go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 12, 2018, 01:17:05 PM
I gave away a puzzle that was way too hard for me to finish.  2000 pieces and once I got to the parts that were more similar in color it stopped being fun. 


I wish I could convince my husband to do this!  We've had a few puzzles that took months to finish, and it wasn't fun for anyone by the end.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RamonaQ on February 12, 2018, 01:40:45 PM
I gave away a puzzle that was way too hard for me to finish.  2000 pieces and once I got to the parts that were more similar in color it stopped being fun. 


I wish I could convince my husband to do this!  We've had a few puzzles that took months to finish, and it wasn't fun for anyone by the end.

This thing had been on a table in the basement for well over a year - it was time for it to go!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 12, 2018, 08:39:03 PM
Yes! Finally sold a dress that I've been trying to get rid of on eBay. Made $2, but getting it out of the house. Also have two people coming to pick up kids sports jerseys tomorrow, and should be making $10 on those. Three items gone that have been lingering for over a month.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Happy Little Chipmunk on February 12, 2018, 08:59:01 PM
Hooray! Great thread and timely for me.

The sad part: I am allergic to the cats and we had to 're-home' them. The hopeful part: I might get a grip on my eczema and improve my physical and mental health.

And the work part: washing walls, dejunking drawers, cleaning out corners. It's a big task to rid my house of 6 years of cat dander...especially since I tend to hang on to things. It's time to purge.

Over the weekend I cleaned out the art supplies in the kitchen and organized the kitchen cabinets. Today I sold cookbooks & computer books and donated the ones that didn't sell (two banker's boxes!) Also donated some misc clothing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on February 13, 2018, 12:03:55 AM
- Decluttered our vitamin stash, got rid of a bunch of expired vitamins.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on February 13, 2018, 12:51:48 AM
I have reopened the advertisement of my wedding dress. A girl was interested in it and asked a lot about the sizes. But her conclusion was that it was too small for her (without trying it on). I hope someone else will be interested, because this is the second round.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 13, 2018, 03:43:25 AM
Made $2...

You crack me up! :D Don't spend it all at once!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 13, 2018, 07:25:31 AM
Made $2...

You crack me up! :D Don't spend it all at once!

I'm ready splurge with that $2!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 13, 2018, 07:35:21 AM
One of my goals this year is to get rid of my file cabinet, which means I have to deal with the giant mounds of paper stuffed inside it.  I'm allotting 30 minutes a week, because I really hate everything to do with filing and that's as much as I can stand. I made it through 4 folders, and my recycle bin is now full.  Most of that stuff I hadn't looked at or thought about in 15 years or more.

My son needed a small part for a Cub Scout project, so I texted my ex to see if he had one.  My husband asked why on earth I would expect my ex to have it.  Daughter (age 12) piped up, "Daddy doesn't throw away ANYTHING.  Stepmom complains all the time about how much stuff he has everywhere.  Most of it is still in boxes since we moved last year."  I'm so glad he's not my problem anymore.

It made me really think about how we get to this point of being overwhelmed with stuff.   It made me wonder if part of it is just never being taught how to make decisions on what to give away and what to keep.  My ex inherited his mild hoarding tendency from his mom (who had a collection of 25 years worth of TV Guides because she just couldn't bear to get rid of them.   Everything was neatly organized but still....)  For her, part of it was poverty as a young adult so she had a reason to keep anything that might be useful, and part of it was an emotional response to an unstable childhood.

My parents also dealt with some pretty thin times, but we didn't have stuff.  I think they just didn't buy things.  It was a family joke that my mom would take 6 months to buy anything.  So we never really had to declutter because we just didn't have STUFF.  (Both my parents retired in their mid-50s....I wish they'd talked more about financial choices when I was younger.)  When I got married I deferred some to my 1st husband, who kept everything, even though we had money and bought lots of stuff (very anti-Mustachian).

It's weird to think I'm finally learning the decluttering rules at almost 40.  I'm glad my kids are young enough that maybe they can learn from me...and not their dad.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 13, 2018, 07:44:38 AM
I gave away a puzzle that was way too hard for me to finish.  2000 pieces and once I got to the parts that were more similar in color it stopped being fun. 


I wish I could convince my husband to do this!  We've had a few puzzles that took months to finish, and it wasn't fun for anyone by the end.

This thing had been on a table in the basement for well over a year - it was time for it to go!

The worst one for me was a 500ish piece puzzle of a dragon, but it was actually shaped like the dragon. No background. The pieces were poorly cut so didn't fit well, thus I repeatedly had to undo sections because I realized later that it wasn't right. It took forever, but I was almost done. I came home from work one day and my cats had accidentally flipped it off the table. Pieces everywhere, they all came apart. I put it back in the box and donated it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 13, 2018, 07:46:52 AM
Hooray! Great thread and timely for me.

The sad part: I am allergic to the cats and we had to 're-home' them. The hopeful part: I might get a grip on my eczema and improve my physical and mental health.

And the work part: washing walls, dejunking drawers, cleaning out corners. It's a big task to rid my house of 6 years of cat dander...especially since I tend to hang on to things. It's time to purge.

Over the weekend I cleaned out the art supplies in the kitchen and organized the kitchen cabinets. Today I sold cookbooks & computer books and donated the ones that didn't sell (two banker's boxes!) Also donated some misc clothing.

Oh no :( You know it's pretty bad when the allergy meds aren't enough. I'm allergic to one of mine, but the meds keep it in check enough.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 13, 2018, 07:47:09 AM
I gave away a puzzle that was way too hard for me to finish.  2000 pieces and once I got to the parts that were more similar in color it stopped being fun. 


I wish I could convince my husband to do this!  We've had a few puzzles that took months to finish, and it wasn't fun for anyone by the end.

This thing had been on a table in the basement for well over a year - it was time for it to go!

The worst one for me was a 500ish piece puzzle of a dragon, but it was actually shaped like the dragon. No background. The pieces were poorly cut so didn't fit well, thus I repeatedly had to undo sections because I realized later that it wasn't right. It took forever, but I was almost done. I came home from work one day and my cats had accidentally flipped it off the table. Pieces everywhere, they all came apart. I put it back in the box and donated it.

You gave me a great idea.  Next time I'm putting dog treats on top of the puzzle before I go to work.  If the dog destroys the work we've done, my husband will probably let go of the puzzle.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on February 13, 2018, 11:39:31 AM
Got rid of two pairs of pants that no longer fit me comfortably. Huzzah!


Anyone heard of/read The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning? I have it in my queue at the library. I'm not quite sure why I'm fascinated by these decluttering books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on February 13, 2018, 05:32:00 PM
The furniture I set out with a free sign was gone within a few hours. :)

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 13, 2018, 07:49:13 PM
My children's clothes, over 5 tall bags, were picked up today,  but oddly the closets are still full.

I've earmarked the next thing to go: a tub of cloth diaper sewing supplies, including a metal snap setter, a big box of snaps, organic hemp fabric,  PUL. Will try to sell them on a mom's list. 

I think it's going to be easier to get rid of things that just remind me of unfinished projects and needless expense, now that I took the step of giving away items that I had an actual sentimental attachment to (the children's clothes).  I was looking at the sewing supplies and thinking, "Why should I save these when they have no meaning to me? I may as well have saved the baby clothes instead!"

Anyway, those cute little clothes will be easing the life of orphans and sad homeless babies elsewhere. I'm thankful to the people who are collecting them, making it possible for me to find a meaningful use for these things.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CU Tiger on February 13, 2018, 07:58:39 PM
I gave away a puzzle that was way too hard for me to finish.  2000 pieces and once I got to the parts that were more similar in color it stopped being fun. 

I also threw away the stupid stinky soap.  Maybe someone could have used it, and I feel kind of bad for just pitching it, but I couldn't think of a good way to donate an open soap pump container.

@RamonaQ  - totally okay to throw it out, but if it ever happens again you could put it in the bathroom at work or church. At my work, lots of people bring in what were obviously gift soaps and lotions that they didn't like. (Liquid soap in pump containers, not bar soap.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 13, 2018, 08:31:23 PM
Got rid of two more kids items today, & made $10. Slow but steady progress!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Happy Little Chipmunk on February 13, 2018, 08:54:59 PM
Thanks Sibley. Yep, it was hard to make the decision to say goodby to our cats, but the older I get the louder my skin talks to me. I'm thankful the family is so understanding.

Today: Cleaned out the entry coat rack & got rid of hats, gloves and umbrellas. Also sorted through old phones, wall warts & related junk. The whole mess is going to the recycler tomorrow!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on February 14, 2018, 05:03:20 AM
The furniture I set out with a free sign was gone within a few hours. :)

Friends of mine once found a free chair that was set outside to be pickup by a stranger. It turned out to be a classic designer chair that is actually worth some money.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 14, 2018, 07:55:09 AM
A neighbor actually wants 3 gallons of paint the builders had left in our house 5 years ago!  That will save me having to buy tons of cat litter to absorb enough of it to throw it away.

I parted with a blazer today that I've only worn once.  It's cute, but it doesn't fit me well enough and it doesn't fit my style at all.

Youngest kid outgrew his booster seat!  If no one in the neighborhood wants it this week I'll throw it away (can't donate them).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FI Curious on February 14, 2018, 08:03:14 AM
I've decided that no more crap is coming in until we get the crap we have under control.  We have enacted a purchasing freeze (except on food).  We'll see how this goes. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 14, 2018, 08:08:28 AM
I realized I have a major wall with getting rid of clothes: I don't actually have enough! I keep resisting getting rid of things that don't fit well and I don't like, and I couldn't figure out *why*. Well, duh, I keep wearing them because I don't have enough clothing overall. So now I'm at an impasse, because I really don't want to spend money on clothing. Hand-me-downs that fit my proportions are few and far between, and I can't abide the smell of goodwill cleaner (although I do buy their industrial salvage, but it's not that cheap TBH). Anyway, I haven't done anything about this yet, but identifying my resistance to dealing with this category is a good first step!

If anyone needs some decluttering inspiration, I've been enjoying watching KonMari videos on Youtube. I've watched all of this girl's videos in the last few days: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8yT7-O7D19GkqQKJ6uawlA (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8yT7-O7D19GkqQKJ6uawlA) I don't know why watching other people speed declutter inspires me so much, but I thought I'd share in case it does for anyone else as well.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 14, 2018, 08:27:12 AM
I realized I have a major wall with getting rid of clothes: I don't actually have enough! I keep resisting getting rid of things that don't fit well and I don't like, and I couldn't figure out *why*. Well, duh, I keep wearing them because I don't have enough clothing overall. So now I'm at an impasse, because I really don't want to spend money on clothing. Hand-me-downs that fit my proportions are few and far between, and I can't abide the smell of goodwill cleaner (although I do buy their industrial salvage, but it's not that cheap TBH). Anyway, I haven't done anything about this yet, but identifying my resistance to dealing with this category is a good first step!

How much clothing do you have that you like that fits you?  How many pieces would you need to buy to have a wardrobe that works for your lifestyle?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 14, 2018, 08:32:45 AM
I realized I have a major wall with getting rid of clothes: I don't actually have enough! I keep resisting getting rid of things that don't fit well and I don't like, and I couldn't figure out *why*. Well, duh, I keep wearing them because I don't have enough clothing overall. So now I'm at an impasse, because I really don't want to spend money on clothing. Hand-me-downs that fit my proportions are few and far between, and I can't abide the smell of goodwill cleaner (although I do buy their industrial salvage, but it's not that cheap TBH). Anyway, I haven't done anything about this yet, but identifying my resistance to dealing with this category is a good first step!

How much clothing do you have that you like that fits you?  How many pieces would you need to buy to have a wardrobe that works for your lifestyle?

Depends which subset of clothes you're talking I guess, but for every day wear stuff? The big challenges are I only really have 2 bottoms I wear for day to day. I bought one to replace the other, but then kept both, because I kept fishing the old one out of the goodwill box to have something to wear. T shirts are decent, I have just enough to make it from one laundry day to the next, but 2 of them fit a bit oddly, so in an ideal world I'd replace them. I have 2 light jackets I wear nearly every day, but the zipper on one just broke. I could use a couple more of them, since they get dirty and washed at least once a week.

So my ideal? I guess I'd get like 3 more bottoms, 2-3 more shirts, and 2 new zip ups. Oh, and replace all 4 of my very stretched out bras. That's $$$ right there. =(
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on February 14, 2018, 09:10:36 AM
Bracken_Joy, I completely understand your situation since I was in the same one up until a few months ago. I don't have a lot of clothes, and I continue to wear items that are broken down because I hate to be wasteful and I really hate to shop for clothes. I realized a few months ago that I was constantly uncomfortable in my work clothes, which was causing tension and low-level stress in my body. It's not fun to be tugging at too tight pant legs or overstretched bra bands. So I bought three bras and two pairs of pants on sale and got rid of the items that no longer fit me. Once I started wearing clothes that fit and therefore could be forgotten about (I don't care about clothes outside of their functionality), I felt much more at ease.

I was surprised that I hadn't placed more value on my comfort initially. I think I sometimes forget that it's worth the money to take care of myself. I think I hadn't realized that properly fitting clothes are as important as properly fitting shoes. Anyway, I'm still working on it since I definitely have/wear things that I should replace.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 14, 2018, 09:14:34 AM
I have a bunch of baby clothes listed on facebook marketplace. Includes a note that says "Must pick up (my location)"

A woman got SUPER angry at me for not being willing to meet her at a totally different location, in the middle of the workday.  Completely cussed me out with "you must not want to sell."
Um, it's $20 worth of clothes. I'm really not going out of my way for this.  I'll just dump it at goodwill on my next trip if it isn't sold by then.

Usually when people can only pick up during the day and not the evening or weekend, I just leave it on the porch and tell them to leave the money. So far it's worked. But that woman was crazy.

@Bracken_Joy - I have on pair of pants I wear day to day.  I am lucky enough to wear jeans at work, and I wash them on Saturdays, they have giant patches on the inner thighs as they are falling apart. At home I change into a pair of leggings or fleece pants.  I have a skirt I wear to business meetings.  I hate clothes shopping.  (I have a million shirts though)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 14, 2018, 09:19:55 AM
Bracken_Joy, I completely understand your situation since I was in the same one up until a few months ago. I don't have a lot of clothes, and I continue to wear items that are broken down because I hate to be wasteful and I really hate to shop for clothes. I realized a few months ago that I was constantly uncomfortable in my work clothes, which was causing tension and low-level stress in my body. It's not fun to be tugging at too tight pant legs or overstretched bra bands. So I bought three bras and two pairs of pants on sale and got rid of the items that no longer fit me. Once I started wearing clothes that fit and therefore could be forgotten about (I don't care about clothes outside of their functionality), I felt much more at ease.

I was surprised that I hadn't placed more value on my comfort initially. I think I sometimes forget that it's worth the money to take care of myself. I think I hadn't realized that properly fitting clothes are as important as properly fitting shoes. Anyway, I'm still working on it since I definitely have/wear things that I should replace.

I think that's part of my hesitation. My work clothes are fine- I wear scrubs, I have 5 tops and 3 bottoms and work 2 days per week right now, so that's more than enough, and they're still in fine shape. But it's my home/errand/exercise/life clothes. I never know where to draw the line at "too worn to wear out of the house" though. I'm bad about that =\ I usually wait until my husband gently requests I not wear things anymore, haha. Well, and especially because like- my yoga capris, which are what I have 2 pairs of? I always think I *won't* wear them out and just change into a pair of jeans, but then I forget, or the jeans are dirty, and I wear them out anyway.

I know I need to replace stuff at some point, but it gets back to a lot of stuff in my life (infertility, needing money for IVF soon, that sort of thing), so I keep putting it off. I've been putting it off for years, thinking I would be pregnant soon. And uh... obviously that hasn't happened, haha. I guess my "optimism" about the process is somewhat manifested in refusing to replace clothes.

Ugh. Who knew something like replacing a pair of yoga pants could be so emotionally fraught? STUFF is so hard to disentangle from hopes, grief, anxiety, etc. (Funny, just like money is).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on February 14, 2018, 09:25:30 AM
Oh, and replace all 4 of my very stretched out bras. That's $$$ right there. =(
My view, as someone who really needs a good bra all the time, is that you should go out this weekend and spend money on 2 new bras that fit you well.  Hand wash them (just a quick swirl round in some soapy water will do fine) and hang them to dry.  Two will keep you going for a long time on this regimen.  And all your tops will miraculously fit you better as a result, I promise.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 14, 2018, 09:38:58 AM
Oh, and replace all 4 of my very stretched out bras. That's $$$ right there. =(
My view, as someone who really needs a good bra all the time, is that you should go out this weekend and spend money on 2 new bras that fit you well.  Hand wash them (just a quick swirl round in some soapy water will do fine) and hang them to dry.  Two will keep you going for a long time on this regimen.  And all your tops will miraculously fit you better as a result, I promise.

I do delicate cycle in lingerie bags, and air dry, and they have lasted years =) Two of them are 4 years old, 2 are 2 years old. They're just getting really, really old is all, haha. And of *course* I can't have a normal damn size of a rib cage (30), so finding bras that fit right has been a nightmare. The 4 I have are all actually size 32 bands from Victoria's Secret, and they've held up better than any of the other brands I've had (Curvy Kate, Flirtelle, etc). So I keep buying these even though they aren't the perfect fit, because at least they hold up to my very active life, haha. (FWIW I did hand wash the name brand ones for a while, but I couldn't reliably get all the soap out, and got a couple nasty rashes. That was a nightmare).

Clearly, I am a high maintenance creature!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 14, 2018, 10:35:59 AM
A neighbor actually wants 3 gallons of paint the builders had left in our house 5 years ago!  That will save me having to buy tons of cat litter to absorb enough of it to throw it away.

I parted with a blazer today that I've only worn once.  It's cute, but it doesn't fit me well enough and it doesn't fit my style at all.

Youngest kid outgrew his booster seat!  If no one in the neighborhood wants it this week I'll throw it away (can't donate them).

If you've got usable paint but don't want to use it, other options:
1. Theaters - community, school, etc.
2. Habitat for humanity/similar.

Hazardous waste drop off events often take paint. this is good for the stuff you can't use especially.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 14, 2018, 10:43:46 AM
Oh, and replace all 4 of my very stretched out bras. That's $$$ right there. =(
My view, as someone who really needs a good bra all the time, is that you should go out this weekend and spend money on 2 new bras that fit you well.  Hand wash them (just a quick swirl round in some soapy water will do fine) and hang them to dry.  Two will keep you going for a long time on this regimen.  And all your tops will miraculously fit you better as a result, I promise.

I do delicate cycle in lingerie bags, and air dry, and they have lasted years =) Two of them are 4 years old, 2 are 2 years old. They're just getting really, really old is all, haha. And of *course* I can't have a normal damn size of a rib cage (30), so finding bras that fit right has been a nightmare. The 4 I have are all actually size 32 bands from Victoria's Secret, and they've held up better than any of the other brands I've had (Curvy Kate, Flirtelle, etc). So I keep buying these even though they aren't the perfect fit, because at least they hold up to my very active life, haha. (FWIW I did hand wash the name brand ones for a while, but I couldn't reliably get all the soap out, and got a couple nasty rashes. That was a nightmare).

Clearly, I am a high maintenance creature!

I am also hard to fit and had really old bras. I went to Nordstroms and got fitted. Found 3 bras that I liked. Bought one of each, then went home and went on ebay. Found many more of them and got for about $20 each. More money than the old process, but much less stress/time/fuss/angst than usual. Totally recommend.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 14, 2018, 11:06:25 AM
A neighbor actually wants 3 gallons of paint the builders had left in our house 5 years ago!  That will save me having to buy tons of cat litter to absorb enough of it to throw it away.

I parted with a blazer today that I've only worn once.  It's cute, but it doesn't fit me well enough and it doesn't fit my style at all.

Youngest kid outgrew his booster seat!  If no one in the neighborhood wants it this week I'll throw it away (can't donate them).

If you've got usable paint but don't want to use it, other options:
1. Theaters - community, school, etc.
2. Habitat for humanity/similar.

Hazardous waste drop off events often take paint. this is good for the stuff you can't use especially.

Our landfill told me to open the containers, let it dry out and then put it in the trash
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 14, 2018, 12:21:17 PM
Oh, and replace all 4 of my very stretched out bras. That's $$$ right there. =(
My view, as someone who really needs a good bra all the time, is that you should go out this weekend and spend money on 2 new bras that fit you well.  Hand wash them (just a quick swirl round in some soapy water will do fine) and hang them to dry.  Two will keep you going for a long time on this regimen.  And all your tops will miraculously fit you better as a result, I promise.

I do delicate cycle in lingerie bags, and air dry, and they have lasted years =) Two of them are 4 years old, 2 are 2 years old. They're just getting really, really old is all, haha. And of *course* I can't have a normal damn size of a rib cage (30), so finding bras that fit right has been a nightmare. The 4 I have are all actually size 32 bands from Victoria's Secret, and they've held up better than any of the other brands I've had (Curvy Kate, Flirtelle, etc). So I keep buying these even though they aren't the perfect fit, because at least they hold up to my very active life, haha. (FWIW I did hand wash the name brand ones for a while, but I couldn't reliably get all the soap out, and got a couple nasty rashes. That was a nightmare).

Clearly, I am a high maintenance creature!

I am also hard to fit and had really old bras. I went to Nordstroms and got fitted. Found 3 bras that I liked. Bought one of each, then went home and went on ebay. Found many more of them and got for about $20 each. More money than the old process, but much less stress/time/fuss/angst than usual. Totally recommend.

Okay sorry, I should say it's hard to find bras that fit at a price point I'm okay with. I've been professionally fitted (multiple times actually), I just don't like the price tag. And I hate the buy online/return/etc process. Plus I keep getting bras that I *think* will be comfortable, then a week or two in have something that drive me up the wall about them. That's why I keep going back to the good ol' VS bras. Not perfect, but not setting cash on fire, so it's an improvement. I found precisely ONE bra that fit perfectly for it's lifespan, and then it stopped being made and online availability quickly dried up >.< Bras and me don't get along, is the point.


OKAY GUYS. Based on this convo, I'm gonna start "one-in, one-out"ing the pieces that don't work/are too worn/etc. I need to stay accountable because I have a hard time getting rid of old clothes. First up. I got a zip up. I will give myself ONE WEEK to make sure it will work for me, and then my stained white one of the same cut needs to go. I pinky swear =P I also bought a pair of tennis shoes. I will give myself TWO WEEKS with those to make sure they don't suck, and then my last attempt at work shoes will go byebye, since they never fit well.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 14, 2018, 02:18:53 PM
A neighbor actually wants 3 gallons of paint the builders had left in our house 5 years ago!  That will save me having to buy tons of cat litter to absorb enough of it to throw it away.

I parted with a blazer today that I've only worn once.  It's cute, but it doesn't fit me well enough and it doesn't fit my style at all.

Youngest kid outgrew his booster seat!  If no one in the neighborhood wants it this week I'll throw it away (can't donate them).

If you've got usable paint but don't want to use it, other options:
1. Theaters - community, school, etc.
2. Habitat for humanity/similar.

Hazardous waste drop off events often take paint. this is good for the stuff you can't use especially.

Our landfill told me to open the containers, let it dry out and then put it in the trash

Yeah, but it'll take a very long time for a full can to dry out. When they're empty or nearly so that's much more reasonable.

I had to dispose of 40-50ish gallons of old paint last year (I counted but forgot). The ones that were basically empty I just left open to dry then tossed, but the rest were half or more full. Hazardous waste took it all. More recently, I've donated full, unopened cans to habitat for humanity (my friends have weird stuff), and partially used cans the local theater group is happy to get. The stuff is perfectly good, so I'm happy to have it be used rather than throw it out.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 14, 2018, 04:49:59 PM
Great and brave decluttering, @oneday!  I have not attacked my knitting UFOs yet... finding it harder to let go of unfinished projects. 

How about offering the knitting accessories to an after school program or a local knitting circle?

@Poundwise, I offered them to my own knitting circle!  It was only about a quart baggie full, but my friends took everything but one tapestry needle.  So I tossed it, as it is a larger size & I don't use bulky yarns much.

All my knitting stuff fits in two boxes, but they are big & measure 6 cubic feet.  I think this is too much for me.  Fortunately, I had collected up other people's scrap yarns for a scrap blankie, so when that is done I can get rid of the remainders (about 40% of the bulk).  Unfortunatly, I packed that project up until the house sells, so that won't be cleared out any time soon. :(

Have been going through the books.  There are a dozen or so I want to keep.  The problem is that many of the cast offs were gifts from my STBX.  I can't just toss them in the donate box, as he will see & not understand.  It will hurt his feelings & I don't want to create bad blood.  We have been able to work together very well so far.  So I guess I have to find a way to steath-donate these.

My next target is the kitchen.  Not sure if I'll find much there.  In the baking stuff, I found one mini-muffin pan that can go.  At least I'll know what I have when that is done.  And I don't have to worry about donating in secret!

The good news is that we have a massive box for donation already.  Can't wait to clear that out!  STBX agreed to get rid of some of his own things which he had tried to hold on to in the past.  This is good because we are sharing a storage unit until the place sells & we each find our own apartments.  My goal is not to store anything only to get rid of it later, but that probably won't happen 100%.  We have a very short time line before the place is listed.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 14, 2018, 04:57:51 PM
@Bracken_Joy, I support your one-in, one-out rule.  I am also very hard to fit, especially pants, and I have a hard cap on how much I will pay for an article of clothing.  It takes a long time, but I always find what I need eventually.  The trick I have learned is to start shopping for a replacement item when something starts to wear out, as it could take months to find the right item.  I didn't follow this rule when my tan cardigan was showing wear a few months back & I had to toss it a week ago (hole).  Now I am down to only 4 cardigans...have to scrounge up a 5th outfit somehow for work.

I made a rule that if it wasn't in good enough shape to wear to work (even if I wouldn't wear it to work, like your yoga capris), then it wasn't in good enough shape, period.  So the PJ pants with worn out waist elastic had to go, even though there were no holes & I never wear them outside.  Maybe you can work on coming up with some similar rules for yourself?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 14, 2018, 05:03:57 PM
@Bracken_Joy, I support your one-in, one-out rule.  I am also very hard to fit, especially pants, and I have a hard cap on how much I will pay for an article of clothing.  It takes a long time, but I always find what I need eventually.  The trick I have learned is to start shopping for a replacement item when something starts to wear out, as it could take months to find the right item.  I didn't follow this rule when my tan cardigan was showing wear a few months back & I had to toss it a week ago (hole).  Now I am down to only 4 cardigans...have to scrounge up a 5th outfit somehow for work.

I made a rule that if it wasn't in good enough shape to wear to work (even if I wouldn't wear it to work, like your yoga capris), then it wasn't in good enough shape, period.  So the PJ pants with worn out waist elastic had to go, even though there were no holes & I never wear them outside.  Maybe you can work on coming up with some similar rules for yourself?

Hmm. I would have no clothes I'm pretty sure =P But no, that's a good idea. I may need a little looser criteria though. I both hate clothes spending and I hate shopping, so I don't end up finding bargains, because I never go look for them. I realize it's not a good system. Hence buying most of my clothing at costco. I'm already there, easy returns, limited selection.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 14, 2018, 06:44:20 PM
I realized I have a major wall with getting rid of clothes: I don't actually have enough! I keep resisting getting rid of things that don't fit well and I don't like, and I couldn't figure out *why*. Well, duh, I keep wearing them because I don't have enough clothing overall. So now I'm at an impasse, because I really don't want to spend money on clothing. Hand-me-downs that fit my proportions are few and far between, and I can't abide the smell of goodwill cleaner (although I do buy their industrial salvage, but it's not that cheap TBH). Anyway, I haven't done anything about this yet, but identifying my resistance to dealing with this category is a good first step!

I have read the follow up comments / discussion of this. I have the same issue from time to time. Made worse by disliking shopping and finding it difficult to find clothes that fit well, suit my needs, don't cost a fortune etc.

One thing that has been helping me lately is using Smart Closet (a wardrobe app) because I can see *what I actually wear*. Turns out that in warm weather when I'm not working, I want to wear comfy shorts all the time. Maybe for you, it would demonstrate that you wear yoga pants every day of the week and never wear your other pants. I'm not buying clothes this year, so I will keep putting up with imperfect shorts (one pair too short; one pair too loose around the waist) but when I do buy clothes again, I will do a better job of buying what I will actually wear based on my app data. I think it will really help me declutter and replace when the time comes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on February 14, 2018, 08:01:38 PM
The furniture I set out with a free sign was gone within a few hours. :)

Friends of mine once found a free chair that was set outside to be pickup by a stranger. It turned out to be a classic designer chair that is actually worth some money.

Nice!

I saw the neighbors that carried the bookshelf down the block. They looked college-aged. ALL my furniture was hand-me-down in collrge, so I'm pleased to have passed something good along. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Primm on February 15, 2018, 04:53:09 AM
Found you all!

Thanks for decluttering the old thread. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 15, 2018, 09:19:39 AM
Bracken_Joy, the point is to find rules that work for you, so if mine are too restrictive, then by all means adjust for your situation.

~~~~~

While I'm haven't gotten rid of anything else yet, I did get the kitchen packed up.  Well, the "extra" dishes, mostly baking things that I use exclusively in December.  They moved to the storage unit, does that count? :)

Also going through my books I found more knitting things...knitting books!  I thought I was done with knitting stuff.  Was able to divide books into his/mine/ours/donate.  "Ours" are mostly photo albums.  I have a plan for getting the donate books out tonight. Stealthily!

Up next is out of season clothes and the craft drawer.  I think a lot of the craft stuff will just be donated.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 15, 2018, 11:54:37 AM
Had to find a birth certificate & current report card for one of the kids, so ended up cleaning out both kids files when it wasn't immediately findable. Got rid of about 20 pieces of paper, 10 envelopes, etc that were unnecessary. Yay for less paperwork! I keep trimming down my filing cabinet one file at a time. My goal is to go through each file when I'm adding or finding anything. I used to need two drawers. I'm down to 2/3 of one drawer for now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 15, 2018, 11:57:43 AM
Had to find a birth certificate & current report card for one of the kids, so ended up cleaning out both kids files when it wasn't immediately findable. Got rid of about 20 pieces of paper, 10 envelopes, etc that were unnecessary. Yay for less paperwork! I keep trimming down my filing cabinet one file at a time. My goal is to go through each file when I'm adding or finding anything. I used to need two drawers. I'm down to 2/3 of one drawer for now.

I need to go through my files soon. I've been doing really well filing stuff, which is great, but I need to clear those files out periodically, which I haven't done haha. At least they're in roughly chronological order?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Happy Little Chipmunk on February 15, 2018, 10:23:25 PM
Oh boy, all this talk about sorting the files has me hanging my head. I have papers I wrote in high school sitting in the basement, along with every tax return and check I've ever written. The spare room has a big file cabinet full of more recent 'important' things. The attic has several boxes of 'I have no idea what is in there'.

I applaud those of you who are tackling paper. After I get our main living spaces deep cleaned, I'll make this a priority. But first: Took a bag of electronics to the Reuse/Recycle place yesterday. Today I brought fabric into the house...but it has a use. Two general purpose chairs and 5 dining room chairs will soon look spectacular.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 16, 2018, 08:54:10 AM
Oh boy, all this talk about sorting the files has me hanging my head. I have papers I wrote in high school sitting in the basement, along with every tax return and check I've ever written. The spare room has a big file cabinet full of more recent 'important' things. The attic has several boxes of 'I have no idea what is in there'.

I applaud those of you who are tackling paper. After I get our main living spaces deep cleaned, I'll make this a priority. But first: Took a bag of electronics to the Reuse/Recycle place yesterday. Today I brought fabric into the house...but it has a use. Two general purpose chairs and 5 dining room chairs will soon look spectacular.

You'll get there. Be prepared with a shredder or some way to safely dispose of them though. Not everything needs that treatment, but it is a lot. And then it's an ongoing battle, cause it just keeps coming!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 16, 2018, 08:55:19 AM
Had to find a birth certificate & current report card for one of the kids, so ended up cleaning out both kids files when it wasn't immediately findable. Got rid of about 20 pieces of paper, 10 envelopes, etc that were unnecessary. Yay for less paperwork! I keep trimming down my filing cabinet one file at a time. My goal is to go through each file when I'm adding or finding anything. I used to need two drawers. I'm down to 2/3 of one drawer for now.

I need to go through my files soon. I've been doing really well filing stuff, which is great, but I need to clear those files out periodically, which I haven't done haha. At least they're in roughly chronological order?

I find paperwork to be one of those projects that I can only commit to like 10-15 minutes at a time. Some days, I get super into it, and keep going. Other days, I'm out as soon as the timer beeps. You have to have some mental energy to decide what's important. But, you can do it! Break it into super small tasks & it will be done in no time.

Today I need to get the house ready for a birthday sleepover for my 12 year old. That will inevitably involve some decluttering/cleaning. Kids are constantly bringing paperwork, wrappers, etc into the house, and it's a non-stop battle to stay on top of it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on February 16, 2018, 09:09:43 AM
I'm in the middle of a giant KonMari style declutter. My wife is so not on board, but I hope that sorting out my own crap will make hers bother me less.

Anyway, I'm doing pretty well. I have ~10-15 medium sized bags to get rid of and I'm just at the beginning of the neverending komono category. However, I'm really slowing down because all these bags are in the way. I live in a small apartment in a big city and don't have a car. How am I supposed to get all this crap to the goodwill? I find it easier to get rid of stuff if I can pretend it will have another life elsewhere, so I'm reluctant to just throw it away downstairs.

Any ideas? I figure Mustachians would be more likely to have come across this problem than the people in my KonMari facebook group.

It's a lot of stuff to try to get it into a taxi, and it's backed up so much it feels overwhelming to take it on the train one or two bags at a time. I've thought about renting a car or using 1-800-got-junk, but both of those options are expensive enough I don't want to use them until the entire declutter is finished and the bags are in the way now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 16, 2018, 09:17:11 AM
I'm in the middle of a giant KonMari style declutter. My wife is so not on board, but I hope that sorting out my own crap will make hers bother me less.

Anyway, I'm doing pretty well. I have ~10-15 medium sized bags to get rid of and I'm just at the beginning of the neverending komono category. However, I'm really slowing down because all these bags are in the way. I live in a small apartment in a big city and don't have a car. How am I supposed to get all this crap to the goodwill? I find it easier to get rid of stuff if I can pretend it will have another life elsewhere, so I'm reluctant to just throw it away downstairs.

Any ideas? I figure Mustachians would be more likely to have come across this problem than the people in my KonMari facebook group.

It's a lot of stuff to try to get it into a taxi, and it's backed up so much it feels overwhelming to take it on the train one or two bags at a time. I've thought about renting a car or using 1-800-got-junk, but both of those options are expensive enough I don't want to use them until the entire declutter is finished and the bags are in the way now.

A few ideas:
1. Buy Nothing Project. Then people pick it up right from you.
2. For big ticket items, your apartment trash room is a great way to get freebies gifted. (I have gotten so much good furniture this way, haha)
3. Some orgs will arrange pickup for you. I think St Vincent de Paul's does this? Call and ask!
4. Uber?
5. Phone a friend.
6. I have literally borrowed a shopping cart from Trader Joes (I asked, seriously), and walked the 1.2 miles to goodwill with the cart full of crap. Sure, I looked like a homeless person, but it got the job done!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 16, 2018, 10:00:08 AM
I need more nice summer tops but am being really really fussy.  I was in the US visiting my sister and we went shopping.  I tried on 7 tops, walked out with none.  Before I would have bought the 2 that were sort of OK, but now I am being firm with myself.  If I don't absolutely love the way the top looks on me, it doesn't get bought.  At this rate I will be lucky to find 2 tops this year.

I plan to continue watching the Olympics (my every 2 years TV binge) with file folders and the shredder close at hand.  There is lots of down time in bits and pieces that I can use to sort and shred.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: frontstepdesign on February 16, 2018, 12:32:13 PM
I'm in the middle of a giant KonMari style declutter. My wife is so not on board, but I hope that sorting out my own crap will make hers bother me less.

Anyway, I'm doing pretty well. I have ~10-15 medium sized bags to get rid of and I'm just at the beginning of the neverending komono category. However, I'm really slowing down because all these bags are in the way. I live in a small apartment in a big city and don't have a car. How am I supposed to get all this crap to the goodwill? I find it easier to get rid of stuff if I can pretend it will have another life elsewhere, so I'm reluctant to just throw it away downstairs.

Any ideas? I figure Mustachians would be more likely to have come across this problem than the people in my KonMari facebook group.

It's a lot of stuff to try to get it into a taxi, and it's backed up so much it feels overwhelming to take it on the train one or two bags at a time. I've thought about renting a car or using 1-800-got-junk, but both of those options are expensive enough I don't want to use them until the entire declutter is finished and the bags are in the way now.

I'm so happy to hear the marital flipside of this stage!  (Seems so many KM groups are full of women who can't get their husbands on board.)

What about borrowing that party idea from the Minimalists, only it's a Trek To The Goodwill party?  Get a bunch of people to help you carry it, then all go have a beer or something fun.  Great photo opp.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 16, 2018, 01:01:51 PM
Have you tried Vietnam Veterans. They come to my neighborhood quite frequently. You just have to call and they come and do a pick up of small items and bags of stuff. No large furniture. Maybe Salvation Army will do a pick up. Or do a search to see what kind of organizations are in your town that will pick up stuff. Maybe call the Senior Center or call some churches. Don't call 1800 got junk, they are super expensive and will throw all the stuff away or possibly donate it, who knows. I had them come one time to my house and I could have rented a HUGE dumpster for less than got junk cost. We found this organization that came to my Mom's house after she passed and took everything. Furniture, clothing. There were a couple of mattresses they wouldn't take and a broken recliner and another chair a mouse had chewed on but every thing else they took.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 16, 2018, 10:50:54 PM
Everyone is talking about files.  My nemesis.  One day I will get them under control, but not on the compressed timeline of trying to stage & sell this condo.

Was able to find a donation center near work for the books & got them plus a few other items out of the house at lunchtime, yay! 

Also worked my way into the corner behind the desk, chucking some papers as I went.  Was going to reupholster a couch that was at our prior place, but that was 12 years ago.  Held on to two of the cushions sans covers because they fit in the cavity between the two desks placed in an L shape in the corner and made a more-or-less continuous surface.  Also because they were expensive (yes, sunk cost fallacy).  But they were useful!  We have had a gigantic paper organizing doohicky on them to hold papers this whole time.  Won't need that arrangement anymore, as each of us will take one of the desks, no more L shape or cavity.  The cushions are in the trash!  Felt gleeful as I tossed them!

Items that haven't left the house yet, but are slated to: the craft items mostly went in the donation box at home for future donation (STBX has no interest in craft items so I don't have to be stealthy). The craft stuff I'm keeping fits in a sandwich baggie.

Holding off on the out of season clothes as they make good packing material & lighter-weight box fillers, so they'll be absorbed into the rest of the mass of stuff...won't cull these until unpacking.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 17, 2018, 12:00:44 AM
Finished off ribbon and a roll of wrapping paper on a birthday gift for a friend's son.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 17, 2018, 12:16:09 AM
Finished off ribbon and a roll of wrapping paper on a birthday gift for a friend's son.

Give the cardboard tube to someone with a dog. Dogs love em.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 17, 2018, 12:22:40 AM
Finished off ribbon and a roll of wrapping paper on a birthday gift for a friend's son.

Give the cardboard tube to someone with a dog. Dogs love em.

Babies too!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Plina on February 17, 2018, 01:45:25 AM
I realized I have a major wall with getting rid of clothes: I don't actually have enough! I keep resisting getting rid of things that don't fit well and I don't like, and I couldn't figure out *why*. Well, duh, I keep wearing them because I don't have enough clothing overall. So now I'm at an impasse, because I really don't want to spend money on clothing. Hand-me-downs that fit my proportions are few and far between, and I can't abide the smell of goodwill cleaner (although I do buy their industrial salvage, but it's not that cheap TBH). Anyway, I haven't done anything about this yet, but identifying my resistance to dealing with this category is a good first step!

 
I have read the follow up comments / discussion of this. I have the same issue from time to time. Made worse by disliking shopping and finding it difficult to find clothes that fit well, suit my needs, don't cost a fortune etc.

One thing that has been helping me lately is using Smart Closet (a wardrobe app) because I can see *what I actually wear*. Turns out that in warm weather when I'm not working, I want to wear comfy shorts all the time. Maybe for you, it would demonstrate that you wear yoga pants every day of the week and never wear your other pants. I'm not buying clothes this year, so I will keep putting up with imperfect shorts (one pair too short; one pair too loose around the waist) but when I do buy clothes again, I will do a better job of buying what I will actually wear based on my app data. I think it will really help me declutter and replace when the time comes.

I had clothes that Only were for use at home before I read Marie Kondos book and ditched everything that I would not be prepared to use outside my apartment. Now I have some clothes that don’t fit me because I have gained some kilos. I have decided that IF I haven’t lost those kilos until summer they will also be gone. I have actually limited my purschases this winter because I will be traveling from August onwards and wan’t to limit the stuff in storage. I think it is time for another purge now. I realised I want to fel comfortable in mY clothes. I have a large size for bras that makes underwear cost a fortune but it is something I am never going to save on because their is nothing more uncomfortable then a bra in wrong size.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 17, 2018, 02:54:09 AM
Finished off ribbon and a roll of wrapping paper on a birthday gift for a friend's son.

Give the cardboard tube to someone with a dog. Dogs love em.

Babies too!

No cardboard tube, which I didn’t notice till now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on February 17, 2018, 09:14:37 AM
My husband and my brother will be cleaning out the garage soon. I'm pretty excited. I'm also excited that I'm not part of that team. :p
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on February 17, 2018, 11:00:10 AM
I dropped off one bag full o'stuff at Goodwill. Feels great! I got rid of two dresses and other summer stuff. I think I might use up my fabric and sew up a summer skirt to add to the rotation.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 17, 2018, 05:06:38 PM
At my parent's house this weekend to do their taxes. Grabbed the 3 boxes of books that had been set aside last summer for my sister (IE, a ton of stuff mom didn't want to donate but was willing to give to sis). I'm going to go through it w/sis and donate whatever needs donating. Will get the the rest to her later, but it'll be a fairly small amount.

Also grabbed a huge bag of needlepoint pillows, etc. Will put them on ebay at some point, see what sells and donate the rest.

Every little bit helps.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on February 18, 2018, 07:30:36 AM
We're making a tiny bit of progress but all of it is still in the house. The extra loveseat, end tables, coffee table, and two shelf units we decided to remove a couple of weeks ago haven't managed to leave yet and probably won't for another couple of weeks. Transportation is difficult and nobody will pick up way out here in the boondocks. Free to a good home would be nice...but we're not in a location that would work. We did manage to squeeze it all in at the front of our garage and the car still fits inside. We also decided that one chair and two kid desks that are no longer working for us get to leave. All of it will probably get to stay resident for a couple more weeks until I figure out the process of actually evicting it.

Moving the stuff to the garage means that we could get the guest bedroom/office put back together. It looks much better without the extra stuff but I have the same thought as when I look at the living room. It still looks crowded. How did we function with that much extra when we remove quite a few major pieces and it's still full?

I also, with DDs permission, went through her room and organized it. I got rid of some stuff but it was only part of a garbage bag of random paper scraps. This is a HUGE improvement over previous forays into her room that yielded several bags of just garbage each time. DSs room has been done as well and we can actually walk in both rooms now! They still have way too many clothes but I'm slowly removing things from the laundry that are actually too small for them and will do a major change over when we need to switch to warm weather stuff.

We have a home-based business and tackled some cleaning there too. Just got to the first layer. It needs a complete purge as well but babysteps. I did find the result refreshingly better so we must have made good progress. I hate trying to function in cluttered spaces.

The good news is, after 2+ years of continuous decluttering, I finally feel like we're making a bit of progress actually paring down. I can finally tell that there is less stuff invading our space. So much more left though! I hope next time we move things are much easier. We also instituted a rule that if DH and I can't carry an item easily with just the two of us, it goes! (With obvious exceptions for a few appliances.)

Now I'd like to go through the kitchen and figure out what is in all the cabinets that I haven't opened in 2+ years.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on February 18, 2018, 07:50:14 AM
I have a similar problem in that I live in a fairly remote rural location and even on Buy Nothing groups it's not worth people's while to come out here for lower value stuff.  I have a desirable pile of vintage cushions that would be gone in a minute if I lived in town, but out here either nothing or people who flake out on pickups.

I'm thinking of asking a friend in town if she would arrange handovers for me, but it's a bit of an imposition.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on February 18, 2018, 11:41:21 AM
Found yet another chair to get rid of. Plus enough stuff on a first pass to empty a cupboard. The community choir is having a fund raiser garage sale so we have a perfect place to donate the items.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on February 18, 2018, 11:48:33 AM
I did some Amazon cart and Wishlist decluttering. I had things in there I'd added in 2003! Clearly they weren't essential.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on February 18, 2018, 01:04:04 PM
Any ideas on things to do with rubber bands (like the kind that come on broccoli and asparagus bunches)?  I have a little crock of them in the kitchen, and just now I discovered a jar full I'd stashed with my sewing supplies.  I will at least cut them before throwing them away, but I'd prefer to find a use for them.  I might dump them in the office supply closet at work.

Getting rid of an old lumpy pillow and a beer mug we never use.  We are going to start demo on a bathroom tomorrow, so a trip to the dump is probably in the near future, and some junk that's been accumulating at the side of the house will disappear when we go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: nick663 on February 18, 2018, 01:07:11 PM
Doing some cleanup work in the basement and pulled a bunch of dead end phone lines out of the ceiling.  Found a vintage phone power supply in that rats nest that appears to be worth $15-$20 on eBay so that will get listed before the end of the day.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cranky on February 18, 2018, 01:52:03 PM
I realized I have a major wall with getting rid of clothes: I don't actually have enough! I keep resisting getting rid of things that don't fit well and I don't like, and I couldn't figure out *why*. Well, duh, I keep wearing them because I don't have enough clothing overall. So now I'm at an impasse, because I really don't want to spend money on clothing. Hand-me-downs that fit my proportions are few and far between, and I can't abide the smell of goodwill cleaner (although I do buy their industrial salvage, but it's not that cheap TBH). Anyway, I haven't done anything about this yet, but identifying my resistance to dealing with this category is a good first step!

How much clothing do you have that you like that fits you?  How many pieces would you need to buy to have a wardrobe that works for your lifestyle?

Depends which subset of clothes you're talking I guess, but for every day wear stuff? The big challenges are I only really have 2 bottoms I wear for day to day. I bought one to replace the other, but then kept both, because I kept fishing the old one out of the goodwill box to have something to wear. T shirts are decent, I have just enough to make it from one laundry day to the next, but 2 of them fit a bit oddly, so in an ideal world I'd replace them. I have 2 light jackets I wear nearly every day, but the zipper on one just broke. I could use a couple more of them, since they get dirty and washed at least once a week.

So my ideal? I guess I'd get like 3 more bottoms, 2-3 more shirts, and 2 new zip ups. Oh, and replace all 4 of my very stretched out bras. That's $$$ right there. =(

I hate clothes shopping, but my weight has shifted around, and none of my pants worked well any more. I tried ordering online, and I am just not the right shape for any of LLBean or Lands Ends pants. I finally bit the bullet and went to Kohls and tried on about 20 pairs of pants to find 5 that would fit me right. Then I tossed all the old ones and have been very happy.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 18, 2018, 03:25:37 PM
Any ideas on things to do with rubber bands (like the kind that come on broccoli and asparagus bunches)?  I have a little crock of them in the kitchen, and just now I discovered a jar full I'd stashed with my sewing supplies.  I will at least cut them before throwing them away, but I'd prefer to find a use for them.  I might dump them in the office supply closet at work.

Getting rid of an old lumpy pillow and a beer mug we never use.  We are going to start demo on a bathroom tomorrow, so a trip to the dump is probably in the near future, and some junk that's been accumulating at the side of the house will disappear when we go.

You can try giving them to a bank or greengrocer. I have heard of someone having success in Australia doing that, anyway. I seem to have a small stash that's pretty stable. I guess I haven't been buying veg with rubber bands but it wasn't on purpose!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on February 18, 2018, 06:29:39 PM
Any ideas on things to do with rubber bands (like the kind that come on broccoli and asparagus bunches)?  I have a little crock of them in the kitchen, and just now I discovered a jar full I'd stashed with my sewing supplies.  I will at least cut them before throwing them away, but I'd prefer to find a use for them.  I might dump them in the office supply closet at work.

Getting rid of an old lumpy pillow and a beer mug we never use.  We are going to start demo on a bathroom tomorrow, so a trip to the dump is probably in the near future, and some junk that's been accumulating at the side of the house will disappear when we go.

You can try giving them to a bank or greengrocer. I have heard of someone having success in Australia doing that, anyway. I seem to have a small stash that's pretty stable. I guess I haven't been buying veg with rubber bands but it wasn't on purpose!
I use them to tie up freezer bags / partly opened goods, like frozen veg or cheese, that are stored in the freezer (also works on chip bags and pasta bags).   The freezer is very hard on them, and they will get used up within 6 months of use, but there is always another supply of bands, so it's ok.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on February 18, 2018, 11:28:34 PM
The good news is I’m getting rid of a bookshelf (came with a our first house that we bought in 1997 and has been useful in both houses since) - listed on Kijiji for free today and is being picked up tomorrow.

The bad news is I’m getting rid of it because I had to put a filing cabinet in its place. I took over as treasurer for my community league and it came with several boxes of files. UGH. Clutter. The filing cabinet was free from my office (was slightly broken and just required a bit of TLC to be fully functional), though, so no money spent. Now the files are nicely contained and accessible, for as long as I keep this volunteer position (I’m thinking five years max). So much better than awkward, crowded, messy boxes, and it won’t be hard to rehome the filing cabinet once I’m done with it.

Also decluttered my cookbooks yesterday (they weren’t from the above-mentioned bookshelf - just from the kitchen cupboard). I use the same five or six consistently, so there is really no need to keep the other 47(ish), especially with the whole of human knowledge available on every device. So far they are just out of the cupboard and into an “out” box, as I’m not sure if anywhere would even take them as a donation. I feel bad just tossing them. Open to ideas if anyone knows a good thing to do with them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: comicguy on February 19, 2018, 06:43:27 AM
Been reading from our bookshelves to help with the declutter progress. I have lots of books that I bought because I was interested in reading them and never made time. Now I am making the time to read a lot more, thus saving money, and getting rid of some items in the process. Most of the books will either be sold or donated after reading!

I do have some favorite authors that I will keep their books as I have reread them from time to time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 19, 2018, 07:00:19 AM
I have some cookbooks I am selling on Ebay. However, this book that was bought for $39.99 is selling for DIRT! Anywhere from $6-$17. With free media mail shipping. This book is from the Culinary Institute of America cooking school! Guess it is hard to sell used cookbooks even though they are like new. You might think about donating them to Goodwill or your library so they can sell them to raise money.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LaineyAZ on February 19, 2018, 08:22:38 AM
Any ideas on things to do with rubber bands (like the kind that come on broccoli and asparagus bunches)?   . . .

I save them for my postman.  I put them in a plastic baggie and when the baggie is full I put it in my mailbox with a  note saying "free" and he's always glad to get them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LaineyAZ on February 19, 2018, 08:32:25 AM
Wanted to add another decluttering aspect along the lines of "build it and it will get done."

The closet in the master bedroom is vintage 1978 - large mirrored sliding doors.  The inside is a single pole with shelf all the way across.  What was the "black hole" was the side areas which were about an arms length long on either end past where the closet doors closed. 
It was dark and not convenient, so naturally a lot of stuff got shoved in there.  But this week my SO built and added 4 shelves on one end, each about 20 inches deep and painted bright white.  To make this happen I had to remove what had been shoved in there and of course found items that I didn't even remember I had (ski gloves??) and many items to donate. 
I got a few small clear plastic tubs which will hold the winter clothes and other items I want to keep. 

I wouldn't have tackled this stuff without the incentive of beautiful white shelving - made a huge difference in function and looks. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 19, 2018, 02:41:55 PM
Went through ski stuff (mine, my husband's & the kids) & found quite a few things to donate or sell. I'm pretty rigorous with our day to day stuff, but this has been in the attic, so it was hidden from view & is only down a few times a year. Also discovered that the men's fleece I bought 17 years ago when I was first learning to ski now fits my oldest son. He wore it yesterday to ski. Yay for repurposing!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on February 19, 2018, 05:51:17 PM
I have some cookbooks I am selling on Ebay. However, this book that was bought for $39.99 is selling for DIRT! Anywhere from $6-$17. With free media mail shipping. This book is from the Culinary Institute of America cooking school! Guess it is hard to sell used cookbooks even though they are like new. You might think about donating them to Goodwill or your library so they can sell them to raise money.

Thank you! I was actually having tea with friends today and one of them mentioned she was donating items to her friend’s library/fundraiser. I asked if the friend would accept cookbooks, and she will! Now I just have to get them to her - she can hopefully get some value out of them and I can feel better about fewer (maybe none?) being in the landfill (yet).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 19, 2018, 06:00:54 PM
<snip>
It looks much better without the extra stuff but I have the same thought as when I look at the living room. It still looks crowded. How did we function with that much extra when we remove quite a few major pieces and it's still full?
<snip>

@Mongoose, I sure as heck don't have an answer to this question.  We have moved out 2 buffets, 5 book cases, a TV stand and a full size couch, not to mention all the other stuff filling up a 10'x10' (about 3 meters x 3 meters) storage area, and when the painter came today we still had massive piles in the center of each room with only narrow pathways on the edges allowing him to paint. 

We did get rid of some things today!  A beat up piece of artwork and two broken mini blinds.  Plus we recycled a bunch of boxes we won't need now that we are nearing the end of the packing.

We also have 2 full boxes for the donation place, but it is closed today.  Not sure if that's because it's a holiday or if it's normally closed on Mondays. Either way, it's frustrating to still have this stuff around.  I'm counting on STBX to take those two boxes and the additional haz-mat to the correct places this week.  After that, "getting rid of" will be on hold until I unpack.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on February 19, 2018, 06:02:28 PM
Check prices on your cookbooks on Amazon.  Occasionally there is something people are willing to pay $$ for.  I unknowingly picked up a book on a bargain table a few years back, then on a decluttering binge, decided to sell it.  Copies were listed for >$100 on Amazon.  I eventually sold it for over $50, IIRC.

I'm burning firewood today.  Maybe that counts as decluttering.  I'm hoping to have all the wood that's stacked under the porch burned before the weather warms up again.

Also started going through my drawers and have several clothing items in the donate pile. 

Gave a pair of too-small breeches to a fellow horseperson who's short on cash and was super happy to get them.  I think I listed this before, but I actually put them in her hands last night, so they are really gone now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 20, 2018, 04:22:28 AM
I have these very large feather pillows I had made for my couch/loveseat. They were about $75 each and bought 4. Several years ago I got rid of the couch and love seat and kept the pillows. They are not bed sized but very large, puffy and square. The upholstery material doesn't match my leather couches. The place that did the custom work told me to hang onto the pillows when I got rid of the couches. Well I did, and they sit in a pile. Any suggestions what I should do with $300 worth of feather pillows? Part of me wants to get rid of them and the frugal me wants to hang onto them. But frugal me doesn't know what to do with them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 20, 2018, 05:06:07 AM
Put a slipcover on them that matches your current decor?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 20, 2018, 05:18:38 AM
The pillows are just too big. On the other style couch/love seat they seemed okay. Not sure how to repurpose them in some other way! Maybe I should just donate them to Goodwill and forget it. But knowing how much money I spent makes me want to hoard them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on February 20, 2018, 05:25:10 AM
Floor cushions?

If not, then you have two separate problems: the covers and the pads.  Is the fabric on the covers something you can repurpose?

Pads can be reduced in size, but frankly dealing with feathers is a complete pain and for preference I'd sell (probably easier without the covers on, or offer the covers separately) or give them away.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 20, 2018, 05:36:19 AM
Maybe I will just donate them. I don't have enough floor space to put pillows on the floor. They have just been sitting in another room in a pile waiting for me to decide what to do with them. I do not want this clutter. Selling on ebay would be a pain because of their size to ship. All I can see is $300 being thrown down the toilet...Once I get rid of them I will forget about it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on February 20, 2018, 06:57:03 AM
@Roadrunner53, the $300 that you spent on the pillows has been gone for a long time. Holding on to pillows that you no longer want won't change that. I totally understand how you're feeling; loss aversion is completely normal and part of what makes us human. If it helps, you could reframe the experience: divide the cost of the pillows by the number of years that you've had them to get a cost per year and remember that you did actually use them for some years. Perhaps your experience with these pillows will help you when you next consider purchasing an expensive durable good (since you'll know how it feels when it's time to let go). Perhaps you could imagine the joy that the new owners might feel when they pick up the pillows at the donation center.

Sounds like it's time to release these pillows back into the wild. They had a good run with you, but they must be on their way.
They have backs to support and heads to cradle and they shouldn't be delayed. :)


Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 20, 2018, 07:04:46 AM
I had the couchs made by Bassett and the pillows came stuffed with some crap that after a little use, they became flat pancakes. I took them to an upholster in town and they suggested feather pillows. Not sure why they didn't suggest foam rubber or some kind of stuffing that would stay fluffed. Yes, it has been many years the feather pillows have lived in my house and have sat in a pile for at least 3 years now. I will bag them and donate them. Wish I knew someone who might like them but I don't.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 20, 2018, 07:20:48 AM
I would give them away on freecycle or buy nothing or something.  Make sure they go to someone who wants them.  Goodwill often just tosses soft goods like that because they are tough to clean.

You might feel better knowing that your money spent went to someone who really wants it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 20, 2018, 07:38:29 AM
The Vietnam Veterans pick up in my area and I have given to them before. I think I will donate to them. I have several bags waiting to donate so this can go into the pile. Good to point out that Goodwill tosses some stuff. I hope someone will enjoy them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 20, 2018, 08:02:59 AM
I donated a bunch of floor and couch pillows to my son's elementary school.  Some of the teachers were experimenting with allowing the kids to sit wherever they wanted - including on the floor - so the teachers used my former pillows to create a cozy sitting area in the corner for the kids.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 20, 2018, 01:18:07 PM
Practical advice needed: what do I use to pack pillows for shipping? I have a bunch that I need to try to sell, and there's a bunch more at my parent's house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: NoraLenderbee on February 20, 2018, 01:36:25 PM
Cans of paint from the previous owner--at least 14 years old. Separated, spoiled, half-solid, colors we will never use. Now in a stack waiting to be taken to the hazardous waste drop-off. The really amazing thing is that my husband ASKED me to get them ready. Usually I have to twist his arm to get him to discard anything.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 20, 2018, 01:40:05 PM
Practical advice needed: what do I use to pack pillows for shipping? I have a bunch that I need to try to sell, and there's a bunch more at my parent's house.
Plastic bag to keep them dry?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 20, 2018, 01:47:04 PM
Poly bags are good because they stretch a little but I would double bag in case of rips or tears. You can find them on ebay.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: DagobertDuck on February 20, 2018, 02:16:01 PM
Yeah! Still (9 months now) travelling with less than 40 lbs of luggage. Can only imagine how little stuff I will need when I get back home.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 20, 2018, 09:07:39 PM
Went through ski stuff (mine, my husband's & the kids) & found quite a few things to donate or sell. I'm pretty rigorous with our day to day stuff, but this has been in the attic, so it was hidden from view & is only down a few times a year. Also discovered that the men's fleece I bought 17 years ago when I was first learning to ski now fits my oldest son. He wore it yesterday to ski. Yay for repurposing!

Sold old ski pants, new kids ski pants (too small), new kids ski gloves (ditto) & a few pair of used kids ski gloves for $23 today & got 6 items out of the house. Yes!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 20, 2018, 09:32:13 PM
Practical advice needed: what do I use to pack pillows for shipping? I have a bunch that I need to try to sell, and there's a bunch more at my parent's house.

How old are they? If they are quite old, you might consider taking out and tossing the stuffing (dust mite city) and then you only have to ship the casings, which would fit easily into a tyvek bag.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: cheddarpie on February 20, 2018, 10:43:11 PM
Cans of paint from the previous owner--at least 14 years old. Separated, spoiled, half-solid, colors we will never use. Now in a stack waiting to be taken to the hazardous waste drop-off. The really amazing thing is that my husband ASKED me to get them ready. Usually I have to twist his arm to get him to discard anything.

If it's latex paint, leave the lids off to let it dry out, then you can dispose with your normal trash and not pay the haz waste fee. (Double check your jurisdiction's rules, but this is true in most places in the US. If it's oil based paint, then you do have to pay, usually).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on February 21, 2018, 07:58:48 AM
Having to leave stuff in the garage is bad. I'm having a terrible case of the "what ifs". We could need some of it later? Major anxiety! It's all cast offs from relatives so not like we paid anything for it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on February 21, 2018, 08:27:11 AM
Yeah! Still (9 months now) travelling with less than 40 lbs of luggage. Can only imagine how little stuff I will need when I get back home.

Awesome! Good for you! Did you get rid of a lot of stuff before you left? Did you store the stuff you kept? I'm tentatively planning to do this in a few years. Do you have another thread about your travels?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 21, 2018, 08:38:32 AM
Having to leave stuff in the garage is bad. I'm having a terrible case of the "what ifs". We could need some of it later? Major anxiety! It's all cast offs from relatives so not like we paid anything for it.

Are these things no longer made? If you need it later, like -really- need it; couldn't you just get it again?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 21, 2018, 01:11:19 PM
I followed the example above and stopped more clutter from coming into the house!

My new orthodontist tried to give me a t-shirt and a frisbee and something else as a "welcome gift".  Why on earth would I as a 39-year-old woman need to wear a t-shirt advertising an orthodontist?  Apparently no one else actually declines, though.  It went through three people before they decided that I guess I could leave without it.

It made me sad to think about how few people probably actually want these things...but that apparently all of them take them home anyway and then either store them or throw them away.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: WootWoot on February 21, 2018, 01:30:58 PM
Threw out two magazines. Lots more to go. I thought about selling them, but then considered the hassle of it all.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 21, 2018, 05:48:38 PM
Practical advice needed: what do I use to pack pillows for shipping? I have a bunch that I need to try to sell, and there's a bunch more at my parent's house.

How old are they? If they are quite old, you might consider taking out and tossing the stuffing (dust mite city) and then you only have to ship the casings, which would fit easily into a tyvek bag.

The stuffing is still good. Honestly, I have the room right now and am just not into dealing with it. Getting stuff to the post office during the week is very hard right now, so I'm not anxious to raise the stakes if I didn't need to. If my mom wasn't so unrealistic about what people are willing to pay for needlepoint pillows this would not be an issue.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 21, 2018, 06:25:16 PM
Sold another item on eBay, & put 4 items that didn't sell into the donation pile.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on February 22, 2018, 08:38:00 AM
Having to leave stuff in the garage is bad. I'm having a terrible case of the "what ifs". We could need some of it later? Major anxiety! It's all cast offs from relatives so not like we paid anything for it.

Are these things no longer made? If you need it later, like -really- need it; couldn't you just get it again?

Well yes. And they aren't great to begin with...just cast off mass produced furniture. I have a teeny tiny problem with worrying about never having the money to buy something again. We went through a very bad period of unemployment followed by underemployment. Plus we didn't have much growing up and neither did my parents or their parents...family has always kept stuff forever "just in case". Having a hard time getting over that and accepting that we have the ability to replace things if we need to.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 22, 2018, 09:34:53 AM
Having to leave stuff in the garage is bad. I'm having a terrible case of the "what ifs". We could need some of it later? Major anxiety! It's all cast offs from relatives so not like we paid anything for it.

Are these things no longer made? If you need it later, like -really- need it; couldn't you just get it again?

Well yes. And they aren't great to begin with...just cast off mass produced furniture. I have a teeny tiny problem with worrying about never having the money to buy something again. We went through a very bad period of unemployment followed by underemployment. Plus we didn't have much growing up and neither did my parents or their parents...family has always kept stuff forever "just in case". Having a hard time getting over that and accepting that we have the ability to replace things if we need to.

This is one reason I really like freecycle and buy nothing rather than donating to a charity.
I reason that if I give things like this away to other people, if I ever need them, it is somewhat likely other people would give similar things to me.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on February 22, 2018, 11:58:10 AM
Major Win:  I finally listed and sold, my starter set of golf clubs.  I bought these 8 maybe 9 years ago.  I've hauled them through 2 states and 3 houses.  I hadn't played golf in at 6-7 years.  I kept them around because I might play again.  Yeah I'm not.


I've been making a trip to the thrift shop to drop off stuff each week.  Last week was about 50 books and 2 bags of clothes.

I have a few things listed for sale on Craigslist and local FB groups.  So far I have "made" $140. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 22, 2018, 01:45:45 PM
Threw out two magazines. Lots more to go. I thought about selling them, but then considered the hassle of it all.

It is mostly not worth the hassle for me to sell things.  At one point, I had decided only to sell if the selling price was >$20, but now I think my standard is >$50.

Success on the donation front.  STBX took 2 huge, overflowing boxes to the charity shop yesterday!  I was actually a little sad because I had found quite a bit more in the back of the closet.  It's OK, I'll go this weekend probably.

I'm giving some laundry supplies to my Aunt this weekend and some more craft items to the crafting group, hopefully also this weekend.

The condo is getting bare!  Although each time I think I've got one room cleaned out, I turn around and spot something my eye passed over before.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 22, 2018, 03:51:23 PM
Husband went through his old ski gear, and came up with probably 10 items that are now in the donation bin. I also discovered a bunch of bracelets & a nice watch. Put the bracelets in the donation bin & am planning to list the watch on eBay. Looks like they still go for around $200. Woohoo!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Happy Little Chipmunk on February 22, 2018, 04:07:57 PM
Another 4 hours of cleaning and decluttering today (mainly cleaning, but that's important too.)

Over the last couple days I made a peg rack to hang backpacks so they aren't gathering dust on the floor in the entry. Need to make another one, but this was good proof of concept and gave me a chance to practice carving a flower in something that I'm actually going to have to look at again.

On my way now with a load of bedding for our "Welcome to our city, person who fled hardship overseas and has no stuff for your apartment" place. Also taking old medications to be disposed of properly.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LaineyAZ on February 22, 2018, 04:13:47 PM
Threw out two magazines. Lots more to go. I thought about selling them, but then considered the hassle of it all.

Our local senior center has a magazine rack just for donated magazines.  I donated about 20 issues of various magazines this week.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 22, 2018, 05:54:48 PM
Mr Happier agreed with me that a present received for Baby Ewok is just a bulky and annoying white elephant, so I get to list it on Buy Nothing today! Yay! I love listing crap we don't need and seeing it disappear :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on February 23, 2018, 02:44:23 AM
I just came back from a walk where we dropped off two books into the little free library. We'd picked them out of a free pile somewhere else, read and then returned. I like to think we are part of the little free library circulation system, moving the books to new streets. (and we did get 4 more books, but they will go back once done.)

I also sent to recycling a folder's worth of workshop handouts (three years ago, never opened again!) and an out of date textbook on qualitative analysis. I am whittling it down, particularly as I am getting better at not letting stuff in, thanks to the two other challenges I am in.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 23, 2018, 11:20:23 AM
Kudos to the folks who have the energy to sell their things, most recently MrsDinero & MaybeBabyMustache. 

In the final clean out for the flooring guys last night, found out that we had been keeping several decorative items that neither of us liked.  I thought he liked those things!  Sigh.  Well, they are in the donate box now & slated to be gone tomorrow.

Took out the trash which mostly full of things like the length of cable TV wire that the cable guy installed years ago for no reason...it was attached to the wall but nothing else.  It was under the bed all this time or I'm sure it would have been gone already (or at least I like to think so). 

New flooring today, then we stage the condo for sale.  I'm hoping to achieve a clean, minimal look and maintain it while it is on the market, even on days we don't have showings.  It will be hard to convince the STBX of this, but I'll give it my best effort.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on February 23, 2018, 08:45:15 PM
A friend posted on FB that she was looking for denim for a craft (I assume a quilt as she needed to be able to make 7” squares). My (her?) lucky day! I had 7 pairs of jeans in the “get out of the house” pile, but no idea what to do with them, as they were too worn out and not patchable in key areas. As I’ve said, I love when things can be repurposed rather than just tossed.

They’re in a bag and will be gone on Monday! (I don’t need replacement jeans... haven’t shopped in more than three years and still have too many pairs.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on February 23, 2018, 10:34:35 PM
One thing that has been helping me lately is using Smart Closet (a wardrobe app) because I can see *what I actually wear*. Turns out that in warm weather when I'm not working, I want to wear comfy shorts all the time. Maybe for you, it would demonstrate that you wear yoga pants every day of the week and never wear your other pants. I'm not buying clothes this year, so I will keep putting up with imperfect shorts (one pair too short; one pair too loose around the waist) but when I do buy clothes again, I will do a better job of buying what I will actually wear based on my app data. I think it will really help me declutter and replace when the time comes.

Hey @HappierAtHome! Good to hear that you are finding that app useful. I'm doing another pass through my closet with that data too. There are things I know for sure I have not worn for 2+ years even though they fit and although I have been trying to keep things in use. It might be time for them to go. I'm obviously not a white button up shirt wearing person as much as I think I am.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 23, 2018, 10:55:03 PM
One thing that has been helping me lately is using Smart Closet (a wardrobe app) because I can see *what I actually wear*. Turns out that in warm weather when I'm not working, I want to wear comfy shorts all the time. Maybe for you, it would demonstrate that you wear yoga pants every day of the week and never wear your other pants. I'm not buying clothes this year, so I will keep putting up with imperfect shorts (one pair too short; one pair too loose around the waist) but when I do buy clothes again, I will do a better job of buying what I will actually wear based on my app data. I think it will really help me declutter and replace when the time comes.

Hey @HappierAtHome! Good to hear that you are finding that app useful. I'm doing another pass through my closet with that data too. There are things I know for sure I have not worn for 2+ years even though they fit and although I have been trying to keep things in use. It might be time for them to go. I'm obviously not a white button up shirt wearing person as much as I think I am.

I'm so glad I asked you about it! I love having the data on what I actually wear and my cost per wear.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on February 24, 2018, 04:18:22 AM
I'm going to have to get that app!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 24, 2018, 04:36:06 AM
I'm going to gave to get that app!

It's free :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadowmoss on February 25, 2018, 05:36:14 PM
I downloaded that ap, but I'm not sure how to get the info on my (insanely huge) wardrobe into it.  A lot of it I bought at thrift stores.  It looked like if I could put the brand/style in it would work, but I'm not a brand name kinda person.  I'm stuck at the starting gate.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 25, 2018, 05:47:38 PM
I downloaded that ap, but I'm not sure how to get the info on my (insanely huge) wardrobe into it.  A lot of it I bought at thrift stores.  It looked like if I could put the brand/style in it would work, but I'm not a brand name kinda person.  I'm stuck at the starting gate.

There's a "take photo and enter your own" option.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 25, 2018, 05:53:00 PM
Now there's an incentive to declutter - remove clothes so you have less to input to the app that helps you declutter ;)

I'm the same - some of my clothes are very very old bought new, or v old from ebay, a couple handmade (not by me!) so it's in the too hard basket to upload right now. The turning the hanger around type method is a better fit for me because I tend to wear something to death or never wear it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BZB on February 25, 2018, 06:49:03 PM
Today I donated to Goodwill -
a set of scrubs someone gave me that don't fit,
scrap booking supplies I won't use again
a wall clock
trench coat I never wear anymore
Which freed up about 1 cubic foot of space

Threw out a pair of exercise pants that I had worn for a painting project and are too messed up to wear now

When i got home I found more items for the donate bag -
a quilt and pillow sham
set of sheets
decorative pillow

which, when I get rid of them, will free up about 2 cubic feet of space in my apartment
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Astatine on February 25, 2018, 10:39:05 PM
I'm gradually culling my wardrobe. Again. I've been ruthless in the past but a) I've put on a bit of weight so some of my old clothes no longer fit*, b) some clothes now have some pretty negative associations (eg wearing them through cancer treatment *shudder*) or c) I'm not the same person as I used to be.

There is a massive glut of secondhand clothing in my city (and possibly globally, from what I've learnt from some articles I've read), and some op shops are problematic for me these days (eg ones associated with certain religions that conflict with my personal values). So it's a bit tricky to know what to do with them. I'll suggest another clothes swap with the group of friends that do them from time to time, otherwise I will donate them to a charity whose values I can live with (I don't love all of their values but there is enough alignment that I can live with donating to them). Worst case scenario, I'll donate them all to the reuse/recycle shed at the rubbish tip where they give away all donated clothes for free (which tells you how much of a glut there is of secondhand clothes).




*my weight has fluctuated a lot in the past 10 years. I've learnt that there is no point keeping clothes just in case I lose or gain weight because fashions change but most importantly, my body is never the same shape even if I go back to the same weight so old clothes rarely fit again, even if I don't care about fashion. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 26, 2018, 01:08:07 AM
Listed several items on Buy Nothing, including some unwanted gifts and some items that used to have sentimental value but which I am apparently now able to release.

I've learnt that there is no point keeping clothes just in case I lose or gain weight because fashions change but most importantly, my body is never the same shape even if I go back to the same weight so old clothes rarely fit again, even if I don't care about fashion. 

I have this issue with bras. If I go up or down in size I never seem to end up a size I've been before. Super annoying!

Having a capsule wardrobe helps me with this issue, because clothes have a chance to get worn out before they either don't fit in some way or start looking really wrong. But I know capsule wardrobes aren't for everyone.

I downloaded that ap, but I'm not sure how to get the info on my (insanely huge) wardrobe into it.  A lot of it I bought at thrift stores.  It looked like if I could put the brand/style in it would work, but I'm not a brand name kinda person.  I'm stuck at the starting gate.

There's a "take photo and enter your own" option.

Most of my clothes are several years old, so I used the option BJ notes above. And you don't have to put in a brand name, though there is a field for it, when you enter data about each item.

I have (mostly) just added items as and when I've worn them. I'm only up to 29 items worn in roughly six weeks, and that's with needing to change my top at least once a day due to copious baby vomit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on February 26, 2018, 07:31:18 AM
I somehow managed to fill another trash bag full of clothes.   I feel like no matter how many bags I fill there will always be more in the closet!  I finally realized I don't need any more than 5 pairs of each sock type I wear.  This has made a dramatic difference in my space. 


Does anyone have an idea of what to do with corporate type t-shirts?  I have about 8 t-shirts that have my corporate logo on them.  Some have my company nick name on them too.  I don't wear them, but I feel weird sending them to the thrift shop, because they are so specific to me. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 26, 2018, 07:36:43 AM
I somehow managed to fill another trash bag full of clothes.   I feel like no matter how many bags I fill there will always be more in the closet!  I finally realized I don't need any more than 5 pairs of each sock type I wear.  This has made a dramatic difference in my space. 


Does anyone have an idea of what to do with corporate type t-shirts?  I have about 8 t-shirts that have my corporate logo on them.  Some have my company nick name on them too.  I don't wear them, but I feel weird sending them to the thrift shop, because they are so specific to me.

Workout shirts, painting clothes, give them to a new employee, dusting rags, rag carpet, stuff a dog bed with them, give them to kids to make stuffed animal clothes out of... those are the ones I can think of for now =)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 26, 2018, 08:10:26 AM
Make a tee shirt bag. 

I am not a fan of the knotted bottom. I would sew the bottom with a straight stitch.

http://www.instructables.com/id/No-Sew-10-Minute-T-Shirt-Tote/
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on February 26, 2018, 08:33:49 AM
If you donate to a large place like Goodwill or Salvation Army, they turn most of the clothes into rags anyway.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Tris Prior on February 26, 2018, 09:31:25 AM
My desire to toss makeup that doesn't suit me is at odds with my desire to not fill landfills with my garbage any more than I already am. Not to mention being pissed off at myself that I spent money on makeup that doesn't suit me!

I guess ultimately the empty container gets trashed regardless....

Any tips on getting over that guilt? I should just do it. Have been forcing myself to use up a lipstick I really don't like as it's a high-end brand. Caught a glimpse of myself in a store mirror yesterday and thought, "oh good lord, that is NOT flattering in the least."
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 26, 2018, 10:07:48 AM
My desire to toss makeup that doesn't suit me is at odds with my desire to not fill landfills with my garbage any more than I already am. Not to mention being pissed off at myself that I spent money on makeup that doesn't suit me!

I guess ultimately the empty container gets trashed regardless....

Any tips on getting over that guilt? I should just do it. Have been forcing myself to use up a lipstick I really don't like as it's a high-end brand. Caught a glimpse of myself in a store mirror yesterday and thought, "oh good lord, that is NOT flattering in the least."

If the makeup has already been purchased, it's trash whether it is in your house or in the landfill. Eventually it is going to the landfill.

Many places take makeup back. That doesn't help with the trash problem, but at least you could get something more flattering.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: frugalkristen on February 26, 2018, 10:17:38 AM
Sold clothes ($10.50) at Clothes Mentor/Plato's Closet and donated the rest.  Felt good to get rid of stuff I never wear! 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Tris Prior on February 26, 2018, 10:19:31 AM


Many places take makeup back. That doesn't help with the trash problem, but at least you could get something more flattering.

It's half used and the original packaging is long gone, though. I have taken stuff back before to Sephora, but in those cases it was used once and I still had the box. Lesson learned - keep the box until I'm sure I like it, and don't convince myself that the color will grow on me or that I'll learn the right technique to apply something that's too dry/too wet/too shiny/too dark/whatever the issue is. If I hate it, take it back right away. Sephora has never questioned me.

But you're right; it's either going to get thrown out empty, or thrown out full. I should just bite the bullet and pitch it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 26, 2018, 10:46:30 AM
I somehow managed to fill another trash bag full of clothes.   I feel like no matter how many bags I fill there will always be more in the closet!  I finally realized I don't need any more than 5 pairs of each sock type I wear.  This has made a dramatic difference in my space. 


Does anyone have an idea of what to do with corporate type t-shirts?  I have about 8 t-shirts that have my corporate logo on them.  Some have my company nick name on them too.  I don't wear them, but I feel weird sending them to the thrift shop, because they are so specific to me.

Workout shirts, painting clothes, give them to a new employee, dusting rags, rag carpet, stuff a dog bed with them, give them to kids to make stuffed animal clothes out of... those are the ones I can think of for now =)

I use that stuff for working on the house/yard. Last summer, I was changing shirts 2-3 times a day depending on what I was doing. Painting is part of what I'm doing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: NoraLenderbee on February 26, 2018, 10:58:47 AM

It's half used and the original packaging is long gone, though. I have taken stuff back before to Sephora, but in those cases it was used once and I still had the box. Lesson learned - keep the box until I'm sure I like it, and don't convince myself that the color will grow on me or that I'll learn the right technique to apply something that's too dry/too wet/too shiny/too dark/whatever the issue is. If I hate it, take it back right away. Sephora has never questioned me.

But you're right; it's either going to get thrown out empty, or thrown out full. I should just bite the bullet and pitch it.

The sooner you pitch it, the sooner you'll get free of the guilt and self-recrimination. Do it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rowellen on February 26, 2018, 02:40:56 PM
My desire to toss makeup that doesn't suit me is at odds with my desire to not fill landfills with my garbage any more than I already am. Not to mention being pissed off at myself that I spent money on makeup that doesn't suit me!

I guess ultimately the empty container gets trashed regardless....

Any tips on getting over that guilt? I should just do it. Have been forcing myself to use up a lipstick I really don't like as it's a high-end brand. Caught a glimpse of myself in a store mirror yesterday and thought, "oh good lord, that is NOT flattering in the least."

Try posting it on a FB buy nothing group. What is no good for you may be perfect for someone else. Some people won't mind that it's used and it's saving a little bit of trash. Win win.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 27, 2018, 12:37:34 AM
My desire to toss makeup that doesn't suit me is at odds with my desire to not fill landfills with my garbage any more than I already am. Not to mention being pissed off at myself that I spent money on makeup that doesn't suit me!

I guess ultimately the empty container gets trashed regardless....

Any tips on getting over that guilt? I should just do it. Have been forcing myself to use up a lipstick I really don't like as it's a high-end brand. Caught a glimpse of myself in a store mirror yesterday and thought, "oh good lord, that is NOT flattering in the least."

Try posting it on a FB buy nothing group. What is no good for you may be perfect for someone else. Some people won't mind that it's used and it's saving a little bit of trash. Win win.

+1 I have given away several makeup items via Buy Nothing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 27, 2018, 07:17:27 AM
@Tris Prior  This may not helpful to decluttering per se but it could be a way to use up and rescue the shades you don't like... blend lipstick colors.  You can also make lip gloss by melting a bit into some vaseline.

 https://www.bustle.com/articles/191385-how-to-blend-your-own-lipstick-shade-according-to-a-celebrity-makeup-artist
http://stylecaster.com/beauty/repurpose-lipstick/
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 27, 2018, 08:05:24 AM
Threw away all the swimsuits with dead elastic or that got too stretched out while pregnant.  Took the halter tops to consignment- they hurt my neck so I can't wear them.

Now I have 1 swimsuit, so I need 1 more I think.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: nosythecat on February 27, 2018, 12:35:45 PM
Cleared out most of apartment storage by selling full size mattress, sold plastic dresser drawer, Bowflex Max Trainer, Office Chair, TV, misc. workout equipment, and computer. Thew out bed frame, odds and ends junk that couldn't be sold.  Took many things to Goodwill as well.

It feels great to be rid of what you don't need, and even better if you can sell it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: NoraLenderbee on February 27, 2018, 01:49:52 PM
Over the weekend:
4 kitchen chairs
Cat tree that my cats were never interested in
wicker basket with cushion for cats, ditto

We put them on the front lawn with a "Free" sign. Someone came and took everything within an hour!

Husband also dismantled and trashed/recycles THREE torchiere lamps that we haven't used since we moved here 13 years ago.

For us, the current decluttering is not so much about getting rid of stuff, as getting rid of stuff that doesn't work for us. The dented filecabinet that's hard to open, the rickety desk, the ugly but working lamp that we might need someday, etc. We are bringing in replacements--so we'll end up with about the same amount of stuff. But the new stuff is convenient, practical, and solves a lot of our storage and work space problems. The office *feels* less cluttered because things can now be put away instead of lying on every surface. Getting rid of some crap makes room for something good.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 27, 2018, 04:06:22 PM
Put some things on ebay. Sold some DVD's today! YAY!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LaineyAZ on February 27, 2018, 05:49:47 PM
Donated 3 more empty plastic milk crates that a tenant had left behind in the backyard.  Goodwill takes these. 

There were 26 (!) originally and we're trying to empty them out and recycle or junk the contents as we can.  I think we're down to 10 left to do.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on February 28, 2018, 03:58:00 AM
I have taken in use my new winter shoes that I bought some time ago. I had continued wearing my old shoes off for many months. Now I am wearing the new ones, but I'm not really ready to throw away the old shoes yet. They might come in handy now and then. But I will remove them to a cupboard to prevent the hallway from having more shoes standing in them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Tris Prior on February 28, 2018, 08:44:56 AM
My neighborhood has a yard sale each June - 200-plus households. It costs $10 to participate. I'm seriously thinking about it. What's stopping me is that we don't have any covered space to set up in if it rains - even the front stoop doesn't have any kind of an overhang. We *may* be able to borrow the garage that is on the property but used by our landlord. He can park on the street for 1 day, yeah? We can at least ask.

I'm concerned that we wouldn't sell $10 worth of stuff, though. Especially if it storms and no one comes.

WWMD?

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on February 28, 2018, 11:10:10 AM
Local community choir is having a garage sale fundraiser. Yay! 9 board games, 2 puzzles, and 2 RC cars are leaving. We're keeping only the board games we like and actually play.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on February 28, 2018, 08:03:42 PM
I went through some papers at work and reorganized my books. Things look much nicer.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 28, 2018, 08:46:51 PM
I bought a secondhand electric waterbath for preserving that came with tools and a dozen jars. The waterbath is too big for any of my cupboards, waaah! Even to fit the jars I need to declutter a few more unused kitchen things... I've got my eye on some never used baking and decorating stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on March 01, 2018, 08:24:26 AM
Today I'll be dropping off 2 big boxes of donate items. I notice the one place doesn't open until noon, so now it's a race to see what else I can find and add to the boxes before they go out.  I also emptied 2 cupboards in awkward locations yesterday by getting rid of the recyclables in there. It was packaging from products that I kept in case of warranty returns, but now the warranty period has passed. Those cupboards will stay empty - I hate having to get in and out of them anyways.

I want to go through every drawer, box and item we own in the coming months. The landlord who lives upstairs has dropped a few hints lately that they plan to move. I don't know if that means our lease will end, or if it will just mean a new tenant upstairs from us. Either way, I'm feeling highly motivated to simplify everything. I refuse to move (or live with) anything we don't need.  We already know we could easily downsize 300-400 square feet (about 30% reduction in living space), and I think we can make even a smaller place be an uncluttered space.  I like this location though, and the price is good. Hoping we can continue to stick it out where we are, and that I will just have the benefits of this being an uncluttered space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadowmoss on March 01, 2018, 08:32:50 AM
I am shredding some old journals.  They are from when I was at my worst, in counseling and  cycling through bad relationships.  Luckily that was 30 or so years ago.  I'm to the point of going through all the stuff I just tossed in a tote and moved around for all these years.  I have many, many  totes to go, but some of this counts as deep cleaning.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LindseyC on March 01, 2018, 08:47:21 AM
I have to jump in here.

My house is pretty decluttered - I even tackled my craft room / office this year for the first time ever. Now that I have lots of empty hangers, shelves, drawers and such, I have started to notice items that I no longer use but have value and also a few items I just would like to swap out for something different.

I have been slowly gathering items to list on my local selling sites and has sold a few small things. I don't mind donating / giving to friends/family a lot of stuff, but some items I think just make better sense to sell if they are over a certain dollar value.

So my new declutter challenge for the next few months is to sell everything I am collecting and use the funds to continue my reno or to replace a few decor items with some second hand finds (or buy supplies to make stuff)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 01, 2018, 11:14:08 AM
I have tried out a bunch of recipes from a certain cookbook and many were disappointing. So I will donate the book. The grocery store has a bookshelf at the entrance where you can donate books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 01, 2018, 08:55:19 PM
The forum has logged me out & ate my last 3 posts, so I'm posting to say I got rid of stuff.  If this goes thru, I'll update with details.


Update: success in posting! 

Also success in getting rid of stuff/clearing out the front porch.  I had disassembled an old cal king waterbed frame* & placed the pieces on the front porch.  The mattress was still inside, but massively in the way.  Had been stressing as nobody was interested in it even for free, but someone took all of it today!  None too soon, as the photographer is coming Monday to take pictures for the litsing.

Also found another person to take a smaller cabinet.

Also was able to toss the plastic wrapping the new mattress came in...had used it to cover the bed frame from the recent rain.

I tell ya...that bed was stressing me out to no end.  I am so glad it is gone.  Don't know why we didn't get rid of it sooner, like last April/May when we first started the divorce.  Oh wait.  STBX had his man cave so full of his collectibles that a bed wouldn't fit in there.  Ok, I will stop kicking myself. 

If the people who took the bed also take the sofa like they said they might, then we'll have enough room in storage for the rest of the excess stuff that is here and the place will look good for showing & hopefully sell sooner!

*We both got beds of our own, nobody has to sleep on an air mattress anymore.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 02, 2018, 01:45:23 AM
@oneday It must feel like a strange situation to have to clear out and sell the house after a divorce. But it might be good to start over with a tidy new life in another house. Good luck.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on March 02, 2018, 08:02:17 AM
All the stuff left! It was super anxiety ridden but we got it all to ReStore so it is really out and cannot reappear in the house. Plus the choir rummage sale donations left today too. We don't need or use any of the stuff and I predict that in about 3 months we will not remember what left.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Happy Little Chipmunk on March 02, 2018, 11:57:35 AM
I wonder how many pounds of weight and obligation has been lifted by this thread?

Over the past couple days I've sorted & weeded 1 tote of fabric (8 more to go), 1 drawer in the filing cabinet (4 more to go) and two bins of "what the heck is in this thing" (umpteen more to go). Time for another trip to Goodwill.

My poor paper shredder is on overload!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on March 02, 2018, 11:59:43 AM
@oneday , I'm glad you got rid of the marital bed and got your own.  I made my ex take the master bedroom furniture when we divorced and I got the spare room set.  It would have been weird to still have that reminder, I think.

I've been divorced almost 8 years and have moved twice, and I'm still finding random little things that belonged to my ex stuffed away in closets or cabinets or boxes.  They all go straight in the giveaway bin or trash now.  If he didn't realize he didn't have it for 8 years, he doesn't need it, and I certainly don't either.  It's certainly easier to purge that stuff now, though, when the emotions are out of the picture.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 02, 2018, 12:08:41 PM
@oneday It must feel like a strange situation to have to clear out and sell the house after a divorce. But it might be good to start over with a tidy new life in another house. Good luck.

Hi Linda, it does have some strange moments.  But I am looking forward to the next phase of life.  We have filled a 10'x10' (about 3 meters by 3 meters) storage unit & I don't miss anything in there.  I am learning I only need my bed, a comfy chair or loveseat, dining table/work surface & not much else.

@Mongoose good for your for pushing through the anxiety.  Don't let it hold you back!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 02, 2018, 12:31:39 PM
@oneday , I'm glad you got rid of the marital bed and got your own.  I made my ex take the master bedroom furniture when we divorced and I got the spare room set.  It would have been weird to still have that reminder, I think.

I've been divorced almost 8 years and have moved twice, and I'm still finding random little things that belonged to my ex stuffed away in closets or cabinets or boxes.  They all go straight in the giveaway bin or trash now.  If he didn't realize he didn't have it for 8 years, he doesn't need it, and I certainly don't either.  It's certainly easier to purge that stuff now, though, when the emotions are out of the picture.

@formerlydivorcedmom that bed was a behemoth.  I was more concerned about the size and how much room it would take up in any apartment I would move to.  But now that you mention it, I would probably not want to keep the bed, as it would carry reminders.  I wasn't thinking of that aspect.

Heck, if he doesn't take his crap right away, I have not qualms about trashing it!!! Don't want that garbage in my home!  This was always a sore spot in our relationship.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on March 02, 2018, 11:43:01 PM
This thread has been helping to keep me motivated, so I’m continuing to follow.

I have a few things listed on the local buy/sell; on Friday night someone asked about the availability of the heavy, bulky piece of furniture I really want gone and then ghosted. Gah!! I hate when people do that. I’m only asking $25 for the thing; perhaps it’s time I just change the price to $0 and hope to be rid of it. It was free to me in the first place (20 years ago!) and all I did was paint it... yes, changing to $0 NOW!!

Today I will go through a few more boxes of stuff in the office.

VICTORY!! After a few inquiries that went nowhere, then no bites for weeks, this bulky thing finally got out of my house tonight. It was a piece of office furniture with a filing drawer at each end and a sliding door cabinet in the middle, so not exactly high demand (but still reasonably useful). The funny thing is that two people were asking about it last night. I chose the one who wanted it, not the one who wanted to “have a look”.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on March 03, 2018, 06:38:10 AM
My husband is doing amazing decluttering in the garage!

I just got a new planter/vermicomposter that, in time, should lessen the garbage we throw out and declutter the fridge of greens that get wilted before we can eat them all. This will also allow me to decluter my stash of seeds. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on March 03, 2018, 06:54:21 AM
Just read The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, which I found to be a reflection on how we live and prepare to die and deal with the death of others. It is practical and sweet. It feels like speaking with one’s lucid grandmother and includes the gentle nudges to do things she thinks are important. It's not an algorithm or "How To" detailing the maximally efficient organization/decluttering system that will change your life forever. Her advice is to take one’s time going through possessions, reflect on how items were a part of your story and your life, and then let them go. I like how she talked about a messy house not as a reflection of someone’s mental state or a deep character flaw, but as a simple matter of an organizational system that doesn’t work for you.


“The one thing we know for sure is that we will die one day. But before that you can try to do almost anything.” (ix)

“It is amazing, and also a little strange, how many things we accumulate in a lifetime.” (46)

“When your home is a complete mess, it is very hard to clean it at all. But it is never too late to do something about this problem.” (18)

“You cannot know the places your objects may go after you are gone and that could be wonderful to contemplate.” (103)

“I often ask myself, Will anyone I know be happier if I save this?” 105)

“Before [an item] goes... I have had a moment to reflect on the event or feeling [that arises in me from observing the object], good or bad, and to know that it has been a part of my story and of my life.” (105)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on March 03, 2018, 08:38:51 AM
(@Nancy, thank you for that writeup. Based on that, I recommended it to my mom, I think she'll really enjoy it)

Husband went through his drawers (literally and metaphorically, haha) yesterday and let a few shirts etc go. It's not like he had an overwhelming amount of stuff, but it's nice to know what's wearing out and whether it needs replaced. 3 of his shirts left, and 2 pairs underwear. I'll need to replace 1 of the shirts, and come summer, get a couple others.

I got rid of a maxi dress that never fit right, a jacket I successfully replaced up thread (SEE? Keeping my promise!), 2 tank tops that are stretched out, 2 stylish shirts that were getting pilled and not worn anymore, and 1 shirt that used to be a favorite but I haven't worn in a couple years (it's too "young" for me now by far TBH). Husband and I also each got rid of a pair of shoes (another promise I made up thread).

Overall, our clothes are getting more functional now. This is re: bringing things in, so not super fitting to this thread, but since we discussed it so much earlier in the thread I thought I'd update this. I did get a new pair of yoga pants. They ended up being mega clearance sale (normally $28, were on sale for $7.99) so after having them a week and making sure they fit well, I went and got a second as a backup. I keep one of those cloth cubes as a "back up bin" for clothes that we like, fit well, were on sale, and hard to replace if you need them last minute. This includes socks and underwear for DH, jeans for both of us (we're both hard to fit), that sort of thing. So long as it keeps to that 1 cube, it really works as a system for us. Anyway, we also got a new light jacket for me to replace the one that was *never* good looking or fitting, and a zip up for DH which has quickly become a favorite. We got me a pair of tennis shoes that I've liked enough I bought a backup pair- they were only $15, and I can rarely find cheap shoes that fit my high arches and narrow feet. So all of that is moving in the right direction. It's nice to reach for something and just know it will fit right, look right, etc.


So an interesting one. DH and I talk occasionally about moving back to the city where we used to live. And part of the conversation is would we even be able to downsize happily to an apartment again if we wanted to? It's interesting to analyze the areas where we would or wouldn't struggle to downsize. Bedroom and bathroom: no problem. Garage/Home Gym: it would be sad, but all of it would go, so that's at least easy in that sense. The big area we would struggle would be the kitchen. We've added a few things that have really enhanced our lives. Our food processor, our soda stream (for sparkling mineral water), our massive spice collection we use, just getting used to having COUNTER PREP SPACE. I really think the kitchen would sting to downsize.

Does anyone else analyze your stuff this way? What you could cut easily, and what would make you miserable to cut?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on March 03, 2018, 05:13:25 PM
@Bracken_Joy Good clear out! I am upgrading my wardrobe at the moment, and having to get past the fear of getting rid of [old, unattractive, not-fitting, hole-y] clothes [that I don't even wear!] but getting there.

I have moved house and city and country enough times that somewhere in my brain I keep a log of what I would take and what I would discard at any given time. Yesterday we even contemplated moving to the other half of the duplex we live in and were using it as a sorting device for stuff [ie could we be bothered carrying Thing X] next door or not].  We eventually came down on the side of No due to less bench space but I want to use the same thinking to continue clearing out stuff from where we live now. Now I have another 6 books to take to the street library.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on March 03, 2018, 05:28:07 PM
Emptied out the upstairs spare room closet so I prep and paint it. Also did a bunch of dusting and various other cleaning. Pulled a couple more items for the donate pile, then hauled all of it out to the car. 3 bags! Will drop it off tomorrow.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on March 03, 2018, 07:21:09 PM
@Bracken_Joy Well done on both the clear out and the intake! So glad things are moving in the right direction for you. I also like your backup cube system.

We're thinking of doing some extended travel so I've been thinking about what I'll leave behind/get rid of. I think I'll feel gleeful leaving behind/donating almost all of my clothes and shoes. I'm really going to miss my bicycles.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on March 03, 2018, 07:23:05 PM
Husband threw out some clothes that were unwearable, undonatable and the wrong material for cleaning rags, without any prompting from me whatsoever. He struggles sometimes to let go of items so I am SO PROUD of him.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on March 03, 2018, 07:45:41 PM
@Bracken_Joy Well done on both the clear out and the intake! So glad things are moving in the right direction for you. I also like your backup cube system.

We're thinking of doing some extended travel so I've been thinking about what I'll leave behind/get rid of. I think I'll feel gleeful leaving behind/donating almost all of my clothes and shoes. I'm really going to miss my bicycles.

Oh yes! I would be very sad if I had to sell my bicycle. If we were to move back, whether I sold it would depend on where we moved. Still, that would be a hard one!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marty998 on March 03, 2018, 08:59:29 PM
5 bags of garbage and recyclables taken out yesterday.

I have a laundry room that is acceptable to walk inside again now :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 03, 2018, 09:02:59 PM
5 bags of garbage and recyclables taken out yesterday.

I have a laundry room that is acceptable to walk inside again now :)

So proud. :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on March 03, 2018, 11:12:24 PM
Great successes everyone. I liked the review of the Swedish Deathcleaning book - I may have to check that out.
I added 6 more items to my donate box before taking it out, and now there are another 6 items ready from the other person's side of the closet - with no prompting from me! I also decided that all the holey and horrible socks would get one final wash but in a mesh bag so they wouldn't get confused with the good stuff. Now they are stuffing a cushion and out of my closet forever. The cushion has a non-stitched opening so if I need one to patch another sock in rotation I can get it back out. I feel the chances of me remembering to do that are low however so I'm glad they are out of sight and mind now. Feels better, and more environmentally responsible to me than just trashing these items.

Still planning to do a more thorough declutter, and might post a few items for sale. First up - the brand new suede jacket with tags that was given to me but is just not quite right for me. I already have someone interested in it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 04, 2018, 03:44:37 AM
I finally put the 4 expensive feather pillows in plastic bags to donate. They have been sitting around for probably 3 years. I went thru a dresser and found some old paperwork from my last job (2011). A lot of reference material that was good when I worked but since I am retired, I guess it is time to let go. Then I had these three ring binders with old resume's and cover letters from another job I lost in 2005. I flipped thru them to see where I applied and it was overwhelming. I cried to see how hard I worked to get a job and ended up working at a temp agency for a while then had two horrible jobs till I finally landed the last job. All that crap is in a bag awaiting for a shredding event. Hub has some nice books that he is no longer interested in so I listed a bunch of them on ebay. So far, no sales. Books are so hard to sell. There are some professional book sellers on ebay who have the identical books and are selling them for $3.99 with free shipping! So they may be making $1 per book but they sell thousands. These books were each purchased for $35 or more each originally. I may have to lower my prices later on just to get them out of here. Then I have some other books that are not worthy of trying to sell, so they are going in the donate box. So much crap we have accumulated. Built our house in 1975 and have never moved. I have given tons and tons of stuff over the years to Goodwill and other places. It just seems to grow and grow!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on March 04, 2018, 10:47:52 AM
My sister got back to me on the books I'd brought back from parent's house. 2 boxes being added to the donate run today, and 1 box that she wants.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 04, 2018, 10:56:57 AM
Sold two items last week, and they are sold/out of the house. Donated another 3 items, and have a book of books (that I got for free at work) ready to go back on the freebie table tomorrow.

I do still want to re-organize my closet today to organize by color, remove extra hangers, etc. I think that will help me understand what I have, what i wear, & anything I don't need.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 04, 2018, 11:52:19 AM
I should some time soon bring a crate full og swimming things into our cellar. The cellar can only be entered from outside amd I am currently not in the mood to walk there in the dark and cold. But we haven't been swimming all winter, so the stuff should not be inside the house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on March 04, 2018, 12:40:10 PM
I just filled three boxes with things from the garage my students might like. If they don't want them, I'll stop by Goodwill on the way home. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 05, 2018, 12:05:29 AM
At least the give-away book and 2 library books are now in my car, so I can bring away the give-away book this afternoon. I need to drive a way around to the library, but will do that on Wednesday.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rowellen on March 05, 2018, 01:50:02 AM
I removed a decluttering group from my facebook. I joined for inspiration but there were far too many people on there and most of them completely missed the point of decluttering and minimalism. An example: Someone put a post up with a poll. The question was should I get rid of this large and non-sentimental item that is never used and can find other solutions for if need be. Clearly the answer should have been "yes". More people had voted "no" than the "yes" and "replace with smaller item" options combined. Facepalm.

The final straw came today when I commented quite helpfully on a post and got a snarky comment back about hiw I should have read her other post that explained things differently. I almost made a snarky comment back (because why should I remember this one lady out of hundreds of posts that I may or may not have had come up on my feed) but I remembered why I have a general rule of not commenting on public posts and deleted my comment and the group instead. Should have done it weeks ago.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 05, 2018, 08:16:35 AM
Bracken, I just don't get WTF is filling peoples' garages??  All the houses in our neighborhood are large, and actually most people do park in their garages, but I see some that are just chock full of... what, exactly?  When we moved into this big house, it just made me extra vigilant about accumulating crap. 

Tools. Yard/garden equipment. Car stuff. Sports stuff. Bikes. Kids toys and outgrown stuff - this is a biggie. Off season holiday decorations. Motor cycles. In advanced cases, out of season clothing/out grown clothing. General catchall of stuff that should go away and doesn't.

Hub has two tractors for mowing the lawn, snow blower, garden cart for the tractor, wheel barrow, tons of tools in mechanics toolboxes, rakes, hoes, shovels, workbench, upright freezer, refrigerator, cabinets with groceries, paper products. Our boiler and water tank and oil tank are in the garage. We have a generator and an air compressor. And MUCH, MUCH more! We also have two sheds full of crap.

I am making a trip to the Goodwill today to dump a bunch of crap there. I have a ton of books that are impossible to sell on ebay. I paid $35 to $40 for some of these books and I see them for sale on ebay for $3.99 and free shipping! How on earth can you sell a book for that with free shipping? I think I am finally on a roll to declutter. Hub is getting on board with it too. Lived in this house since 1975 and more stuff came in that went out. We have rented dumpsters many, many times and filled them up but still have so much stuff! We never had kids either! Clutter creeps up on you!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on March 05, 2018, 08:41:09 AM
I did a really big decluttering push in my home library a few months ago and got rid of hundreds of books.  That still left me 6 pretty full bookshelves.

On the No Gazingus Pin thread we've been talking about books and why we hold on to them, and I was inspired to go through one of the bookshelves again.  I pulled out 12 books I am sure I no longer want to keep and another 30 that I like but I never think about when I'm ready to reread a book.  If I'm not going to go look for it, do I really need to keep it?

I stacked those 30 on a shelf.  I'm giving myself one month to reread them.  If I don't read them, for whatever reason, they are going away.  If I do reread them, I can only keep a max of 5 from that pile.

Then I'll move on to the next bookshelf.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on March 05, 2018, 08:42:50 AM
Last week I donated 1 large bag of clothes and 1 small bag of kitchen stuff.  I have since filled another bag with baby toys that are no longer age appropriate.

Now I have my eyes on an old Ikea dressers that is filled with crap in our spare room.  The plan is go through the old Ikea one and move what we are keeping to older and nicer, but smaller, antique dresser in the spare room.  What is currently in the antique one are old DVDs and Playstation 2 games.

The spare room is kind of a catch all for a lot of stuff we don't know what to do with.  I also use it as my home office, I would like to clean it up and make it nice for guests and me. 

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on March 05, 2018, 09:04:19 AM
Got rid of the baby bouncer that someone gave us a few months ago. We really only needed a docking station for the baby when I was out of town (and DH said he only had her in it for about 10 minutes, we just don't use containers). Man that thing was a noisy eye sore!

Also got rid of a big pile of clothes from the pajama and workout drawer. Some, in rough shape, got turned into reusable tissues, but most went to consignment.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on March 05, 2018, 09:11:27 AM
Went through the "paper drawer" again. UGH it's endless. Especially with how much medical stuff I've had lately. The EOBs, bills, pharmacy receipts, etc, are endless. And I have to keep it all, because if we end up doing IVF this year, we'll be over that 7.5% medical spending. Anyway, everything I need to keep has been moved to the appropriate files, a bunch is in the bag to take to be shredded, a bunch in the recycling... feels good to occasionally hit "reset" on the pile. I'm really glad that drawer is space constrained, it forces me to deal with it more often, haha.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadowmoss on March 05, 2018, 09:45:50 AM
Pulling out stuff from drawers I found the business and Rolodex cards that made it through the first purge.  These are folks I knew in the 90's.  Took a picture of the ones I might want to search for someday and will shred the rest.  Filed some paperwork yesterday so at some point it will be easy to decide what can then be shredded.  Some needs to be kept for awhile yet, bit having it filed by subject will make it all easier I hope.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on March 05, 2018, 09:54:24 AM
Went through the "paper drawer" again. UGH it's endless. Especially with how much medical stuff I've had lately. The EOBs, bills, pharmacy receipts, etc, are endless. And I have to keep it all, because if we end up doing IVF this year, we'll be over that 7.5% medical spending. Anyway, everything I need to keep has been moved to the appropriate files, a bunch is in the bag to take to be shredded, a bunch in the recycling... feels good to occasionally hit "reset" on the pile. I'm really glad that drawer is space constrained, it forces me to deal with it more often, haha.

I hate the paperwork!  We keep on top of all the incoming papers, but we are still working on going through drawers of old papers sorting what can be recycled, what needs to be scanned, and what needs to be shredded. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: NoraLenderbee on March 05, 2018, 01:21:54 PM
Started filling our nice new Ikea file cabinets. Decided it was probably time to go through old tax papers. We err on the side of keeping financial documents. However--bank statements from 2001, medical bills from 1999, records from when I had a freelance business in 1986 for heaven's sake, address books from the same era--I filled up the recycling container (32 gallons) and have two cartons more. Vet bills and records from two deceased cats--these are not precious memorabilia, bye-bye. 20 years' worth of service records for my now-gone car--out.

I won't mention my husband's and my report cards from elementary school.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadowmoss on March 05, 2018, 08:12:03 PM
I did that paper purge last year.  Now I'm going back through what I kept that time.  Getting rid of some more papers, organizing the rest.  Yeah, I had tax papers, including the instructions for federal tax filing, from 1973.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Happy Little Chipmunk on March 05, 2018, 10:44:42 PM
I'm with you on the paper purge! Just shreded 2 boxes of 10 year old checks.

I know that one whole drawer of the file cabinet is FULL of more of these. I was so upset when the bank stopped sending back my checks.

Hmmm. Maybe that indignation was a bit misplaced!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 05, 2018, 11:32:48 PM
I'm with you on the paper purge! Just shreded 2 boxes of 10 year old checks.

I know that one whole drawer of the file cabinet is FULL of more of these. I was so upset when the bank stopped sending back my checks.

Hmmm. Maybe that indignation was a bit misplaced!

It's already bizarre enough to me that the US still uses cheques, but I've never heard of a bank returning cheques to the account holder. It sends shivers down my decluttering spine...what on earth would be the purpose of keeping them once they've been cashed & processed? When did this practice stop?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marty998 on March 06, 2018, 12:36:30 AM
I removed a decluttering group from my facebook. I joined for inspiration but there were far too many people on there and most of them completely missed the point of decluttering and minimalism. An example: Someone put a post up with a poll. The question was should I get rid of this large and non-sentimental item that is never used and can find other solutions for if need be. Clearly the answer should have been "yes". More people had voted "no" than the "yes" and "replace with smaller item" options combined. Facepalm.

The final straw came today when I commented quite helpfully on a post and got a snarky comment back about hiw I should have read her other post that explained things differently. I almost made a snarky comment back (because why should I remember this one lady out of hundreds of posts that I may or may not have had come up on my feed) but I remembered why I have a general rule of not commenting on public posts and deleted my comment and the group instead. Should have done it weeks ago.

Nice - In some respects our online profiles can become extremely cluttered.

A little bit of social media tidying up can do just as much good as a physical cleanup too!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 06, 2018, 12:48:24 AM
I removed a decluttering group from my facebook. I joined for inspiration but there were far too many people on there and most of them completely missed the point of decluttering and minimalism. An example: Someone put a post up with a poll. The question was should I get rid of this large and non-sentimental item that is never used and can find other solutions for if need be. Clearly the answer should have been "yes". More people had voted "no" than the "yes" and "replace with smaller item" options combined. Facepalm.

The final straw came today when I commented quite helpfully on a post and got a snarky comment back about hiw I should have read her other post that explained things differently. I almost made a snarky comment back (because why should I remember this one lady out of hundreds of posts that I may or may not have had come up on my feed) but I remembered why I have a general rule of not commenting on public posts and deleted my comment and the group instead. Should have done it weeks ago.

Nice - In some respects our online profiles can become extremely cluttered.

A little bit of social media tidying up can do just as much good as a physical cleanup too!

@marty998, are you breaking up with us? :P
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on March 06, 2018, 07:14:43 AM
I'm with you on the paper purge! Just shreded 2 boxes of 10 year old checks.

I know that one whole drawer of the file cabinet is FULL of more of these. I was so upset when the bank stopped sending back my checks.

Hmmm. Maybe that indignation was a bit misplaced!

It's already bizarre enough to me that the US still uses cheques, but I've never heard of a bank returning cheques to the account holder. It sends shivers down my decluttering spine...what on earth would be the purpose of keeping them once they've been cashed & processed? When did this practice stop?

Before internet, getting the canceled checked back was for record keeping purposes. Then many banks started scanning and including the images in the monthly bank stmt in lieu of the actual cancelled check. The next iteration was check images available online, and that's where we are now. Check usage is continuing to decline, but honestly until local governments and certain banks get their act together there will still be some checks needed.

FYI - Citizen One auto loans technically have online payments. It really sucked last I checked, so much so that it's easier to pay via check.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on March 06, 2018, 10:52:49 AM
I'm with you on the paper purge! Just shreded 2 boxes of 10 year old checks.

I know that one whole drawer of the file cabinet is FULL of more of these. I was so upset when the bank stopped sending back my checks.

Hmmm. Maybe that indignation was a bit misplaced!

It's already bizarre enough to me that the US still uses cheques, but I've never heard of a bank returning cheques to the account holder. It sends shivers down my decluttering spine...what on earth would be the purpose of keeping them once they've been cashed & processed? When did this practice stop?
Remember the statement: "Your canceled cheque is your receipt"?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 06, 2018, 11:28:41 AM
One book given away. One crate of swimming gear put in cellar. Bag with bicycle stuff putin shed outside (there is over a meter snow outside and I won't be cycling for months). Tomorrow: 2 library books back to library, maybe all 3, although the third one hasn't reached the date yet.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 06, 2018, 12:25:10 PM
I'm with you on the paper purge! Just shreded 2 boxes of 10 year old checks.

I know that one whole drawer of the file cabinet is FULL of more of these. I was so upset when the bank stopped sending back my checks.

Hmmm. Maybe that indignation was a bit misplaced!

It's already bizarre enough to me that the US still uses cheques, but I've never heard of a bank returning cheques to the account holder. It sends shivers down my decluttering spine...what on earth would be the purpose of keeping them once they've been cashed & processed? When did this practice stop?

Before internet, getting the canceled checked back was for record keeping purposes. Then many banks started scanning and including the images in the monthly bank stmt in lieu of the actual cancelled check. The next iteration was check images available online, and that's where we are now. Check usage is continuing to decline, but honestly until local governments and certain banks get their act together there will still be some checks needed.

FYI - Citizen One auto loans technically have online payments. It really sucked last I checked, so much so that it's easier to pay via check.

But... In the UK and Australia we just get a line on our paper or online statement "cheque no. XXXX". In our possession we have the cheque stub where we've recorded the payee and amount to cross check. I don't know why you'd need to see it I guess is my question?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 06, 2018, 12:31:42 PM
I'm with you on the paper purge! Just shreded 2 boxes of 10 year old checks.

I know that one whole drawer of the file cabinet is FULL of more of these. I was so upset when the bank stopped sending back my checks.

Hmmm. Maybe that indignation was a bit misplaced!

It's already bizarre enough to me that the US still uses cheques, but I've never heard of a bank returning cheques to the account holder. It sends shivers down my decluttering spine...what on earth would be the purpose of keeping them once they've been cashed & processed? When did this practice stop?
Remember the statement: "Your canceled cheque is your receipt"?

No I've never heard that, I think that's a US thing. But then again, cheques died out in the 90s when I was only just adult. You'd be hard pressed to get anyone to accept a personal cheque in a shop in Australia unless you personally knew them! I got a refund cheque from the government - it had to be a cheque because it was a third party refund - and it caused much trouble at the bank...Took about ten minutes for the teller to figure out what to do!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 06, 2018, 01:47:47 PM
Success in getting rid of stuff/clearing out the front porch.  I had disassembled an old cal king waterbed frame* & placed the pieces on the front porch.  The mattress was still inside, but massively in the way.  Had been stressing as nobody was interested in it even for free, but someone took all of it today! 

Also found another person to take a smaller cabinet.

Also was able to toss the plastic wrapping the new mattress came in...had used it to cover the bed frame from the recent rain.

I can't believe the last time I posted here was only 4 days ago.  Seems like an eternity!

In that time I got rid of another heaping box to donate*, some random lumber we had sitting around and a bunch of trash uncovered while packing/staging for the photos that will be in the real estate listing.  I even threw away my pillow, which I had such a hard time finding a replacement for. I had purchased 2 other pillows, and one of them feels good now that it is on a new mattress.  Winner!

*Including more ugly décor items that STBX never liked, either.  Including two pillow covers.  When I said, "Are you sure?  Your brother brought these all the way from Thailand", he responded, "I doubt that."  WTF, STBX?  How can you not remember that!!!  Also, would I lie about that? Really?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on March 06, 2018, 02:36:30 PM
I'm with you on the paper purge! Just shreded 2 boxes of 10 year old checks.

I know that one whole drawer of the file cabinet is FULL of more of these. I was so upset when the bank stopped sending back my checks.

Hmmm. Maybe that indignation was a bit misplaced!

It's already bizarre enough to me that the US still uses cheques, but I've never heard of a bank returning cheques to the account holder. It sends shivers down my decluttering spine...what on earth would be the purpose of keeping them once they've been cashed & processed? When did this practice stop?

Before internet, getting the canceled checked back was for record keeping purposes. Then many banks started scanning and including the images in the monthly bank stmt in lieu of the actual cancelled check. The next iteration was check images available online, and that's where we are now. Check usage is continuing to decline, but honestly until local governments and certain banks get their act together there will still be some checks needed.

FYI - Citizen One auto loans technically have online payments. It really sucked last I checked, so much so that it's easier to pay via check.

But... In the UK and Australia we just get a line on our paper or online statement "cheque no. XXXX". In our possession we have the cheque stub where we've recorded the payee and amount to cross check. I don't know why you'd need to see it I guess is my question?

You're assuming that the US financial system is logical. Stop that. ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on March 06, 2018, 04:27:34 PM
Finally took a large bin of odd socks and wornout clothes from the garage to my car. This doesn't sound like much, but getting rid of textile recycling has been on my list for a long, long time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on March 06, 2018, 04:36:43 PM
I'm not sure who the dude living in my house is, but he CAN'T be my husband. Evidence: he has voluntarily gone through his shoes (not a hard task, he owns maybe six pairs) to get rid of the ones that are no longer fit for wear. He only kept one really crappy pair to use as painting shoes. This is just days after he voluntarily threw out some unwearable clothes. Who is he? What's happening?! I feel like years and years of setting a good example are finally paying off...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 07, 2018, 04:32:11 AM
When I took my crap to the Goodwill store the other day I asked the attendant if they sell all of the stuff they receive in their store and he said they try to. However, he said that they get a lot of junk that has to be thrown out. He said people will donate shoes that are like 800 years old. So I thought I would throw in that if you are donating stuff, think twice about donating junk. Because, if they don't think it is worthwhile, they are going to toss it into the dumpster. Even charities have standards of what they will sell.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 07, 2018, 06:30:33 AM
Don't remember whether I have mentioned this before, so I'll do it again...

We are sometimes discussing our plans for after FIRE. The plans involve making several long trips in a pleasant whether part of the year. And living far north for a whole winter. And after that relocation until we have found the perfect place to live in a LCOL area, hopefully after one try. We have been thinking about keeping our cabin to store our outdoor gear and use that place as a basis to go to between trips (despite not having running water/washing machine).

What to do with the rest of our house. We have a vague plan of selling all the stuff we are not very attached to and than at a later time buying similar stuff back second hand. We are planning to get rid of most of the big things, like sofa, guest beds, our own bed, closets, dining table and chairs, office chair. And then only keep some hobby stuff, some kitchen things and maybe some tools. Then we hope it will fit into a very small container/room that we can rent during that period.

But if I am only thinking about it, the thought does scare me a bit. What of the year of travelling is disappointing. Then it is not a simple matter of starting over again. It does require buying all this stuff again, second hand. In a low density area this might be more difficult than in a city.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on March 07, 2018, 07:57:58 AM
This thread is such an inspiration! I'm visiting my parents and got a chance to clear out some of my college work (been 10 years since I finished) that I didn't know my mom had saved. Almost all went into recycling. I also found a box of my sentimentals I had stored that I'm working through. I want to be finished by end of trip so I can leave nothing at parents' place. Just glad I had the sense 10 years ago (before I left home) to go through everything, I mean everything, from my past 20 years of life and reduce it to one box of stuff. Doing it now would've been so stressful.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 07, 2018, 12:29:06 PM
Don't remember whether I have mentioned this before, so I'll do it again...

We are sometimes discussing our plans for after FIRE. The plans involve making several long trips in a pleasant whether part of the year. And living far north for a whole winter. And after that relocation until we have found the perfect place to live in a LCOL area, hopefully after one try. We have been thinking about keeping our cabin to store our outdoor gear and use that place as a basis to go to between trips (despite not having running water/washing machine).

What to do with the rest of our house. We have a vague plan of selling all the stuff we are not very attached to and than at a later time buying similar stuff back second hand. We are planning to get rid of most of the big things, like sofa, guest beds, our own bed, closets, dining table and chairs, office chair. And then only keep some hobby stuff, some kitchen things and maybe some tools. Then we hope it will fit into a very small container/room that we can rent during that period.

But if I am only thinking about it, the thought does scare me a bit. What of the year of travelling is disappointing. Then it is not a simple matter of starting over again. It does require buying all this stuff again, second hand. In a low density area this might be more difficult than in a city.

I'm not good with emotions, but maybe some math can help your decision a little easier?

What % do you think that you will find travelling disappointing?  If it's low, then maybe you don't need to worry much about this problem, but if it's high, then more math.

What would it cost to simply store your large possessions for a year?  Are you willing to pay that amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

What would it cost to store only some of these items for a year, maybe only the mattress, dining table & chairs?  That would make a bare-minimum functional home while you worked on acquiring the rest of the items you need/want second hand.  Are you willing to pay *that* amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

What would it cost to purchase the bare-minimum items new while you worked on acquiring the rest of the items you need/want second hand.  Are you willing to pay *that* amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

Maybe there are other scenarios you could consider?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 07, 2018, 12:40:54 PM
Just threw out half a giant Rubbermaid full of paperwork and 3 ring binders. Have another pile of books for donation. So much stuff but it seems like very little new space has emerged. Very happy on my purging so far. But much more to go!

Do you think it is wise to stay in one room and purge it to the bones or go from room to room to get the massive clutter purged?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on March 07, 2018, 03:37:10 PM
Don't remember whether I have mentioned this before, so I'll do it again...

We are sometimes discussing our plans for after FIRE. The plans involve making several long trips in a pleasant whether part of the year. And living far north for a whole winter. And after that relocation until we have found the perfect place to live in a LCOL area, hopefully after one try. We have been thinking about keeping our cabin to store our outdoor gear and use that place as a basis to go to between trips (despite not having running water/washing machine).

What to do with the rest of our house. We have a vague plan of selling all the stuff we are not very attached to and than at a later time buying similar stuff back second hand. We are planning to get rid of most of the big things, like sofa, guest beds, our own bed, closets, dining table and chairs, office chair. And then only keep some hobby stuff, some kitchen things and maybe some tools. Then we hope it will fit into a very small container/room that we can rent during that period.

But if I am only thinking about it, the thought does scare me a bit. What of the year of travelling is disappointing. Then it is not a simple matter of starting over again. It does require buying all this stuff again, second hand. In a low density area this might be more difficult than in a city.

Can you use the cabin as a storage shed while you travel? Is it large enough for you to disassemble and stack some of the items against walls but still have usable space for between trips? We have done this when we moved into a very much smaller space for awhile but knew it was temporary.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CU Tiger on March 07, 2018, 07:27:20 PM
Just threw out half a giant Rubbermaid full of paperwork and 3 ring binders. Have another pile of books for donation. So much stuff but it seems like very little new space has emerged. Very happy on my purging so far. But much more to go!

Do you think it is wise to stay in one room and purge it to the bones or go from room to room to get the massive clutter purged?

Do what works for you, but I prefer to do one room or one hot spot at a time. Focusing on one area and getting it done well satisfies some need for order I have.

Marie Kondo has a different method. Her method is doing all clothes together, then later all books, all paper, etc. no matter where they are stored.

The point is, all roads lead to Rome, you just have to pick a route that suits you.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 07, 2018, 07:54:30 PM
The Marie Kondo method is good for finding out what you actually own, what's duplicated and then working out where to store it best, but it's an all at once type approach so you have to live with a lot of mess til you're done if you follow it to the letter. Of course you could just adapt it and do one category and then put everything away as best you can. Since its aim is minimalism I think it works best if you're not overwhelmed with stuff and just need to find a place for everything and so it worked for me but is still a work in progress - we realised we need a different living situation - less living space, more garage type space! (We have a bedroom full of stuff that should be in a shed or garage). Tackling a space at a time sounds more practical to me if you have a lot of stuff and that's what we did at my sister's place which was more of a hoarder situation.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on March 07, 2018, 10:31:35 PM
I bit the bullet and am now advertising a Freecycle event I am organizing next month... the first in our area.  A community group is donating their hall for 3 days so we can hold it.  BUT... I am having trouble getting volunteers...(to help receive goods and direct people on the day of).   Any suggestions?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 07, 2018, 11:21:57 PM
Don't remember whether I have mentioned this before, so I'll do it again...

We are sometimes discussing our plans for after FIRE. The plans involve making several long trips in a pleasant whether part of the year. And living far north for a whole winter. And after that relocation until we have found the perfect place to live in a LCOL area, hopefully after one try. We have been thinking about keeping our cabin to store our outdoor gear and use that place as a basis to go to between trips (despite not having running water/washing machine).

What to do with the rest of our house. We have a vague plan of selling all the stuff we are not very attached to and than at a later time buying similar stuff back second hand. We are planning to get rid of most of the big things, like sofa, guest beds, our own bed, closets, dining table and chairs, office chair. And then only keep some hobby stuff, some kitchen things and maybe some tools. Then we hope it will fit into a very small container/room that we can rent during that period.

But if I am only thinking about it, the thought does scare me a bit. What of the year of travelling is disappointing. Then it is not a simple matter of starting over again. It does require buying all this stuff again, second hand. In a low density area this might be more difficult than in a city.

Can you use the cabin as a storage shed while you travel? Is it large enough for you to disassemble and stack some of the items against walls but still have usable space for between trips? We have done this when we moved into a very much smaller space for awhile but knew it was temporary.

The cabin is only 60 square meters, which is quite small. It has a low attic where we can pack a number of boxes if we stuff it in. I think that is where we would store our hobby stuff. No room for storing the sofa. Maybe we could fit our comfy chairs in the room, although they would be in the way.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 07, 2018, 11:29:35 PM
What would it cost to simply store your large possessions for a year?  Are you willing to pay that amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

What would it cost to store only some of these items for a year, maybe only the mattress, dining table & chairs?  That would make a bare-minimum functional home while you worked on acquiring the rest of the items you need/want second hand.  Are you willing to pay *that* amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

What would it cost to purchase the bare-minimum items new while you worked on acquiring the rest of the items you need/want second hand.  Are you willing to pay *that* amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

Maybe there are other scenarios you could consider?

I am pretty certain I would enjoy the travelling, as we intend to do things I enjoy. We are not going into a new type of travelling.

I will check prices of a storage shed. My colleague who has used it said it was surpricingly cheap, even in a HCOL area. And we could use a LCOL area to store. I will look at which of the large things (that don't fit into the cabin) I want to keep and what that would cost to store.
[/quote]

Now I have checked some prices. I found out that there is such a thing as "city store", which is only need cities in HCOL areas. This is for people who often want to visit their stuff. This is pricy. I don't need this type of easily accessible storage, so we could find something cheaper.

Yes, the math says that this is an option. Thank you for reminding me.

And we could very well live on a minimum amount of stuff for a period. We are used to camping in a tent.

What I am not looking very much forward to mentally is moving our stuff around to different places several times. But maybe we shouldn't do this. Just sell most of the big stuff, like the sofa's and the dining table. Maybe keep 2 foldable chairs and a camping table, as well as basic kitchen stuff. We can sleep on camping mattresses until we buy a new mattress. I guess it is doable. And I guess it would feel better to sell more and rebuy second hand, then having to store too much in a container.

I think I will start making some lists for myself of we could keep and sell.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on March 07, 2018, 11:44:20 PM
Just threw out half a giant Rubbermaid full of paperwork and 3 ring binders. Have another pile of books for donation. So much stuff but it seems like very little new space has emerged. Very happy on my purging so far. But much more to go!

Do you think it is wise to stay in one room and purge it to the bones or go from room to room to get the massive clutter purged?

Personally, I would feel much more achievement at finishing a room, knowing it can be done, than doing a little bit in each room.  We recently culled the study, and it was great.  Next is one of the adult kids rooms.  They are never here, and don't look at their stuff when they are here.  We will post pics of their stuff on messenger, and if they don't tell us explicitly they want it, out it goes!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on March 08, 2018, 01:59:43 AM
I bit the bullet and am now advertising a Freecycle event I am organizing next month... the first in our area.  A community group is donating their hall for 3 days so we can hold it.  BUT... I am having trouble getting volunteers...(to help receive goods and direct people on the day of).   Any suggestions?
Maybe let the volunteers have first dibs on going through the stuff? Some might be interested if they can pick through what's available first.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LaineyAZ on March 08, 2018, 07:43:14 AM
I bit the bullet and am now advertising a Freecycle event I am organizing next month... the first in our area.  A community group is donating their hall for 3 days so we can hold it.  BUT... I am having trouble getting volunteers...(to help receive goods and direct people on the day of).   Any suggestions?

Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts?  or check with larger employers who usually have an Employees Club that includes employees who like doing these one-time projects.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Happy Little Chipmunk on March 08, 2018, 12:10:07 PM
Our community has a two day "back to school" Freecycle event and they do a good job pulling in volunteers using many of the tips people here have suggested.

If you volunteer or donate, you don't pay the nominal $2 (?) entrance fee and they encourage people to bring only items in good repair; if it needs fixing, this isn't the place for it. Volunteers get early access to some of the stuff and they pull in middle schoolers & high schoolers for those all-important volunteer hours. The second day at noon they don't charge an entrance fee and they schedule in advance for a non-profit to come and glean what they want. Everything else gets taken to the dump at the end of the day (that's part of what the $2 goes towards.)

It's a fun event & I always find something I can use!

Over the past 3 days I've shreded more checks - loved the discussion about the silliness of returning checks! Yep, I still write at least a couple every month. Someday we will come out of the dark ages. Had some nice memories in there...so that's when we built the retaining wall...oh yeah, I remember when DD took violin lessons!

Also donated playground equipment and art supplies to our local school, dropped off 3 bags at Goodwill & tidied up the basement because we had the HVAC people here to clean the duct work.

There's much less cat dander in the air, my skin is not nearly as itchy and I am tantalized by the possibility of being pain-free. Baby steps.....
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 09, 2018, 11:46:52 AM
My husband is decluttering a bit too much... he has somehow lost 2 books he is halfway in reading. I have been looking in the house and cannot find them. I hope they are at our cabin so that they are not completely gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on March 10, 2018, 06:33:16 AM
My husband is decluttering a bit too much... he has somehow lost 2 books he is halfway in reading. I have been looking in the house and cannot find them. I hope they are at our cabin so that they are not completely gone.

Linda, that made me smile!  In my house, too much decluttering is not the reason we lose things!

I had a double win... was mailing a package to my brother in law... remembered how he was saying that because of the plastic bags ban in his community, he was having trouble finding pooper scooper bags for his dog.  So I bundled up big quantities of grocery bags that I have saved and used them as packing material!  I do use reusable bags when I can remember, but every grocery shopping trip is 15-20 bags so they accumulate fast.

I recently bought a new parka but have not been wearing it because it is so new and beautiful that I didn't want to get it dirty.  But yesterday I bit the bullet and donated the shabby old coat. My kids were sad because they kind of think of the coat as part of me as I have been wearing it since before they were born!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on March 10, 2018, 06:38:22 AM
Got rid of all the baby tights (she never wore a pair) and all the tiny socks. Weeded out clothes below size 9 months, kept 25% of them for hypothetical future baby. We have way too much.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 10, 2018, 09:54:27 PM
Last push to pack up the house today. Another 2 big boxes to donate, various items in the trash and another box for the haz mat place. Done packing for the time being. Next phase is minor home improvements to make the condo show its best, so the only decluttering will be tossing any trash generated by that, which is just normal life. So I'll be lurking until we can sell. I miss being able to post here when I don't have anything to get rid of.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on March 10, 2018, 10:18:14 PM
Got news from the consignment place that they sold one of my dresses... so that’s never coming back, and I’ll get $50.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on March 10, 2018, 10:26:18 PM
Filed or shredded about 2 inches of paper today. Geeze.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on March 12, 2018, 12:38:09 AM
I went to check on my aunt's vacation place while she is gone for the winter.. ( a 400 sqft one bedroom condo downtown).   In the small kitchen, I counted 24 dinner plates.   I dd not even bother to count the bowls, salad plates, or assorted individual serving pieces.   AHH...there is no way 12 people would fit inside her place, let alone 24!   I should probably ask if she wants help to go through it when she is in town (she doesn't have a car, which may be part of the challenge for her, at least I hope that is the issue).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 12, 2018, 01:50:11 AM
I went to check on my aunt's vacation place while she is gone for the winter.. ( a 400 sqft one bedroom condo downtown).   In the small kitchen, I counted 24 dinner plates.   I dd not even bother to count the bowls, salad plates, or assorted individual serving pieces.   AHH...there is no way 12 people would fit inside her place, let alone 24!   I should probably ask if she wants help to go through it when she is in town (she doesn't have a car, which may be part of the challenge for her, at least I hope that is the issue).

Even if you have just a few guests, they can behave in a way that you need many dishes. In our cabin we have 4 plates, and both at the cabin and at home we have only 6 sets of cutlery. When we are having guests and having breakfast, I usually ask them to leave the plates and cutlery on the table, so we can reuse those at lunch. But before I know it, FIL has already piled up the dishes and cutlery and put it in the kitchen (he has done so many times). This means we have to wash dishes before we can have lunch... In that case it would have been useful to have more dishes and cutlery. Same with glasses, if guests don't have a habit of keeping their own glass and reusing it, there can be a lot of glasses used during a day.

I do agree that 24 dinner plates is a bit much and half the amount would probably do the job just as well.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: NoraLenderbee on March 12, 2018, 10:56:48 AM
Put a bag and a box of donations in my car. It'll be easy to drop them off at Goodwill this week.
Husband shredded bags and bags of papers.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on March 13, 2018, 02:09:37 AM
Linda,  I see what you are getting at.... The challenge is the small apartment only has 4 chairs / seating of any sort.   It would be hard to get more than 4 people together in there at one time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 13, 2018, 05:37:06 AM
I used to own a timeshare that slept 6 people. In the kitchen there were 6 of everything including cutlery. If you ran out of forks, too bad, wash them. It worked out fine because we ate out a lot anyway and there was a dishwasher so we loaded it up at night and let it do it's thing. In the meantime, if we were cooking and happened to run out of silverware, we had to wash it. No biggie!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on March 13, 2018, 07:23:18 AM
Just sold my Ergo 360! 

I'm working on the spare room/my office/Etsy photography studio now.  My goal is to fill 2 bags with either trash or donate items.



Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on March 13, 2018, 07:54:02 AM
One kid room approaching minimalism and kid loves it. Favorite toys are easy to find. Imagination is soaring. Second kid room is much better. Kid 1 has some anxiety and wants to keep everything. We got some nice boxes so the things were still around but contained. They will probably rarely if ever emerge from the closet but that's ok. Room is cleaner and anxiety minimalized.

I think cleaning out the cars, especially the glove boxes, should be our next big excavation.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on March 13, 2018, 11:41:37 AM
Just went on vacation, and I realized while I was away how completely fine I'd be without most of my stuff.

Also, why do I have so many pens? Are they reproducing in the drawer?

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on March 13, 2018, 12:46:20 PM
I emailed the children's librarian at the local public library to see if they could use Lego sets.  I thought they could let people check them out as full sets.  She said they have Lego free play once a week, and they are running low, so I can just dump them all in a box and bring them in.  As soon as the kids get back from their spring break trip, the vast majority of the Legos are leaving the house!!!

Last night I also got rid of half of the hangers in my closet (they must be breeding) and, for the second time this year, attempted to sort my desk.  I'm getting better at dumping paper in the shred box.  Once I finish the third pass of the desk, I'll probably be able to see the top of it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FIRE-ing in the UK on March 13, 2018, 02:03:56 PM
In an attempt to make the house less of an embarrassment for when we were having company round, I "tided". I now have a box and 6 bags worth of crap stuff which is hidden in various places around the house.

And I seem to have a massive problem with paperwork. No matter how much I think I am on top of it there are always piles of it waiting to be filed/shredded. I think the paper fairy comes in whilst we're at work and lovingly scatters paper around the house. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 13, 2018, 06:14:35 PM
The paper menace is reduced at my house.  I cancelled the paper, I can read it with my online subscription so they still get funding.  And, I called the phone number on the bag all the advertising comes in.  They sent me a sticker for my mail box, and since then I have had 1 piece of advertising (coupons for a fast-food place).  My recycling box used to be full every week .  Now I am going 2-3 weeks.  It's wonderful!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on March 14, 2018, 04:19:32 AM
After reading all these updates I'm just raring to go declutter again! My last stint was around New Year's so I wonder if I'll have much more to get rid of... update soon.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 14, 2018, 05:56:13 AM
<...>

Also, why do I have so many pens? Are they reproducing in the drawer?

Ah, are you that person who always takes my pen when they stop to talk at my desk? ;-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on March 14, 2018, 06:34:23 AM
Who me? Look! What's that over there? (snatches pen.. runs away!)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on March 14, 2018, 08:32:40 PM
More clutter from the shed went into the bin today.  (We have no recycling at all).  Including a steel box that had been damaged by my son and was repairable.  He had made me a new one, but the old one was just taking up space.

I also decluttered my wardrobe a bit last weekend.  Some old shirts became rags.  One got donated to my son.  Most were too thin to be donated, so rags they are.  They will get used fairly quickly on our hobby farm.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bee21 on March 15, 2018, 03:35:38 AM
Well, i had a full blown nervous breakdown with tears and yelling and binned about 5 bags full of crap from my youngest kid's room. It was horrible. I tossed rubbish, toys, clothes, books, gkw. Tomorrow i will attack the other kid's room. I didn't even bother with a donation or recycling part, i just wanted them out of my life.

Sometimes I feel that we would be better off if i just removed banknotes from my purse and put it straight in the bin. I would save myself the cleaning and decluttering part.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Astatine on March 15, 2018, 03:52:25 AM
Bee21, that sounds pretty rough. :/ Hope your decluttering journey goes more smoothly in th the future.



I organised a clothes/homewares swap with one of my social circles for the end of April. So far only one person has said yes to attending but hopefully I'll get a few to show up. Anything unclaimed will go to a charity or recycle place whose ethics align with mine (they're few and far between these days).

Before then, though, DH and I will do a run out to the recycle shed and book/DVD/CD charity donation place to get rid of things I know none of my friends/acquaintances will want to take. Things like a spice rack I bought second hand, obscure DVDs and CDs, that kind of thing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chicwhitesox1 on March 15, 2018, 03:57:43 AM
getting rid of your personal stuff is very hard to do specially if it's part of your childhood
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 15, 2018, 04:28:49 AM
I bought this little hand scanner to scan photographs from old photo albums. UGH, UGH, UGH, it got old fast and I don't want to do anymore. I found this place that will send you a box and you bundle like size pictures together and they will scan them and put them on a DVD or if you pay a little more a thumb drive. They will also send you a link to the pictures. I am seriously thinking about using this service. However, getting all the albums together and bundling the pictures will be a CHORE too. You get all the pictures back once they are done. Then it is like...you have to store them if you don't have the heart to toss them. Have any of you used this service?

This is the issue for me. I am an only child and my Mom and Dad have passed away. Nobody will want the pictures or the thumb drive, so...what is the point except the control the clutter? Any words of wisdom?

http://www.scanmyphotos.com/photo-scanning/prepaid-photo-scanning-box.html
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: aoedae on March 15, 2018, 06:17:52 AM
Jumping back on this thread after a failed attempt last year...

I've been doing some aggressive eBaying to reduce my clothing stock. Have sold perhaps 50 items in the last 2 months, for around £600 profit.

My goals is to have everything sold by 7th June when I move room.

On Thursday 15th March:

Taking a bag of old odds and ends to the charity shop today too...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: AmandaPanda on March 15, 2018, 07:04:20 AM
We have decided to move! I thought I'd done a pretty decent job decluttering last year, buuuuut now of course I see loads of stuff that I kept and didn't necessarily need to.  My goal is to get rid of 2 full car loads to a donation center.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 15, 2018, 08:05:21 AM
I bought this little hand scanner to scan photographs from old photo albums. UGH, UGH, UGH, it got old fast and I don't want to do anymore. I found this place that will send you a box and you bundle like size pictures together and they will scan them and put them on a DVD or if you pay a little more a thumb drive. They will also send you a link to the pictures. I am seriously thinking about using this service. However, getting all the albums together and bundling the pictures will be a CHORE too. You get all the pictures back once they are done. Then it is like...you have to store them if you don't have the heart to toss them. Have any of you used this service?

This is the issue for me. I am an only child and my Mom and Dad have passed away. Nobody will want the pictures or the thumb drive, so...what is the point except the control the clutter? Any words of wisdom?

http://www.scanmyphotos.com/photo-scanning/prepaid-photo-scanning-box.html

Roadrunner, I used a similar scanning service last year. On the one hand, I'm frustrated that the service de-organized all my documents for their scanning, leaving me with a random assortment of unlabelled, uncategorized docs -which I need to go through one at a time to find which ones didn't get scanned. Ugh.

On the other, even though that's the case, I'm so happy I got it done! I love having everything backed up digitally and am slowly shredding many of the papers.

The photos I kept the hard copies of, because I prefer hard copies. But in my case those are one small bundle (fits in my two hands). I love having them digitally and physically.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on March 15, 2018, 10:37:56 AM
I bought this little hand scanner to scan photographs from old photo albums. UGH, UGH, UGH, it got old fast and I don't want to do anymore. I found this place that will send you a box and you bundle like size pictures together and they will scan them and put them on a DVD or if you pay a little more a thumb drive. They will also send you a link to the pictures. I am seriously thinking about using this service. However, getting all the albums together and bundling the pictures will be a CHORE too. You get all the pictures back once they are done. Then it is like...you have to store them if you don't have the heart to toss them. Have any of you used this service?

This is the issue for me. I am an only child and my Mom and Dad have passed away. Nobody will want the pictures or the thumb drive, so...what is the point except the control the clutter? Any words of wisdom?

http://www.scanmyphotos.com/photo-scanning/prepaid-photo-scanning-box.html

If any of the pictures go back to past generations (your grandparents and further), you might want to see if any of your cousins want them.  I'm the family genealogist, and I'm always trying to track down pictures that ended up with other branches of the family.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on March 15, 2018, 10:43:07 AM
Well, i had a full blown nervous breakdown with tears and yelling and binned about 5 bags full of crap from my youngest kid's room. It was horrible. I tossed rubbish, toys, clothes, books, gkw. Tomorrow i will attack the other kid's room. I didn't even bother with a donation or recycling part, i just wanted them out of my life.

Sometimes I feel that we would be better off if i just removed banknotes from my purse and put it straight in the bin. I would save myself the cleaning and decluttering part.

@Bee21 , how old are your kids?  Are they old enough to help you with the decluttering?

I have had many similar breakdowns over the quantity of crap.  That started me decluttering the whole house last fall.  My kids are 8, 10, and 12, and when we got to their rooms I was blown away by how much they participated.  We used the Marie Kondo method - pick up every single item and see whether it brings you joy.  I could tell on their faces.  The youngest told me a story about each toy that didn't spark that reaction, and then we put it in the giveaway box.  It's been months, and not a single kid has complained about missing any of the stuff or not having enough stuff.  They actually play with the toys that are left more now.

Since we started decluttering, our spending habits have changed enormously. I'm not going to buy it if it isn't going to be used up completely (soon) or be played with for a very long time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 15, 2018, 11:38:41 AM
I have no kids or grandkids so I am not one that should have an opinion but I am a casual observer. It makes me cringe when Christmas rolls around and friends are killing themselves to find the newest and latest toys. Some are expensive and hard to come by. My friend who can't really afford these things makes sure the grandkids get a bunch of goodies. I asked her recently if they were still playing with the Hatchible toy thingie that was popular two Christmas's ago and she pretty much said no. UGH, she killed herself getting these stupid toys and within no time they are at the bottom of the toy box to never be seen again. I don't know what the answer is but these toys are just mostly stupid junk and a waste of money. Does anyone have a solution to Christmas gifts for kids? The toys bring them joy for a very short time and then they are bored with them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on March 16, 2018, 09:16:25 AM
@Roadrunner53  , we told our kids (8, 10, 12) last year that we weren't buying them a singe toy for Christmas.  Instead, they each got the following:
1) a gift card to their favorite restaurant, to treat the family on a day of their choosing
2) A gift certificate for an experience they had been asking for (roller skating, a trampoline park, and pottery lessons)
3) A $10 gift card to the used bookstore

They were THRILLED.  Youngest positively beamed as he paid for our meal a few weeks later.

Grandparents went overboard on toys and stuff, most of which will be decluttered this summer. 
The highlights for my kids were books and useful stuff (ipad chargers in different colors so they won't fight over them).

The oldest's favorite present was a book her uncle gave her with profiles of scientist women through history.  (I would NEVER have chosen this for her - I don't know what possessed him to pick it out, but it was an inspired purchase.)  She now wants to be an astrophysicist.

In the past, the kids have also been happy with a day with grandparents (to pick out a new outfit or new shoes), a day at the zoo, etc.  They like spending time with people doing stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 16, 2018, 09:24:51 AM
FDM, very good ideas! Christmas has got to be overwhelming for everyone including the kids. My friend's grandkids also get presents from the parents, and the other set of grandparents. Plus, my friend is divorced so her ex and his new wife bring more gifts. OMG, I would be horrified with all this junk in the house.

Experiences are a nice way to spend time with the kids and not much clutter to deal with.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 16, 2018, 09:37:33 AM
My approach to Christmas stuff is three-pronged.

1. Have him clear space before Christmas. "The more you release, the more you receive." "Let's make space for Christmas presents." Etc. He lets loads of stuff go.

2. I focus on lower cost, more practical items he's been wishing for over the course of the year, including art supplies and cans of soup etc (our house is mostly homemade food, and he loves those tins). He receives gifts from two households -me, and grandma/auntie. I ask Other Household to consider things from that list, and I buy a couple of them as well. Grandma then also provides heaps of trinkets and interests from the local thrift shop, all of which he's very excited about and that we can give away again as soon as his interest wanes.

3. A few times each year we go through his stuff and give away anything he no longer needs/uses.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 16, 2018, 02:30:15 PM
A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: aoedae on March 16, 2018, 04:05:04 PM
Taking a bag of old odds and ends to the charity shop today too...

I did this, have a second batch of charity shop items to take in on Monday, have sold a couple more eBay items (3, to be precise), and cleared out 2 of my old boxes.

Sadly I found some moths had eaten their way through my merino woollens when they were in my ex-partner's storage (boo!), but I found a bonus fleece (yay!) and waterproof trousers, and cleared out an entire plastic box and stored the components in their categories/drawers.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 16, 2018, 04:54:34 PM
A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

Up to age 3, I wouldn't bother with any version of a gift. Just do special fun things, like make crafts and visit a Christmas train or something.

If they're aware of xmas excess by 3 or so, I would get them a couple of special little things -a can of sparkling juice and a bag of favourite munchies- and maybe make a booklet of images representing a fun thing you'll do together once a month (restaurant, movie out, walk in the snow). They can enjoy the booklet, you guys can talk about each thing in it, she can look forward to each one...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 16, 2018, 05:12:30 PM
A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

Up to age 3, I wouldn't bother with any version of a gift. Just do special fun things, like make crafts and visit a Christmas train or something.

If they're aware of xmas excess by 3 or so, I would get them a couple of special little things -a can of sparkling juice and a bag of favourite munchies- and maybe make a booklet of images representing a fun thing you'll do together once a month (restaurant, movie out, walk in the snow). They can enjoy the booklet, you guys can talk about each thing in it, she can look forward to each one...

Cool thanks, although maybe not a walk in the snow because that would mean a 6hr road trip ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 16, 2018, 05:37:07 PM
Cool thanks, although maybe not a walk in the snow because that would mean a 6hr road trip ;)

All the more special, unique, and exciting an experience then! ;)    Though maybe not so nice for Mr and Mrs Claus to listen that long to "are we theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere yet???"
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 16, 2018, 08:06:35 PM
A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

For Christmas gifts one year, took Niece to a cat cafe (she adores cats), Nephew 1 to a kid-friendly, interactive science museum (he is all into science & also dinosaurs) and Nephew 2 to the zoo.  I think only Nephew 2 was under 5 at the time, though
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 16, 2018, 08:10:51 PM
A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

Up to age 3, I wouldn't bother with any version of a gift. Just do special fun things, like make crafts and visit a Christmas train or something.

If they're aware of xmas excess by 3 or so, I would get them a couple of special little things -a can of sparkling juice and a bag of favourite munchies- and maybe make a booklet of images representing a fun thing you'll do together once a month (restaurant, movie out, walk in the snow). They can enjoy the booklet, you guys can talk about each thing in it, she can look forward to each one...

Oooo, good call. Nephew 1 loved trains when he was very young, pre-school age.  This would be a good experience gift.  Add on some hot chocolate or apple cider to make it really special!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 17, 2018, 04:17:01 AM
We bought some new lamps. I cleaed away the boxes and other package material. I registered for a local facebook group to give away the old lamp. It was a very cheap Ikea lamp, but still working.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on March 18, 2018, 02:45:39 PM
I've been thinking about getting rid of a lot of my manga for about 2 years now, slowly working my way through donating or giving it away to friends. It's hard because I want it to go to someone who will enjoy and appreciate it. [I am never going to sell it, I have made peace with that]

Anyway my brother and his family were here this weekend and his teen daughter spotted my collection and her eyes lit up. So she got the complete run of Ouran High Host Club & 3 omnibus volumes of Kitchen Princess and I get more shelf space and the knowledge that I made my niece really happy. Wins all round.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 18, 2018, 03:01:14 PM
I found a couple of staples when I was shopping last week (they were on my "replace" list) & as soon as I got home, I took out the old items being replaced, and hung the new items. I'm pretty jazzed, and have been looking for a lined blazer for years. I have broad shoulders, so it was hard to find a good fit without it looking sloppy throughout the rest of the jacket. Just in time for meetings next week.

I also culled the house of a random array of school papers & projects the kids brought home last week. And, finally trashed/recycled/shredded all of the mail that's built up over the past few weeks during my crazy schedule.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 18, 2018, 03:33:50 PM
After a recent move, reminded everywhere to continue using only my permanent mailing address. There's one exception to this, so I do need to check the local box, which was already full of two other people's important mail + flyers. Cleared all that out, and put a note inside the box to postal carrier to say what can and can't go in there now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 18, 2018, 04:21:38 PM
I listed some kitchen stuff for sale, yay! No takers yet, so will probably end up giving it away. I rearranged the kitchen cupboard to fit in some of a preserving kit that I bought second hand. The big waterbath itself - IDK where to put it, it's too big.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on March 18, 2018, 04:31:16 PM
I got rid of socks that had lost their elasticity, two scrapbooks/photo albums if things I don't need to remember, and some paper clutter that's been piling up.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on March 19, 2018, 09:05:50 AM
We helped some friends move...wow! I don't even think they are especially extreme in what they have. So much stuff for only 3 people. Makes me want to cut back more. We will soon begin our spring cleaning. I'm hoping to declutter along the way.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 20, 2018, 07:09:56 PM
As usual, I need help re-paring down my papers. There's not so many, and probably 10 minutes of work -max- to refile them! They've been taunting me for some days. Especially with disabilities, life has soooooooooooooooooooooooo much paperwork! Each doc comes out of one file, gets merged with others, copied or scanned or faxed, sent out, refiled, repeat ad nauseam.

The other day I was envying whoever won the latest lottery, and I realized my underlying craving was to not have to do financial paperwork ever again!

Anyway, posting here so that I might do it by midnight tonight. Really, I only need to line up 2-3 songs to play and it can be done in that time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on March 20, 2018, 08:24:52 PM
I have an empty rubbish bin that will be collected tomorrow morning (No, we don't have recycling at all).  So this evening I am planning to remove some clutter.  The laundry cupboard is getting a clean up.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 20, 2018, 09:36:31 PM
Anyway, posting here so that I might do it by midnight tonight. Really, I only need to line up 2-3 songs to play and it can be done in that time.

Still haven't started! But I got all excited about hunkering down for food and treats and music and a puzzle, so now setting that combo as a reward. If my papers are done by 9pm, I get ALL THAT!

And...start!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 20, 2018, 09:59:20 PM
Done!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on March 20, 2018, 10:41:33 PM
Done!!

Yay!!! :)

It always feels so good to complete an onerous task.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 20, 2018, 11:07:03 PM
Yay!!! :)

It always feels so good to complete an onerous task.

Thanks so much, Step37, for celebrating with me!

It was a HUGE relief to get it done. I moved last week, and also completed a massive tax return, and had to do more paperwork for my kid, yadda yadda. That pile was really affecting my psyche; at the same time I just froze at every thought of how I'd get it done. Applying speed with a tight deadline + reward worked well. It took twice as long as I'd anticipated at first guess, even at the highest speed I could go.

It also freed up a basket that I got to move my socks and underwear into, so that's a big help too. Place looks great again :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on March 21, 2018, 07:07:20 PM
  I'm getting better at dumping paper in the shred box.  Once I finish the third pass of the desk, I'll probably be able to see the top of it.

I don't have a shred box. The shredder lives under my desk (it's more of a table than a desk) - misc single items just get put on top. When mail arrives, it goes to my desk to be sorted. After sorting, all the shred items (and all accumulated shred items) are shredded.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 21, 2018, 07:46:09 PM
I've finished my shredding pile. Woop!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 21, 2018, 09:16:54 PM
I've finished my shredding pile. Woop!

YEAH!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 22, 2018, 04:59:05 AM
My shredder broke a few years ago. I now bag up all the paper for shredding and go to our Senior Center for their once yearly FREE shredding event! Usually in April so will be happening soon! YAY!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on March 22, 2018, 07:54:06 AM
  I'm getting better at dumping paper in the shred box.  Once I finish the third pass of the desk, I'll probably be able to see the top of it.

I don't have a shred box. The shredder lives under my desk (it's more of a table than a desk) - misc single items just get put on top. When mail arrives, it goes to my desk to be sorted. After sorting, all the shred items (and all accumulated shred items) are shredded.

I have an 8-year-old who thinks shredding paper is one of the most fun activities ever (he's weird).  I dump paper in the box, he shreds it, everyone is happy :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on March 22, 2018, 08:25:54 AM
  I'm getting better at dumping paper in the shred box.  Once I finish the third pass of the desk, I'll probably be able to see the top of it.

I don't have a shred box. The shredder lives under my desk (it's more of a table than a desk) - misc single items just get put on top. When mail arrives, it goes to my desk to be sorted. After sorting, all the shred items (and all accumulated shred items) are shredded.

I have an 8-year-old who thinks shredding paper is one of the most fun activities ever (he's weird).  I dump paper in the box, he shreds it, everyone is happy :)

Usually it's the 4 year old here ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on March 22, 2018, 08:40:19 AM
  I'm getting better at dumping paper in the shred box.  Once I finish the third pass of the desk, I'll probably be able to see the top of it.

I don't have a shred box. The shredder lives under my desk (it's more of a table than a desk) - misc single items just get put on top. When mail arrives, it goes to my desk to be sorted. After sorting, all the shred items (and all accumulated shred items) are shredded.

I have an 8-year-old who thinks shredding paper is one of the most fun activities ever (he's weird).  I dump paper in the box, he shreds it, everyone is happy :)

Usually it's the 4 year old here ;)

To be fair, permitted and desired destruction is pretty cool.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 22, 2018, 08:48:10 AM
You should rent your kid out to shred! My shredder broke and I hated how slow it was so never bothered to replace it. Where I used to work they had an awesome one and it would take huge wads of paper and shred like a beast! Loved it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 22, 2018, 08:53:12 AM
Shredding is literally the one job my kid could be paid from my business to do. Will he? Nope. Amazing. So I get all the fun *and* the money!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on March 22, 2018, 12:42:22 PM
Shredding is literally the one job my kid could be paid from my business to do. Will he? Nope. Amazing. So I get all the fun *and* the money!

We reframed it as "killing paper".  He's a typical bloodthirsty little boy, and he was all over that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 22, 2018, 12:46:08 PM
We reframed it as "killing paper".  He's a typical bloodthirsty little boy, and he was all over that.

hahaha!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on March 22, 2018, 01:10:07 PM
Sorry for the foam, but I bring you... the Shredder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDbrnLCS0kc
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on March 22, 2018, 02:19:04 PM
We reframed it as "killing paper".  He's a typical bloodthirsty little boy, and he was all over that.

hahaha!

Good one!  Gonna have to try that!

And great going on the paperwork, jFp!!  I have had my taxes spread out on a table for two months... I'm going to channel you, put on some bad tunes, and rock the paperwork away!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 22, 2018, 06:23:21 PM
I've been moving things out almost as fast as people give them to us. In the last two weeks we've been given easily 100 items; we've kept 9. Those 9 have been valuable enough to make this system worth it, but I'm glad I'm on top of getting the rest back out.

Today, tackled the "other" pile of papers. I have no idea what my idea of that pile was. Why was it its own pile, secured by a giant clip and moved from place to place over the past five months?? I went through it all, hole punched everything that needed that, put them in their proper binder.

Entered notes and edits for various documents, YNAB, etc, shredded the edited papers.

Another piece of "ouch" information has allowed me to declutter a bio-family member from my life. Not in an exciting way, but in a "oh, I can let hope and effort and obligation go now."
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Evgenia on March 22, 2018, 07:11:52 PM
Bravo to all. Decluttering can be a lot of work, but I love how decluttering gets easier and faster once you get rolling. I've been making my way through what I'll call "more KonMari than not." I started with the books around Christmas and took nine, full boxes to Goodwill and Friends of the Library. I use the library for almost all of my reading, so I don't need to hold on to books I probably won't reread. Just after the new year we had the special pick-up for hazardous waste and paint left behind by the previous homeowner. I still need to deal with e-waste drop-off; that can be part of the next Goodwill run.

This past weekend, I tackled all of our clothes. Our closet looks amazing and so spacious and clean. I have a large bag of nice things for consignment and a few more for Goodwill and textile recycling (bits and bobs). This took me 6-8 hours/day for two days and, frighteningly enough, we already had a LOT less than most people. On Monday and Tuesday, I tackled all of the papers and got them down to one legal box. Today was my craft room, and I donated fabric, yarn and sewing patterns to the local SCRAP (Society for Creative Reuse folks). I also took a bunch of packages and mail to the post office.

I am fast approaching the dreaded and most necessary category - Miscellaneous - especially in the bathroom and kitchen. I am on a roll.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 22, 2018, 07:34:55 PM
A funny thing: I have little enough stuff that the manager asked me yesterday when we're going to move in. Er, we did. This is it. lol.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 22, 2018, 08:58:45 PM
I've hit a bit of a standstill, due to a crazy work schedule. But, I'm going to kick start again this weekend & next. Plans include: closet, books, and perhaps edge over into some photo organizing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: eeho on March 22, 2018, 10:44:56 PM
I've got three gift-requiring parties this week and I managed to find gifts that I'd received or things-still-in-packaging previously bought to regift! A salad bowl for an engagement party, a set of coasters for a housewarming and a lovely teacup/saucer plus earrings for a milestone birthday.

Perfect new gifts and less clutter in my house. Win win!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on March 22, 2018, 11:13:34 PM
We will be doing the clothes this weekend.  Moving interstate for a while, but intending to return longer term, means we are going to have a good look at what we need, and what we should cull.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: pancakes on March 23, 2018, 12:48:13 AM
I packed away 2/3rds of the baby’s toys and they will be rotated around.

Even though she has already emptied the toy box again, the living room is looking much tidier and she is actually playing with her toys rather than getting a new one out every 15 seconds.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on March 23, 2018, 03:11:13 AM
A funny thing: I have little enough stuff that the manager asked me yesterday when we're going to move in. Er, we did. This is it. lol.

LOL! That's hilarious.Well done, I'd say!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 23, 2018, 08:13:53 AM
We bought some new lamps. I cleared away the boxes and other package material. I registered for a local facebook group to give away the old lamp. It was a very cheap Ikea lamp, but still working.

Old lamp is still not given away.
Nince then, we have bought a nice second hand standing lamp.
We have taken a cheap Ikea lamp off the wall, as we don't need it anymore. DH has muffled away the holes in the wall where the lamp was sitting and put new paint on it.
We still had a similar wall lamp from our previous house that is somewhere in a moving box under a desk in the study room. The plan is to put the 2 wall lamps and the ceiling lamp for sale all together for some cheap price. Somewhere after next week.
There is also a standing lamp that can be removed after we have received another light that we ordered, but that hasn't arrived yet. I think we will reuse it at our cabin that has one quite dark corner.

At our cabin we'll need to remove the old refrigerator that is currently standing on the balcony. We need to drive it away to another town. Next week we will have time to visit that town.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on March 23, 2018, 12:16:41 PM
I am so happy I got a carload of things out of the house! It felt so good to get it out and away. Of course, I now have thoughts for some more things to go. So another pile is going to start to form.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Evgenia on March 23, 2018, 03:59:24 PM
I am so happy I got a carload of things out of the house! It felt so good to get it out and away. Of course, I now have thoughts for some more things to go. So another pile is going to start to form.

I love that feeling of positive feedback! Keeps me going too. One pile out, another begins. Our house already looked like a magazine/staged for sale most days, so I don't know where so much stuff was hiding, but oh, it was. ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: okisok on March 23, 2018, 09:16:45 PM
Yay, new inspirational thread!  I read the whole thing, stopping in the middle to go through my sewing stash. I threw away a carrier bag's worth, and filled another bag to donate/offer to a sewist friend. Turns out a length of fabric I was saving for a project was too short, so out it goes. Now I don't feel guilty about buying another yardage that will actually work for the project.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 24, 2018, 03:09:16 PM
I found two items in my husband's dresser that have been there for more than a decade. Gave one to Goodwill, trashed the other. Emailed a coach to see if anyone needs a goalie jersey that my son has outgrown. If i don't get a response, will donate.

Sold a bike my son has outgrown today, and made $75! My rule for incoming unexpected money - it all goes to our unfunded 2018 goals. (kids college accounts + paying extra on our vacation house mortgage. Facepunches & all).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on March 24, 2018, 07:50:23 PM
Gave mire if our castoffs to students. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: eliza on March 25, 2018, 05:27:55 PM
One of my roommates is moving out.  Watching how much stuff he was trying to pack up and stuff in his car got me re-motivated to start decluttering.  I'm hoping to move soon too and the more stuff I can dump, the easier the moving process will be.

Went through my whole closet, plus a three door plastic storage thing I was using as a dresser, plus miscellaneous odds and ends.

Ended up with a medium sized box and three bags filled up and ready for the Salvation Army pickup scheduled for later this week.  Plus a load of recycling and a shockingly sizable bag of garbage.  And the plastic storage thing is no longer needed, so that's going as well.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on March 25, 2018, 07:19:09 PM
I listed a bunch more freebies, I hope people take them. This weekend I started uploading photos from CD backups to the cloud. I found during this process that these pics are so old that they aren't stored on any of our computers - there might be a backup on an external hard drive somewhere but I don't know if it's even compatible with my computer??

I don't know if I should store the pics on my computer as well? Or just be free of having to transfer them each computer upgrade..  They are pre-facebook but some have made it on there.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on March 26, 2018, 08:56:20 AM
I'm in the middle of a giant KonMari style declutter. My wife is so not on board, but I hope that sorting out my own crap will make hers bother me less.

Anyway, I'm doing pretty well. I have ~10-15 medium sized bags to get rid of and I'm just at the beginning of the neverending komono category. However, I'm really slowing down because all these bags are in the way. I live in a small apartment in a big city and don't have a car. How am I supposed to get all this crap to the goodwill? I find it easier to get rid of stuff if I can pretend it will have another life elsewhere, so I'm reluctant to just throw it away downstairs.

Any ideas? I figure Mustachians would be more likely to have come across this problem than the people in my KonMari facebook group.

It's a lot of stuff to try to get it into a taxi, and it's backed up so much it feels overwhelming to take it on the train one or two bags at a time. I've thought about renting a car or using 1-800-got-junk, but both of those options are expensive enough I don't want to use them until the entire declutter is finished and the bags are in the way now.

A few ideas:
1. Buy Nothing Project. Then people pick it up right from you.
2. For big ticket items, your apartment trash room is a great way to get freebies gifted. (I have gotten so much good furniture this way, haha)
3. Some orgs will arrange pickup for you. I think St Vincent de Paul's does this? Call and ask!
4. Uber?
5. Phone a friend.
6. I have literally borrowed a shopping cart from Trader Joes (I asked, seriously), and walked the 1.2 miles to goodwill with the cart full of crap. Sure, I looked like a homeless person, but it got the job done!

A very belated thank you for these suggestions. I was ready to try one or two of them, but right after I posted this, I came down with the flu and was out of commission for a few weeks. As soon as I got better, my wife got sick too. So the cleaning and the removal of the junk got put on hold for lack of energy. We finally reserved a car for this past weekend, when we got a surprise text that a friend was driving in from out of town and wanted to have dinner. We were able to cancel the rental and borrow our friend's car to take the 25 (!!) bags of clothes, books, kitchen stuff, and other miscellany to goodwill. A stroke of luck that saved us money, and we got to see our friend!

There's still more to be done, but I can't even describe how much more comfortable the apartment feels without all that crap.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 26, 2018, 10:19:05 AM
...I can't even describe how much more comfortable the apartment feels without all that crap.

Yes!!!!!!!!  Happy for you :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: ariapluscat on March 27, 2018, 07:22:03 AM
i finally listed some clothes to etsy. i need to do another pass of my belongings, especially clothes and list them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 28, 2018, 01:36:25 PM
Today wrapping up some more tax returns. As I go through paperwork, I'm able to shred:

*financial stuff already detailed in YNAB
*brochures from government from past year's tax communications
*everything I printed in duplicate or triplicate, lol
*most of the pages I scanned to accountant
*financial docs relevant in the last year and no longer
*all envelopes, some extras from latest big batch of mail forward

It's a very big pile. Fun to shred!

Also required an agency to remove my address from their database, as they have not been able to honour my request for no schwag. That will eliminate some incoming, as well as the cost to me of mailing their crapola.

Tore one article out of magazine, mailed to mom, recycled the rest.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on March 28, 2018, 01:52:30 PM
Took another box to the consignment store.

I made a whopping $30 on the first box, but since I won't be itemizing donations, might as well try here first.  (This next box is mostly baby clothes- I averaged about 8 cents a piece on baby clothes in the last box...)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 28, 2018, 02:23:00 PM
Called Vietnam Veterans today and made an appointment for them to pick up a bunch of household stuff on April 6th. It couldn't be easier! Just call them and put the bags out with VVA on each bag and they will pick up and leave you a form to fill out for taxes if you itemize.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 28, 2018, 02:31:37 PM
Realized that we had two alarm clocks in our spare room. One was super old & impossible to read at a distance. Got rid of it. Also had my son go through his 35 lb backpack (that, he bikes with 6 mile/day, and has no locker at school) to get rid of pretty much all of the paperwork.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on March 29, 2018, 07:08:13 AM
Went through parts of my closet.  Got rid of 10 skirts/dresses and 6 pants. 
- Rehomed a barely used pair of Lucky Jeans that I will never fit into again.
- Purged a dress I made that I wore once.  Bought the fabric on a trip to India so I really liked it, but made a trendy-ish dress that is not something that is my style anymore.  I don't have time anymore to reuse the fabric for something I might like better.  (As it is, I still have a pile of unused fabric bought on that trip.)
- Said goodbye to several skirts made by mom (in ~2005).  Main emotion on seeing them was guilt that I didn't like them/want to wear them anymore.  Also a little too small in most cases.  Decided I'd prefer the guilt of saying goodbye once, to the constant guilt on seeing them in my closet.
- Said goodbye to a very beloved dress that had seen better days.  Wore it on my first date with my husband. 

I didn't count, but a few weeks ago I culled through my swimsuits collection, getting rid of ones from 10-20 years ago.  I still should purge more of them (and go through the rest of my dresser...).  I have a bad habit of holding onto every piece of clothing I've ever bought or been given.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 29, 2018, 07:39:10 AM
Sold 5 unused kid books for $2. Happy to get them out of the house, and onto a reader who will enjoy them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on March 29, 2018, 08:11:03 AM
We are at our mountain cabin this week. Yesterday we removed the old refridgerator. Shove it through the snow to the car. Car wouldn't start. We got help from the farmer neighbour to start. Drove to nearest town, 50km to deliver the old fridge. Then we bought a new car battery which happened to be on sale that week. Good to invest in a new battery, as our car is now 9 years old and we want to drive it for another few years.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on March 29, 2018, 08:25:11 AM
Since we got rid of the 25 bags this weekend, I spent two days cleaning and reorganizing the living room and kitchen. The floors and counters are all clear now! I can walk around without stepping over things! I can cook without moving anything first!! I can reach the piano!!!

I also put 3 sentimental sweatshirts that are uncomfortably worn out into a "maybe" bag. It's crazy what a difference it makes in my closet. The remaining sweaters and sweatshirts fit just right, with a little breathing room. I'm 95% sure I'm going to get rid of those 3, but I need them out of sight for a bit longer before I can let go.

The only category I have left in my Konmari marathon is sentimental items. I don't know how much I will get rid of, but I am looking forward to knowing exactly what I have, knowing where it is, and finding it easily when I want a trip down memory lane.

My wife is still not 100% on board with Konmari (and probably never will be), but for some reason having those bags out of the apartment has kickstarted her on a purging festival. She's already come up with 5 more bags of DVDs and VHSs to get rid of, and wants to keep going through books and clothes. I'll take it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on March 29, 2018, 08:42:58 AM
Since we got rid of the 25 bags this weekend, I spent two days cleaning and reorganizing the living room and kitchen. The floors and counters are all clear now! I can walk around without stepping over things! I can cook without moving anything first!! I can reach the piano!!!

I also put 3 sentimental sweatshirts that are uncomfortably worn out into a "maybe" bag. It's crazy what a difference it makes in my closet. The remaining sweaters and sweatshirts fit just right, with a little breathing room. I'm 95% sure I'm going to get rid of those 3, but I need them out of sight for a bit longer before I can let go.

The only category I have left in my Konmari marathon is sentimental items. I don't know how much I will get rid of, but I am looking forward to knowing exactly what I have, knowing where it is, and finding it easily when I want a trip down memory lane.

My wife is still not 100% on board with Konmari (and probably never will be), but for some reason having those bags out of the apartment has kickstarted her on a purging festival. She's already come up with 5 more bags of DVDs and VHSs to get rid of, and wants to keep going through books and clothes. I'll take it!

This sounds amazing! A part of me wishes I still had so much to get rid of because it feels sooo satisfying!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 29, 2018, 09:24:57 AM
Nederdash, I’m feeling the same way, lol. 25 bags, yum!!!!! zygote, happy for you in your new level of freedom :))

Linda_Norway, way to go!! That was a BIG task. Great to get stuff like that done once and for all.

Quote
Decided I'd prefer the guilt of saying goodbye once, to the constant guilt on seeing them in my closet.

Love!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on March 29, 2018, 10:25:08 AM
With spring cleaning coming up, I've been decluttering again. Then yesterday I visited a friend, who told me she'd gotten me a gift... apparently, my crestfallen face was not the reaction she'd been expecting! Oops... must control my pokerface. Even before I opened it, I knew it'd be something I didn't want or need... and I was right. Still I thanked her, because it was really sweet of her to think of me.

Don't have the heart to declutter it straight away, so I'll let it sit for now. I don't really get it though, I've always been so vocal about decluttering. Hell, I've even told people for my birthday NOT to get me anything, or if they really want to give a gift, bath products or food. Consumables.

Maybe it's true that people like giving gifts they'd like to receive themselves, instead of what the other person would like?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 29, 2018, 11:00:24 AM
...a friend, who told me she'd gotten me a gift... apparently, my crestfallen face was not the reaction she'd been expecting! Oops...

lol!!!

I too received a "gift" this week. Hmmmm... I am letting it hang around my house for a week in case the giver asks about it, but then it goes. I'm seeing it as a bid for connection, so am asking them this morning if they have time for a coffee together :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on March 29, 2018, 11:42:10 AM
I didn't count, but a few weeks ago I culled through my swimsuits collection, getting rid of ones from 10-20 years ago.  I still should purge more of them (and go through the rest of my dresser...).  I have a bad habit of holding onto every piece of clothing I've ever bought or been given.

I'm inspired today so I went back into the swimsuits and got rid of 2 more.  Again, one was beloved but worn.  That's a tough one for me toss.  Plus went through my sweaters (removing 2) and in the process donating 2 shirts, though the full shirt purge will need to be another day.

So here's a question for folks: What's the hardest type of item for you to get rid of:
- ill-fitting/ill-suited for purpose (perhaps a size you hope to be again)
- beloved - but worn out/stained/broken etc.
- sentimental - special meaning
- gift
- handmade
- practical (you might want to use later)
- make up your own category and I'll add it if it might apply to a large group

My hardest are beloved (such memories!) followed closely by handmade gifts (oh, the guilt!).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 29, 2018, 12:06:34 PM
What's the hardest type of item for you to get rid of:

Paper -notes and art done by hand, work backups.

Or are we talking only clothes? My clothes I'm very attached to, but it's low volume (maybe 15 shirts/pants/dresses/sweaters/coats combined, and that was after a shopping spree). I have a hard time releasing the clothing category called comfy. I find comfy, multipurpose items tricky to find -plus I don't enjoy clothing shopping- so when I do find them, I tend to continue wearing them for up to 15 years.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on March 29, 2018, 05:45:46 PM
Hardest thing to get rid of? Absolutely the clothes I loved wearing that are now too small. I am getting better at keeping only a tiny sample of them but it is better for my brainspace if they are out of sight and not reproaching me. Which really, they're inanimate objects that I have externalised my own internal voice onto, so moving them out of my space is one way of getting rid of a prompt to feel bad about myself.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 29, 2018, 06:00:00 PM
...moving them out of my space is one way of getting rid of a prompt to feel bad about myself.

So beautiful :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on March 30, 2018, 01:07:51 AM
Just passed on a fancy blush and a fancy nappy bag, neither of which I was using. Must be almost time to do another sweep for unwanted or unneeded items.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on March 30, 2018, 08:16:48 AM
What's the hardest type of item for you to get rid of:

Paper -notes and art done by hand, work backups.

Or are we talking only clothes? My clothes I'm very attached to, but it's low volume (maybe 15 shirts/pants/dresses/sweaters/coats combined, and that was after a shopping spree). I have a hard time releasing the clothing category called comfy. I find comfy, multipurpose items tricky to find -plus I don't enjoy clothing shopping- so when I do find them, I tend to continue wearing them for up to 15 years.

Nope, it can be anything, though I was trying to focus less on category of paper/clothes/electronics and more on general emotions they might evoke.  Added a new category of practical and edited to clarify ill-fitting so it's not just clothes oriented.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on March 30, 2018, 08:28:30 AM
I would say the hardest thing for me to get rid of is sentimental items, but with a twist. My problem is that I ascribe sentimental value to generic things. A sweater I wore on a particularly interesting vacation or a shirt I wore on a lot of nights out with friends. A practical note my wife left me reminding me of things to do while she was away on a long-ago trip. A junky pot from Ikea that I got when I moved to NYC. These things have all served their function and may or may not still be usable, but I used to be unable to get rid of them.

I think it's related to the fact that I have a terrible memory. All the advice saying "you can get rid of the stuff and just keep the memory!" is useless to me because, often, past events will not come to me without a trigger. The thing that has made the most difference in my ability to declutter is taking pictures of things. I may just be making more digital clutter for myself, but all my pictures are squirreled away in a folder on my computer and they take up much less physical and mental space than the item.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on March 30, 2018, 08:43:06 AM
I have the same challenges as Zygote and employed the same picture-taking strategy at first. I don't take pictures anymore. I've found that I'm actually better off letting skme memories -- even good ones -- go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 30, 2018, 09:27:27 AM
My hard-to-release categories, then, are:

*evidence and work backups
*paper communications from beloveds
*comfy clothes
*things that actively healed me
*my stuffie
*things that create an ambience of softness (warm glow table lamp, kettle, blankets gifted to me, etc)

I don't make myself release those. They spark vigor, joy, strength, clarity so are very welcome to be my few possessions.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 30, 2018, 10:26:34 AM
Sold a pair of pants for a whopping $5 on eBay. Will be happy to get them out of the house. They are now packaged, and sitting by the door, ready to go
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: NoraLenderbee on March 30, 2018, 11:24:32 AM
  Decided I'd prefer the guilt of saying goodbye once, to the constant guilt on seeing them in my closet.

This! This is the mantra for me. My initial closet purge was not to remove clothes, but to remove guilt and bad emotions evoked by certain clothes.


I also put 3 sentimental sweatshirts that are uncomfortably worn out into a "maybe" bag. It's crazy what a difference it makes in my closet. The remaining sweaters and sweatshirts fit just right, with a little breathing room. I'm 95% sure I'm going to get rid of those 3, but I need them out of sight for a bit longer before I can let go.


I've done this too with sentimental clothes. I've been able to discard almost all of it a few months later, or whenever I next come across it. It's amazing how the sentiment fades away once I decide to put it in the "maybe" category. It also works with papers and journals, although the timeframe is years rather than months.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 30, 2018, 12:00:52 PM
I have a mountain of cookbooks on my dining room table and listed them on ebay. I sold three books but have about 20 more. It has been more than a month and I can't take this pile anymore! So, I contacted our Animal Welfare in our town to ask if they have an annual tag sale and they do but it is mostly dog type things they sell. So, then I emailed a local small culinary school that teaches a short course in culinary arts. I am keeping my fingers crossed they will take these book! I can't take this pile on my table anymore!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 30, 2018, 12:13:06 PM
If those won't take them, Roadrunner53, can you drop them off for a library's fundraising book sale or to a thrift shop? (I generally drop everything to the thrift. One stop releasing!)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on March 30, 2018, 02:00:00 PM
Went outside with the kids and planted some 8 year old vegetable and herb seeds. Will be surprised if any come up, but you never know! And at least the seed kits are not cluttering up any more.

Dropped off some old curtains and toys to collection for church tag sale.

Tried to get rid of an old desk and got stood up by craigslist guy.  So frustrating!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on March 30, 2018, 02:06:42 PM
I would say the hardest thing for me to get rid of is sentimental items, but with a twist. My problem is that I ascribe sentimental value to generic things. A sweater I wore on a particularly interesting vacation or a shirt I wore on a lot of nights out with friends. A practical note my wife left me reminding me of things to do while she was away on a long-ago trip. A junky pot from Ikea that I got when I moved to NYC. These things have all served their function and may or may not still be usable, but I used to be unable to get rid of them.

I think it's related to the fact that I have a terrible memory. All the advice saying "you can get rid of the stuff and just keep the memory!" is useless to me because, often, past events will not come to me without a trigger. The thing that has made the most difference in my ability to declutter is taking pictures of things. I may just be making more digital clutter for myself, but all my pictures are squirreled away in a folder on my computer and they take up much less physical and mental space than the item.

Same, same, same!

The things I find hardest to get rid of is unfinished craft projects, closely followed by handmade gifts.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on March 30, 2018, 04:18:10 PM
Hardest items -- old down pillows.  Lap quilts (many handmade but falling apart). 

Weird.  I know.  Maybe because I love being warm and cuddly in a cold winter house, or maybe because I know these items just go to fibre recycle / trash and they don't deserve that.   
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on March 30, 2018, 06:29:54 PM
I didn't count, but a few weeks ago I culled through my swimsuits collection, getting rid of ones from 10-20 years ago.  I still should purge more of them (and go through the rest of my dresser...).  I have a bad habit of holding onto every piece of clothing I've ever bought or been given.

I'm inspired today so I went back into the swimsuits and got rid of 2 more.  Again, one was beloved but worn.  That's a tough one for me toss.  Plus went through my sweaters (removing 2) and in the process donating 2 shirts, though the full shirt purge will need to be another day.

So here's a question for folks: What's the hardest type of item for you to get rid of:
- ill-fitting/ill-suited for purpose (perhaps a size you hope to be again)
- beloved - but worn out/stained/broken etc.
- sentimental - special meaning
- gift
- handmade
- practical (you might want to use later)
- make up your own category and I'll add it if it might apply to a large group

My hardest are beloved (such memories!) followed closely by handmade gifts (oh, the guilt!).

My two hardest to get rid of are both practical/might want to use later.  Other things I can chuck with abandon, even gifts.  Sentimental items are hard, but nowhere near as hard as these two:

Paper
Odds & ends - a recent example is a block of wood the carpet guys left behind, it's about the size of a new pack of post-its.  I see a lot of potential uses for this guy!  Plus he is so small, he doesn't take up much space.  *Sigh*  He's living on the dining table for now.  If I don't come up with a use for him soon, then I guess I will recycle him.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 30, 2018, 07:11:40 PM
Today I pressed through to return every single item eligible for a refund (about $40 total). I was determined to arrive home having nothing I don't mean to keep. That included a few "gifts." However, thrift shops were on their Good Friday schedule...so I chucked a handful of stuff into a garbage bin. I can't take eternal responsibility for stuff other people give me.

Nothing left to ditch!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on March 31, 2018, 12:34:42 AM
Today I pressed through to return every single item eligible for a refund (about $40 total). ...I can't take eternal responsibility for stuff other people give me.

Nothing left to ditch!

HIGH FIVE! That is awesome stuff!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on March 31, 2018, 12:52:27 AM
So I dropped out of the No Clothes Buying Challenge when I realised that this was a way to hate on myself every time I looked in my wardrobe or got dressed and I made a list and replaced everything that was worn out or not fitting or just made me feel frumpy or not like myself. Now I have a well-coordinated minimalist wardrobe full of colours and shapes that I want to wear and make me feel good. Nothing scratchy or drab or fraying. So much less black/grey and more teals/sunshine yellow/terracottas and chocolate brown.

And now we are getting rid of the old. I threw out the bikinis that don't fit, donated three merino jerseys that made me inexplicably HOT and FRUSTRATED every time I wore them. My husband donated 6 pairs of really lovely trousers that his calves are too big for- thanks, cycling!

Yesterday we walked around and dropped off 12 books at the local free libraries and have a pile of ~10 that we will donate once we have read them. Slowly whittling down the obligation books. It feels really freeing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 31, 2018, 05:19:48 AM
The culinary school emailed me and will take all the CIA and other cookbooks I have! YIPPIE! They even offered to pick them up! I may take them up on that because parking downtown is a pain in the butt! Not to mention lugging these heavy piles of books!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 31, 2018, 08:43:32 AM
Oh, excellent, Roadrunner53!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 31, 2018, 09:19:29 AM
Yes, one giant pile of clutter almost gone! Next week I hope!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on March 31, 2018, 08:39:09 PM
In NYC there are a lot of people who sell old books/CDs/DVDs informally from tables on the street, and my wife had the idea to ask the guy a block away if he wanted some books and DVDs, and he said yes. So now 6 more bags of her stuff are gone. We maybe could have gotten $5 for things here and there, but it is frankly worth it to both of us to not have to deal with it.

I do want to list some clothes on poshmark that have popular labels (I got them all on sale and loved them, but they don't fit anymore). I should get more money back for my effort.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 31, 2018, 08:53:32 PM
...my wife had the idea to ask the guy a block away if he wanted some books and DVDs, and he said yes.

Smart!! You win via quick release, this entrepreneur wins via a boost to his business. Nice :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on March 31, 2018, 09:09:53 PM
Cleaning the house after the electrical project, and I'm finally starting to unpack my books (almost a year after I moved in). Found a couple that I don't want anymore. On a whim, I googled one of the books, and realized that it's a first edition. Selling for $100+ online. Ugh, now I can't just donate it. Might just put it back on the shelf for now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on March 31, 2018, 09:25:22 PM
Might just put it back on the shelf for now.

Don't do it!!!! Post online nownow!

Or donate and let someone else enjoy affordably or gain needed income :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 01, 2018, 03:38:29 AM
I agree with jooniFLORisploo, advertise the book NOW! While it is on your mind, get rid of it and get that $100!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: eeho on April 01, 2018, 04:32:38 AM
Today I bit the bullet and got rid of all of the dead plants out on my balcony (after a miscommunication over watering with my housemate while we were both away in the height of summer!). I'd just been putting it into the too hard basket for AGES. I managed to save a couple and I've set them up inside for some TLC.

Next week's job is to gather some rosemary cuttings from the huge public park to add a bit more green to the space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: kanga1622 on April 01, 2018, 08:57:42 AM

So here's a question for folks: What's the hardest type of item for you to get rid of:
- ill-fitting/ill-suited for purpose (perhaps a size you hope to be again)
- beloved - but worn out/stained/broken etc.
- sentimental - special meaning
- gift
- handmade
- practical (you might want to use later)
- make up your own category and I'll add it if it might apply to a large grout

Practical! I hate to get rid of things I spent money on that may be used in the future but aren’t currently in use. I get over it after a time but don’t like to spend the money again if I have to replace things. Clothes and shoes are the worst - I can get rid of things with little problem until I realize I have to replace them. I will wear shoes until the soles are completely falling off because I hate having to purchase again. I will wear clothes that are too big just so I don’t have to spend money on new ones.

I am quite happy to take photos or scan all my kids artwork and turn into photo albums (I make 100 page photo albums every year with stories and memories of our year). 

I am a pretty serious declutterer and have very little in the way of sentimental items other than photos.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 01, 2018, 09:09:22 AM
My goal for today is to find 10 items we don't need in the house, and to also look for at least two items to sell. The 10 should be pretty easy. I have kids, and they bring junk home all the time. ;-) I've sold pretty much anything I can think of already, so that will be trickier.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 01, 2018, 09:52:19 AM
I have kids, and they bring junk home all the time. ;-)

Hey, wow, I just realized that's finally not an issue for us! Years and years of him bringing home all that crap from school, plus every stick and sparkling doodad he found, plus the schwag from marketers at community events. Ugh. Now he only brings in stuff he's saved up to buy! Whew. That was a long journey.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 01, 2018, 10:09:45 AM
My goal for today is to find 10 items we don't need in the house, and to also look for at least two items to sell. The 10 should be pretty easy. I have kids, and they bring junk home all the time. ;-) I've sold pretty much anything I can think of already, so that will be trickier.

Wow - that did not take long! Found 12 items to donate (soccer jerseys, football jersey, 3 pair of outgrown shorts, a bracelet) &, more surprisingly, quickly found 4 items to sell! Yes!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 01, 2018, 10:10:20 AM
I have kids, and they bring junk home all the time. ;-)

Hey, wow, I just realized that's finally not an issue for us! Years and years of him bringing home all that crap from school, plus every stick and sparkling doodad he found, plus the schwag from marketers at community events. Ugh. Now he only brings in stuff he's saved up to buy! Whew. That was a long journey.

It's true - there is a constant influx of papers, garbage, plastic toys from parties, etc. It's hard to stay on top of it all!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 01, 2018, 10:24:24 AM
Wow - that did not take long! Found 12 items to donate...

Well done!!!

It's true - there is a constant influx of papers, garbage, plastic toys from parties, etc. It's hard to stay on top of it all!

We had therapy appts over it! So the counsellor could get what I was talking about, I brought just one full-size garbage bag to one appt, with things from his bedroom door forward. He was saving literal garbage, every broken this and that...   The work on this was 2-3 years all told. Now he has no trouble releasing excess, declining crap, etc. I'm curious which approach will be the case in his adulthood. I know some people feel much comfier surrounded by stuff and with physical mementos. At the same time, I feel like spaces are ideal when we can walk through them easily, sit on furniture, reduce fire risks...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on April 01, 2018, 10:58:43 AM
I know some people feel much comfier surrounded by stuff and with physical mementos. At the same time, I feel like spaces are ideal when we can walk through them easily, sit on furniture, reduce fire risks...

This is me and my wife personified, haha. She feels weird if she's not surrounded by stuff, but I want to be able to walk through the apartment and sit on all furniture. I think our compromise goal is going to be all surfaces clear, but all storage areas stuffed with stuff so the apartment still feels full and cozy. I would be happy with that.

Last night we deep cleaned the bathroom (wild Saturday!). I know it's not decluttering, but prior decluttering made the job a lot easier. We had gotten rid of a lot of expired stuff and put the remaining bottles on a new, cheap laundry cart (they used to sit on the floor because there wasn't any storage). Much easier to just move the cart to clean the floor, and no gunk building up around the bottles since they're elevated.

It felt like a big milestone to me, because a lot of the reason I want surfaces clear is to make it easier to dust, scrub, vaccum, etc. and keep the apartment feeling clean, not just decluttered.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 01, 2018, 01:55:52 PM
I think our compromise goal is going to be all surfaces clear, but all storage areas stuffed with stuff so the apartment still feels full and cozy. I would be happy with that.

That sounds like a great option.

I had a big experience of this with a boyfriend. Months after I'd moved out, I visited his place. It was cluttered, messy, and dirty, with everything set up to play online 24/7 without having to move. Like, kinda extreme.

However, my takeaway was a total epiphany about how much he'd loved me and really worked to make us go! He had made a LOT of compromise in that area. I wasn't aware of it at the time.

Shortly after, he married someone with the same preferences and ways as him and was so happy to immerse in [what was in their case] squalor. Noted! I'm glad he didn't have to live with my preferences ongoing :(

It also made me more sensitive to the preference for "surrounded", including in my kid, etc.

It felt like a big milestone to me, because a lot of the reason I want surfaces clear is to make it easier to dust, scrub, vaccum, etc. and keep the apartment feeling clean, not just decluttered.

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I grew up in a lovely, clean home that had lots of clutter. I perpetually dreamed of minimalism, in part so cleaning was easy. I have that now. So happy for you, zygote!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on April 02, 2018, 07:44:27 AM
I was sick last week, and when I start feeling better I generally clean/organize like a fiend.  My family knows to just stay out of the way for a few days.

I started with the medicine cabinet, and threw away all the medicines that expired in 2016 or earlier.  Most were kid-related OTC stuff.  I took a minute to give thanks that my kids are finally healthy, and we aren't needing this stuff all the time anymore. 

Once the kids go to bed tonight, I'm going to throw away half of the plastic Easter eggs.

At some point this week, we are tackling the Legos.  I expect to give away about half of them.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 02, 2018, 07:48:23 AM
You might want to check out ebay to see if it might be worthwhile to sell the lego's.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on April 02, 2018, 07:49:44 AM
@Roadrunner53 , we already agreed to give the Legos to the library.  They have a weekly "open Lego play" time and have asked for donations.  The kids like the idea that they can still play with their old stuff if they want, and let other kids have fun too.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 02, 2018, 07:53:23 AM
Good idea! I try to sell what I can on ebay but it is a time sink. Right now I have about 8 items on and it is like a ghost town and nothing is selling!

I have a pile ready for Friday for Vietnam Vets and a giant pile of books to give to the culinary school in my town.

GIVE IT AWAY!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on April 02, 2018, 08:14:29 AM
I've got a logistics problem. Ideas?

I have 4 (!!) light fixtures I need to put on ebay.
1 first edition book that is apparently worth enough that I need to sell it, so ebay/biblio.
A giant bag of pillows to put on ebay (which probably won't sell, but I need to at least try)

And due to new job schedule, I can't get to the post office during the week. So, how the heck do I put all this stuff on ebay if I can't then ship it out promptly if it sells? This is taking up a lot of space!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on April 02, 2018, 08:30:14 AM
Our grocery store takes packages for USPS. 
You could also ship UPS which has stores open evenings.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 02, 2018, 08:30:27 AM
SO EASY! You can have PO pick up your package at your house! I have done it before and is wonderful!
I put a bag on the doorknob with the package in it. PO would pick up and wa la! No need to leave the house!

https://tools.usps.com/go/ScheduleAPickupAction!input.action
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on April 02, 2018, 08:58:40 AM
@Sibley PO pick up is a great option if it's available in your area. I don't think it is in mine. Is there a post office near your work where you could drop off the package on a lunch break? There is one a few blocks from my office so that's what I do basically all the time. Worst case you can just go on Saturday and message the buyer to let them know. If it were me I don't think I'd care if it took a week to get my light fixture as long as I knew it was coming.

Yesterday I listed some clothes on Poshmark and Vinted. A lot of people have looked at the listings and some have favorited them, but no bites yet. Anything I don't sell in the next week or two I'll just take to the consignment store and see what I can get. I'd probably make more selling them directly, but it's not worth it to me to put in a bunch of effort optimizing the listings and messing with the price to get them all to sell.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 02, 2018, 09:08:23 AM
You could also put your ebay stuff on so the end date finishes on a Thursday giving you Friday to pack the thing up and take it to the PO on Saturday.

Do you have a kid who drives or a SO or a friend, neighbor who might do you a favor and take it to the PO?

UPS is another option as someone else mentioned. I can take UPS packages to Staples and drop them off.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on April 02, 2018, 09:23:27 AM
There is a PO nearish my work, but I can't get to it before they close, so would have to go at lunch. It's 15 minute walk from work. Not sure if there's another one closer, I'll have to look into it.

No kids, friends are busy and I'd rather ask favors on other things! I'm gonna need some help moving furniture soon, which is more important to me.

I'll look into the pick up, but typically I'm also having to buy postage when I take the package in. Other issue is size - these aren't small packages. And I take a train to work.

Overall, the new job is causing all these issues. :( Old job I could get to 2 different POs during the day no problem.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on April 02, 2018, 09:27:36 AM
I've been following along, and am going to finally join in here. I need to part with some of my books. *cue dramatic music*
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 02, 2018, 09:33:14 AM
Do you have a Paypal account? You can buy postage on ebay and the money comes out of Paypal. It is easy to set up. I have had Paypal for years and years.

It might make sense to have your ebay listing end on Thursday like I mentioned before. Then you can take the boxes to the PO on Saturday. You may not even sell these items! LOL, I have stuff listed for more than a month and no interested parties!

One other option would be to sell 'local' where you do not ship the item, the buyer picks it up. I would make sure the person pays first and no money exchanges hands at your home.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 02, 2018, 09:40:35 AM
Unless you’re in extreme poverty, I would just give them away, Sibley. You have a job, and that’s awesome! Is the time spent hustling with every little item worth the relatively small net? When you do the time/money calculation, what’s the real hourly wage on those sales, and the effect on your spirit and body of cramming for that bit of cash? Is it worth fussing with things, or is there a bigger net gain to your whole life in having a charity benefit from such gifts?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on April 02, 2018, 02:49:18 PM
Unless you’re in extreme poverty, I would just give them away, Sibley. You have a job, and that’s awesome! Is the time spent hustling with every little item worth the relatively small net? When you do the time/money calculation, what’s the real hourly wage on those sales, and the effect on your spirit and body of cramming for that bit of cash? Is it worth fussing with things, or is there a bigger net gain to your whole life in having a charity benefit from such gifts?

Family politics. Honestly, the light fixtures (vintage) - yes. The pillows - no, but you can't convince my mom of that! Book - probably, but it's the smallest and least annoying of the lot.

I'll try Craigslist, then when I figure out the logistics of ebaying under the current situation will list stuff there.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 02, 2018, 03:14:18 PM
Family politics.

Understood :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: eliza on April 02, 2018, 03:25:40 PM
SA came and picked up.  Ended up getting rid of two boxes and three bags full of random stuff: clothes that I never wear, books I'm not going to reread, household goods (mostly acquired as gifts) that I don't use, random bits and bobs.

My floors in my bedroom have been needing swept for a while, I just kept putting it off because it seemed like soooo much work.  Since the storage unit is gone (went with SA), I figured I had no more excuses.  This dreaded task ended up taking less than 5 minutes and the room looks so much better now.  WTF brain, why do you always make things seem like so much bigger of a task than they actually are?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 02, 2018, 03:43:46 PM
This dreaded task ended up taking less than 5 minutes and the room looks so much better now.  WTF brain, why do you always make things seem like so much bigger of a task than they actually are?

:))))))))))))
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on April 02, 2018, 04:42:19 PM
I ended up being sick a lot of our long weekend which stuffed up my funtime plans with my drop saw (building garden beds) BUT meant I got more decluttering and rearranging done. I got rid of some shelves, woo! It's still not ideal but there are no longer things lying on our study floor and there's less furniture in that tiny room.

A big part of it was DH decluttering a foot high stack of papers and notebooks. I was amazed, he must have caught a bit of the my decluttering zeal. I wonder if I can get him to do another stack next public holiday ;) He also tidied up his stuff in the spare room - some stuff has magically disappeared and I'm suspicious that it's been stuffed somewhere else like the garage, lols! Too bad because our garage is up next (again! Stuff breeds in there, and not in a neat and tidy way).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 03, 2018, 02:43:18 AM
When tidying up our camping gear after a holiday, I saw my old (small) teddy bear that my grandparents gave me when I was 1 year old. I have kept it for sentimental reasons. But it has been standing in the back of a cupboard for years now. I think it is time getting rid of it. I can make a picture of it.

At the next rainy day (or any day I feel that I will have time on my hands), I will start taking pictures or some sentimental paperwork (dancing diplomas and old school reports) and then throw them away. I will also put some of our stuff on the local facebook selling group.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 03, 2018, 02:49:11 AM
Yesterday I saw our cabin neighbour decluttering. He was carrying out a man-high metal round rack that looked a bit like an old-fashioned bird cage, but was too open on the side. No idea what it was. Maybe some ornamental wine rack?
He was mumbling something about getting rid of waste. I think he could have been able to sell it. There might be a market for ornamental stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on April 03, 2018, 03:47:39 AM
I have a new pile of books to donate after this weekend, which feels like progress.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on April 03, 2018, 03:02:52 PM
Yesterday I saw our cabin neighbour decluttering. He was carrying out a man-high metal round rack that looked a bit like an old-fashioned bird cage, but was too open on the side. No idea what it was. Maybe some ornamental wine rack?
He was mumbling something about getting rid of waste. I think he could have been able to sell it. There might be a market for ornamental stuff.
Compost cage / tumbler?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MarciaB on April 03, 2018, 06:47:27 PM
@Roadrunner53 , we already agreed to give the Legos to the library.  They have a weekly "open Lego play" time and have asked for donations.  The kids like the idea that they can still play with their old stuff if they want, and let other kids have fun too.

We did this but with adult stuff (furniture mostly) where we "gave it away" to people we know who are enjoying it and we can use/sit on/borrow/enjoy any time we want. It's a win win.  We basically gave away and sold everything we own to be international nomads, but some things were so sentimentally important to us we could only go as far as having them "fostered" by friends and family.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on April 04, 2018, 12:16:17 AM
I am moving at the end of the month and I am pretty proud of myself of the work I have done.

- I am a card hoarder and have recycled 75% of them
- Went through my clothes and got rid of a garbage bag of stuff
- Donated three pairs of shoes (I don't have many to begin with)
- Donated 20% of my books
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on April 04, 2018, 03:20:29 AM
OK random declutter- I was keeping a cookbook for the sake of One Particular Dessert recipe that I wanted to make. Well we made it this weekend, the book is on the donate pile AND we ended up giving away 75% of the [superdelicious but totally not healthy] dessert, mostly to get it out of the house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 04, 2018, 04:54:42 AM
One of the people from the local Culinary school is coming to my house to pick up around 6 grocery bags of Culinary cookbooks and some famous chef cookbooks! So glad they can use them and plus getting them out of the house. It is really hard to give up beautiful books but they are dust collectors and I still have more than I need! You can get most anything you need on the internet!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MarciaB on April 04, 2018, 08:05:45 AM
OK random declutter- I was keeping a cookbook for the sake of One Particular Dessert recipe that I wanted to make. Well we made it this weekend, the book is on the donate pile AND we ended up giving away 75% of the [superdelicious but totally not healthy] dessert, mostly to get it out of the house!

One of my favorite decluttering books of all times is Don Aslette's Clutter's Last Stand. He has tons of great suggestions for all the different kinds of things in your life, and one I implemented was this - all those cookbooks that I had? I often really loved only 1 or 2 recipes out of them (and would cook those recipes over and over again), but the rest of the book...meh.

So I sliced that one or two recipes out of the book (gasp!) and gave the book away. Then I took the recipes and put them in a plastic sleeve and popped them into a binder I have with all my super favorite recipes. I have been creating that binder for over 20 years and only have about 90 recipes. That's not many per year (meaning something has to be a tried and true favorite, not a "maybe I'll make this" recipe).

I created a simple index on an Excel spreadsheet (name, type of food, page #) and update that every few years.

That binder goes everywhere - like we took it to France the year we lived there and cooked for dinner guests (who were shocked Americans could actually cook, let alone cook great food). And that binder is a coveted possession of the next generation, who all want it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 04, 2018, 08:12:36 AM
Take your 'cookbook' to Staples and have them make copies and bind them to give to your family members now, while you can see them enjoy it!

What other tips do you have from the Clutter's Last Stand book?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MarciaB on April 04, 2018, 08:26:12 AM
What other tips do you have from the Clutter's Last Stand book?

Get the book from the library - the copy I originally read in the 90s was the first edition, and there's been another one since. Totally worth checking out.

He is a big one for keeping the memory/spirit of something while also not keeping the actual physical thing. So taking a photo of the thing, or writing a little story about it, or somehow capturing why you love the thing...without lugging the thing around and storing it. That way you still "have it" without having the burden of it.

He also uses funny names for things, like storage containers he will call "junk bunkers" because they don't only organize our stuff, they allow us to eternally store stuff we aren't using and don't need. In my house we use the term "crap containment."

It's a funny book with silly drawings (he does them) and cute stories and quotes (there was one woman who said that because there was so much stuff in the hallways at her house, her children had to climb over it like mountain goats.) Totally worth checking out of the library and getting some tips.

That book was what turned me from a careless stuff-haver to basically a minimalist (over a number of years - it's a process). I gradually owned less and less, and was freer and freer. I now call myself a "recovering slob." The book was eye-opening (and for me life changing)!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 04, 2018, 08:32:52 AM
Yes, library is a good idea! Just getting rid of about 30 books and must resist buying more even if I get them for $2!

Thanks and congrats to you for being a recovered slob. I am that slob that needs unslobification! I am working on it and have 10 bags for Vietnam Vets on Friday. TRYING!!! Also, had a car load of crap I took to Goodwill about a month ago! Where in the hell does all this crap come from? So far, it has barely made a dent in the areas where stuff was removed!

We have had dumpsters over the years filled to the brim and still too much crap!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on April 04, 2018, 08:37:15 AM
Take your 'cookbook' to Staples and have them make copies and bind them to give to your family members now, while you can see them enjoy it!

My grandmother did this about 20 years ago.  All 5 of her kids and all of her adult grandchildren got a copy.  I treasure mine.

There were also notes about where the recipes came from.  I found a neat genealogy clue in the book (NO ONE in the family knew the parents of my grandfather's grandmother, who was a Smith with a common first name...and lo and behold, there was one of "Grandma Sylvia's" recipes.  No one in the family knew who Grandma Sylvia was, but on a hunch I searched for her with gf's gm...and there was the whole family!)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on April 04, 2018, 09:47:09 AM
Take your 'cookbook' to Staples and have them make copies and bind them to give to your family members now, while you can see them enjoy it!

My grandmother did this about 20 years ago.  All 5 of her kids and all of her adult grandchildren got a copy.  I treasure mine.

There were also notes about where the recipes came from.  I found a neat genealogy clue in the book (NO ONE in the family knew the parents of my grandfather's grandmother, who was a Smith with a common first name...and lo and behold, there was one of "Grandma Sylvia's" recipes.  No one in the family knew who Grandma Sylvia was, but on a hunch I searched for her with gf's gm...and there was the whole family!)

My grandmother did this too, though I was younger when she did it and only my parents/aunts/uncles have copies. It's really nice to have the stories to go with the family recipes. I will certainly cherish it one day when it comes to me, but for now I'm happy it lives at my parents' house!

Thanks for the tip on that book, @MarciaB. I will have to see if I can get my hands on a (library!) copy.

And congrats on the progress @Roadrunner53! It feels so good to get rid of that much stuff. it may not seem like you've made any progress at first, but it really does make a difference long term, especially as you keep going. I promise.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BlueHouse on April 04, 2018, 12:17:08 PM
I have an old desktop computer that I no longer use and I assume is a security issue due to an old operating system.  It's almost always turned off, except when I need something windows-based. 
Should I just bring it to electronics recycling or should I try to sell it for parts?  Any advice?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 04, 2018, 12:26:28 PM
First clean the hard drive really well, so there’s nothing private that’s recoverable. @BiochemicalDJ really helped me with instructions for that once. There are also some online. Let me know if you need me to dig up BcDJ’s to me.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MarciaB on April 04, 2018, 12:58:35 PM
I have an old desktop computer that I no longer use and I assume is a security issue due to an old operating system.  It's almost always turned off, except when I need something windows-based. 
Should I just bring it to electronics recycling or should I try to sell it for parts?  Any advice?

I donate electronics stuff to a nonprofit in Portland (FreeGeek.org) that helps kids use/rebuild/recycle them. And they "clean" them and say they guarantee data destruction. Which is good because I wouldn't know how to go about that.

Perhaps there's something like that in your community?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 04, 2018, 01:27:44 PM
I kept telling myself I'd sell our reel mower. Well, more than a year after replacing it, it hasn't happened. Some of our friends are buying a house and, lo and behold, want a reel mower. We're just going to gift it to them. Space in our garage, and helping them out as they're getting started (setting up a house is EXPENSIVE!) We'll still have it for a couple weeks until they move in, but still, it'll be nice to see it go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: eliza on April 04, 2018, 01:53:15 PM
Take your 'cookbook' to Staples and have them make copies and bind them to give to your family members now, while you can see them enjoy it!

What other tips do you have from the Clutter's Last Stand book?


My grandmother did something similar - creating a book with recipes, pictures, and random anecdotes about how particular dishes played a role in various parties/holidays/get togethers over the years.   Had a bunch of copies made and gave them out to family members for Christmas one year.  One of my prized possessions.

ETA: Should have read further --- its sounds like this has been done many times and always seems to be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 04, 2018, 10:58:51 PM
Last night: Found a stack of gorgeous clothes outside my door.
Today: Tried them on, kept one pair slacks that fit DS perfectly, delivered the rest to thrift shop, done!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on April 04, 2018, 11:31:11 PM
Last night: Found a stack of gorgeous clothes outside my door.
Today: Tried them on, kept one pair slacks that fit DS perfectly, delivered the rest to thrift shop, done!

Ooo, there are no clothes fairies where I live, you live in a magical neighbourhood!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 04, 2018, 11:38:23 PM
^ It's pretty funny! I've found many beautiful things outside my home. One I know who it was from, because it was food so I made sure to ask so I wouldn't die and things. I suspect Same Person of the other gifts as well, but a fourth occasion was someone else... So, who knows? All such gorgeous items :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on April 05, 2018, 02:56:29 AM
Hello hello! My first post in the MMM forum and it's to declutter ^_^ after having a bag of clothes sitting behind my front door for some weeks I finally got around to taking them to the women's space at my university after lurking in this thread for a few days. I dropped off 3 jumpers (I hope these will help someone who really needs them as we are coming in to winter), 4 tops, 3 bottoms (one shorts, one pants, one skirt), 4 scarves and one dress. It was very freeing to finally be rid of those items and to know that they will be really helpful to whoever needs them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 05, 2018, 04:02:20 AM
Welcome Yasha!

Where are you from that winter is just starting? I am here in Connecticut, USA and our winter is almost over. However, seems another snow storm this Saturday. We 'New Englanders' are so done with this winter!

Congrats on your declutter. Good choice where to donate the clothes!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on April 05, 2018, 05:29:56 AM
Welcome Yasha!

Where are you from that winter is just starting? I am here in Connecticut, USA and our winter is almost over. However, seems another snow storm this Saturday. We 'New Englanders' are so done with this winter!

Congrats on your declutter. Good choice where to donate the clothes!

Thanks! I'm from Eastern Australia (coastal) so our winters are very mild, but still cool enough for an additional layer!

I am keen to continue the declutter efforts over the weekend and I'm sure I can find more space in our unit - I'm toying with the idea of my sister moving in with my husband and I for a few months as a roommate to take the sting out of the rent a bit and for that to happen we would need to clear out a whole room (of our two bedroom apartment) - doable? for sure, easy? nope.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on April 05, 2018, 05:39:08 AM
OK random declutter- I was keeping a cookbook for the sake of One Particular Dessert recipe that I wanted to make. Well we made it this weekend, the book is on the donate pile AND we ended up giving away 75% of the [superdelicious but totally not healthy] dessert, mostly to get it out of the house!

One of my favorite decluttering books of all times is Don Aslette's Clutter's Last Stand. He has tons of great suggestions for all the different kinds of things in your life, and one I implemented was this - all those cookbooks that I had? I often really loved only 1 or 2 recipes out of them (and would cook those recipes over and over again), but the rest of the book...meh.

So I sliced that one or two recipes out of the book (gasp!) and gave the book away. Then I took the recipes and put them in a plastic sleeve and popped them into a binder I have with all my super favorite recipes. I have been creating that binder for over 20 years and only have about 90 recipes. That's not many per year (meaning something has to be a tried and true favorite, not a "maybe I'll make this" recipe).

I created a simple index on an Excel spreadsheet (name, type of food, page #) and update that every few years.

That binder goes everywhere - like we took it to France the year we lived there and cooked for dinner guests (who were shocked Americans could actually cook, let alone cook great food). And that binder is a coveted possession of the next generation, who all want it!

I actually have a cookbook that I write the tried and true recipes in, which has been a great help so i don't waste time trying to find the One Perfect Recipe in the depths of the internet, but sometimes a book hovers until I work out whether or not I will be pulling anything in to my master file.

A friend's husband had her classics turned into a really nice hardcover cookbook, and I've definitely taken recipes from it, and added to mine. I love how this recurring theme of food + stories threads its way through. Connections!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on April 05, 2018, 07:14:16 AM
My mom took all of the family recipes, deciphered the tiny handwriting, typed them up, translated where necessary (e.g. How much is "5 cents of yeast" - today?), and printed out into 3 small binders she gave to my siblings, cousin and me.  It's great it's in a binder because she easily adds to it when any of us finds a new favorite.  So it's become a compilation from grandma/cookbooks/our own adaptations.  It also makes it easier to send a recipe to a friend when asked.  And for some reason, because it's a printout, I don't mind writing in my own notes where I normally can't "desecrate" a book.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BlueHouse on April 05, 2018, 07:43:26 AM
First clean the hard drive really well, so there’s nothing private that’s recoverable. @BiochemicalDJ really helped me with instructions for that once. There are also some online. Let me know if you need me to dig up BcDJ’s to me.
In the past, I've just erased everything, then copied music files until the disk is full, then repeated, but I just googled some software to do it for real and will get DBAN.  Good Advice, thanks!

I donate electronics stuff to a nonprofit in Portland (FreeGeek.org) that helps kids use/rebuild/recycle them. And they "clean" them and say they guarantee data destruction. Which is good because I wouldn't know how to go about that.

Perhaps there's something like that in your community?
Will look for something like this in my neighborhood.  Thanks for the idea!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on April 05, 2018, 07:59:21 AM
8-year-old asked if we could do more decluttering in his room last night.  We KonMari'd his room a few months ago, together, but he wanted to do a second pass.

We ended up removing:
2 (adult) armloads of recylcing
1 small trashbag full to throw away
1 small packing box full of stuff to donate

plus he has marked half of his Legos for giving to the library.  He won't let me remove them from his room yet; he wants to finish putting together the last set and is worried there might be random pieces he needs in the big box.

I was really proud of him!  The 12-year-old was jealous of the attention he was getting, so she plans to do her room tonight.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Just_Looking_Here on April 06, 2018, 03:55:44 AM
Heading home after an extended family trip where we travelled light.

Just shows how little you need and excited to geT back and start a major declutter!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 07, 2018, 08:28:58 PM
1. When I needed to pull out a work thing, I came across five small things that could go now. Processed all of those.

2. Shipped out a tiny item worth $90 in refund.

3. Set a boundary with kid's school: Will keep his work at home for two weeks at a time, max, then it gets recycled. If you want to document it, receive an oral report on it, etc, those are the time limits.

4. Used up all leftovers/perishables in tonight's supper.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 08, 2018, 07:44:38 AM
Reorganized the most annoying drawer in the kitchen. I took out an oven tray that was laying underneath it't own rack, 2 cake baking tins and a cookie cooling rack. This oven tray is used frequently without it's rack. I put it in another cupcoard. Found out that that cupboard still had the glass lid of a glass oven jar, never used since we moved into this house. The glass lid is thrown away in the glass container. The oven tray is in it's place, more easily accessible. DH said he wasmost annoyd by the cookie rack laying on top of everything, so I removed that to another cupboard as well.
In the drawer I had 3 cake baking tins in total. I use most 2 at the time. I removed the newest one, made of silicon. I think I've not used it more than once or twice, after owning it for 12 or so years. I don't want to throw it away completely, so I've put it in a leftover halfunpacked moving box that is stored in an hobby room under a desk. This is in case we suddely remember to need it for another purpose. This whole box can go next time we move.

I retrieved something from of the bottom of the kitchen bin (green garbage is in another bin). It was a neat piece of velcro used to keep a cable together. I reused it to hold together 2 handle bars of my mushroom basket. It was in my list to sew something to hold them together and I hadn't been motivated to do this yet. This was a simple and effective solution.

Removed another 2 of my summer tops to the pile of remake clothes. I want be wearing them anymore anyway.

Not removing clutter, but I used a black marker to hide some damage on the large doors of  the coat cupboard in the hall, which are dark brown. They look better now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: aoedae on April 08, 2018, 08:57:28 AM
I've sold 20(!) eBay items yesterday, which I'm in the process of packaging for sale. I expect another 10 or so to go tonight! :D

Also slimmed down my closet substantially this week and gave away a pair of plastic storage boxes.
Next up... reducing my book collection, which was always going to be a formidable task.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 08, 2018, 11:08:39 AM
Today I cancelled my bank account in a full servicebank. I have been using two internet banks for years, which are cost free to use. I had 20 dollars in the full sercive bank for many years, just in case I would ever need a service that my other banks don't provide. The 20 dollars in my account have decreased to 12 dollars. 8 dollars have evaporated in the form of yearly cost to have that account.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 08, 2018, 12:05:39 PM
I had three items not sell on eBay. Immediately put them in the donation pile. Three more items out of the house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: pancakes on April 09, 2018, 05:02:13 AM
I cleared out my email today! Deleted/ filed /archived the lot and unsubscribed the shit out of promotional newsletters and social media notifications.

Next up in my digital declutter are photos.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on April 09, 2018, 07:31:24 AM
Our basement flooded, our furnace needs to be replaced (unrelated), and I've been gone a lot taking care of my parents and various emergencies. Our house is a disaster. It's so discouraging...looks like we never started decluttering and organizing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 09, 2018, 08:18:14 AM
Where did the water come from? Thru the foundation or a water leak? Bad news! How much water are you talking about? If it isn't too much you could get the doggie wee wee pads to soak it up. Once you get it soaked up bring down some fans to dry it out to prevent mold. If your leak is really bad you may need a professional company. One time at work a pipe busted in the ceiling and splat on my chair and computer and the floors were soaked. They had to hire a professional company to come in and clean up. They had these GIANT fans running for days. I had to find somewhere else in the building to work. Good LUCK!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on April 09, 2018, 09:37:52 AM
Sorry to hear about your basement, @Mongoose, that really sucks! The house may feel like a disaster now, but I bet it's still in better shape than it would have been without previous decluttering efforts. Just keep telling yourself that, and that you'll get back to it when the crisis is over.

I have an old iPhone sitting around, and I sent it in to be recycled. I should get $100 back for it. I used it until it died so I don't feel comfortable selling it on eBay. I'm just happy I'm getting something back for the parts.

Listing my old clothes online has not been worth it at all. I've only gotten messages on one of the dresses I listed for $10, and no one has bought it despite all their detailed questions that take time and effort to answer. Not a good return on my time. This weekend, I'm just going to take everything to the consignment store.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on April 09, 2018, 09:41:18 AM
Got rid of bamboo placemats and table runner my MIL bought us like a decade ago. Tags still on them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 09, 2018, 09:51:02 AM
Sorry to hear about your basement, @Mongoose, that really sucks! The house may feel like a disaster now, but I bet it's still in better shape than it would have been without previous decluttering efforts. Just keep telling yourself that, and that you'll get back to it when the crisis is over.

I have an old iPhone sitting around, and I sent it in to be recycled. I should get $100 back for it. I used it until it died so I don't feel comfortable selling it on eBay. I'm just happy I'm getting something back for the parts.

Listing my old clothes online has not been worth it at all. I've only gotten messages on one of the dresses I listed for $10, and no one has bought it despite all their detailed questions that take time and effort to answer. Not a good return on my time. This weekend, I'm just going to take everything to the consignment store.

Wow, $100 back for a not working iPhone? How does that work, where do you send it? We have a few dead phone hanging around =\ Thanks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on April 10, 2018, 11:31:21 AM
Sorry to hear about your basement, @Mongoose, that really sucks! The house may feel like a disaster now, but I bet it's still in better shape than it would have been without previous decluttering efforts. Just keep telling yourself that, and that you'll get back to it when the crisis is over.

I have an old iPhone sitting around, and I sent it in to be recycled. I should get $100 back for it. I used it until it died so I don't feel comfortable selling it on eBay. I'm just happy I'm getting something back for the parts.

Listing my old clothes online has not been worth it at all. I've only gotten messages on one of the dresses I listed for $10, and no one has bought it despite all their detailed questions that take time and effort to answer. Not a good return on my time. This weekend, I'm just going to take everything to the consignment store.

Wow, $100 back for a not working iPhone? How does that work, where do you send it? We have a few dead phone hanging around =\ Thanks.

I guess it depends on your definition of dead. In my case, it was unusable due to constant freezing and crashing, but it did still turn on and I was eventually able to wipe it. I just answered the questions on the recycle link below and they gave me a quote. Doesn't hurt to see if you can get something back based on your phones' conditions!

This is the link I used: https://www.apple.com/recycling/ They don't do it in store unless you're trading it in for a new device, so they'll mail you the kit to send it in.

I will say that I could end up getting less if the phone is in worse condition than they thought...we'll see.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 10, 2018, 05:01:36 PM
Returned a small furniture gift to the giver
Declined a massive one

This actually took some effort, because we're in the second biggest place of my kid's life and I was aiming to meet his dreams of a conventional set-up. But it's not actually a mansion, and it wouldn't take much to fill it up, restricting play options and movement, etc. So, it was tough for me to say no thank you, but I did it! I love space and ease. Gotta actively choose it. DS is perfectly happy with our current schtick.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 11, 2018, 10:05:56 PM
*Decluttered myself from a one-man show that was pretending to be a committee
*Realized a thing was obsolete per manager's latest reno, so chucked that
*Canceled several email subscriptions
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on April 11, 2018, 10:11:02 PM
Threw out an old drop saw that had seen better days and only worked as a test of our electrical safety switches....

It had been sitting in the shed for about a year unused and unloved.  Time to go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 13, 2018, 10:37:05 AM
My credit card statement says I made $373 worth of returns last month. Excellent!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Wayward on April 13, 2018, 12:28:36 PM
Sold a couple guitars, painting supplies, exercise equipment, cds/dvds, old coins, etc.
Donated several big bags of clothes, household and other miscellaneous items
Recycled/thrown out old papers/documents and much more…

It’s amazing I still have more clutter to clear out!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on April 13, 2018, 07:54:29 PM
Gave a stuffed lemur toy to a friend who rescues baby possums, also a colouring book of native plants. She loved both of them and they're out of my house now/ I have another colouring book on my donate pile which I will offer a different friend today and if she doesn't want it it will go to the op-shop.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 14, 2018, 11:57:32 AM
I have thrown away a weekend bag, as we have 4 other weekend bags that we prefer to use. I also ditched 4 of my hand bags. One of them I try to give away on facebook, as well as a fluffy duck toy. I have also ditched a toy bear from my childhood and a cover to carry a suit in, as we have 2 of those. I also threw away 3 glasses. I made a facebook add to sell three lamps for little money.
I have put my triathlon cycle helmet for sale again. I did't succeed in selling it last spring. I also reativated the adds of my wedding dress and my digital piano, both at a lower price than before.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 14, 2018, 02:51:30 PM
I made a decision to put in the garbage stuff people leave at my door. I didn't ask for them, I didn't indicate need, I have everything, I don't want the job. I used to sort through, take 99-100% to the thrift or contact them to make arrangements, yadda yadda. I'm just going to view it as illegal dumping and chuck 'em now. Ditto unwanted gifts brought into my house. We're blocks from so many thrift shops -take it there. If I need it and love enough to pay $75 cents for it, I'll go get it -but more likely I'll choose the one that fits or is in a colour I like or isn't stained.

When people see how clear and spacious our place is, many do two things:
1. compliment it on being lovely, clear, spacious, zen, uncluttered, etc
2. leave stuff for us

???????????

Once I made the decision that my body is not a garbage can -when people give me "food" that's not optimal for my body, I was no longer obligated to eat it. I could put it in what IS the garbage can. Now I will apply the same to stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 14, 2018, 02:54:56 PM
Just curious, who leaves stuff at your front door? That is very strange!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 14, 2018, 02:55:46 PM
Neighbours, buddies, strangers, maintenance people...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 14, 2018, 03:00:24 PM
Did you encourage this? Why would they do this? I have never had any unwanted crap appear at my door. I have had booze bottles and beer cans chucked in my yard!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 14, 2018, 03:08:01 PM
What encourages it? Standing in an uncluttered house? Processing (a.k.a. quietly ditching) previous items? Saying a polite thank you and then discarding them? All I know is I didn't ask for it, invite it, or say yes to it, so no. I've also specifically said to three of them that I don't want x or use y, but they bring them anyway.

In one case, a person "offered" my son a pile of stuff. I said no, we can't use it, he doesn't use it, we like to keep more space than stuff, he just received a bunch of stuff... I identified a person who was specifically looking for donations of exactly those items for a nonprofit project and directed the donor there. Months later, she brought it to our house. She'd stored it that whole time for DS. So now it sits in our storage, and soon I'll take it to the person I identified, or the thrift. Bah.

I'm often surrounded by very kind, generous people (as well as some who don't listen)  :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 14, 2018, 03:18:26 PM
OMG, I have enough junk I am trying to get rid of and to have these do gooders leaving crap at my house would infuriate me! You are going to have to tell them NO THANK YOU! Let them know that you have no use for it and that it would be best to take it to Goodwill!

Sometimes you have to be mean which I don't like to do but dang! My husband worked at a place where this woman kept coming in and forcing these Jehovah Witness or some other religious materials into his hands. He told her nice a few times no thank you but she kept pestering him every few days. Finally, one day he was probably having a bad day and she came in again with these materials. He took the materials and chucked them in the garbage can right in front of her and told her he was not interested. She finally got the picture.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 14, 2018, 03:33:57 PM
It would be simple if it were just one person over and over. But when it's 14 different people over a given month or three, or stuff is left anonymously, it's beyond me. It doesn't infuriate me, and it's not my responsibility to guess, communicate, recommunicate, etc. I can just chuck it (or thrift it if I'm going there), because the stuff is their responsibility and this action is the fastest and easiest for me in the bigger scenario.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on April 14, 2018, 03:43:18 PM
Can you put a sign up on your door? Tactfully worded of course! "Thank you for thinking of us but we have everything we need. The nearest thrift store accepting donations is x.."
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 14, 2018, 03:45:01 PM
Why do these people think you want or need this junk?

Put a sign out in front of your house, No Dumping! LOL!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 14, 2018, 03:58:41 PM
Can you put a sign up on your door? Tactfully worded of course! "Thank you for thinking of us but we have everything we need. The nearest thrift store accepting donations is x.."

Yes, and that would stop the more generic ones left outside, but not the ones they view as personal gifts. Then there's the ones that make it in -I have a very hard time getting words out in the moment, so I'm just going to stop having these extra jobs (the coming up with words, and the processing other people's stuff).

Why do these people think you want or need this junk?

I don't think they think we need it. I think they want to declutter their homes, but are having that thing of: "Oh, I can only release this divine wonderful amazing old stained/partial/favourite item if it goes to someone I know."
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Ms Ida on April 14, 2018, 04:13:44 PM


This is the link I used: https://www.apple.com/recycling/ They don't do it in store unless you're trading it in for a new device, so they'll mail you the kit to send it in.

I will say that I could end up getting less if the phone is in worse condition than they thought...we'll see.


Thanks  for the link. I have a dead phone, dead dead, sitting on the counter that I need to recycle.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 14, 2018, 09:22:39 PM
Today someone offered me a bunch of stuff -frozen foods from the garden (nice!!), cuttings and other supplies for potted indoor plants. They're wanting to clear space in their home. I said nope :)

I did buy some things I wanted, including a basket to store the weird collection of different subjects I work on from my nest. Now everything's in there, all easily viewable, accessible, and putbackable. Massive improvement, both logistically and visually.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on April 15, 2018, 05:06:48 AM
Took a brown wooly jacket (which my husband always said made me look like Snuffleupagus), another colouring-in book, and six books that I was keeping for a rather embarrassing reason... because they made me look 'cultured', depite never having read them... to work to give away from there - the jacket to the women's space, the colouring book to the lunchroom and the books to the second hand bookshop. I have my eyes set on the study room because I'm sure there is plenty more to go from there and because if my sister moves in with us for a bit that would be her room so there needs to be some more space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on April 15, 2018, 10:02:32 AM
Water leak was from a door to a stairwell back porch. We covered that now so it hopefully won't happen again. Our furnace has been replaced (unrelated problem) and the workers cleaned up after themselves well. Today we are at home and I'm hoping that my family will help me restore order so we can resume our regularly scheduled decluttering!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 15, 2018, 12:00:48 PM
DH thinks I might be able to get some money for my leather handbags. So I took them out of the bin and made and add. If the are no reactions soon, they will be thrown away again.

Stupid facebook removed one of my adds on facebook, in suspision that it was spam. I have marked it as no spam and hope it will be back soon.

DH threw away an old (ancient) floating vest.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 15, 2018, 01:16:57 PM
My Senior center is having a shredding event in May. I have gathered up my old tax returns from way back to 1998! I kept 2010 and forward. That was two grocery bags full. I cleaned out some bank statements and other statements from last year that was two bags full. I also have another 2 bags or maybe 3 in another room. I have one more spot to clean out. So about 7 grocery bags full of crap so far. It will be gone the first week of May! On top of that, because we are seniors, we get to shred FREE! Some events are for charity and cost about $10 a box full I would probably have 3 boxes or more!

Also, started another giant garbage bag for donation. It is never ending! My dogs have a crate full of toys and most are crappy and they don't play with them anymore so that might be the next thing I tackle to chuck out. I also have a drawer of turtle necks that I used to love but have not worn in several years now. So they are going to go out too! I might even have a couple of empty drawers! That is unheard of in my house! LOL!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on April 15, 2018, 08:22:52 PM
Like Roadrunner - I'm on a shredding mission!  I started using my small shredder at home but was overwhelmed and just wanted it done. Next, I looked up the free events locally, but there are only 2 in the next 2 months and not at good times for me. Then I noticed a discount coupon online for secure shredding at a nearby office centre and I was able to get rid of a giant box there the next evening. It felt so good to have all those pages gone. I'm actually surprised that after going through all my random papers and filing that I only had one box full to go.  I also sent a lot to recycling though, and have reduced the number of papers we print or get that need to be shredded to begin with.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 15, 2018, 09:10:03 PM
When I started my shredding mission, I was willing to pay even $40-$50 at a time to dump the stuff through the big systems. Worth it just to get it out of there! (I used the freebies if there happened to be one coming up, but I had a LOT to shred and didn't want it sitting around for months at a time.)

Today: Found a new, simpler system for filing. I'd started out using the plastic tabs + inserts that came with the folders. First I was typing the labels on a sheet, then I graduated to using my label maker to create an insert, then a same-size post-it *over* the plastic tab with handwriting... Today I finally realized I can use the larger, square post-its as the entire labeller. lol. Much faster and simpler, gets me to make the new files I need, and let me chuck all the plastic tabs and inserts. If I'll label a folder, I'll file properly and consistently, so YAY!

Shredded a few pages no longer needed, deleted some folder labels no longer needed, created the few that were. Also took out all recycling and garbage, and removed the few elements from my main living space to run Roomba through every millimeter. Looks and feels great!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on April 15, 2018, 09:30:32 PM
Jooni -- I recommend setting up a freecycle event for your community.   There are two ways to do this:

1.  A "Share shed" or "Share room" concept -- find a large closet / shed / corner in your community, where people can drop off items that they don't want and pick up stuff (from others) that they do want.

2.  Have a single day freecycle in your community hall -- people bring what they don't want, and the next day, it is open for everyone to take what they do.  People that drop off items donate $2 towards disposal.   You get volunteers to help set up the tables, and use the $$'s to dispose of the remainder.  (I called a donation truck for a pickup).

e.g., set up  an outlet for these people to avoid you when they get rid of stuff, and direct everyone to the event.

BONUS -- get others started on the idea, and hand it over to others to arrange and make happen.

My event was a bigger success than I anticipated.  We advertised and invited the whole neighborhood to come, not just the local resident / community.   People love "Free" and took away boxes and boxes of stuff.  You would just need to say no to furniture that one person can't lift.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 15, 2018, 09:52:28 PM
Jooni -- I recommend setting up a freecycle event for your community.

No -I don't want another job, there are heaps of thrift shops (and free depots) people can drop off to, and I'm passionate about thrift shops over freebies.

I prefer the thrift shop system for multiple reasons:
*creates jobs and/or supports important causes
*creates a daily or weekly social community for workers and customers
*moves all items into one organized warehouse so people can select what they need when they need it
*even the small cost reduces hoarding in some people vulnerable to that
*creates a space anyone can immediately drop stuff off at, getting clutter out

I love pretty much everything about the thrift shop system!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 16, 2018, 01:40:59 AM
My colleague told me I can drop a stuffed pet in the Salvation Army box where you can donate used clothes. I hadn't thought of that. I am going to drop the things that I put for free on a facebook group. And even the leather handbags, if they don't sell soon, I'll put them in the clothes box. Advantage: they are out of your house immediately. If you put them in an add, you'll have to wait until someone wants them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 16, 2018, 04:14:09 AM
I used to have a little electric shredder. I really despised it because I could only put in about 6 sheet of paper at a time. The bin for the shreds would fill up so fast and it was a mess each time it had to be emptied. When it broke, no tears here. When I used to work, my company had a beast of a shredder. No idea what that thing cots but way too expensive I am sure! It might have been a rental.

I wonder why people don't open a brick and mortar store with shredding machine service? The only shredding I have seen in my area is the charitable events that have a truck in the parking lot and you bring your boxes to them. If they were available, then I personally would not have such a giant pile each year to get rid of! I could make it one of my every 2 month chores to take paperwork to be shredded. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on April 16, 2018, 06:48:45 AM
Dropped another box off at the consigment shop.

Included:
2 sets of glasses (really nice pattern but my mother doesn't use it anymore, and we don't actually need glasses. Have held onto the "just in case" for 5 years)
5 puzzles
10 books
A bunch of baby shoes
A bunch of baby clothes, including a ton of infant swimsuits
A few baby toys
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on April 16, 2018, 08:32:09 AM
I gave up on all the clothes I listed online. They weren't getting any interest, except for one Zara dress from last season - that one got lots of messages but no sales. I think even though they were all well-known labels, most were too old. People who want to spend money on a label don't want something from 5-10 years ago.

I took them all to a consignment shop just to see what I could get. They gave me $3 for the Zara dress and didn't want anything else. The rest of the bag went straight to goodwill. I don't even care about not getting money for them. It was spent long ago, I enjoyed the dresses at the time, and it's not worth the hassle.

Though sometimes it feels like I am throwing money out the window with this whole decluttering enterprise, it has really changed my mindset about buying things. I don't want to spend my money on something unless it is worth the cost and I know I will use it well. Otherwise it'll just turn into one more thing to take to the goodwill in a few years. So it's probably saving me money in the long run.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 16, 2018, 08:53:09 AM
How many of you still have your wedding dress, shoes, headpiece/veil? I do...Have not looked at it in years and couldn't fit into it either. I don't even think the shoes would fit! Got married in 1973! Do you think it's time to let it go? LOL!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 16, 2018, 08:57:26 AM
Quote
I wonder why people don't open a brick and mortar store with shredding machine service?

They do. That’s where I was taking all of mine. Was awesome! (No backlog left. Now I shred at home as I go, a few pieces per day generally.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 16, 2018, 09:00:08 AM
How many of you still have your wedding dress, shoes, headpiece/veil? I do...Have not looked at it in years and couldn't fit into it either. I don't even think the shoes would fit! Got married in 1973! Do you think it's time to let it go? LOL!

I sold it about a year after we got married. I'm glad I did. Honestly, the way it was boxed, the most beautiful aspects of the dress weren't visible anyway. And this way, it was still a current style. I got back all but like $200 of the purchase price, too, so that was a nice bonus. Basically means I had a custom designer gown, fit to me and my skin tone, that cost less than renting it would have.

...that being said, none of the parents know =P I don't look forward to that coming up, haha. (Oh, and I never had a veil, and just wore payless sandals I already owned... I still have those, although they're starting to wear out.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 16, 2018, 09:01:44 AM
My colleague told me I can drop a stuffed pet in the Salvation Army box where you can donate used clothes. I hadn't thought of that. I am going to drop the things that I put for free on a facebook group. And even the leather handbags, if they don't sell soon, I'll put them in the clothes box. Advantage: they are out of your house immediately. If you put them in an add, you'll have to wait until someone wants them.

YAY!!!! Music to my ears :)))))
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 16, 2018, 10:57:15 AM
How many of you still have your wedding dress, shoes, headpiece/veil? I do...Have not looked at it in years and couldn't fit into it either. I don't even think the shoes would fit! Got married in 1973! Do you think it's time to let it go? LOL!

I sold it about a year after we got married. I'm glad I did. Honestly, the way it was boxed, the most beautiful aspects of the dress weren't visible anyway. And this way, it was still a current style. I got back all but like $200 of the purchase price, too, so that was a nice bonus. Basically means I had a custom designer gown, fit to me and my skin tone, that cost less than renting it would have.

...that being said, none of the parents know =P I don't look forward to that coming up, haha. (Oh, and I never had a veil, and just wore payless sandals I already owned... I still have those, although they're starting to wear out.)

I got married in an evening gown, which cost half the price of a wedding gown.
It has been on sale for a while. Some interested reactions, but no sale yet.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on April 16, 2018, 11:30:08 AM
How many of you still have your wedding dress, shoes, headpiece/veil? I do...Have not looked at it in years and couldn't fit into it either. I don't even think the shoes would fit! Got married in 1973! Do you think it's time to let it go? LOL!

Three months ago, I had TWO wedding dresses.  I had kept the one from my first marriage in case my daughter wanted it...but at 12 years old, she's already 6 inches taller than me, so it wouldn't fit (plus she thinks it's ugly).  I gave it and the veil to Goodwill last month.

The other dress is from my second marriage 5 years ago.  I tried to give it away as well, but my husband protested, so it's still sitting in a bag in my closet.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 16, 2018, 01:25:03 PM
I wonder how it could be upcycled into 'something' so we could make something out of it with the fabric and just get rid of the rest of it? I suppose if you could sew you could make a mini bride dress for a bear or a bigger doll. Or maybe a pillow case for show and tell. If I were divorced, and it was ugly, I might have a burning of the dress ceremony in a barbeque pit! LOL!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on April 16, 2018, 02:19:17 PM
I sold my veil, gave away the shoes and shortened and dyed the dress to make a cocktail dress. Not sure if would fit anymore but I did wear it about 3 times.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rowellen on April 16, 2018, 03:13:17 PM
There's a charity in Australia that turns wedding dresses into burial gowns for stillborn babies. I intended to donate mine to them. I wanted to take some pictures first and haven't got around to it. Must put that back on my to do list.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on April 16, 2018, 08:06:42 PM
I had a declutter fail!   After finally getting rid of a trailer worth of stuff, using 3 different donation systems, I had saved 2 boxes (medium size) of things that I can get money for. 

A person finally called me from craigslist for my "new in box" appliance part, and gosh darn it.  I think it got mixed into  the donation boxes just one day before in my rush to get them out the door.  Damn.  $15 lost.  Argh.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on April 16, 2018, 08:23:53 PM
I wonder how it could be upcycled into 'something' so we could make something out of it with the fabric and just get rid of the rest of it? I suppose if you could sew you could make a mini bride dress for a bear or a bigger doll. Or maybe a pillow case for show and tell. If I were divorced, and it was ugly, I might have a burning of the dress ceremony in a barbeque pit! LOL!

I got married in a borrowed dress, but still have my veil (in the attic of the garage) - should really give it away. It’s quite pretty...

A FB friend of mine posted this picture of her family’s Christmas stockings she made from her wedding gown. I think they look quite nice, and it provides a way to continue to enjoy the dress.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on April 16, 2018, 11:24:52 PM
Sitting in the waiting room for the doctor and I purged 7 loyalty cards from my wallet (two of them for the same place!)... I’m starting a challenge where you declutter 1-30things each day for 30days, so expect to see me around here frequently :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 16, 2018, 11:39:27 PM
Completed a school unit today, including exam, so put all the pages (text and notes) into recycling. Really have to trust that I know that stuff now (because I do).

I'm doing my best to keep four chairs for other people's sakes, but realized yesterday that they don't all need to live in the main part of the house. Moved two into the spare room nearby, making the main area *and* spare room look much better!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on April 17, 2018, 02:49:25 AM
This week I should be handing over a kid's bike that our family has outgrown to a friend, which will cut down the bike stash even more. Soon I will only have one (1) bike and one that will eventually be mine once boys outgrow it.

2 more books to go to the free library.

One day I will go through my bag collection and donate a whole bunch - I've definitely donated ~20 in the last two years and the influx has been staunched (no more gazingus pin) so whittling away at The Stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on April 17, 2018, 05:09:42 AM
Ended up doing 55things today in a bit of a flurry. 7 loyalty cards, 8 books, 4 measuring cups, 2 bowls, a plate, a egg splitter, a broken spoon, a fruit thingy that is meant to go in a water jug, 4 handkies, a skirt that doesn't fit, 6 nail polishes, two sleep supplements that I haven't used in five years, two lipsticks, two concealer sticks, a handful of beads, a pair of dried contacts, a cookie tin, a pair of cake tray plate things and two calculators.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 17, 2018, 05:57:12 AM
I have a collection of old perfumes that I never use. They are still good but maybe I will donate some of them.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 17, 2018, 09:37:10 AM
I still have my wedding gown (1972) and my matron of honour dress from my sister's wedding (gorgeous dress, looked a lot like Kate Middleton's wedding gown) and a horrible bridesmaid dress from my best friend's wedding.  They are all massively dated, I should find a vintage shop.  I also have a gorgeous black velvet evening coat, perfect for wearing to a formal.  I wore it to formals in University, and it has sat in my closet ever since.

DD tried on my wedding dress, it was way to small for her.  I was smug,  Really, it is because she has a full bust and I was pretty flat-chested back then.  Plus she is 3" taller so our body proportions are different.

I still have my veil.  DD was going to wear it, but the dress she bought needs a totally different veil, so it is still sitting in its box.

These may be some of the last things I declutter, hard to let go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 17, 2018, 11:27:00 AM
I have no one to hand the wedding dress to and it is dated. It has been in the back of the closet for almost 47 years in a zip bag. It is hard to get rid of it just because I have had such a nice long marriage. It almost seems like a bad omen to get rid of it! LOL!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on April 17, 2018, 03:50:02 PM
How many of you still have your wedding dress, shoes, headpiece/veil? I do...Have not looked at it in years and couldn't fit into it either. I don't even think the shoes would fit! Got married in 1973! Do you think it's time to let it go? LOL!

I rented my dress.  Veil was made by a friend: white headband with some tulle & "silk" flowers glued on.  I didn't mid tossing that when the event was over, as it was to her taste & not mine.  I wouldn't have even had a veil, but the groom wanted me to have one.  Sandals were Payless specials...they gave me a blister & I tossed them right away.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on April 17, 2018, 03:55:17 PM
I have no one to hand the wedding dress to and it is dated. It has been in the back of the closet for almost 47 years in a zip bag. It is hard to get rid of it just because I have had such a nice long marriage. It almost seems like a bad omen to get rid of it! LOL!

I tell you what, not having a wedding dress in the back of a closet really has no bearing on my marriage ending in divorce!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on April 17, 2018, 05:36:29 PM
My husband dropped off a carload at the thrift store. He's doing amazing things in the garage.

Right now I'm only really helping by not buying anything.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on April 18, 2018, 02:20:25 AM
Decluttered another 50odd things today - mostly empty pots after tipping all the dead plants into the compost, plus a few boxes of tea which I was able to combine together. How do I have so much junk?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 18, 2018, 04:29:32 AM
I have no one to hand the wedding dress to and it is dated. It has been in the back of the closet for almost 47 years in a zip bag. It is hard to get rid of it just because I have had such a nice long marriage. It almost seems like a bad omen to get rid of it! LOL!

A friend of mine painted her wedding dress green. It has a nice effect on the various fabrics. I have seen her wearing it once to an opera.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on April 18, 2018, 05:47:51 AM
My wedding dress was a nice linen Laura Ashley dress I found at the Vinnies the weekend before we got married. Now it's on the sewing pile to be turned into a top, because I am Too Messy to be a white linen dress person.

Bike successfully delivered! 10 more ebooks deleted from my library, two actual books in the pile to go to the free library.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 19, 2018, 07:29:48 AM
My wedding dress was a nice linen Laura Ashley dress I found at the Vinnies the weekend before we got married.

Now that is planning your marriage carefully. :-)))
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on April 19, 2018, 03:51:21 PM
The cycle of clearing out clutter starts again for me!  Excited! 

I unpacked 1 whole box from my recent move, lol.  Used that box to be the donation box, and put in 3 garments that I had used as packing material when packing said box.

Also tossed a pair of shoes which were not that old, but both the uppers & the sole were showing wear (especially the sole).  I feel like the shoes I've bought recently have worn out quickly, so I'm going to start tracking when I bought them & see how long they last.  Does anyone have any good sturdy-yet-comfortable shoe brand recommendations? Does not need to be "thrifty", TIA.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 19, 2018, 03:56:30 PM
I wear Bogs most of each year. They freakin' rock, and if they wear out, the company sends you a new pair!

Got to help a neighbour declutter for some hours today!!!!!!!!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!! #favouritething
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 19, 2018, 03:58:42 PM
My Rockports (men's) are going fine after at least 8 years.  My Bogs boots are finally giving up the ghost this year, and I have had them for nearly as long.  They were my main winter boots the last few years.  My Ecco sandals look almost new and I have had them for years as well.  Good shoes last, and most can be resoled.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on April 19, 2018, 04:14:16 PM
Thank you @jooniFLORisploo and @RetiredAt63 for quick & useful recommendations!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Happy Little Chipmunk on April 19, 2018, 10:08:07 PM
This month I organized lumber in the basement so it was all in one place instead being trip hazard piles all over. Which meant that I emptied a big shelf of OTHER stuff and turned it into a wood storage rack and am slowly nibbling through the newly liberated boxes & piles.

So far I've weeded 2 shoeboxes full of photos & a large tote of memorabilia and have kept enough to fill 15 scrapbooking pages. Next up 3 more large totes of kid art, journals, precious relics from child hood. <groan>

Had to take a break from looking at paper to do something real: Cleaned the kitchen counters, repaired the grout and sealed it. It looks so much better!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on April 19, 2018, 10:44:20 PM
I shredded a pile of old papers today. Beautifully freeing. Goal for tomorrow is to put some books in some nearby little free libraries.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: expatartist on April 19, 2018, 11:29:12 PM
Wow everyone you are inspirational! I hope to use your ideas for looking at the many ways to get rid of things that pile up without our noticing.

It's about the time of year when I do a bi-annual "turn my tiny flat upside down" and switch over from winter to summer:
* Linens
* Clothes
* Shoes

I live in a subdivided micro-apartment. Everything's as vertical as possible, most is dual purpose. Clothing is mostly rolled Kondo-style into slender bookshelves at the foot of my bed. A few easily-wrinkled items are hung on a small rack next to it. Socks and unmentionables are rolled then stuffed into a shoe holder on the side of bookshelves. Scented toiletries and often-stinky shoes share a tall shoe shelf with door, about the same size as the bookshelf. Twice a year I pack up clothes/winter linens/shoes, then remove everything from the Japanese-style overhead storage and camphor trunks and do the switch-over. If I don't devote an entire day to it, it can take a week! I've been putting it off but can't for much longer. Your posts are giving me hope ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on April 20, 2018, 08:42:13 PM
I managed to sell a set of dog clipper combs (attach to the clippers to allow custom-length haircuts) that I didn’t end up liking. I found it easier to freehand after all. I added a set of dog nail clippers to the ad, since I had upgraded to a style that was easier to use. I receovered most of my money and they’re out of the house. (Aside from MAKING money on something, this is my favourite kind of decluttering!;)

Now, what else can I list... can’t have ‘nothing’ for sale!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on April 21, 2018, 05:24:48 AM
Purged an enviro bag full of paperwork, a handful of beach rocks (in a bag now  to go back the beach), a few sets of earrings, a bag of ‘to repair’ clothes that have been in that bag for over a year, two books, a set of juggling balls and a bag of rubbish... starting to slow down a little bit but have three days off this week and looking forward to digging a little deeper into the layers of declutterable ‘stuff’.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cali on April 21, 2018, 06:24:56 AM
I’ve been listing things online and have made some really decent money doing it.

This photo from a RetireBeforeDad.com motivated the heck out of me. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180421/091b45c0dafafa207936b604f78e1b89.jpg)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 23, 2018, 07:16:25 AM
Declined another batch of furniture.

When people see how minimalist and spacious my place is, they want to fill it up :)    Some see it as a wonderful potential depot for the excess in their homes. Since sorting through my boundary needs here and on journal, I’m now solidly good at saying, “We have everything we need now, thank you.” Or, “Our place is now full, we can’t receive any more.” It’s a bit confusing for them, since they just saw what they see as a near-empty space, but so far no one’s found a way to debate this phrase, lol.

What we have does feel like -not just enough but- abundance, and just right. It’s also more than we’ve ever had and I need to give my body time and space to adjust to even this much. I also really love having room to move easily and play, and will keep that!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on April 24, 2018, 12:25:23 PM
@Cali, that photo is inspirational!

@jooniFLORisploo, glad you have found & are enforcing your boundaries on space-filling! I had a similar thing happen to me recently.  Family Member found out about my new apartment & immediately started listing out furniture that is in FM's storage unit that "might work" in my place.  It's sweet that FM wants me to have a homey place to live, but the amount of times I had to repeat, in a half hour span, "I don't know what I'll need; still dividing up furniture with Mr. X" was really stressing me out! 

I decluttered a cardigan on its last legs.  It's so worn that one can see through the fabric, and it's not supposed to be that way/doesn't look good that way.

Creative decluttering (re-purposing instead of trashing):  Was going to throw these things out, and live with constantly re-arranging the chair covers to actually cover the chair (they get twisted up when you sit on them).  Instead, re-purposed the tie down cords that came with the chair covers to actually function with my chairs, which have a thicker than usual seat.  Tying two together was enough length to reach down to the legs & secure the chair covers in place at the front of the chair.  At the back of the chair, the Velcro straps are long enough to go around already.  This means that out of 4 covers, only 2 can be tied down, but I only got 2 of the 4 chairs anyway, so that works!

Edit: its, not it's
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 24, 2018, 01:23:30 PM
There is a senior shredding event in May and I have gone thru a lot of places in the house where paperwork accumulates. I think I have finally hoed out the last spot. I have one giant Rubbermaid tote full to the brim with plastic grocery bags full plus two bags that don't fit. They are going to think I went door to door looking for shredding! I threw out a ton of old IRS stuff from the 1990's and forward. I saved 7 years worth. I also had a bunch of paperwork from may last job (2011) that I couldn't bear to throw out till now. So I have made a lot of progress with that crap. I plan to toss out one year of IRS stuff each year after I file. That way I will only have 7 years worth.

I also have started to weed out more stuff for Vietnam Vets. I have a carpet spot cleaner thing I am getting rid of, some skillets I don't use, turtle necks I don't wear, a laundry basket I don't use, a little file cabinet that is cleaned out and pretty useless. Plus, I have some stuff on ebay that is just not moving and I am tired of it sitting on my dining room table. Out it goes. I also have this big ass suitcase that is filled with some hobby junk that I have not been using and I think it is time to purge it out. Then there is another suitcase filled with the hub's clothes that I had grand intentions of selling on ebay but have not done so. They need to go! I also have a bunch of Rubbermaid totes that are empty and not sure what to do with those at this time but they have to go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 24, 2018, 04:35:15 PM
...the amount of times I had to repeat, in a half hour span

That's the piece, yes! I've already said it to each person more than once. They don't hear my words; they see only "space!".
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 24, 2018, 08:01:32 PM
I used to work for a food research company and every Friday we had to clean the lab. The lab had block walls that were painted, concrete floors with curved floors tilted to the drains and stainless steel equipment. Each Friday we used a floor scrubber and scrubbed the floors and hand scrubbed the equipment. We sprayed the suds down the drain. I always thought what a great thing that was if I had that in a house! Just soap up the floor and everything else and hose it off down the drain! AWESOME!

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on April 24, 2018, 08:57:13 PM
@Roadrunner53, I would think you’d be able to sell (or give away) the totes on Craigslist or equivalent. You know, for someone else’s storage/hoarding project! They’re not cheap to buy new...
;-)

(On that note, I think I’m going to inherit thousands of totes from my parents one day, so I am hoping for a robust secondary market! My dad thinks that putting stuff into totes and into the garage is “dealing” with it. I have tried to explain that he’s throwing good money after bad to store GARBAGE [seriously. Car magazines, hunting magazines. No order whatsoever = NO value]. Skip the middle step and go straight to the bin. Aaaarrrrggghhh. /rant)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 24, 2018, 09:06:36 PM
Good idea on giving the totes away. We have been bagging up clothing and some small household junk to give to Vietnam Vets. Good organization and they come to your house to pick up. We regularly give to Goodwill too.

I cannot believe how much stuff we have donated over the years and we have so much more! We are only one couple, never had kids but my God, we have more stuff than anyone could believe!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on April 25, 2018, 01:31:57 PM
Major housecleaning and decluttering is in progress today. We have a small box each of items to donate, shred, and file so far. Dead printer is headed to recycling. Kids clothes need to be sorted and culled. But mostly things needed to be cleaned and put away in their designated locations. It was all just dropped after we ran out of time and energy doing some house repairs. I really want to excavate the basement as well but I'm not sure we'll get to it today. It's still a mess after we had to move everything to have the furnace replaced.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on April 25, 2018, 09:58:38 PM
...the amount of times I had to repeat, in a half hour span

That's the piece, yes! I've already said it to each person more than once. They don't hear my words; they see only "space!".

I suspect there's no way to get certain people to "hear"/believe this message.

Today I partially unpacked a couple boxes (just getting things I needed) and pulled out the "packing material".  All textiles that were to be donated when packing became packing material.  Now that I'm finding these textiles, they are going into the donation box.  Today I found jeans, 2 napkins, table cloth and a pillow case. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 25, 2018, 10:04:41 PM
Apparently so. Despite profoundly clear, direct statements, I had a really hard time of this one today. Person was aggressive in their hope I would take massive stuff so they would have an uncluttered house *and* they would be free of guilt for otherwise garbaging it (instead of organizing appropriate transfer). I just...can't... My home is not a garbage can, not a recycling centre, not a nonprofit service, not a junk transfer station, not an emergency disposal facility...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 26, 2018, 04:50:13 AM
No one if buying the stuff I have put in adds. I have already lowered the price for my bicycle time trial helmet.

I should consider giving some more stuff away for free.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 26, 2018, 05:05:35 AM
I have had some stuff on ebay for almost two months and sold a few things and the rest is not selling at all. UGH, is ebay a ghost town these days?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Dragonswan on April 26, 2018, 07:03:50 AM
...the amount of times I had to repeat, in a half hour span

That's the piece, yes! I've already said it to each person more than once. They don't hear my words; they see only "space!".
Must be nice.  I had/have the opposite problem.  When I bought my 2700 sq ft house (No facepunches. I love it and it was cheaper than a condo in the city and the commute to an even bigger city is essentially the same.) I only had a 2bdrm apartment's worth of furniture.  I asked my mom, pack rat, for a few furniture items and only managed to wrest away one small chest of drawers I had as a child (I'm middle aged now) and an old stereo (circa 1960? the kind that comes as a piece of furniture).  I'm still eyeballing her sewing machine and refuse to buy one as I intend to inherit hers while she's still living.

Last year the Great Supervisor (mom) let me start cleaning out the bedroom you can't walk into for the volume of stuff.  I took out 13 yard trash size bags (donated to charity), threw away another 4-5 bags and the room still looks like I never touched it.  Keep up the good fight declutterers and I'll post again if I mom lets me continue my efforts.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 26, 2018, 07:10:37 AM
Quote
Must be nice.  I had/have the opposite problem.

No, definitely not nice. Stressful, frustrating, and irritating to be considered a garbage receptacle and have to practically “fight” to be allowed to maintain my space and choices.

Your experience is very common with keepers. If they have excess that others could well use, they’re generally not willing to part with it. If I were to *ask* these same people for some of their stuff, they would be saying no. It’s just when they turn that corner and become downsizers/declutterers, they have an equal lack of concern for us and aim to dump.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Dragonswan on April 26, 2018, 07:14:55 AM
I'm afraid the downsizing will not occur until my parents pass.  The task of cleaning everything at once is what I'm hoping to avoid by doing little bits now, and getting a few things that would benefit me now instead of having to buy them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 26, 2018, 07:22:22 AM
Dragonswan, knowing you will inherit a mass of mess can be very stressful for a person, for sure.

Unfortunately, until your parents decide they want to declutter, give, etc, there’s not a whole lot you can do -though it sounds like they’re able to let go of quite a bit more than is usually the case in these situations. If they are still keepers, anything they give you they would likely replace with more stuff anyway.

Personally, I would go ahead and get what you need (from thrift shops) for your home, then plan to spend some more money getting a redistribution service in after they pass.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 26, 2018, 07:24:06 AM
When my Mom passed I found an organization that came to the house with a box truck and took just about everything. There was no room at my house for any of it or very little of it.

My Mom's house was small but she had every nook and cranny filled to the brim with things! These two guys worked for hours and hours taking stuff out of the house and filled the entire truck up. They said they had never been to such a small house and hauled out so much stuff! I filled up probably 30 giant trash bags full of clothes. Tied them up and rolled them down staircase. The hub would carry them outside. It was one of the hottest days on earth too. I had a giant dish towel wrapped around my forehead so the sweat didn't roll down my face. It worked like a charm! Had to hire another outfit to pick up some stuff the other organization wouldn't take like mattresses and a chair, love seat and a freezer from the 1940's that weighed 1,000 lbs! They had to get 3 guys to get it out of the basement! It was a beast! My hub had a dumpster delivered and cleaned out the shed and basement. It was a giant dumpster and was filled to the brim!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Dragonswan on April 26, 2018, 07:48:07 AM
Yep.  I have what I need now (except that sewing machine) but do have space in the basement I'm intentionally saving for inherited items (though I suspect they're planning to outlive me ;))  When they do pass I intend to look into one of those liquidation places. 

Roadrunner53 did you have to pay for your liquidation service?  Was the dumpster delivery and pickup a hassle or very expensive?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 26, 2018, 03:32:06 PM
Dragonswan, the dumpster was maybe $350. The deal is they let you have it for maybe a week. Which isn't enough time typically when you work so we rented it so it arrived on a Friday and we had all weekend to fill it. Then we rented it for the following weekend and we had to pay maybe $10 for each extra day. Then the following Monday we had them take it away. So we kept it 10 total days.

The organization we found only charged us $35 and that was for fuel for the truck. It was a bargain for sure.

We also had 1800 got junk and that place was expensive! They charged us to take away a small amount of stuff as much as the $350 dumpster rental. If you have the room, go with the dumpster if you are physically able to load the dumpster. If you are not, 1800 got junk does the job but trust me, they are expensive considering what they take away.

If you have them bring a dumpster, makes sure you tell them to put some wooden planks under the wheels of the dumpster so it doesn't dig into your driveway.

Dumpster delivery was very easy and we had them come first thing in the morning and they were there. No hassles whatsoever. When you are done with the dumpster you just call them and they arrange pick up. If it is a Monday pick up make sure to call them the Friday before.

We went thru our garbage company. The did require payment on the phone and wouldn't add the service to my normal garbage bill.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 26, 2018, 08:59:26 PM
The advantages to 1800GotJunk?, as they told me anyway, was

(1) they will do the physical removal - you can just point here and there in the house and they will remove

(2) they will aim to get usable stuff to a thrift, recyclables to recycling, and only actual garbage to the dump.

I love hauling stuff so am happy to do that part, but (2) seems super valuable to me. Is it accurate?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Step37 on April 26, 2018, 10:51:25 PM
Dragonswan, knowing you will inherit a mass of mess can be very stressful for a person, for sure.


I feel physically ill when I think about my parents’ place. 100 acres, a 6000+sg.ft. house, a 5-car garage, a 2-car garage (each with an additional storey of “storage” on top!!), at LEAST a dozen outbuildings . . . And all FULL OF STUFF. Nothing is organized. Some of it is valuable, but I’d say much, much more is junk. I am convinced it will ruin five years of my life to sort it all out. They pay lip service to downsizing but I really don’t think they can be bothered. It makes me sick. I went there for the first time in over six months yesterday (they’d been away all winter), so this is all refreshed in my mind.

No matter how well I can streamline and minimize my own stuff/footprint, I will one day have that to contend with. Yes, I can (and will) hire an auction or some such service, but it will still be very, very hard, as it really bothers me to waste things. I will simply have to get over it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 27, 2018, 01:17:36 AM
Yeah, Step37, hard. I haven't had to deal with that in my own family (there was stuff at two points, but in both instances it all got sorted). Some of my work was in the home of hoarders, though, and it was intense. I can't imagine knowing I'd ultimately be responsible for what you're describing -that's a lot of square footage.

Are family members always handed that task? Or only if the property is willed to you?

I also watched two boyfriends return to super intense clutter (etc) when our relationships ended. I was a bit thrown to realize my presence and activity had kept things well in check, and very sad to realize how difficult it was for them to manage things independently (they are both very happy, however, so it hasn't actually hurt them! they're not concerned with managing things, that was only my schtick -they love the stuff, the more piles the better). I was surprised and perplexed: How does such an intense change in environment happen, and so fast, even with the smartest people and the best of intentions?

I wouldn't mind doing a total clean up over a few years so long as I weren't also working full-time. That would be too much! But hopefully if the garbage is willed to a person, the property underneath it also is, and one could FIRE and take the time to clean it up, or take out some equity and hire someone to. But I love cleaning so to me that's kinda dreamy. Maybe I'll come help you!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 27, 2018, 11:04:13 AM
Dragonswan, knowing you will inherit a mass of mess can be very stressful for a person, for sure.


I feel physically ill when I think about my parents’ place. 100 acres, a 6000+sg.ft. house, a 5-car garage, a 2-car garage (each with an additional storey of “storage” on top!!), at LEAST a dozen outbuildings . . . And all FULL OF STUFF. Nothing is organized. Some of it is valuable, but I’d say much, much more is junk. I am convinced it will ruin five years of my life to sort it all out. They pay lip service to downsizing but I really don’t think they can be bothered. It makes me sick. I went there for the first time in over six months yesterday (they’d been away all winter), so this is all refreshed in my mind.

No matter how well I can streamline and minimize my own stuff/footprint, I will one day have that to contend with. Yes, I can (and will) hire an auction or some such service, but it will still be very, very hard, as it really bothers me to waste things. I will simply have to get over it.

I'm not in this position, but you have my sympathy. My mom is a very organized person with way too much, but I plan to have a big garage sale, and then recycle the rest. ;-)

One thought you might want to have in mind for when the inevitable happens. Is there a family member (right out of college, high school person, etc) who would be looking for a flexible job? Given the property size, hopefully there is value there, so it sounds like it would be worth your sanity to hire someone to take care of much of it - grouping into piles (keep, donate, sell, ask you for input), etc. Even if this is a fluid plan given no action can be taken yet, it always helps me knowing I have an approach in mind.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 27, 2018, 11:52:57 AM
This is why I am gradually decluttering and down-sizing my life*.  Less for me to look after, and so much less for DD to have to deal with down the road (well down the road, I hope).  It wears me out and it is my stuff, what would it be like for her?

*Plus I don't want to be one of those elderly people who cling to the house and yard when they are clearly not capable of managing it all.  Or moving from the house to a nursing home and someone having to deal with all my stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 27, 2018, 12:27:44 PM
Yes, 1800 Got Junk will physically take all your crap and you don't have to lift a finger. They charged about $350 and it wasn't more than a pick up truck full and nothing gigantic or big and bulky. Whereas if you are physically fit and can load the dumpster yourself, it will cost about $350 for a gigantic dumpster and you can get about 4 times as much or more. They had it made too because my Husband put everything in a pile in the yard. They really didn't have to do much of anything.

1800 Got Junk claims they do recycling. No clue if they actually do.

If I were some of you and your junk was worth giving away, consider Vietnam Veterans, Goodwill and Salvation Army. Not sure about Goodwill but the other two you can arrange pick up. Call local churches to see if they have needy members who need household crap. I would rather donate something someone can use than trash it. Put an ad in Craigslist and advertise you have a truck load of free stuff. There are lots of people who will resell your junk. Also, my town has a recycling center and you can bring junk there too. They set aside some stuff on tables for freebies.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BlueHouse on April 27, 2018, 12:59:25 PM
Yard sale last weekend and I unloaded thousands of dollars worth of stuff -- much of it was brand new! 
I cleared $24.00.  It was easy for me to let it go because I've been storing it in my house and garage for 3 years refusing to let it go so cheap.  I guess I just had had enough of the stuff. 

I still have more that I forgot to put out (or couldn't stand getting rid of that much more in one day)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 27, 2018, 01:07:32 PM
Congrats BlueHouse! I bet there were a lot of happy people! I have much more crap to weed out. I am doing a pretty good job but too slowly. I only had one tag sale in my life and it was a horrible experience. I think because I am not a people person and it was overwhelming with so many people all at once bombarding me! Someone stole my Tupperware canister's! Can you believe someone could do that when nothing was very expensive to begin with. Hope they enjoyed them! Plus, at the very end when most of the junk was gone these 3 creepy people drove up the driveway and were checking things out. I had a very bad feeling about them and thank goodness they left. Not sure if they bought anything because it was a long time ago. But never forgot feeling like they were going to steal my money box! Plus, that day was really hot. BLEH, never again!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 27, 2018, 01:10:02 PM
Well done, BlueHouse!!!!!!!!!!! What a terrific feat, to just focus on the primary intention of releasing the stuff. Side income is well and good, but it's got nothing on the wonderful freedom of a clear space and happy home. Way to go!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 27, 2018, 03:34:29 PM
Brother in law just came and picked up a bike carrier that we bought four years ago and never installed on our car.  He is getting a hitch installed this weekend - and he is going to give us cash what we paid for it. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 28, 2018, 07:24:05 AM
Yard sale last weekend and I unloaded thousands of dollars worth of stuff -- much of it was brand new! 
I cleared $24.00.  It was easy for me to let it go because I've been storing it in my house and garage for 3 years refusing to let it go so cheap.  I guess I just had had enough of the stuff. 

I still have more that I forgot to put out (or couldn't stand getting rid of that much more in one day)

This was my one and only garage sale result, lots of stuff sold and almost no money.  I made more on some plants I had potted up than I did on all my stuff.  Now I just donate in the first place, so much easier and no disappointment on how little cash I recovered.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on April 28, 2018, 08:24:18 AM
I've had ceramic dishes since I moved out of my parents' house a couple decades ago. I used to enjoy the heft, but now my arthritis means what I used to love I now hate -- it's painful to wash dishes and set the table -- so I replaced everything with Corelle. They're not only lighter, they take up way less space and my cupboards look more organized.

The only problem is this: we've done so much decluttering, we don't have any empty boxes lying around for me to put the old dishes in so I can take them to Goodwill! Whoops!

I'll have to grab a box from work on Monday.

Other decluttering on today's agenda:
- shredding a stack of bank and retirement account statements
-cleaning the clutter that has accumulated on the bookshelves (for the first time, it's NOT my clutter! Yay!)
-selling a few books at Bookoff (that money gets to go towards my next tattoo!)
-putting board games back in the game closet

If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll clean off my desk. :)

My husband's work in the garage has been amazing. There's still a lot to be done, but the end is in sight! We are going to have to rent a dumpster for all the cabinet bits he's ripped out, but we're going to wait on that until the very end; we don't want to miss something big.



Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 28, 2018, 08:27:45 AM
Mezzie, all of that sounds so satisfying, mmmmmm.....   :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 28, 2018, 12:06:46 PM
Mezzie, I have good everyday china (Noritake, definitely fine china*) and ordinary china.  An ordinary plate weighs twice what a good china plate does.  My wrists definitely appreciate the good china.  I only keep the cheap stuff because I can heat leftovers in the microwave on it.   ;-)  Your Corelle is even lighter, for the win.


*I didn't spend a fortune on this, got it at an estate auction.  It was the "good" china for the previous owners, and is my every day china. And the crazy thing is, it is tougher (less breakable) than the cheap stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: kaypinkHH on April 30, 2018, 09:42:06 AM
This is such a small thing, but I feel like it makes a difference.

I was gifted a daily calendar in a work secret santa last xmas. Once and a while a particular comic of the day gives me a good chuckle and I was stockpiling my favourites at work. I'm just about to head out on mat leave and I chucked the "favourite" pile into recycling instead of lugging it home. In the past, this would have ended up in a box, in my home office until I finally got around to purging it. Stopped the clutter at the source!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 30, 2018, 10:00:54 AM
Got rid of a pair of pants that I never wear. And, went through & helped the kids clean out some lingering Easter stuff that were from my parents. Wrappers discarded, and everything savable went into the Easter bag in the closet (plastic eggs, & the gift bags).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 30, 2018, 10:18:47 AM
For the last few years, I've had a fetish for a specific type of journal I could find in only one obscure place I was rarely in, so I stocked up. Last time, the pickings were slim, so I compromised on design. But I hate them! So yesterday I took them toward a free exchange at an event I happened to be going to anyway. Well, one didn't even make it to the table, someone was so excited to receive it :)    There was a huge coincidence around it for her. Yay! The second one was snagged almost as quickly as I put it down. People were so happy because while these weren't MY style, they were theirs.

I spent $28 on them, and am thrilled they are now placed with people who are excited about them. Not as ideal as giving via the thrift shop, but I'm happy they're out, and it did make for lovely conversations and connections.

I received a poster I also don't like but which is truly stunning, so I'll take that to the same place next week, unless I get to the thrift in the meantime.

Today a nice batch of shredding ++++ goes out to recycling :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on April 30, 2018, 10:58:55 AM
We just had a long weekend at our cabin. We bought a secondhand oven and induction stove to replace the very old and half broken stuff. On our way back home we could deliver the old oven and stove at a shop. Nice to be rid of all that before we came home.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on April 30, 2018, 12:09:04 PM
I am so excited to use 1800GJ. I have a huge entertainment center that I am getting rid of along with a queen mattress and a few other things. I am single and there is no way I am getting these things out of my place without help and I don't want someone in my home responding to a CL ad.

It took 4 people to bring it in and I don't have that type of manpower anymore. I can't move the items out of my place due to it being a condo. And I live on the second floor with stairs as the only means to get things in or out. I am more than happy to pay them to get it gone.

This reminds me I need to do a few things than give em a call.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 30, 2018, 12:39:17 PM
Way to go, shadesofgreen! Sometimes spending a bit of cash is SMART, and the whole point of money is to allow us to reach our goals, which may indeed be simplicity, freedom, space, etc.

(When I've helped other people declutter, most were mainstream spenders so they gave an easy yes when I asked them to pay for the truck to take stuff away. I got to enjoy the decluttering and the truck without having to spend a penny heh heh.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: sisto on April 30, 2018, 01:40:59 PM
I'm constantly on a mission to de-clutter. So far this year I've gotten rid of a bunch of clothes. Did lots of yard cleanup, gave away stuff as well as threw out some stuff. Much of it was taken during the neighborhood cleanup. It's someone else's treasure now. We've been really trying to have less stuff. It's hard to truly decide what really makes you happy. It's not happy times when you have a bunch of stuff that needs to be dusted all the time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on April 30, 2018, 01:47:56 PM
Cleaned out the hall closet.

But what do I do with all the jackets and sweatshirts? I can't really donate them out of season...
I mean goodwill will take them, but I assume they will just go for fabric recyclers.  These are generally good clothes.

Should I mark them in a box for 'donate in winter'?  I have space for that in another room.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 30, 2018, 02:57:56 PM
Some shops will take them off season and put them out in season. Also, people will look specifically for those if they are camping, travelling, tree planting, etc.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on April 30, 2018, 03:06:26 PM
Used up the rest of two gift cards!! I forget how many it's been overall, but the last couple of months I really pushed through using them up. I believe those were the last of them, yay!! I hope people always give DS and I cash vs card from now on :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 01, 2018, 06:54:16 AM
Spontaneously woke at 5am, got up, noticed seven very small items that always bug me a bit (memory, gifter, scent, etc) so I chucked em!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rosy on May 01, 2018, 02:57:25 PM
I need to get back into de-cluttering mode, for a while I was making such good progress, now I'm just being a slug - looking at clutter, feeling irritated and defeated and a little sad that I spent money on things that I absolutely hate seeing right now. Ugh!

Maybe I could channel some jooni, I need a clutter intervention:) ..... A magic wand to make it all go away ...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 01, 2018, 02:59:48 PM
Maybe I could channel some jooni

Feel free :)
I get soooooooooooooooooo excited about this stuff.
I have wildly little stuff, so it's funny to people that have been to my place that I talk about decluttering.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on May 03, 2018, 02:44:15 AM
Flea markets!
Here in Norway springtime is the time for flea markets, usually organized by school orchestra's. I found out that one of them even collects the goods at your house. So I took home a leftover moving box from my working place, where we are finished moving. I filled it with a bunch of leftover lamps. Added a complete course in Icelandic language that I haven't touched for years, and never completed for more than a couple of chapters. And added some Ikea things that you can put plastic bags in.
I couldn't convince DH to add his language course in Sami language. And the large frame that is in our garage. He thinks we should fill the frame with something. I think we don't have empty walls to hang it on and should get rid of it. It is also for sale on internet, but I haven't gotten any reactions.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Jim Fiction on May 03, 2018, 02:16:25 PM
Last weekend I rearranged our living room to better utilize the space. The layout flows so much better and the space is much more open. All it took was rotating our couches, moving the TV to an existing bookshelf and getting rid of a small TV stand (which we gave away). My wife was shocked at the difference.

Next project is paring down my record collection.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 04, 2018, 09:49:50 AM
Planted the flowering, potted bulb someone had given me as a housewarming gift :)
No more "finished", unsightly pot + shoots hanging about the house.

(As a preemptive uncluttering move, did not buy a trowel or watering can. Used kitchen cooking spoon to dig, kitchen scissors to snip, kitchen mixing bowl to water.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on May 04, 2018, 07:10:03 PM
Just back from our holiday in Hawaii, newly stocked up with the comfortable underwear and shoes that are so impossible & expensive to buy in Australia so time for me to go through and get rid of
- 4 bras that bring me out in hives (farewell $400 spent only last year on them)
- the Keen hiking sandals that everyone else can wear but which result in blisters ALL over my feet ($200)
- the Duckfeet work shoes that exacerbate my plantar fascitis (Anyone in Oz with size 37 feet who wants them?)
- all the ankle socks with dead elastic

Also going
- the heavy winter coat that it hasn't been cold enough for in 7 years and which has been too small for 3 years anyway
- the super cute Nancybird wallet that is just Slightly Too Big for my pockets but too small to hold my phone & count as a clutch
- Yet. More. Books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 04, 2018, 07:40:14 PM
Nice going, mspym! Good on you for not making yourself keep unneeded stuff just because you spent money on them relatively recently.

Today I took four things -three of them tiny- to a thrift. Just couldn't stand to have them kicking around anymore. Was feeling I "should" put them at a specific free table this weekend...only to return home to a message that no household stuff is to go on there from now to end of produce season. So, good I ditched them when and where I did!

DS told me a neighbour keeps asking him if I want this, that, or the other thing. DS keeps saying nope, I don't. Whew.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on May 04, 2018, 07:57:12 PM
It's chuck out weekend on my street (bulky rubbish pick up)!! I've heaved a load of junk out to the street, including books and household stuff. If no-one takes the books I'll donate them but often people will have a browse while they walk the dog.

I've made a pile of stuff that DH will have to approve as it's his including many things he 'rescued' from previous cleanups, will see how that goes! I wonder if the neighbour up the street will recognise the thing I put out that they put out a year ago...

I'm going to have to accept that I won't get the car in the garage but my mission is to at least store the stuff properly. At the moment everything is just dumped in layers. Arg.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 05, 2018, 11:29:24 AM
We have hazardous waste collection this weekend - 7 big cans and 2 little cans of paint, old CFLs, and 2 old CO detectors gone. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on May 05, 2018, 11:56:52 AM
Spent two hours sorting through giant piles of mixed toys and toy pieces with my kids.  Want to give games and puzzles away to church tag sale, but of course everything is missing pieces so we can't declutter them until we manage to reunify the parts.  Getting closer though nothing is completed yet.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rowellen on May 05, 2018, 04:22:05 PM
I went through my son's winter clothes with him.  (Winter in Australia is coming up faster than I would like). We made do last year without buying new stuff so most of it was too small now.  5.5 pjs, 7 tracksuit pants, 5 long sleeve shirts, 5 jumpers, 2 vests and a dress shirt gone.  Some items from the too big bag in the cupboard have been relocated to his drawers for use this season.  He was sad to realise some things were too small. I'm proud of him for letting go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on May 05, 2018, 07:27:55 PM
We had to stop decluttering for spring yard work. I love reading everyone's stories though. So much I want to do but time is very limited. It'll still be there when we get to it. Wish DH could just take a week off and we could go through this whole place in one fell swoop. Probably not going to happen but I can dream, right?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 05, 2018, 08:51:29 PM
A new batch came in today -stuff I bought to replace the versions given to me that I didn't want, miscellany from a neighbour (ditto), plus general stuff wanted and shopped for (carpet stain remover per previous tenant). Got overwhelmed, sat in the sunshine in the back of my open car for 90 minutes, chilled until a vision of what was and wasn't working formed. Wrote and drew it out, came home and implemented. Newly unwanteds go to thrift within seven days, soil is scattered, etc.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 06, 2018, 11:36:36 AM
We had to stop decluttering for spring yard work. I love reading everyone's stories though. So much I want to do but time is very limited. It'll still be there when we get to it. Wish DH could just take a week off and we could go through this whole place in one fell swoop. Probably not going to happen but I can dream, right?

Yesterday was yard work here too.  I decluttered a bunch of weeds from the garlic bed, a bunch of weeds from where the peas will go, and some other basic weed decluttering.  Decluttered the lawn of winter's dog poop. 

I also decluttered 9 cans of paint and two old CO monitors and a bunch of dead CFLs.  Things are coming along.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 06, 2018, 12:16:33 PM
Went through my one basket of odds and ends (batteries, picture hangers, foldback clips, etc). Reorganized all (like with like into ziploc sandwich bags), resulted in a small pile of bits and pieces I could let go of.

Almost said to a neighbour, "What I could really use is that empty box of yours...to take all the stuff you're giving me to the thrift." It wasn't meant to be jerky, so I'm glad I realized in time that it sure would have been, had I gotten as far as saying it aloud. Or the irony could be seen as very, very funny, which it does to me since I did manage to filter :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on May 06, 2018, 12:47:46 PM
I decluttered some nature today. Close to a parking place at the beach I found 4 full plastic bags with eatern european, empty, beer cans. And some other stuff, mostly plastic. All properly recycled now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on May 06, 2018, 12:52:13 PM
We are moving soon and I let go of our crib. It was barely used and we had gotten it four years back when we were expecting our first. We were naive parents who assumed baby would take to crib like fish to water. Haha! Both kids hated it, used it to play at times and I used it to contain them when I had to use the restroom. Now that second is a year old it's  a good time to chuck it. Still have the mattress - planning to make a montessori bedroom with it. It ended up being a  very costly laundry basket. Sold to a new mom who was super happy to get a mint condition crib for cheap.

Now eyeing what else I can sell/donate before our move. Maybe the dining room set.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on May 06, 2018, 02:02:27 PM
Packed up a huge bag of clothes that didn't fit anymore. Post-menopause has resulted in lumps and bumps shifting around, so even getting the weight off wouldn't mean anything would fit properly anyway.   I was sad at first, but it's a relief not having those things in the closet shaming me every time I saw them.

Also started packing up some dishes my Mom insisted I take 30 years ago.  We don't use fine china, and these have been carted around through 4 moves now.  Time for them to go and find a new home with someone that appreciates them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 06, 2018, 03:08:33 PM
I have a set of 'good' dishes. Not even sure if they are china or not. I never, ever use them. Don't think they have ever been used but are taking up valuable space in my cupboard. Good idea to get rid of them. I am not hoity toity and wouldn't even be embarrassed if I were to serve company on a mixed bag of dishes and even paper plates! Going to have to think about getting rid of those dishes. Space is precious and I never use them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on May 06, 2018, 04:47:35 PM
I saw advertised on a sales page a set of Xmas crockery. Crockery with a Xmas pattern for use on just few days of the year. That's a minimalist's nightmare right there.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 06, 2018, 09:37:53 PM
Crockery with a Xmas pattern for use on just few days of the year. That's a minimalist's nightmare right there.

lol, yes!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Plina on May 06, 2018, 11:04:04 PM
Packed up a huge bag of clothes that didn't fit anymore. Post-menopause has resulted in lumps and bumps shifting around, so even getting the weight off wouldn't mean anything would fit properly anyway.   I was sad at first, but it's a relief not having those things in the closet shaming me every time I saw them.

Also started packing up some dishes my Mom insisted I take 30 years ago.  We don't use fine china, and these have been carted around through 4 moves now.  Time for them to go and find a new home with someone that appreciates them.

Have you considered using your fine china and getting rid of the other stuff. I got rid of my cheap glasses and started using the nice stuff. Yes, Sometimes something breaks bitit not the whole world.  If I look at my grandparents they saved the nice stuff and never got around using it. Instead it was sold when they died. Seems like such a waste.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on May 07, 2018, 03:20:06 AM
I saw advertised on a sales page a set of Xmas crockery. Crockery with a Xmas pattern for use on just few days of the year. That's a minimalist's nightmare right there.

For reasons unclear, multiple people in my life try to give me Christmas themed serving ware. Brand new, bought for me. Wtf.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BeanCounter on May 07, 2018, 04:10:26 AM
Is it too late to join this group?
My mother died in January and yesterday I finished clearing out her house. I didn't bother with an estate sale because her stuff was either expensive and new (most of the furniture was two or three years old) or not really worth anything (kitchen stuff, clothes). So I donated anything I didn't want and took the rest to my house. Thinking I would have more time to decide what works in my house and what doesn't.
I now have five couches, four dining tables, six beds, and countless boxes of formal china, silver, crystal etc. My basement looks like an episode of Hoarders. And this is on top of already having large piles of outgrown kids toys.
I don't even know where to begin!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 07, 2018, 04:52:29 AM
Wow BeanCounter you have created quite the mess but I understand completely because my Mom died 5 years ago and I dragged stuff home and still doesn't work in my house. We also donated almost 99% of the contents of her home to a charitable organization. We paid the org. $35 (gas money) to come and get the stuff and it took them the best part of a day to get it all in the truck. It was a sad day but it had to be done.

First off, you obviously can't use all this stuff. Get a pad of paper and decide exactly how many beds, tables you need or want to keep. Call Salvation army and donate it to them or some other charitable organization that will do a pick up. You will be helping some family out and getting rid of this stuff.

With the boxes, I think you need to either plan on spending a day opening them all up to see what is in each. Mark each box with a number (Number 1-100) and take that pad of paper and write on the pad the inventory in the box and close it up and go onto the next boxes and do the same thing. Maybe even take a picture of each boxes inventory while it is in the box so you don't have to open it again.

Then make the hard decisions. Are you ever going to use this stuff? Where will you store the stuff? How often are you going to use the stuff? Keep what you will really use or admire in a hutch or curio cabinet and get rid of the rest. There are pickers who will sell your stuff and they make 40% and you make 60%. You can sell it on Craigslist. You might even find an organization that has a yearly auction to make money for their organization/church/animal welfare/fire department and donate to them. You are never going to use all this stuff. If you can give it away you may help someone else and lighten your load. Get rid of this stuff now before someone else has to deal with this accumulation. Good luck to you!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 07, 2018, 05:50:25 AM
Packed up a huge bag of clothes that didn't fit anymore. Post-menopause has resulted in lumps and bumps shifting around, so even getting the weight off wouldn't mean anything would fit properly anyway.   I was sad at first, but it's a relief not having those things in the closet shaming me every time I saw them.

Also started packing up some dishes my Mom insisted I take 30 years ago.  We don't use fine china, and these have been carted around through 4 moves now.  Time for them to go and find a new home with someone that appreciates them.

Have you considered using your fine china and getting rid of the other stuff. I got rid of my cheap glasses and started using the nice stuff. Yes, Sometimes something breaks bitit not the whole world.  If I look at my grandparents they saved the nice stuff and never got around using it. Instead it was sold when they died. Seems like such a waste.

If you like the pattern, use the "good" stuff.  My everyday dishes and glasses are "good".  Using nice china is a joy, it is strong and light weight and food just looks more appetizing on it.  I am not saving it for "good", so I put it in the dishwasher, I am not coddling it.  The sad part of this?  I got it at an estate sale, I am sure it was someone's good china, and I didn't pay much for it.  I am sure I am getting more joy out of using it than they ever did.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 07, 2018, 05:56:47 AM
One word of caution, some china has gold rims around the edges. If you were to put the dish in the microwave it might damage the microwave. Not sure how to know but I would avoid putting those type dishes in the MW.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on May 07, 2018, 06:01:31 AM
Is it too late to join this group?
My mother died in January and yesterday I finished clearing out her house. I didn't bother with an estate sale because her stuff was either expensive and new (most of the furniture was two or three years old) or not really worth anything (kitchen stuff, clothes). So I donated anything I didn't want and took the rest to my house. Thinking I would have more time to decide what works in my house and what doesn't.
I now have five couches, four dining tables, six beds, and countless boxes of formal china, silver, crystal etc. My basement looks like an episode of Hoarders. And this is on top of already having large piles of outgrown kids toys.
I don't even know where to begin!!!

Been there, done that, still going through it a little.  The hard thing is not physically moving stuff, it's the mental effort involved in all the decisions that have to be made.  For each item, and there can be thousands, there are just so many decisions: do I want to keep it and if so where does it go, if I don't want to keep it do I sell it and if so how, or do I donate it and if so to whom, or do I dump it and if so how do I do least damage to the environment?  The difficulty is compounded by all the emotions and memories involved.  My family is getting smaller over the generations so I've had to go through this all too many times, fortunately I don't think I'll ever need to do it again.  Apart from some family heirlooms I'm now thinking I'll leave all the contents of my house to a charity so I don't impose the same job on anyone else.

My view when looking at each category of item was: start with what you want to keep.  You can only have one dining table: pick the one that suits your home best and say goodbye to the others.  Same with the beds and couches: pick what best suits your home and say goodbye to the others.  Don't make one mistake I made, which was keeping stuff for the home I was going to have rather than the one I had then (adding a room, which took two years and is only now allowing me to do a final sort of what I do and don't want:  fortunately I think I got the decisions about right, but 18 months of storage payments did hurt).

I did decide to keep some sentimental items, mostly fancy china.  I had a big wall cupboard with glass doors built specially: it decorates the kitchen but doesn't need dusting because of the doors: no way I would have kept it all on open shelves.  I use daily the cut glass crystal glasses that were previously kept for best.  The sellable stuff went to auction, the donateable stuff to various charities, some unsellable stuff (old upholstered furniture that doesn't meet current fire safety regulations) went via freecycle/freegle/buy nothing.  The last house I cleared I made one or two trips to the dump with my compact car, that's all: it was a well kept home.

It took me 6 months to clear the last house, and then a couple more to get it redecorated and let out, so you are already ahead of my timetable on that: do give yourself credit for that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on May 07, 2018, 07:04:35 AM
Is it too late to join this group?
My mother died in January and yesterday I finished clearing out her house. I didn't bother with an estate sale because her stuff was either expensive and new (most of the furniture was two or three years old) or not really worth anything (kitchen stuff, clothes). So I donated anything I didn't want and took the rest to my house. Thinking I would have more time to decide what works in my house and what doesn't.
I now have five couches, four dining tables, six beds, and countless boxes of formal china, silver, crystal etc. My basement looks like an episode of Hoarders. And this is on top of already having large piles of outgrown kids toys.
I don't even know where to begin!!!
Sorry to hear about your mom. I would definitely second choosing how much furniture you need and which pieces you want to keep. That is a lot of excess large items! FWIW, we sold some fancy china and water goblets for close to $1000. You might be able to sort through the dishes and clear out some that way once you have the bulky stuff sorted and some time to consider what you want to keep.

Decluttering kept me from getting a ticket (or two) last night. I got stopped by the police to be told I have a headlight out and actually had proof of insurance with me that was current thanks to decluttering my desk recently! Got to show it again when I got stopped a second time. So, so glad I got our paperwork sorted through!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on May 07, 2018, 07:11:26 AM
Yesterday was a declutter success. Friends bought their first house. Moving from a small apartment, and they're very frugal types, so we're in the unique place of actually having things we can offer that help! Two big things: they had asked us where we found our reel mower, how much it was, etc, that we had previously owned. I don't think they realized- I never got around to selling it when we bought our electric mower! So we offered them the reel mower, and they accepted. Took it with us yesterday. While we were there, we were discussing living room layout- currently, the couch is super close to the wall with the TV, because they have a little old 30" TV. She mentioned that they plan on pushing the couch back once they have a bigger TV, but "that's WAY down the list of purchases." We replaced our TV before Christmas, and were holding onto our old 42" TV for BIL- but he recently decided that's too small, so he's buying a new one. (Funny how he's not the one buying a house... ahem...) Anyway, we offered, and they're very interested in the old TV. So next time we see them, we'll hand that off as well.

I could have sold these two things, and gotten probably $50 for the mower and $100+ for the TV. But honestly? I'm not usually in a place to actually help a friend like this, so I'm happy to contribute to their house set up. We were fortunate recipients of many things, so it's only fair to pay it forward with passing on useful/needed/desired items.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 07, 2018, 08:06:55 AM
Today I am going to tackle a giant suitcase that is full of hobby crap that I have not done in a few years now. It is going in a garbage bag for Vietnam Vets. Already have a giant pile of stuff to donate.

Oh, and I am going to buy two collapsible laundry baskets and get rid of the three that don't collapse. This is going to be such a great space saver!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on May 07, 2018, 09:04:13 AM
Today I am going to tackle a giant suitcase that is full of hobby crap that I have not done in a few years now. It is going in a garbage bag for Vietnam Vets. Already have a giant pile of stuff to donate.

Oh, and I am going to buy two collapsible laundry baskets and get rid of the three that don't collapse. This is going to be such a great space saver!

You clearly don't have a cat. When the laundry basket isn't being used for laundry, it has a cat in it. And sometimes has both.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 07, 2018, 09:41:29 AM
No cats here! Two dogs. They are not interested in the baskets! Used to put one of them in the laundry basket when he was a puppy but he freaked out and never liked it! LOL, needless to say I put him in it for my entertainment!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on May 07, 2018, 10:42:22 AM
I offered my old stereo to my brother and he is going to take it off my hands. It won't work for the design plan I have for my living room when the entertainment center goes. The conversation went like this --

Brother - I have a new CC and I need to go buy a stereo!
Me -       Don't use all that credit at once.
Pause ........
Me -       If you are interested I am getting rid of my old stereo - 5 disc, 2 tape deck, speakers and remote if you want
Brother - How much are you asking?
Me -        $ 45
Brother -  Is it broken????
Me-       No, it works I have something smaller  that I want to use instead.   
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 07, 2018, 11:01:41 AM
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I just took 13 bags to a shred event last week and just found another two drawer file cabinet with a ton of crap that needs shredding! The event I went to was free. Last Saturday they had one elsewhere that cost $10 a box. GRRRRRRRR! The free one one is only one time a year. What do you think I should do? Find another event and pay to get rid of this crap or wait till next year?

My head just blew a gasket when I opened those drawers and saw all that crap! ARGGGGGG!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 07, 2018, 11:12:57 AM
GET RID OF IT NOW! Pay the fee. Make it go away. Worth it.

And, as you declutter, you will probably have this experience over and over again. You clear out "everything" that can go, and three days later find or identify more. Nature of the game. Keep it going OUT, even if a small fee is involved.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on May 07, 2018, 11:55:45 AM
Congrats on being able to help a friend, Bracken Joy! That's fantastic!

Put two books in one of our local Little Free Libraries this morning. That's always a nice moment.

A question: It seems like a lot of folks deal with serious paper shredding issues. Is it worth it to those who have copious paper to buy a shredder? I know that goes against the general minimalist/get rid of stuff bent, but if you know you're going to have a LOT of paper coming in and out for years, it might be worth it. I got a small one several years ago from a friend who was moving out of town -- 10 bucks well spent for me, since I've shredded quite a few confidential bits of paper with it with no stress. The one I have costs about $30 new. If you have to pay $10 to shred each box and have more than three boxes, buying the shredder is already cheaper in terms of raw dollars spent. (Obviously not worth it if this is just another strategy to keep more clutter IN your house, but if it can help you get boxes and boxes of clutter out more quickly -- maybe a thing to think about?)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Dragonswan on May 07, 2018, 12:03:49 PM
If you're still working can you bring in a little at a time and use the office industrial shredder.  I have a small home shredder (for receipts and junk mail from banks) but I still do this on occasion when I do a big clean out push.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Dragonswan on May 07, 2018, 12:10:05 PM
Dragonswan, the dumpster was maybe $350. The deal is they let you have it for maybe a week. Which isn't enough time typically when you work so we rented it so it arrived on a Friday and we had all weekend to fill it. Then we rented it for the following weekend and we had to pay maybe $10 for each extra day. Then the following Monday we had them take it away. So we kept it 10 total days.

The organization we found only charged us $35 and that was for fuel for the truck. It was a bargain for sure.

We also had 1800 got junk and that place was expensive! They charged us to take away a small amount of stuff as much as the $350 dumpster rental. If you have the room, go with the dumpster if you are physically able to load the dumpster. If you are not, 1800 got junk does the job but trust me, they are expensive considering what they take away.

If you have them bring a dumpster, makes sure you tell them to put some wooden planks under the wheels of the dumpster so it doesn't dig into your driveway.

Dumpster delivery was very easy and we had them come first thing in the morning and they were there. No hassles whatsoever. When you are done with the dumpster you just call them and they arrange pick up. If it is a Monday pick up make sure to call them the Friday before.

We went thru our garbage company. The did require payment on the phone and wouldn't add the service to my normal garbage bill.

Thanks for the info.  My siblings and I will likely that a week off from work and descend on the house and get it done.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on May 07, 2018, 12:12:30 PM
Packed up a huge bag of clothes that didn't fit anymore. Post-menopause has resulted in lumps and bumps shifting around, so even getting the weight off wouldn't mean anything would fit properly anyway.   I was sad at first, but it's a relief not having those things in the closet shaming me every time I saw them.

Also started packing up some dishes my Mom insisted I take 30 years ago.  We don't use fine china, and these have been carted around through 4 moves now.  Time for them to go and find a new home with someone that appreciates them.

Have you considered using your fine china and getting rid of the other stuff. I got rid of my cheap glasses and started using the nice stuff. Yes, Sometimes something breaks bitit not the whole world.  If I look at my grandparents they saved the nice stuff and never got around using it. Instead it was sold when they died. Seems like such a waste.

We actually do use some of the bowls, etc.  It is gold rimmed though, so not supposed to go in the dishwasher.  Also monogrammed with an initial that is not ours.   I would definitely keep it and use it if I liked it, but it was never anything I would have picked out for myself.  Knowing the relative it came from, I'm sure they paid a fortune for it back in the 40's.   Our everyday dishes are plain white, so suitable for any occasion.   I can't see us using the tea cups and saucers under any condition - weird shape, too tiny, and just not attractive.  Those will be the first things to get packed up.

I have some stemware that was a wedding gift that I used to keep for 'good'.  Yes, just like your grandparents.  So a couple of years ago I started using it for everyday.   If something breaks, that's fine.  I still have my 'free with gas' Texaco wine glasses from the 60's as a backup.   : )
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BeanCounter on May 07, 2018, 12:31:53 PM
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I just took 13 bags to a shred event last week and just found another two drawer file cabinet with a ton of crap that needs shredding! The event I went to was free. Last Saturday they had one elsewhere that cost $10 a box. GRRRRRRRR! The free one one is only one time a year. What do you think I should do? Find another event and pay to get rid of this crap or wait till next year?

My head just blew a gasket when I opened those drawers and saw all that crap! ARGGGGGG!!
I have friends that throw it in their fire pit while they sit drink beer/roast marshmallows.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BeanCounter on May 07, 2018, 12:34:52 PM
[It took me 6 months to clear the last house, and then a couple more to get it redecorated and let out, so you are already ahead of my timetable on that: do give yourself credit for that.
Thank you. Yes. I think it was a mistake to bring so much of it to our home to deal with. But it's in our basement and not our living space, and that allowed me to quickly sell the house and invest the proceeds, as well as not make tough decisions on what to keep when I'm still very emotional.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BeanCounter on May 07, 2018, 12:37:29 PM
[
Sorry to hear about your mom. I would definitely second choosing how much furniture you need and which pieces you want to keep. That is a lot of excess large items! FWIW, we sold some fancy china and water goblets for close to $1000. You might be able to sort through the dishes and clear out some that way once you have the bulky stuff sorted and some time to consider what you want to keep.

[/quote]
I'm thinking I figure out what to keep and work on selling the big pieces of furniture first. Then use that space to store boxes on one side of the basement while I sort them on the other one at a time? We are also starting the process of remodeling our house which makes it that much more complicated. What will I want once the remodel is done? Who knows.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 07, 2018, 12:58:59 PM
GET RID OF IT NOW! Pay the fee. Make it go away. Worth it.

And, as you declutter, you will probably have this experience over and over again. You clear out "everything" that can go, and three days later find or identify more. Nature of the game. Keep it going OUT, even if a small fee is involved.

You made me laugh when you said "make it go away". LOL! Spoke to the Hub about the two drawers full and he agreed to get rid of it. I might be able to pare down the cost if none of the junk is confidential, thus costing me less to shred. I have no idea what all the junk is. But two drawers full.

I had a shredder, actually two and I despised them. They are slower than molasses and filled up so fast. Then the mess the shred pieces make when you remove the bin. The last one broke and I don't want another one. When I worked we had a beast of a shredder at work and it would almost take telephone books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 07, 2018, 01:05:08 PM
I love my personal home shredder for the tiny bits I like to do daily. 3-5 documents, maybe 30 on an exciting day. Backlog -the build up from years, or from a massive project- I like to get to a shredding company, out, done.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on May 07, 2018, 01:17:56 PM
I've had a box w/ a couple books for my sister and a big bag of needlepoint pillows from my parent's house to try to ebay. Except that I can't really get to the post office easily due to work schedule.

Packed all of it up into a big box, going to ship to my sister. She will ebay the crap. (Family politics, have to at least try to sell.) We tend to divvy up the parent related stuff, and by virtue of the current situation, she's light. Will take to post office probably next week since I've got the week off, but it's at least neat and contained.

I plan to pull out the 4(!) light fixtures that I need to ebay, clean and take pictures and get them posted this week. Since I'm off next week, maybe I'll get lucky and they'll all sell and I can take to the post office pretty easily.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 07, 2018, 09:07:46 PM
Newly unwanteds go to thrift within seven days...

Done! :)

Also: Headed off the phone book delivery at the pass. It's 2018 and I have internet. Nope!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on May 08, 2018, 04:50:03 AM
Gave some more castoffs to some excited students. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 08, 2018, 06:48:54 AM
Okay, a few years ago I bought these plastic organizers. One says it is for organizing beads and junk for jewelry making. The other one I think I picked up in an isle in Walmart for tools or fishing so this could organize lures I guess. However, I just loved these organizers so much I HAD TO BUY THEM. So I get them home and have no idea what to put in them. I put them away and forgot about them. Yesterday I was yanking out crap to donate and found them again and once again fell in love with these plastic organizers. But still have nothing to put in them. How stupid can I get? They have dividers but you could use the whole thing as an open space.

This is one of the organizers and the other is a little smaller: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Plano-FTO-Elite-3700-Size-Crank-Bait-Organizer/17126456

I don't fish and I don't make jewelry. I have no idea what to do with these but I love them! LOL! I am an idiot! Anyone have any ideas on some uses for these things? My Hub has a bunch in the garage for nuts and bolts and he will gladly take them off my hands if I can't figure out how to use them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chaskavitch on May 08, 2018, 07:01:52 AM
Okay, a few years ago I bought these plastic organizers. One says it is for organizing beads and junk for jewelry making. The other one I think I picked up in an isle in Walmart for tools or fishing so this could organize lures I guess. However, I just loved these organizers so much I HAD TO BUY THEM. So I get them home and have no idea what to put in them. I put them away and forgot about them. Yesterday I was yanking out crap to donate and found them again and once again fell in love with these plastic organizers. But still have nothing to put in them. How stupid can I get? They have dividers but you could use the whole thing as an open space.

This is one of the organizers and the other is a little smaller: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Plano-FTO-Elite-3700-Size-Crank-Bait-Organizer/17126456

I don't fish and I don't make jewelry. I have no idea what to do with these but I love them! LOL! I am an idiot! Anyone have any ideas on some uses for these things? My Hub has a bunch in the garage for nuts and bolts and he will gladly take them off my hands if I can't figure out how to use them.

We have a beading/jewelry making organizer similar to that which is perfect for holding all of the pieces for our Agricola board game :)  It has a ton of tiles, tokens, cards, etc., and somehow I found an organizer with exactly enough holes that fits perfectly inside the game box.  Infinitely better than little plastic baggies for everything.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on May 08, 2018, 07:56:27 AM
I love using it for organizing earrings. I also use one to organize hair ties by color for my kids. I love them!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 08, 2018, 10:04:19 AM
Okay, a few years ago I bought these plastic organizers. One says it is for organizing beads and junk for jewelry making. The other one I think I picked up in an isle in Walmart for tools or fishing so this could organize lures I guess. However, I just loved these organizers so much I HAD TO BUY THEM. So I get them home and have no idea what to put in them. I put them away and forgot about them. Yesterday I was yanking out crap to donate and found them again and once again fell in love with these plastic organizers. But still have nothing to put in them. How stupid can I get? They have dividers but you could use the whole thing as an open space.

This is one of the organizers and the other is a little smaller: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Plano-FTO-Elite-3700-Size-Crank-Bait-Organizer/17126456

I don't fish and I don't make jewelry. I have no idea what to do with these but I love them! LOL! I am an idiot! Anyone have any ideas on some uses for these things? My Hub has a bunch in the garage for nuts and bolts and he will gladly take them off my hands if I can't figure out how to use them.

I don't know if I'm allowed to say this to an internet stranger, but please don't call yourself names.  For one thing, it's counterproductive.

I too have a peculiar love and attachment for organizers.  When I moved, I packed up a bag full of bags.  Like a 2' (60cm) tall bag full of other empty bags.  I had overflow in my bike basket (itself a container).  I <3 containers of all kinds.  Bags, boxes...expecially if it has lots of pockets or cubbyholes.  It has nothing to do with intelligence; it's an emotional reaction.  I think I see possibility & opportunity when I see those things.

I have a tackle box I use as my "indoor" tool box.  It holds misc hardware like cup hooks, alligator clips, picture hanging hardware and also my 4-in-1 screwdriver, a 25' (7.6m) tape measure, utility knife, and a lot more.  So that's an idea.

Do you have a junk drawer in your house?  Could one or both of these containers be used to bring some organization to that mess?

@firelight has a good idea with the earrings.  Regular rings (for fingers) might work, too.

Is there craft/hobby you do that has small bits?  I have a similar organizer that I put embroidery floss & spare buttons in.

Gigantic pill/medication organizer? :)

Last, consider it an opportunity for personal growth and generosity to either give them to your Hub or to the charity of your choice.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 08, 2018, 11:25:50 AM
One word of caution, some china has gold rims around the edges. If you were to put the dish in the microwave it might damage the microwave. Not sure how to know but I would avoid putting those type dishes in the MW.

I have plain white plates that go in the microwave.  I don't care if the metal trim eventually wears off in the dishwasher.  I have some glasses that had gold trim, and were hard to wash by hand (a bit narrow) and they go in the dishwasher.  The gold is gone, of course, but do I care?  No.

Funny microwave and metal trim story from work.  Someone put a mug with metal trim in the microwave - yes, it made weird noises and exploded and we had the fire department in.  This was someone who should have known better.

The big downside for  nice china from relatives/bought at auction is that it comes with all the little cups and saucers, that no-one uses any more.  Top shelf at the back.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 08, 2018, 11:26:57 AM
oneday, Don't take everything someone says so seriously! I called myself an idiot and stupid because I can! It is called humor! I didn't call anyone else those things.

Some of us do things that we think will improve a situation like clutter and then come home with a totally useless item. It is great when you find something and say, "oh, wow, that is just what I have been looking for". Then there is the, Oh, I like those organizers and I have to have them and I will find some use for them and then don't.

I was halfway thinking of putting lunchmeat in them but I don't think they are for food and may not be air tight. I am thinking of maybe a desk organizer. I have post it notes, pens, rulers, a few batteries, calculator and other little things. Or maybe all my $100 bills I have scattered around the house! Ha, ha!

Thanks for your other ideas.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 08, 2018, 03:33:48 PM
RR53, your post did not read (to me) as humorous at all, rather it seemed like you were being really hard on yourself.  I'm glad to know that's not the case.  I will admit that I am sensitive to using lack of intelligence as insults (dumb, stupid, idiot etc).  Even when I keep that in mind & re-read, it just doesn't seem funny to me.

The desk organizer idea seems like a winner!

Or maybe all my $100 bills I have scattered around the house! Ha, ha!

Now that's funny :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 08, 2018, 04:12:19 PM
Seriously, oneday, you need to lighten up. If you reread a portion of what I wrote it was:  LOL! I am an idiot! LOL means laughing out loud!

Sorry you don't get my humor. I call myself an idiot, jerk, and many other things when I make dumb mistakes. If you read future posts of mine, I try to interject humor most of the time.

Laughter it the best medicine!

Ended up taking the lid off the larger organizer and using it as a desk organizer. It is okay, not great. The other one I did clean out a junk drawer and used the smaller one. It was okay but not perfect. Kind of ridged in a small drawer.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on May 09, 2018, 05:19:10 AM
Helped my Mum get rid of five garbage bags of towels to the RSPCA... it wasn’t half of the towels they have in the house, but it was a good effort all the same. Still chipping away at little odds and ends in my own house and I think I still have too much clothing and fabric type stuff (sheets, towels, anything that lives in the laundry basket basically) because the house is still regularly a mess of clean but unfolded laundry. *sigh* I sometimes wish I was a neat and tidy person by nature.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 09, 2018, 07:52:03 AM
Quote
I sometimes wish I was a neat and tidy person by nature.

KonMari is confident we can all become that. Do you believe you can, Yasha?

Way to go on the towels!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on May 10, 2018, 11:59:13 AM
Quote
I sometimes wish I was a neat and tidy person by nature.

KonMari is confident we can all become that. Do you believe you can, Yasha?

Way to go on the towels!!!

I certainly can believe that. I used to be such a slob and a packrat. Just the other day I saw a picture of my house, maybe just two years ago, and I'm appalled at the endless array of bits and bobs on every damn surface! No fewer than 9 pieces of 'decor' on a 6 foot wide window sill. Can't believe that was just two years ago! My house has changed dramatically and I don't think I really realized how much.

My window sill is empty nowadays. I have a gorgeous view of the river and trees and I like my view uninterrupted! And my cats love basking in the sun, all stretched out. Who needs things?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 10, 2018, 12:28:00 PM
I used to work at a company where we produced food products so it had to be sanitary. We had concrete floors with the floors pitched to the drains, stainless steel tables and concrete walls. Most of the equipment was stainless steel. Every Friday we would remove everything and put it in its proper place and hose the walls, floors, tables down with this special detergent to prevent germs. I loved it and thought what a great thing this would be in a home! Just lather it all up and spray it with water and all the gunk down the drain! That is my dream house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 10, 2018, 09:58:39 PM
Well it's been a busy two weeks since I last posted on this thread about decluttering.  I've been settling into my new place an keeping occupied finding the right place for all my things.  Including identifying items for the donation box I started two weeks ago, but haven't filled yet.

Last weekend I helped Mr. X move into his new place that has no kitchen access.  He decided that I should have two large boxes of kitchen things.  Um, no thanks!  It was actually quite distressing to have him dump that stuff in my apartment, when I was just getting it to feel organized.

Which means it took a couple days to even work up to being able to deal with it.  Last night I went through those boxes to pull out a few dishes I did want.  Tonight I got all the food situated in the cabinets.  I plan to bring the remainder to our storage unit this weekend.  It will be, quite literally, a load off!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 11, 2018, 07:46:43 AM
What’s the goal with the storage unit, oneday? It sounded like the rest of those two boxes of kitchen stuff neither of you wants..? Can they go straight to the thrift?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: midweststache on May 11, 2018, 08:39:10 AM
So... we currently have (and maybe I should go post on Wall of Shame with this too...) 5 (!) computers in our house.

1. DH's old Mac (2006) that literally stopped working/turning on in 2012 and has been sitting in a drawer since.
2. DH's old PC (2012) that he actually got from the Presidential campaign he worked on in 2012 when the offices shut down. (If he paid for it, which I'm not sure he did since that would have been 'campaign income' after the fact, it was likely around $100). This is in the process of being wiped.
3. DH's new PC (2018) to replace the 2012 PC. DH works from home 1-2x/week and the computer is necessary for his job.
4. My old Mac (2016) which had an unfortunate run-in with my toddler and liquid earlier this spring.
5. My new Mac (2018) which I needed to replace the old Mac. (I currently work from home FT and could not 'share' my DH's computer on days we were both home... *le sigh*)

So we need to get rid of computers 1, 2, and 4. Next weekend, I'm taking computers 1 and 4 to the Apple store nearby, as they will recycle old Macs at no cost (neither piece of hardware is worth the 'trade in' process, and I don't need to buy anything from Apple anyway). I'm also going to gently encourage (read: probably nag) DH into getting his computer completely clean to be recycled at a local electronics store that same weekend. They WILL be gone (recycled) by 5/31.

*sigh* We've moved at least one of these (non-working) computers TWICE. TWICE! That's nuts. If I can get these three things out of my house by the end of the month, I'm going to consider May a decluttering win.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadowmoss on May 11, 2018, 08:55:56 AM
If I makes you feel better (the opposite of the purpose of this thread) I have at least 6 computers and I live alone.  Since I moved into my motor home full time I use 2 laptops, a large one and a smaller travel one.  I have my old desktop and at least 3 older laptops.  Wait, I think I gave away one of the smaller older laptops a few years ago.  I may only have 5.  And that is because 2 years ago I decluttered the non-working ones when I retired.  Le sigh.  As a computer geek I have an issue with what to do with working but older technology that most folks wouldn't want.  There is also the issue that I have a bunch of games that won't work on the newer operating systems...

I'm working on it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on May 11, 2018, 10:06:15 AM
So... we currently have (and maybe I should go post on Wall of Shame with this too...) 5 (!) computers in our house.

1. DH's old Mac (2006) that literally stopped working/turning on in 2012 and has been sitting in a drawer since.
2. DH's old PC (2012) that he actually got from the Presidential campaign he worked on in 2012 when the offices shut down. (If he paid for it, which I'm not sure he did since that would have been 'campaign income' after the fact, it was likely around $100). This is in the process of being wiped.
3. DH's new PC (2018) to replace the 2012 PC. DH works from home 1-2x/week and the computer is necessary for his job.
4. My old Mac (2016) which had an unfortunate run-in with my toddler and liquid earlier this spring.
5. My new Mac (2018) which I needed to replace the old Mac. (I currently work from home FT and could not 'share' my DH's computer on days we were both home... *le sigh*)

So we need to get rid of computers 1, 2, and 4. Next weekend, I'm taking computers 1 and 4 to the Apple store nearby, as they will recycle old Macs at no cost (neither piece of hardware is worth the 'trade in' process, and I don't need to buy anything from Apple anyway). I'm also going to gently encourage (read: probably nag) DH into getting his computer completely clean to be recycled at a local electronics store that same weekend. They WILL be gone (recycled) by 5/31.

*sigh* We've moved at least one of these (non-working) computers TWICE. TWICE! That's nuts. If I can get these three things out of my house by the end of the month, I'm going to consider May a decluttering win.

I think we have 5 computers and 6 phones around, in spite of having taken a load of stuff to electronics recycling back in 2015. Husband's work is just so demanding on computers that they kinda need bleeding-edge computers. He's also basically the IT department for the company, so we just end up with computers like crazy. Only one of the computers was mine that I bought before nursing school, and it... kinda doesn't work much anymore. I currently use an old work computer of husband's that can't handle 3D modeling anymore, but is fine for web browsing and spread sheets.

Some day we'll get around to the tech overload =\ Part of the problem is the computers HAVE been used as emergency work backups before, so they sit 90% of the time but save the day once a year or so. Ugh. At least they're all laptops, so they fit nicely tucked away in the office closet!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 11, 2018, 10:18:01 AM
Does anyone know of a place to donate old cell phones? Do they even take old cell phones with old technology?

I have a bag of old ones and want to get rid of them. I donated some years ago. Where ever it was I didn't even get a thank you.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 11, 2018, 10:43:03 AM
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/donate-cell-phone-charity.htm
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 11, 2018, 12:30:04 PM
Thanks for that link. I am going to donate to the Cell Phones for soldiers! I am excited that they will go to good use!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 11, 2018, 12:33:34 PM
I don't know how up-to-date the article is, so just an example of what might come up in a Google search. Probably lots of other good options too.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 11, 2018, 12:44:36 PM
This is really pathetic but I am so excited! I purchased two new laundry baskets from Walmart and they are collapsible! I have 3 giant clunker ones that are a pain to store and they are going bye, bye! Two are in perfect shape and I have Vietnam Veteran organization doing a pick up here on Tuesday so will include the two good baskets. The one that is my favorite is cracking and pinches your fingers...so that one will get chopped up and thrown in the garbage.

I must live in a very special world where a collapsible laundry basket was the highlight of my day! LOL! It is a space saver though!

Here it is! https://www.walmart.com/ip/PO-BSKT-COLLAPSE-1-6/126266179
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on May 11, 2018, 01:11:55 PM
So... we currently have (and maybe I should go post on Wall of Shame with this too...) 5 (!) computers in our house.

1. DH's old Mac (2006) that literally stopped working/turning on in 2012 and has been sitting in a drawer since.
2. DH's old PC (2012) that he actually got from the Presidential campaign he worked on in 2012 when the offices shut down. (If he paid for it, which I'm not sure he did since that would have been 'campaign income' after the fact, it was likely around $100). This is in the process of being wiped.
3. DH's new PC (2018) to replace the 2012 PC. DH works from home 1-2x/week and the computer is necessary for his job.
4. My old Mac (2016) which had an unfortunate run-in with my toddler and liquid earlier this spring.
5. My new Mac (2018) which I needed to replace the old Mac. (I currently work from home FT and could not 'share' my DH's computer on days we were both home... *le sigh*)

So we need to get rid of computers 1, 2, and 4. Next weekend, I'm taking computers 1 and 4 to the Apple store nearby, as they will recycle old Macs at no cost (neither piece of hardware is worth the 'trade in' process, and I don't need to buy anything from Apple anyway). I'm also going to gently encourage (read: probably nag) DH into getting his computer completely clean to be recycled at a local electronics store that same weekend. They WILL be gone (recycled) by 5/31.

*sigh* We've moved at least one of these (non-working) computers TWICE. TWICE! That's nuts. If I can get these three things out of my house by the end of the month, I'm going to consider May a decluttering win.

I think we have 5 computers and 6 phones around, in spite of having taken a load of stuff to electronics recycling back in 2015. Husband's work is just so demanding on computers that they kinda need bleeding-edge computers. He's also basically the IT department for the company, so we just end up with computers like crazy. Only one of the computers was mine that I bought before nursing school, and it... kinda doesn't work much anymore. I currently use an old work computer of husband's that can't handle 3D modeling anymore, but is fine for web browsing and spread sheets.

Some day we'll get around to the tech overload =\ Part of the problem is the computers HAVE been used as emergency work backups before, so they sit 90% of the time but save the day once a year or so. Ugh. At least they're all laptops, so they fit nicely tucked away in the office closet!

My dad has 2 full filing cabinets, 1 floor to ceiling bookcase, 1 half size bookcase, and at least 3-4 boxes of computer stuff. Parts, software, wires, connections, etc. That is actually reduced in size.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on May 11, 2018, 01:14:14 PM
So... we currently have (and maybe I should go post on Wall of Shame with this too...) 5 (!) computers in our house.

1. DH's old Mac (2006) that literally stopped working/turning on in 2012 and has been sitting in a drawer since.
2. DH's old PC (2012) that he actually got from the Presidential campaign he worked on in 2012 when the offices shut down. (If he paid for it, which I'm not sure he did since that would have been 'campaign income' after the fact, it was likely around $100). This is in the process of being wiped.
3. DH's new PC (2018) to replace the 2012 PC. DH works from home 1-2x/week and the computer is necessary for his job.
4. My old Mac (2016) which had an unfortunate run-in with my toddler and liquid earlier this spring.
5. My new Mac (2018) which I needed to replace the old Mac. (I currently work from home FT and could not 'share' my DH's computer on days we were both home... *le sigh*)

So we need to get rid of computers 1, 2, and 4. Next weekend, I'm taking computers 1 and 4 to the Apple store nearby, as they will recycle old Macs at no cost (neither piece of hardware is worth the 'trade in' process, and I don't need to buy anything from Apple anyway). I'm also going to gently encourage (read: probably nag) DH into getting his computer completely clean to be recycled at a local electronics store that same weekend. They WILL be gone (recycled) by 5/31.

*sigh* We've moved at least one of these (non-working) computers TWICE. TWICE! That's nuts. If I can get these three things out of my house by the end of the month, I'm going to consider May a decluttering win.

I think we have 5 computers and 6 phones around, in spite of having taken a load of stuff to electronics recycling back in 2015. Husband's work is just so demanding on computers that they kinda need bleeding-edge computers. He's also basically the IT department for the company, so we just end up with computers like crazy. Only one of the computers was mine that I bought before nursing school, and it... kinda doesn't work much anymore. I currently use an old work computer of husband's that can't handle 3D modeling anymore, but is fine for web browsing and spread sheets.

Some day we'll get around to the tech overload =\ Part of the problem is the computers HAVE been used as emergency work backups before, so they sit 90% of the time but save the day once a year or so. Ugh. At least they're all laptops, so they fit nicely tucked away in the office closet!

My dad has 2 full filing cabinets, 1 floor to ceiling bookcase, 1 half size bookcase, and at least 3-4 boxes of computer stuff. Parts, software, wires, connections, etc. That is actually reduced in size.

I'm desperately trying to avoid it, but with Husband being an electrical engineer, that may be the eventual future. *Sigh* so long as he keeps it organized and in the office, I guess, it's fine.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on May 11, 2018, 01:51:03 PM
Multiple pairs of shoes off to the thrift store.  Mr. SP had bought a few pair for work, but then retired.  He doesn't need them now, won't wear them, so out they go.  I have plantar fasciitis, so shoes that used to be comfortable are not now.  A few pair had only been worn a couple of times (dress shoes), so I think someone will be very glad to find them at Goodwill.  Our closet looks so much neater.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Swish on May 11, 2018, 02:21:37 PM
YAY!

I have lurked for a long time and this thread motivated our spring clean up efforts. Initially we were going to haul most of the following list to the dump/metal recycle and instead we sold a bunch on Facebook Marketplace! We also donated six boxes of clothes/toys to community living!

Here is the list so far from cleaning out garage:
Smart Car Rims $125 $100 SOLD
Tar: $40
Paintings: $30
Vase: $15
Little People: $75 SOLD
Dryer: $85 SOLD
Jacuzzi Tub: $300 SOLD
Table & Chair: $15 SOLD
Potterybarn rug: $40 SOLD
LED Spares: $55 SOLD
Toys: $22 SOLD
Mirrors: $25 SOLD
Baby Gate: $25 SOLD
Fridge: $300 SOLD
Used Water Heater: $150 SOLD
Another Dryer: $100 SOLD

TOTAL SALES: $1,192.00 $1,292.00

Time spent listing/cleaning: 8.75 hours
Dump fees: $0.00

Thank you for the motivation and I hope this motivates some one else the same way you all have motivated me!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on May 11, 2018, 08:50:16 PM
I have a decluttering win! We moved today and all our belongings fit in a 15 foot uhaul truck (two adults and two kids). Last time we made the same move ten months back, we had a 15 foot truck and a sedan and a suv packed to the gills. Now after packing with two young kids under 4 underfoot,I want to declutter more since we have another move in a year's time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 11, 2018, 08:53:50 PM
What’s the goal with the storage unit, oneday? It sounded like the rest of those two boxes of kitchen stuff neither of you wants..? Can they go straight to the thrift?

The storage unit was a temporary place for our excess stuff while we prepped & then put the condo on the market starting in Feb.  I have 3 pieces of furniture & 1 box left in there, then I wash my hands of it.  I am negotiating right now with several companies to help with the furniture possibly next weekend. 

Mr. X is going overseas for 2 months in late summer, so for now he is renting a room with no kitchen access.  This he will give up when he travels, so he is keeping the storage unit until he comes back.  At that time he will get a proper apartment & kitchen, and he will want this stuff then. 

Anyway, if I dare to give away his precious stuff...woe betide me!

Took a forum break just now to bring 2 empty boxes down to the recycle bin and move 4 packed boxes* into the storage closed on my back deck.  I uncovered an outlet that I suspected existed, but couldn't find.  That means I no longer need the extension cord running across the room in order to charge my phone overnight, but still have it close at hand as it is my alarm clock.  WIN!

*Holiday 1, holiday 2, camping, cat crate.  Will turn my attention to these later on.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 11, 2018, 08:59:09 PM
This is really pathetic but I am so excited! I purchased two new laundry baskets from Walmart and they are collapsible! I have 3 giant clunker ones that are a pain to store and they are going bye, bye! Two are in perfect shape and I have Vietnam Veteran organization doing a pick up here on Tuesday so will include the two good baskets. The one that is my favorite is cracking and pinches your fingers...so that one will get chopped up and thrown in the garbage.

I must live in a very special world where a collapsible laundry basket was the highlight of my day! LOL! It is a space saver though!

Here it is! https://www.walmart.com/ip/PO-BSKT-COLLAPSE-1-6/126266179

In the context of this thread, this is exciting!  The vets will be happy with their baskets & you will be happy with your new baskets too!  And the broken, pinchy basket goes to the trash like it should.

@Swish you just motivated me to put some things I was planning to sell into the donate box!  Ha!  Your post reminded me how much I dislike trying to sell things.  I'm so glad it works for you...nice little side hustle!

@firelight I was composing while you posted...your post started with a win and mine ended with one.  This tickles me.  Great work on the decluttering in the last 10 months!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on May 11, 2018, 09:58:03 PM
So some of you know that I clear other people's places for money. I just did an awful one. They'd moved overseas in a hurry and there was so. much. stuff. left behind. 75% of it was junk and I rehomed most of the rest. I have no idea why they hung on to so much crap eg rusty pans, linen with moths etc etc but it made me sad that this stuff was just stored til it was unusable by anyone. I assume time constraints meant they couldn't deal with it while they were packing. Bonus tho: I found collectable crockery from the 60s that's worth $.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on May 12, 2018, 12:45:25 AM
Big wins today! Giving away cloth nappies (a type I was given as a hand-me-down), oil pastels, New Scientist magazines and toys - neighbours and almost-neighbours (found via Buy Nothing) all so thrilled with the items. Great!

Not decluttering in the sense of getting stuff out of the house, but I have spent some time today boxing up too-small baby clothes to put in the attic until we have a small baby again. Perhaps not surprisingly this has made me feel rather emotional and nostalgic. I don't have a tiny baby anymore.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 12, 2018, 04:12:23 AM
Today is Mailman food collection day for the foodbanks. Collected up a bunch of food that has limited best buy dates. Some are good for a long time and some are good till August. So now a bunch more stuff is leaving the house. I ended up throwing some foods out that had expired and it made me pretty mad. Cash in the trash...But, at least I have a very generous pile of usuable food to donate today!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LaineyAZ on May 12, 2018, 06:40:00 AM
Roadrunner53,
We did the same thing here:  checked our pantry for extra food along with any food close to expiration date.  (our local food bank actually accepts canned and boxed food up to one year after expiration date but the flyer for today's collection didn't say that so I'm sticking with not-yet-expired food)
A great way to help the community and also clear out the pantry.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 12, 2018, 08:34:36 AM
LaineyAZ, wish that was the case on the dates because some were not long expired. Like some were only about two months and one expired today!

I used to work for a food company and we did food storage studies. We knew our product would last longer than the date we decided upon but  due to falling nutritional numbers we had to choose an expiration date sooner. Not that much but if you claim the product has so much Vitamin such and such you have to provide that amount. Over time, product does lose flavor, vitamins, nutritonal values and color.

My Hub has got a real thing about expiration dates on products. I keep telling him that the thing is not going to self destruct and turn green and rotten in front of his face due to the expiration date being off by a few weeks. He will throw the stuff in the garbage. He has gotten a little better about it and I can convince him sometimes the item is okay! Some things like canned tuna or canned meat I don't play games with but dehydrated onion soup or green beans in a can are not scary! Unless, the can is dented then I might toss it. I don't have that much expired stuff but every once in a while it happens. LOL!

There have been stories on the news on expiration dates, best buy dates and other dates and they said it is very confusing to the consumer and I think they are supposed to come up with better verbage to put on food items.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on May 12, 2018, 08:39:36 AM
Today is Mailman food collection day for the foodbanks. Collected up a bunch of food that has limited best buy dates. Some are good for a long time and some are good till August. So now a bunch more stuff is leaving the house. I ended up throwing some foods out that had expired and it made me pretty mad. Cash in the trash...But, at least I have a very generous pile of usuable food to donate today!

We have the same. Made me feel good in a way- we only came up with 4 things we likely won't use. 1 pack of pasta, 2 cans salmon, 1 can smoked oysters. So at least the pantry has stayed pretty well in control. Can't always say the same about the freezer, ahem.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on May 12, 2018, 09:30:30 PM
I had a bit of a think about the idea of being a natural cleaner, or like someone suggested above, that everyone could be if they had less stuff. With that in mind I took a critical look at the stuff that is always left behind in the laundry basket, and I ended up purging over 50 items. About a dozen were odd socks, whose buddies have been missing for eons. Add in some jackets that don't fit, a few out dated work blouses, two pairs of shoes I never wear (and if I do hurt my feet), plus some odds and ends from the kitchen. Hopefully that will keep things a little easier to control, and thus keep clean.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 12, 2018, 11:10:50 PM
@Yasha you really took that advice to heart & put it to good use!  Would be nice (if you wan to, if you remember) report back here is a month or so & let us know how you are feeling about it.

Tossed the address labels with Mr. & Mrs. Oneday (we are divorcing) and our old address.  Felt good! 

I am recovering one of the cat scratch posts, and got one of the pieces (which took all evening a couple weeks back to remove) cut, and in just a few minutes, too.  Tossed the old piece, even though I'm not ready to attach the new piece yet.  It's just a rectangle!  Why would I need to keep it?  Also, why do I feel slightly bad for getting rid of it while the project is not complete?

ETA: how could I forget?  I got those two boxes of kitchen crap into Mr. X's storage unit.  I am thisclose to having a moving company to get my stuff out, so it's time to stop thinking of it as "our" storage unit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on May 13, 2018, 08:51:32 AM
The TV went to it's new home! Now, some day, I need to get rid of the light fixtures that were here when we moved in. I sold the two chandeliers really quick after we replaced them all, but the god awful mock french country side sconces are still living in the top of the office closet. Pro: they prevent crap accumulation there. Cons: they're ugly and doing nothing. My hangup has been I want to sell them- they're good quality, just incredibly not to my aesthetic liking, and didn't produce enough light for the dimensions of our house.

I'm also coming to accept that I actually DO need to bring some items into our home. Old Costco cardboard boxes do not make adequate item storage for the garage shelves. I really need proper totes, ideally with clear sides, that are an appropriate size. It's impossible to go through stuff there right now without pulling everything down off the shelves.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 13, 2018, 11:42:09 AM
Tuesday Vietnam Vets organizaiton is picking up another load at our house. We just counted the giant black garbage bags and we have 15. Last time they came was about a month ago and we got rid of around the same amount...15 giant bags full. Starting to put a dent in things around here. I can actually open some drawers and there is space! That is never the case in this house!

One time we went to Florida and we shopped at this place that had these exotic bird figurines. We bought around 4 and they were pretty large and in boxes. Then we bought more 'crap'. Well...now we have no way to transport these things back home so we bought two gigantic and I mean gigantic suitcases to put our treasures in. We then had to juggle our other clothes and things. We were like maniacs with all these suitcases on wheels! My Hub was swearing up a storm with all this crap! LOL, somehow we got all this stuff home. The gigantic suitcases were real crapola and only cost about $19 a piece. So the other day I emptied out one suitcase of some hobby junk that I had not used in several years and am donating some of the craft stuff and the giant suitcase. I still have one more suitcase filled with clothes that needs to go too!

The Hub had a giant bag of socks he donated! Probably 50 pair!

Living in one house for 43 years is not a good thing! I am so happy to get rid of this stuff! Plus, I mentioned in another post that I just bought these collapsible laundry baskets and they take no room at all when flattened down! LOVE THEM!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 14, 2018, 07:45:24 AM
Daughter cleared out her play house to make it more teen hang out - and all the stuff we put in there last fall had to come out. 
Some of it really just needed to go straight to Goodwill.
Next weekend is Freecycle in our town so we will get that stuff out at the curb for the weekend and then what is left goes to the dump or goodwill.
The basement is looking so much better.
Need to work on clearing out the kitchen a little more.  I am slowly finding things and saying "why do I have this?" and then putting it in the box in the garage.  Or I break something and say 'oh well" but don't need to replace it. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on May 14, 2018, 09:51:30 AM
I FINALLY ran various errands which resulted in stuff leaving the house. Donated some unneeded paint (2 gallons, 1 quart, 2 pints) to the local theater group. Mailed the big box. Took care of official paperwork, so now I can put it away.

Will take the light fixture to Habitat's Restore tomorrow as they are not open today. Have a bunch of stuff scheduled for this week - on PTO :) so working through the to-do list.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 14, 2018, 09:54:31 AM
Vietnam Vet organization called to confirm pick up tomorrow. They asked how many bags and I told them 15. They said 15 was the maximum for one pick up so WHEW! Glad I didn't get too gung ho! I still have a gigantic suitcase full of the Hub's clothes. I was going to sell them on ebay but BLEH to that!

Will have to donate that suitcase/clothes next time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 14, 2018, 07:11:35 PM
The cat scratch post I am recovering is not cooperating.  I can't nail a nail in straight and the staple gun is not powerful enough to get through the thicker carpet I'm using.  Boo.  I either need different tools or different materials.  Will think on this, but in the meantime, the tools & materials are clutter I'm going to ignore.

On the other had, was able to get some good, small to medium size boxes, so repacked the holiday box that wouldn't fit on the shelf. In the process, found a bunch to donate. The smaller volume of holiday box allowed me to get my bike back in the storage closet on the deck. Double-win!

So only needed one box and that leaves me with two empty boxes.  I'll hold on to them, as the donation box I have now is almost full and it will be nice to be able to replace that right away.  Or maybe even fill a second or third box before I make the donation run.

Does anyone know if charity shops will take donations of out-of-season holiday items?

Another win today: was able to schedule movers for Sunday to get the last of my furniture from the storage unit into the apartment.   Found a company with a lower hourly rate AND a lower minimum number of hours, saving at least $200 over the other available options.  (Mustachian tie-in).  Once I have my buffets, I'll be able to unpack the 15 boxes that are still here.  It will be so nice!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on May 14, 2018, 11:57:36 PM
I finally spent two days in the garden, removing the spent bulbs and leaves. That certainly feels like decluttering (the garden).   I also gave away two bags of excess bulbs.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on May 15, 2018, 12:07:19 AM
We moved into a new house and seeing all the stuff not yet put in place is making me want to declutter some more. We've already decluttered quite a bit in previous house, so I'm not sure how much we can do. But I'm going to redo konmari once again once we've settled down.

Gave away a table - starting to work through big stuff first.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 15, 2018, 11:17:30 AM
We moved into a new house and seeing all the stuff not yet put in place is making me want to declutter some more. We've already decluttered quite a bit in previous house, so I'm not sure how much we can do. But I'm going to redo konmari once again once we've settled down.

Gave away a table - starting to work through big stuff first.

I am in the same place: just moved, still unpacked.  Even though you've decluttered, I would not at all be surprised if you found more.  Some stuff just doesn't work in a different space.  For example, in the old place, I had a shower caddy to hold soap & stuff.  The new place has enough built in shelf space that I don't need the caddy anymore.

Hmm...maybe I should read the Konmari book again, too.  Good suggestion.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 15, 2018, 06:12:44 PM
Every time I've moved, I've done a major declutter beforehand, and still found lots of stuff to get rid of after the move. 

I worked on the garage this weekend (glorious weather, finally) and found more to throw out, and 3 more boxes of paper to shred.  It isn't super sensitive, so I may just spend some money and take it to Staples.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 15, 2018, 06:30:07 PM
Does anyone know if charity shops will take donations of out-of-season holiday items?

It varies by shop, usually based on how much storage room they have + clientele. e.g. Some will take OOS to supply people for travel, camping, tree planting, etc. Some ship to supply people or flea markets in other lands. You'd need to call the shops in your area.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 15, 2018, 08:51:55 PM
Thanks, jooni.  I was thinking the answer is most likely no, so good to know that there is a possibility.

I will call the three places nearest me to see if anyone is interested.  If not, I will use a Facebook giveaway group I've had success with before. 

Today I didn't declutter anything and am feeling low energy, so I'll rest & get back to this tomorrow.

I did get the Konmari book from the library, also the follow up book and a comic illustrating a client's experience.  The comic was fun and got me excited to get going again.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on May 15, 2018, 09:21:01 PM
Hi everyone, not a usual poster here but I am a lover-of-decluttering and need to get my spring clean on.

I find if I start a big bag or box, then I am more likely to find things to fill it. So I pulled out a big orange garbage bag & put Karen Kingston's audiobook "clear your clutter with feng shui" on in the background as a helper. I do like the Konmari book but KK was my first intro to decluttering so I have a soft spot for her :)

I tossed in a few sweaters that I rarely wear, some duvet covers/sheets and fabric that I planned to use...but haven't. As well, a few old picture frames and books that I no longer need/don't really want to read.
Will continue in the morning when I have more energy :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on May 16, 2018, 09:38:11 AM
So, a little "random decluttering inspiration" for you. One of my good friends is in a manual wheelchair. Among other things, we're in a book club together where we rotate whose house we have it at. Last week was the first time the event was at one person's house, and watching this friend struggle to navigate around alllll the furniture (book cases, bins, etc) filled with stuff was pretty frustrating. It was clear it was a major difficulty. At one point I went and helped her move some stuff so she could make a tight turn to even be able to get to the bathroom. (And mind you, she has a small chair and is super skilled with it, so this was a *tight* fit) Later, she texted me and thanked me, and in that conversation, also mentioned how nice it is to visit my house. She said it's open and clear, and easy for her to navigate. I guess it's one of the few places she's comfortable having a drink, because she doesn't have to worry about getting around a little worse and knocking into stuff. Anyway, it made me grateful that these minimalist habits have been in place, and really reminded me that what WE do with OUR stuff, affects other people!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on May 16, 2018, 08:18:17 PM
So, a little "random decluttering inspiration" for you. One of my good friends is in a manual wheelchair. Among other things, we're in a book club together where we rotate whose house we have it at. Last week was the first time the event was at one person's house, and watching this friend struggle to navigate around alllll the furniture (book cases, bins, etc) filled with stuff was pretty frustrating. It was clear it was a major difficulty. At one point I went and helped her move some stuff so she could make a tight turn to even be able to get to the bathroom. (And mind you, she has a small chair and is super skilled with it, so this was a *tight* fit) Later, she texted me and thanked me, and in that conversation, also mentioned how nice it is to visit my house. She said it's open and clear, and easy for her to navigate. I guess it's one of the few places she's comfortable having a drink, because she doesn't have to worry about getting around a little worse and knocking into stuff. Anyway, it made me grateful that these minimalist habits have been in place, and really reminded me that what WE do with OUR stuff, affects other people!

Aww, that's sweet (not the part about the cluttered house of course) and, yes, inspiring!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on May 17, 2018, 05:53:17 AM
So, a little "random decluttering inspiration" for you. One of my good friends is in a manual wheelchair. Among other things, we're in a book club together where we rotate whose house we have it at. Last week was the first time the event was at one person's house, and watching this friend struggle to navigate around alllll the furniture (book cases, bins, etc) filled with stuff was pretty frustrating. It was clear it was a major difficulty. At one point I went and helped her move some stuff so she could make a tight turn to even be able to get to the bathroom. (And mind you, she has a small chair and is super skilled with it, so this was a *tight* fit) Later, she texted me and thanked me, and in that conversation, also mentioned how nice it is to visit my house. She said it's open and clear, and easy for her to navigate. I guess it's one of the few places she's comfortable having a drink, because she doesn't have to worry about getting around a little worse and knocking into stuff. Anyway, it made me grateful that these minimalist habits have been in place, and really reminded me that what WE do with OUR stuff, affects other people!

Very cool.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on May 17, 2018, 05:56:10 AM
We've kicked off birthday celebrations for the baby and there are soooo many toys entering the house :-/ we're going to have to be ruthless in decision making about what we keep versus what gets passed on. I've labelled a box for us to start filling as we find things he won't need anymore.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mr.GrowingMustache on May 17, 2018, 06:56:41 AM
Count me in!!!!

I am setting myself a goal to throw something out EVERY DAY!

DW and I have definitely been doing the status quo around the house, especially with the young one sucking up "productive prime time".


Yesterday I cleaned out a whole kitchen cabinet that had threw out a box load of old crap that we haven't touched in years.... ugh.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on May 17, 2018, 10:02:51 AM
Our decluttering tapered off over the last few months, but we're having a huge party in three weeks, so we're trying to see how much we can get rid of between now and then.

In two hours last night, the giveaway pile grew by a large trash bag full of clothes (S8 grew), a medium-sized box of office supplies, and a medium-sized box of silk flower arrangements we'd used as centerpieces at our wedding five years ago (that I was supposed to sell then and forgot), and a small box of things from the garage.

I'm especially proud of the office supply declutter - we got rid of SO MUCH STUFF that we each thought the other one was stockpiling for some mysterious but valid reason.  I also gave up a lot of aspirational items.  Our two overflowing shelves of office supplies is down to 1.5 shelves with plenty of room to see everything :)    H still needs to go through the third shelf - craft supplies - and decide what can be released. (I'd throw it all away.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: meghan88 on May 17, 2018, 10:26:20 AM
I'm especially proud of the office supply declutter - we got rid of SO MUCH STUFF that we each thought the other one was stockpiling for some mysterious but valid reason.  I also gave up a lot of aspirational items.  Our two overflowing shelves of office supplies is down to 1.5 shelves with plenty of room to see everything :)    H still needs to go through the third shelf - craft supplies - and decide what can be released. (I'd throw it all away.)

LOL re. the office declutter.  I did the same, and actually brought a bagful of stuff into my workplace to re-use:  file folders, separators, boxes of staples and paperclips.  Though some employees see fit to use office supplies as a stock-up for their home use, we did the exact opposite.

My own decluttering problem involves antiques.  Even though I was a really frugal garage-sale-ing bargain hunter back in the day, now I'm keeping some stuff that is so undervalued right now that it would be really hard to sell it at today's prices.  I think at some point I need an attitude adjustment so that I can get rid of it all.  Not that there's that much to offload, but it hurts to let a gorgeous 100-yr-old solid oak dining set with pedestal table, FOUR inserts to seat a crowd comfortably, six chairs, sideboard, all with barley-twist details and Mission styling, for less than what I paid 30 years ago (800 back then).  Sigh.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 17, 2018, 11:38:50 AM
Tuesday got rid of 15 bags to Vietnam Veterans. I had two drawers of turtle neck tops that I have not worn in a lot of years. I saved maybe 4 but not even sure if they fit at this point. Will probably start a new collection effort for VV again soon. We got rid of a lot of stuff that was brand new with tags and some really GOOD stuff that was hard to part with. Just had to let it go. It sat downstairs since Mom passed away. I dragged it home thinking I would use this stuff but never did. I cannot believe how much stuff we've donated!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Plina on May 17, 2018, 02:52:10 PM
I'm especially proud of the office supply declutter - we got rid of SO MUCH STUFF that we each thought the other one was stockpiling for some mysterious but valid reason.  I also gave up a lot of aspirational items.  Our two overflowing shelves of office supplies is down to 1.5 shelves with plenty of room to see everything :)    H still needs to go through the third shelf - craft supplies - and decide what can be released. (I'd throw it all away.)

LOL re. the office declutter.  I did the same, and actually brought a bagful of stuff into my workplace to re-use:  file folders, separators, boxes of staples and paperclips.  Though some employees see fit to use office supplies as a stock-up for their home use, we did the exact opposite.

My own decluttering problem involves antiques.  Even though I was a really frugal garage-sale-ing bargain hunter back in the day, now I'm keeping some stuff that is so undervalued right now that it would be really hard to sell it at today's prices.  I think at some point I need an attitude adjustment so that I can get rid of it all.  Not that there's that much to offload, but it hurts to let a gorgeous 100-yr-old solid oak dining set with pedestal table, FOUR inserts to seat a crowd comfortably, six chairs, sideboard, all with barley-twist details and Mission styling, for less than what I paid 30 years ago (800 back then).  Sigh.

If you consider that you used the items for 30 years and divide the cost with what you loose you will find that you got a really reasonable prized furnitures during those years, in other words you didn’t loose money.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 18, 2018, 08:52:58 AM
Bracken_Joy, that was a really cool story! Thanks for that :)

People often comment that they feel relief, peace, lightness, ease when in my minimalist space, so I feel like I'm giving people some minutes or hours of respite. The person next door was so bowled away, she hired a pro and got hers whittled down fast! It's fun to think we can create more space -in so many ways- for others as well as for ourselves.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on May 18, 2018, 09:12:29 AM
Bracken_Joy, that was a really cool story! Thanks for that :)

People often comment that they feel relief, peace, lightness, ease when in my minimalist space, so I feel like I'm giving people some minutes or hours of respite. The person next door was so bowled away, she hired a pro and got hers whittled down fast! It's fun to think we can create more space -in so many ways- for others as well as for ourselves.

Agreed, this is a thought-provoking story by @Bracken_Joy and I like @jooniFLORisploo 's mention about creating space for others.
Just read a book called "A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind" and in it he mentions hospitality (and a guest's comfort) as a generous meditation practice. Cleaning/clearing to help make ourselves and others feel more welcome.

I filled a bag with wool, fabric and books yesterday and my SO took it all away (I find it best to get out of the house asap before I start digging things out!)
So many potential projects which only increase anxiety..so I am letting it go.
We also took a few things from the basement, a table hockey game & baby stroller (given to us to pass along to my sister, but she already has one)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rowellen on May 18, 2018, 03:53:59 PM
(I find it best to get out of the house asap before I start digging things out!)

So true.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: happy on May 18, 2018, 04:53:55 PM
Quote
So many potential projects which only increase anxiety..so I am letting it go.
Very wise. When I started decluttering I realised that a lot of  the clutter was unfinished projects and mending or repurposing projects. I made a decision - if it was fairly quick - do it now, or chuck it out.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on May 18, 2018, 08:40:23 PM
Quote
So many potential projects which only increase anxiety..so I am letting it go.
Very wise. When I started decluttering I realised that a lot of  the clutter was unfinished projects and mending or repurposing projects. I made a decision - if it was fairly quick - do it now, or chuck it out.

I've finally been able to do this for most projects.  My poor husband is still adamant that he will finish all his projects...and it's stressing him out that he hasn't started most of them.  i'm actually tempted to start sneaking things out of the attic into a separate pile to see if he notices.  My father-in-law says my H and his mom are "one with the stuff" and will notice if I move anything.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on May 19, 2018, 03:10:56 AM
I finished the minimalism game today (1-30 things a day for 1-30 days). I broke al the rules, didn’t start on the first of the month with one thing (started in the middle of the month), decluttered in spurts as it was convenient/I was inspired (I wrote 1 thru 30 in little bubbles in a notebook and coloured them in as I got to them)... I ended up getting rid of over 430 items (goal was 406) over the last month... lots of clothes (so far I’m already feeling the benefit of having fewer things to fold), odds and ends, kitchen Utensils, pens and pencils and the such. I am surprised I was able to find so much to declutter after so many goes at decluttering before... still, happy to be rid of so much and hopefully the things I donated will benefit someone else.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 19, 2018, 04:30:33 AM
I have an electric typewriter. It is probably one of the last really 'modern' electric typewriters just before computers. It cost me quite a bit of money 'back then'. It is in a hard plastic case sitting in a closet.

Thinking of donating it but would like to donate it to an organization rather than just give to Goodwill. Anyone know of an organization that would use a typewriter for a specific reason?

When my Father had a stroke they told Mom to buy a manual typewrite for my Dad to use to help with therapy on his hands.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 19, 2018, 07:51:01 AM
I finished the minimalism game today (1-30 things a day for 1-30 days). I broke al the rules, didn’t start on the first of the month with one thing (started in the middle of the month), decluttered in spurts as it was convenient/I was inspired (I wrote 1 thru 30 in little bubbles in a notebook and coloured them in as I got to them)... I ended up getting rid of over 430 items (goal was 406) over the last month... lots of clothes (so far I’m already feeling the benefit of having fewer things to fold), odds and ends, kitchen Utensils, pens and pencils and the such. I am surprised I was able to find so much to declutter after so many goes at decluttering before... still, happy to be rid of so much and hopefully the things I donated will benefit someone else.

I may try this. Sounds like a great motivational idea.

Yesterday I went through my son's room & gathered up all of the paper & recycling that were lingering around. I'll go for 10 more items today.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on May 19, 2018, 11:04:50 AM
It's nearing the end of the school year, which means it's time to fill up all the extra space I've cleared in the shed with things I'm not allowed to keep at school (but that my classroom can't function without; the bulk of the supplies my students use were purchased by me).

It'll be nice in 20 years or so to pass all this stuff along to a new teacher, though!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on May 20, 2018, 07:21:13 AM
I need your input, dear declutterers. Do any of you work in a 'bullpen' type office, with flex work places where no one has an assigned desk?

I do, and I think my decluttering at home has made my office space feel so much more stressed and cluttered. Even though no one has an assigned desk, most people have claimed a desk for themselves and don't care much for the 'clean desk policy'. Now, the problem is as follows. Aside from 2-3 people, everyone in my office works 3 days at the office, 1 day at home and 1 day off. On the one hand, that means there's always a desk somewhere for the people who haven't been able to claim a desk (like me). On the other hand: I always work at desks filled with other people's clutter. Files, stationary, a bazillion paperclips, pictures of their kids... ugh, I can't even work in my own clutter, let alone someone else's!

What should I do? I'd feel like such a whiner if I asked people to clear up 'their' desks because I get antsy around clutter. Most people don't seem to mind it, so I don't feel like people would be so understanding.

What do?!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chaskavitch on May 20, 2018, 07:30:19 AM
I'm really slow at decluttering, but I'm working on it.

My MIL is up for the weekend, and she brought our toddler a little guitar thing that was my SIL's when she was little.  Which, fine, he likes it a lot, and she loves to give people things, so they're both happy.  But then she says "I just don't know what to get him for his birthday!"  It's in two weeks.  Couldn't you wait to bring the guitar until then?  And avoid getting him something ELSE noisy for his birthday?  /sigh.

I'll just have to sort his toys this week and try to siphon some of them off into our basement or the ARC basket before his party.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 20, 2018, 07:33:29 AM
I would get a box and jam all the crap into it semi neatly but not take much time to do it. Then I would set it somewhere it won't get tossed or damaged. I would do this every time and sooner or later they will get the picture. Send your boss and the culprit an email informing them the desk was not cleaned off and you needed the space. That you gathered up the junk and put it in a box and where it can be located. That way you will cover your ass and no one will be able to play the blame game. If you don't think you will be able to find a box at work, I suggest you bring some plastic bags from home.  I would also put the name of the culprit on the outside of the box or bag so if someone comes along, they will know who it belongs to. I think sending the email after you bag or box the crap up will be important. If that person should come to you and start acting irate, tell them to see the boss who will have prior knowledge of this situation.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 20, 2018, 08:08:05 AM
I cleaned off a three tiered tray that we use to capture "in process" things. Paperwork for school that needs to be filled out. Camp forms I haven't submitted, bills we haven't paid yet, etc. I do this every few months or so. It is sparkling clean & now just contains one gift card that I have to mail as soon as it sells. I'd estimate it previously held about 100 individual papers, cards, etc. So, lots of trash to the recycling!

Next up is my junk drawer. It was clear we have way too much & this is a disaster area.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on May 20, 2018, 09:54:23 AM
@Nederstash
That would drive me nuts. I have a shared work space that is overrun by the person I share it with. Sometimes she piles her stuff in front of my bookshelves and I can't get to what I need. A friend recommended I throw away anything that crosses over to my side; I wish I could! I am considering having my students mark the halfway line with masking tape so I can be very clear about how much space she's taking. She easily takes up 80% of the room; walking in there is dangerous.

I do like the idea of respectfully putting things into boxes. I think that's fair.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 20, 2018, 11:34:15 AM
Nederstash, another thing you could suggest to your employer is to have a file cabinet brought in and each employee could be assigned a drawer to store their crap on the days they are not there. Then if the jerk still leaves their crap on the desk, it would at least give you a place to dump the junk. It really irks me that people are so lazy and uncaring for their fellow employees.

I used to work in the food industry and people were stupid at times too. All food/ingredients that were stored were to be identified, dated when it expired and to whom it belonged to. Some were just too lazy to do the right thing and couldn't be bothered. Well, they appointed this guy who was a jack ass creep to patrol the walk in refrigerators and other storage areas to check for proper storage and identification of the items. If they were not properly stored he would bring a giant garbage can and throw it all out. OMG, did he ever piss off people. Some of the samples were made in our labs and it was sometimes very difficult to make the samples. Once he threw them out it all had to be redone. He was on the most hated list but people got the picture after that!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 20, 2018, 04:38:19 PM
I sold a $5 item (adhesive for patches) that I didn't open/use after my son quit Boy Scouts. One more item out of the house, and $5 in my pocket!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on May 20, 2018, 07:44:33 PM
One more book sent to the street library, and starting to build the pile for the council hard rubbish day - broken coffee machine, chin-up bar, clearing out the storage areas in our basement. We have a lot of wheels?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 21, 2018, 05:54:50 AM
Our garage looks amazing.   Hubs took Friday off and has been on a mission.   He bought new hooks for the garden tools.   He saw a bike rank thing and bought that too.   He retrofitted his table saw stand so that he can move it. 
This is all in preparation for insulating the shared wall between the house and garage.
It is free weekend where you can leave items by the street for others to take.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: NoraLenderbee on May 21, 2018, 01:39:13 PM
I spent 4 hours "decluttering" my front yard . . . pulling weeds and cutting back overgrown plants. Do weeds count? Unfortunately, it hardly made a dent. I need about 3 days in there.

I put down cardboard in one of the paths between beds and piled wood chips on top. Kept some cardboard out of the waste stream, and used up some of our mountain of wood chips. I'll do more as soon as we have more cardboard. I like the feeling of finishing a half-done project.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on May 21, 2018, 02:30:05 PM
I spent 4 hours "decluttering" my front yard . . . pulling weeds and cutting back overgrown plants. Do weeds count?

I hope so. I spent about 3 hours yesterday in the backyard pulling out climbing vines. Filled 3 craft bags, and dumped a number of large branches into the compost pile in the back. Discovered the yardwork gloves have a rip at the join between the thumb and the palm. That probably means I should throw them away too.

I also cleared out half my printed knitting patterns. About a dozen books are off the bookshelves, but they are simply in the back room for us to decide how to disperse them, so that doesn't count yet.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: midweststache on May 21, 2018, 05:40:16 PM
I took two Macs, an old iPhone, an older iPod nano, and various cords and Mac accoutrements to our local Apple store yesterday. I tried to go right when the opened so they wouldn't be packed. The woman dealing with my intake gave me a very polite smile when I told her that and replied that they were never 'not busy.' She wasn't wrong. It was pouring rain and cold, but there was a line waiting for help at 11:03am (they opened at 11am). Oh well--old tech disposed of as ethically as possible.

In other news, we re-stocked out pantry and went through the little one's closet. I boxed up some quality stuff that would survive for Potential Progeny #2 and packed away about 10 items for our next trip to the thrift store. We get a lot of clothes gifted/hand-me-down and we're pretty diligent about only keeping things we'd really want to pass on to PP#2. (Even donating a lot, we'd still be 100% set on clothes if we have another kid.)

I'm getting hit like a brick wall with work the next three weeks, so I don't envision much more cleaning out BUT if I can I'm gonna work on some outdoor kids toys that were gifted to us by neighbors who moved and didn't want to take all their stuff: cleaning the Ikea bag of toys and passing along what we don't choose to keep.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 21, 2018, 05:54:02 PM
I'm planning to tackle just a few small things a day, so posting for momentum's sake, although not terribly big wins. Today I found an old purse tucked away in my closet. Put that + the matching wallet in the donation pile, and found several old credit cards in the wallet. Will shred those tomorrow at work, and also found another kid school item to put in the recycling.

I'm scared to tackle the "junk drawer". It's where we keep pens, pencils & the like. An abundance of writing materials have made it super crazy. Need to think of a more optimal solution in terms of layout, as well as just removing a bunch of stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on May 22, 2018, 04:33:26 AM
Tonight someone is coming who wants to buy my time trial bicycle helmet. So I hope the helmet fits the person.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chaskavitch on May 22, 2018, 06:34:03 AM
Brought five books to the Little Free Library near my house.  There are three of them on my 2.5 mile bike to work!  I think it's awesome :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 22, 2018, 07:17:04 AM
More junk left the property yesterday.  Some of it was garbage that we were waiting for capacity in our grey bin - and presto- realized that one of the neighbours has been away and has a completely empty grey bin.  Hubs wheeled it to the garage and filled it to the brim and it is a large bin.  Now we must remember to put it at the street tonight.  They return home tomorrow!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 22, 2018, 07:21:14 AM
I'm planning to tackle just a few small things a day, so posting for momentum's sake, although not terribly big wins. Today I found an old purse tucked away in my closet. Put that + the matching wallet in the donation pile, and found several old credit cards in the wallet. Will shred those tomorrow at work, and also found another kid school item to put in the recycling.

I'm scared to tackle the "junk drawer". It's where we keep pens, pencils & the like. An abundance of writing materials have made it super crazy. Need to think of a more optimal solution in terms of layout, as well as just removing a bunch of stuff.

I kicked off the junk drawer clean out yesterday. Used mason jars for pens, pencils, & highlighters & then started to toss a bunch of broken things. Put the actual drawer insert into Goodwill (it's nice & wooden & worth donating) & then will start coming through the "random" things that don't belong today. They all need to be individually evaluated to go back to their rightful home. The area already looks so much better!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on May 22, 2018, 07:27:35 AM
So I have two pairs of boots which were badly salt stained this past winter. One pair has broken zippers. One pair has split leather where it folds at the ball of the foot. Both pairs of boots were very expensive. Both are over 5 years old.

It isn't worth it to fix them (they probably aren't fixable) and it isn't fair to donate them. But I have this thing where I am having trouble actually throwing them away.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 22, 2018, 07:44:01 AM
You can do it, plainjane! :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 22, 2018, 07:59:00 AM
plainjane, if you have a shoe repair guy in your town, take them there and see what they say. Zippers can be replaced and leather can be conditioned. It might be worth a try to see what they say. If not, toss them out. You could also try selling them on ebay listing all the problems. Point out all the problems so the buyer is aware. Some people are creative and might turn your boots into something else! You just never know! I have seem people put dirt into boots and plant flowers in them and put the boots out in the yard. Not sure if that would be my cup of tea but some like it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on May 22, 2018, 05:39:38 PM
Four books to the free library last night, and we are working on using up the food stockpile. We didn't grocery shop last weekend and are getting creative with what we already have.

I looked up the date of the council hard rubbish day and we were overseas during the last one. Next one is October so now I need to work out what to do with the things we were going to put out - chin up bar, weird home cable gym we picked up in an alleyway, spare wheels etc.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 22, 2018, 07:04:24 PM
@plainjane  Salt stain will come out with vinegar.  and I second the shoe repair option.  A good shop will tell you if the failure is fixable or not.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on May 24, 2018, 10:03:35 AM
I've been reading this thread (and the previous one) and it's been very motivating!  Yesterday, I sent 11 boxes and 3 bags of stuff and a rattan chair to the local animal rescue for their upcoming garage sale.  The house feels better.  Happy dance!  Still have a ways to go, but I've started on my dad's house too.  (He's more than willing.)  As I buy next to nothing now, in the next year I anticipate having a nicely streamlined house.  Can't wait.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 24, 2018, 11:20:50 AM
Totally get the happy dance! So satisfying, freeing, releasing. Great job, everyone!

I'm having one of those times where I want the fun of more control, thus want to declutter and clean... But I have nothing left to declutter at the moment and no current invitations to do anyone else's. Will scrub my empty home :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: krmit on May 24, 2018, 11:41:03 AM
Reorganized the bookshelves the other day. After 3 years in this apartment, FINALLY put the books in some semblance of alphabetical/topical organization. Also managed to add some seven year old college textbooks to the Goodwill pile.

Does anyone else find inertia in getting the donation pile OUT of the house? I don't think it's that I actually want to keep any of it...maybe just laziness on my part.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on May 24, 2018, 11:47:24 AM
Will scrub my empty home :)

...which I will declare "decluttering specks of dirt." Like weeding, it counts!

Does anyone else find inertia in getting the donation pile OUT of the house?

It's a hard part for lots of people. There seem to be two clubs: one group struggling with that last step; one as eager about it as all the others. When there's even a small pile, it goes in my car for the next time I'm passing a thrift shop.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 24, 2018, 11:59:56 AM

Does anyone else find inertia in getting the donation pile OUT of the house? I don't think it's that I actually want to keep any of it...maybe just laziness on my part.

My favourite place to donate is not in a direction I often go, so I either donate elsewhere, or wait until I am going in the right direction - by which time I have a full car!  Speaking of which, 3 more boxes out this week.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on May 24, 2018, 05:39:54 PM
We have a tiny pile near the door that doesn't seem to be shifting because it needs to go to specific people, but the books and clothes are an easy discard and leave on a regular basis.  The big one for me is the ~400 manga that I want to get rid of. I am TOO LAZY to try ebay it, it doesn't seem to be accepted by 2nd hand bookstores and yet, some of these are really difficult to acquire and would be really appreciated if only I could work out how to find their people. I know I know, just donate.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BeanCounter on May 25, 2018, 09:50:46 AM
In the last two weeks I have been able to get rid of-
1 loveseat, overstuffed chair, 5x8 rug, painting, lamp and coffee table- all were gifts to a cousin restarting her life in a new apartment
3 bags of jeans, tops and coats went to a homeless shelter

this weekend I'd like to finish going through the stuff in the laundry room, get the thrift store donation pile into my car and dropped off. Possibly add some clothing from my own closet.

Then start listing the furniture I have to sell.
Once that's out of the way I an think about organizing and clearing out boxes I think.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 25, 2018, 01:56:36 PM
Donated three pair of too small kid shorts + a pair of sandals

I also found a crystal Waterford pitcher that I'd forgotten about. Will get posted on eBay after my business trip
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on May 26, 2018, 01:35:52 AM
Doing really great work today with listing items on Buy Nothing that I'd dithered over decluttering for MONTHS.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on May 26, 2018, 01:42:39 AM
We have a tiny pile near the door that doesn't seem to be shifting because it needs to go to specific people, but the books and clothes are an easy discard and leave on a regular basis.  The big one for me is the ~400 manga that I want to get rid of. I am TOO LAZY to try ebay it, it doesn't seem to be accepted by 2nd hand bookstores and yet, some of these are really difficult to acquire and would be really appreciated if only I could work out how to find their people. I know I know, just donate.

eBay still seems like the best way to go. If you donate it, you don't know whether it'll end up in a landfill anyway. Just take a picture of your entire collection and list it as 'free to a good home'. I'll bet you'll get takers.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 26, 2018, 04:50:02 AM
Go to Vietnam Veterans website:

https://pickupplease.org/schedule-ppc/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=donations&utm_term=vietnam%20veterans&msclkid=61d72cd465951a2dfba577dd5f2c0edd

Schedule a pick up date.

Put stuff in garbage bags.

Attach a label to each bag with V V A written on each bag.

Leave outside where you indicated bags would be located.

They will pick up.

I have done this many times and they are very efficient. You don't even have to leave home.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: seattlecyclone on May 26, 2018, 01:47:17 PM
I paused on listing old things on Amazon about a year ago when we moved houses. Just started it up again and sold a couple of things last week. I also got a document scanner and am slowly emptying out our file cabinet. The goal is to get all the paper we're keeping around down to the size of one desk drawer, and at that point the entire file cabinet can go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JAYSLOL on May 26, 2018, 04:36:22 PM
I finally cleared out some old junk out of the shop I've been saving to take to the scrap metal place for ages, an old aluminum radiator, old lawn tractor batteries, broken extension cords and a bunch of scrap copper cable ends.  Got over $100!  Less clutter and more cash for the 'stach, woohoo!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: midweststache on May 28, 2018, 10:49:07 AM
The last of the computer/tech was donated to a local NPO that wipes data before resale/recycling (like, a hard wipe after the neo-Luddite in me 'deletes' everything and thinks it's good). We're down to the computers we *actually* use. WOOT!

Also, got rid of some excess outdoor toys that were gifted to us by moving neighbors that LO won't actually play with (or that we have duplicates of, like pails and shovels).

Gonna spend the day cleaning and eyeing anything else that needs to go; I plan to take a bag of nice stuff a donation run to a local thrift store and another bag of lost causes to a textile recycling bin nearby.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chaskavitch on May 29, 2018, 06:25:19 AM
I convinced my husband to move an upright bookshelf from our living room to our bedroom.  We went through all of the books, and ended up getting rid of like 30 of them, as well as some decorations.  It's awesome. 

Now our living room feels more open, and our bedroom feels slightly more put together. We don't have a bed frame, just a mattress, so it's nice to have some furniture.  We're looking for a bed, but it's a slow process, because I'm determined to find one I really like this time around.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on May 29, 2018, 12:24:34 PM
I "decluttered" half of my yard of weeds this weekend and didn't get heatstroke!

I finally started sorting through boxes of keepsakes.  Six years ago I inherited all of my grandmother's and all of my father's framed pictures, photo albums, and boxes of important papers.  They've been sitting in 7 boxes in my office ever since.

I filled two extra-large trash bags of things to throw away, filled a medium-sized box with picture frames that I will give away, and sorted the photos in three boxes of photo albums into decades so I can do further culling. It's now consolidated into 4 1/2 boxes.   It's going to take me months to get all these scanned in, but I'm proud of myself for finally starting. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on May 29, 2018, 12:29:22 PM
Good job @formerlydivorcedmom --weeding is so satisfying

Sitting in my highly disorganized art room/studio.
About to start a round of clearing out supplies and projects that don't have momentum or energy behind them.
Fresh starts...wish me luck!

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FireHiker on May 29, 2018, 12:33:19 PM
Our progress is so slow that it's ridiculous, but we did have another VVA pickup this morning, several bags and boxes gone. Slow progress is better than no progress!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: comicguy on May 29, 2018, 01:34:28 PM
Got rid of 2 big itmes:

1 lawnmower from the shed sold for 50

1 treadmill from the den sold for 100

The extra money is nice but the space both items created is actually even better!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on May 29, 2018, 01:36:08 PM
I finally got the big stuff out of the house over the weekend! Than I managed to get some shredding done and am slowly going through things. A small but important step was just getting the big furniture gone. The house seems a bit lighter which I am enjoying.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on May 29, 2018, 03:24:19 PM
We managed to declutter by putting stuff away from a recent trip. Nothing actually left the house but it's still better to not have suitcases piled in the living room. I have misplaced the charger for my trimmer battery and it's causing me a lot of angst. I've looked in all the obvious places but it wasn't there. The downside of taking stuff off the random junk shelf and giving it a "home" is that I clearly don't remember where that home was. I still think we have way too much stuff but most of it that remains needs my DH to sort because it's electronic stuff I can't identify or things the kids are desperate to keep.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: happy on May 29, 2018, 04:37:44 PM
Another 4 large bags of clothing was donated this week. I've started shredding some old bank statements again - found some from 1997, but mostly 2006-7.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 29, 2018, 08:30:50 PM
My niece and nephew and brother dropped in.  I gave them some really lovely little girl dresses that are size 2-6.  I really don't know why we still had them.  A whole bag left the house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: midweststache on May 30, 2018, 08:07:11 AM
I convinced my husband to move an upright bookshelf from our living room to our bedroom.  We went through all of the books, and ended up getting rid of like 30 of them, as well as some decorations.  It's awesome.

Great job! I find book decluttering *SO HARD*. Especially now that I have a kid and I think, "But SOMEDAY..." I so desperately want to pass on my love of science fiction and sassy lady writers to him...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on May 30, 2018, 09:55:08 AM
I convinced my husband to move an upright bookshelf from our living room to our bedroom.  We went through all of the books, and ended up getting rid of like 30 of them, as well as some decorations.  It's awesome.

Great job! I find book decluttering *SO HARD*. Especially now that I have a kid and I think, "But SOMEDAY..." I so desperately want to pass on my love of science fiction and sassy lady writers to him...

Yes!  I pulled about 3 dozen books off the shelves to give away...and my 10-year-old decided that she wants to try them all.  Turns out she really likes Agatha Christie.  So the books stay.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on May 30, 2018, 10:48:33 PM
Caught up on this thread and I'm restarting my decluttering journey. Attacked our junk drawer and scanned and threw away loads of paper. Have a bunch of todo to do now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on May 31, 2018, 12:44:42 AM
Not so much decluttering as visual decluttering of my wardrobe- it's time to move all the summer clothes out of rotation and bring out the jerseys.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on May 31, 2018, 06:54:25 PM
Went through boxes of old letters and photos and got rid of 75% of them.

I'm an avid pen pal and have been for thirty years, so there were a LOT of letters!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 01, 2018, 05:59:38 AM
A car full of dog equipment went out (donated).  Two crates and a grooming table gone has freed up a lot of floor space.  If I get another dog (not in the plans any time soon) Kijiji will be my friend.

Also 2 big garbage bags (my usual garbage output is 1/2 of one regular bag).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on June 01, 2018, 01:12:47 PM
Not so much decluttering as visual decluttering of my wardrobe- it's time to move all the summer clothes out of rotation and bring out the jerseys.

I know you're in a different hemisphere, but that just is weird to me. I just put away my winter clothes in favor of the summer ones.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 01, 2018, 02:36:02 PM
@firelight @Mezzie I've said it before, but paper is my bugaboo.  I'll try to take inspiration from the work you have done!

@RetiredAt63 quadrulpling your trash output is impressive!

This weekend I'll be Kondo'ing my clothes and will report back here.  I've already got a box full of stuff from when I re-packed the holiday box, so I'm hoping to double that to two boxes with the addition of the clothes.  AND get it taken to the donation place this weekend.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on June 01, 2018, 09:40:18 PM
Filled four boxes of books from my clasroom to return to the bookroom. I'd been tasked with housing them. I'm now relinquishing that role.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on June 01, 2018, 11:47:48 PM
Not so much decluttering as visual decluttering of my wardrobe- it's time to move all the summer clothes out of rotation and bring out the jerseys.

I know you're in a different hemisphere, but that just is weird to me. I just put away my winter clothes in favor of the summer ones.

Everyone is *shivering* and *dying* in the brisk 17C weather this week, looking around for the sleeves no one has worn for 8 months.

In that spirit, I gave a friend some Uggs our son had outgrown so her feet will be warm, and dropped off some winter coats at the Vinnies. Someone will find them useful.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 02, 2018, 02:43:51 AM
This morning I went to a flea market. Lots of people there at 9 in the morning on a Saturday. I went looking for some specific books that I have borrowed from the library, but that I like to keep and make notes in. I didn't find them. I stood there with a classic cookbook in my hands and had almost thought of buying it. But then I remembered that I recently removed 50% of my cookbooks and that I should fill up the shelf with new ones.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on June 03, 2018, 06:06:14 PM
The garage is pristine, practically EMPTY, and organized!

I got rid of some very old stuffed animals.

I cleaned out the pantry and organized shelves.

I cleaned out the refrigrrator.

I did order something... there are some small treasures I plan to keep, but they're hidden away in an ugly box. I bought a beautiful 10" x 6" vintage wooden hinged box that will itself be beautiful while holding beautiful things. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 03, 2018, 07:52:14 PM
Well done, Mezzie!  You are really on a roll!

This weekend I'll be Kondo'ing my clothes and will report back here.  I've already got a box full of stuff from when I re-packed the holiday box, so I'm hoping to double that to two boxes with the addition of the clothes.  AND get it taken to the donation place this weekend.

It's done.  I was surprised at the amount of items I am getting rid of*, as wardrobe is one place where I feel I have always done a good job of culling constantly.  And I'm sure I won't miss most if not all of those things, since they were sometimes a burden to wear.


*6 pants & 18 tops, plus various accessories - definitely another box full, but in a bag because I'm out of boxes!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on June 03, 2018, 09:34:32 PM
I went through my bathroom and threw out 90% of my makeup, much of which was decades old. Why was I keeping hold of lipsticks from university? And these were the ones that survived regular purges and multiple shifts, including moving country. I don't wear make-up. I can let go of it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on June 03, 2018, 09:40:17 PM
I went through my bathroom and threw out 90% of my makeup, much of which was decades old. Why was I keeping hold of lipsticks from university? And these were the ones that survived regular purges and multiple shifts, including moving country. I don't wear make-up. I can let go of it.


Good job--I love getting rid of old cosmetics, or using up cream/shampoo/soap, etc. That stuff seems to hang on MUCH longer than necessary.

Moved out another bag of odds & ends including gloves which no one ever wore/brand new, a few sweaters that made me feel like an old man (I am neither old nor a man) and a few boring books that I honestly did not want to read
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 04, 2018, 04:17:06 AM
I just decluttered my private files on my job PC. Electronic decluttering is also a good thing to do once in a while.

At home, I have recently required som stuff in the form of paper sheets, which I have piled on the dining table. One is a pile of recipes. I should look which of them I want to keep and put them into one of my cookbooks.
The other is a pile of documents that I printed for a recent public meeting. I just need to scan the 1-2 documents that I need to keep and post them on dropbox. Rest should be in the bin. Maybe they can all go to the bin?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 04, 2018, 04:22:56 AM
I found more junk around my house. More sneaky places stuff has been stashed for years. So, I ran across some video's (movies), some were even in the plastic and never watched. I don't even remember buying these movies! A few yes, the rest no!

I looked up some on ebay and the pricing is all over the place. From $1.99 to $12.99. It could take me a year to sell them and make a whopping $12 for all of them!

Does anyone know of an organization that would like DVD movies? Like senior centers, nursing homes or ??? Or sending them to Veterans in the military?

Maybe I will just donate them to Vietnam Veterans.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on June 04, 2018, 10:59:28 AM
Came across this, had a good laugh when I remembered that this is no longer me!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on June 04, 2018, 04:43:18 PM
@mspym, thanks for the chuckle re shivering at +17!  That's tank top weather where I live, maybe even bikini weather if you're out of the wind!  Shivering doesn't kick in until about 0 degrees.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 05, 2018, 02:00:40 AM
Earlier I sold my racing bicycle. Now DH has sold or given away some cycle parts that we meant to help lifting up the triathlon arm rests on that bike. Nice that he is also in the modus for getting rid of stuff we don't need.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on June 05, 2018, 05:50:05 PM
We're going to host a backyard barbecue and board games in the garage to celebrate our newly roomy space. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 05, 2018, 08:06:32 PM
At this time of the year, my number one goal is to not let new clutter into the house. The kids are coming home with bags of school supplies (half used), art projects, homework assignments, etc. Must stay on top of the influx, and later I can worry about decluttering beyond that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on June 07, 2018, 11:03:24 AM
We filled a bag with books that don't need to be read again & some clothing that I never wear, mainly non-natural fabrics which I shy away from.
Really enjoying the de-cluttering energy happening in the house right now..

I have another box waiting to be filled: recognizing that I currently enjoy space more than stuff
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on June 07, 2018, 11:52:51 AM
Question - bras. I have a number of lightly worn bras from 20 lbs ago. Is there a good place to donate them? Or are they just landfill?

I understand there are good reasons to say no underwear unless it is brand new. But bras are pricey. But used. It isn't like I think people should be grateful, I just don't want them thrown out if they could be useful. IDK.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 07, 2018, 12:25:53 PM
Question - bras. I have a number of lightly worn bras from 20 lbs ago. Is there a good place to donate them? Or are they just landfill?

I understand there are good reasons to say no underwear unless it is brand new. But bras are pricey. But used. It isn't like I think people should be grateful, I just don't want them thrown out if they could be useful. IDK.

I think bras are different from undies. Not so much different from a tight sitting t-shirt.

And even then, there is a market for used underwear. Some (weird) men love to buy used women's underwear.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 07, 2018, 12:52:12 PM




And even then, there is a market for used underwear. Some (weird) men love to buy used women's underwear.
[/quote]

EWWWWW!!!!!!!!! JUST EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on June 07, 2018, 01:36:01 PM
Good Will/Value Village and such will accept used bras.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 07, 2018, 01:54:25 PM




And even then, there is a market for used underwear. Some (weird) men love to buy used women's underwear.

EWWWWW!!!!!!!!! JUST EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!
[/quote]

I couldn't agree more.

I haven't sent anything to our local weirdo, although he was interested in a body I sold. I ended up giving it away for free in a charity box.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Plina on June 07, 2018, 02:17:47 PM
Question - bras. I have a number of lightly worn bras from 20 lbs ago. Is there a good place to donate them? Or are they just landfill?

I understand there are good reasons to say no underwear unless it is brand new. But bras are pricey. But used. It isn't like I think people should be grateful, I just don't want them thrown out if they could be useful. IDK.

I read somewhere that charities for homeless was looking for bras and underwear. I have also bras that are getting to big when I loose weight. Really annoying due to the price tag. The good part is that I have some smaller sizes that are basically new.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 07, 2018, 05:26:40 PM
At this time of the year, my number one goal is to not let new clutter into the house. The kids are coming home with bags of school supplies (half used), art projects, homework assignments, etc. Must stay on top of the influx, and later I can worry about decluttering beyond that.

Recycled a tremendous amount of paper, tossed broken pencils & supplies, saved what I could & washed all of the backpacks. Woohoo! I think I've now gone through all of the end of school influx of "things"
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 08, 2018, 01:47:28 AM
Recycled a tremendous amount of paper, tossed broken pencils & supplies, saved what I could & washed all of the backpacks. Woohoo! I think I've now gone through all of the end of school influx of "things"

I once put a backpack in the washing machine. That was the end of the backpack. The coasting it had that kept the pack in shape and had some water resistance, came off piece by piece. The backpack ended up shapeless.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 08, 2018, 08:36:49 AM
Recycled a tremendous amount of paper, tossed broken pencils & supplies, saved what I could & washed all of the backpacks. Woohoo! I think I've now gone through all of the end of school influx of "things"

I once put a backpack in the washing machine. That was the end of the backpack. The coasting it had that kept the pack in shape and had some water resistance, came off piece by piece. The backpack ended up shapeless.

I've washed ours pretty regularly. They hold up well. I have an old Jansport (I think it was my college back pack) & inside, the plastic coating is definitely coming off from the wash.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on June 08, 2018, 09:04:43 AM
Last night I spent over an hour cleaning out the black hole between the couch and the wall. It's where we store pillows and blankets we use on the couch, and I knew there were some I wanted to get rid of. However, it's my wife's side of the couch and a bunch of her stuff had fallen over and the whole thing was a mess. Full of pages she had saved from magazines, old (clean) napkins and plastic cutlery, general knick knacks. I've been avoiding it because I don't want to mess with her stuff. But I wanted to deal with my pillows and blankets, and frankly it was out of control. I threw away everything that was trash and put everything that was hers into a pile. I was planning to just consolidate it and leave it alone, but she ended up sorting through the pile and throwing away some of it. We got rid of three small plastic bags worth of junk and four pillows (for goodwill). We also found her favorite sunglasses and lighter that had been missing for months!

I still haven't put everything back, but it already feels so much better. I'll finally be able to reach my blankets again!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on June 08, 2018, 12:27:46 PM
Recycled a tremendous amount of paper, tossed broken pencils & supplies, saved what I could & washed all of the backpacks. Woohoo! I think I've now gone through all of the end of school influx of "things"

I once put a backpack in the washing machine. That was the end of the backpack. The coasting it had that kept the pack in shape and had some water resistance, came off piece by piece. The backpack ended up shapeless.

I've washed ours pretty regularly. They hold up well. I have an old Jansport (I think it was my college back pack) & inside, the plastic coating is definitely coming off from the wash.

Really depends on the backpack. Some have been destroyed in the washer, some have come through just fine.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 09, 2018, 03:32:37 PM
-Went through all of the closets (mine + the kids). My husband's. . . well, that's another story. For my closet, it's already pretty trimmed back, but found a bunch of stuff in the kids closets to donate
-Finally spent the time to gather all of the kids Pokemon cards & accessories, package them up & listed them for sale
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rustychase on June 09, 2018, 06:31:08 PM
My family are all hoarders. Borderline worthy for that tv show about extreme hoarders. There is an entire single wide on my dad's property filled up with stuff. I'm moving back to the states and wanted to go through what I have stored in there. I have pridefully claimed a WHOLE room. Aha, it's mostly old Barbies and her accessories, Polly Pockets, and tons of stuffed animals.

Does anyone have suggestions for donating these? I'm not keen on taking them to Good Will, I was thinking maybe churches or hospitals?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 09, 2018, 08:11:56 PM
My family are all hoarders. Borderline worthy for that tv show about extreme hoarders. There is an entire single wide on my dad's property filled up with stuff. I'm moving back to the states and wanted to go through what I have stored in there. I have pridefully claimed a WHOLE room. Aha, it's mostly old Barbies and her accessories, Polly Pockets, and tons of stuffed animals.

Does anyone have suggestions for donating these? I'm not keen on taking them to Good Will, I was thinking maybe churches or hospitals?

Do you think there's anything of value in there? Maybe a flat fee estate sale, if any of the items could be worth money. If not, and they are inexpensive toys, I vote for a local kid friendly charity
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rustychase on June 09, 2018, 08:18:56 PM
My family are all hoarders. Borderline worthy for that tv show about extreme hoarders. There is an entire single wide on my dad's property filled up with stuff. I'm moving back to the states and wanted to go through what I have stored in there. I have pridefully claimed a WHOLE room. Aha, it's mostly old Barbies and her accessories, Polly Pockets, and tons of stuffed animals.

Does anyone have suggestions for donating these? I'm not keen on taking them to Good Will, I was thinking maybe churches or hospitals?

Do you think there's anything of value in there? Maybe a flat fee estate sale, if any of the items could be worth money. If not, and they are inexpensive toys, I vote for a local kid friendly charity

Maybe one or two New Year's Barbie's, but I wouldn't say anything has real value. Probably will look up some stuff just to see, but I would classify most things as trinkets.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 10, 2018, 12:03:52 PM
I finally emptied some pots with earth and wine rwigs that didn't start growing. I put it all in the cellar, out of sight.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 10, 2018, 12:26:36 PM
I just had Vietnam Vets come about two weeks ago to pick up about 15 giant garbage bags of stuff. I now have 3 grocery bags full of stuff. I also have two small entertainment cabinets I would like to get rid of. I also have some vases that I don't use and don't want. They were gifts and more clutter. I know I can come up with another mother load for VV for the next pick up. Seriously cannot believe how two people have accumulated so much stuff! Don't even get me started on the Hubs tools and things! He has two John Deere lawn mowing tractors. They are not the ones you get at Home Depot. They are more industrial so bigger. Then there is the snow blower, Sooooo much stuff in the garage we cannot park our two cars in there! OMG!

Two people that never had children, built a house in 1975 and never moved. Kept accumulating and accumulating for 43 years! We have rented dumpsters, gigantic ones and cleaned out many times! But the house is still FULL! Gotta keep pecking at it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on June 10, 2018, 01:09:26 PM
I just had Vietnam Vets come about two weeks ago to pick up about 15 giant garbage bags of stuff. I now have 3 grocery bags full of stuff. I also have two small entertainment cabinets I would like to get rid of. I also have some vases that I don't use and don't want. They were gifts and more clutter. I know I can come up with another mother load for VV for the next pick up. Seriously cannot believe how two people have accumulated so much stuff! Don't even get me started on the Hubs tools and things! He has two John Deere lawn mowing tractors. They are not the ones you get at Home Depot. They are more industrial so bigger. Then there is the snow blower, Sooooo much stuff in the garage we cannot park our two cars in there! OMG!

Two people that never had children, built a house in 1975 and never moved. Kept accumulating and accumulating for 43 years! We have rented dumpsters, gigantic ones and cleaned out many times! But the house is still FULL! Gotta keep pecking at it!

One option: move everything out that you WANT. Then hold a massive estate sale on the rest. Once cleared out, move back in. If nothing else, you'll be able to clean the floors and do all your painting pretty easily while the house is empty. Make sure you do ceilings and closets too, everyone forgets those and it makes a huge difference. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 10, 2018, 11:34:02 PM
Not a lot of getting rid of this week.  But while looking through boxes for the aloe vera (hello, sunburn), I found the cover to the fire alarm...from my prior home!  Why the heck did I take that?  It's useless without the insides of the alarm.  Straight into the trash it went!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on June 11, 2018, 12:09:07 AM
4 books and 30 comic books into the free library, and a whole bunch of plastic hangers removed from my newly decluttered closet. I also realised exactly how many pens I have absentmindedly taken home from work so that's about to be rebalanced.

Steps towards future progress- made a list of the books sitting unread on the shelf behind my bed [there are 20!] and I'm going to start working my way through them. Get them off the mental backlog.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on June 11, 2018, 12:46:32 PM
Added another random thing to the get-out-of-my-house box. The box is getting full enough that I could/should take it all to the thrift. Will get around to it, it's not in the way.

---

Does anyone know a reasonable estate sale company in the Detroit, MI area? There will be a house with lots of stuff to dispose of, sooner rather than later.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on June 12, 2018, 03:12:23 PM
Great work everyone.

It was a public holiday weekend here so used my ‘bonus’ day off to do a little bit of decluttering and maintenance around the house.

First I cleaned out the kitchen utensils and convinced SO to get rid of duplicates (how does a coffee loving household accumulate 4 tea strainers?) and a few useless things such as pasta servers that are almost impossible to pick up anything with. I oiled the wooden utensil handles, then moved on to oiling the wooden chopping boards/cheese board. Reviewing the chopping boards I noticed that with the new ones we were given for our wedding last year we have more than enough for any chopping board related emergency that might befall us, so the two grotty plastic ones were chucked.

It was so satisfying oiling and buffing those boards that I decided I would clean all of our leather as well. While doing that I went through the shoe cleaning supplies and tossed a bunch of old dry polish that SO must have brought with him when we combined households. We still have 5 (five !?$!) shoe brushes but holding off on tossing any while I think about how many we actually need (at least two for coloured/clear polish?) and whether we can repurpose them without sending to landfill (drubbing brush?)

Next step - go through the groceries that houseguests have left with us and donate the ones we won’t use to the local food pantry.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sciurus mustachius on June 13, 2018, 10:20:42 PM
I didn't see this mentioned so I wanted to add a great resource I've been using:

Zappo's For Good (https://www.zappos.com/about/zapposforgood/give) pays shipping for donations; just print as many pre-paid UPS labels as you need. They take:

Shoes (this is the Soles for Souls program, which they're supporting by doing all the shipping)
Clothes
School supplies
School books

They sort and send to developing countries, for donations to schools but also and to people to start their own stores, to sell used clothing and shoes. Win-win!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on June 14, 2018, 04:14:06 AM
Not a lot of getting rid of this week.  But while looking through boxes for the aloe vera (hello, sunburn), I found the cover to the fire alarm...from my prior home!  Why the heck did I take that?  It's useless without the insides of the alarm.  Straight into the trash it went!

Ha!  That's the kind of thing I do too. I recently found a ziplock bag containing a bit of trim that fell off the kitchen cabinets in our old apartment. 

I made the mistake of helping clean up after the church tag sale, so I ended up with a lot of random stuff that was headed for the landfill.  I took photos, so the next step is to post them on Nextdoor for free where they will get snapped up.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Rustychase on June 14, 2018, 09:20:37 PM
I'm in the middle of moving stuff from storage to my house, hasn't consisted of much cleaning out just yet, BUT I did go through two closets worth of stuff. I donated an encyclopedia set from the 80s :O, got rid of some ugly blankets that I wouldn't use, old comforter sets (there were literally 5), puzzles and puzzles and more puzzles, some airplane kits, and gave a few boxes of stuff that was my dad's back to him, muahaha.

Tomorrow I'm going to start going through things and sorting into trash, donate, sell, and move piles. Hopefully I'll be done by the end of the weekend!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on June 15, 2018, 07:55:29 AM
Got a huge pile of clothing out the door. Also went through baby clothes and selected a pile for donation. Even though I want to do a full round of km, I think we have so much excess that I need to first get rid of obvious excess before jumping into km.

And kids clothes and toys multiply!!! Both my kids now have a full drawer in our dresser (not including their fancy clothes) and wear one fifth of it for various reasons. I need a better way to rotate their clothes. Any ideas?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 15, 2018, 08:14:12 AM
@Poundwise its strangely comforting to know I'm not alone in those WTF did I keep this moments.

Tossed a pair of shoes that were hurting my feet, plus unpacked another box from the move. Nothing obvious to toss, but found a thing that belongs to my ex, so should be able to get that to him this weekend.

I took Monday off work and will do phase 2 of KonMari: books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on June 15, 2018, 01:09:57 PM
Got a huge pile of clothing out the door. Also went through baby clothes and selected a pile for donation. Even though I want to do a full round of km, I think we have so much excess that I need to first get rid of obvious excess before jumping into km.

And kids clothes and toys multiply!!! Both my kids now have a full drawer in our dresser (not including their fancy clothes) and wear one fifth of it for various reasons. I need a better way to rotate their clothes. Any ideas?

Firelight, if they're only wearing 1/5 of the clothes, then they have too many clothes. Purge.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on June 15, 2018, 06:18:43 PM
@firelight are many of the clothes too big and you are waiting for them to grow into them?

You could store them separately as long as you are sure you will remember to get them out when it’s time. That will make your day to day choosing and putting away clothes so much easier.

Too small/worn but hanging onto them for memories? Purge. Don’t fall into the trap of hanging on to too many worn and torn clothes for messy activities either - for most people one or two outfits will do, and other clothes will continue to wear out and fill the gaps if you realise you’ve chucked too many.

Clothes for specific activities such as art or sport? Be realistic about how often they are using them, keep a realistic amount (few people need more than 2 swimsuits, even if all of them are in great condition), consider storing with the other supplies for that activity.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on June 15, 2018, 07:40:15 PM
These are right sized clothes for daily use (day and night) but due to the system I have (in a drawer front to back with laundered items going in the front), they end up wearing mostly the clothes that are in the front. My husband dresses them every day and he just picks from the front all the time despite me saying to pick from everywhere. Also I sometimes try and put the laundered clothes at the back in an effort to push other clothes to front but forget it most of the time. Is there a better way to do it?

How many outfits do your kids have for daily use?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 16, 2018, 10:02:05 AM
These are right sized clothes for daily use (day and night) but due to the system I have (in a drawer front to back with laundered items going in the front), they end up wearing mostly the clothes that are in the front. My husband dresses them every day and he just picks from the front all the time despite me saying to pick from everywhere. Also I sometimes try and put the laundered clothes at the back in an effort to push other clothes to front but forget it most of the time. Is there a better way to do it?

How many outfits do your kids have for daily use?

Maybe if you got rid of a *few* of the clothes, it'd be easier for you to put clean clothes at the back?  Cuz you know your husband isn't going to change his ways.

===========================================

Followed the one-in-one-out rule.  Bought a pair of shoes to wear indoors on doctor's orders and tossed out my slippers.  They needed to go anyway, they were pretty grungy.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 16, 2018, 10:13:37 AM
Late to the convo, but re: bras. When I bought them, I bought them at the thrift. I also bought underwear there. And bathing suits. And slacks that the previous owner may or may not have worn undies with. Please donate everything! I'm very, very fussy about a lot of things -kitchen hygiene, sex safety, etc- and buy these second-hand because it makes the exact same sense as buying slacks there. Washed, they're clean.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on June 16, 2018, 01:38:30 PM
These are right sized clothes for daily use (day and night) but due to the system I have (in a drawer front to back with laundered items going in the front), they end up wearing mostly the clothes that are in the front. My husband dresses them every day and he just picks from the front all the time despite me saying to pick from everywhere. Also I sometimes try and put the laundered clothes at the back in an effort to push other clothes to front but forget it most of the time. Is there a better way to do it?

How many outfits do your kids have for daily use?

Firelight, the kids simply have too many clothes. If you do laundry once a week, then they should have enough clothing for a week + 2-3 days. Otherwise, if your husband is going to dress the kids and only pulls from the front, then YOU have to create the rotation by putting freshly laundered clothing at the back. But realistically, just too much clothing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on June 16, 2018, 03:30:30 PM
I didn't see this mentioned so I wanted to add a great resource I've been using:

Zappo's For Good (https://www.zappos.com/about/zapposforgood/give) pays shipping for donations; just print as many pre-paid UPS labels as you need. They take:

Shoes (this is the Soles for Souls program, which they're supporting by doing all the shipping)
Clothes
School supplies
School books

They sort and send to developing countries, for donations to schools but also and to people to start their own stores, to sell used clothing and shoes. Win-win!

Thank you for posting this. I have a few very nice, unworn, items from very recent season that I've had a mental block about giving away... But I got excited to give them to this charity.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on June 16, 2018, 04:10:19 PM
Do you find it difficult getting rid of things people have given to you?

For example, I was recently given super cheap bath supplies as a present. I already have tons of bath products and I don't really want it. Yet, the frugal in me wants to keep it, but the thing is that I have sensitive skin and can't use products full of dyes and chemicals.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on June 16, 2018, 11:29:38 PM
Do you find it difficult getting rid of things people have given to you?

For example, I was recently given super cheap bath supplies as a present. I already have tons of bath products and I don't really want it. Yet, the frugal in me wants to keep it, but the thing is that I have sensitive skin and can't use products full of dyes and chemicals.

If you can't really use them then maybe pass them to a women's refuge or similar? I am debating a decorative thingo I was given about 10 years ago that I really liked at the time, but I've just sort of gone off... I don't really know why I've gone off it, so I might hang on to it another 6 months in case I change my mind! It's kind of awkward because I did really like it and I don't want my friend to think I was fibbing.

I am having an awesome decluttering session today. It was the best kind because I'm only dealing with surfaces, so I'll really see the difference. We've got small building works happening inside this week and there might be dust, hence the surface clearing. I've got rid of two things on FB, chucked a few, and found cupboard space for others.

We also went through a stack of magazines and papers that I'd asked hubby to do months ago (mainly his) and it's pretty much gone save some filing. It had been bugging me so long so it feels v good now.

I've just got to keep the energy up for a couple more hours!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on June 17, 2018, 02:11:20 PM
Do you find it difficult getting rid of things people have given to you?

For example, I was recently given super cheap bath supplies as a present. I already have tons of bath products and I don't really want it. Yet, the frugal in me wants to keep it, but the thing is that I have sensitive skin and can't use products full of dyes and chemicals.

I used to. This is one area where Marie Kondo helped me a lot. When I feel loved when someone gives me a gift, the gift has served its purpose. I feel no guilt passing the gift along to someone who is more likely to use or appreciate the physical gift itself. It's incredibly freeing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on June 17, 2018, 02:35:18 PM
Do you find it difficult getting rid of things people have given to you?

For example, I was recently given super cheap bath supplies as a present. I already have tons of bath products and I don't really want it. Yet, the frugal in me wants to keep it, but the thing is that I have sensitive skin and can't use products full of dyes and chemicals.

I used to. This is one area where Marie Kondo helped me a lot. When I feel loved when someone gives me a gift, the gift has served its purpose. I feel no guilt passing the gift along to someone who is more likely to use or appreciate the physical gift itself. It's incredibly freeing.

This was one of my favourite take aways from Marie Kondo’s book too.

Most of the time people will never know if you’ve used their gift - a heartfelt thank you from you is what will bring them joy. If it is something like jewellery I try to wear it once or twice and send a photo of me enjoying the gift, if it is still not my style I will donate.

Keeping something you will never use is not frugal. It saves you no money sitting in a closet.

For things like bath products I like to donate to organisations putting together Christmas hampers, packages for newly arrived refugees etc. People without any money for luxuries would really appreciate them.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 17, 2018, 10:26:43 PM
Got the one item I found to Mr. X today, plus a few more things I found in the meantime.

Didn't wait for Monday to Kondo my books.  I got rid of 23* and kept 48.  They would have all fit in my bookshelf, but I'm happier having only books that bring joy.

Actually got the Kondo'd clothes (1 box) and books (1/2 box) plus another 1 1/2 boxes down to the thrift shop today too.  I took @jooniFLORisploo's tip and called them...they were happy to have the out of season holiday items, whew.

Threw away a space bag that made the linens stored in it smell funny.

Identified 4 pieces of furniture that will go out shortly...2 into the trash, but tomorrow is trash day and all the dumpstsers are overflowing already.  Mr. X was vacillating on whether to take one of the others, so I will press him to decide soon.

*3 being the hardbound set of all the Calvin & Hobbes strips which I bought for myself as a luxury in 2005 when they first came out...passed them to a relative who will save them for her son Calvin when he's old enough.  That makes us both happy! :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on June 18, 2018, 07:59:50 AM
I've been carrying around about 4 trash bags full of donated items in the car.  This weekend I finally dropped them off at the thrift shop.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 18, 2018, 10:49:54 AM
...they were happy to have the out of season holiday items, whew.

Wonderful!!! :)

You're making heaps of progress!!!! Well done, oneday.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on June 18, 2018, 02:32:56 PM
I had to go back ~1 year to the original 'Clearing out clutter!' thread to find where I left off.  It was a good reminder of how much junk we got rid of last year.  But I feel like all we did was grab the low-hanging fruit.  Looking around the house now, I feel like we're just about back where we were a year ago.  One more year of more junk coming in, and not enough junk going out.  Time to start it all over again.  :(
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 18, 2018, 05:14:16 PM
I had to go back ~1 year to the original 'Clearing out clutter!' thread to find where I left off.  It was a good reminder of how much junk we got rid of last year.  But I feel like all we did was grab the low-hanging fruit.  Looking around the house now, I feel like we're just about back where we were a year ago.  One more year of more junk coming in, and not enough junk going out.  Time to start it all over again.  :(

Didn't you know?  It breeds while your back is turned.  Like wire clothes hangers.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on June 18, 2018, 07:09:30 PM
It is amazing how often I keep looking at the same wardrobe/bookshelves and get rid of More Things.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 18, 2018, 07:28:02 PM
@jooniFLORisploo thanks!  For some reason I was going around & around in my own head about the holiday items.  I was stuck.  Your comment unstuck me.

@Bird In Hand @RetiredAt63 @mspym : as much as I am decluttering, I am also bringing in a bunch of stuff too. Between buying for need (shower curtain, trash can) and well-meaning people trying to give me furniture, the influx is mammoth.  I'm doing my best to keep it under control with tools like one-in-one-out and looking for alternates to buying (borrowing, making do, etc), and refusing stuff I plainly don't need.  But it's hard!  Just keep plugging away, I guess.

===============================================

I did trash the 2 furniture things and I think the third thing (loveseat) I'll have to trash too, as I didn't realize how much the cat has shredded it.

I'll press Mr. X for a decision on the 4th thing tomorrow when he comes over for other business.

Keeping the momentum going!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on June 18, 2018, 08:44:43 PM
My battle at the moment is not letting Ofpym derail my progress- he keeps saying "oh I'll read that" when I create a book pile. MY DUDE YOU WON'T BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on June 18, 2018, 08:57:18 PM
My battle at the moment is not letting Ofpym derail my progress- he keeps saying "oh I'll read that" when I create a book pile. MY DUDE YOU WON'T BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.

My hubby does the exact same thing. He has read about 4 books in the last five years and all except one of those were biography type books related to his hobby in the last few yrs. He doesn't even read articles he's saved. Maybe in retirement... :/ 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on June 18, 2018, 09:26:23 PM
My battle at the moment is not letting Ofpym derail my progress- he keeps saying "oh I'll read that" when I create a book pile. MY DUDE YOU WON'T BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.

My hubby does the exact same thing. He has read about 4 books in the last five years and all except one of those were biography type books related to his hobby in the last few yrs. He doesn't even read articles he's saved. Maybe in retirement... :/

I am legit sneaking my books out of the house to stop this happening. I don't touch his books, many of which we have moved multiple houses without opening [but WHATIF HE NEEDS TO BUILD HIS OWN ELECTRIC BASS and we got rid of the book?!? CHECKMATE!] but just stopping him vetoing my right to get rid of my own books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on June 18, 2018, 10:03:59 PM
Spent the day reorganizing my kitchen and pantry and now we have a lot more empty space (top corner cabinets at a weird angle anyone?) that I'm not sure what to do with. But the space is nice and the rearranging of the kitchen makes it more efficient. Also decluttered kids clothes and linen closet. Next on list are the bathrooms and toys.

I have a bunch of stuff to give away on but nothing group and work list. Hope they get picked up soon.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 19, 2018, 12:29:51 AM
What to do when your mother wants to give you a book as a birthday present. I could pick one myself up to 50 euro.
I bought a book I wanted to have, a subject matter book that I can use for lookup things. But it was a lot cheaper. I couldn't find a relevant other book. Then I fell for the temptation of buying 3 pockets for little money. All 4 books together 50 euros. I will read the pockets, let DH read them and bring them to the give-away-bookshelf in the grocery store. They do need need to be moved to our next house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 19, 2018, 11:01:46 AM
My battle at the moment is not letting Ofpym derail my progress- he keeps saying "oh I'll read that" when I create a book pile. MY DUDE YOU WON'T BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.

My hubby does the exact same thing. He has read about 4 books in the last five years and all except one of those were biography type books related to his hobby in the last few yrs. He doesn't even read articles he's saved. Maybe in retirement... :/

I am legit sneaking my books out of the house to stop this happening. I don't touch his books, many of which we have moved multiple houses without opening [but WHATIF HE NEEDS TO BUILD HIS OWN ELECTRIC BASS and we got rid of the book?!? CHECKMATE!] but just stopping him vetoing my right to get rid of my own books.

@mspym @Fresh Bread I feel you!  Mr. X tried to do something like this with an exercise ball *I* bought, then abandoned.  He never used it either.  My mistake was asking him if he would ever use it.   I snuck it out when he was on vacation & he never noticed!

Spent the day reorganizing my kitchen and pantry and now we have a lot more empty space (top corner cabinets at a weird angle anyone?) that I'm not sure what to do with.

Leave it empty :)  Sounds like it might be hard to get to, anyway.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on June 19, 2018, 11:42:26 AM
What to do when your mother wants to give you a book as a birthday present. I could pick one myself up to 50 euro.
I bought a book I wanted to have, a subject matter book that I can use for lookup things. But it was a lot cheaper. I couldn't find a relevant other book. Then I fell for the temptation of buying 3 pockets for little money. All 4 books together 50 euros. I will read the pockets, let DH read them and bring them to the give-away-bookshelf in the grocery store. They do need need to be moved to our next house.

You're Dutch (speaking), right? This book is pretty special, you give it to your Mom to fill out and then she gives it back to you. There are similar books for fathers/grandparents. It'll be a book you'll keep forever!
https://www.bol.com/nl/p/vertel-eens-mam-vertel-eens/9200000040710112/
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on June 19, 2018, 11:50:54 AM
I'm sure this idea has come up earlier in the thread or in the predecessor.  But we're going to give the kids each a cardboard box and pay them $5 (or $10, I don't know yet) to fill it up with old toys to donate.  I wish someone would make me the same offer to get rid of some of my unused items!  :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 19, 2018, 12:35:25 PM
What to do when your mother wants to give you a book as a birthday present. I could pick one myself up to 50 euro.
I bought a book I wanted to have, a subject matter book that I can use for lookup things. But it was a lot cheaper. I couldn't find a relevant other book. Then I fell for the temptation of buying 3 pockets for little money. All 4 books together 50 euros. I will read the pockets, let DH read them and bring them to the give-away-bookshelf in the grocery store. They do need need to be moved to our next house.

You're Dutch (speaking), right? This book is pretty special, you give it to your Mom to fill out and then she gives it back to you. There are similar books for fathers/grandparents. It'll be a book you'll keep forever!
https://www.bol.com/nl/p/vertel-eens-mam-vertel-eens/9200000040710112/

Yes, I am Dutch. Interesting concept. My mother also has her birthday soon. I'll consider this book.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 19, 2018, 11:25:46 PM
I'll press Mr. X for a decision on the 4th thing tomorrow when he comes over for other business.

Mr. X is a slippery one and did not give me an answer.  So I'm not free to try to re-home the item!  I'm giving him an ultimatum on Friday, as I won't have time to follow through before that anyway.

================================================

Decided on a 5th item that needs to go, but can't go right away.  First I'll offer it back to the family member who gave it to me, but if they won't take it, it is trash.  Maybe I should just toss it?  It's a bookcase made from pine planks, quite ugly but functional, however subsequent modifications to add shelves are unsafe & should be removed.  No, the relative who gave it to me will notice if it's not in my house.  Although I did clarify it wasn't a loan, it was a gift...but I only got it a month ago...

Someone please tell me what to do!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 19, 2018, 11:53:10 PM
Yes, tell the relative you've appreciated it but can't use it in your new home, do they want it back? Because otherwise you'll be donating it. Definitely donate vs trash :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on June 20, 2018, 01:07:33 PM
I've been pretty good about dealing with incoming paper clutter. It's not perfect yet, but I'm getting better!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 20, 2018, 07:30:19 PM
Yes, tell the relative you've appreciated it but can't use it in your new home, do they want it back? Because otherwise you'll be donating it. Definitely donate vs trash :)

You're right.  I have to.  I don't want to insult them, but it would be worse if I just donated it & they noticed.  Text sent!

ETA: Yes, I'll donate it, but first I'll take off the sharp/dangerous bits.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: WootWoot on June 22, 2018, 08:15:30 AM
I've got some bags of clothing and art supplies to go to the Salvation Army. I decided it was time to get rid of clothing I didn't really love. I'm not gonna go so far as saying "they didn't spark joy" but I did have a few items that I never liked much, so why keep them?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 22, 2018, 06:46:21 PM
The relative wanted the bookcase back.  I'm glad I didn't act to hastily!

=================================================

I recycled two boxes today!  It's sort of cheating.  I only put away a few things, then rearranged the contents of the remaining boxes.  Still, I am reclaiming the air space from inside several partially empty boxes!  And the living room is almost clear of boxes. Only the paper boxes and the donate box (which I don't count because it's on the way out soon-ish).

I'm pulling out all papers I find for the next phase of KonMari.  This weekend!  I'm anxious about this.

I'm also piling up all photographs.  That pile is getting impressively large (3 1/2 boxes at this time).  These are all family of origin photos + married to Mr. X photos (1975-1997).  Few are in albums.  I was pleased to note when I packed the photos originally how much of them are organized chronologically.  That has always been the biggest mental hurdle for me.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 22, 2018, 07:04:26 PM
Oooooooh, I will be so inspired by ANY movement you manage to make with papers. It's totally my sticky point (though I'm down to two banker boxes of it). Please post as much detail as you're willing!

When I was doing Morning Pages this week (which I shred the same day I write them!), they assured me I could now go through a layer of old work stuff. Whew. My life feels so new and different now, and it seems like this can maybe happen now!

Other stuff my Morning Pages said can go now:
*electric toothbrush -man, those work well! but I've come to hate the noise so I don't use it
*books and manuals from early learning in two subjects this past year -I've genuinely graduated from them
*many pages from two binders
*my giant vision board (still current, but will just take a pic)
*all the other oversized papery things in the Oversized Paper Folder
*lots of electronic files
*shame about being hyperkeen on accuracy
*several tags, boxes, etc, from stuff purchased since moving here that I'm for sure keeping because the things are awesome!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on June 22, 2018, 07:27:43 PM
Love Morning pages @jooniFLORisploo ! I haven't done them for years but I love the idea of immediate shredding, could greatly reduce self-censoring.

Was visiting family this week, which brings up mixed feelings. My mother has major hoarding problems and it has affected our family my entire life.
I occasionally become very triggered when visiting, even though I've learned some skills to deal with the emotions (the food hoarding is hard for me still : multiple fridges packed full, food all gone bad, many freezers--same situation and a pantry that is never touched and jammed).

However, one thing I am reassured of is

*Life is not about the things. Use the things to live your life or pass them along and be free to explore experiences *

So..on that note, decluttered some books that aren't speaking to me anymore, clothing that isn't comfortable and extra sheets/bedding because really, when do I need 10 sheet sets? Love coming home to my own space which is feeling like more and more of a sacred and personal space.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: firelight on June 22, 2018, 08:21:32 PM
Managed to declutter kids clothes and kitchen/pantry. Plan for weekend: go through my clothes again and get them into one dresser so it's easy to get/find what I need. Also need to get the toy room in shape.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 22, 2018, 10:13:23 PM
Love Morning pages @jooniFLORisploo ! I haven't done them for years but I love the idea of immediate shredding, could greatly reduce self-censoring.

I only just restarted them this week, and every morning I'm pissed off at them ;)   This is because I usually only sleep 4-5 hours at night now (plus another random amount in the afternoon), so when I wake unnaturally and unnecessarily early, it's dark, I'm truly bleary-eyed, my brain is foggy. So, the MPs happen with the intended lack of self-censoring -I can't see or think what I'm writing! And it's working.

And then I shred them because JC recommends we not look at them again. If I'm not going to look at them again, out!

Love coming home to my own space which is feeling like more and more of a sacred and personal space.

Beautiful :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 22, 2018, 10:17:01 PM
Went through my little storage spaces and made a fast pile of stuff identified in Morning Pages, plus the boxes I keep on hand for the next time we need to move. (We're hoping we don't need to move for some years, and if we do, I can get more -even my "perfect" ones for a couple of bucks.)

Our living room is very empty, the way I love, and now I just lie down on the carpet, gaze out at the trees, and fall into a lovely snooze whenever I'm compelled to :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on June 25, 2018, 12:41:00 AM
Soooo, I had to clear a lot of surfaces because we are doing renovations, and it went well. Now I'm looking at the empty surfaces and it doesn't feel..."right". I definitely don't like clutter, but now is it turning out that I don't like minimalism either??
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 25, 2018, 01:09:10 AM
Soooo, I had to clear a lot of surfaces because we are doing renovations, and it went well. Now I'm looking at the empty surfaces and it doesn't feel..."right". I definitely don't like clutter, but now is it turning out that I don't like minimalism either??

I my work they made a new brake room which has a few minimalistic looking comfy chairs, a TV on the wall and nothing else. I commented to a colleague that I missed something, maybe a plant or something on the wall. But the colleague answered that she liked it this way.
Obviously people are a bit different. Some really like a minimalistic look and others want something a little less sterile.

Why don't you in your case leave the surfaces empty for a while and see what you think about it over time. And then you can experiment with adding a carefully chosen item to put on it, rather than lots of things.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 25, 2018, 07:49:16 AM
...but now is it turning out that I don't like minimalism either??

Yep, maybe! Definitely some people don't. When people come to my place, most express a sense of relief, space, zen, etc. But a minority feel uneasy as a result of the minimalism. They really, really, really need there to be a bit more stuff. You'll find your balance :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Ladychips on June 25, 2018, 10:08:20 AM
When I was in college, my best friend lived down the street in new-build, bigger-than-an-efficiency-but-not-quite-a-one-bedroom apartment. I could NOT sit in her apartment because of how much 'stuff' she had, big furniture, knick knacks, etc.  I literally could not catch my breath in her place because the stuff was overwhelming.  I would sit on her front stoop and wait for her to get ready just so I could breathe.

I lived down the street in an old house that had been cut up into a duplex.  I had 12 foot ceilings, hardwood floors, big windows...it was divine.  Lots of space and room to breathe.  One day she was in my house and she said "I feel so sorry for you because you don't have any stuff."  And THAT'S when I realized different people love different things.  It was a real eye opener for me.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 25, 2018, 01:58:32 PM
I dig a biggie today: a relatively recent paper journal. Oy.

I kept six pages from it, because they had my son's birthday, other notes of mama love for son, a couple of big things I still need to process a bit (a person being vicious; the beginning of the housing journey that brought us to our current location).

It's really, really challenging for me to let go of handwritten pieces. Oh, the emotions of that! So attached to those, but there are too many pages!

Criteria I used: If I can't read it (and that's the majority of my writing), it goes. hahahahaha
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 25, 2018, 05:23:17 PM
Since my post on Friday, I did not deal with any papers.   It was very intimidating and so I found lots of other things to do.  Sis & I were talking about FlyLady v. Marie Kondo last night.  I think I am going to combine the two approaches.   From KonMari: I will deal with all papers "in one go" and also I will try to follow her directives for keep/toss.  From FlyLady: I will set a timer ("you can do anything for 15 minutes") and work each night to get through this.   I will probably also reward myself with chocolate ;)

I am committing to two small parts of this task tonight.  1-dig through all remaining boxes to be sure I've got all papers in one pile; 2-separate filing supplies from informational papers.  That may not take 15 minutes, but that's all I'll do tonight because I also have another commitment in the evening.

@jooniFLORisploo I'm just going to brute-force myself to deal with it (method outlined above)...hold myself accountable for doing *something* each day...and be satisfied with whatever results I can achieve by next Sunday (tentatively).  PS - how long does it take you to do your morning pages, and do you stick to 3 pages no matter what? PPS - great job getting rid of all that stuff!  I especially have a hard time letting go of packaging because very often I am disappointed by the things I buy.


So...on that note, decluttered some...Love coming home to my own space which is feeling like more and more of
a sacred and personal space[/b].

@Serendip, sorry about the family issues. But I love what you wrote bolded above!  I am going to sit with "sacred" and see if that is what I am going for (I've been thinking serene).

Soooo, I had to clear a lot of surfaces because we are doing renovations, and it went well. Now I'm looking at the empty surfaces and it doesn't feel..."right". I definitely don't like clutter, but now is it turning out that I don't like minimalism either??

Why don't you in your case leave the surfaces empty for a while and see what you think about it over time. And then you can experiment with adding a carefully chosen item to put on it, rather than lots of things.

@Fresh Bread @Linda_Norway Another vote for Linda's wisdom! Especially the bolded part.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 25, 2018, 05:25:01 PM
I dig a biggie today: a relatively recent paper journal. Oy.

I kept six pages from it, because they had my son's birthday, other notes of mama love for son, a couple of big things I still need to process a bit (a person being vicious; the beginning of the housing journey that brought us to our current location).

It's really, really challenging for me to let go of handwritten pieces. Oh, the emotions of that! So attached to those, but there are too many pages!

I feel you!

Quote
Criteria I used: If I can't read it (and that's the majority of my writing), it goes. hahahahaha

Lol, almost makes me wish my handwriting were less neat :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 25, 2018, 06:33:02 PM
@jooniFLORisploo I'm just going to brute-force myself to deal with it (method outlined above)...hold myself accountable for doing *something* each day...and be satisfied with whatever results I can achieve by next Sunday (tentatively).  PS - how long does it take you to do your morning pages, and do you stick to 3 pages no matter what? PPS - great job getting rid of all that stuff!  I especially have a hard time letting go of packaging because very often I am disappointed by the things I buy.

Because the paper is so emotional for me, I can only manage a relatively short amount per day -15 minutes or an hour depending on the content; or one journal. I am so conflicted when it comes to paper. I adore it and I feel like it keeps me "safe" and known. But I get giddy at the thought of being free of it! The process makes me feel fragile, vulnerable, a little stressed, teary. So I'm careful with how much I ask of myself.

My MPs take me probably 7 minutes per day -totally guessing, as I don't have a clock happening at that point in the day. I write very fast, sloppily, illegibly. I get it out, move on with my day, and somewhere in there shred it.

Packacking I usually keep for at least a few months, until I know I'm keeping it. (If a warranty issue arose, I can buy a great box from UPS.) But so many places will accept a return even without the packaging, anyway, so that's freed me quite a bit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 25, 2018, 11:51:05 PM
*shame about being hyperkeen on accuracy

Meant to address this earlier, but didn't have adequate time.

I am also hyperkeen on accuracy, and proud of it.  However, what is shameful/jerky is the way I would treat other people who don't share that trait; like they are deficient human beings.  So I started out being smug & superior but eventually realized I was just a jerk.  I have been reforming for some time and sometimes I lapse but it's farther & farther between incidents.

That's to say, I hope you can shed the shame.  Personally, I see nothing wrong with accuracy (natch), and I can't imagine you lording it over others, so the only thing left (in my reconing) is releasing the shame, just like your morning pages said.

ETA: jooni, thank you for your responses to my questions.  I've added The Artists Way to my ever-growing list of books to read.  Maybe oneday I'll get it from the library and learn the whole scoop on morning pages.

Reporting that I scoured my home for papers and found some in odd places: kitchen & bedroom closet.  Along the way, consolidated the smallest moving box into another partially empty box.  This empty box will get jammed between the wall & the washer to block the cat from going back there.  He is weirdly transfixed with that space, but the few times he got in there, he almost got stuck.  Yet he keeps wanting to go back.

I glanced at the paper pile & I think the filing supplies are separate for the most part.  I spent so much time finding papers that I didn't spend much time on this part.  It will be worked out eventually.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 26, 2018, 12:35:03 AM
Thanks, oneday :)
Very happy to meet someone else keen on accuracy (I suspect many forumites are). I think releasing the shame will take some time, as it involves decades of memories of people's snide remarks, blasts, and other inappropriateness. Blech.

The Julia Cameron book I'm working through is not The Artist's Way (though that would also tell you all about the MPs), but her version for people hitting retirement, which I think is an amazing resource for FIRE people. It speaks to issues around: leaving one's long-time network, solitude (perhaps initially unwanted), lack of structure, lack of imposed schedule. She acknowledges how difficult these can be for retirees -including those retiring from intensive parenting. It's called It's Never Too Late to Begin Again.

Great job getting your papers collected, per KM!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 26, 2018, 05:10:56 PM
Had some excellent movement today! Faced the 17" wide closet that was holding the boxes that were holding the envelopes that were holding the papers that I'd had scanned :)

1. Ripped open boxes
2. Emptied each envelope.
3. Stuff I instantaneously love went on one side of the shelf; stuff I instantaneously do not love (but legally may be required to keep) went on the other. Everything fit on one small shelf.

A final box held mostly bubble wrap from the last two moves, with some beloved items.

1. Ditched the wrap and box.
2. Place beloved items on shelf.

The closest looks and feels so much clearer now.

On another day, I can see if a section of that unloved paper is old enough tax stuff that it can now go.

I really hate that the scanners staples and folded some of my most precious papers (handwritten letters, two arts I did 43 years ago). Even if you opt for the "stuff back" option (which to me means I just want an electronic back up, not everything destroyed), they handle it as though one wants it wrecked. Darn!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 26, 2018, 05:45:27 PM
Donate it to a thrift shop :)
Someone will use it as is, modify it into another lovely garment, or use the materials in a whole new way.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on June 26, 2018, 09:43:02 PM
Someone gifted me something, while saying "if it doesn't work for you just pass it on"..so I put it straight into my give-away box when I got home ;)

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 27, 2018, 02:54:45 AM
Would anyone have suggestions as to what to do with my (deceased) mother's wedding dress????

If it fits you, you could paint it and use as an evening dress, if you have any use that that. Or remake it into something.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on June 27, 2018, 06:52:35 AM
@jooniFLORisploo I'm just going to brute-force myself to deal with it (method outlined above)...hold myself accountable for doing *something* each day...and be satisfied with whatever results I can achieve by next Sunday (tentatively).  PS - how long does it take you to do your morning pages, and do you stick to 3 pages no matter what? PPS - great job getting rid of all that stuff!  I especially have a hard time letting go of packaging because very often I am disappointed by the things I buy.

Because the paper is so emotional for me, I can only manage a relatively short amount per day -15 minutes or an hour depending on the content; or one journal. I am so conflicted when it comes to paper. I adore it and I feel like it keeps me "safe" and known. But I get giddy at the thought of being free of it! The process makes me feel fragile, vulnerable, a little stressed, teary. So I'm careful with how much I ask of myself.

Oh my gosh, I know this is insensitive -- but you two sound a little nuts with the holding onto packaging, and also the emotional attachment to certain papers.

Did I mention that I apparently have found my people?  :D  I have the same exact issues!  I hang onto packaging waaaay too long, on the off chance that I might one day return something.  In my case it's really dumb because I'll hang onto boxes/receipts well beyond the end of the return window.  Eventually some of that stuff gets lost in the shuffle, and I'll uncover it a year later during a rage cleaning.

As far as paper, I'm hopeless.  I simply cannot bring myself to throw away certain papers, especially anything that triggers memories of meaningful times in my life.  I'm pretty sure I have every single letter or card that my wife (and before that when she was my gf) gave me.  I have the newspaper I bought on the day I left home to drive across the country to start college.  I have most of my notebooks from college stashed somewhere in the basement.  Anything that my kids bring home from school that looks halfway interesting and has their names on it, I put in a box.  Ok, it's now grown to about 3 boxes and counting.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 27, 2018, 08:30:36 AM
lol, I was going to be so bold as to agree that was insensitive...and then I read on :)

Literally everything the two of us own fits in my compact car in one go, so no one would say I have too much stuff, and one 8.5x17 shelf of paper is relatively little. I guess the “crazier” part is the ongoing, compelling desire to get rid of it all. A bunch of us in IRL community had talked once about how the compulsion to release stuff can be as, well, compulsive as the one to hoard. I can’t imagine feeling so unaffected by Stuff as to just walk by it every day and ignore it, lol. (Currently, my borrowed bed is driving me bonkers, with it being so present, taking up so much space, being so hefty.)

When I see my late dad’s nice little printing, I feel so connected and happy and loved :)    Ditto my sweet son’s grade 1 art. I’ve never kept all of it -just small samples.

The bulk of my paper is legal stuff (seven tax years, work stuff), or clear reminders to not get back with exes, lol (because I’ve tended to forget).

I might be okay with the stack now, now that it’s scanned for backup, in its lovely viewable storage system, and I can just go through it all once a year and shred anything that’s ready to go. Maybe I’ve hit the optimal balance now (down from a deep, four-drawer filing cabinet) and need to train myself to bypass the compulsion now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on June 27, 2018, 01:38:52 PM
A bunch of us in IRL community had talked once about how the compulsion to release stuff can be as, well, compulsive as the one to hoard.  I can’t imagine feeling so unaffected by Stuff as to just walk by it every day and ignore it, lol. (Currently, my borrowed bed is driving me bonkers, with it being so present, taking up so much space, being so hefty.)

This is all rings true for me, but in my case it's a weird bi-polar kind of tension.  Decades of evidence are enough to label me a 'hoarder of certain things' (especially mementos, and anything that seems likely to be useful in the future).  Much of the time the clutter is invisible to me.  But I do cyclically bounce to the opposite pole where I'm extremely irritated by those hoarding tendencies, and suddenly I see it all around me and Must.  Destroy.  The Clutter.

The problem is that during these rage cleanings, I hit the low-hanging fruit first, saving the mementos/etc. for last.  And by the time I get to the mementos, my resolve has waned to the point where the memento-hoarding part of me wins out.  Maybe next time I'll ignore the clutter around my office desk and instead head straight to the memento stash and attack it.  :D


Quote
When I see my late dad’s nice little printing, I feel so connected and happy and loved :)    Ditto my sweet son’s grade 1 art. I’ve never kept all of it -just small samples.

...and this is the main reason that I struggle with mementos.  When I do revisit old papers and other mementos every few years, the memories come flooding back and the thought of losing -- either the mementos or memories -- becomes an anathema to me.  I think in my case a good baby step would be to "thin out the collection" a bit.  Maybe go through all the old saved kids schoolwork and allow myself to let go of the stuff that doesn't immediately strike a chord, or are +/- duplicates of something else.

Quote
The bulk of my paper is legal stuff (seven tax years, work stuff), or clear reminders to not get back with exes, lol (because I’ve tended to forget).

Ah, I had forgotten about legal stuff.  I have a bunch of that too, though I keep it out of perceived necessity rather than sentimentality.  I should be smart enough to realize that I've never actually needed any of it, and am exceedingly unlikely to ever need any of it in the future.

Quote
I might be okay with the stack now, now that it’s scanned for backup, in its lovely viewable storage system, and I can just go through it all once a year and shred anything that’s ready to go. Maybe I’ve hit the optimal balance now (down from a deep, four-drawer filing cabinet) and need to train myself to bypass the compulsion now.

Ugh, you just mentioned a deep, four-drawer filing cabinet.  Every so often I think to myself, "If I only had a deep, four-drawer filing cabinet, I could stash all this stuff away in a tidy manner!".  But I know that is faulty thinking when the real problem is that I simply have too much paper!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 27, 2018, 01:52:02 PM
Ugh, you just mentioned a deep, four-drawer filing cabinet.  Every so often I think to myself, "If I only had a deep, four-drawer filing cabinet...

:))))    That was my Paper Peak, reflecting an intensive, paper-centered work-from-home period. Man, deleting that stuff when it did become no longer needed, YUM.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 27, 2018, 08:10:42 PM
Progress:

*Got all the plastic tape off three shipping boxes, recycled as able, garbaged as required
*Got all the other packaging from this week's processing complete and out
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on June 27, 2018, 08:23:56 PM
I put the free pen and spiral notebook from a training in my teaching-stuff box to give away next school year and declined other freebies.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 28, 2018, 12:51:06 AM
@Bird In Hand the struggle is real!  I relate to what you are saying.  I don't have kid stuff, but hold many sentimental items from Dad who passed on about 10 years ago.  I know I won't forget my Dad if I toss these things, but that isn't why I'm holding on to them, so it doesn't help release them.

@jooniFLORisploo good going getting that packaging perfectly prepared for it's next life phase. (sorry, ran out of alliteration juice)

@Mezzie way to go declining!  That is so helpful to me when I remember to do it.  I've gotten some funny looks and some folks have wondered, "Are you sure?"  Did you get any push back?

=====================================================


tl;dr - Did the thing. Not as bad as I thought. Recycled some papers & packaging; even more is going to shredder tomorrow.



My goal is to be paperless/digital outside of sentimental papers and currently-being-used papers, like the notes I write to myself or bills to be paid.  No papers should hang around more than 2 weeks.  If they do, they need to be scanned or stored with the other sentimental papers.

Yesterday I was stressed out by something that happened Monday evening, so it was not a good time to work on the paper pile.  Today I was feeling better & even a little guilty for skipping a day.  Plus, I brought work from the day job home.  It's my MO* to always leave one thing un-done and that thing is the ickiest task.  Today the work spillover was ickiest, and sorting papers seemed almost not icky in comparison!

So I set the timer for 15 minutes & got to work.  Quickly sorted out the filing supplies from the other paper, showing I have about 3 boxes of paper.  This is down from 7 boxes several years ago, so I feel good about that. Good to keep in mind how far I've come.  The work I've already done tell me the bulk of what remains is just trash waiting to be tossed.  Why do I feel compelled to look through it all?

Decided to attack "the box" first.  This box holds the oldest papers and also the ones that are hardest for me to deal with, hence why they are still there.  Happily, I immediately found several files that I can pass on to Mr. X, so that was some good momentum.  Then there were several that I could easily deal with.  Turns out the box is a mixed bag (har har).  Some of the papers are hard, but I found old contracts with gyms I no longer belong to, bills for the land line (including long distance charges!), vet bills on cats who are long deceased, etc. I saw dates in the 2007-2012 range.  Got a good chunk into the recycle bin and am taking a 2"/5cm stack to work tomorrow to shred.  Wee!

Also, found the packaging to my tablet.  Broke it down and it too got recycled.  Recent discussion here helped with that (thanks, you know who you are); I had that, plus KonMari's wisdom in mind as I was figuring out what to do with the packaging.  All this took maybe 20 minutes, so setting the timer for 15 was a good strategy (as was bringing home work). 

Hopefully today's good experience will carry over to momentum/motivation for tomorrow.

*Not a conscious choice, but that's how it usually ends up being.  Sometimes I can use this to get the 2nd most icky thing done, but not always.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on June 28, 2018, 07:38:56 AM
I helped a friend and her three kids move yesterday.  It was a lot of work.  In the grand scheme of things, she really doesn't have a lot of stuff...and it made me slightly horrified by how much we still have, even after my big decluttering purge over the last 9 months.  I think I would have about 3 or 4 times as many boxes as she did, but most of it probably belongs to my husband and children.

My husband started work to organize our walk-in attic last night.  He shooed me out after a little while because I was asking him if we had to keep every single thing.  His giveaway and throwaway piles were quite small - but at least they exist!

I think I'm going to be inspired by y'all and go through my file cabinet again.  I'm hoping to get rid of enough that I can get rid of the two-drawer file cabinet and replace it with a small expandable folder for papers I need now and a slightly larger box for longer-term storage (kids' school papers, past year taxes)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 28, 2018, 08:02:33 AM
Shredded the last two journals yesterday! Everything that can go at this point is gone!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 28, 2018, 10:57:35 AM
formerlydivorcedmom, you are in good company: realizing you have more than you want to, cleaning up your own stuff, inspiring others to follow suit.  I think you will find a lot to toss in that file cabinet.

jooniFLORisploo way to go!  You are living the dream: perfect paperwork pile.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Swish on June 28, 2018, 03:06:29 PM
YAY!

I have lurked for a long time and this thread motivated our spring clean up efforts. Initially we were going to haul most of the following list to the dump/metal recycle and instead we sold a bunch on Facebook Marketplace! We also donated six boxes of clothes/toys to community living!

Here is the list so far from cleaning out garage:
Smart Car Rims $125
Tar: $40
Paintings: $30
Vase: $15
Little People: $75 SOLD
Dryer: $85 SOLD
Jacuzzi Tub: $300 SOLD
Table & Chair: $15 SOLD
Potterybarn rug: $40 SOLD
LED Spares: $55 SOLD
Toys: $22 SOLD
Mirrors: $25 SOLD
Baby Gate: $25 SOLD
Fridge: $300 SOLD
Used Water Heater: $150 SOLD
Another Dryer: $100 SOLD

TOTAL SALES: $1,192.00

Time spent listing/cleaning: 8.75 hours
Dump fees: $0.00

Thank you for the motivation and I hope this motivates some one else the same way you all have motivated me!

I was having trouble selling the smart car rims and had them the last couple months. Two weeks ago my friend was driving and I saw a random guy park his smart car. I asked my friend to pull over cause that guy could need my rims. My buddy called me an idiot and that there was no way this would work. I convinced him to stop and I ran down the busy street to catch the guy. I asked him if he was interested in buying a set of smart car rims for his car. After his *who is this weirdo chasing me* response, he was pretty excited as he had just gotten a quote that day for almost $800 from the dealer! He met us at the house and I am $100 richer from a free set of rims :)

To quote my friend when I climbed back in the truck:

"Shut up that didn't work. Your such an idiot. Only you could pull some asinine stunt like that off."


Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 28, 2018, 10:55:00 PM
@Swish that's a fun story!  Decluttering for fun & profit :)

I did my 15 minutes of paperwork sorting today & no more.  Got through a 2" stack of old insurance papers (2002-2006).  Some I am keeping as the policies are still in force, but several like the homeowner's and the life insurance have lapsed within the last 12 month period, so easy this attempt to get rid of.   A few more pages for Mr. X, too.

Looking at my posting history, it was 2 years ago in June that I first started tackling the paper monster.  At that time it was the equivalent of 7 banker's boxes.  That it's down to 3 (less than that now) now is such a huge encouragement!  At that time, I had papers scattered all over the office, too.  Now they are corralled to one small corner of the apartment.   Hopefully it's all as easy as it has been the last two days.  After current stacks are dealt with, I need to really develop good systems for incoming papers.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on June 28, 2018, 10:57:06 PM
Skookum job on every count, oneday!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on June 28, 2018, 11:39:44 PM
Well done, oneday!

My builders have just finished with the messy work so my plan is to see how neat and uncluttered I can keep the kitchen til the painter comes in a month and also how I like it that neat. I think the problem I was having earlier is that once everything is removed, the unattractive kitchen units and surface are more noticeable. It's not in terrible condition but it's shabby and not to my taste and the dark worktop never looks clean.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 29, 2018, 12:35:47 AM
Thanks jooni & Fresh Bread for the encouragement!  It feels nice to clean up, and getting accolades here feels nice a second time. 

Fresh Bread, sounds like a good length of time for an experiment.  Once you have the results you will know what to do.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on June 29, 2018, 02:47:13 AM
Well done, oneday!

My builders have just finished with the messy work so my plan is to see how neat and uncluttered I can keep the kitchen til the painter comes in a month and also how I like it that neat. I think the problem I was having earlier is that once everything is removed, the unattractive kitchen units and surface are more noticeable. It's not in terrible condition but it's shabby and not to my taste and the dark worktop never looks clean.

Is it made of wood? In that case you could polish and oil. Otherwise could you paint it?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on June 30, 2018, 10:33:09 AM
Today: unpacking from trip. Everything needs to be stowed! We also have convinced the kids that there HUGE cardboard houses can be photographed and recycled. We''ve had them in the way for a year.

DH wants to go through the whole house and declutter it! Going to take forever but I just don't do well trying to sort through all our stuff by myself. Plus the kids are more on board when both parents are helping.

Edited to add: the whole family just spent nearly 3 hours on kid1's room. A favorite book lost in the clutter precipitated a willingness to do a major cleaning. One laundry basket of stuff to donate and 20 gallons of recycling/trash. Kid2 is now begging to be next.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on June 30, 2018, 04:44:58 PM
I have a pile of hangers to take to the op-shop, now that I have downsized my wardrobe and Ofpym is thinking of down-sizing and consolidating his bass collection. We bought an instant pot and are now finding new homes for the pressure cooker, slow cooker and yogurt maker. So much additional kitchen space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on June 30, 2018, 09:56:39 PM
Mongoose, good work getting unpacked right away.  I always struggle with that, but it feels so good to get it done!  Your place is going to feel so much more homey when you all are done. 

mspym, great work on the wardrobe!  In my area, a lot of the places won't take hangers. Which seems silly, because people (at least I) would like to buy used hangars just as much as any other household good.

==============================================================

Didn't work on papers  Friday because I worked till 8 pm, plus was fasting since 7:30pm for blood work this morning.  Didn't seem like a good time to push myself.

Today I did 15+ minutes.  I thought I had found all the expired credit cards 2 years ago, but found another today!
 The next little bit in the box I'm clearing out was inherited papers.  Folks, I get my paper hoarding tendencies from *both* parents.  Two files were different life insurance polices my Dad had (he died in 2008).  He valued them very highly because he had a congenital heart defect that meant most carriers wouldn't insure him.  These were both group policies from former employers that he was able to keep after leaving those companies.  I saved a few pages from each which had samples of his handwriting and dated back to 1975.  Found his resume from 1990, and parent's tax return from 1999, their last as a married couple.  These papers I'll scan later on.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on July 01, 2018, 04:38:17 PM
Oneday, um, it wasn't exactly right away...more like over a week later. It was as right away as we could manage around our work schedules though.

Other kid's room only took 30 minutes. I'd been in there to help more recently. Also got all our laundry done and put away, and the living room rearranged.

The kids sorted their books and we have a small box of unwanted items to donate. I also have a small box of school curriculum we have completed that we may be able to sell.

We have an 8 foot couch that has never fit anywhere. I think it's finally going to leave (well, as soon as we can arrange to transport it; it is currently sitting in front of the fireplace). Well, maybe it will leave. The inertia of actually evicting it could be a problem. Plus I tend to get panicked about getting rid of stuff that would cost a lot to replace, not that we are likely to decide we desperately need a ginormous, heavy couch.

DH and I are convinced that we likely have a ton of unnecessary and unwanted items scattered about. The trick is going to be finding time to sort through it all.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 01, 2018, 06:06:38 PM
mspym, great work on the wardrobe!  In my area, a lot of the places won't take hangers. Which seems silly, because people (at least I) would like to buy used hangars just as much as any other household good.

How odd, ours take them, sell the nice wooden hangers {which is where I got mine] and use the plastic ones since they all eventually break from usage.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on July 01, 2018, 08:49:48 PM
I decluttered old greeting cards the other day and put the discards on the floor. I went to clear them up today and made the fatal mistake of glancing through them again. Now I'm having a hard time getting them into the trash. It's just so final. I may not care now about the generic happy birthday message from my parents/grandparents a few years ago, but what about future me? Will I regret not having these things when they are older/gone? There's no getting those mementos back.

I did end up keeping some cards from each of the important people in my life - mostly the ones where they wrote a longer note. And a shorter one where my grandfather who has already passed away wrote the message.

I think part of my struggle is that I don't know how to organize them. If I knew exactly when I received each card, I would want to keep them all and sort them by life event (birthday, Christmas, graduation, etc.). But they aren't really labeled so I don't always know which birthday each card was for, etc. So now I've got them grouped by person and and throwing away some graduation cards, keeping some, etc. It feels very jumbled.

I know Marie Kondo says throw them all away because they have already served their purpose, but I know I want to keep some. It does bring me joy to read the longer messages from my family and friends. How does everyone else handle keeping/organizing greeting cards?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 01, 2018, 11:52:09 PM
Mongoose, lol.  That's counts as right away in my house!  I am impressed at the skills you are teaching your children.  It will serve them well!

@zygote good job on the greeting cards!  That can't be easy.

I toss all greeting cards, but then I'm not the sentimental type.  I believe Marie Kondo would say to put these greeting cards with your sentimental items, not your paper, as they provoke those emotions in you.  So you wouldn't just toss them all.  Strange as it is, I have old pay stubs in my sentimental items & will deal with them at the appropriate time later.

======================================================

I spent some amount of time today sorting through the last of the box I've been working on.  A lot of papers to shred, but there was a lot of this gritty, black stuff in the folders.  I shudder to think what it was, but I wasn't putting those papers in my backpack to carry to work to shred, no way no how.  So I found a local place & paid $3 and change to shred 5 lbs/2.3kg of papers.  Worth it. 

What I found was a lot of papers from my schooling...report cards, programs and the like I am keeping to scan.  Yesterday's sorting was all about papers Dad kept.  This was stuff Mom kept.  I still have to micro-sort to see which actual pieces I even want to bother scanning, but that goes into the sentimental basket to deal with later.

So I guess I am down to about 2 banker-size boxes, although it's spread out into 6 separate containers.  Part of what made the last box so hard was it had the sentimental papers intermingled with normal crap.  What makes the next bit hard is simply my unusually strong attraction to the information on the papers.  It's all more recent stuff (in particular one pile started after I put everything else in storage to stage & sell my condo in February), and I've found that the more time passes, the less I am invested in keeping that particular piece of info.  It may take a lot more time to get through the same volume, now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marty998 on July 02, 2018, 02:22:27 AM
First time in a long time I did not have any excess furniture to put out at my semi-annual council cleanup.

I consider that a win :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 02, 2018, 02:36:48 AM
First time in a long time I did not have any excess furniture to put out at my semi-annual council cleanup.

I consider that a win :)
Woot woot!
We are a little sad we were overseas during our last one, surprisingly we had things to discard tgis time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marty998 on July 02, 2018, 02:54:11 AM
First time in a long time I did not have any excess furniture to put out at my semi-annual council cleanup.

I consider that a win :)
Woot woot!
We are a little sad we were overseas during our last one, surprisingly we had things to discard tgis time.

Someone in my apartment block put out the front a very interesting picture of the Hoff, starkers from his Baywatch days.

I shudder to think where they hung it and what they were doing while looking at it    :S

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on July 02, 2018, 08:10:43 AM
I toss all greeting cards, but then I'm not the sentimental type.
...
Strange as it is, I have old pay stubs in my sentimental items & will deal with them at the appropriate time later.

Well, which is it?  If you have paystubs in your sentimental items, I say you're sentimental (over odd things -- but no judgment, I have old paystubs in my sentimental items too :D ).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on July 02, 2018, 01:55:38 PM
@zygote, I just sorted through old greeting cards too.

I am the family historian/genealogist too, so my rule is to keep papers that tell part of my relative's (or my) story.  A random greeting card with someone's name scrawled on it doesn't usually do that.  A card with a handwritten message that was tailored just for me - that tells part of both of our story. 

I'm also keeping all of the letters that my grandmother and my dad had sent me, and the postcards that I sent to my now-deceased uncle.  (He had Downs Syndrome and could not read but LOVED to get mail.  When I turned 16 I started buying postcards and sending him one a month with a short message for my grandmother to read him.  He kept every single one in a wooden box on his dresser, and he'd get them out every few weeks and look at the pictures.  When he died, she gave them all back to me, and I treasure them.)

****
I did a pass through the file cabinets again this weekend.  I found half a drawer worth of old genealogy papers that I don't need, and a few folders full of papers that I had forgotten I had and need to deal with.  I threw away a bunch of other types of files too.  I've emptied one of the 3 drawers, and I think I can get rid of about 1/3 - 1/2 of the rest.

My husband actually did more in the attic.  I filled a lawn trash bag with trash, and had a small box of things to donate and another small box of things to recycle.  That's major progress for him....I hope that more will go as he continues this process and realizes it is not so devastating to get rid of things.  We also agreed that the 4 ancient computers and monitors in the attic will only stay for 12 more months.  If he doesn't have them working and ready to sell by then, I'm taking them to the electronic recycling.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 02, 2018, 01:59:57 PM
I toss all greeting cards, but then I'm not the sentimental type.
...
Strange as it is, I have old pay stubs in my sentimental items & will deal with them at the appropriate time later.

Well, which is it?  If you have paystubs in your sentimental items, I say you're sentimental (over odd things -- but no judgment, I have old paystubs in my sentimental items too :D ).

Bird In Hand, lol! It's more accurate to say I am not conventionally sentimental.

@formerlydivorcedmom excellent news about  your husband. It can be a learning curve.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on July 02, 2018, 03:59:51 PM
I am the family historian/genealogist too, so my rule is to keep papers that tell part of my relative's (or my) story.  A random greeting card with someone's name scrawled on it doesn't usually do that.  A card with a handwritten message that was tailored just for me - that tells part of both of our story. 

I'm also keeping all of the letters that my grandmother and my dad had sent me, and the postcards that I sent to my now-deceased uncle.  (He had Downs Syndrome and could not read but LOVED to get mail.  When I turned 16 I started buying postcards and sending him one a month with a short message for my grandmother to read him.  He kept every single one in a wooden box on his dresser, and he'd get them out every few weeks and look at the pictures.  When he died, she gave them all back to me, and I treasure them.)

This is how I managed my cards too - if there was any kind of note, I kept it. If it was just my name, then I didn't. At one point I wrote monthly notes to both my grandmothers. A couple came back to me afterwards, partially annotated. It would have been lovely to get them all, but the annotations were wonderful to see.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on July 03, 2018, 04:25:32 AM
We have 3 old computer hard disks saved in the house. We took them out when we ditched the computers. I want to throw them away after making them unreadable.

DH thinks that hitting them with a hammer or pickaxe and boiling in water would make them at least very difficult to read. Very specialized software might be able to retrieve something, but the chance of someone doing that is maybe not so big.

Someone else who has good idea about it that do not require connecting it to a computer?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 03, 2018, 05:02:15 AM
Linda, what about magnetic wipe?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on July 03, 2018, 05:12:31 AM
Linda, what about magnetic wipe?

@mspym
Can you do that with a small magnet? I have some small ones.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on July 03, 2018, 07:02:46 AM
@zygote
The card instance is one where taking pictures might make things easier.

What I've found, though, after five years of serious decluttering, is that I have not regretted anything. I keep one item per deceased relative; that one item has proven enough to spark a wealth of memories.

That said, I do keep a drawer full of thank you notes and cards from students. On a bad day, they give me the strength to go on, so they serve a purpose. In this case, the amount matters: if that many people can thank me for specific ways I have helped them, then I must not totally suck. Those may be the only things relatives will have to really sort through when I die, and I'm okay with that. If your cards serve a real purpose for you, then making space for them might also be okay. The goal, as far as I can tell, is to find out what truly brings us joy and make room for those things.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: dashuk on July 03, 2018, 07:20:02 AM
Got a box of stuff (mostly kids clothes) actually out of the house.

Main achievement though was moving stuff around. There is now (pretty much*) nothing in our loft space that we don't need/want. Basically what's left is.

 - Kids clothes which #1 has grown out of and #2 will grow into**, plus a bit of 'next size' stuff for #1. Stuff #2 has outgrown is being ruthlessly purged.
 - Toys which are not currently 'in play' (we have a rotation so everything isn't out at once).
 - OH's craft supplies.
 - Camping gear.
 - Out of season sports clothing

There is still a load of surplus stuff, but it's all downstairs in our utility room. My reasoning is:

 - If we need it occasionally, we won't mind going up to the loft for it.
 - The junk is somewhere we can see it, and if we want the utility space back we've got to get rid of it.




* Only obvious thing is a sofa-bed we were hanging on to because we were thinking about extending, but we've kicked that several years down the road.

** We were cunningly 'storing' this with friends who have a child in between our two, but their child is small for age, our #2 is big for age, and they're now too close in size for the once or twice a year we meet up.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 03, 2018, 12:02:21 PM
@zygote
The goal, as far as I can tell, is to find out what truly brings us joy and make room for those things.

This is what I'm aiming for.   I like the "brings joy" criteria better than simply "it makes me happy" because, in my mind at least, it's a higher bar for what to keep.  It helps me let go of things that are good, but not great.

@dashuk what a great concept, to get all the keep stuff in it's final home, and make the surplus live in an easily accessible place.  Let us know how it works for you over time!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on July 05, 2018, 01:49:40 PM
Guys, I had the best decluttering week ever. Due to complications my very pregnant colleague started her maternity leave one day early. The result: utter and complete chaos at her desk. I'm talking stacks of files scattered on her desk, in her filing cabinet and around her desk on the floor. Dozens and dozens of post it notes on anything and everything. She gave me her log in codes for her e-mail (she had active cases that needed to be distributed to other people).

She apologized for not being able to clean up on her last day. Now, I adore her, she's incredibly sweet, but she would've never managed to clean up and get all her case files in order in just 1 day. She's a tasmanian devil on a good day.

Y'all... I'm still working on it. And I consider myself a ruthless and highly efficient declutterer. But I do love it. Pulling everything out of the stacks and the mailbox to complete the case files, get them to a new lawyer and out of my sight! I have cleared ALL the non-digital clutter in one week. Every single damn case file, loose paperclips, notebooks. Even her personal items are neatly boxed up and tucked away until she returns in January.* All there's left to do, is to get her email folders in order.

It feels soooo good to haul stacks upon stacks of outdated regulations, closed files and whatever else there was and archive or chuck them.


* Yes, January. 6 months of maternity leave, 4,5 of which are paid. I'm waiting for some immaculate conception because I want in on that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on July 05, 2018, 02:04:30 PM
@Nederstash, maybe you should move to Canada - we get a year of mat leave here, paid at 70% of income!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on July 05, 2018, 07:23:11 PM
I decluttered the living room yesterday; the mail and my lesson planning papers had taken over. For once what clutter remains is NOT MINE.

Today I helped my dad declutter a dot matrix printer (!) that my husband wants to use as a prop in his art project, and he took my electric lawnmower that I don't use since hiring a gardener (the disability precludes heavy yardwork). The latter is technically a loan, but he can keep it as long as he needs.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 05, 2018, 08:10:04 PM
This weekend is the donate everything that is in the donation pile* weekend. I will also send my sister the book I promised her two weeks' ago, stymied only by timely access to a post office.  I'm also going to kondo the shit out my manga collection and email the list to a friend who knows people who will want it.

*no clothes but working pressure cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, rad satchel bag that my old self would snatch up in an instant if I saw it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on July 06, 2018, 02:58:29 AM
*no clothes but working pressure cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, rad satchel bag that my old self would snatch up in an instant if I saw it.

Slow cooking at normal pressure can also be done in a normal pan, as well as making yoghurt if you use a thermometer.

On my wish list are a bread making machine and a smoothie maker. Of course, you can bake bread in the oven, but you'll need to make the oudh yourself. And smoothies can be made in a normal kitchen blender, but it is challenging to pour from a round container into a glass without making a mess (like I did yesterday).

My DH doesn't want these extra machines. In my kitchen cupboards there are already the following apparatuses:
- an old an small kitchen blender (used often)
- a hand blender (used regularly)
- an ice cream maker (used occasionally)
- a stone grill (never used)
- a waffle maker for Norwegian waffles (used regularly)
- a waffle maker for Dutch waffles/stroopwafels (used sometimes years ago, now just filling cabinet)
- a slicer (used occasionally)
- a cake carrier tray with lock (used occasionally)
- a orange squeezer (never used in recent years)
- a good quality knife sharpener (used seldom)
- a coffee machine (used occasionally)
- a pasta maker (used occasionally)

As I sum it up it shows some possible candidates for leaving the house if we are going to live smaller.

I think the orange squeezer should go first. Fresh oranges are just so expensive here compared to orange juice in packs that I never make fresh juice. I could buy a very small manual manual squeezer, like the one I have at our cabin. But it should be a little easier to use, because I hate that specific model.

Also the stone grill can go, almost not used. It feels like a waste to ditch something so little used. But it needs a type of fuel for the flame that is not easily available in Norway. Therefore we never use it. We also have several charcoal grill alternatives for outside which could even be used in winter.

The Dutch waffle maker is a hard one. You can't make these waffles without such a machine. On the other hand, we seldom eat those now, because we miss them less than before and because of lack of time. Maybe it would sufficient to buy some packs of waffles once a year when we visit the country. It would also hurt to ditch this one, my MIL spent quite some time many years ago to find it for us. Also, in FIRE we would have plenty of time to use it.

The knife sharpener is a tool that increases the lifespan of your knives. This should be a stayer.

The pasta maker would be used more often if I had more time. Therefore: keep it for after FIRE.

The coffee machine is something you just need to have, I guess, from a social aspect. Offering powder coffee with hot water is probably not the same for a coffee drinker.

The cake tray is only practical for carrying a cake somewhere else als is quite difficult to do without a fitting lock. I don't know whether we would do this more in the future. Maybe keep it for the time being.

The ice cream maker can stay. We love homemade ice cream and this machine makes it so much easier..

The slicer is practical from time to time. Let's keep it for the time being.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on July 06, 2018, 06:34:47 AM
For coffee - I'm assuming that Norway has access to pour over coffee, right? That is much smaller space-wise than a full machine, and if you need to make a big batch, you can just pour over into a big teapot or carafe. ;)

I find it hard to get rid of kitchen things; kudos to you for trying....
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on July 06, 2018, 07:32:11 AM
For coffee - I'm assuming that Norway has access to pour over coffee, right? That is much smaller space-wise than a full machine, and if you need to make a big batch, you can just pour over into a big teapot or carafe. ;)

I find it hard to get rid of kitchen things; kudos to you for trying....

Yes, I remember a pour over coffee filter from what my parents used to bring along when camping. That might indeed be a good alternative. The coffee machine takes up quite some space in the cupboard.
And no, I will not pour coffee into my tea pot.

And we can (as long as it lasts) order stuff from all over the world without import fees up to 38 USD or so. A coffee filter should fit in that category.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Car Jack on July 06, 2018, 08:12:27 AM
We have 3 old computer hard disks saved in the house. We took them out when we ditched the computers. I want to throw them away after making them unreadable.

DH thinks that hitting them with a hammer or pickaxe and boiling in water would make them at least very difficult to read. Very specialized software might be able to retrieve something, but the chance of someone doing that is maybe not so big.

Someone else who has good idea about it that do not require connecting it to a computer?

This can be done with parts in the disk drive itself.  If you have the tools, disassemble the drive.  You'll find 2 very strong neodymium magnets near the base of the heads.  Once you pull the disks themselves out, get out the 2 magnets.  Place one magnet on a surface, the disks on top and the other on top of the disks.  Feel free to move all this stuff around.  The disks themselves are aluminum so won't provide any resistance to the magnets.  You could certainly just use one magnet on each pile of disks.

I e-scrap so have a pile of maybe 25 disks with microwave magnets.  I've yet to bring them to the e-scrap yard because I know from talking to one of the guys who used to work in data recovery that he's been able to recover files on a disk that had a hole drilled in it and that was bent 90 degrees.  For the 5 cents I'll recover from my pile of disks, I'll likely never let the platters out of my house.  The rest of the drive.....sure.  The aluminum housing is the bulk of the value anyways.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on July 06, 2018, 09:03:09 AM
I've taken a few more loads of stuff to the consignment shop. 

Now that the baby is a toddler, the cleaning out has really hit a hard stop. She just gets into everything! Most weekends though I try to find at least 5 things to toss or donate.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 06, 2018, 08:38:16 PM
@Nederstash, maybe you should move to Canada - we get a year of mat leave here, paid at 70% of income!

Not all of us do!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 06, 2018, 08:39:52 PM
Went on a trip. Whenever I'm away from home, I like to do a mental scan of my home and stuff, as from the fresh perspective it's easier to identify what can go. I think this was the first time ever that NOTHING came up!! I seem to be down to my preferred balance :)   YAY!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on July 07, 2018, 03:54:09 AM
DH wanted to keep the coffee machine. But he suggested to ditch the bread toaster that we use once a year. We can use the oven for those occasions. My list was also missing the hand mixer, which is regularly use.

So today I threw away the stone grill, but I keep the stone a little longer. I made a box with the bread toaster, juice sqeezer, 2 old MP3 players, a broken male brooming device and a bunch of old batteries and lights. All can be delivered at stores that sell the same stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 07, 2018, 01:04:42 PM
I've been trying to ditch a bunch of outgrown kids clothes, and find that it's hard to sell even the nicer pieces one by one. Instead, created a lot & it was gone in under a half hour. 13 items out of the house, and made $15. Less than I would have made if I'd sold a few of the nicer items one by one, but just thrilled to get them out of the house. And, the $15 pushed me over my 2018 goal of $1000 in sidehustle! Woohoo!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 07, 2018, 02:41:01 PM
And, the $15 pushed me over my 2018 goal of $1000 in sidehustle! Woohoo!

Hey, nicely done!! :)))))
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 07, 2018, 04:46:18 PM
And, the $15 pushed me over my 2018 goal of $1000 in sidehustle! Woohoo!

Hey, nicely done!! :)))))
+1!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 07, 2018, 04:48:33 PM
Pressure cooker is off at its new home AND I got to see pal and her not-so-wee-anymore baby. Next steps are putting the remaining items in the car for taking to the Vinnies.

Maybe today is sort through the manga day?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 07, 2018, 07:14:01 PM
@i'm a red panda, as long as your 5-things a week at least keeps up with the incoming volume, you will succeed!  Taking care of your little one is more important right now.

@jooniFLORisploo wow that's awesome!  What a great place to be.  You win the thread!

==============================================================

In the last week I've worked a lot of overtime, with little energy left over, so I lost focus on the papers.  However, last night I decided to at least put a token effort in.  I was rewarded.  There was a tipping point or a breakthrough or something that happened and I whizzed through the last boxes, deciding to keep very little.  Of the 2 boxes I started with yesterday, 1/4 will be shredded in the coming few days, 1/4 is related to the condo I sold this year, so will keep until the taxes are filed & make a determination at that time about how much of it to keep. 1/4 is permanent/indefinite keep or scan and 1/4 is filing supplies.  Yes, I have a volume of filing supplies that is equal to papers needing filing!  So that will be the next thing to be decluttered.

I had to return the Kondo book to the library because someone had a hold on it. So I'm going to stay in paper-land for a bit and turn my focus to scanning, which leads to more shredding, which leads to being able to file what's left and then decluttering the filing supplies.  If I'm motivated, that could all be done by tomorrow!  Although it took me 2 weeks to get to this point, so I don't have my hopes up too high.

==============================================================

I'm killing me.  I forgot I started this post last night.  Lots of new good stuff on this thread today!  Shout out to @Linda_Norway @MaybeBabyMustache and @mspym for progress!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 07, 2018, 07:55:05 PM
Thanks, all! I'm thinking of listing the kids books (we mostly use the library, but they do accumulate through gifts, etc) in a big batch lot. I also have a Waterford pitcher I've been meaning to list on eBay as well. Getting rid of things!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on July 07, 2018, 08:26:21 PM
Glad to see so much progress here, well done everyone!

I will share a win with you all - I had our architect over (we are doing a big reno) and I was saying that I thought it would be too hard to paint the walls while we have all our stuff/ are living in the house and he said: "you don't have a lot of stuff compared to most people..." I don't know about that, but I think this means our place doesn't look cluttered :)  Dirty and untidy most of the time, but not cluttered ;)

Also, hubby is working his way though a bunch of hobby parts to sell. It's so he can make another purchase, but it's a lot of things out being replaced by one thing so it sounds good to me. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on July 08, 2018, 05:00:39 AM
I will share a win with you all - I had our architect over (we are doing a big reno) and I was saying that I thought it would be too hard to paint the walls while we have all our stuff/ are living in the house and he said: "you don't have a lot of stuff compared to most people..." I don't know about that, but I think this means our place doesn't look cluttered :)

I would take that as a real compliment :-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on July 08, 2018, 11:10:48 AM
Alf91, this is what I would do:  one album at a time, take all the pictures out.  Put the very best ones aside for possible displaying (a wall gallery is nice), throw out any that are poor quality or just pointless, give other people ones you think they might want, and put the rest in a photo box.  This takes up a lot less room than albums, and can be put into cupboards where they won't get dusty.  If you periodically look at them again, continue to reduce the quantity as you go.  If you can get the collection down to a manageable size, then you could scan them onto a thumb-drive.

I have a relative that has probably tens of thousands of photos, I kid you not!  I pity her son when he "inherits" those.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadowmoss on July 08, 2018, 02:22:00 PM
What SunnyDays said, except I would go ahead and scan a few as I went along.  Maybe not all of them on the first pass, just a few as you go. That way those that have been scanned can be put back someplace separate or even tossed. 

I am going through my own box of pictures and tossing a bunch.  Old boyfriends from 20-30 years ago and their kids, especially if it ended badly.  Sadly I considered myself a fair photographer.  The evidence shows otherwise.  Lots of fuzzy focus landscape and flower pics that I have no idea what or where they are.  I'm also tossing all negatives.  I won't go through and look and won't make any further prints.  So, out.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on July 08, 2018, 03:14:43 PM
Mr. TC has gone through his scrubs and got rid of 3 shirts and 2 pants that he doesn't wear/like.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 08, 2018, 03:33:04 PM
I've managed to shred two 10 ten gallon bags worth of unnecessary paperwork from my job, get rid of a bunch of old magazines I've never read, throw out some things that don't actually work anymore, and find a $50 Amazon gift card I never used in the process which I redeemed on our account. I've also organized the stuff I'm keeping a lot better, so things aren't as all over the place anymore. In addition, we got rid of a ton of cardboard boxes we don't need and a bunch of stuff from the yard that we don't need or want and has no value. My wife has spent the better part of the day listing things online that have value in the hopes of selling them. And we claimed EnergyStar credit from the local utility for the two air conditioners we had to purchase this year as well as the washing machine we purchased last year to replace the old one we are selling. The new one has higher capacity and uses less energy, which will reduce the electrical costs of doing laundry, plus it uses less water per item of clothing. Both air conditioners have the ECO option and will stop running when they reach the set temperature, whereas the old would just cycle off the compressor and continue to run the blower.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 08, 2018, 03:38:44 PM
WOW, Raymond Reddington! Great going!!! Must feel good :)))
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on July 08, 2018, 10:32:54 PM
Everyone's progress here is so motivating! We just got a box of items out into my neighbors garage sale, plus a patio table and 2 chairs. I'm already finding more to join it. Also they borrowed my folding table, so in moving that out of the room, it looks like a good time to go through the items it was obscuring in my living space. And, we finally hung a picture that we bought last year! (It took a long time to decide the best way to hang it on the brick, we just had it leaning close to it's spot for most of this time)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on July 09, 2018, 07:27:14 AM
I've been carrying around about 4 trash bags full of donated items in the car.  This weekend I finally dropped them off at the thrift shop.

I have another 2, moving boxes full of stuff to drop off and I took pictures of some furniture to ask the thrift shop if they want it.

Not to derail the thread but part of my decluttering is finding a home for everything we are keeping. This is tough because in some areas we don't have enough practical storage, like smaller drawers, etc.  I've taken all the smaller, plastic drawer systems we have and put them in the basement and I bought a label maker.  So far it has been very helpful. 2 of the drawers I labeled first and filled was "packing tape" and "measuring tapes" those are the items that bring the most frustration when we can't find them.  I even put a label "put back in drawer when done" on them :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 09, 2018, 07:38:14 AM
Advice please! I inherited both parents' sets of photo albums and now including my own, I have almost 40 altogether (about 3 are mine). I am completely overwhelmed by this and they have just been sitting on a shelf for some time now. I do look at them sometimes, but they are taking up a lot of space and the dust seems to collect on them! I'm not sure how to tackle them.


Here is a service that will scan your photos. I have never used it but may in the near future: https://www.scanmyphotos.com/services/photo-scanning.html
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on July 09, 2018, 10:08:47 AM
Advice please! I inherited both parents' sets of photo albums and now including my own, I have almost 40 altogether (about 3 are mine). I am completely overwhelmed by this and they have just been sitting on a shelf for some time now. I do look at them sometimes, but they are taking up a lot of space and the dust seems to collect on them! I'm not sure how to tackle them.


Here is a service that will scan your photos. I have never used it but may in the near future: https://www.scanmyphotos.com/services/photo-scanning.html

I've been tempted to use a service like this.  I inherited my grandmother's and my dad's pictures - I have 5 giant tubs of photo albums that I have been meaning to sort through the last 5 years.

I'm concerned with a service like this that the pictures come back with just random numbers or letters as the filename.  My grandmother did an excellent job of writing on the back of every single picture when/where it was taken and who was in it, and I don't want to lose that information. 

I started sorting one tub of the pictures a few weeks ago.  I realized that the albums were totally random.  I pulled all the pictures out and sorted them into decades (1940s, 1950s, etc) as best as I could.  That makes it easier to go through and throw a bunch away - I realized there were a lot of duplicates or pics that were similar enough I didn't need to keep all of them. 

My plan is to go through each decade once or twice more and throw away even more....and then I'm going to have to set myself scanning goals with rewards.

***
I was home alone this week so I turned the junkyard that was our "front room" into a formal dining room.  (The breakfast room is now missing a table, but I'll fix that problem later.)  I repainted, bought new curtains, and sorted everything in the room.  Two pieces of furniture went to the garage to be gotten rid of.  I  have two big boxes of things that I want to give away that my husband needs to sort through (I promised nothing would leave the house without his approval - he hates decluttering - except for the fugly curtains that were here.  They were long gone when he got back.) 

The room looks SO MUCH NICER and so much bigger with less than half of the knick-knacks and furniture in it.  Fingers crossed that he'll actually let go of the things in the boxes so that I can keep the room this way.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: meghan88 on July 09, 2018, 12:23:13 PM
I listed 30 items on kijiji in the last few weeks; loads of antiques and other quality stuff.  No bites so far on some of it, but I am not the most patient person.  Can't wait to get rid of it all.  (Yes, it is priced fairly.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on July 09, 2018, 01:24:47 PM
I too have dealt with some paper. Got rid of an entire plastic file tub of papers -- lots of old medical stuff, financial stuff, etc that I simply didn't need to have around, and am now down to one plastic bin of neatly filed paper! I'm quite happy to have only one bin of paper; I'm down to essential records and a small number of mementos.

I'm sitting with a separate pile of papers trying to figure out what I want to do with them. All of them have, at the very least, extreme sentimental value; some also have actual value. Some are old and rare academic materials; although I'm not currently working on those topics, I haven't ruled out starting again on my own time. Some of it is old language learning materials that need a better storage system than just "in a file folder." Some of it is old creative output that I no longer have digital access to.

The language learning materials will probably go into a binder; I think that would work very well, and it would allow them to sit neatly on my bookshelf next to my language books. I'm not sure what I want to do with the academic materials (keep all of them? some of them?) or the creative output (keep all/some? in what format?). Some of it probably needs to be let go, but it's something I think I really do need to sit with for a bit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 09, 2018, 10:56:08 PM
@MrsTuxedocat kudos to Mr. TC!  Are you further reducing your wardrobes, or are they at a good place now?

Everyone's progress here is so motivating!

Agreed!

@MrsDinero 6 bags/boxes in the last several weeks...well done!

@formerlydivorcedmom I'm sending good thoughts your way so that you can keep your dining room beautiful!

@meghan88 not quite the same, but I listed a loveseat on Craigslist & Facebook on Saturday.  No interest yet and I'm getting impatient too!

@diapasoun fight the good fight (papers)!  Great progress.  My own experience in the last few years (going from 7 to <2 boxes) is that yes, sitting on it & coming back later does help.  You seem to have a very good solution for the language learning papers, so that is your win for now.

==========================================================

Apropos to a discussion on scent in another thread? Today I decluttered a can of air freshener which didn't really freshen the air or mask bad odors.  Took it to the bathroom at work, it seems to work better there probably due to the larger area & better ventilation.  I got it when first moving into the new place & didn't have any incense, but now I have incense & a burner, so...

===============================================================

So glad I just cleared out the papers!  I have such a small stack now, and it came in handy today.  I was online chatting with a customer service rep & couldn't find my account# in email.  So I sifted through the papers real quick & found it there!  I'm making a case that the internet service at my old place was/should have been turned off on May 8, not July 3...if I win the decision that's $120+ bucks back in my pocket.  So glad I found that account # and related documentation!

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: dashuk on July 10, 2018, 02:19:38 AM
As part of the Great Shuffling Around of a week ago, I brought mine and OH's university notes (a combined seven years worth of maths and engineering degrees, maybe about 25 lever arch files) down from the loft and dumped them in our bedroom.

Intended to just strip all the paper out and lob it straight into the recycling. None of it has been looked at since 2005.

Then the first file I opened happened to contain a couple of the more interesting modules from my final year...

Sigh.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on July 10, 2018, 09:12:58 AM
Got a copy of Marie Kondo's first book from the library. Let's see if this gives me some inspiration. There's a chance DH and I will move back to the city and sell our house we bought a couple years ago... this will require extreme downsizing, especially if we go back to an apartment rather than a house. We had to acquire all the trappings of suburban life, plus some hobby stuff (home gym, gardening equipment, so on). If I can at least thin stuff now, while we wait on making any moves, it'll be good no matter what. But especially so if we list the house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on July 10, 2018, 10:23:47 AM
I was able to add a few more things to my box for donation. I believe that I will be doing a haul and drop either this weekend or next. I am actually looking forward to this because when it happens within a day or two I end up finding things I didn't realize needed to go so I start another box.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on July 10, 2018, 11:35:39 AM
They are at a good place now! We just moved a few months back and had got rid of a lot of clothing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on July 10, 2018, 01:33:59 PM
I started tackling the books a bit. I'm a wee bit data obsessive, and I keep a spreadsheet of my books, including the percentage read. I worked out the percentage read by genre, and it is... indicative. There is a set of books I acquired during grad school, intending to read/cite as a Good Grad Student, and I just never did. At this point? Most of them need to go. I'm going to take a break from work this afternoon and sort through that shelf.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 10, 2018, 01:35:14 PM
re: tax writeoffs for donated items. It is typically limited to clothing, or are there other categories of items that can be taken to a goodwill / salvation army type place and generate some tax savings?

"asking for a friend"

lots of trinkets and tchotchkes that may not sell via ebay/amazon/CL
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on July 10, 2018, 03:57:51 PM
re: tax writeoffs for donated items. It is typically limited to clothing, or are there other categories of items that can be taken to a goodwill / salvation army type place and generate some tax savings?

"asking for a friend"

lots of trinkets and tchotchkes that may not sell via ebay/amazon/CL

You can write off almost anything that could be sold....DVDs, jewelry, books, etc.  Just be realistic about the value.  If you can't sell it via all of those methods - is it priced too high?  What could Goodwill conceivably get for the item?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 11, 2018, 06:57:57 AM
I don't think many of us will be able to deduct charitable deductions under the new tax plan.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/your-money/tax-plan-donations-charities.html
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on July 11, 2018, 06:58:14 AM
I still have the kitchen machines that I want to get rid off standing in a box in the garage. Because we have no shop in the vicinity of our house where I can deliver it. And the public delivery place is a bit far driving. I tried giving it away to colleagues at work. But one mentioned that close to where I live, there is a deposit for the next flea market. Once a week they will receive this kind of goods there. That will help.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 11, 2018, 02:47:22 PM
As part of the Great Shuffling Around of a week ago <snip>

lol!

Quote
Intended to just strip all the paper out and lob it straight into the recycling. <snip>

It's not too late!

<snip> I end up finding things I didn't realize needed to go so I start another box.

Same!

They are at a good place now! We just moved a few months back and had got rid of a lot of clothing.

It's a good feeling, having just the *right* amount of something.

@Linda_Norway I guess you have to have some patience for the flea market drop off day.  Not easy!

============================================================

I am working from home today and on my lunch hour I:


This might all fall under @dashuk's heading of "The Great Shuffling Around" (or more accurately, The Lesser Shuffling Around of July the Eleventh), but I did move 1 bag, 1 box and soon to be another box out of my living area and to their homes (I always want to say "final resting place").
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on July 15, 2018, 09:00:27 AM
Tried to get the kids to sort through costumes I thought they were done with. They ended up playing with them for several hours instead. No decluttering accomplished. We are giving away a salad spinner and a food processor. Neither have been used more than once a year. I loathe cleaning the food processor so I refuse to get it out. More open space in the cabinets!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on July 15, 2018, 09:35:19 AM
I'm thinking about getting a food processor (arthritis makes chopping and mortar and pestle work hard). In keeping with one in, one out, I may give away my juicer that hasn't gotten much use the last several years. I may also be able to get rid of our rice cooker since the Instant Pot does that just fine, though I can imagine instances where I'd want both working at once.

The mail stack has gotten ridiculous again, so I'm trying to take care of that while I watch the World Cup final.

In big things, we acquired a portable air conditioner (it got up to 107 F here), a barbecue, an outdoor wok station, and ANOTHER sewing machine (we now have three; we have purchased none).The wok station will get regular use, and the barbecue will get seasonal use. We'll likely keep the one sewing machine that serves our needs best, but we're going to have to try them all out first before deciding. The one from my grandma needs a tuneup.

I think my next big purge is going to be the desk in my bedroom. If I can manage that, I'll have more room for yoga AND I can move the keyboard from the living room to my room (no one else uses it, andI don't use it when people are home). My desk has a ton of crap on it, though, so this is going to be quite the undertaking.

Because of turning our garage knto a recording studio (awesome, by the way), we brought some amps and things into the house that we haven't found places for yet. I'm not sure what we can get rid of to make room for those.

Things aren't as bad as the were pre big declutter, but the house is looking decidedly full. (Worth noting: we have four adults living in a house meant for two; it's easy to fill this pkace up). We need to make some big decisions.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Prairie Gal on July 15, 2018, 02:34:47 PM
I've been getting back onboard the decluttering train lately. Seems to go in cycles.

 - We gave the garage another going-over. Even though I thought it was pretty good already, we found a bunch more stuff to toss/give away.

 - Did another swoop through the basement and gave away a bunch of stuff.

 - Have some items listed on Facebook to sell, if it doesn't sell I will donate.
 
 - Gave a beautiful Wedgewood cup & saucer to my SIL as it has no sentimental meaning for me, but means a lot to her. Also gave the same SIL a bunch of K cups I can't use.

 - My city has a big Re-use Rendezvous in September, so I am going to start making a pile of items to put out for that.

I almost forgot - offered two zero gravity chairs to my brother, if he doesn't take them I will try to sell as they are still pretty nice.

I figure if I keep chipping away at it when the spirit moves me, eventually there won't be any more clutter (yah right!)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 15, 2018, 02:46:30 PM
My kid accepted a bunch of two people's refuse. I waited to see what use it got. It's gotten none. I'm going to offer him $10 for the pile -and toss a couple of other unused things in there at the same time- and if he accepts, give myself one day to get it to the thrift and otherwise chuck it into the dumpster.

Still wishing folks would give their stuff directly to the thrift, so we can select mindfully. But this works too :)       Well, it works until kid realizes how much money he could make off me by accepting other people's unwanteds, lol. So far so good though.

I already thrifted a bunch of stuff people gave me on our trip. The day after we got home, it was gone. Yay!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 15, 2018, 08:59:30 PM
Total declutter win: Kid's pile of "suggested to-gos" got very big, so we did a quick pass for just the papery things (box board, notebooks, books, notes, etc). He did GREAT. In the process, we came across a brochure for one of his passions. Last time we'd looked at it, no classes were on offer. I took a moment to check again: yep! Signed him up for a fall class :)    He's thrilled.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on July 15, 2018, 09:22:11 PM
I'm thinking about getting a food processor (arthritis makes chopping and mortar and pestle work hard).

Off topic, but just wanted to let you know I have arthritis and a food processor has made cooking significantly less painful for me :-) just in case you need some anecdata.

I love your one in, one out policy.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on July 17, 2018, 07:00:31 AM
Asked my neighbour if we could add a few more items to their garage sale at the last minute. I carried over one game set and a pair of shoes and both sold before I left not even 2 minutes later. My 2 big items also sold, so I'm ahead $76 and have a handful of items in my trunk ready to donate now that they did not sell. It feels so good to have that space back!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on July 17, 2018, 08:26:00 AM
UGH. How far into "the life changing magic of tidying up" did you have to read before you liked it? I'm half way, to where she's talking about folding clothes, and I just... am not enjoying her writing. Frankly it's reminding me of Trump, lol, "Trust me. I do this. I'm the best. Just trust me." Driving me a little bonkers. Does it get better? Are there concepts worth hanging in there for?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 17, 2018, 09:29:59 AM
For me, about three words :)    I love her style. She is silly and funny and sweet and thinks in a minority way. She is too happy and kind to be like Trump. She does acknowledge that she was too know-it-all and aggressive early in her process, and intentionally changed that.

However, her personality and writing style are consistent throughout the book, and while many of us love those, if you don't, yeah, best to find another resource now. Lots of other books on decluttering. You can read her gist summarized online.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 17, 2018, 10:54:14 AM
It must be about 15 months that I've had this computer doodad lying around. I think what happened is when a computer broke, we cleaned up and recycled all parts but this one -probably I wondered if it held info, so I kept it til I knew what to do.

And then a few months ago, my bathroom lights burnt out. I'd never dealt with fluorescent tubes before, so I plugged a nightlight into the wall and ignored the tubes, which had the bonus of kid not leaving a bright bathroom light flooding my sleepy eyeballs in the night.

But this week I made a goal of being normal and replacing the bulbs. I was disappointed when the shop couldn't take the old ones for recycling, but I knew it's important to not chuck these into a dumpster.

Just googled and discovered I can recycle them right by kid's daycamp! And then remembered the computer doodad, and brute and neo von retorch noted that it's free of info and can go too :)  One drop-off to rule them all! Woohoo!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on July 17, 2018, 11:13:52 AM
However, her personality and writing style are consistent throughout the book, and while many of us love those, if you don't, yeah, best to find another resource now. Lots of other books on decluttering. You can read her gist summarized online.

I didn't particularly enjoy her writing style, and found some of her ideas a little silly and too rigid.  However, I agreed with the overall message of the book and it did inspire me to do a major decluttering project last year.  I followed the parts that made sense to me and ignored the parts that didn't.  I frequently recommend the book to people with the disclaimer that they might not like the style.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 18, 2018, 07:17:01 AM
UGH. How far into "the life changing magic of tidying up" did you have to read before you liked it? I'm half way, to where she's talking about folding clothes, and I just... am not enjoying her writing. Frankly it's reminding me of Trump, lol, "Trust me. I do this. I'm the best. Just trust me." Driving me a little bonkers. Does it get better? Are there concepts worth hanging in there for?

I preferred the style of The Swedish Art of Gentle Death Cleaning, Margareta Magnusson.  She didn't go into all the little details, but the overall focus was good and I liked her sense of humour.  Kondo is better for how to actually store/fold/process stuff, but Magnusson's over view is better.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on July 18, 2018, 08:15:42 AM
UGH. How far into "the life changing magic of tidying up" did you have to read before you liked it? I'm half way, to where she's talking about folding clothes, and I just... am not enjoying her writing. Frankly it's reminding me of Trump, lol, "Trust me. I do this. I'm the best. Just trust me." Driving me a little bonkers. Does it get better? Are there concepts worth hanging in there for?

Trump style remake of the book.. new title: grab em by the clutter.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on July 18, 2018, 10:13:06 AM
My apartment still feels too cluttered to me, despite being just about done with the Marie Kondo process. Only a few sentimental categories left. I think I need to do another pass through everything now that I'm rid of the easy stuff. (Also, my wife's clutter is still everywhere, but I can't control that.)

HOWEVER. Something happened last night that reminded me how far I've come. Our ceiling leaked water onto our couch after a storm - we rent an apartment on the top floor. The super and manager are coming today to take a look at our ceiling and the roof. The apartment was a mess, definitely not presentable to any visitors let alone a property manager...well, it only took 30 minutes to pick up the whole place. It would have taken a full Sunday of cleaning on and off to get it in this state last year. It's much easier to temporarily get my wife's stuff off the floor/couch and out of sight when there is less of my stuff there too. Being able to clean the apartment more easily was one of my major reasons for decluttering, so it's satisfying to see it in practice.

I need to focus more on how much progress I've made and less on the things that are still bothering me.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on July 18, 2018, 11:23:41 AM
My apartment still feels too cluttered to me, despite being just about done with the Marie Kondo process. Only a few sentimental categories left. I think I need to do another pass through everything now that I'm rid of the easy stuff. (Also, my wife's clutter is still everywhere, but I can't control that.)

I've made about 3 passes in the last 10 months.  As I've gotten used to the new-and-improved clutter level, I realize it's still too much stuff.   I'll be starting pass 4 soon :)

I'm about to start enforcing clutter-free zones in the house.  I'm tired of everyone else's mess everywhere.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on July 18, 2018, 05:44:15 PM
UGH. How far into "the life changing magic of tidying up" did you have to read before you liked it? I'm half way, to where she's talking about folding clothes, and I just... am not enjoying her writing. Frankly it's reminding me of Trump, lol, "Trust me. I do this. I'm the best. Just trust me." Driving me a little bonkers. Does it get better? Are there concepts worth hanging in there for?

Trump style remake of the book.. new title: grab em by the clutter.

This made me LOL. And to be clear, I don't mean she's like Trump in any way! I was trying to think of the fallacy of like.. appeals of authority basically. And couldn't think of the terminology. I don't get any of the hateful/lack of focus type stuff he does.

For me, about three words :)    I love her style. She is silly and funny and sweet and thinks in a minority way. She is too happy and kind to be like Trump. She does acknowledge that she was too know-it-all and aggressive early in her process, and intentionally changed that.

However, her personality and writing style are consistent throughout the book, and while many of us love those, if you don't, yeah, best to find another resource now. Lots of other books on decluttering. You can read her gist summarized online.
However, her personality and writing style are consistent throughout the book, and while many of us love those, if you don't, yeah, best to find another resource now. Lots of other books on decluttering. You can read her gist summarized online.

I didn't particularly enjoy her writing style, and found some of her ideas a little silly and too rigid.  However, I agreed with the overall message of the book and it did inspire me to do a major decluttering project last year.  I followed the parts that made sense to me and ignored the parts that didn't.  I frequently recommend the book to people with the disclaimer that they might not like the style.
UGH. How far into "the life changing magic of tidying up" did you have to read before you liked it? I'm half way, to where she's talking about folding clothes, and I just... am not enjoying her writing. Frankly it's reminding me of Trump, lol, "Trust me. I do this. I'm the best. Just trust me." Driving me a little bonkers. Does it get better? Are there concepts worth hanging in there for?

I preferred the style of The Swedish Art of Gentle Death Cleaning, Margareta Magnusson.  She didn't go into all the little details, but the overall focus was good and I liked her sense of humour.  Kondo is better for how to actually store/fold/process stuff, but Magnusson's over view is better.

Thanks guys. I opted to return the book to the library, and I'll look into a different book in the future and see if it resonates better =) I picked up "early retirement extreme" which I'd requested a copy of, and so far that's being pretty inspiring for minimalism actually!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 18, 2018, 06:03:29 PM
UGH. How far into "the life changing magic of tidying up" did you have to read before you liked it? I'm half way, to where she's talking about folding clothes, and I just... am not enjoying her writing. Frankly it's reminding me of Trump, lol, "Trust me. I do this. I'm the best. Just trust me." Driving me a little bonkers. Does it get better? Are there concepts worth hanging in there for?

I've read it twice and I'm using it's concepts.  The first time through, I thought it wasn't the right book for me, too out-there.  But the second time through I'm using it as an instructions manual and the concepts are working for me.  I am literally studying the book, taking notes & re-reading to get all the nuances.  One big thing I'm learning is that the book is either really poorly organized, or she just thinks certain concepts need to be repeated (for emphasis).  But I lean towards poorly organized.  Her apparently giant ego and insistence that nobody ever backslides never sat well with me, and the whole "thank your objects" thing was off putting the first time through.

What I like: the idea of going through literally every possession and deciding to keep or toss; keeping only what "sparks joy" (plus the practical things like TP and loaf pans); the particular order in which she directs you to deal with stuff (easiest category to hardest); her definition of perfection (p. 19); and how she really urges you to contemplate the why or the goal.  I've come around on the "thank your objects" thing, seeing it as merely a ceremony or format to give myself permission to release some items which I want to release, but have been holding for not-happy emotional reasons (guilt or whatnot), rather than some mystical incantation.

I'd say read the whole thing if you can stand it, since her take is pretty different than the standard advice or method.

Oops, cross posted.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on July 18, 2018, 06:17:57 PM
UGH. How far into "the life changing magic of tidying up" did you have to read before you liked it? I'm half way, to where she's talking about folding clothes, and I just... am not enjoying her writing. Frankly it's reminding me of Trump, lol, "Trust me. I do this. I'm the best. Just trust me." Driving me a little bonkers. Does it get better? Are there concepts worth hanging in there for?

I've read it twice and I'm using it's concepts.  The first time through, I thought it wasn't the right book for me, too out-there.  But the second time through I'm using it as an instructions manual and the concepts are working for me.  I am literally studying the book, taking notes & re-reading to get all the nuances.  One big thing I'm learning is that the book is either really poorly organized, or she just thinks certain concepts need to be repeated (for emphasis).  But I lean towards poorly organized.  Her apparently giant ego and insistence that nobody ever backslides never sat well with me, and the whole "thank your objects" thing was off putting the first time through.

What I like: the idea of going through literally every possession and deciding to keep or toss; keeping only what "sparks joy" (plus the practical things like TP and loaf pans); the particular order in which she directs you to deal with stuff (easiest category to hardest); her definition of perfection (p. 19); and how she really urges you to contemplate the why or the goal.  I've come around on the "thank your objects" thing, seeing it as merely a ceremony or format to give myself permission to release some items which I want to release, but have been holding for not-happy emotional reasons (guilt or whatnot), rather than some mystical incantation.

I'd say read the whole thing if you can stand it, since her take is pretty different than the standard advice or method.

Oops, cross posted.

Hmm, kinda wished I had read this perspective before returning it! Oh well. The funny thing is I don't mind the thanking objects thing at all- I actually quite like that idea. And I don't even mind the circular way she speaks- that's typical of Japanese writing, and I got used to that when I was a writing tutor. So those I'm okay with. It was more what you mentioned with the: no one has EVER backslid. I am the BEST at this. I guess I prefer a touch of reality/humility/nuance.

If we do end up needing to move (again), I'll check it out again and do the whole process exactly, like you mentioned oneday. Thanks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on July 18, 2018, 07:15:49 PM
UGH. How far into "the life changing magic of tidying up" did you have to read before you liked it? I'm half way, to where she's talking about folding clothes, and I just... am not enjoying her writing. Frankly it's reminding me of Trump, lol, "Trust me. I do this. I'm the best. Just trust me." Driving me a little bonkers. Does it get better? Are there concepts worth hanging in there for?

I believe the the Life Changing Magic and Spark Joy are two editions of the same book, possibly edited differently. I have Spark Joy and really like it, I believe it has more pictures and explanations than the other.

I'm definitely in the KonMarie fan club, but about the being the best and so on - I think she sets a low bar for the 100% success rate. She's not saying that you never have a messy house after, just that once you have a place for everything and stop yourself buying more stuff that you don't have space for, it's easy to tidy up. But it also takes a long time to get to the finished state. For example, I started the process about 18 months ago and I wouldn't say I'm done yet, so technically I can't really backslide. Given how long it takes to get results, it would be akin to making a lifestyle change instead of going on a diet, I guess?

I really want to read Swedish Death Cleaning too.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 18, 2018, 08:07:07 PM
@halftimer that's an excellent outcome!

I can recycle them right by kid's daycamp! And then remembered the computer doodad, and brute and neo von retorch noted that it's free of info and can go too :)   One drop-off to rule them all! Woohoo!

Love the LotR reference & the synchronicity of how this turned out!

@zygote major win!  Part of the reason I'm participating in this thread is to record my progress.  It's so easy to get used to the new level of clutter & overlook the progress.

@Bracken_Joy I have a couple other organizing books from the library right now.  They all came from section 648 (Dewey Decimal System#).  You might find something interesting by browsing there. (cross posting again!)

=============================================================

Another good couple sessions working on the paper monster this week.   Although it's become much less scary; now it's a small, cute monster like Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc.

Last week I found a clutch of programs from childhood plays, recitals and the like.  These have my name or the names of my closest family members in them, so I scanned them, then took them to a family gathering last weekend.  Forgot them in the car, though!  I'll email the scans out & see if anyone wants the physical items later tonight.

Last week's scanning really took the edge of intimidation off the project, somehow.  Last night I spent over an hour scanning & discarding all the odd shaped papers left in the stack.  What's left should go faster/easier because I can simply put it through the ADF, which was the reason I bought this particular scanner.  Gotta get the value for the money!

Well, off to email & scan!  Then another pass through "the pile" to see what's next.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 18, 2018, 10:01:54 PM
Way to go, oneday!!!

Love the LotR reference...

It couldn't have been one, because I had to look LotR up... So in my case it was a reference to whoever makes LotR references, I guess ;)

Today Kid completed his process. BIG pile to go, yay! He was so diligent and honest (for both goes and keeps) that I'm giving him $15. I threw in a few of my things too. I always let it sit a few days in case he changes his mind on anything, then stuff can go into thrift, recycling, garbage, in that order.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on July 18, 2018, 10:02:41 PM
My sister was visiting recently with her little babe (he is turning 1 year old next week!). She is a single mom and was wondering how she was going to get some shirts (b/c she is fairly broke and he doesn't like stores..ha)
So after lending her a nice t-shirt that I rarely, if ever, wear--I gifted it to her.

Win,win.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 18, 2018, 11:03:00 PM
I am a KonMari fan, primarily because her method of dealing with the guilt resonates the strongest with me. I also liked her focus on only dealing with your own stuff and not other people's refreshing. Plus the drawer stacking method really does help you see exactly what you have. Unf*ck Your Habitat was good about breaking down big tasks into small doable objects and the interval style focus prevents tasks from being overwhelming.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on July 19, 2018, 02:58:36 AM
Posting to keep me honest.

I've been having renovation work done on my house for what seems like years.  Actually, now I think about it, it really has been years.  In the past week I've finally moved into the last space.   So I have no more excuses for clutter, or random boxes of stuff, or things that don't have a place.

It's all been slightly complicated is that due to circumstances, over recent years I've become the last repository of a lot of family things.   While I've whittled down the furniture to what's exactly right for each room, and it is finally in the right places, there are a lot of smaller things that I've been mostly ignoring up until now but really need to deal with.

Some of it I will keep.  That's principally about three or four drawers' worth of antique linens, which are a mixture of the practical (I'm working my way through a lifetime's supply of cotton and linen bedding) and the very pretty (lace and embroidered table cloths, and so on). These can be kept at no trouble to me in the spare bedroom dresser, and used/admired/repurposed as appropriate.

Three boxes of unneeded office supplies are currently offered up on Freegle.  There is some random old currency (10 mint condition, adjacent serial numbers, 10 shilling notes, people) which should sell.   There are a few pictures I don't much care for that can go to auction and will sell for pennies if at all.  Then there are all the random bits and pieces which I don't want, aren't worth much but don't want to just throw away - lots of old (vintage/antique, but nothing fancy) keys which don't fit anything, a pair of post office scales in old money, a clay pipe, old fountain pens, sealing wax, desk bits and bobs, old wicker baskets and wooden boxes.  A job lot to auction, maybe?

The time consuming task is several boxes of old papers.  I may be able to send to auction a lot of antique postcards and photographs (over 100 years old), or possibly find an archive to donate them to.   The research into ancestors needs to be read and sorted, so that some of it can go to a cousin.  The rest will need to be recycled. 

It's all the decision making that is the difficult thing.  Which is mostly not about what to keep, but how to get rid of things responsibly without trashing the environment.  There are so many possible answers to each individual item- pass it on to family and if so to whom, sell it, and if so how, donate it and if so to whom, send it to recycling, burn it on a bonfire, put it in the rubbish.

Oh well, here we go.  I'm setting myself a deadline of before Christmas.  Christmas 2018.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on July 19, 2018, 09:50:58 AM
It's all the decision making that is the difficult thing.  Which is mostly not about what to keep, but how to get rid of things responsibly without trashing the environment.  There are so many possible answers to each individual item- pass it on to family and if so to whom, sell it, and if so how, donate it and if so to whom, send it to recycling, burn it on a bonfire, put it in the rubbish.

Honestly, just give it all to goodwill (or a similar thrift shop) and forget about it. They are much more equipped to figure out what's worth selling, what's worth recycling, what should go to the trash, the most responsible way to trash stuff, etc. They do it every day. And you have the benefit of supporting people who need job experience to get on their feet.

I may have posted some of this thought process earlier in the thread, so my apologies if it seems repetitive or obvious. But I have found it really helpful to stop worrying about how to dispose of things so I can focus on what to dispose. It really is overwhelming trying to figure out the best way to get rid of each item. Only exceptions are obvious trash (just throw it away in your normal trash/recycling) and MAYBE a few select items that have obvious monetary value (spoiler alert: most things we think have some monetary value don't).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 19, 2018, 10:58:11 AM
^ I did a yard sale once, never again.   It was a total waste of my time and energy.  I donate or trash.  Donate to something you want to support, that holds fundraisers or yard sales, and the items will find a home.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 19, 2018, 12:01:16 PM
^ I did a yard sale once, never again.   It was a total waste of my time and energy.  I donate or trash.  Donate to something you want to support, that holds fundraisers or yard sales, and the items will find a home.

I second that, had one tag sale and never again! It was like a mad house with people swarming all over and someone even stole cheap items, some Tupperware cannisters. I didn't see them steal it but I know no one bought them and they were missing! On top of that...stupid me made it a two day sale! UGH! Never, never again! Will gladly give or donate.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TheWifeHalf on July 19, 2018, 10:32:50 PM
Ohio had a drought, I think it was 1988 or 89. I had a garage sale, and it rained the whole friggin' day!
Never again. We just put stuff out front, and it gets taken. Some people even come to the door and ask if it's ok!

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 19, 2018, 10:35:38 PM
re: jpg: LOL!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 20, 2018, 10:42:42 PM
It couldn't have been one, because I had to look LotR up... So in my case it was a reference to whoever makes LotR references, I guess ;)

Ha!

Quote
Today Kid completed his process. BIG pile to go, yay! He was so diligent and honest (for both goes and keeps) that I'm giving him $15. I threw in a few of my things too. I always let it sit a few days in case he changes his mind on anything, then stuff can go into thrift, recycling, garbage, in that order.

Yay, Kid!

My sister was visiting recently with her little babe (he is turning 1 year old next week!). She is a single mom and was wondering how she was going to get some shirts (b/c she is fairly broke and he doesn't like stores..ha)
So after lending her a nice t-shirt that I rarely, if ever, wear--I gifted it to her.

Win,win.

Indeed!  Love it :)

Unf*ck Your Habitat was good about breaking down big tasks into small doable objects and the interval style focus prevents tasks from being overwhelming.

I'd forgotten about UFYH.  Love it as well.  Also Flylady and Unclutterer.com.

It's all the decision making that is the difficult thing.  Which is mostly not about what to keep, but how to get rid of things responsibly without trashing the environment.  There are so many possible answers to each individual item- pass it on to family and if so to whom, sell it, and if so how, donate it and if so to whom, send it to recycling, burn it on a bonfire, put it in the rubbish.

Oh well, here we go.  I'm setting myself a deadline of before Christmas.  Christmas 2018.

Agreed. Good luck with your deadline...you can do it!

The old/antique keys sound neat!  I have seen them used a sculptural components of artwork.

re: jpg: LOL!!

+1 :)

===============================================================

Guys...don't know if you remember how I made my 2018 tax summary so early? I came across some papers to go with it, and couldn't find it.  It's been 2 days. I looked in all the usual places and found nothing.  So I had to look in unusual places (broom closet, clothes closet, dresser, kitchen cabinets).  Still could not find it!  How can I lose a paper when I have so few papers left?!?!!! lol  Fiiiiiinally I remembered there is a space at the bottom of my filing box, which is just a cardboard box of the right width to hold hanging folders.  There it was.  So I made a hanging folder for it & took out the other things that were in that black hole, so I don't lose anything again. 

Didn't email out those programs because they are saved on a backup USB drive...and the drive is in another room!  Sometimes I amaze myself with the depths of my laziness :)  Wrote it on the to-do list, so that's at least a step in the right direction.

More scanning completed this week.  I've got almost everything done!  There are a couple things left which are hard to decide what to do with...some represent to-do items, so I guess doing those things is the next order of business. 

Also while writing this post I've decided to scan some papers I was planning on keeping in physical form, just because the stack is kinda big.  Nope, I can do this!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 21, 2018, 01:44:46 AM
Four books donated, one pair of worn out shoes thrown away.

I got the Joy of Less out from the library last night and while a lot of it was the standard minimalism pitch, two points that were useful to me today were 1- surfaces are not for storage! and 2- the reminder to keep to the one-in-one-out rule while decluttering to stop all the good work being undone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on July 21, 2018, 03:32:07 AM
I'm thinking about getting a food processor (arthritis makes chopping and mortar and pestle work hard).

Off topic, but just wanted to let you know I have arthritis and a food processor has made cooking significantly less painful for me :-) just in case you need some anecdata.
Thanks! I just got it and haven't had the chance yo use it yet, but I'm excited. Now that we have a wok station again, there will be a ton of processing to do!

@Bracken_Joy
There were two takeaways from Kondo that were big for me and made the read worth it, but I also wasn't a fan of the style and thought it was a bit extreme and sad. On the plus side, I got it as a free audiobook via slickdeals and listened as I went through my closet. To save you time, the takaways were these:
1. Once a gift has been given and received, its job is done. I am not obligated to hold on to that gift.
2. I will be more satisfied with less if what I keep is useful and/or makes me happy.

Have you read Unfuck Your Habitat? That one seemed to have been written for me (my mother hoards; I either learned the habit from her or inherited some of the underlying OCD (I suspect a combination of both), and this book helped me deal with that particular aspect of my struggle with stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on July 21, 2018, 06:39:29 PM
I wish surfaces weren't for storage. Unfortunately, I share a house with 3 additional people who just love to cover all flat surfaces with stuff... we're making progress but not rapidly by any means.

We "decluttered" the garden today...weeds gone. The first 5 ripe little tomatoes harvested and eaten. We need to tackle our at home business space, maybe tomorrow will be the day.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 21, 2018, 09:17:11 PM
mspym, I hadn't heard of The Joy of Less, it sounds interesting.  Adding it to my reading list.

Mezzie, your point #2 is a very good insight! 

Mongoose...mmm...garden tomatoes...

=============================================================

More scanning but also tackling the to-do items, like calling to follow up on the refund check I'm supposed to get from the internet company.  Had a piece of paper with the account# and phone# floating around until it was the right time to call.  Way slow progress, but satisfying.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: pancakes on July 21, 2018, 11:07:13 PM
We are suffering from clutter creep at the moment.

The main culprit is Baby clothing. I’m trying to keep it to a minimum, kind of capsule wardrobe for toddlers style since we seem to have lucked out with a pretty clean baby so far, but people keep buying us stuff that doesn’t fit with her existing stuff and only works for one outfit. With baby clothes I don’t think the Kondo gift principle applies the same as the givers seem to get the most joy from seeing the baby dressed up in them. I feel obligated to keep them but we don’t have space, we all share one wardrobe which is also where the baby sleeps. A few times she has worn something once and then we’ve gifted/donated it but that seems very wasteful when we could return it to the store before wearing it or donate it unworn where it would have a higher value to the charity.

We are also trying to get pregnant again now too so quickly filling the top shelf in the wardrobe with the baby’s old clothes. Do other people keep everything for subsequent children or just a few things?

Wins - my email inbox remains empty and I’ve kept it that way since April!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 22, 2018, 01:46:49 AM
Largely inspired by the Surfaces are Not For Storage idea, we moved the Vitamix to the cupboards where it can hang out with the Instant Pot and the cast iron dutch oven, and the Sodastream to the Tall Jug cupboard, which freed up a wealth of bench space in the kitchen. I also realised that if I just rotated our dining table chairs 45 degrees, it improved the flow all around that space. It feels really good.

We also made enough space in the storage ottoman that the living room throws can be stored there when not in use.

Next steps: re-organise the book shelves to allow me to sort out my fabric stash so my sewing table is clear and ready to go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on July 22, 2018, 05:34:29 AM
Do other people keep everything for subsequent children or just a few things?

So far we've kept everything, though I wish we hadn't - too much stuff! I think realistically that if we didn't want to use something for kid 1, we're unlikely to want to use it for kid 2.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on July 22, 2018, 05:37:39 AM
Not getting rid of anything, but trying to minimise what enters the house: in acquiring clothes for my boy, I'm asking myself whether each item could be equally useful for future girl or boy kids. Everything has to be as gender neutral / fluid as possible.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on July 22, 2018, 07:02:45 AM
Made a start by disposing of some bits and pieces to the Church fete bric-a-brac stall yesterday, plus gave away almost all of the houseplants I inherited for the plant stall.  Empty windowsills are much easier to keep clean!

No takers yet for the office supplies offered up for free.  I might try the local school, but otherwise they will have to go to the dump.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 22, 2018, 07:07:00 AM
Made a start by disposing of some bits and pieces to the Church fete bric-a-brac stall yesterday, plus gave away almost all of the houseplants I inherited for the plant stall.  Empty windowsills are much easier to keep clean!

No takers yet for the office supplies offered up for free.  I might try the local school, but otherwise they will have to go to the dump.

Give your office supplies to charity like animal welfare.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chaskavitch on July 22, 2018, 07:14:54 AM
Do other people keep everything for subsequent children or just a few things?

So far we've kept everything, though I wish we hadn't - too much stuff! I think realistically that if we didn't want to use something for kid 1, we're unlikely to want to use it for kid 2.

I think we've kept everything except the clothes that were lent to us by a friend, which I returned.  It is ridiculous how much we have now with a 2 year old, and I do regret keeping so much.  I'm too lazy to go through the bins and sort them until we have another kid, though.  While I tried to buy mostly gender neutral clothes, there are still some that I might get rid of if it's a girl (mostly because I didn't like them THAT much to begin with, and if it's a girl I won't feel as bad getting rid of some of the super sports-y clothes).  If it is a girl, though, I fully expect to get a LOT of super frilly clothes from our mothers and sisters.  There wouldn't be any avoiding that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 22, 2018, 05:46:40 PM
New experiment begins today - putting the duvet back into the ottoman at the end of the night instead of leaving it on the couch. Felt pretty good this morning when I came in to make coffee and there wasn't a big pile* right in my line of sight.

*just the one duvet but it makes a big pile all by itself
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on July 22, 2018, 06:03:48 PM
New experiment begins today - putting the duvet back into the ottoman at the end of the night instead of leaving it on the couch. Felt pretty good this morning when I came in to make coffee and there wasn't a big pile* right in my line of sight.

*just the one duvet but it makes a big pile all by itself

I hear you! I have two blankets on my sofa and even though I'm using them most of the time I have to fold them and drape them neatly or they annoy me!

Our kitchen surfaces are remaining reasonably clear. It helps that we are doing plastic free July so there aren't bits of soft plastic waiting to be washed or drying. I just had a brainwave that I could transfer some stinky curry leaves that were in a paper  bag on the shelves into a jar so I can put them in the cupboard. Doh!

Does anyone else have home made / unsliced bread and constantly is clearing up crumbs? Any strategies? Do you clear away the breadboard every time you use it? Mine's just left out all the time and we have a constant scatter of crumbs all over the bench.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on July 22, 2018, 08:36:16 PM
Fresh Bread, I occasionally buy unsliced sourdough bread and simply slice the whole thing at once, leave out what I'll eat in a day or two and freeze the rest.  Easy then to just take out however many slices I need.  I put the board away right underneath the area of counter I use for slicing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 22, 2018, 09:06:23 PM
@Fresh Bread our issue is bagels (boys) and coffee grinds (adults).  I use a large breadboard and sweep the crumbs into the sink/trash as soon as I am done. I also sweep up any coffee grinds once coffee is made. However while we have multiple large breadboards, we also have two boys who insist on using either the tiniest or no breadboard when cutting, resulting in a world of breadcrumbs. My solution, which may not work for everyone, is to have married someone who wipes down the bench multiple times a day.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 22, 2018, 09:23:31 PM
We sold our old sofa. Made $75 & got it out of the house! Super happy to get rid of it. the new sofa is assembled & set up. Getting a new sofa was reasonably face punchy, but my husband & I agreed to buy a new sofa after we finished a remodel project, as our old was looking pretty rough & tumble after multiple moves.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on July 22, 2018, 10:14:28 PM
@Fresh Bread our issue is bagels (boys) and coffee grinds (adults).  I use a large breadboard and sweep the crumbs into the sink/trash as soon as I am done. I also sweep up any coffee grinds once coffee is made. However while we have multiple large breadboards, we also have two boys who insist on using either the tiniest or no breadboard when cutting, resulting in a world of breadcrumbs. My solution, which may not work for everyone, is to have married someone who wipes down the bench multiple times a day.

OfFreshie rarely wipes up, boo, but I'm glad it works for you! Oh yeah, coffee grinds, they are consistently covering the other side of the work bench. It's hard to collect them all on a black work top, you find them when you put something clean down & then pick it up and it's covered in grinds :|

Fresh Bread, I occasionally buy unsliced sourdough bread and simply slice the whole thing at once, leave out what I'll eat in a day or two and freeze the rest.  Easy then to just take out however many slices I need.  I put the board away right underneath the area of counter I use for slicing.

Good one, I will try this. I have a few cotton bags that I could freeze slices in. We normally have both a raisin bread plus a standard loaf on the go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 22, 2018, 11:10:41 PM
OfFreshie rarely wipes up, boo, but I'm glad it works for you! Oh yeah, coffee grinds, they are consistently covering the other side of the work bench. It's hard to collect them all on a black work top, you find them when you put something clean down & then pick it up and it's covered in grinds :|

The coffee grounds on the black counter top! whyyyyyyyyyyyy!?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on July 22, 2018, 11:13:51 PM
OfFreshie rarely wipes up, boo, but I'm glad it works for you! Oh yeah, coffee grinds, they are consistently covering the other side of the work bench. It's hard to collect them all on a black work top, you find them when you put something clean down & then pick it up and it's covered in grinds :|

The coffee grounds on the black counter top! whyyyyyyyyyyyy!?

I'd never choose black worksurfaces now I've lived with them, that's for sure. At some point we will have a new, glistening white kitchen and hubby will no longer be able to walk away from his mess. Maybe.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on July 22, 2018, 11:15:02 PM
My solution, which may not work for everyone, is to have married someone who wipes down the bench multiple times a day.

So in a few months time I'm going to have to post about decluttering all the spouses I've collected for their idiosyncratic cleaning habits :-P
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on July 23, 2018, 12:12:41 AM
My solution, which may not work for everyone, is to have married someone who wipes down the bench multiple times a day.

So in a few months time I'm going to have to post about decluttering all the spouses I've collected for their idiosyncratic cleaning habits :-P
That's what the next spouse is for!
:)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 23, 2018, 12:28:56 AM
5 full plastic bags of clothes out today. Should be a sweet tax deduction.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on July 23, 2018, 12:28:17 PM
It took a grand total of 8 days for my family to violate the "No clutter in the brand-new dining room" rule.  I came home from work on Friday to find car parts and a week's worth of mail and all kinds of other stuff on the table, papers piled on the piano, and assorted kid and husband crap on the floors.

Cue very large mom tantrum.  Followed immediately by very intense wife tantrum, where I pointed out to husband that in the last 9 months of decluttering, we've gotten rid of 1/3 of our stuff, and almost none of the things that left the house were items he'd consider "his".  I told him if he can't find an actual place to store something, then he has too much stuff.  Then I locked myself in the bathroom and took a bubble bath.

By the time I reappeared, the dining room was clutter-free.  And then over the weekend, H and all 3 kids:
 
I try not to throw mom tantrums more than once or twice a year...but IT WORKS.

They are now all crystal clear that people who enter our house (most especially, me) will no longer see piles of junk.  I warned them that I am reclaiming one room at a time.  Once they are used to the idea that this room cannot be cluttered, I'm picking another room.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 23, 2018, 12:52:44 PM
It took a grand total of 8 days for my family to violate the "No clutter in the brand-new dining room" rule.  I came home from work on Friday to find car parts and a week's worth of mail and all kinds of other stuff on the table, papers piled on the piano, and assorted kid and husband crap on the floors.

Cue very large mom tantrum.  Followed immediately by very intense wife tantrum, where I pointed out to husband that in the last 9 months of decluttering, we've gotten rid of 1/3 of our stuff, and almost none of the things that left the house were items he'd consider "his".  I told him if he can't find an actual place to store something, then he has too much stuff.  Then I locked myself in the bathroom and took a bubble bath.

By the time I reappeared, the dining room was clutter-free.  And then over the weekend, H and all 3 kids:
 
  • volunteered to go with me to the store to pick out a new storage unit for the entry way (visible from my dining table)...and then picked up their stuff and put it in the storage unit
  • cleaned the living room
  • hubby put 3 pieces of furniture on Craigslist (I had moved those to the garage during the great dining room makeover two weeks ago); 1 of them has already been picked up!
  • hubby decided to get rid of the giant aquarium and all the assorted fish stuff.  We haven't had fish in 6 years but he's refused to let it go.

I try not to throw mom tantrums more than once or twice a year...but IT WORKS.

They are now all crystal clear that people who enter our house (most especially, me) will no longer see piles of junk.  I warned them that I am reclaiming one room at a time.  Once they are used to the idea that this room cannot be cluttered, I'm picking another room.

LOVE IT! Can I ask where do you put incoming mail and magazines. That is such a issue in my house. Junk mail makes me nuts!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on July 23, 2018, 03:03:35 PM
LOVE IT! Can I ask where do you put incoming mail and magazines. That is such a issue in my house. Junk mail makes me nuts!

Paper is my nemesis.  I'm still working out a plan, but so far, it works best if we only get the mail once a week (this is youngest child's chore because left to our own devices husband and I DO NOT get the mail because we DO NOT want to deal with the paper.  We are the mailman's nemesis.).

I require myself to deal with the mail the day it comes into the house - sort into piles of
*shred (goes in a basket upstairs; shredding is youngest kid's favorite chore)
*recycle (take to the recycle bin in the garage immediately)
*file
*do something with

I had a three-shelf little organizer tucked away on a counter.  The unread magazines go on the top shelf, the mail to file on the 2nd shelf, and the "to-do" pile on the bottom.   Due to intense laziness on my part, this quickly turned into a massive pile of paper.

My husband has an old accordion folder with ancient paperwork in it.  As soon as he finishes sorting through it, I'm going to repurpose it for everyday paperwork (electric bill, etc) and put that on a bottom shelf in the kitchen in the hopes that I will start filing papers immediately if it is RIGHT THERE.  I'll have a box upstairs for long-term paperwork (taxes, house sale papers, warranties).

The to-do pile is currently spread across the kitchen island.  Magazines go on the end table at one end of the couch.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on July 23, 2018, 03:27:31 PM
@Fresh Bread our issue is bagels (boys) and coffee grinds (adults).  I use a large breadboard and sweep the crumbs into the sink/trash as soon as I am done. I also sweep up any coffee grinds once coffee is made. However while we have multiple large breadboards, we also have two boys who insist on using either the tiniest or no breadboard when cutting, resulting in a world of breadcrumbs. My solution, which may not work for everyone, is to have married someone who wipes down the bench multiple times a day.

Can you find one of those glass cutting boards with the the little round rubber feet?  They come in 2 different sizes.  They can both be cut on and save the counter top from damage.  I just leave mine out all the time and position it at the edge of the sink, so can just sweep the crumbs into it.  Some crumbs do work their way underneath, but it's much easier to periodically lift it and wipe under it than to always be wiping the whole counter.  Don't use serrated knives though, as the glass can dull them and there's no sharpening those ones.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on July 23, 2018, 03:43:19 PM
I went into the the office of mess yesterday and I came out with about 50 books for donation. I have come to realize that as I have gotten older my reading tastes have changed and a author who I really enjoyed 20 years ago I now can't relate to the girls and they just pissed me off. ( they were Harlequins so I read 5 books yesterday) Into the box they went with no guilt or angst from me. My donation pile is increasing!

I also managed to get rid of a few bags of packing peanuts and I have a garbage bag full of plastic grocery bags to recycle when I go to the grocery store.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 23, 2018, 05:22:22 PM
formerlydivorcedmom, how I adored your story! Wonderful that they cared enough about your feelings -frustration, overwhelm, fedupness- to act, and so immediately! Well done, everyone in that scenario.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on July 23, 2018, 07:21:02 PM
With baby clothes I don’t think the Kondo gift principle applies the same as the givers seem to get the most joy from seeing the baby dressed up in them. I feel obligated to keep them but we don’t have space, we all share one wardrobe which is also where the baby sleeps. A few times she has worn something once and then we’ve gifted/donated it but that seems very wasteful when we could return it to the store before wearing it or donate it unworn where it would have a higher value to the charity.

Our doctor volunteered to us that we should dress the baby up in all of the different outfits one day, tucking the tags away out of sight.  He told us to take pictures of each outfit in various spots around the house and then return all of the outfits.  Finally, send the gift giver the cute photo(s)!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 23, 2018, 07:23:50 PM
Oh!!!! Hilarious and brilliant doctor!!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 23, 2018, 10:01:15 PM
Not getting rid of anything, but trying to minimise what enters the house: in acquiring clothes for my boy, I'm asking myself whether each item could be equally useful for future girl or boy kids. Everything has to be as gender neutral / fluid as possible.

Good "defense"!


We sold our old sofa. Made $75 & got it out of the house! Super happy to get rid of it.

Woot!!

5 full plastic bags of clothes out today. Should be a sweet tax deduction.

Way to go!


It took a grand total of 8 days for my family to violate the "No clutter in the brand-new dining room" rule.

Hey!  More than a week!  Sorry, that may be insensitive considering you had to throw an epic mom tantrum.  It does seem to have worked, so hopefully they now understand you are serious.  Seems like they were testing the boundaries, and now they know where those are, and how firm they are, your family may well respect them.  They are coming back admirably.

==============================================================

As I have been compiling this post, I've also been scanning.  The last few days/work sessions were devoted to processing papers that didn't need to be scanned, but I have so few left, and the scanner will sit out until done, so....back at it! 

And then back to the couch so Mr. Kitty can sit on my knee again.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 24, 2018, 07:43:27 AM
I discovered an old necklace in my gym bag. (Costume jewelry). Went through the rest of my costume jewelry on the way to the donation pile & found 4 items to donate. Out & out.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 24, 2018, 04:28:19 PM
I am still working on getting old paper out of the house, but my influx of new paper is tiny these days.   I switched almost everything to online billing.  I got the no advertising sticker for my rural mailbox.   My recycling bin used to be more than half paper, every week.   Now I only put it out every second week.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 24, 2018, 10:21:28 PM
MaybeBabyMustache smart to use the one necklace as a prompt to review your others.

RetiredAt63 what a huge difference in the recycling volume! Keep at it, I know you can do it!

A bit more scanning for me today.  I may be done with that.  There are a few files I need to look through still, but of the un-filed, unorganized papers, all the papers in need of scanning are done!  Can't let the momentum stop, though.  There's a bit more to do.  I did put the scanner away, as it has been on the kitchen counter this whole time. 

The fun but chaotic & time consuming decluttering today was having my cousin bring her two boys, ages 6 and 9, over.  While they ran around yelling and eventually settling down into drawing, we hung a bike hook I bought over 2 months ago.  I just needed someone to hold it in place while the bike was positioned, then the position marked.  Now I can get my behemoth bike in the storage closet and also be able to reach the things on the shelves.  Much improvement today!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on July 25, 2018, 07:58:11 AM
My office is going to be moving in about a month. The company built the building, and that was pre-digital age. I'm sure you can see where this is going.

Someone already went through my dept's papers and it's been minimized. However, we have 4 large filing cabinets FULL of empty binders. Plus another cabinet of paper which may or may not need to be saved (we're checking on that). We also have a ton of random IT stuff. 10+ laptop bags, several monitors, bunch of keyboards/mice, etc.

We also have 6 boxes of Christmas decorations. Dept people can take that stuff home, or it's getting tossed.

And we haven't even looked at office/desk supplies.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 25, 2018, 03:46:06 PM
We installed air conditioning in our house (an entirely different story), and had a portable A/C unit. Sold it on our internal work site today for $230. It was a great deal for the buyer, and I got the entire unit/box/paperwork out of the house & attic. Woohoo!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 25, 2018, 11:01:00 PM
Sibley, the company I work for built their campus in the 40's, so I can imagine! Won't it be nice when you are done & moved!

MaybeBabyMustache, you are really on a roll!



More dealing with papers today.  Finally emailed out those things I had scanned, but have one more in-town relative to run them by, hopefully that can be done Sunday.

Got a handful of papers into the bin today, but one piece in particular is frustrating me.  It's a letter from the SSA with a code so I can active my online account and I've tried several times but it's not working.  I will try calling in the AM before work to see if they can get me un-stuck.  Would be so nice to get this done, since I've been working on it since MAY!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on July 26, 2018, 03:43:11 AM
Ugh, oneday I have the same situation with my local library - the little piece of paper to register for their online reminder service has been in my intray for more than a year but I can’t seem to make it work even though I know my details are correct.

After more than a year of remodelling our kitchen we just got a pantry back again! This is now the much longed for moment where all the boxes of kitchen things in the shed can be unpacked, cleaned and sorted. We weren’t ruthless when we combined households so I suspect there will be a LOT to go. I’m absolutely itching to get down to it but we’re away visiting family this week (having a marvellous time!) so have to content myself with minor ‘holiday decluttering’ - using up all the sample toiletries, reading and donating books, and getting a final wear out of terminal underwear/socks/tshirts before consigning to the bin.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 26, 2018, 07:35:07 AM
@oneday - I challenge myself to find one thing each day to get rid of or organize, trash/to donate. Most days, it's pretty easy! Last night I emptied a United business class travel kit, saving a few small samples that I'll use, & put the rest in the donation pile for a local charity who accepts them. Need to find more today!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on July 27, 2018, 06:28:19 AM
We donated a large hunk of equipment today to local college that can use it. Tried selling it but were not going to get enough for it to be worth the hassle. The last of our mothballed machines can now be dismantled and sold as scrap metal. Probably won't get much money but it will free up a chunk of space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on July 28, 2018, 03:12:14 PM
Wood is being moved off our back porch this weekend and put in place on kids fort. It's not leaving our property but will no longer be a mess to trip over and hide a population of mice.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 28, 2018, 04:53:37 PM
chasingthegoodlife, I took the strategy of calling to get help.  They said they are having a hard time checking my credit file to verify my identity, so I'm going to wait another month to see if my address changes go through & if that changes anything.

Holiday decluttering sounds strategic; I like that!

MaybeBabyMustache that is ambitious.  I am similarly trying to do *something* with paperwork most days.  How long do you think you can keep up that pace?

Mongoose, sounds like you have reclaimed oodles of space!  How does that feel?  What are you going to do with the reclaimed areas?

=========================================================

Got rid of 9 half-sheet sized pages from an old address book by transcribing only the bits I needed to keep into a spreadsheet.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on July 28, 2018, 05:02:58 PM
Did a big tidy and deeper clean, then I suddenly came down with the cold that won't quit so my morning plans were cancelled.  This left me some time to reflect on how quick the clean up was, and how much space we actually have in our little place. I love the feeling! Feeling motivated to tackle another paper shelf but not up to it today so instead I did a digital sort to get rid of duplicates and things I no longer need. About 600 documents/files/photos cleared so far!  A digital declutter is just what I needed.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 29, 2018, 08:45:59 AM
@oneday - I consider things like mail, kids junk that comes home, etc all part of it, so it's something I'll try to keep up forever. There is a never ending influx of things coming into the house, so sadly, not worried about running out. :-) When the kids are gone & I happen to be home during the day, I make it a point to go into there room & collect a minimum of 5 things. Sometimes it's redirecting dirty laundry tucked under the bed, other times it's tossing broken pencils or out dated homework. Occasionally it's going through the closets & dressers & plucking out clothes that no longer fit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: familyandfarming on July 29, 2018, 12:32:33 PM
Two years before I decided to retire from teaching (38 years) I also decided to have a once-in-a-lifetime declutter with a vengeance! All of the stuff I saved for my children's first apartments (millennials who became minimalists and moved to big cities) and EVERY non-essential in my house. No clothes, just stuff. During the winter I created cute tags out of old scrapbooking paper  (got rid of it this way) for all of the stuff to sell at a garage sale the coming summer. To keep my stamina I listened to Dave Ramsey and The Minimalists podcasts. I priced every item to SELL! I got real estate type signs made (I live 3 miles from a highway in the country) and held my sale from Wednesday-Saturday.

The sale was an enormous success! No person quibbled about price (everything was priced to sell) and I only had a small carload left over that a neighbor took for her daughter's first apartment. Made over $3,000! Was definitely worth my time and the fact that other people hauled it away without me having to haul it myself was great!

One other thing. When your mom gives you stuff, just take it and then on the way home donate it! That way you won't have to deal with it later at her estate sale!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on July 29, 2018, 12:43:25 PM
This morning I was able to shred the last two of seven little pieces of paper that had been haunting me for seven months :)    The first few needed to be typed into an organized document. The last two were perpetually homeless. Finally gone! Such a tiny thing, such a big impact.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on July 29, 2018, 03:15:54 PM
Oneday...I'm spreading out the stuff we still have into the reclaimed spaces to make it look like they are full and fend off accumulation!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on July 30, 2018, 07:53:41 AM
I've been lazy and haven't attacked my bedroom desk yet. There are a few things I won't know where to put, so this will probably involve decluttering some other spaces as well. I pretty much never use the computer on there (I use my tablet for this kind of computer access, and I use my computer at work for serious typing).

I also haven't lost the weight I had planned to this summer. I'm actually fine with how I look; I was just hoping to not have to clean out my closet or buy new clothes. I've got about 20 days and five pounds to lose before I'll be forced to do just that in order to have work-appropriate attire for school.

I have made some progress organizing the kitchen. I've mentioned before we have two families in a one-family small house, and the kitchen is packed. I've been buying drawer organizers and shelf dividers, and it's making a huge difference.

Okay, enough talk: time to attack the neverending paper and clean off my monstruous desk. If you don't see me soon, the desk won. :p
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on July 30, 2018, 08:24:37 AM
The family has kept the front room spotless for the last few days....partially because every time my husband leaves something there I drag it to the living room.  The living room now looks AWFUL - there is stuff on every single surface and half of the floor.  None of it is mine or household items, so I refuse to deal with it.  I think it has been a little eye-opening for husband to see his downstairs mess consolidated into one area instead of spread across 3 rooms, 2 of which he rarely spent time in.
 
He finally sorted through the box of stuff that previously lived in the front room that I want to give away and actually agreed to dispose of 90% of it! He took out one bag of things that he wants to sell rather than donate, so I'll give him 3 more weeks and if it is still in my house, I will donate it.

The next stage of my plan is to tackle the children's rooms so they will have nicely organized spaces before school starts. I think we can get rid of some furniture, replace others with more functional (cheap) pieces, and donate a lot of their stuff.  Middle kid volunteered to be first - we'll work on her room this week.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on July 30, 2018, 09:12:34 AM
Got rid of the baby swing.

Kind of stressed by this. But for baby 1 we didn't use it more than twice. But you never know if a baby 2 appears if we need it or not.

But I guess my thought was, if I need one, maybe someone else will give me one.

Here's hoping this isn't a bad choice.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on July 30, 2018, 11:17:28 AM
Bagged up the large box of stuff for donation and put it in the car. Due to other stuff going on, it will probably sit there for a few days, but getting it into the car is a much bigger problem for me than dropping it off. The box is now empty, waiting for me to contribute to it (and serving as kitty toy in the meantime).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on July 30, 2018, 05:35:23 PM
The desk and I are at a standstill. At least now it looks like a functional desk rather than a repository for everything I don't have a place for.

I may have finished if I hadn't gotten all social. It was a fun, but not particularly productive, day
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on July 30, 2018, 06:50:38 PM
The sale was an enormous success! ... Made over $3,000! Was definitely worth my time and the fact that other people hauled it away without me having to haul it myself was great!

One other thing. When your mom gives you stuff, just take it and then on the way home donate it! That way you won't have to deal with it later at her estate sale!

Nice work @familyandfarming and welcome to the thread! Based on how much you got rid of in one go, you may not have to lurk in this area much. But if you have more inspiring stories to share, please do!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 30, 2018, 07:55:18 PM
Got rid of two picture frames I was gifted & don't like, and recycled a paper I found randomly on the floor of my closet
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on July 30, 2018, 09:31:53 PM
Working on the category Paperwork still.  I've decided to prioritize one particular piece of paper, my list of websites and passwords.  This was in progress with one password manager (PM) software, but I decided I really didn't like it, so now I'm migrating that to PM #2, plus trying to finish off inputting the passwords from the piece of paper.  It is exhausting & demoralizing for some reason.  I've made some progress and will work on it again later.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on July 31, 2018, 07:40:36 AM
Working on the category Paperwork still.  I've decided to prioritize one particular piece of paper, my list of websites and passwords.  This was in progress with one password manager (PM) software, but I decided I really didn't like it, so now I'm migrating that to PM #2, plus trying to finish off inputting the passwords from the piece of paper.  It is exhausting & demoralizing for some reason.  I've made some progress and will work on it again later.

You know, you'd think that IT people would figure out that humans + endlessly complicated and changing passwords = recipe for disaster. The only people I know who actually DON'T write down their passwords (including use of pw mangers) are also the same people who are always getting locked out of accounts.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on July 31, 2018, 08:04:53 AM
Working on the category Paperwork still.  I've decided to prioritize one particular piece of paper, my list of websites and passwords.  This was in progress with one password manager (PM) software, but I decided I really didn't like it, so now I'm migrating that to PM #2, plus trying to finish off inputting the passwords from the piece of paper.  It is exhausting & demoralizing for some reason.  I've made some progress and will work on it again later.

You know, you'd think that IT people would figure out that humans + endlessly complicated and changing passwords = recipe for disaster. The only people I know who actually DON'T write down their passwords (including use of pw mangers) are also the same people who are always getting locked out of accounts.

I have a few accounts that my password process is just requesting a new password every time I have to access them. The password requirements don't jive with the way I like to make passwords. I cannot remember them; but I don't trust password managers or write mine down.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on July 31, 2018, 08:08:57 AM
Working on the category Paperwork still.  I've decided to prioritize one particular piece of paper, my list of websites and passwords.  This was in progress with one password manager (PM) software, but I decided I really didn't like it, so now I'm migrating that to PM #2, plus trying to finish off inputting the passwords from the piece of paper.  It is exhausting & demoralizing for some reason.  I've made some progress and will work on it again later.

You know, you'd think that IT people would figure out that humans + endlessly complicated and changing passwords = recipe for disaster. The only people I know who actually DON'T write down their passwords (including use of pw mangers) are also the same people who are always getting locked out of accounts.

IT people write down our passwords too...I actually have a password to one of my accounts written on a post-it note taped to my laptop.  It's a self-preservation measure.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on July 31, 2018, 10:01:31 AM
Working on the category Paperwork still.  I've decided to prioritize one particular piece of paper, my list of websites and passwords.  This was in progress with one password manager (PM) software, but I decided I really didn't like it, so now I'm migrating that to PM #2, plus trying to finish off inputting the passwords from the piece of paper.  It is exhausting & demoralizing for some reason.  I've made some progress and will work on it again later.

You know, you'd think that IT people would figure out that humans + endlessly complicated and changing passwords = recipe for disaster. The only people I know who actually DON'T write down their passwords (including use of pw mangers) are also the same people who are always getting locked out of accounts.

IT people write down our passwords too...I actually have a password to one of my accounts written on a post-it note taped to my laptop.  It's a self-preservation measure.

See?!? It defeats the purpose. They're just encouraging people to use the same password everywhere, write them all down, or use password managers that can be hacked.


On topic - just decluttered a random item from my desk. No, we do not need a 7 year old training manual on software that is now at least 5 versions advanced.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on August 01, 2018, 09:25:50 AM
It took me a while but I got things written up and out of the house Sunday. I was happy to get the space back but I know that there is more to come. I already have something for donation.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on August 01, 2018, 10:58:48 AM
5 pictures and a rug are in the car ready to go to auction tomorrow (or a charity shop if the auction won't take them).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on August 01, 2018, 11:54:38 AM
My parents are planning to sell their house next year. I was visiting them this weekend, so I spent several hours going through my old books, clothes, schoolwork, and mementos. I did a first pass a few years ago and thought I had done well, but there's still a lot of stuff. It really puts into perspective what still matters to me when I have to decide what's worth bringing back to my small apartment across the country. I came home with five books and some old programs from musical performances I did. Not too bad, I think. (I am a huge music and theater fan, so I keep the programs for just about every show I see and participate in. I have a storage system for them, and these old programs will fit right in. I reference these items often with much fondness, so it's not totally crazy to keep them.)

I'll be back over Labor Day weekend to finish the job. The goal is to only keep things that will either a) bring me and my parents joy to display in "my" guest room in their future, smaller house or b) bring me joy in my current apartment and fit seamlessly in with the items I already have here. And maybe one or two small storage containers of deeply sentimental items that don't quite go anywhere else - I am still working on this in my mind. Baby steps. But all in all, huge progress.

I'm glad I am where I'm at in my own decluttering journey. This would have been much harder a few years ago. I'm still sad about the loss of my childhood home (my parents have lived there my whole life), but I recognize that the upkeep is a burden on them now and I don't want that for them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 01, 2018, 11:27:58 PM
@zygote well done.  That sounds like a struggle, but you are getting there!


===========================================================

Guys, guys, guys!  I did am doing it!  I am down to almost no paper!  I have a system*! I have storage for the rest of it!  The end is nigh!  I wasn't sure for a while that I could finish.  There seemed to be too many obstacles.  But a few weekends ago, I put together the system and tonight, whoosh!  Most things went right into the system (helps that I have a lot of practice from using this system at work). 

There's a small stack left to scan, another stack to re-organize into a binder and then the page with the passwords on it, but I can do a little at a time and eventually get it done, I know that now.

Bonus: got to break down another box and take it to the recycle bin!

Next in the KonMari method is Komono.  I will spend some time finishing Paper, then studying what the book says about komono, then tidying komono.


*https://colterreed.com/how-to-clear-your-desk-and-your-mind-with-43-folders/ (https://colterreed.com/how-to-clear-your-desk-and-your-mind-with-43-folders/), which I have been using for years at work.

===========================================================

I hope everyone is having as good a time decluttering as I am!!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 01, 2018, 11:28:48 PM
FABULOUS, oneday!!!!!!!!
YAHOO!!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on August 02, 2018, 12:13:34 AM
Well done, oneday!! Inspiring! (I should tackle a new paper pile that has formed by stealth).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 02, 2018, 12:26:00 AM
Thanks for the cheers, @jooniFLORisploo and @Fresh Bread  8D

...a new paper pile...has formed by stealth...

They do that, don't they!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on August 02, 2018, 09:43:20 AM

*https://colterreed.com/how-to-clear-your-desk-and-your-mind-with-43-folders/ (https://colterreed.com/how-to-clear-your-desk-and-your-mind-with-43-folders/), which I have been using for years at work.


This looks like a REALLY cool system, thanks for sharing it! I don't know if I want to acquire a full folder set -- I just don't have the space for it -- but I'm wondering if I can make an effective digital variant on this.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Car Jack on August 02, 2018, 10:48:37 AM
Sort of clearing out clutter, sort of not.  As part of my hobby of finding, dismantling and scrapping electronics for money, a big byproduct is steel.  Yesterday, I had the day off so loaded it all up and brought it over to the scrapyard.  Bonuses included keeping my teenage son busy and the place had a food truck and free hot dogs paid by the scrap yard.  Unloaded 750 pounds of steel (this is sorta light, but what the heck), and took home $52.15. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on August 02, 2018, 01:33:00 PM
Y'all are all doing so well this week!

We're almost done cleaning out middle kid's room.  We have one piece of furniture to sell, and another will be repurposed in youngest kid's room.

Middle kid filled an entire lawn-size trash bag of trash and paper, and she's packed a small box of toys she doesn't want.  Plus two dozen books that will either be donated to the library book sale or the little free library down the street. 

In our study, I filled two gallon ziplocs with old school supplies - pens and pencils, staples, clips, etc. (Seriously, WHERE DOES ALL OF THIS COME FROM?)  H now works at a school, so he took them with him today to offer to the teachers.

Tomorrow oldest kid's grown-up bedroom furniture gets delivered and we'll put her old stuff on Craigslist.

I'm excited!  Hopefully by next week we'll be completely free of 6 pieces of furniture (bed, dresser/mirror, nightstand, desk, bookcase, low cabinet we're selling with the fish tank)!  We're replacing them with 4 pieces (storage bed, dresser/mirror, desk [FREE], and kitchen table [because I repurposed the other one to create a dining room]).  AND...my front room is still clutter-free!

I am actually starting to see our progress again, which is awesome.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 02, 2018, 01:43:08 PM

*https://colterreed.com/how-to-clear-your-desk-and-your-mind-with-43-folders/ (https://colterreed.com/how-to-clear-your-desk-and-your-mind-with-43-folders/), which I have been using for years at work.


This looks like a REALLY cool system, thanks for sharing it! I don't know if I want to acquire a full folder set -- I just don't have the space for it -- but I'm wondering if I can make an effective digital variant on this.

I've got my 1-31 folders crammed into a 13 pocket accordion folder. It doesn't take up much space. You can definitely get by without the month folders; just put a sticky with "Dec 15" and ignore that page on Aug 15, Sep 15, Oct 15 and Nov 15. It would take up more space if you have more pieces of paper to put in it.

You could definitely do a virtual version. It's a bit more work, though, since you have to make an entry into your electronic system for each piece of paper. It's more feasible if you only have a small amount of papers.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on August 05, 2018, 04:19:40 AM
The SO has been holding onto the full set of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' despite never rereading them in over a decade. A colleague is watching 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' on Netflix and didn't know that they were based on a bunch of books, indicated interest in reading them to her daughter. The SO says it is ok to give them to the colleague's daughter.

So 13 books out of the house. And actually out, not just in the back room, waiting to be taken to a place that will accept second hand books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 05, 2018, 05:15:30 PM
My ongoing goals of getting rid of/donating 5 things/day continues. So far this weekend:
-2 used travel toothpaste containers that my son shoved to the back of the drawer vs tossing
-1 skein of yarn
-2 frames
-Tossed the pictures that were in the frames, as they were warped
-An old organizer. We briefly repurposed it while we were gluing/fixing our silverware organizer, but now that it's back in service, the old one went to the donation pile
-A sports bra I bought but hadn't yet used. Tried on, hated it, back to Target it went.
-A few scraps of miscellaneous papers from the closet that needed to be shredded

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on August 05, 2018, 05:23:42 PM
Today is the day! After breakfast the remaining boxes from our kitchen renovation are coming out of the garage.

Anything left over after our pantry and cabinets are adequately equipped will be donated or offered up on the local Facebook page.

Staying with others for the last two weeks has reinforced my love of a minimalist fridge and pantry. When you buy things when you need them, and wait until you’ve used them until you buy more, everything is fresh and tastes good. It’s easy to find things and you feel excited about eating them. Multiple open jars of the same thing with yellowing labels crammed in everywhere and huge stockpiles makes things difficult to find, and things are stale by the time you eat them. And how much sense does it make to have so much money tied up in depreciating assets (haha) when most of us visit the shops every week anyway? Of course some people are very clever about buying what they regularly use in bulk when on sale, which can be great, but it so often seems to get out of control with multiple year supplies of things they rarely use sitting around forever.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on August 05, 2018, 06:27:08 PM
First sobering realisation of the day: I have not followed my own advice when it comes to the cocktail cabinet. Three nearly full bottles of angostura bitters and a half used bottle of lime cordial I know must be at least 7 years old as well as an unopened one :/ WHY?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 05, 2018, 08:17:19 PM
5 more books out of the house and 2 earmarked for the work library.

@chasingthegoodlife I am attempting to reduce my stored food because inevitably as soon as I buy a stock of something the boys STOP eating it and then it sits around taking up space.

I have also been getting rid of bottles of wine left from hosting book club - I don't drink and I prefer them out of the house so I've been bringing one along to any social gathering I can and leaving them there or opening them up for other people to drink.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on August 06, 2018, 03:48:39 AM
@mspym - that’s a great idea. We both enjoy a drink but the stockpile has gotten out of hand with a combination of leftovers from our backyard wedding last year, gifts, and bits and pieces that guests leave behind. Lots of fizzy drinks as well, which we never drink ourselves, so I must remember to chill those next time we are heading out to a bbq or picnic.

I found my vanilla beans so will use one to declutter an almost finished bottle of vodka to make vanilla essence too.

Have knocked off here and enjoying a cup of tea by the fire with a roast chook in the oven I got through 12 boxes, which I THINK is almost everything but there is still a box of pot lids in the garage and there may be others hiding.

Rats had gotten into one of the boxes (gross) and nibbled through everything in plastic packets so had to bin a few things.

Have two huge boxes to donate pending husbands approval, which can be a bit tricky, and will ask him to go through our serving dishes and identify any he is willing to part with.

Feels great! 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 06, 2018, 07:12:06 AM
I bought a cookbook yesterday from QVC that will arrive first week of December. I just got rid of a bunch of cookbooks but I intend to maybe find a handful more and get rid of them so the accumulation doesn't start up again!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on August 06, 2018, 07:42:18 AM
Another two bags of stuff to Goodwill (much from my kid's room) and one car SOLD! The driveway looks much tidier lol
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on August 06, 2018, 08:27:33 AM
Another two bags of stuff to Goodwill (much from my kid's room) and one car SOLD! The driveway looks much tidier lol

I'm jealous....H keeps promising to sell the "old" car now that he has a "new" car but he's been too busy to actually do it.   Problem is...he used my vacation savings to buy the "new" car, so he's got two more months until final payment is due.  At that point, I'm driving it to a dealership to sell there so I can go on vacation!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on August 06, 2018, 02:40:31 PM
Another two bags of stuff to Goodwill (much from my kid's room) and one car SOLD! The driveway looks much tidier lol

I'm jealous....H keeps promising to sell the "old" car now that he has a "new" car but he's been too busy to actually do it.   Problem is...he used my vacation savings to buy the "new" car, so he's got two more months until final payment is due.  At that point, I'm driving it to a dealership to sell there so I can go on vacation!

I am shaking my head in wonder that you did not get his attention with a clue by 4. Was this a shared vacation fund or extra savings that "needed a new home" in his mind? Not trying to be snarky at all just wondering how in the world that conversation came up.

Anyway kudos to you for not investing in a new shovel and lime to improve your garden. I would have turned into Krakatoa.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on August 06, 2018, 09:49:18 PM
Another two bags of stuff to Goodwill (much from my kid's room) and one car SOLD! The driveway looks much tidier lol

I'm jealous....H keeps promising to sell the "old" car now that he has a "new" car but he's been too busy to actually do it.   Problem is...he used my vacation savings to buy the "new" car, so he's got two more months until final payment is due.  At that point, I'm driving it to a dealership to sell there so I can go on vacation!

Don't I know it. We procrastinated this sale for so long we had to put more $into the vehicle again before we could sell it.  Hoping you sell quickly.... and SOON for his sake!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: abhe8 on August 07, 2018, 05:19:12 AM
3 bags of kids clothes in my car ready to be passed on to friends

2 packages mailed to my sis, more kids clothes/shoes

3 trash bags full taken to Goodwill this week.

Our church moved into our new building (with it it's storage on site - yay) so I took the boxes from my front room that I had been storing. We are leaving to visit family tomorrow, so I'll return the bag of things my nephew left on his visit last month.

If feels like slow progress, but at least we are getting some things out.

We take this trip every year and spend two weeks in a condo in the mountains. I love it, especially living with minimal stuff. It is always a huge motivator to clean out when I get home, so I'm anticipating a big burst of decluttering when I get home. Double win!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on August 07, 2018, 11:18:25 AM
Another two bags of stuff to Goodwill (much from my kid's room) and one car SOLD! The driveway looks much tidier lol

I'm jealous....H keeps promising to sell the "old" car now that he has a "new" car but he's been too busy to actually do it.   Problem is...he used my vacation savings to buy the "new" car, so he's got two more months until final payment is due.  At that point, I'm driving it to a dealership to sell there so I can go on vacation!

I am shaking my head in wonder that you did not get his attention with a clue by 4. Was this a shared vacation fund or extra savings that "needed a new home" in his mind? Not trying to be snarky at all just wondering how in the world that conversation came up.

Anyway kudos to you for not investing in a new shovel and lime to improve your garden. I would have turned into Krakatoa.

Two more months before I fertilize the garden ;)

It's a shared vacation fund - we're taking a big family reunion cruise next March.  The "new" car is a classic 30-year-old specimen that rarely comes up for sale in such a good condition.  It was approximately the same price he can get selling the "old" car.  So we struck a deal - vacation money gets used for the "new" car, and "old" car will be sold to replace vacation fund.  Only now he has a zillion projects to fix up "new" car and "hasn't had time" to sell old car.  I may post a countdown calendar...he's well aware of the consequences of interfering in my vacation planning.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JoJoP on August 07, 2018, 06:53:21 PM
I just sold, for cash, $4000 worth of horse corrals and fencing.  YOWSERS!  I'm thrilled.  Those things have held their value over 25 years of use.  Now I've got to sell a bunch of unused horse tack and equipment. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 07, 2018, 07:43:33 PM
I just sold, for cash, $4000 worth of horse corrals and fencing.  YOWSERS!  I'm thrilled.  Those things have held their value over 25 years of use.  Now I've got to sell a bunch of unused horse tack and equipment.

Woohoo!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on August 08, 2018, 07:04:39 AM
Another two bags of stuff to Goodwill (much from my kid's room) and one car SOLD! The driveway looks much tidier lol

I'm jealous....H keeps promising to sell the "old" car now that he has a "new" car but he's been too busy to actually do it.   Problem is...he used my vacation savings to buy the "new" car, so he's got two more months until final payment is due.  At that point, I'm driving it to a dealership to sell there so I can go on vacation!

I am shaking my head in wonder that you did not get his attention with a clue by 4. Was this a shared vacation fund or extra savings that "needed a new home" in his mind? Not trying to be snarky at all just wondering how in the world that conversation came up.

Anyway kudos to you for not investing in a new shovel and lime to improve your garden. I would have turned into Krakatoa.

Two more months before I fertilize the garden ;)

It's a shared vacation fund - we're taking a big family reunion cruise next March.  The "new" car is a classic 30-year-old specimen that rarely comes up for sale in such a good condition.  It was approximately the same price he can get selling the "old" car.  So we struck a deal - vacation money gets used for the "new" car, and "old" car will be sold to replace vacation fund.  Only now he has a zillion projects to fix up "new" car and "hasn't had time" to sell old car.  I may post a countdown calendar...he's well aware of the consequences of interfering in my vacation planning.

In addition, I would say that these events will greatly impact your agreement for any future such events. In other words, next time he wants to do something remotely similar, NO! (keep in mind I'm in a very crabby mood today - dealing with a contractor, and the only reason I haven't fired him is he hasn't technically breeched the contract yet)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: haypug16 on August 08, 2018, 09:03:19 PM
Wow I haven't posted here in so long that I didn't even realize there was a new thread.

Anyway I'm still working on my goal of selling/donating 1 item per day for the year. I am up to the beginning of May so I have some catching up to do.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FIRE_guy on August 08, 2018, 10:46:33 PM
Anyway I'm still working on my goal of selling/donating 1 item per day for the year. I am up to the beginning of May so I have some catching up to do.

That's a pretty nice goal. We're making another international move in November, so I've set the goal of getting rid of one thing per day. Right now it's mostly the low-hanging fruit I'm getting rid of (stuff that I can easily recycle like notebooks and magazines). Hopefully, within a week or two I'll be onto selling/donating stage!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on August 08, 2018, 11:12:35 PM
I'm doing another push of decluttering via Buy Nothing. This week, so far, I've given away a bag of baby clothes, a big box of passata jars, and a book that I'd just finished reading. I also purchased a post satchel to send some presents to my sister's kids and get them out of my house :-)

Let's see if I can maintain the momentum.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FIRE_guy on August 09, 2018, 03:22:26 AM
Managed to get an old bike seat and an old broken bike basket gone last night in the plastic/metal recycling. They've been sitting on the shelf staring at me for a long time!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on August 09, 2018, 06:45:59 AM
Getting rid of the massive piles of rocks in my yard! One guy's been taking the one pile, and someone else is supposed to be coming tomorrow to get the other pile.

Of course, there's still plenty to be dug up, but that's a low priority project.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 09, 2018, 07:34:21 AM
I feel like I really need to get kicking on this again. 
I've hit most of the low hanging fruit though, so now it is hard to get momentum.  But my house is a disaster. Too much stuff
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on August 09, 2018, 09:43:19 AM
I finally got DH to agree to decluttering the shed. It was a 2 week project and when done we rented a truck and took many things to the dump. The good stuff I either put a free sign out front or took it to the thrift store. I also decided to quit testing clients so sold my tests for $500.   Since I retired 6 years ago (semi) I have been on s mission to get rid of stuff. We are 74 and I don’t want to leave a mess behind for our kids.  When we downsized to this house I sold half the furniture. I really love living with less and having less stuff to dust.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 09, 2018, 09:54:34 AM
I agreed to pick up a neighbour's mail for a month. I don't even do that with mine, lol! A couple of weeks in, I'm starting to feel very itchy having this "excess" around, but I can't get rid of it. I think I won't agree to that job again (they have a private, safe mailbox anyway so it's not really needed). Also, when they get back I'm going to tell them about the option to put a red dot on their box to not get flyers and crap. They're people that feel very overwhelmed; they might like this easy preventative.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 09, 2018, 09:57:03 AM
I agreed to pick up a neighbour's mail for a month. I don't even do that with mine, lol! A couple of weeks in, I'm starting to feel very itchy having this "excess" around, but I can't get rid of it. I think I won't agree to that job again (they have a private, safe mailbox anyway so it's not really needed). Also, when they get back I'm going to tell them about the option to put a red dot on their box to not get flyers and crap. They're people that feel very overwhelmed; they might like this easy preventative.

If this is the US (though maybe it isn't because of the red dot thing)- they can stop their mail and the post office will deliver it all at once at the end of the period determined.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 09, 2018, 09:59:05 AM
If this is the US (though maybe it isn't because of the red dot thing)- they can stop their mail and the post office will deliver it all at once at the end of the period determined.

Yeah, they have this option as well. I just didn't realize what the psychological impact on me would be of storing someone's flyers and mail for a month. Now I do, so I won't say yes again.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CU Tiger on August 09, 2018, 01:35:25 PM
I came home from the flea market last weekend with $37, and without a pile of stuff.
I know it does not sound like much, but I sold the most ridiculous bunch of junk for an average of 50 cents - $1.
Besides, we had a great time doing it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fish Sweet on August 09, 2018, 05:00:58 PM
Roommates and I are currently working on acquiring new IKEA shelves and reorganizing our apartment, and I'm taking advantage of this to conduct a PURGE of all sorts of stuff that's built up over the years.  thus far I have:

- Cleaned out some old costumes that I made years ago and will never rewear.  Took some pictures to remember all my hard work and good memories, and then let them go
- Pulled a bunch of books off my shelves that I'd bought but never read over the years.  Sorted them into a "to sell" and "to recycle" pile
- Contacted some friends from whom I'd borrowed books over the years and will be returning those too, freeing up some more shelf space
- Pulled out an old laptop that died many years ago that I'd kept out of fear of giving people access to personal info.  I took out the hard drive, and the rest of it is going to electronic recycling!

Coming up next:
- Sorting through my piles of leftover fabric and notions for costuming and crafting, throw away all the stuff I'm not going to use!!!
- Clean through my closet of high end japanese fashion clothing items-- there are a couple I'm keeping, but a lot I'm going to be selling.  Hoping to net at least 1k from those sales >:3
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on August 09, 2018, 05:18:01 PM
I agreed to pick up a neighbour's mail for a month. I don't even do that with mine, lol! A couple of weeks in, I'm starting to feel very itchy having this "excess" around, but I can't get rid of it. I think I won't agree to that job again (they have a private, safe mailbox anyway so it's not really needed). Also, when they get back I'm going to tell them about the option to put a red dot on their box to not get flyers and crap. They're people that feel very overwhelmed; they might like this easy preventative.

If this is the US (though maybe it isn't because of the red dot thing)- they can stop their mail and the post office will deliver it all at once at the end of the period determined.

Does anyone know if the red dot thing to stop junk mail works in the USA?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on August 09, 2018, 05:30:52 PM
I agreed to pick up a neighbour's mail for a month. I don't even do that with mine, lol! A couple of weeks in, I'm starting to feel very itchy having this "excess" around, but I can't get rid of it. I think I won't agree to that job again (they have a private, safe mailbox anyway so it's not really needed). Also, when they get back I'm going to tell them about the option to put a red dot on their box to not get flyers and crap. They're people that feel very overwhelmed; they might like this easy preventative.

If this is the US (though maybe it isn't because of the red dot thing)- they can stop their mail and the post office will deliver it all at once at the end of the period determined.

Does anyone know if the red dot thing to stop junk mail works in the USA?

In Australia we can buy little stick on signs at the hardware store that say "no junk mail" or similar. I still get some junk (real estate people! I still classify your flyers as junk!) but much much less.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 09, 2018, 06:55:03 PM
And my version is to write No Junk Mail on a piece of paper and then attach to the mailbox with a coating of sticky tape. It works for everything except the free weekly local paper that is 50% real estate spruiking, aka The Hate Read, aka see what nonsense sold for $1.4M *this week*
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on August 09, 2018, 08:12:07 PM
And my version is to write No Junk Mail on a piece of paper and then attach to the mailbox with a coating of sticky tape. It works for everything except the free weekly local paper that is 50% real estate spruiking, aka The Hate Read, aka see what nonsense sold for $1.4M *this week*
[/quo

Oh I thought for a minute your were my neighbour but there is nothing selling here for a bargain price of $1.4m, lol. I like the paper because I do the sudoku, read the crime page (someone left their car unlocked and got their ipad/phone/wallet stolen and somebody got done for peeing in the street while drunk) and then use it to line my bin.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 09, 2018, 09:26:18 PM
Yeah, I make my own "no junk/unaddressed mail" note for my boxes and the post office puts a red dot on for me :)    In almost 20 years, only two items have made it past that filter. It's awesome.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 09, 2018, 10:14:20 PM
And my version is to write No Junk Mail on a piece of paper and then attach to the mailbox with a coating of sticky tape. It works for everything except the free weekly local paper that is 50% real estate spruiking, aka The Hate Read, aka see what nonsense sold for $1.4M *this week*

Oh I thought for a minute your were my neighbour but there is nothing selling here for a bargain price of $1.4m, lol. I like the paper because I do the sudoku, read the crime page (someone left their car unlocked and got their ipad/phone/wallet stolen and somebody got done for peeing in the street while drunk) and then use it to line my bin.

$1.4m is the Handyman's special without any plumbing, backing on to the trains "so convenient for public transport". The crime page is great, I wish ours were as innocuous as drunken peeing. Inner West = drugs.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on August 10, 2018, 08:02:39 PM
We need to actually move the donate items that are currently in boxes to the donation center. We have visitors coming in just over a week and, having been super busy/gone, most of the summer, our house is an epic disaster. It's driving me nuts.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 10, 2018, 10:45:04 PM
Finally did the thing I've been meanign to do for 6 months - do a first pass of the manga, make a list of what I will discard and email my two manga reading friends to see if they want/know someone who wants them. I also finally reset my gumtree password and sent someone a message who is looking for Fruits Basket. At this point I would just give them away.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on August 11, 2018, 09:56:56 PM
I decluttered a box of craft supplies; some stuff will go to a friend who's learning to sew, some will go to a friend's children, some will stay, some stuff is being put in a spot where I'll actually *use* it. The sturdy box they were in can now contain formerly loose house plant supplies.

I'm now seeing where the hard decluttering is going to be after books: yarn...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on August 12, 2018, 12:42:44 PM
Binge cleaning this weekend:

Couch has finally been removed from the living room. It's currently stored out of the way until we can, hopefully, arrange for transport. I predict it will be awhile because now it is out of the way.

Bins of kids art supplies have been decluttered and organized! Two bags of extras leaving.

A friend wants our never used food processor so it is in the car for delivery tomorrow.

Huge pile of old magazines has been dropped off with an art teacher to be repurposed.

Kids dress up costumes that no longer fit are in a bag for donation. Ditto for outgrown clothes and dance shoes.

Ten foot puzzle rug that has been tripping us in the living room has been removed. I posted it as free on our homeschool group and it was taken in 3 minutes. Scheduled for drop off next time I am in town.

Old, poorly functioning computer is being replaced and will leave for electronics recycling tomorrow. Dead printer is on its way to be recycled as well. Replacements are currently being set up.

Fondant has been peeled off kid's 4H display cake styrofoam bases. Cake boards and bases are back in storage to be reused next year.

Sadly....we are nowhere near done yet...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 12, 2018, 01:43:40 PM
@Mongoose - that's huge progress! I found a few cardboard boxes that my son had been hiding for projects. Now recycled. He's also in the process of cleaning his room. It's been a weeks long process. Almost done.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 13, 2018, 03:40:22 AM
Two series of manga + 2 misc books dropped off for a friend's daughter. That's 28 books out of the house!
And the two other friends I emailed about manga have claimed most of the series so I feel Light and Happy the books are going to people who will read and enjoy them
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FIRE_guy on August 13, 2018, 05:47:22 AM
Hmmm - what will be today's "get rid of" item? Maybe some old bottles I was saving for a potential home-brew journey. Now that we are moving out of the country, I don't think I need to hang onto them!

Two series of manga + 2 misc books dropped off for a friend's daughter. That's 28 books out of the house!
And the two other friends I emailed about manga have claimed most of the series so I feel Light and Happy the books are going to people who will read and enjoy them

Books! thanks for the reminder -> I've seen a few new pop-up community libraries that I can certainly donate some books to.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on August 13, 2018, 08:09:34 AM
Putting this out there so I have some accountability. It's kinda decluttering because all this is in my closet, and it's a massive thing on my to-do list.

I have 18 gallons, 4 quarts, and 1 pint of paint.
-5 gallons are for the garage, which is in progress. I expect to end with 2 partial gallons, so that will be 3 out (or 4, if I need another gallon of white)
-1 gallon and the pint are the downstairs bedroom.
-1 quart is oil primer for some stuff that requires oil, it should use it up. That project will be moved to the painting stage after today and tomorrow (handyman patching millions of holes from electrical rewire).
-1 gallon is living room, etc paint (multiple rooms). I won't be getting rid of the can, but once I paint all the patches (see oil primer), it can be moved to long term storage. IE, NOT my closet.
-1 gallon and 1 quart is the utility room, again this week's handyman work will allow me to use it. Will likely end with the quart left over.
-2 gallons are closet paint. Once patched, I can paint the patches, then will donate whatever is left to the local school drama.
-2 gallons are ceiling paint. I will be doing some ceiling painting, but likely won't use either up.
-2 quarts are metal primer and paint. Need to touch up the railing, then long term storage.

There's a bunch that is primer/paint for upstairs bedrooms, which are low on the list right now. And some woodwork paint, which gets used as I do woodwork.

But not having 18 gallons of paint would be nice!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 13, 2018, 08:15:46 AM
2 big bins to take to the consignment store today!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on August 13, 2018, 08:52:41 AM
I've been carrying around about 4 trash bags full of donated items in the car.  This weekend I finally dropped them off at the thrift shop.

I have another 2, moving boxes full of stuff to drop off and I took pictures of some furniture to ask the thrift shop if they want it.

Not to derail the thread but part of my decluttering is finding a home for everything we are keeping. This is tough because in some areas we don't have enough practical storage, like smaller drawers, etc.  I've taken all the smaller, plastic drawer systems we have and put them in the basement and I bought a label maker.  So far it has been very helpful. 2 of the drawers I labeled first and filled was "packing tape" and "measuring tapes" those are the items that bring the most frustration when we can't find them.  I even put a label "put back in drawer when done" on them :)

So much crap has been moved out of the basement! 

I posted for free 2 chairs I bought several years ago with the intention of refinishing them.  They took a lot of space but I was unable to part with them because I paid $50 for the pair.  I realize I was NEVER going to finish them (such a low priority on my list) and there was little hope of getting  any money for them.  So I decided to just get rid of them!  It felt so good to see someone haul them away and now I have reclaimed so much space in the basement. 

It was very motivating that I ended up filling up the back of the car with more stuff to donate, mostly holiday decorations. I purged close to 75% of my Christmas decorations! 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 13, 2018, 09:05:24 AM
Love reading everyone's decluttering details!!

My space remains quite empty, blissfully so. I'm excited to be using the space and clearness to begin painting walls in a cheerier layer.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on August 13, 2018, 10:50:30 AM
It has been a crazy weekend.

We've been seeing mice in the apartment for over a week. We couldn't find the holes where they were coming in, and the traps our super gave us stayed empty. My wife saw them go around the traps a few times. Management finally got us an exterminator Friday night.

My last post in this thread was a recognition of how far we've come. Well...it's quite the wake up call when the exterminator has to pull everything out to access the walls. Closets, on top of the fridge, some of the shelves, things that were stacked on the floor (I know, I know)...yikes. It looked like a bomb went off by the time he left, and it made me want to burn everything I own. But he did find and seal a few holes and set some traps in better locations. KNOCK ON WOOD, we haven't seen a mouse or evidence of a mouse since.

As if that wasn't enough, we had a long-scheduled delivery of a new bookcase set up for Saturday morning. We ordered it a month ago for my wife's books. The old one was falling apart and too small for the space. Before, books were stacked on top and next to it. We (I?) wanted them all to fit nicely on one bookshelf. So as soon as the exterminator left, we had to empty the old shelves onto the living room floor.

The blessing in disguise is that it was a bit of a wake up call for my wife, too. She will never be a minimalist or anything, and still rolls her eyes if I mention Marie Kondo. But as we spent all day Saturday and part of the day Sunday recovering the apartment, she managed to get rid of a lot of stuff. We ended up with three bags of goodwill stuff, 5+ bags of trash, and more to come as she sorts some papers that will go into memory boxes.

My goal this whole time was to end up with an apartment with clear floors/surfaces that was easy to clean. I was starting to become okay with a clear floor meaning that stuff was only on the very edges/in corners/etc. because of the volume of stuff. But it's still not easy to clean, then, is it? It's crazy that we can't access many of the baseboards.

I'm really grateful she's finally taking the initiative to go through her stuff. She's not being as ruthless as I'd like, but at this point it's better than nothing. We have plans to go to the container store this week (we have some gift cards) and get some boxes and bins. No more piles on the floor like that. If we're gonna have too much stuff, I want it to at least be easily moveable.

At least our small room with the new bookcase looks great now. We both love it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on August 13, 2018, 10:54:38 AM
It's amazing how something like that can really change your focus -- for me, it was moving last year after a while being in one spot. Having to lift all those books... yikes. I want to move *less* stuff when we leave this place, not more.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 13, 2018, 03:13:26 PM
@zygote I found Francine Jay's approach a bit more palatable for people who eyeroll at Marie Kondo. The most useful part for me was that surfaces are not for storage! and that by keeping them clear you leave a space for future activities to happen.

We are still working through it but the small kitchen bench changes we've made have made things a lot nicer and our goal is to get all the bookshelves to a single layer with no books stacked on top.

Edit: mobile spelling corrections. Sigh
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 13, 2018, 07:12:18 PM
It's amazing how something like that can really change your focus -- for me, it was moving last year after a while being in one spot. Having to lift all those books... yikes. I want to move *less* stuff when we leave this place, not more.

In that vein, I've been reappraising my belongings on the grounds of Will I Want This Once I'm FIRE'd and if it's no, then why not get rid of it now? There are some things that I am keeping specifically for work but I think this will remove ~10 bags from my collection.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on August 14, 2018, 08:53:24 AM
@zygote I found Francine Jay's approach a bit more palatable for people who eyeroll at Marie Kondo. The most useful part for me was that surfaces are not for storage! and that by keeping them clear you leave a space for future activities to happen.

Thanks! If I tell her to read that she'll just dig in her heels and say no, but I am glad to have something to read myself that I can use to nudge her in ways I know I can get her on board.

Especially since the mice are still here. UGH. We didn't see them for two days so we thought we sealed them out. Alas. Either there's still a hole somewhere or we sealed them in. They currently run around the traps the exterminator set.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on August 14, 2018, 05:13:22 PM
That’s awful about the mice. I worked on my half of the walk in closet and took a trunk full to the thrift store. Also sold a antique chair, 5 sets of dog steps and a bread Machine.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 14, 2018, 07:12:33 PM
Boo mice. Hopefully they are just trapped in? Problem is full grown mice can get through a hole the size of your thumbnail so even tiny holes need to be considered. And they will chew on wiring so they are a hazard. I hope they clear out soon.

Decluttering- I dropped two more books off at the free library this morning. Just nibbling away at it seems to reduce the effort/reluctance to manageable levels. If I had tried to just Get Rid Of FIFTY BOOKS I would have been all No Way! and keep them all but somehow sneaking them out 2 or 3 at a time seems to not trigger any alerts.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on August 14, 2018, 08:15:44 PM
Ugh I know the challenge of mice too. One lonely mouse a few months ago motivated a few very quick changes so they would find less appealing hidey holes behind stuff. We caught that one, and none of his friends have appeared yet.

Mini success this week: we had 2 guests for 3 days in our small space (less than 1000 sq ft) and found lots of room to put a full air mattress down by moving the desk into a corner of the kitchen. We were still able to use the kitchen for meals, the desk (plus table) for projects and games together, and when the air mattress was deflated there was so much room to crazy dance in that big open space! A bag with sentimental items also went out the door with the guests, and we worked together on using up craft supplies and made some fantastic projects.

I know that 4 people in 1000 square feet does not seem like a big accomplishment. Mostly it feels like it since we have never had overnight guests at all due to the awkward layout of only having one bathroom and it is only accessible through the only bedroom, and it only has an accordion door.  In contrast, we will be staying soon with family for more than 10 nights, and there will be 4 people in 340 square feet. But at least their bathroom is very private, and actually the toilet area is in a separate area from the shower so it's more guest friendly that way.

They inspire me to get rid of more. Time to pick my next area to target now...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: expatartist on August 15, 2018, 07:32:27 PM
After a 6-week trip back to the US, I brought back luggage crammed with stuff, as usual: secondhand clothes of a cut and quality you can't get here, art supplies and art projects-in-progress, shampoos and organic cleaning supplies,etc. I'm trying to get rid of one item for every new-to-me addition, so every day I'm taking stuff to the shared bin in our hallway. Though few places in town take donations of women's clothes and accessories (there are just too many, our city has one of the world's highest wealth gaps), my neighborhood is the poorest in town and there's often someone who can use clean articles. Yesterday's was a quirky camera bag, lace cardigan, and tank top. Tonight I'm hoping to add more.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 15, 2018, 10:50:01 PM
Excited to jump back into the fray here! I have a box ready to go to the charity shop and several boxes of food I won't eat for the food bank. No time to drop the things off until the weekend, though.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on August 16, 2018, 01:18:24 AM
Another full day of decluttering and more stuff to thrift store.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on August 16, 2018, 09:13:21 AM
Thanks for the mice commiseration. We haven't seen them since my last post, so they either got back out, are hiding, or died somewhere from the poison. None of these are good options. I don't even mind mice as a concept, but NYC mice are riddled with disease and I don't want them chewing on our cords. I wish they'd just go outside, but that would mean there's a hole somewhere for more to come back. Hopefully the mice will be decluttered soon, one way or another...

But the apartment has continued to make progress. Two more bags for goodwill, another big bag of trash, and a few things have sold on ebay.

It's so great to hear about everyone else's progress too!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on August 16, 2018, 01:51:24 PM
I decluttered a box of craft supplies; some stuff will go to a friend who's learning to sew, some will go to a friend's children, some will stay, some stuff is being put in a spot where I'll actually *use* it. The sturdy box they were in can now contain formerly loose house plant supplies.

I'm now seeing where the hard decluttering is going to be after books: yarn...

I've begun my yarn decluttering. It is divided into:

(a) Yarns I will never use and am definitely getting rid of (apparently I accidentally decluttered some yarns previously that I thought I'd had still stashed, so this pile is smaller than I thought it would be; many of these yarns were leftovers given to me by destashing friends/family).

(b) Yarns bought for specific projects, which are now separated and stashed together as befits each project. These are mostly yarns for large, showy afghans that take me a long time to finish. (Stained glass afghans, I tell you!)

(c) My pile of Cascade 220 left over from other projects, which will be repurposed into various hats, slippers, and other small projects that can be good as gifts; I'm very lucky that almost all of this yarn color-coordinates well.

(d) My pile of other nice yarns, mostly leftovers again.

(e) My cheap Christmas-y yarns (good for presents for some family members who like twee things).

(f) Other miscellaneous cheap yarns, which will likely go into hats/scarves for my local homeless shelter.

I feel okay right now in keeping yarns b-f, but I need to work harder at getting projects finished and out of the house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on August 16, 2018, 04:11:27 PM
I decluttered a box of craft supplies; some stuff will go to a friend who's learning to sew, some will go to a friend's children, some will stay, some stuff is being put in a spot where I'll actually *use* it. The sturdy box they were in can now contain formerly loose house plant supplies.

I'm now seeing where the hard decluttering is going to be after books: yarn...

I've begun my yarn decluttering. It is divided into:

(a) Yarns I will never use and am definitely getting rid of (apparently I accidentally decluttered some yarns previously that I thought I'd had still stashed, so this pile is smaller than I thought it would be; many of these yarns were leftovers given to me by destashing friends/family).

(b) Yarns bought for specific projects, which are now separated and stashed together as befits each project. These are mostly yarns for large, showy afghans that take me a long time to finish. (Stained glass afghans, I tell you!)

(c) My pile of Cascade 220 left over from other projects, which will be repurposed into various hats, slippers, and other small projects that can be good as gifts; I'm very lucky that almost all of this yarn color-coordinates well.

(d) My pile of other nice yarns, mostly leftovers again.

(e) My cheap Christmas-y yarns (good for presents for some family members who like twee things).

(f) Other miscellaneous cheap yarns, which will likely go into hats/scarves for my local homeless shelter.

I feel okay right now in keeping yarns b-f, but I need to work harder at getting projects finished and out of the house.

I've been in a yarn declutter mode too.  Some of the yarn I have given to friends or the thrift shop, typically stuff I know I am not going to use.

For some of the smaller balls of leftover yarn I have, I have been making newborn baby hats to donate.  They take about 30 minutes to whip up, it gives me a chance to try new stitches without the commitment of a larger blanket, and I feel good about my donation.  I recently dropped off 36 baby hats.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on August 16, 2018, 04:13:25 PM
I've been in a yarn declutter mode too.  Some of the yarn I have given to friends or the thrift shop, typically stuff I know I am not going to use.

For some of the smaller balls of leftover yarn I have, I have been making newborn baby hats to donate.  They take about 30 minutes to whip up, it gives me a chance to try new stitches without the commitment of a larger blanket, and I feel good about my donation.  I recently dropped off 36 baby hats.

This is a fantastic idea for some of my scrap acrylic -- I've been wondering what to do with it, and here we go! Does your local hospital have a program, or are you using one of the larger online programs?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on August 16, 2018, 04:19:29 PM
I've been in a yarn declutter mode too.  Some of the yarn I have given to friends or the thrift shop, typically stuff I know I am not going to use.

For some of the smaller balls of leftover yarn I have, I have been making newborn baby hats to donate.  They take about 30 minutes to whip up, it gives me a chance to try new stitches without the commitment of a larger blanket, and I feel good about my donation.  I recently dropped off 36 baby hats.


This is a fantastic idea for some of my scrap acrylic -- I've been wondering what to do with it, and here we go! Does your local hospital have a program, or are you using one of the larger online programs?

No official program.  When I have a shoebox full of hats, I just take them to the maternity wing and drop them off.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on August 16, 2018, 04:26:25 PM
I've been in a yarn declutter mode too.  Some of the yarn I have given to friends or the thrift shop, typically stuff I know I am not going to use.

For some of the smaller balls of leftover yarn I have, I have been making newborn baby hats to donate.  They take about 30 minutes to whip up, it gives me a chance to try new stitches without the commitment of a larger blanket, and I feel good about my donation.  I recently dropped off 36 baby hats.


This is a fantastic idea for some of my scrap acrylic -- I've been wondering what to do with it, and here we go! Does your local hospital have a program, or are you using one of the larger online programs?

No official program.  When I have a shoebox full of hats, I just take them to the maternity wing and drop them off.

Interesting! That's great that they'll accept them -- I'll have to find a way to contact my local NICU and/or maternity wing to see if they'd take some. Thanks so much for this idea, I'm excited! :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 16, 2018, 07:38:44 PM
@diapasoun wow you are so organized!  One day I'll get there.  That is a future project.

@MrsDinero great tip!  If I lose touch with my knitting friend who collects the donated items, I'll go straight to the maternity ward of my local hospital.


=============================================================

Milestone reached!  If anyone remembers, I'm dealing with paper clutter right now.  I've been working on this one piece of paper on which I've written a ton of user ID's an passwords.  I checked on my flickr password & found I had pictures from 2004-2007 on there.

So why do I even have this any longer?  Of course being thorough, I had to go through all pictures on the website to be sure I had them locally before I shut down the account.    Finished today!  Account shut down!  Woo!

Back to dealing with that paper...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 16, 2018, 09:06:44 PM
Woo hoo @oneday ! That is *fantastic work*
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 16, 2018, 09:31:13 PM
WOW, oneday!!!! What perseverance!!!! HOORAH HOORAH!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 16, 2018, 09:54:48 PM
mspym & ms floofeefloo, thanks!  Couldn't have done it without you.  The One Song Wonder thread kept me going on the task.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 16, 2018, 10:11:29 PM
Not quite out of the house yet but manga series are boxed up for their respective peoples and ready to go. This feels like progress.

AND I am taking one of my favourite bags that I just cannot wear any more [thank you nerve damage] on my weekend jaunt and hope to find a new home for it while I am gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on August 17, 2018, 09:28:18 AM
For you yarn people: my mom knits hats for kids and adults with cancer. She even got a ribbon for her work at the local county fair. It's MUCH appreciated by the recipients.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on August 17, 2018, 10:57:36 AM
Congrats on your paper decluttering milestone, @oneday!

@Mezzie, thanks for another tip -- I think we have a cancer center at our hospital, as well as a NICU, so that's a lot of good chances for getting hats to people who can use them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on August 17, 2018, 11:06:04 AM
I knit scarves for the homeless. I drop them off at Xmas time and they let people pick out what they want.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 17, 2018, 02:22:41 PM
Congrats on your paper decluttering milestone, oneday!

Thanks!  Feels nice to be released from that task.


I knit scarves for the homeless. I drop them off at Xmas time and they let people pick out what they want.

This is what my knitting friend does!  She collects up all the scarves knit by us and gives them to the charity to distribute.  It's really nice to have her as a facilitator for that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimplySueLoo on August 18, 2018, 07:37:37 AM
For 4hrs a week I'm a volunteer cashier at a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  It's fun, and I have gotten in the habit of taking stuff with me each week to donate. 

That's a good thing, but the best part has been seeing how the customers appreciate the low prices and what they can find (a lot of decent furniture, housewares and building materials).   Witnessing the clutter/stuff go to good use has helped me disconnect from whatever sentimentality or hesitation I have from letting my things go.  Giving stuff away feels great!  I also feel confident that if we ever move, I could completely refurnish a household with cool stuff for less than $1000 via thrift stores.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on August 18, 2018, 09:01:06 AM
I finally got the puzzle rug living room trip hazard out of the house to a new home. Today I will take the kids outgrown play costumes to donate. We traded them for some older never used sheets from a closet. They can now happily make tents without dismantling their beds every day, a bonus since putting those back together in the evening was a source of conflict.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on August 18, 2018, 10:50:38 AM
@diapasoun - Gigi from The Knitmore Girls podcast donates premie hats to her local neo-natal, and I think she's in California. If you check on Ravelry they might be able to suggest a hospital near you that is taking donations and any special considerations.

Charity knitting needs to be careful about yarn composition. I've looked into it before, but I don't work with much superwash or acrylic, so the shelters are not encouraging.

[I should not be posting here about yarn, I just bought 9 skeins at my LYS' annual sale]
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on August 18, 2018, 11:18:13 AM
I gave away some furniture to a fellow teacher (and got some fabric for my wall from another teacher for a pin exchange center I want to set up in my classroom corner; I found out last year some of my students who will have me again love pins and buttons. I have a ton. It'll get them out of my house and be a fun before & after school socializing thing).

I forget who posted this upthread, but I'm trying that 13-space accordian folder thing, and so far it's a HUGE help.

I just decluttered the living room, and most of it wasn't my stuff! Yay!

I do have a meditation cushion coming in in hopes it helps me get into a more arthritis-friendly position. If it doesn't, I know the local meditation center will take it. Per my one in, one out rule, I'll be donating a stack of books of comparable size.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 18, 2018, 03:42:09 PM
@Mezzie I am using the accordion folder to organize my daily to-do papers...is that what you are refering to?  In any case, YAY I am glad you found something that helps you!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on August 18, 2018, 07:15:33 PM
Finally got the damn light fixtures out of the house. 3 of them. Donated them to the ReStore. Mom wanted to sell them, but I've had them for 6+ months and haven't made a move. I'll send her money for them without telling her I donated them.

There's another light fixture somewhere I can donate, but I can only find the globe. When I find the other half I'll donate it.

Also got rid of a huge box and a big trash bag of packing peanuts. The UPS Store doesn't take them anymore. Probably corporate trying to make more money, selling them. Goodwill took them. Not sure if they all will, but they did today.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 18, 2018, 09:12:12 PM
I'll send her money for them without telling her I donated them.

Brilliant :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on August 19, 2018, 05:35:28 AM
Such a worthwhile weekend of decluttering! Yesterday I took a big bag of books (8 or 9) to a friend's house and got Harry Potter socks in return (the left says "Master has given Dobby a sock" and the right: "Dobby is free!". Yes please. Good trade.

Today I've packed up an unused vacuum and tupperware box to give to my brother. Not much, but he said he'd like to have them.
 
I've been scraping the bottom of the barrell, I can't really think of much more to get rid of. Books will go as they get finished. Clothes will be needing a jolly good sifting but my weight is doing weird things now. It'll settle - in a positive way, I hope.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marion10 on August 19, 2018, 07:25:06 AM
Big box of work pants and some structured jackets - that I only held onto for interviews. Since I am retiring in a year- there will be no more interviews. They went to a halfway house for women recently released from prison.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on August 20, 2018, 07:37:35 AM
Guest bedroom is nearly done. I sorted the kids summer art and put what I am keeping to foist on them later in a bin. They want to keep everything so this is the compromise. DH got a shelf from me to organize his home office.

We had tried me switching from the always messy desk I've used for household administration stuff to a shelf with an inbox and some storage. I became super stressed out and was unable to keep track of the bills. Just can't switch to a new system of keeping track. Desk is back in service. This weekend I decluttered 30 gallons of paper from it. All cleaned out and neat now. All the wayward bills have been found and paid. I need to keep on top of the paperwork if I want to keep it neat but at least this way I won't miss payments if things do get messy.

We have 2 boxes of books and 2 boxes of miscellaneous kid stuff to donate. They will leave tomorrow.

I'm still amazed at the amount of stuff remaining given how much stuff has left.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 20, 2018, 08:37:45 AM
Minor progress this weekend:

Gave away
- 4 camisoles I never ever wear
-6 scrunchies that are too thin for my hair
-6 fitness headbands that anchor on the forehead and I hate
-a pack of hairnets that i used to have for ballet.

The nice thing is none of this got trashed.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on August 20, 2018, 09:00:58 AM
I'm still amazed at the amount of stuff remaining given how much stuff has left.

This is how I feel too.

This weekend, I took a giant bag of stuff that we gathered during the mouse hunt last weekend down to goodwill. Even though the decisions were made already, it felt great to actually get it all out of the house.

I also started a new bag, which currently includes:
-3 3-wick bath and body works candles I don't like the smell of anymore
-3 tank tops I used to love that no longer fit right
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on August 21, 2018, 10:15:16 AM
I'm back. Glad to see so many of you have kept up with your decluttering.

I'm thinking about moving again and this time I would really like to pare down by belongings to the essentials. I've been dragging my feet on selling items, so I think I'll start with donations and recyclables/trash. Not sure how I'll structure my decluttering. I have found that if I don't structure it, I tend to forget about it. :)

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on August 21, 2018, 10:36:19 AM
Again: inspired by this thread and the updates.
I have a few hours this afternoon and would like to minimize a few cluttered spaces/drawers/cupboards. Will check back in tonight :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on August 21, 2018, 02:54:38 PM
In honor of this thread, I am gonna go burn down a candle in my very slow burn-all-the-candle-stash project I have going... thanks y'all. ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: letsdoit on August 21, 2018, 03:04:00 PM
We have a tiny pile near the door that doesn't seem to be shifting because it needs to go to specific people, but the books and clothes are an easy discard and leave on a regular basis.  The big one for me is the ~400 manga that I want to get rid of. I am TOO LAZY to try ebay it, it doesn't seem to be accepted by 2nd hand bookstores and yet, some of these are really difficult to acquire and would be really appreciated if only I could work out how to find their people. I know I know, just donate.

I paid someone 50% to sell my coins on ebay.  I certainly did not have time to do it myself
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on August 21, 2018, 03:45:02 PM
In honor of this thread, I am gonna go burn down a candle in my very slow burn-all-the-candle-stash project I have going... thanks y'all. ;)

I maintain candles are the ultimate decor. You can burn them instead of dusting. Really, that's my idea of home decor: flammable.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on August 21, 2018, 04:13:33 PM
In honor of this thread, I am gonna go burn down a candle in my very slow burn-all-the-candle-stash project I have going... thanks y'all. ;)

Last year I got rid of a candle I bought almost 20 years ago.   It sounds weird but I was really sad to see it go.  I got it when I was married to my 1st husband but on the verge of separating.
 It had always been displayed in the living room of  my 1st  two apartments (post divorce) , then 1st house, then 2nd house, then carried it with me when I moved to 2 different states and finally married my current husband. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FIRE_guy on August 21, 2018, 11:20:05 PM
Yesterday's purge victim: the file folder we use to store all of our important docs. Apparently, it wasn't just for "important stuff" anymore. Threw out about 1kg of paper.

Today's purge target: an old bookshelf full of junk papers/trinkets.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 22, 2018, 12:01:03 AM
Four more books to the free library - Scott Pilgrim 3-6.
Ofpym seems to have got the bug too - the basement is becoming clearer everytime I look at it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on August 22, 2018, 01:58:16 AM
One of my female colleagues tidied up at home and found a jacket that belonged to her father who died some time ago. The jacket was good quality and only used twice. She gave it to a male colleague who could try if it fitted him. He looked pleasantly surprised.
Nice to see other people decluttering and reusing good items.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on August 22, 2018, 12:05:10 PM
Hi! I need some quick help and encouragement or advice from master declutterers in dealing with kid stuff (kids are now teens).

I've done a good job with old artwork and schoolwork.  I've recycled most of it. TONS!   I keep a few pieces from each year of their lives that are in some way meaningful or showed some kind of creative effort, or that they cared about.  I keep NOTHING that is 3D though (unless they want to keep it, in their rooms.  Dioramas, pipe cleaner sculptures etc... thrown out after one year of admiration.)   Schoolwork -- we keep just the final year report card (our schools don't have lovely handwritten comments from the teachers that would make it meaningful to keep anything else.)  I keep any significant honors (but not honor roll or attendance certificates).  I put all the papers in a big three ring binder... one per child.

But how do you declutter:

- old board books your kids used to love as babies?  (I'm so sentimental)
- toys your kids loved to play with? (Again with the sentiment... maybe they will have kids and the grandkids will come and play with the VERY SAME TOYS their mom did?)
- old baby clothes
- blankies and stuffed animals that the kids loved for a brief period of time in their lives and from which they could not be separated?


Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on August 22, 2018, 12:32:54 PM
But how do you declutter:

- old board books your kids used to love as babies?  (I'm so sentimental)
- toys your kids loved to play with? (Again with the sentiment... maybe they will have kids and the grandkids will come and play with the VERY SAME TOYS their mom did?)
- old baby clothes
- blankies and stuffed animals that the kids loved for a brief period of time in their lives and from which they could not be separated?

My tweens keep dumping the board books in and the stuffies in the Goodwill box and I keep retrieving them.  I am keeping 3 stuffies - one my 12-year-old has never been without, and the Mickey and Minnie dolls that participated in my wedding to current H (then-3-yr-old S REFUSED to walk down the aisle without holding them, and during the vows, he and his stuffies were wedged between me and now-H.)  I've pared to the half-a-dozen books that I have memorized because the kids loved them so much.

I sorted through my box of baby clothes recently and was surprised to see how many were really not in good shape after 7-10 years in a box.  I'm down to the outfits they came home in and 2 others.  The kids helped me pick which ones to save.

All of the toys went away.

It helps to remember when my mother and MIL tried to give me things they had saved from when we were babies.  I did not want any of it and was frankly horrified at the idea of my kid having to wear some of those outfits.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsDinero on August 22, 2018, 12:33:00 PM
Hi! I need some quick help and encouragement or advice from master declutterers in dealing with kid stuff (kids are now teens).

I've done a good job with old artwork and schoolwork.  I've recycled most of it. TONS!   I keep a few pieces from each year of their lives that are in some way meaningful or showed some kind of creative effort, or that they cared about.  I keep NOTHING that is 3D though (unless they want to keep it, in their rooms.  Dioramas, pipe cleaner sculptures etc... thrown out after one year of admiration.)   Schoolwork -- we keep just the final year report card (our schools don't have lovely handwritten comments from the teachers that would make it meaningful to keep anything else.)  I keep any significant honors (but not honor roll or attendance certificates).  I put all the papers in a big three ring binder... one per child.

But how do you declutter:

- old board books your kids used to love as babies?  (I'm so sentimental)
- toys your kids loved to play with? (Again with the sentiment... maybe they will have kids and the grandkids will come and play with the VERY SAME TOYS their mom did?)
- old baby clothes
- blankies and stuffed animals that the kids loved for a brief period of time in their lives and from which they could not be separated?

I can't speak to the books or toys because I don't keep any of those, but I do have a problem with those special clothes or blankies.  What I am doing my littles is keep the very special ones the ones that make me tear up with memories and I plan to make it into a quilt for them to have in their homes.

Not everyone is a quilter, but there are people who will do this for you.  you can also find them on Etsy.  It might be a nice gift for them to have in their homes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on August 22, 2018, 12:52:11 PM
It helps to remember when my mother and MIL tried to give me things they had saved from when we were babies.  I did not want any of it and was frankly horrified at the idea of my kid having to wear some of those outfits.

OK, good point there!   It's just *I* remember the babies when they were so little, they fit in those outfits.   But I can at least cut it down to what will fit in one box or something.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 22, 2018, 01:27:38 PM
I let my kid decide which of his stuff goes, but I did keep one baby onesie, his hospital hat, his preemie soother, and his favourite baby toy. i.e. More "representations" than volume.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TabbyCat on August 22, 2018, 02:49:18 PM
I haven't posted here in ages because we've just been busy with life, but we have gotten rid of TONS of stuff in the last year and no longer have a room dedicated to storage (I know, shame on me that there ever was). We're in the middle of having kids, so there is a ton of baby stuff in closets and the garage that I just can't wait to get rid of as soon as we're done. I know many advocate for not saving things between kids, but I don't want to deal with selling and then re-buying it all so it stays.

One thing that helped lots was getting family on board with not giving us random things all the time (hand me downs, too many toys, random stuff they picked off buy nothing and thought we would want).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on August 22, 2018, 03:56:44 PM
I took note from @formerlydivorcedmom and went through 3 boxes of baby/toddler books I had been saving.  I donated any book that I didn't know well enough to read by heart, once I opened it and saw the first page.

Now I'm down to just one box!  The other books I lugged to two of our town's Little Free Libraries (ones dedicated to children's books) and loaded them up.  It was a good feeling!  I still have a lot of board books left, but they are obviously ones that had meaning to the kids because they requested them so often.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 22, 2018, 05:41:15 PM
Threw out 5 tiny shiny glass things sitting in a bowl. Discussed the guitar picks no one has used in 7 years but decided they could stay for now.

Right now our big thing is - we can't hang pictures in our rental house because 1- it's a rental, 2- the walls are made on concrete block and 3- the dark greige paint actively repels 3M hooks making pictures fall off the wall. If we could hang the art, so many more surfaces would be clear. Meanwhile, we prop up pictures to combat the gloom of the dark greige paint.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on August 22, 2018, 06:34:54 PM
Threw out 5 tiny shiny glass things sitting in a bowl. Discussed the guitar picks no one has used in 7 years but decided they could stay for now.

Right now our big thing is - we can't hang pictures in our rental house because 1- it's a rental, 2- the walls are made on concrete block and 3- the dark greige paint actively repels 3M hooks making pictures fall off the wall. If we could hang the art, so many more surfaces would be clear. Meanwhile, we prop up pictures to combat the gloom of the dark greige paint.

Can you just agree with the landlord to make good and repaint the walls in one room or one wall? That's what we did with our tenant - they hung their tv on the wall because they had little kids.


My job for today - donate eight wardrobe items to make room for eight (EIGHT!) new items I bought. I realised my wardrobe was in a bad way but thanks to the buy zero clothing challenge I was able to make a list of what was necessary.  I may have bought too much and still new a few things but I'm feeling much better about having clothes for actual situations I find myself in. Eg smart-casual weekend lunch for someone's birthday. I can think of 4 things already that will go.

ETA: Done! I've got 9 to take to the clothing bin, although cheating a bit with 4 scarves. I've got five misshapen tops & jumpers to try on (I think they are for the bin but haven't been able to do it) and two white things with mildew spots gone in the laundry basket, so possibly even more to get out.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 22, 2018, 10:48:20 PM
I haven't posted here in ages because we've just been busy with life, but we have gotten rid of TONS of stuff in the last year and no longer have a room dedicated to storage (I know, shame on me that there ever was). We're in the middle of having kids, so there is a ton of baby stuff in closets and the garage that I just can't wait to get rid of as soon as we're done. I know many advocate for not saving things between kids, but I don't want to deal with selling and then re-buying it all so it stays.

One thing that helped lots was getting family on board with not giving us random things all the time (hand me downs, too many toys, random stuff they picked off buy nothing and thought we would want).

Release the shame like you released all those items.  Time to celebrate reclaiming that room!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 22, 2018, 10:51:34 PM
I made it to the food pantry last weekend, but not the charity shop, so that is rescheduled for this coming weekend.

Today I took an old cell phone to Best Buy to recycle.  It was easy!  But had to wait a bit in line for customer service.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on August 26, 2018, 06:37:15 PM
It helps to remember when my mother and MIL tried to give me things they had saved from when we were babies.  I did not want any of it and was frankly horrified at the idea of my kid having to wear some of those outfits.

Haha.  So true.  I tried to say no to some really terrible things and eventually to keep the peace just agreed to take stuff and never used it.  We had baby clothes coming out of our ears anyways, because we were given so much (recent) used stuff from friends, gifts from family, and had favorites we reused a lot, so there already were some things he never wore.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 26, 2018, 07:11:01 PM
Not only did I get those things to the charity shop, I realized I had two light fixtures that could also go.  On top of that, I got Mr. X's things out of my space and into his storage area.  The living room feels more open, hooray!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on August 26, 2018, 07:15:01 PM
Nice going/results, oneday!! :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 26, 2018, 08:02:58 PM
Thank you, jooni.  You are always so supportive of me!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on August 27, 2018, 04:32:24 PM
Temporary clutter is awful, but it does make me VERY glad we had open space in the house. Our puppy started trying to grab/drag/chew rugs, so for the time being ALL the rugs in our house are up. That means the top of our master closet has a stack of 2 area rugs, 2 hall runners, 4 smaller rugs, and a kitchen mat. Hopefully it'll just take a couple months for her to get past her teething maniac stage, and we can put them back down. In the meantime it stinks though, because the wall to wall carpeting in our house is massively stained in places- part of the purpose of those rugs. I steam cleaned it multiple times when we moved it, and it helped, but didn't get it all =(
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on August 28, 2018, 07:15:12 AM
I got some of the donation stuff to the car. Really need to drop it off, maybe today.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 28, 2018, 08:52:29 AM
Got rid of a giant box of baby bottles. (Also kept a giant box, but pared down for hypothetical baby)

Took back years of narcotics to the pharmacy. Like 18 prescription bottles that were all nearly full.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 28, 2018, 09:14:19 AM
My DD found a large laundry basket of stuff in her room so it left.  Son has been pulling too small clothes out of his dresser at an alarming rate.  They both cleared up their desks and pronounced that they didn't need to go back to school shopping for school supplies - save for a new lock for a locker.  Both of theirs won't stay locked any longer.  They don't make them like they used to.  We all put some books and magazines in the Free Little Library my daughter maintains.  It has been great.

How does one throw out paintings?  I have been learning to paint for five years now and have a lot of really bad paintings.  Most are double sided bad paintings.  I actually find it hard to even look at them so they are stuffed in a closet.  I really should look at each one, note something I learned doing it and then toss it.  But that just seems overwhelming at the moment.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on August 28, 2018, 09:25:39 AM


How does one throw out paintings?  I have been learning to paint for five years now and have a lot of really bad paintings.  Most are double sided bad paintings.  I actually find it hard to even look at them so they are stuffed in a closet.  I really should look at each one, note something I learned doing it and then toss it.  But that just seems overwhelming at the moment.

Are they on paper or canvas? I have repainted canvas to use again  and with old paper paintings --I've used them as wrapping paper or cut them up and made collaged cards with them, abstracting them by having different layers of different paintings.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 28, 2018, 09:53:08 AM


How does one throw out paintings?  I have been learning to paint for five years now and have a lot of really bad paintings.  Most are double sided bad paintings.  I actually find it hard to even look at them so they are stuffed in a closet.  I really should look at each one, note something I learned doing it and then toss it.  But that just seems overwhelming at the moment.

Are they on paper or canvas? I have repainted canvas to use again  and with old paper paintings --I've used them as wrapping paper or cut them up and made collaged cards with them, abstracting them by having different layers of different paintings.
Watercolour paint on cotton paper
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 29, 2018, 07:44:15 PM
Gave away 8 binders on BNP.
Dropped off a giant bin at the consignment thrift.
Have another 2 bins ready to go (they only take 1 a day)
Plus a big bag of junk in the trash
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 29, 2018, 08:24:10 PM
The ASL books are in the pile to go to the boys' other house. It's their maternal grandmother who is deaf (and speaks ASL) and it's not used in A/NZ so not something we will use.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on August 30, 2018, 12:20:12 AM
I have been wanting to sort through our reusable shopping bags and have tossed four bags. They all had holes and rips. It felt so good.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on August 30, 2018, 05:02:05 AM
I pulled out a pile of paper/pictures/booklets from the bottom of the bookshelf and went through them. I found an envelope with about $100 worth of gift cards in there. I had forgotten about it after we moved. Oops! But also, score!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 30, 2018, 07:00:30 AM
Nancy, what a nice reward for decluttering :)

Yesterday I moved the loveseat along to it's new home.  Living room is so open & airly now!  Bonus: "weight lifting" helping to move it out.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 30, 2018, 09:07:18 AM
I went through some files and have pile of paper 8 inches high for recycling.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on August 30, 2018, 11:21:42 AM
A box is being filled with odds & ends for the thrift store.
So far, meditation cd's that I don't use, candle holders, bookmarks..
*added some jewellery
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 30, 2018, 02:06:54 PM
I went through some files and have pile of paper 8 inches high for recycling.

Way to go! I an enjoying the paper disposal vicariously, sine it is my bugaboo.

A box is being filled with odds & ends for the thrift store.
So far, meditation cd's that I don't use, candle holders, bookmarks..
*added some jewellery

Nice last minute addition! Keep it up!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: rivendale on August 30, 2018, 10:52:25 PM
While growing up, we always had "goodwill bags" going, so the idea of gleaning has been embedded in me. But my mom still wins the minimalist award.

But, I've been inspired by my newfound exposure to Mustachianism, and have gone on a purging spree. So far I've sold almost $80 of used books, and donated a bag of others. I just sold a "pocket shower" for $15 that I never used. And for another $15, a bag for a backpack that was last used over 10 years ago.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on August 31, 2018, 12:35:37 PM
Back at my parents’ house for a visit, continuing to declutter my old room in anticipation of their move next year.

It’s a combination of harder and easier than decluttering my current home. Some of the stuff is so old and I haven’t used or seen it in so long, it’s easy not to care anymore. But other highly sentimental childhood items are tough. I’m a sucker for stuffed animals. I’d say I’ve gotten rid of a good 75% of the stuff, but the last 25% is a killer. I don’t really have room to bring it all back with me, but I don’t want to burden my parents with storage in their future home  either. Luckily I have some time for this to marinate and will be home a few more times before the house goes on the market.

I did find $52 in an old laptop case, though. That was a win.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: snoot on August 31, 2018, 01:10:02 PM
Hi everyone! I'd love to join this thread if it's okay. I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff and clutter in my life and need something to keep me motivated and accountable in clearing it out. My partner is great at getting rid of stuff, but he's even better at bringing stuff into the house. Garage sales, yard sales, hand me downs from family, freebies, etc., he just can't say no!

Anyways, we started out by running a bunch of old plates, bowls, mugs, silverware, etc through the dishwasher and then donating it to a local college. They have a program where students who need kitchen gear can come and choose from the donations. It was nice to get it all out of the garage and know that it was going to young people who need it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on August 31, 2018, 02:09:08 PM
@snoot welcome! You are off to a good start!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: snoot on August 31, 2018, 02:49:17 PM
@snoot welcome! You are off to a good start!
Thanks!

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on August 31, 2018, 03:30:42 PM
@snoot there is always room on the decluttering thread
:)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JAYSLOL on August 31, 2018, 10:34:30 PM
@snoot there is always room on the decluttering thread
:)

Until the thread gets too cluttered, then we'll start a part 3
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: expatartist on August 31, 2018, 11:38:29 PM
Donated a folding bike to an amazing charity that helps homeless in my neighborhood. Had bought it for a month-long trip to San Francisco over the summer and planned to sell it at the end, but it ended up being just a bit too big for checked baggage. The bike and the box it's in have taken up space in my micro-flat for months. Looking forward to reclaiming my living room floor again!

I could've sold it here for ~$150 but this org can use it when they deliver food and water to the homeless and do outreach. It's a flexible mode of transport (if quasi-legal).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on September 01, 2018, 07:33:56 PM
Friend is taking a sweater I've had for a while but just no longer feel comfortable in.

Getting rid of stash yarn by making baby hats for my local NICU.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on September 02, 2018, 09:23:33 AM
I have a bedroom closet that is so stuffed with junk that I never even use it.  My goal this morning (or what's left of it) is to massively declutter it and haul everything immediately to a thrift store. 

Then I can give the closet to my (disabled) husband, so all that side of our bedroom is "his" storage.  It will make for easier access, especially if I can add some shelving to the closet (hanging things on hangars is now hard for him but he can handle shelves or hooks.)

There's my motivation ... now... go do it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mezzie on September 02, 2018, 04:47:00 PM
Gave about two boxes worth of school supplies to my new students.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on September 03, 2018, 12:53:15 AM
I found 2 old metal saucers in a drawer at our cabin. They haven't been used for many years. So I threw them away.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 03, 2018, 06:32:20 AM
Friends kids are starting a "spa". I donated a quart size bag stuffed with nail polish to them.

Got rid of 3 giant bins of baby clothes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 03, 2018, 09:28:42 AM
We finally sold our train table, so that's gone now. Made $40, and it's out of our house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 03, 2018, 02:11:29 PM
Because it's a long weekend, I convinced myself to keep going. Here's what else we did:
-I finally put all of the ski clothes back. (In July, the kids went to a summer camp & needed to use our giant ski duffels. When they came back. . . well, things didn't get done.)
-We cleaned our garage. This was a biggie. We had a/c put in, and much of the work occurred in the garage. We removed EVERYTHING, vacuumed, pressure washed, & then put everything back. It's done now, but . . . I've had more fun. ;-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on September 03, 2018, 02:23:26 PM
I am for possibly the first time in my life, living in a house that has enough bookshelves for the books in it.  No odd piles of books stacked up anywhere.

(I'm not counting the culls which are waiting to go the charity shop.  In my head they are gone already.)

I may have achieved this feat by having new bookshelves made rather than getting rid of a lot of books.  Books on bookshelves are not clutter, though.  Are they?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 03, 2018, 02:23:43 PM
Got rid of 2 office mailboxes I had intentions of upcycling but hadn't over a year.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on September 03, 2018, 02:39:53 PM
Yesterday I cleared out that bedroom closet and made space for my husband's things.   But only about 2 bags worth made it to the thrift store.  The rest basically got moved around into different boxes.

I reckon I have about 12 boxes of items yet to declutter in that upstairs area.  Kid mementos, husband mementos, my mementoes, random tutoring supplies; random craft supplies; random photos. 

I have a tough time (obviously) parting with mementos, even if they don't bring a lot of joy.  My husband and I both have saved our day planners for YEARS.  I hate to throw them out. I keep thinking, maybe 40 years from now, I'll have a reason to need to remember the name of the doctor I had an appointment with in 1998....?  I mean, it is ridiculous.  Why do I feel the need to save these things?  Is there a reason?   Maybe my amanuensis will need to refer to them while helping me write my memoirs (LOL).

So, I do best with a goal.  I am starting with 12 boxes.  I need to cut that down by one box each week.  In three months, these 12 boxes need to be gone.  They can be:

- Sold
- Donated
- PROPERLY stored (meaning archived correctly in a photo album, framed and hung on the wall, turned into a quilt, etc.)
- Sent to other family members, or
- Thrown out in the garbage/recycled.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 03, 2018, 08:30:59 PM
@CrustyBadger that is a pretty big goal.  I don't think I could do a box a week.   Best of luck.
My Hubs worked on the junk pile at the side of the house this weekend.  One item went out on the street and disappeared in 20 minutes.   
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on September 03, 2018, 09:05:57 PM
@CrustyBadger that is a pretty big goal.  I don't think I could do a box a week.   Best of luck. 

So much of it is junk.  I'll probably dejunk half of two boxes and consolidate.  That'll get me through the first 6 boxes... then it will start to get really hard.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on September 04, 2018, 07:57:49 AM
Dropped a bag off at Goodwill that had been sitting around since the winter. I also donated two books to the Little Free Library and gave away two out-of-state gift cards.

Today my goal is to declutter the garden by pulling some old plants and get rid of the contents of one of my gardening bags.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on September 04, 2018, 11:18:49 PM
So much good decluttering going on! @CrustyBadger and @Mezzie what nice things you are doing for others (husband, students)!

@MaybeBabyMustache I struggle with unpacking after a trip, too.


I had a small CD shelf, holds 60 or so CD's, but it's no longer needed.  So that was going to the thrift store this weekend even though it's only one thing.  Found out a family member had 2 bags of stuff to go that had been sitting in her car for a while.  I felt silly taking only one thing, so I picked her & her bags up and we went together!

When I got home, I found another thing to go, but I may end up taking it to Mom's house instead (hair catcher for shower drain).  She could use one in her guest bath when I visit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on September 05, 2018, 01:20:09 PM
Hi everyone!  I've been meaning to join this challenge for a while.  As I posted here (https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/to-house-or-not-to-house-that-is-the-question/) my home is in need of a concerted decluttering while we decide if they space works for us or if we need more space.

One of my major hurdles to decluttering is feeling like I need to find a "good home" for unwanted items, so I freecycle a lot of things that might not be accepted by a thrift store.  This takes time but I've decided it's worth it if it helps me let go of items I no longer need.

So here's my latest round of freecycling:
-stickers you put on your baby's belly that says "my first <insert holiday>"
-a yoga ball pump
-a virtual reality viewfinder
-a kindle keyboard leather case
-a metal planter
-a robotic vacuum that didn't work in our space

Those have all been posted and the baby belly stickers and vacuum have been picked up.

To post next:
-a box of formula samples
-two thermometers
-some unopened makeup
-an ipad case with bluetooth keyboard

I also have the following waiting for goodwill:
-a trash bag full of clothes
-a few random dishes
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on September 05, 2018, 02:02:10 PM
Congrats, SimpleCycle, on getting things out your door, and on making progress on bigger goals by doing this decluttering!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on September 06, 2018, 08:35:37 PM
Gave away a bunch of bedding and furniture to family.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on September 07, 2018, 05:36:32 AM
We've had a few piles of books in our back room for over a year now, because the 2nd hand stores are very picky about what they take, and we don't want to throw them away. Because of the pickiness, we really didn't want to put them all in a big backpack and go to the store just to find out they'd take a third and give us $5.

I found a tiny library near my work that is always empty. So I brought 4 books there yesterday, and I'm going to drop off another 5 today.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on September 07, 2018, 12:05:59 PM
Listed a pair of hand weights on Freecycle, they should be picked up on Sunday.

While decluttering, I found the remote to the robotic vacuum I gave away, so the new owner is coming to pick that up on Sunday as well.

I'm taking a trash bag of clothes and a box of household goods to the thrift store today.

This evening I'm going to sort and destash craft supplies.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Penn42 on September 08, 2018, 08:32:49 AM
I've had several expensive posters laying in an art portfolio for a few years now.  I bought them during their initial run with the full intention of getting them on the wall, but it's been 3 and a half years and that hasn't happened so I decided it was time to sell them.  They've appreciated several hundred percent since they sold out back in 2015.  I didn't buy them to flip, but was able to make my money back easily since I listed them slightly below their current value.  Getting them out to take pictures and post for sale online was kind of hard despite the fact they've been hidden in my closet this entire time, but I powered through. 

I'm heading to the post office to ship them this afternoon and it feels good to get rid of something just taking up space.  Plus I'm going to put all that money straight into VTSAX.  That's something I wouldn't have done if I hadn't found this place a year or so ago.   
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on September 09, 2018, 12:28:54 PM
@Penn42 I'd say you made lemons into lemonade...well done!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on September 10, 2018, 02:18:35 AM
Hm. I am trying to declutter the house. But DH visited a reuse-event in the weekend and purchased a few things we don't need for little money. Amongst them are some dishes in the shape of fish. The was a whole dish set, but luckily he understood that we didn't need the whole set. So now just 2 pieces and a book.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CU Tiger on September 10, 2018, 10:41:48 AM
Got rid of a full size bedframe for $50, a the mattress and sheets were given to a neighbor.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: snoot on September 11, 2018, 10:07:04 AM
Got rid of some reusable water bottles. MrSnoot and I each kept one that we really like and will use, and the rest are going to be donated.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on September 12, 2018, 04:10:15 PM
I had been collecting stuff - all out yesterday.    Will go to fundraisers for a charity I support.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 12, 2018, 05:10:25 PM
Dropped off a bunch of stuff to goodwill- old exercise bike (free from neighbor, didn't have the air assist, we didn't like it), some stuff we donated for a relative, then misc stuff that accumulated into our donate boxes- clothes that we stopped liking/fitting, a fan that was getting temperamental, etc. A couple boxes gone. Only thing they wouldn't take are the sconces we replaced when we moved in 2 years ago- I'll need to take that to habitat to humanity or something.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on September 12, 2018, 07:46:39 PM
4 books & a DVD set of Fruits Basket off into the free library near the primary school. It's really heartening how the books I donate are not there any more.
We are averaging removing 3 books a week right now!
October is Hard Rubbish collection so that's when we will put out
- the total gym 1000 that we found in an alley - it works but we don't use it
- old bike wheels
- the slow cooker without a power cord
- I think we'll go through the storage rooms in the basement and go for a big clean-out.
The rule around here is everyone puts things out about 1 week before the collection date and people take what they want in advance of the rubbish trucks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 13, 2018, 03:42:39 AM
I have one counter top in my kitchen that is supported by braces. There are no cabinets below because there is a radiator baseboard heat near the floor. We have no kitchen table in there and years ago I bought two stools so we could eat there. It really doesn't work out due to the cabinets above. So for years the stool have been down there unused. Recently I got this idea to buy a chrome cart with wheels. It is about 33 inches high and came with 3 shelves. I assembled it but only with two shelves. I have a bunch of nice skillets in various sizes and really no where to store them. I got these hooks from Amazon that I pushed down on the wire shelves about an inch apart and hung my pots from the top shelf. Then I bought this little drawer that I set on the bottom shelf and put my air dryer on top of it. I have about 8 skillets hanging, the drawer and the air dryer on the bottom shelf. Then on the top shelf, I have some sheet pans, a stainless steel 'lasagna' pan and several other baking pans. The cart rolls right under the counter top. The whole thing looks very organized! I just bought another chrome cart that was a bit smaller due to the braces under the counter. On that cart I removed my Kitchen Aid food processor from my counter top, then I have two small electric choppers that were on my counter top and put them on the second shelf of the cart. This cart has three shelves. The bottom of the cart I am storing my Rubbermaid storage containers that I use every day to store leftovers, plus 2 small pyrex containers with lids. The top shelf has two large baking pans (9x13") and smaller pyrex baking dishes. I am trying to take back my counter tops! I have a bunch of cookbooks I need to go thru on my counter top that are driving me nuts and a slew of insulated mugs. Plus, I have some oil and vinegar bottles on my counter top. I have been trying to find some small organizer to put inside one of my cabinet doors to hold the bottles. This has been a challenge due to the shelves inside the cabinet. I also purchased a Spicy Shelf and am going to reorg my spice cabinet. I reorganized it a few years back but I can't find anything without moving 10 bottles. The Spicy Shelf looks like a very nice organizer. I ordered it from a website and it has been on back order. GRRRR, I see Bed Bath and Beyond has them. I should have looked there first. I have been on an organization kick but the delays in shipping have slowed me down. I have this really nice over the door towel hanger with two shelves on order and that is also coming from China. I could not find another one like it so I ordered it and am waiting...I am cleaning out and reorganizing. I have a giant pile of stuff to donate to the Vietnam Veterans. I need to make a phone call to schedule a pick up. Two people, one house, no kids, married 45 years. How did we accumulate so much crap! I keep filling up bag after bag of stuff to donate and there is still more and more and more! I think my stuff is having an orgy at night and multiply like bunnies! Oh and recently, I bought an over the door organizer for inside the hall closet I use as a pantry. It is so nice and organized now. I did toss out a few things and I actually have some empty shelves! The hub says what are you putting on them and I told him I didn't know and they were like gold! We never have an inch of space it seems and empty shelves are like a big WOW to me!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on September 13, 2018, 10:03:46 AM
Congrats on reclaiming your countertops, Roadrunner53! I would loooooove to reclaim some of ours (6 adults in one small shared kitchen = an unholy terror).

Amazing, isn't it, that as soon as you start looking for clutter you find it everywhere? I'm feeling that a bit myself right now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 13, 2018, 11:12:42 AM
My over the door bathroom towel hanger with two baskets came today. I just assembled it and put it on the back of the door. It looks pretty good! I bought two new towels from Ikea that have loops on them so the towels can hang. I really only bought them for my husband. My towels don't have loops but I bought these metal clips that I hang on the towel hanger then clip the towel to it. I have a bath sheet and didn't want to part with it. I figured the hub might not like the clips and I didn't want the towels to fall on the floor. Worked out really good!

Diapasoun, I am TRYING to reclaim my counter tops and am still working on it! There is only two of us so can't imagine 6 adults in one house!

When my Mom was alive and I saw something I liked but would hesitate on buying it due to lack of space, she would say "put it in a corner". LOL, I told her Mom, I ran out of corners years ago!

I have been looking at unique storage ideas on Pinterest and other places. It is helpful but my house is not a mansion so there are only so many places to hang shelves and things. I don't have a closet to put my vacuums away that is handy. Downstairs is NOT handy! So I bought this narrow chrome cart and installed the shelves to the right height to put the two vacuums on. One on each shelf. The cart has about 5 shelves and I got these bins to put on the empty shelves to put in cleaning products like Pledge and other stuff. It fits in a tight place behind a door. On the wall, I had the hub install brackets to hold the hoses and power nozzles. I put a sink skirt on the bottom two shelves to hide the vacuums. I don't like the color and may buy another one. It is a beige and just looks blah, blah, blah.

Now I have on my counter two containers of big cooking utensils like spoons, spatulas and a ton of stuff. Gotta weed it all out and come up with some other storage idea for them to get them off the counter top. I have a gigantic knife holder...hubs had to have it and we must have 30 knives. A giant crock pot, a soda stream machine, a vacuum sealer and a Vita Mix. There are dog cookie containers too. I can't find homes for most of this stuff.

Funny, if you ever watch QVC with the cooking stuff, one of the hosts is David. He promotes all kinds of cooking equipment, casserole dishes, bowls, you name it. He will say he owns one of everything. My Hub and I laugh and say he must live in a warehouse if he has one of everything!

I have been unjunkifying for probably a good 5 years and the junk is still multiplying!

Good luck to all hardy souls who are tackling the clutter. It is a war that is hard to win!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 14, 2018, 08:11:02 AM
FINALLY donated those butt ugly sconces that were in our house when we moved in. Very dim, garish psuedo-french provential style... just foul. They've been in a closet for years because no one even wanted them for free on CL or FB marketplace, LOL. It's a long drive to the nearest habitat for humanity donation site, hence the two year delay =o (Unfortunately, my husband FORGOT the bags with their hardware and decorative dangly bits, but they're still functional lights without all that, so honestly? I'm gonna just throw that shit away.) We turned the outing into a date, trying a coffee shop nearby and wandering through a very cool aquarium store with huge saltwater tanks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on September 14, 2018, 01:57:57 PM
@Bracken_Joy what a huge win!

*********

For some reason I am compelled to state publicly here that I de-prioritized the paper purging. I think I burned out. Well, I will make some progress this weekend, then I go on vacation. Posting for accountability (and cathartic reasons).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 16, 2018, 02:56:15 AM
Bought an over the door bathroom white wire towel hook caddy with two baskets on top to store some small items. I love it! Then I bought this black wine rack/towel holder. It will hold either but I am using it for rolled up towels. It did not come in any other color but black and didn't want black in the bathroom so the Hub spray painted it glossy white. Hung that up behind shower door and put on some rolled up towels and one roll of paper towels. I love that too! I found some little wall hanging tooth brush holders to put our electric tooth brushes onto and make some space on the vanity. Must take back my vanity in this tiny bathroom! Then I saw this interesting idea on Pinterest. I have a Rubbermaid set of drawers in the bathroom. The frame is white and the drawers translucent. I am going to have the Hub spray paint the frame (remove the drawers first) a color that matches the tile on the walls. I am kind of excited about that. This bathroom is very tight and small. I pretty much hate it! However, trying to come up with ideas to improve what real estate I have in there!

Oh, so this one project that sucked the life out of me yesterday was trying to find something to hold my washcloths. I looked at baskets and a variety of things that just didn't do it for me. I came up with this idea of putting two cheap cooling racks together. One is for hanging it on the wall and the other is bent in a L shape and the edge bent up about 4 inches. Hub put a brace on the bottom and we wire tied the two racks together. It fits my washcloths perfectly. He will spray paint it white today and later on hang it up under the rolled up towel holder. I may use Command hooks to install it.

I have to call Vietnam Vets again. I have a giant pile of donations downstairs. So, by buying these organizers, it is cleaning up the clutter! Hub is being very helpful with my brainstorms!

I have two more chrome utility carts coming on Monday for my kitchen. I already have two and have organized a bunch of stuff on them. I also have my recycles under the countertop and am getting some smaller containers on wheels for that.

Getting into this reorganization however, most of the places I order from take sooooo long to arrive! The bathroom towel hook caddy came directly from China and took weeks to get here. It was not packaged that great either but nothing was broken.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on September 16, 2018, 03:32:04 AM
Roadrunner, I am loving reading about all your progress on decluttering and organising.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: snoot on September 16, 2018, 05:36:57 AM
Last night I went through all of my clothes. One big tub of clothes to be donated and one bag of clothes that are too worn or stained to donate that will be used for cleaning rags or thrown out. My closet is looking much less cluttered!

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 16, 2018, 05:59:09 AM
Roadrunner, I am loving reading about all your progress on decluttering and organising.

Thanks Former Player. Not all my org has gone well. I bought this little narrow rolling storage rack/cart and it was supposed to go on the side of my washing machine and beside the toilet. The thing was pretty much a piece of crap but the hub finally got it put together. I wheeled it into the laundry room and the dang thing is just tad too wide to fit in that spot. Did NOT make me happy. I have it along the only free wall which is in back of me when I load the washer. It makes the room look so crowded. Not happy with it but it does store all my soaps and softeners. Maybe if I can have the washer and dryer moved over a little bit I might be able to squeeze the cart in to where I originally wanted it. There isn't much room at all to move them though!

I also learned that Command hooks are really handy! On my over the door towel hook caddy, it needed secured at the bottom so it didn't slide back and forth as towels were removed from the hooks. So I took the Command hooks and put them upside down to kind of pull down each side of the wire frame. They are barely seen and worked like a charm! No need to put in screws!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 16, 2018, 07:22:51 AM
@Roadrunner53 your mention of the spicy rack was very well timed with needing to replace my CO2 canister and having a $10 off $30 BB&B coupon. I'm now the proud owner of a spicy rack. I am *really* impressed at how much it helped! My spice access is way better now. Thank you! I didn't get rid of anything so this doesn't super fit with the thread, but I cook A LOT and use my spice collection heavily.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 16, 2018, 07:49:56 AM
@Roadrunner53 your mention of the spicy rack was very well timed with needing to replace my CO2 canister and having a $10 off $30 BB&B coupon. I'm now the proud owner of a spicy rack. I am *really* impressed at how much it helped! My spice access is way better now. Thank you! I didn't get rid of anything so this doesn't super fit with the thread, but I cook A LOT and use my spice collection heavily.

Haha, mine is still not here, wish I had known it was at BB&B! Glad to hear you like it. Can't wait to get mine! I ordered it from the official web site. Who knew it would be back ordered from China!

Well, getting rid of clutter and reorganization kind of go hand in hand I think! You might have clutter that wouldn't be if you could organize it properly!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 16, 2018, 08:10:58 AM
@Roadrunner53 your mention of the spicy rack was very well timed with needing to replace my CO2 canister and having a $10 off $30 BB&B coupon. I'm now the proud owner of a spicy rack. I am *really* impressed at how much it helped! My spice access is way better now. Thank you! I didn't get rid of anything so this doesn't super fit with the thread, but I cook A LOT and use my spice collection heavily.

Haha, mine is still not here, wish I had known it was at BB&B! Glad to hear you like it. Can't wait to get mine! I ordered it from the official web site. Who knew it would be back ordered from China!

Well, getting rid of clutter and reorganization kind of go hand in hand I think! You might have clutter that wouldn't be if you could organize it properly!

We're looking at moving from our (large, 3br/2br +den) home back into a city apartment.... so I'm about to have a LOT of clutter to get rid of =o

Once I'm up and moving around later, I'll post a picture if I remember. I'm very pleased with how it looks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 16, 2018, 09:06:53 AM
I still have very few things, but I did three declutters yesterday:

(1) Emptied a crazy binder and thoroughly organized its contents. Now I can easily find what I need in it.

(2) Went through one very organized, store-like closet of shelves and gathered up many little things I no longer need. (e.g., Special floss picks for the orthodontist appliance recently removed from kid’s face; sunblock that expired last summer that we used this one as well; bulky system of wipes that became obsolete after installing a bidet; etc.)

So lots of little things gone -while small in volume, it always makes a huge difference to have only things we use/enjoy.

(3) Did a big post-summer clean and re-org of one kitchen cupboard, e.g. making sure our supply of special freezies etc can’t make a spill mess between now and when we pull them out for next year.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on September 16, 2018, 10:04:36 AM
Bagged up about 7 sweaters that DH will never fit into again.  His 30 inch waist days are long gone.  : )    My Mom made them for him though, so I felt bad about getting rid of them.  Then I talked to one of her friends that volunteers at the Boys and Girls club - they have a 'store' that all members can shop at entirely for free.  They are just setting up for winter, and are thrilled to be getting sweaters that look new and will fit teenagers.       They've been worn a lot, but my Mom is a champion knitter, and her sweaters just go on forever.   She is very pleased they will be going to a good home.

Tomorrow I am tackling the pots and pans cupboard.  I have a hoard of tins in the back, and I think it's time to let those go.   Some of them are very pretty, and I'm hoping a person that bakes a lot will be happy to find them at the local Goodwill.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on September 21, 2018, 06:45:40 AM
FIL needs a new sewing machine. Decades ago MIL gave us an old, simple, but good qualit sewing machine that still works fine. When MIl lost her mind, FIL gave us her more advanced sewing machine, which can do the same as the old one, but much more. Now FIL mentioned that he if he tries to sew himself, his current sewing machine is stuck all the time.
DH and I are thinking about giving him back the old and simple machine. That probably fits FIL's needs to do small repair on his clothes, while DH keeps the new machine, sewing new clothes.

Even though I think we should absolutely do this, I am a bit reluctant. People often warn to not ditch an old good quality sewing machine, because it will survive the newer models. On the other hand, you can buy another old one cheaply on a flee market.

DH also recently bought a second hand overlocker, so it is good to get rid of one of the sewing machines. I want the option to get it back in the future, so FIL should not give it away to others.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on September 21, 2018, 11:50:56 AM
I'm now starting to dig into my closet a bit to get rid of things. I'm actually mostly good at keeping my closet trim -- I don't buy clothes frequently, and I don't generally buy things I'm not sure I'll use -- but I've got a few items in there that are a bit off. Today I got rid of a white button up in good condition (I wore it for conferences in grad school but have no use for it now) to a good friend, and I set a few dresses aside that need some alterations to fit my current body. I also realized that although I'm not generally into blue clothing, I have a thing for deep blue dresses.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 21, 2018, 12:28:09 PM
In the past week, two more neighbours have attempted to "declutter onto me". Both times I had all my strength, boldness, and resiliency in place to keep their attempts at bay. At least one doesn't ask (just dumps) or identify themselves; another plows through all clearly-stated boundaries to make the "offer" multiple times. I'm not a tough person, so these have been argh for me. But the past week I got tough enough that they get it: don't want your crap, folks! (When I offered to take their unwanted to the thrift shop for them, they said no, they'd put it back in storage... It's me or nowhere, apparently! But nope nope.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 21, 2018, 01:27:26 PM
In the past week, two more neighbours have attempted to "declutter onto me". Both times I had all my strength, boldness, and resiliency in place to keep their attempts at bay. At least one doesn't ask (just dumps) or identify themselves; another plows through all clearly-stated boundaries to make the "offer" multiple times. I'm not a tough person, so these have been argh for me. But the past week I got tough enough that they get it: don't want your crap, folks! (When I offered to take their unwanted to the thrift shop for them, they said no, they'd put it back in storage... It's me or nowhere, apparently! But nope nope.)

Hahaha, good story! Good move to offer to take it to the thrift store!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frankies Girl on September 21, 2018, 02:40:57 PM
This past week, I took an entire SUV load of items over to a really great charity shop.

I've been dealing with major anxiety since then as I keep thinking I've made a terrible mistake (I come from a family of hoarders).

I got rid of several dust catchers that likely are worth a tiny bit of money and should have tried to sell, but I just didn't want to. And also a few things that were from my grandparents that had sentimental attachment or at least I was supposed to keep forever... but I got rid of because they're long gone and the stuff isn't necessary to remember them.

Still feeling a bit panicky tho.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on September 21, 2018, 03:13:55 PM
Sent an email to my book club about some of the bags I am thinking of purging. One taker for the YSL hobo bag (gosh I loved that bag but it's not my style anymore and I haven't used it for several years) and one for the Bally tassel bag. I feel ok about donating the others.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SquashingDebt on September 21, 2018, 04:43:15 PM
This past week, I took an entire SUV load of items over to a really great charity shop.

I've been dealing with major anxiety since then as I keep thinking I've made a terrible mistake (I come from a family of hoarders).

I got rid of several dust catchers that likely are worth a tiny bit of money and should have tried to sell, but I just didn't want to. And also a few things that were from my grandparents that had sentimental attachment or at least I was supposed to keep forever... but I got rid of because they're long gone and the stuff isn't necessary to remember them.

Still feeling a bit panicky tho.

I hope you feel better soon!  I am just recently getting better at letting go of things given to me by my grandparents (deceased).  Maybe it could help to spend some time thinking about all the happy ways you can remember them?  I have kept some high-quality, hand-made gifts from them, which helps me to let go gifts they purchased from a store as a Christmas present, etc.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frankies Girl on September 21, 2018, 05:33:44 PM
This past week, I took an entire SUV load of items over to a really great charity shop.

I've been dealing with major anxiety since then as I keep thinking I've made a terrible mistake (I come from a family of hoarders).

I got rid of several dust catchers that likely are worth a tiny bit of money and should have tried to sell, but I just didn't want to. And also a few things that were from my grandparents that had sentimental attachment or at least I was supposed to keep forever... but I got rid of because they're long gone and the stuff isn't necessary to remember them.

Still feeling a bit panicky tho.

I hope you feel better soon!  I am just recently getting better at letting go of things given to me by my grandparents (deceased).  Maybe it could help to spend some time thinking about all the happy ways you can remember them?  I have kept some high-quality, hand-made gifts from them, which helps me to let go gifts they purchased from a store as a Christmas present, etc.

I'm logically good, been doing the panick-y declutter thing so long, been there, done that, got the teeshirt. Then donated it. And panicked about it. :)

And the really hilarious thing is, I barely spent any time with the grandparents, and while they were basically nice to me when we did see them, I have no real deep, meaningful attachments to them. They sent me $5 in a birthday card, we saw them at x-mas for a few hours and I helped out my grandmother for a week or so during my 20s when she needed surgery and no one else could do it. People in my family just don't make strong, loving bonds, and it's all about the physical crap you fill your house with apparently.

After my dad died and we had to hire a crew to dig the house out, it's just... so fraught with everything stupid emotional when I cart off things I've owned literally my whole life because my family insisted everything - especially gifts or things given as gifts - are valuable. Material things are more important than people really as far as they were concerned.

A cruel twist of irony but the fact that I won't have any kids to pass this shit on to has made it easier to shut up the panic pony-go-round whenever the music starts up about "oh, no, this is important, this is valuable, you can't get rid of this, must keep it forever, be buried with it, or at least make sure to sell it someday at the astronomical price it has to be worth to justify it taking up space in my house..."

People are such silly, irrational things sometimes.

Husband has a few large bins of toys that are going out next week. Star Wars/Transformers. Originals. In played with, but somewhat decent shape with all parts included. Jabba playset, Darth's Imperial TIE Fighter. Can pop batteries into them and the lights and sound still work on a few. Even has things like a working Mickey Mouse phone. We both know if we painstakingly clean, pose, photograph and then hit up the sales sites with carefully priced sales, we'd likely get a few bucks out of the lot. Sounds TERRIBLE to us, so he's going to go to a local comic store that offers pennies on the dollar and take whatever they might offer just to be done with it.

Oh! A win for me was finally donating two large bags of clothing. I lost an entire person's amount of weight and had saved some of the really good quality clothing items from my fat days. It's been 4 years. I loaded them up to get rid of, and then the crazy brain started rationalizing keeping them - because I will regain the weight, I am a failure and will backslide and how stupid will I feel if I get rid of all those beautiful(fat) clothes.

I feel so relieved that they are gone. I kept telling myself that in the event that I do fuck up for long enough to regain the ENORMOUS amount of weight to have fit back into those items - like 8 sizes too large for me now - then I bloody well know where to buy new ones. Or go thrift store shopping for new to me ones. And how freaking depressing is it that I was keeping them on the chance I was going to fail? That's like... a giant black hole bin of negative energy every time I would see that storage container in my closet. I'd subconsciously be registering "yup, there's my fat clothes, just in case I'm a giant failure I got them handy" and how freaking stupid is that?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on September 21, 2018, 05:53:26 PM
Frankie's Girl - I am  SO PLEASED for you that you could shed the old clothes! That must feel so freeing!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on September 21, 2018, 05:59:55 PM
@Frankies Girl You are so right to get rid of those clothes, good for you! It reminds me a bit of when I got rid of course notes & books from a foreign language course. It's a relief to have got rid of the stuff that created this negative lingering feeling that I 'should' learn a language / wasn't 'accomplished' like some character from a Jane Austen novel.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: adamsputnik on September 21, 2018, 06:39:42 PM
I need to join this thread so some bastard will get me to clean out the basement. I've been taking little bite sized pieces out here and there, but it's only marginally helping. I really need to make some progress with the built ins I am trying to put in down there, and get our massive piles of books organised.

I hate cleaning, but the clutter is making me nuts.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on September 22, 2018, 02:21:07 AM
I need to join this thread so some bastard will get me to clean out the basement. I've been taking little bite sized pieces out here and there, but it's only marginally helping. I really need to make some progress with the built ins I am trying to put in down there, and get our massive piles of books organised.

I hate cleaning, but the clutter is making me nuts.

Oi! You! Get cleaning!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on September 22, 2018, 03:37:52 AM
I need to join this thread so some bastard will get me to clean out the basement. I've been taking little bite sized pieces out here and there, but it's only marginally helping. I really need to make some progress with the built ins I am trying to put in down there, and get our massive piles of books organised.

I hate cleaning, but the clutter is making me nuts.

When we moved to another house, DH and I both went through all of our books and picked out the ones we wanted to keep. We gave away the remaining ones.

Just go on and do it. Nice (silent for your neighbours) job to do on Sunday, tomorrow.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: adamsputnik on September 23, 2018, 02:23:05 PM
Oi! You! Get cleaning!

Strange, how posting this on a message board gives me the impetus to make a start on it.

First job, hosing down and sorting through various beach chairs. Why are there so bloody many?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on September 24, 2018, 01:53:03 AM
I have made two lists for downsizing after FIRE:

1 What do we want to keep?
2 What can we get rid of?

As long as we are not really selling/giving away yet, it is easy to fill out the lists, including list nr 2.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Freedomin5 on September 24, 2018, 02:37:36 AM
In a never ending battle to combat mold in our tiny humid apartment, we cleaned out several shelves and closets this weekend. Gone are:

1. Several child-sized folding chairs.
2. A folding table
3. A child sized chair that squeaks when you sit on it (so annoying! It was a gift)
4. Garbage bag of clothes
5. Bag of trash and scrap paper
6. Several sturdy cardboard boxes

Everything was placed in the trash area in our apartment complex, which is less than a one minute walk from our front door.  I had to make three trips because we had so much stuff. I took out the squeaky chair first. When I came out with the second bag of stuff, the chair was already gone. There are always old people sitting outside and chatting. One old woman shouted at me when she saw me taking out the folding chairs. She took them and the folding table — I didn’t even make it to the trash area. I’m glad our neighbors can make use of the stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 24, 2018, 07:06:39 AM
Convinced my husband after 4 years that we really didn't need to keep the first kitchen aid mixer "just in case", as we've never used it since getting the upgraded one.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on September 24, 2018, 07:21:04 AM
I have made two lists for downsizing after FIRE:

1 What do we want to keep?
2 What can we get rid of?

As long as we are not really selling/giving away yet, it is easy to fill out the lists, including list nr 2.

My mom is going one step farther and actually boxing/reboxing stuff up and labeling each box as keep or go. Which is good, because when they move it'll probably be a crisis time (dementia sucks) and it'll be pretty easy to tell movers not to grab boxes labeled sell, bad because now they have a massive pile of boxes full of everything under the sun that will have to be dealt with later.

I suspect that sis and I will divvy up - one deals with parents move, the other deals with parents house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 24, 2018, 08:57:44 AM
Such a great system, Freedomin5! :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on September 24, 2018, 11:37:09 AM
Sept. 3 2018

  I am starting with 12 boxes.  I need to cut that down by one box each week.  In three months, these 12 boxes need to be gone. 

Sept. 24 2018

I have decluttered:   0/12 boxes

Pretty pitiful!   (sob) .  I'm home sick from work today and just staring at all I haven't done since early September.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on September 24, 2018, 12:49:17 PM
There are some forumites who post so much activity that I truly don't understand where they get the time and you are one of them.  When you are home sick you are allowed to cut yourself a break.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on September 24, 2018, 01:01:25 PM
There are some forumites who post so much activity that I truly don't understand where they get the time and you are one of them.  When you are home sick you are allowed to cut yourself a break.

LOL, thanks!!  I was sick all day yesterday and took today off to recover but I'm feeling better now, and trying to get all the chores done today that I needed to do yesterday.

I just grabbed 6 garbage bags and made myself fill them up with junk to take to the thrift store.  I can't tackle all my boxes yet.  But we are drowning in clutter in my house because of my disorganization.  My whole family tends to hang onto things, too.  I keep reminding myself that we are going to have to move sooner rather than later and it would be so much better to already have downsized when the moment arrives.  It will make it easier to sell the house and to move. 

(Re: my boxes .  - I posted earlier than one box was filled with old Day Planners that I have a hard time getting rid of.  I was just about to scrap them but then I heard in the news about Kavanaugh dredging up an old one from 1982 to prove he was never at that party.  I have to admit, that use of an old Day Planner never crossed my mind.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on September 24, 2018, 01:12:06 PM
There are some forumites who post so much activity that I truly don't understand where they get the time and you are one of them.  When you are home sick you are allowed to cut yourself a break.

LOL, thanks!!  I was sick all day yesterday and took today off to recover but I'm feeling better now, and trying to get all the chores done today that I needed to do yesterday.

I just grabbed 6 garbage bags and made myself fill them up with junk to take to the thrift store.  I can't tackle all my boxes yet.  But we are drowning in clutter in my house because of my disorganization.  My whole family tends to hang onto things, too.  I keep reminding myself that we are going to have to move sooner rather than later and it would be so much better to already have downsized when the moment arrives.  It will make it easier to sell the house and to move. 

(Re: my boxes .  - I posted earlier than one box was filled with old Day Planners that I have a hard time getting rid of.  I was just about to scrap them but then I heard in the news about Kavanaugh dredging up an old one from 1982 to prove he was never at that party.  I have to admit, that use of an old Day Planner never crossed my mind.)

Just because he's a hoarder doesn't mean that it's admirable. Toss the planners.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 24, 2018, 01:12:57 PM
...then I heard in the news about Kavanaugh dredging up an old one from 1982 to prove he was never at that party.  I have to admit, that use of an old Day Planner never crossed my mind.)

ha :)))))

Of course, everything under the sun *can* be used... for scrapbooking, for quilting, for papier mache (however that's spelled), for building a tree house, for looking up a date, for triggering memory, as an emergency jimmy to make the car go...   Don't let this trick you into holding on to excess.

Thrift everything that can be reused, Freecycle the items that can't, then recycle what's still around three days later. Go go go! (p.s. This is another task your kids can be recruited into! Not everything is mom's job!)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on September 24, 2018, 02:41:38 PM

(Re: my boxes .  - I posted earlier than one box was filled with old Day Planners that I have a hard time getting rid of.  I was just about to scrap them but then I heard in the news about Kavanaugh dredging up an old one from 1982 to prove he was never at that party.  I have to admit, that use of an old Day Planner never crossed my mind.)

Just because it isn't in his Day Planner doesn't mean he did or didn't attend - they are planners, not diaries.   ;-)

I have a bunch of old calendars that I have kept for the same reason, they show what I was doing when - but really I could ditch them.  But calendars, with cute pictures . . . . .
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on September 24, 2018, 06:22:28 PM
Go go go! (p.s. This is another task your kids can be recruited into! Not everything is mom's job!)

OMGoodness no, the kids are no help.  They are the worst little hoarders.  EVERYTHING is special to them.

The only way I've been able to get them to declutter is to take everything out of some corner of their room, let them clean and polish the space that remains, and put everything in the basement and let them bring back up whatever they really want.

They are basically pretty lazy so after a few trips, they decide they don't need anything else.  (-:
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: adamsputnik on September 24, 2018, 07:27:53 PM
Thus far I have:


Not too shabby for a few hours' work.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 24, 2018, 08:08:01 PM
OMGoodness no, the kids are no help.

Well, yes... Lots of kids are no help with anything until their caregivers require them to be.

They are the worst little hoarders.  EVERYTHING is special to them.

This was true of my son as well. We did a process -including therapy appointments- to resolve this.

The only way I've been able to get them to declutter is to take everything out of some corner of their room, let them clean and polish the space that remains, and put everything in the basement and let them bring back up whatever they really want.

They are basically pretty lazy so after a few trips, they decide they don't need anything else.  (-:

Great strategy!!

Another thing that works for some kids:

*Buy them out of almost everything e.g. $20 for all but their 10 favourite things. Then they have $20 to spend on the thing they actually want now.

*As above + promise to rebuy anything they end up missing too much. You get heaps of clear space, and *maybe* need to buy one thing back later (though I haven't had this request so far!).

*Let them hold a garage sale of everything (yours included) that can go. Let them keep all income, on the condition that everything remaining goes to the thrift.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on September 24, 2018, 09:13:15 PM
-Yesterday, it was 4 boxes of manga to a friend, in exchange for 5 books she meant to donate to the street libraries but all the ones near her are full [and not used]. Ours are in high rotation so I can find a spot for some books. I think I may be able to get rid of a bookshelf or shuffle the contents so one can be repurposed for pantry *shakes fist at the dead-corner cupboard*
-Homes found for 3 of my bags.
-Last 4 bags or the super harsh ginger tea donated to the kitchen at work, now gone
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on September 24, 2018, 10:42:16 PM
Old fabric out the door to someone off Buy Nothing! \o/
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on September 25, 2018, 03:33:52 PM
Gave myself permission to get rid of 'nice' clothes: a lovely wool dress that itches and a pencil skirt with slit that feels too formal and figure hugging for my job.

The former was thrifted years ago and the latter was a hand me down from a friend so no money out, just getting more comfortable with keeping to only the things I need rather than 'just in case' items.

Said goodbye to holey and stretchy underwear too - with skirt weather coming up all underwear must be able to stay on by itself. Haha. I was becoming a sad underwear hoarder.   

 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 25, 2018, 06:06:11 PM
Returned part not needed (space AND cash, woohoo!).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on September 26, 2018, 12:36:52 AM

Said goodbye to holey and stretchy underwear too - with skirt weather coming up all underwear must be able to stay on by itself. Haha. I was becoming a sad underwear hoarder.

:-D

You must be living in Australia or thereabouts with shirt-weather coming up. Here, the shirt-wearers have started to wear stockings.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on September 27, 2018, 05:19:13 AM
Brought out our fall/winter clothes and managed to fill a big trash bag full of clothes to donate. Pretty excited!

I really just want to get rid of everything I own, but then I hold on to things. It's maddening.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on September 27, 2018, 09:40:37 AM
Whoohoo! Finally got rid of a big bulky desk (sold for 51 bucks) and a desk chair (free, because it had been my cat's primary snooze spot and it showed!). So much open space!!

Can I get an opinion on dictionaries? I have gotten rid of my Dutch, English, French and German dictionaries because google translate is just more convenient if I need it. But I still have Latin, ancient Greek and Japanese. Google translate just doesn't work so well with those. I love languages, I had all 6 languages offered in high school (all of the above dictionaries except Japanese - I took up Japanese, Russian and Danish on my own). With real life ramping up (yay 30s) I just don't have the time to study languages. The only reason I'd study them is to speak the language on a trip and general curiosity. Haven't had time for curiosity for years and studying for trips never really seems to go as planned, leaving me stressed and sad and feeling inadequate. In short, I probably haven't touched these dictionaries in at least 4 years and I don't anticipate to touch them for another 10 years at least.

What to do? They're gorgeous big books that represent a passion of mine, but also bring a feeling of nostalgia and regret when I look at them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 27, 2018, 10:40:56 AM
^ Yep, thrift ‘em :)    You’ll free yourself of the painful feelings and of clutter, and gift other people with joy.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on September 27, 2018, 10:44:21 AM
I agree with Jooni: Thrift them. There's no use keeping things that make you feel bad.

(If they're very rare materials and you're certain you'll use them again, I might keep them; but I've gotten rid of many grammars and dictionaries that ARE rare materials because I know I won't dig into them and I want them to be in the hands of someone who will use them.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on September 27, 2018, 10:51:38 AM
I agree. Also, while google translate may not work well for those languages, I'd bet a lot of money that if you google [language] online dictionary, you'll end up with something comparable to your hard copy.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on September 27, 2018, 10:56:26 AM
Slowly filling a box with doo-dads and random clutter (vases, candle-holders, jewellery I don't wear anymore), would love to fill the box by the end of the month and feel a bit more spacious/minimal in some of my storage spaces.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SquashingDebt on September 27, 2018, 03:57:35 PM
I had a decluttering "nightmare" last night - in my dream I was living in an apartment that apparently came furnished and there were lots of kitchen cupboards and they all had random dishes in them and I didn't know where anything was and I was very stressed out about it. 

I was surprisingly relieved when I woke up and realized I still have my nice small kitchen and I know what's in all of the cupboards.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: adamsputnik on September 27, 2018, 06:17:18 PM
I've made a huge mistake. I opened Pandora's box, aka the basement closet. We still have stuff boxed up from when we moved in - ELEVEN years ago. And the stuff....all of the bloody stuff.

In other news, I took the carful of trash to the dump on Tuesday, and today donated a bag of clothes and two boxes of books to the local Goodwill. They'll be seeing more of me.... and all of the piles of books and dvds are now off the floor, though not in their final resting places. I have some bookcases and such in my future.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on September 27, 2018, 06:24:35 PM
Three of my gorgeous but unused bags were sent off to new homes last night. And as a bonus, we arranged for social times with pals while doing the drop-off!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LinneaH on September 28, 2018, 07:30:33 AM
I'd like to join if I can. Been reading this thread for a long time but never written anything, even though we have been decluttering a lot for a long time. Long story short, we moved in together when we were both 30yrs+ combining two cluttered households, then inherited more stuff (furniture, household items), then had two kids and so more stuff.
Then we moved from larger house to a smaller and it is wonderful but also added a new level to decluttering. tough sometimes but mostly beneficial, we have gotten rid of a lot of stuff. But still a lot to do. We are slowly following the KonMari method but also decluttering outside of that.

Yesterday I handed in a paper bag of kids clothing to the used kids clothing store. Today added a paper bag of more worn (but still usable) kids clothing to the charity drop off pile.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 28, 2018, 09:15:30 AM
Welcome, LinneaH :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on September 28, 2018, 09:19:10 AM
Welcome, LinneaH!

I went to the container store with my wife this weekend and spent too much money. But I was able to throw away two dingy old boxes that didn't fit their contents and get a lot more of the stuff that my wife doesn't want to declutter off the floor, so I'll consider it an overall win.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: AerynLee on September 28, 2018, 09:34:14 AM
Today is my last day at my current job and I get two weeks off before starting my new one. One of my big goals is to finish decluttering and re-organizing the office. The rest of my house is well set up and pretty minimal but all the miscellany ended up in the office and even though it isn't nearly as cluttered as some houses I've been it, it feels chaotic and I don't like spending time in there. I may post pictures to ask for suggestions as I get into things
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on September 28, 2018, 09:41:06 AM
I have an exam today; my happy reward for doing it is a day decluttering :)   My house is very minimalist but looking through some files the other day I saw at least 30 pieces of paper that can go. Can also return anti-ecology paint to building manager so will do.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 28, 2018, 11:51:51 AM
I'm planning to return two items of clothing I bought that are unnecessary. Getting rid of stuff I don't need but already own is awesome, but keeping things from even becoming possessions is even better. I don't buy clothes frequently, but picked up a couple of super inexpensive basics. In hindsight, I already have items that will work well in both cases, so will take my money back & avoid adding to my belongings. Win!

I need to get another raft of eBay listings going. I haven't had two weekends in a row where I could commit (one for posting, one for being home to mail, etc), but the end of the year is usually better, as I have less international work travel.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 29, 2018, 05:16:28 AM
We are just two people but clutter is everywhere. I have been doing some major stuff in my kitchen. I have this countertop on one side of the kitchen that is held up by braces. I can't have cabinets under there because there is baseboard heat under there. It is a lot of wasted space and I have never utilized it properly over the years. Recently I bought 4 small chrome rolling carts and one is organized with hanging skillets. To the side of the skillets I purchased a small wire drawer (empty) that sits on the bottom shelf of the cart and the air fryer sits on top of that. Then above all this is another shelf with sheet pans. That is all on that cart. The second cart I have various plastic containers I used everyday. They are large ones with lids on each. Next shelf is holding two small blenders and a kitchen aid food processor. Top shelf is holding some large baking pans 9x13". Next cart is holding two bins of potatoes and two bins of onions. Next shelf has garlic. I have some tools on this cart too and some empty spaces. Next cart has on bottom shelf tall bottles like a gallon of water, olive oil, some vodka, next shelf has a box of wine on it, next shelf has canned dog food. On these carts I still have some space which in my world is a miracle! My hub is itching to put stuff on the shelves but I am hording my empty spots! I do have a plan for one shelf. I have looked high and low and cannot find a bin that will fit this shelf so I am going to build one! What I am using is some cooling racks that I will cut into the proper sizes, then put together with wire ties. I have drawn the pattern out and know this will work. Then, once I get the bin together, it will fit on the top shelf of one of a cart to contain all the cooking utensils. I plan to unload two giant upright containers from my counter top into this handmade bin. I have a hard time getting the utensil out of them because there are so many of everything. Will sort thru the crap and get rid of some of it. The rest will go on the cart. Still not a great improvement because it will require moving the cart out each time we will need a spatula or whatever but should be easy to see what we want. I have a space near my fridge I might build a second bin for a few spatulas and whatever. I have been eyeing my dogs treat jars which are also on the counter top. Not sure what I will do with those right now but thinking of doing something different. Maybe one divided Tupperware. Will have to think about it. I have watched some youtube organization ideas and some are good. I also put a pantry door organizer in my hallway pantry and have a few empty shelves there too! Like GOLD! Finally got my Spicy Shelf system and put that in a cabinet too! It is a pretty cheaply made system but it works and looks great! I can actually find my spices. That is going to require more work. I plan to buy some new spices which will make things look more organized due to the similar sized bottles. I have a bad habit of leaving my Windex and other spray bottles in my sink. I got SICK of it and put up this hanging organizer behind my paper towels and it fits the two spray bottles perfectly. I also ordered two new mesh drawer systems to up under the kitchen sink to replace the junky stuff I have under there now. Why is this taking me so long to do all of this! LOL! Cleaning out the clutter is a lot of work! How did I create this monster?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on September 29, 2018, 06:22:27 AM
Oh, good job RoadRunner!  I'm jealous of all your undercounter space and rolling carts!  We have room for just one such cart (if I am imagining yours correctly) and I can hang 3 pots off the side, which I LOVE.   I'd be so great to have a few more!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 29, 2018, 06:51:32 AM
My dream would be to have a room with chrome rolling shelves. I would have all my cooking things on one or two of these rolling shelves and then I would have two more for canned foods, boxed foods and other foods. I would have bins on just about every shelf to contain all this stuff. But alas, this dream is not going to happen. The carts are perfect and fit under the countertop. I did a lot of measuring. The great thing about these carts is that the shelves are adjustable. In fact, I bought a 5th cart but cannibalized it to put more shelves on two of the carts. All only come with 3 total shelves, but by cannibalizing the 5th cart I was able to add two shelves more to one cart and one more to the other.  I assessed my height needs and installed the shelves to the need. I bought these hooks for the cart that hangs the skillets. I must have around 7 or 8 skillets that are hanging from the top shelf.

This is not my cart but gives you the idea on how these skillets hang. Mine are closer together from smallest in front to biggest in back. https://www.amazon.com/MyGift-Mount-Kitchen-Storage-Utensil/dp/B01IWA59QE?hvadid=77859222677193&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&hvqmt=b&keywords=hanging+pot+shelf&qid=1538224469&sr=8-112&tag=mh0b-20&ref=sr_1_112

I used these hooks on the chrome rack. What is nice about them is that when you pull off a pan, the hook stays put! https://www.amazon.com/Mtlee-Hanging-Hangers-Storage-Bathroom/dp/B078HRKGJR?keywords=pot+hook&pd_rd_i=B078HRKGJR&pd_rd_r=df8405c1-184b-41e6-af07-17f548e2b47f&pd_rd_w=nJJRg&pd_rd_wg=8bjvB&pf_rd_i=pot%2Bhook&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=be4e4b33-ff1d-476e-a827-fb55b7c4763f&pf_rd_r=FA2P13HAZMHYAGK5DQWX&pf_rd_s=loom-desktop-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&qid=1538224945&ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvpv2

Here are the chrome carts. Mine are all on wheels and you'd have to measure your area to make sure it will fit under a countertop or in a special spot. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chrome+cart&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

This is the one I bought three of but cannibalized one: https://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-Supreme-Laundry-Versatile-Solution/dp/B000ILHN4C?keywords=chrome+cart&qid=1538225268&sr=8-9&ref=sr_1_9
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on September 29, 2018, 11:17:55 AM
Roadrunner53, glad you found a solution that works for you, but I would find that a nightmare!  My first thought was, how do you keep it all clean?  I HATE dust, plus I'm allergic to it.  Add in 3 pets (4 temporarily), and I would go out of my mind.  I like storage that's enclosed, so easy dusting.  Personally, I would have put something with doors there and just left room for heat venting behind it.  But if it works for you, great!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 30, 2018, 08:24:12 AM
Roadrunner53, glad you found a solution that works for you, but I would find that a nightmare!  My first thought was, how do you keep it all clean?  I HATE dust, plus I'm allergic to it.  Add in 3 pets (4 temporarily), and I would go out of my mind.  I like storage that's enclosed, so easy dusting.  Personally, I would have put something with doors there and just left room for heat venting behind it.  But if it works for you, great!

I cannot enclose the area at all. As it is, the Hub was concerned about the carts blocking the heat. It is still very open under there. Most of what is on the carts gets used often so dust won't be a major disaster. I would prefer cabinets but no can do in that spot. It is a solution that is not perfect but works for me.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on September 30, 2018, 08:38:35 AM
Here are the chrome carts. Mine are all on wheels and you'd have to measure your area to make sure it will fit under a countertop or in a special spot. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chrome+cart&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Yes, that's what I have -- but only have room for the one!   My 1950s kitchen is so small.  Someday I'd love to have a larger kitchen with a real pantry.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 30, 2018, 08:55:19 AM
Here are the chrome carts. Mine are all on wheels and you'd have to measure your area to make sure it will fit under a countertop or in a special spot. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chrome+cart&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Yes, that's what I have -- but only have room for the one!   My 1950s kitchen is so small.  Someday I'd love to have a larger kitchen with a real pantry.

Yes, CB, I dream of a giant pantry and a extra large laundry room! My house was built in 1975. We actually built it way back then. But we were kids (22 and 23 years old) and didn't know much about anything! It is just an average raised ranch home with no frills. I rant about it all the time of what I wish we had. Until we sell and buy/build something else. This is it! We built it on a shoe string so even if we had been smarter, we probably couldn't have put in bells and whistles due to money issues! Now we are retired and face money issues!

CB, have you looked into buying a taller chrome cart? If you have space, you could go higher in the same footprint. I also bought this cart for another room. It is very narrow but is twice as tall. https://www.improvementscatalog.com/6-shelf-pantry-rack/250959?&prank=2  It says it is 10 inches wide but the shelf is actually smaller on the inside measurement. I like it a lot!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 30, 2018, 10:20:37 AM
The decision had officially been made: we're selling and moving. In preparation, we've made a big list of what needs to go now vs later and so on. It's a big list because we're going back to apartment living from our big suburban house.

Today, I've cleared out the 'alcohol' cupboard (no alcohol left in it, but weird odds and ends). Put a little book about whiskey into the donate box, recycled a booklet from a whisky tasting, recycled a couple fancy scotch boxes. Threw out some corks, and tossed out the tiny bit of remaining irish cream.

I also took photos of my old prom dresses from high school and listed them on facebook marketplace.

This is going to be a BIG project to get everything done.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on September 30, 2018, 10:49:43 AM
The decision had officially been made: we're selling and moving. In preparation, we've made a big list of what needs to go now vs later and so on. It's a big list because we're going back to apartment living from our big suburban house.

Today, I've cleared out the 'alcohol' cupboard (no alcohol left in it, but weird odds and ends). Put a little book about whiskey into the donate box, recycled a booklet from a whisky tasting, recycled a couple fancy scotch boxes. Threw out some corks, and tossed out the tiny bit of remaining irish cream.

I also took photos of my old prom dresses from high school and listed them on facebook marketplace.

This is going to be a BIG project to get everything done.

I'm impressed!  Most of my decluttering came after my move...your way will be so much better!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on September 30, 2018, 04:18:06 PM
I have done some cross country moves with 5 people and learned the hard way to declutter first:))
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: ysette9 on September 30, 2018, 04:24:50 PM
I have done some cross country moves with 5 people and learned the hard way to declutter first:))
Amen. Before our last move we took about two months before to slowly go through every room, closet, drawer, and so forth to declutter. We got rid of a lot.

Then we got to the other side and realized “oh crap, we have too much stuff, it isn’t going to fit.” Then we spent another several months doing decluttering round two. It felt silky to have moved that unwanted stuff even though we only moved five blocks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 30, 2018, 04:37:20 PM
I have done some cross country moves with 5 people and learned the hard way to declutter first:))
Amen. Before our last move we took about two months before to slowly go through every room, closet, drawer, and so forth to declutter. We got rid of a lot.

Then we got to the other side and realized “oh crap, we have too much stuff, it isn’t going to fit.” Then we spent another several months doing decluttering round two. It felt silky to have moved that unwanted stuff even though we only moved five blocks.

Yeah, I learned the hard way on my first major downsize that even pre-decluttering isn't enough! BF and I moved from 2 bedrooms, ~950sqft to about 500sqft. Even getting rid of a TON of stuff before moving, I still ended up crying on the floor of an apartment with walls stacked with boxes, utterly overwhelmed.

We're now in a 3/2 with a den, storage attic, two car garage, and a yard, ~1900sqft, and probably moving to a 2/1 apartment with ~750sqft. Happily, we've stayed fairly minimalist while here, but that's still a HUGE change in space. Not to mention I want to get rid of some extras even before listing so it shows really well.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on September 30, 2018, 06:15:24 PM
I've filled up the donation box, now I just need to actually donate all of it. Will get around to it.

Have made significant progress on the garage, which allowed me to throw out 3 empty paint cans. Also, the pieces to repair my damaged gutter arrived, and I fixed the urgent one. The non-urgent one I'll do next weekend. All the leftover (messed up) pieces I can give to my neighbor for scrap metal recycling, he has a bin. (Note - if you drop a ladder on your downspout, it will bend.)

Also had a craigslist person come and take about half the rock pile, he'll probably come back this week and take the rest.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on September 30, 2018, 10:17:45 PM
Off sick today with a gross head cold but I am having the time of my life unpacking and decluttering my books.

It’s the perfect low energy job and I’m giving myself lots of tea breaks.

We moved into this fixer upper 3.5 years ago, and have finally finished the dining room where our book shelves are. All the boxes have been waiting patiently in the dusty garage since we moved. It’s kind of like Christmas! Only I feel less guilty about sending half my presents straight to the thrift store.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LinneaH on October 01, 2018, 02:57:04 AM
Created a couple of ads on local Facebook buy and sell. Sold half a bag of toy tools almost immediately. So happy when it goes to someone who will appreciate it, my kids are now 7 and almost 6, this went to a grandma for a her 2 yr old granddaughter, and it is really suitable for that age. Also the grandfather used to work as a carpenter so perfect.

No takers on the cars the kids want to sell. Tons of ads on toy cars. If there aren't any takers, I will give them away. Not worth a lot of money anyway and those are big cars for smaller kids so would be great to get out of the house. EDITED TO ADD: when my kids decide to sell things, I give them money regardless if it sells or not. But I may price the toy to $3 and they want to sell for $1 so it all evens out anyway.

Also trying to give away a lamp but no takers there either.

And then I started another bag to hand in to local used kids clothing store, they are open later in the week. Want to add a few more things and hope to be able to hand it in on Thursday of Friday if I can leave work early enough.

The house just looks a total mess after the weekend. Before I can declutter more, I need to straighten up the regular stuff. We were away Satuday all day and tired yesterday. Got A LOT of laundry done though so today I will be folding so much. That is the project for tonight :-)  Then sort out what else needs to be done and after that go back to Konmari and ALL THE PAPERS...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: haypug16 on October 01, 2018, 01:52:11 PM
Put together a box to donate this weekend with 31 items. My goal for 2018 is to donate/sell 1 item for every day in the year. So far this will bring me up to May 31st.

It's getting tough but if I really sit and think about it I don't need all those books. I'm never going to re-read 95% of them, and I can just get them from the library. Clothes I have gotten rid of lot but still tend to hang on to things that I probably wont wear again. I wear the same outfits all the time and have a couple dresses that I wear for special occasions I really should just get rid of the rest. Shoes are another thing. I wear sneakers everyday except for the rare occasion when I wear hiking boots or sandals. Yet I have a good 20 pairs of heels sitting under my bed. Hoping to get the "June" box put together this week.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 01, 2018, 02:08:28 PM
Blocking off a set of time to go through all files -there aren't many, they got superculled a while back so now it's just an annual update, essentially.

The Plan:
*schedule a two-hour block in my calendar
*buy a box of chocolates
*make tea
*bring files to big living area
*have empty crate for shreddables
*do eet
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on October 01, 2018, 02:19:46 PM
The tea + chocolates + papers combo sounds like a really good way to go about that bit of decluttering, Jooni. ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: haypug16 on October 01, 2018, 02:28:06 PM
Put together a box to donate this weekend with 31 items. My goal for 2018 is to donate/sell 1 item for every day in the year. So far this will bring me up to May 31st.

The phrasing here killed me. Because it's exactly how I feel in my own efforts to do things, especially decluttering. Goals, lists, mind tricks on myself.... and somehow on many things I end up six months behind! Best of luck with the June box.

Thanks, I'm like where did the year go? How am I 4 months behind on this. Oh well, at least stuff is getting out the door and not coming in :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on October 02, 2018, 01:56:43 AM
My DH finally threw away 4 plastic, orange cups. His parents have some decades in the past bought these for camping purpose. After that they have been using them for breakfast at their house, ugly, plastic, orange plates. My DH has always kept those stupid plastic cups. I was not allowed to through them away some years ago. But now he did it bij himself. :-D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on October 02, 2018, 04:59:48 AM
Linda_Norway, glad to hear the plastic cups are gone. I fall into that boat of keeping old things for sentimental reasons. I have no problem getting rid of nice, newish items, but I struggle to get rid of threadbare spider-man towels from my youth. Silly!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on October 02, 2018, 05:13:06 AM
Put together a box to donate this weekend with 31 items. My goal for 2018 is to donate/sell 1 item for every day in the year. So far this will bring me up to May 31st.

The phrasing here killed me. Because it's exactly how I feel in my own efforts to do things, especially decluttering. Goals, lists, mind tricks on myself.... and somehow on many things I end up six months behind! Best of luck with the June box.

It's important not to overgoal!  (-:
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on October 02, 2018, 05:15:17 AM
Blocking off a set of time to go through all files -there aren't many, they got superculled a while back so now it's just an annual update, essentially.

The Plan:
*schedule a two-hour block in my calendar
*buy a box of chocolates
*make tea
*bring files to big living area
*have empty crate for shreddables
*do eet

This is my favorite kind of decluttering -- maintenance decluttering where I've already done the heavy lifting 6 months earlier!  It makes me feel like things are finally moving in a more streamlined direction.

Love the chocolates for motivation!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on October 02, 2018, 02:32:31 PM
I love the vision of you decluttering your files Jooni. So cosy and soothing.

I tackled another box from the shed yesterday - the contents of the husband’s miscellaneous kitchen drawer from his last house. Many dried up pens were discarded, and I found some treasures like beautiful calligraphy pens, sparklers and an unused packet of blue tack.

I’ll take most of the office supplies in to the non profit I work for - we’ll never use so many pens and gluesticks at home.

Next mission is to get the donations out of the house, but I feel too snotty and gross to interact with the op shop volunteers today. I may photograph and list a few bigger things for sale, or I may head down to the shed to find more boxes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 02, 2018, 02:39:06 PM
Put two bottles of shampoo (too strong smelling), two boxes of pads (wrong length), and two cartons of almond milk (weird flavor) on Buy Nothing. Already have pending pickups for all but the pads.

Picked out a couple pairs of capris for the donate pile. I'll slowly work through some clothes as my brain comes to terms with my body changes from IVF (...hopefully).

A couple days ago, took all our returnable bottles to the grocery store. I HATE doing this with a passion, so it was nice to get done. Plus, $4.30!

Split my big mama spider plant into two pots. As a result, the awaiting pot is now in use, and the plant will be happier (assuming it lives, lol). I was procrastinating this way too long!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 02, 2018, 06:05:21 PM
I love the vision of you decluttering your files Jooni. So cosy and soothing.

It really is!!!! I've done one session of it so far, thoroughly enjoyed that, and am very much looking forward to my next go :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 02, 2018, 06:07:38 PM
A couple days ago, took all our returnable bottles to the grocery store. I HATE doing this with a passion, so it was nice to get done. Plus, $4.30!

I hate doing that too (just because I'd have to hang on to stuff longer than I want to) so I just leave it in bags outside and let anyone who wants take it. Usually people that rely on it for income. That $4.30 may be all their food money for the day, and can be a wonderful gift. Might that be an option in your area?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 02, 2018, 06:27:01 PM
A couple days ago, took all our returnable bottles to the grocery store. I HATE doing this with a passion, so it was nice to get done. Plus, $4.30!

I hate doing that too (just because I'd have to hang on to stuff longer than I want to) so I just leave it in bags outside and let anyone who wants take it. Usually people that rely on it for income. That $4.30 may be all their food money for the day, and can be a wonderful gift. Might that be an option in your area?

We always used to do that! No one comes by where we live now =( Fancy suburban neighborhood. When I lived in a city I'd always put them out in a bag and write "cans" on it. Didn't work when I tried it here. And then when I was younger and lived where I do now, I'd often take the cans to the center and if someone who looked like they do a lot of can returns/could use some help was around, I would offer them mine. No luck this time though. (Although storing them and getting them there is half the battle, I'll admit). So I just did the returns. Planned on getting myself a coffee as a reward, but I was so done by the time the machine was done crashing near my head that I just went home! (I will admit though, the new machines are MUCH better than they used to be. You can even do all returnable types into the same machine! Still loud, but quieter by far).


Space savings achieved. Opened up toothbrushes and razors that were packaged poorly, and consolidated them into the ziplocks I use to organize those drawers. Looks much cleaner under my sink and in that drawer now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 02, 2018, 06:29:22 PM
We always used to do that! No one comes by where we live now

Darn!! Oh well, at least your decluttering is going fabulously, it sounds like :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on October 03, 2018, 02:54:07 AM
A couple days ago, took all our returnable bottles to the grocery store. I HATE doing this with a passion, so it was nice to get done. Plus, $4.30!

I hate doing that too (just because I'd have to hang on to stuff longer than I want to) so I just leave it in bags outside and let anyone who wants take it. Usually people that rely on it for income. That $4.30 may be all their food money for the day, and can be a wonderful gift. Might that be an option in your area?

We always used to do that! No one comes by where we live now =( Fancy suburban neighborhood. When I lived in a city I'd always put them out in a bag and write "cans" on it. Didn't work when I tried it here. And then when I was younger and lived where I do now, I'd often take the cans to the center and if someone who looked like they do a lot of can returns/could use some help was around, I would offer them mine. No luck this time though. (Although storing them and getting them there is half the battle, I'll admit). So I just did the returns. Planned on getting myself a coffee as a reward, but I was so done by the time the machine was done crashing near my head that I just went home! (I will admit though, the new machines are MUCH better than they used to be. You can even do all returnable types into the same machine! Still loud, but quieter by far).


Space savings achieved. Opened up toothbrushes and razors that were packaged poorly, and consolidated them into the ziplocks I use to organize those drawers. Looks much cleaner under my sink and in that drawer now.

When I am in the city center and have an empty bottle of soda that I want to get rid of, I put it on top of one of the public garbage bins. Then the bottle-collectors don't need to stick their arm inside the bin to retrieve them.

At home, I just return them to the shop and collect the money. In the past I put all old bottles and cans (with and without return money) in a large bin in the kitchen. Every now and then I had to sort out which ones had return money and bring them back. I hated that job. Now we have a small bin under the sink for the bottles and glass that can be thrown away in a bin at our porch. The return bottles and cans go into a large shopping bag that I can grab when it is full. Yes, this is annoying, but not the worst thing one has to do in a household...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on October 03, 2018, 05:43:00 AM
Gave away 4 wheels and tyres that were left under the house hy the last tenants.  Someone was happy to get them, and saves my $120 that it would have cost to take them to the tip.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on October 03, 2018, 07:11:26 AM
I new colleague will be emigrating to Norway. He mentioned wanting to buy a rental house that is big enough to store all his stuff until he can buy a house. Or else rent a storage place. He is sceptic towards renting an apartment, because of playing a piano. I have tipped him about the fact that you can collect a second hand piano here for free, so that it is not economically worth it to emigrate a piano. I also mentioned I have an electronic piano for sale, that you can play silently in an apartment. We'll see what happens.
I have been looking for houses for him. There is one lovely small house for rent, not so far from the office and it is cheap as well. It is just not big enough for all his stuff. I sent him the link for storage places. But I wish he had understood the value of downsizing. The furniture is maybe not worth storing for a year.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 03, 2018, 05:18:55 PM
-BIL came and picked up our second couch (basically it was to host holidays, haha) to give to HIS brother in law. He forgot the ottomon that matches, but we'll hand that over tomorrow.
-Went through stuff and found more things to charity: two dog harnesses that won't be the right size, freebie t shirts, speakers that won't fit the new space, knitting gear I never learned to use, a yoga ball we won't have room for, and so on.
-I'm going to pack up our bookshelves tomorrow, so I will pack with a critical eye there.
-Listed our grill on Buy Nothing and already have 3 interested parties. So the grill and 2 large propane tanks will find a new home, and the back patio will show nicer. (It is not a pretty grill). And then there is no rush to rehome it immediately before moving.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: AerynLee on October 04, 2018, 12:07:14 PM
Ugh, I hate selling things. I really should try to sell:

Electric wheel for a bicycle
Shredder (between personal and commercial sized)
Sewing machine
Futon

Except for wheel I'd rather just give them to an acquaintance who would actually use them but no one I know wants or needs any of them. And since two of them were given to me by family members I don't want to sell them on Facebook where they might see. I just need to suck it up an list them but I hate deciding on a price and then dealing with unreliable people.

Today I did manage to give my old printer to Best Buy for recycling, throw away a few items I realized weren't worth donating, and drop of some clothes at one of those local clothing drop boxes, plus drop off regular recycling while I was out. ETA: And dropped off a return via UPS for something Hubs ordered on Amazon and didn't realize was the wrong size
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 04, 2018, 01:12:09 PM
-Threw out some very old, very hard oxyclean powder that I rarely use and was left by a prior roommate and still for some reason moved with me.
-Semi-failure point: no critical eye was turned toward books. Packing them made me sad and I was dragging my feet on doing it, so I just packed them all. At least I know if we keep the shelves we have, they all fit just fine.
-Corralled items: put plastic tupperware on a high shelf into a nice looking wire bin I was given. Now they'll be more accessible and look nicer for house showing. (We mainly use glass snaplock, but sometimes plastic is called for- gifting items, bringing food when we'll be carrying it all day, etc)
-Using up bottled fizzy water vs making more with the soda stream to clear them out before sale.
-BIL did come back and get that ottoman =)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chasingthegoodlife on October 04, 2018, 02:52:46 PM
BJ, don't be too hard on yourself about the books. Although it would be more efficient to declutter them now, it's often easier to go through things like that in the new place where you have the emotional boost of 'exciting new life' and the motivation to keep only the right amount for that particular space.

I changed my plan on Wednesday and started a digital declutter. Backed up my laptop for the first time in far too long, went through all my digital music and deleted what I no longer enjoy, and reformatted my old phone to use as a music player in the car. Tried the music player yesterday and it's fantastic - can't believe I procrastinated on that for so long. Listening to some of the older tracks I hadn't heard in years brought back so many memories.

I found I had a lot of music I was keeping 'just in case' or that someone had given me and I told myself I would listen to it some day to see if I liked it. It's all on Spotify now so out it goes. Only keeping what I know I want to listen to over and over.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: ysette9 on October 04, 2018, 05:06:23 PM
That is an interesting concept because unlike real clutter, digital clutter mostly has no consequences. It doesn’t really stress me out yay I have a bunch of old files on my laptop but having old junk around the house is a major source of angst. I sort of gave up long ago clearing out old emails, for example, because I can just ignore them and search for anything useful I may need down the line. How do other people handle that stuff?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 04, 2018, 07:42:41 PM
Ysette- It was actually a lovely feeling to discard the TERRABYTES of korean/japanese dramas/anime from years ago, instead of having them lurking around, silently telling me that I should finish watching them even tho it has been years. I also used New Laptop as the excuse to clear out so many old files. I picked out the small number of photos I wanted to transfer to the new machine and then scrubbed the old one. I also actively archive/delete archives unless there is something I need to do in response to it. I dunno, I'm a discarder so it feels good to me. Ofpym retains things, so that's our household battle, but even he is watching me sort through and clear things and starting to take similar action. [he has 13k unread emails. UNSUBSCRIBE MY DUDE!]

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: AerynLee on October 04, 2018, 08:45:57 PM
Digital clutter doesn't bother as much as physical clutter does but I do like it hidden. I can't stand letting my inbox get very full or have much on my desktop but having loads of pictures in a folder I don't have to see is generally fine and I rarely (if ever) clean out the other folders in my email.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 04, 2018, 11:07:24 PM
I would love to have a clean, slim set of electronic files -all collated and organized, just the ones actually needed. I dislike digital clutter as much as physical. But I live with it okay :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Ducknald Don on October 05, 2018, 08:27:44 AM
Ugh, I hate selling things. I really should try to sell:

You aren't the only one, I reached a tipping point with Ebay this week and have decided it's just too much hassle for too little gain. If I want to get rid of anything from now on it goes on Freecycle.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: AerynLee on October 05, 2018, 08:36:25 AM
Ugh, I hate selling things. I really should try to sell:

You aren't the only one, I reached a tipping point with Ebay this week and have decided it's just too much hassle for too little gain. If I want to get rid of anything from now on it goes on Freecycle.
I only have one item that would be worth putting on Ebay if it doesn't sell locally. I usually don't bother selling, but these are either weird to donate (hitch drawbar doesn't seem like a Goodwill item) or potentially worth enough to try (though most not worth enough to try very hard)

I did list 3 things on Craigslist yesterday. So far no hits but at least they're listed
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: ysette9 on October 05, 2018, 09:23:33 AM
I got pretty frustrated trying to sell stuff ok Craigslist/FB also. There are so many flaky people out there and then my husband seems to think I should hold out forever and get people to magically pay way more than I think is reasonable. His goal seems to be to get as much $ for an item as possible whereas my goal is to get it the heck out of my house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 06, 2018, 08:50:59 PM
Someone is very happy he decluttered: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lottery-ticket-found-1-75-million-1.4853423
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FamilyGuy on October 06, 2018, 09:56:44 PM
I got pretty frustrated trying to sell stuff ok Craigslist/FB also. There are so many flaky people out there and then my husband seems to think I should hold out forever and get people to magically pay way more than I think is reasonable. His goal seems to be to get as much $ for an item as possible whereas my goal is to get it the heck out of my house.

Same here. In fact, I listed a TV mount (new& unopened) at half of the selling price. Have to wait and see if someone will be interested. There should be a better way of selling things :) I hope so.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LinneaH on October 07, 2018, 01:35:33 AM
Today DH and I will deal with paper clutter. Late last night (I am a night owl sometimes), I went through the house, tried to find all paper and papery stuff and carried it all to the TV room where I had put a large piece of plastic cloth on the floor to keep it gathered.
Then I wrote out sorting areas on blank sheets: action, keep forever, keep short term and sentimental. We are doing the Konmari method so sentimental needs to be dealt with as well, but will be postponed until later.
Today DH will do a second search through the house and then the fun (scary fun...) will begin. Kids will be on extended screen time 😜
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 07, 2018, 02:03:27 AM
Today DH and I will deal with paper clutter. Late last night (I am a night owl sometimes), I went through the house, tried to find all paper and papery stuff and carried it all to the TV room where I had put a large piece of plastic cloth on the floor to keep it gathered.
Then I wrote out sorting areas on blank sheets: action, keep forever, keep short term and sentimental. We are doing the Konmari method so sentimental needs to be dealt with as well, but will be postponed until later.
Today DH will do a second search through the house and then the fun (scary fun...) will begin. Kids will be on extended screen time 😜

It will feel great once you have done it!

Today we did a year's worth of filing. The paper bin is full and I've finally done a few admin things that had been put off. Haven't convinced hubby that he doesn't need tax stuff from 2002 but overall, we are winning.  Even better, I got to throw away an old broken plastic filing thingo - I'd acquired a metal filing drawer thing (for free, yay) but it had sat unused for months waiting for me to empty the old one. Now there is one less thing gathering dust.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LinneaH on October 07, 2018, 08:39:32 AM
It will feel great once you have done it!


Possibly but right now please kill me :-) . We had to take a break at lunch to do things outside of the house for some hours, but we have actually come a long way. But there is so much left. I thought I would end up putting more on hold in sentimental but not too bad. I have some old articles and e-books I need to/want to go through and that will not happen today but the rest should be done today, at least mine and possibly the shared. As for DH, I'm not sure. He sure is a pack rat, and it became clear that he has a lot more paper clutter than med, and also that it was less organized. Mine was sorted and more in need of culling (a lot) so it was quicker. I have some things I need to do together w/DH but should be done in a few hours.

We have decided to pick up McDonalds for dinner as we found a gift certificate in one of the piles. It's for two menus/meals and it's expiring soon. Will just add two small burgers for the kids. Fits well with paper decluttering AND reducing food cost :-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 07, 2018, 09:16:23 AM
I sold a pair of new flip flops on eBay & got them out of the house. Made a giant $5.90 on them, but they are gone now.

I'm with you guys on the effort required. I don't actually mind eBay, because there is minimal flakiness (but, maximum fees). I use my local Facebook swap for easy to move kids items, discount the price so there will be no negotiating, and do porch pickup only. I use Craigslist super sparingly, because people are so annoying.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 07, 2018, 01:53:41 PM
We thought council hard rubbish day was coming up but was maybe next weekend* but I realised as I took the dog out last night that it was yesterday and we missed our chance to get rod of our bulk stuff for another 6 months. We're going to have to come up with another plan.

* normally people start putting things out a couple of weeks in advance and the piles get very large before collection. This time there was almost nothing on the street for pickup so we misread the signs.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on October 07, 2018, 04:41:52 PM
Next weekend is the local hazardous waste drop off. I've been accumulating some things for that, the problem is I can only find half the pile. Will be spending some time hunting down the rest of it this week.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on October 08, 2018, 04:09:58 AM
I am on my way selling 500 grams of dried mushrooms. When done, I can remove the large bucket that is standing in the kitchen.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FamilyGuy on October 08, 2018, 08:31:12 AM
More of organization this week and removed some garbage. Organized the garage, closet, and pantry. Now, all looks neat & tidy. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 08, 2018, 09:58:22 AM
Yesterday, culled at least 80 papers from files in the annual go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 08, 2018, 10:00:28 AM
-Went through our three tiered tray & recycled/tossed a bunch of stuff.
-Organized the kids school pictures so they are now ready for distribution & mailing
-Had the kids comb through the house & put all of their stuff back where it belongs. That was at least an hour of work.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on October 08, 2018, 10:26:49 AM
I'm somewhat of a digital hoarder, and have basically kept every file I've ever produced. I'm approaching the limit of laptop hard drives of a reasonable size, so it's time to apply my decluttering to my digital life. I'm still going to back up the deleted files onto two hard drives so it's not quite the same as a normal declutter, but hopefully my computer will run more smoothly and digital files will be easier to find. And as a bonus, limiting the amount of files I have may help reduce replacement costs whenever this computer bites the dust. 50 GB and counting removed so far....

Also, I have identified random pantry items I'll never eat. I don't really know what to do with them because I don't think they're going to be donateable to a food bank? It's an unopened jar of fudge sauce I got as a gift, and an opened tin of smoked paprika I didn't like.

I want them out of the house, but don't want to trash them. I have a hard time wasting food even if these two items aren't of much nutritional value.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 08, 2018, 10:33:47 AM
Most food banks can take everything (unopened, etc). Ideally there’s a bank in the new model (set up like a store) in your area and someone gets to choose the fudge. Sometimes the old-model food bank will have a mini version of this its lobby, where just the person who can use it will get to see it displayed.

Otherwise, Freecycle, Buy Nothing, etc, are also good for foods/ingredients.

The opened one you’re likely going to have to chuck, unless a Freecycle participant or a friend want it. Feed it to the earth so the earth can make more beautiful food?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on October 08, 2018, 11:02:58 AM
I just remembered that I have to take off All day Thursday from work to take DH to a midday drs appointments. If I wake early that will give me a good 4 hour chunk of am time to take care of all my paperwork decluttering.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on October 08, 2018, 12:04:26 PM
I'm so excited I can participate in this thread again!  Been focusing on other stuff, but yesterday I replaced a pair of slacks that never fit right, so the ill-fitting ones went into the thrift box.  Granted, they have not left the house, but I have a good track record of filling up a box and then taking it down. Box is mostly empty at the moment.

Bonus decluttering: a friend was on extended travels & stayed with me the night he got back.  I noticed he put his travel guide in the thrift box :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on October 08, 2018, 07:06:17 PM
I spent $110 at the tip last week, throwing out the old tenant(s) rubbish!  A mattress, three gas bottles all out of date, a broken double bed cast iron frame that would have been worth something if not damaged as badly as it was.  Lots of broken motorcycle helmets.  A full ute load.

It may have been expensive, but it feels so much better to have that rubbish out of my life.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 09, 2018, 08:57:43 AM
I've been trying on things I don't normally wear each morning. If it's not something that fits properly, or that I like, it goes in the donation box, or into a pile I save for a friend who is a bit smaller than me. I'm 2/2 this week, and it feels great to get rid of things that just take up space in my closet.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: AerynLee on October 09, 2018, 11:55:38 AM
I had a surprising win with the office closet last night. I pulled out all the Warhammer stuff and put it in a pile. It took up the entire futon. When Hubs got home I asked him to help me organize it in a way where it's all together and neat. I even offered a huge box that currently hold motorcycle and winter gear. He not only got rid of about 1/3 of it, he reorganized it in a way that got rid of the the foam and egg cartons and eliminated most of the bulk. When he was done it all fit into one box that originally held less than half of it.
Then we reorganized the D&D stuff and got rid of a few things that let it all fit nicely into a drawer. He is MUCH more of a keeper of things than I am so him offering to get rid of things when I just asked to reorganize was surprising. We traded in the discards at the local gaming store for some stuff we'll actually use (and that takes up far less space)
Today I threw away or recycled all the old packaging and now the closet is clearer. There's still more work to be done but I expected that to be the hardest part

No response yet on the other stuff I'm trying to sell though :(
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 09, 2018, 07:08:25 PM
On just one counter, my teen likes to rest bits of food-related items. That space is literally inches from multiple appropriate receptacles. I put a sign on the counter: "Do not store things here. A thing goes in recycling, compost, wash bin, or garbage. Nothing goes here." Likely it will need to stay put just a few days before Teen has established a new habit. Looking forward to that :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FamilyGuy on October 09, 2018, 08:12:28 PM
I started out to clean some clutter in Kitchen. There were so many utensils/plates/bowls - used less and in perfect condition. Was very upset to realize how much money would I've saved :(
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 09, 2018, 08:25:11 PM
I started out to clean some clutter in Kitchen. There were so many utensils/plates/bowls - used less and in perfect condition. Was very upset to realize how much money would I've saved :(

I've made aspirational purchases in the past, thinking I would be this amazing dinner party host. I haven't become that person, but it's ok to just acknowledge the mistake and move on! Maybe you know someone starting out that would appreciate a gift?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 09, 2018, 08:44:14 PM
I made a decision to just take the time to go through my books properly. I'm not comfortable with donating one that I bought and then never touched, so I'm reading a few pages of each, skimming more of some. It's really working for me and I have a pile of 11 books to go, three to keep and read and I've put one in a maybe pile. I've got 10 more to consider. I can do two or three in a day. Fast decisions just don't work for me and books, sorry Marie Kondo.

I've also got a bunch of home type magazines that I guess are kept for inspiration? So I'm going to suggest hubby and I make a sort of mood board with clippings for our new build and then recycle the rest. This weekend might be wet and cold so would be a good time.

I have to talk to hubby about his collection of outdated foldable maps and leaflets. Maybe he's keeping them as memories of trips and we could do some cool collage in a frame. I think he thinks we might go back to certain places and we could reuse them but I think we are more likely to get our info online now.

After this I'm pretty happy we will have contained our books to our available storage space.

We have people coming for a soiree in mid November so I've got a deadline to 'finish' the house after a small scale renovation which is really helping. It includes things like patching walls so not really about decluttering tho. A longer term deadline that is becoming clearer is our new build - it might be done by this time next year. Unfortunately it's too far away to generate any more minimising activity but at least it's a good incentive not to buy more (the new place is smaller).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 10, 2018, 07:52:05 AM
Inspired by this thread, when I went to find a photo yesterday, I deleted so much "digital clutter". Probably over 1000 photos. I need to keep going. It's actually a project I was hoping to accomplish on my sabbatical (and will definitely do that), but I can also delete a few things here & there when I have a spare moment.

It's crazy, because I can now easily review all of the high quality photos that are worth saving, vs having to sift through all of the useless stuff. Kind of how, after cleaning your closet, you're able to see all of your favorite items.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on October 10, 2018, 10:27:23 AM
Room is looking so much better -- it turns out that when you get rid of crap, you make space to put away the stuff that was just lying around! Huzzah.

Got rid of another shirt; it's super cute, and very comfortable when I'm seven pounds lighter, but I'm over 30, my body shape has changed, and I'm probably not going to be seven pounds lighter any time soon.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 11, 2018, 03:55:21 AM
I bought these two mesh drawer under sink organizers. They were both supposed to go under each side of my kitchen sink. I pulled out the junk on one side of the sink and reorg'd it into the mesh drawer. It was pretty spacious, I was surprised. Plus the top has a shelf you can place things on too. What a difference. On the other side of the sink I have another type of organizer. It is okay but too full of junk and I need to go thru it. I then decided that the other drawer organizer would go in our small bathroom. I pulled out about 50 old things from under there. Cleaners, personal hygiene products, toilet paper and so much more! I had a small garbage can full of stuff, then I filled up another grocery bag of stuff to think about. Gave it to the Hub to figure out. Then once the cabinet was empty I tried to put the organizer into the cabinet and it was too wide and would not fit! ARG! But the good thing is that the cleaners that are left under the sink are manageable! I probably could have sorted thru some of that too to toss but at least I got two messes under control. Love the mesh drawers!

I also bought these on the wall wine bottle organizers. They were only $6.95 thru The Paragon catalog. I bought three of them. They are small and only hold two wine bottles each but I am planning to put them in my hallway bathroom and roll towels and put them where the wine bottles would go. I may have the Hub cut one up to add extra wine bottle holders to make it hold four towels. Once they get here I will analyze the situation. They come in black and I may have the Hub spray paint them another color. If I don't cut them I may place them side by side or one on each wall. The third one might go on the back of the door to store bath towels. The others I plan to put rolled up hand towels. We shall see how this project goes! It is a work in progress!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on October 11, 2018, 04:51:45 AM
Roadrunner, I love reading about your progress on decluttering and all your nifty storage solutions.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 11, 2018, 05:17:44 AM
Roadrunner, I love reading about your progress on decluttering and all your nifty storage solutions.

Thanks former player! My Hub cringes! I am the engineer and he is my mechanical technician! I have these chrome carts in my kitchen to hold small kitchen appliances, skillets and other stuff. I discovered I had a top shelf on one of them that was empty and space is precious. So, my wheels were turning. I am trying to clear off my kitchen counter stuff and have two big jugs of spatulas and kitchen utensils. Way too much stuff, but I like most of it. I did purge some of it. Well, the next thing I do is look for a chrome or wire basket to fit the top shelf of this cart. It had to be about 20 inches long, 8 1/2 wide and 7 1/2 inches tall. I looked everywhere and couldn't find such a critter. So, I decided the Hub and I would build one. I bought these cooling racks (4) and measured a bottom piece and 4 sides. The Hub cut the cooling racks to size. It was a bitch cutting these racks and the Hub got a few cuts. So then I assembled them with wire ties. Hub has a wire tie gun that tightens the wire ties and cuts them off cleanly. I had a nifty basket that fit perfectly. I then added all my long spatulas and odd ball junk to this basket. I use a towel to cover them since it is open. I LOVE IT! Then, with the rest of the cooling racks we built another basket to put near my refrigerator and close to the stove. I have a bunch more big spoons and other cooking forks, etc. It looks really nice! However, I warn you, cutting those racks was ugly. I think if we had a Dremel saw it might have been easier. The Hub used a hack saw and wire cutters. I know you may ask why so many kitchen tools. We like to cook and have acquired a lot of cooking things over the years via gifts and just life!

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on October 11, 2018, 05:55:18 AM
Today's my day!   Home from work all day to take DH to a midday dr's appointment.  So I have 2 big chunks of time with no kids around to declutter.... Will I do it?

Morning: paperwork
Afternoon: sort through basement boxes.

Wish me energy please!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Car Jack on October 11, 2018, 07:05:15 AM
Today's my day!   Home from work all day to take DH to a midday dr's appointment.  So I have 2 big chunks of time with no kids around to declutter.... Will I do it?

Morning: paperwork
Afternoon: sort through basement boxes.

Wish me energy please!

If it becomes overwhelming, sort out just one thing.  Maybe junk paper.  I do that all the time and tend to target plastic kids toys.  I still find stuff appropriate for 2 year old kids.  My youngest is 18.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on October 11, 2018, 09:21:21 AM
It was my birthday recently, and a friend was very kind and gave me some presents. Please don't tell anyone, but all of them are in my car for me to try to return for store credit. Failing that, regift/donate. If you want to give me gifts, labor (for house projects), or money (for house projects) are the best bet.

Found more stuff for the hazardous waste drop off. I think I've got it all now. It's a messy little pile, but it will be gone soon.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on October 11, 2018, 11:58:23 AM
Today's my day!   Home from work all day to take DH to a midday dr's appointment.  So I have 2 big chunks of time with no kids around to declutter.... Will I do it?

Morning: paperwork
Afternoon: sort through basement boxes.

Wish me energy please!

If it becomes overwhelming, sort out just one thing.  Maybe junk paper.  I do that all the time and tend to target plastic kids toys.  I still find stuff appropriate for 2 year old kids.  My youngest is 18.

Hah!  I have some of those too!

Honestly it is always overwhelming.   But midday doctor's appointment took 3 hours and by the time I got my husband settled back home it feels like the day is over.  Gonna try to regroup and at least get the paperwork finished. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 13, 2018, 11:16:48 AM
Contacted [new] bank to insist on no contact beyond re: my own transactions. Two envelopes of crap this round! No more please :)

Online, switched internet bill to paperless. Every month they were sending not only the bill, but a thick brochure welcoming me as a new customer. Glitch. Some things I like paper records of -makes tax time way easier. But my internet is so cheap now, I don't need to declare its home office portion, so can opt out. Yay!

Did my annual cull in all but three files, have 3/4 of one banker's box of stuff to shred. Lots of low-hanging fruit in there, why did I even have those?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on October 14, 2018, 02:57:15 PM
A bunch of stuff left my place yesterday: coffee table, 3 extension cords, basket that goes in a cooler, a plant, and a box full of CD's. 

All this went to Mr. X.  I had agreed to care for the plant, and am holding onto the CDs while I rip them, then he gets custody of the physical CDs (one box down, 8 to go).  The basket was left here accidentally when he went on vacation (probably when he dropped off the plant).  The table & cords were mine, but I decided I didn't need them & he did, so since I was already bringing a bunch of things over, those went too. 

Moving the coffee table out of my bedroom inspired me to empty two boxes that were near where it was.  Those were full of my craft things, so I got 7 baskets from the dollar store and now that stuff lives in the credenzas.

The only thing left in that space was a piece of artwork neither of us liked, but I took because I had plans to turn it into a white board.  So while at the dollar store I picked up a roll of wrapping paper.  Now the table & boxes were out of the way, I could hang the artwork.  So put the wrapping paper over the art but under the glass and hung that, plus my cork board which had been languishing in a closet.  So nice to have reclaimed that space!  And it's totally usable.  The only thing on the cork board is my library slip showing when the books are due, but I'm glad to have that in a secure place now.  Once I get some dry erase markers I can start writing notes or doodles on my white board.  Can't wait!

It occurs to me that I've brought maybe the same number of items into the house or maybe even more, but the things coming in are useful while the things going out were not useful to me.

Add to the "going out" tally: the two boxes next to the coffee table were plastic totes I used for moving, but they are the responsibility of Mr. X and I returned those to him as well.  9 out, 7 in. :)

And I just realized I might be able to consolidate 2 of the 3 remaining boxes from moving...brb!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 14, 2018, 03:00:15 PM
We've moved most of our house into our garage so all our flooring can be replaced. Cue INSTANT PANIC over how much crap we have! A lot of it I really don't even care about, and only took because it was free (when relatives moved) and we had spaces it looked nice in. So come Thursday when we're bringing stuff back in, I'll be very brutal about what makes the cut =) If it isn't wanted/needed, or useful short term for staging, then it goes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on October 14, 2018, 03:16:57 PM
Weather was unexpectedly nice today, so I was puttering around outside. Cleaned up and organized the garage some. Realized that I had appropriate shelf supports and an appropriate board available, and put that up for a nice shelf out there. Got some stuff up off the floor. also put a pile of stuff I don't need/want in the alley, with a free post on Craigslist. Whatever isn't taken will be picked up as garbage on Thursday.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: AerynLee on October 14, 2018, 03:17:29 PM
I took a box of books and board games to Half Priced Books and got $20 for it. The box had been sitting in my living room for a couple of weeks waiting for us to have a reason to go to the next city over. It's nice to have it gone
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on October 14, 2018, 03:25:21 PM
@Bracken_Joy that's a lot of work, wow!  Go you guys! 

@Sibley I love easy projects that you already have all the stuff for...nice to tie up loose ends

@AerynLee I know that nice feeling well...a fun feeling.

Consolidated 3 boxes into 2.  A couple more things into the donation box, yay!  A couple textiles into the laundry to re-incorporate into the household.  And the box itself liberated & saved.

Mr. X packed up the CDs in whatever boxes were available.  The largest is at least twice the size of any of the others.  He labeled it "heavy as balls".  I cannot move this box.  So I'll use this empty box to hold some of the CDs after they are ripped...hopefully I'll be able to lift "heavy as balls" once those are taken out.  If not, I'll find another box.

I would prefer he come get the boxes after I'm done with them (especially as that means he would deal with "heavy as balls" - which he created), but he is unmotivated right now.  He just moved into a new place and is reckoning with his hoarding tendencies...even though he is attached to the CDs, he does not want to bring them into his place at this time.  I don't want to wait till he's ready, and so far he's been receptive to me dropping off a box or two each weekend.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 14, 2018, 04:02:35 PM
On just one counter, my teen likes to rest bits of food-related items. That space is literally inches from multiple appropriate receptacles. I put a sign on the counter: "Do not store things here. A thing goes in recycling, compost, wash bin, or garbage. Nothing goes here." Likely it will need to stay put just a few days before Teen has established a new habit. Looking forward to that :)

It worked :)

Also, after years and years of owning this size and style of shredder, I only JUST realized a grocery bag can fit inside it, like with a garbage can. Makes it a teeny bit simpler to get 'er done. Three grocery bags of shreds out today.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 14, 2018, 04:16:41 PM
I got rid of a big and bulky set of shelves that we had no room for anymore! They were just IKEA chipboard, didn't think anyone would want them, but there you go! Also got rid of an unused appliance to a friend. Our dining room is now bright and airy again. Just ignore the half finished projects on the dining table and the books in piles in the living room...

Question: we were given a lovely wedding gift (that was years ago now) that I've never displayed. It's two matching artworks that show where we met and where we married. However, the dates and locations are a little bit wrong and there's some wording that bugs me. It's unlikely the gifters will ever visit and ask about them but I'm finding it very hard to put them in the bin... I did think about having them remade with the correct details because otherwise they are nice to look at and I have a suitable wall spot. WWYD??
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 14, 2018, 04:20:55 PM
^ I would ditch them. Once something's niggling at me to go, and my primary reason not to release them is that the gifter might notice, that tells me it's bye-bye time. If it's possible, I would take them apart and remove the identifying elements, donating the parts. A thrift shopper will do something crafty with the parts or wholes, making something they love. If they can't be taken apart, and you remain concerned about the gifter, I would take them on my next road trip and put them in a different town's thrift shop or landfill them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 14, 2018, 04:30:35 PM
Is there a way to modify and or correct it?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 14, 2018, 04:34:59 PM
Is there a way to modify and or correct it?

It's a printed map with text. It's possibly only the text which is a problem so in theory I could get someone with good calligraphy to write on a bit of card and put that over the top. Hmmmm, that might work.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 14, 2018, 04:38:29 PM
^ I would ditch them. Once something's niggling at me to go, and my primary reason not to release them is that the gifter might notice, that tells me it's bye-bye time. If it's possible, I would take them apart and remove the identifying elements, donating the parts. A thrift shopper will do something crafty with the parts or wholes, making something they love. If they can't be taken apart, and you remain concerned about the gifter, I would take them on my next road trip and put them in a different town's thrift shop or landfill them.

They are unframed prints so it's a simple recycle if necessary. I'll make the call before the week is out! I'm rearranging pictures this week to get all the good ones up in a more stylish way and disposing of a few. You would not know I Kondo-ed my house 18 months ago, there are so many little things that have hung on... ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 14, 2018, 05:19:36 PM
This weekend's wins:

- Approximately 8 pairs of trousers that Ofpym has accepted he will never wear again - they are nice! but not his style- all went to the Vinnies that is chronically underserved for men's clothing, along with the Mulberry handbag. It seems appropriate since that is where I got the bag in the first place.

- My old futon base, which we replaced because we were perpetually cracking our ankle bones on the supports in the middle of the night, now forms two dog barriers - one between our house and the neighbours so she doesn't jump on the dividing wall to taunt the doberman next door, and the other can be placed in the basement door so we can work out with no risk of her getting loose and onto the street.

- 10 aged teatowels that were a bit oil stained and non absorbant have transitioned into the bike rag pile, freeing up space in the teatowel drawer for towels that actually dry and 3 washclothes are now repurposed for cleaning.

Wins all over the show.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 14, 2018, 05:45:50 PM
Whoah, 8 pairs of trousers is huge. So much space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 14, 2018, 05:55:17 PM
Whoah, 8 pairs of trousers is huge. So much space.

He is a bit more of a hoarder than I am. What if he neeeeeeeds to build his own electric bass? Or identify the plants and gardening needs of coastal Savannah, despite living in Sydney for 8 years?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 14, 2018, 06:07:35 PM
Whoah, 8 pairs of trousers is huge. So much space.

He is a bit more of a hoarder than I am. What if he neeeeeeeds to build his own electric bass? Or identify the plants and gardening needs of coastal Savannah, despite living in Sydney for 8 years?

I have explained to hubby that should he decide to career change instead of retiring, some more up to date books to help him will be available in the library, but no go. These are 10 yrs old and were dated then.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Lincolnshire Girl on October 15, 2018, 04:46:16 AM
Currently decluttering ready for a house downsize next summer, from a 4 bed 2 bath to a 2 bed 1 bath as our youngest gets ready for uni.
Following for inspiration as we have approx 17 years of paperwork (house and business) to tackle. Rest of the house is pretty good as we're quite minimalist by nature.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on October 15, 2018, 07:59:44 AM
I so need this.  We have soooo much stuff.  DH is a collector of things.  Like he'll pick up stuff on the side of the road.  Sometimes he'll get winners, like the awesome globe bar carts (he managed to find two exactly the same in two different towns and between the two had everything to create one whole one) or the wooden easel for my son or the stained glass chandelier hanging in my dining room.  And sometimes....well....let's just say that he brought home 16 bowling balls one time (WTF?).  And I'm pretty sure he kept every toy he ever had so now my kid's playroom looks like Toys 'R' Us circa 1987 exploded.  I swear it's genetic.  His dad has four (?) storage units plus a full basement of stuff and my son is starting to show signs of it too.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a bit of a thrift store junkie myself, but I'm trying to restrict myself to things like clothes for my kid who won't stop growing. 

I did manage to sell an office chair that we don't have room for anymore.  Someone got a great deal on a pretty nice chair, I got it out of my house and got $20 to spend at the fall fest.  Win-win.  Now if I can sell the desk that went with the chair.  I think I paid $30 or $40 for it awhile back.  I wonder if I can get $20. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 15, 2018, 08:23:07 AM
 
I so need this.  We have soooo much stuff.  DH is a collector of things.  Like he'll pick up stuff on the side of the road.  Sometimes he'll get winners, like the awesome globe bar carts (he managed to find two exactly the same in two different towns and between the two had everything to create one whole one) or the wooden easel for my son or the stained glass chandelier hanging in my dining room.  And sometimes....well....let's just say that he brought home 16 bowling balls one time (WTF?).  And I'm pretty sure he kept every toy he ever had so now my kid's playroom looks like Toys 'R' Us circa 1987 exploded.  I swear it's genetic.  His dad has four (?) storage units plus a full basement of stuff and my son is starting to show signs of it too.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a bit of a thrift store junkie myself, but I'm trying to restrict myself to things like clothes for my kid who won't stop growing. 

I did manage to sell an office chair that we don't have room for anymore.  Someone got a great deal on a pretty nice chair, I got it out of my house and got $20 to spend at the fall fest.  Win-win.  Now if I can sell the desk that went with the chair.  I think I paid $30 or $40 for it awhile back.  I wonder if I can get $20. 

I had an aunt and uncle that were antique nuts. They stuffed this old house of theirs (2 floors) to the ceiling and had to move out. The stuff was probably worth tons of money but they hoarded it and never sold the stuff. I am sure the house temp was hot and humid in the summer and freezing in the winter. Eventually, the roof leaked and they didn't fix it. So you can imagine what a mess that is. If I had to guess the rotten old house is still filled with broken, worthless antiques now. Maybe you need to reign in your husband and discuss selling some of his treasures for profit. Encourage him to open a joint bank account that would be for the sale of these treasures. A future retirement fund. He has a good eye for finding these things, you could be the one to sell them. Or have a tag sale once a month, ebay, craigslist.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on October 15, 2018, 08:33:10 AM


I had an aunt and uncle that were antique nuts. They stuffed this old house of theirs (2 floors) to the ceiling and had to move out. The stuff was probably worth tons of money but they hoarded it and never sold the stuff. I am sure the house temp was hot and humid in the summer and freezing in the winter. Eventually, the roof leaked and they didn't fix it. So you can imagine what a mess that is. If I had to guess the rotten old house is still filled with broken, worthless antiques now. Maybe you need to reign in your husband and discuss selling some of his treasures for profit. Encourage him to open a joint bank account that would be for the sale of these treasures. A future retirement fund. He has a good eye for finding these things, you could be the one to sell them. Or have a tag sale once a month, ebay, craigslist.

I'm working on him.  The antiques in my house are the ones that we hand-picked to go in our house.  The storage units have the rest of them.  But that falls into FIL's realm and since he doesn't need the money he's more interested in keeping the stuff.  We know that we are going to have to deal with this stuff sooner or later, but that's not today's battle to fight. 

I think my next goal is going to be getting my kid's clothes/diapers/baby toys into the next round of consignment sales.  We debated awhile as to whether or not we're going to have another one and the answer seems to be no so it's time for all that stuff to go (I think MIL expects that we'll send a lot of stuff to BIL/SIL, but that's just not going to happen).  A lot of that stuff we bought used and should be able to get 75-80% of our money back on.  Especially on some of the diaper stuff. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: haypug16 on October 15, 2018, 11:27:40 AM
Working on my "June" box. Currently 13+ weeks pregnant so Mr. Pug and I really need to get the house decluttered before Puglet shows up next April!

We sold 2 floor lamps for $20 this weekend so it was nice to get some money in exchange for our "junk" I'll be putting my skis up soon and a bookshelf. Most other things will just be given away.

2018
151 items donated
3 items sold
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 15, 2018, 11:58:08 AM
I took two shirts with me to my weekend visit with my friends. Each wanted one, so those are both out of the house. I also cleaned out some workout clothes that had shrunk & were too small at our vacation house. Another 4 items gone. I bought ski pants for our younger son, but then realized that we already had a pair that would work, so those are going back as well.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 15, 2018, 12:11:29 PM
I'm a minimalist at heart and excited to join this thread.
I've moved more times than I can count, so I've always kept my possessions down to two carloads at most, BUT I'm planning to buy a house in late 2019/early 2020 so I want to pare it down as much as I can, and get rid of things with bad energy (yep, that sounds woo woo when I type it out) or poor function.
I've already started this process prior to digging into this thread, so I'll start with planning.

To Do:
Update Capsule Wardrobe excel spreadsheet
Make Household item list spreadsheet (yes, I seriously want to do this)

Sell:
Leaf Blower (must clean up first)
Espresso machine
Bean Grinder (maybe just give away)


Clean out/Give Away:
Crafting/soap making items
Sort bins under bed
Make donation trip to local nonprofit thrift shop when I get two more bags or boxes (NOT Goodwill)


Yay!  Glad to join in!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on October 15, 2018, 12:23:19 PM
so now my kid's playroom looks like Toys 'R' Us circa 1987 exploded. 

I had saved a bunch of DS's toys - 1980s and 90s.  I wanted to give him the chance to decide what to keep (if anything) and what to get rid of.  My parents turfed all my stuff without asking during a move when I was 13, and I didn't want to do the same to him.  He used to call it the 'junk in the garage', until he decided to sell it.  He has made over $4000 selling this stuff - most of it went for way more than we ever paid for it originally.  His buyers seemed to either be grandparents, or millennials whose parents had turfed their toys, and they wanted them back.  Now DS calls the stuff I saved the 'goldmine in the garage'.   : )  There are still a few things out there, but we have kept them for our 'grandparents box'.  Grandson needs something to play with when he comes, and it's all new to him.   We went from about 10 big boxes to just one smaller one over the last two years.

Mr. SP got rid of his stamp collection finally.  This is huge!  He hadn't really paid any attention to it in years, but could not bear to part with it.  Then he saw DS getting rid of things and making money, and decided it was time.  3 huge tubs and 2 boxes of stamps gone to someone who was thrilled to buy them.  Buyer got a good deal, and we got half a closet back.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on October 15, 2018, 12:34:49 PM
My mom kept a lot of my stuff up until the time they tried to put the house on the market (2008...not the best time to try that) and then they threw out everything.  What was left fell victim to a mouse infestation a few years later.  I'm glad I got my Nintendos and stuff out when I moved into my first college apartment. 

The main problem that we're having with the toys is that they aren't really in great condition.   The Star Wars figures were held together by rubber bands that have dry-rotted.  I can see my husband die a little inside every time Luke Skywalker's torso becomes separated from his legs.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on October 16, 2018, 07:55:21 AM
Welcome @JanetJackson! I wish I could have my stuff down to two carloads.

Today's the day that I'm finally going to drive my bag o' stuff down to the Goodwill. I've been thinking about decluttering a lot lately, but I feel like I can't figure out a way to hunker down and get started. I'm procrastinating.

Things to do:
Pull all plants in my garden
sell my extra bikes!
clear out under the bathroom sink
clear out hall closet

Three of those things are super easy and doable. I have to be realistic with myself and say the bike thing probably isn't going to happen until it absolutely must.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: AerynLee on October 16, 2018, 08:06:04 AM
This weekend I got two more things out of my house. We gave a game to a friend and gave him back a game that he left at our place months ago.

Today is my last day of unemployment and while I didn't get as much decluttering done as I had hoped, I'm happy with how things are going. The office bothers me much less than it used to and I think once we change out the futon for a more appropriate loveseat I'll actually want to spend some time in there :) The closet needs more reorganizing, but I realized that will be a slower process than I assumed. I'm not really trying to get rid of anything, just organize it better and for me organizing things "correctly" is a matter of finding what "feels right" (which is kinda woo woo but if it "feels right" then things naturally get put back in their "correct" place and the house stays cleaner) and that takes longer than just finding a place that "should be right"
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on October 16, 2018, 09:03:07 AM
Took non-functioning lcd tv, printer, and ancient fax machine to the recycling depot.  Trying to get rid of something every week until we are down to only things I would want to pay to move.  (Moving may be next year, maybe 2 years, but it will happen at some point, so we may as well prepare now.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 16, 2018, 10:54:00 AM
I need to get back on track & continue decluttering. Here's my goal for the next week or so:
-Find 5 items to donate
-Find/list 3 items for sale
-Go through the kids rooms & toss 10 items. (This should be the easiest).
-Clean my closet floor. . . things seem to accumulate there
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2018, 11:19:42 AM
I have about 10 full 33 gallon garbage bags to give to Vietnam Vets. Gotta make a phone call to arrange pick up.

I have a gigantic suitcase full of good men's clothes I had planned to sell on ebay a few years ago. I have not opened it up to see what is inside. Do you think I should just donate it since it is all packed up or try to sell the items? Maybe the moths have eaten them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on October 16, 2018, 11:40:52 AM
Took everything out of my clothes cupboard and put in in a pile--
picked out everything that I am ambivalent about and into the give-away box it went!

Many t-shirts, button-ups & leggings did not make the cut
Now books are next.

Liberating
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 16, 2018, 12:03:53 PM
I have about 10 full 33 gallon garbage bags to give to Vietnam Vets. Gotta make a phone call to arrange pick up.

I have a gigantic suitcase full of good men's clothes I had planned to sell on ebay a few years ago. I have not opened it up to see what is inside. Do you think I should just donate it since it is all packed up or try to sell the items? Maybe the moths have eaten them!

How much do you realistically think you could get for the full lot, minus selling expenses, shipping costs, etc? If it's less than $50, I'd definitely not consider it. I'd also be super tempted to just donate, given it's all packaged & ready to go! :-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 16, 2018, 12:24:53 PM
Do you think I should just donate it since it is all packed up or try to sell the items?

Donate! What a nice gift for the charity (which will raise funds for a good cause), the staff/volunteers of the charity, and the recipients...and for you!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LinneaH on October 16, 2018, 03:53:26 PM
Papers are not totally done yet, but almost. A lot to trash and recycling, yay! DH really surprised me in a positive way.

Now DH is going away for a couple of days. I hope to be able to continue with some minor tasks while he is away, but lots of work + kids will make it tough. But I will see any progress as good, even if it is small.

Something strange: This weekend, we went to some friends for dinner. We see them quite often and like spending time with them. They have kids and work a lot like us, but their home is so different from ours. There is no stuff laying around... I mean, I assume they pick up before every time we visit them, and I know they have a cleaning service, but still... So yes, it looks nice - good for them, but I am surprised at the way I react - I get absurdly annoyed. Normally, I don't have a problem being happy for other persons but in this case, I get more or less furious. So strange... is it because I feel so inferior? I think so. I think it makes me feel like I cannot keep my house in order. And also I am annoyed because (I think) she has so much more time than me to spend on whatever she likes (kids, exercise, etc) since she doesn't have to declutter all the time and cleaning/having things in order is so much quicker with so much less stuff.
I think I need to think about these feelings a bit more and try to analyze myself further :-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on October 17, 2018, 11:02:47 AM

So yes, it looks nice - good for them, but I am surprised at the way I react - I get absurdly annoyed. Normally, I don't have a problem being happy for other persons but in this case, I get more or less furious. So strange... is it because I feel so inferior? I think so. I think it makes me feel like I cannot keep my house in order. And also I am annoyed because (I think) she has so much more time than me to spend on whatever she likes (kids, exercise, etc) since she doesn't have to declutter all the time and cleaning/having things in order is so much quicker with so much less stuff.
I think I need to think about these feelings a bit more and try to analyze myself further :-)

Good self-awareness @LinneaH  Hope you find the insight you are looking for  :)

I also feel like I spend too much time occupied with caring for/decluttering/organizing my things--coming from a family where we were overwhelmed by one persons hoarded goods..it can be a real mental drain (which is why I like to keep my own in check).
Have a minimalist/meditator friend who amazes me with her simple lifestyle but generally it leads to feeling inspired rather than irritated..she is a very conscious consumer and surrounds herself with beautiful things but her space is beacon of hope to me.

This morning I have continued to add to the give-away box
--fabric from someone I had a falling out with, always reminds me of it
--a backpack I was given that I don't need
--lampshade that was sitting in the closet for some reason

And consignment store pile
--a dress that's a bit too tight these days
--shoes ..ditto
--leather jacket from a lifestyle I no longer live
--vintage fur that I never, ever have worn
--fancy sweater of a style I wore in my 20's

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 17, 2018, 11:46:38 AM
I know my updates are small/boring, but I find that i need the baby steps/consistent check ins to keep things moving. So, yesterday I found three shirts that I don't want/need. Two are work shirts that I'll never wear again, and one is a tank top that doesn't fit properly. All in the donation pile.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on October 17, 2018, 12:21:35 PM
Just posted on FB to get rid of three books from grad school that I'll never use again -- got one taker already. :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 17, 2018, 12:24:06 PM
I know my updates are small/boring...

I love them :)   Every post here is a shot of joy in my life. I love having little, love releasing stuff, and love reading others' steps - big or tiny.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on October 17, 2018, 01:24:02 PM
Going through toiletries--eegads :)

Removing
--seven pairs of tweezers (!!)
--piles of soap/sewing kits that my SO brings from his travels
--threw out all expired allergy meds/doubles of first aid items
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on October 17, 2018, 01:48:46 PM
Going through toiletries--eegads :)

Removing
--seven pairs of tweezers (!!)
--piles of soap/sewing kits that my SO brings from his travels
--threw out all expired allergy meds/doubles of first aid items

I have a friend who belongs to a church that does breakfast programs for struggling families and the homeless.  They are always very happy to get any hotel toiletries, travel size toothpaste and toothbrushes from the dentist, etc.  They make up little gift bags with them, and pass them out at Christmas or when needed.

Do you have something like that available?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 17, 2018, 03:41:54 PM
I have listed some collectable crockery (not mine, someone else was throwing out and I thought I could make money :/). This is the third time I've tried to sell it. I'm going to try one more approach (the US market via eBay international shipping) then I'm giving it away.

Yesterday I got rid of a couple of old magazines that were hiding with some decorating inspo. Today I'm going to go through the decorating inspo and make some sort of mood board. I had kept flyers from furniture shops and stuff - some are so old that when I google them I found they are out of business!

Finally - yesterday we had plantation shutters installed. The venetian blinds that were removed - I found a home for two sets that still work. I think the others are destined for landfill. We are still deciding whether to keep the curtains - the rooms are so echoey with just shutters! But I think they would be easy to give away. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 17, 2018, 06:08:37 PM
Okay! Flooring is done and we're "moving back in" and staging the house. Added to the goodwill pile already: framed print of the human body that has the leg proportions all wrong and always bothered me, even though it was useful during A&P. Three pairs of boots and a pair of rain boots. I'll be posting a bunch of painting supplies and some planters to buy nothing- hope someone can use them.

As for reducing visual clutter: our gatorade powder came in this horrific giant orange canister. Only about 1/4 is left, so I moved it into a glass container we had that was perfect size. Same for a costco size tub of coconut oil- pretty ugly plastic container, hard to store, only like 20% of the (huge) container left. I melted it by putting it in a sink full of hot water then decanted it into a mason jar. Much cleaner looking, and will look all pretty when people snoop in the pantry.

Currently leaving all the 'extra' stuff in the garage, it isn't getting moved back in yet, and we'll go through it as we go.

Things I'm struggling with:
-Poster from my first undergrad of a paper I presented.
-Violin. I used to play when I was younger, then played again for a while in college. I don't know how to anymore, but hope to re-learn some day. It's crazy though because I've toted a violin place to place (9 or 10 times?) and haven't played in like 8 years >.<
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on October 17, 2018, 06:17:21 PM
Things I'm struggling with:
-Poster from my first undergrad of a paper I presented.
-Violin. I used to play when I was younger, then played again for a while in college. I don't know how to anymore, but hope to re-learn some day. It's crazy though because I've toted a violin place to place (9 or 10 times?) and haven't played in like 8 years >.<

Jumping in to motivate myself, and also to comment on these!  I am in exactly the same situation, I can't bear to get rid of my first ever academic poster, so it stays rolled up in my closet.  And I used to play oboe, and want to again, but I haven't played since college because of living in apartments with thin walls.  Once I have the space/privacy, I don't know if I'll be able to play anymore, but I also know if I get rid of my instrument, it'll be hard to find another I like as much...  I've got lower hanging fruit to declutter for now, though.

Things I need to declutter:
 - Sewing box + fabric box - get rid of duplicates, make sure I know what I have in there
 - kitchen cabinets - organize and clean shelves
 - winter clothes - try on and donate anything that doesn't fit or no longer my style
 - liquor cabinet - move things to front to be consumed first to clear out
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 17, 2018, 06:41:03 PM
Things I'm struggling with:
-Poster from my first undergrad of a paper I presented.
-Violin. I used to play when I was younger, then played again for a while in college. I don't know how to anymore, but hope to re-learn some day. It's crazy though because I've toted a violin place to place (9 or 10 times?) and haven't played in like 8 years >.<

Jumping in to motivate myself, and also to comment on these!  I am in exactly the same situation, I can't bear to get rid of my first ever academic poster, so it stays rolled up in my closet.  And I used to play oboe, and want to again, but I haven't played since college because of living in apartments with thin walls.  Once I have the space/privacy, I don't know if I'll be able to play anymore, but I also know if I get rid of my instrument, it'll be hard to find another I like as much...  I've got lower hanging fruit to declutter for now, though.

Things I need to declutter:
 - Sewing box + fabric box - get rid of duplicates, make sure I know what I have in there
 - kitchen cabinets - organize and clean shelves
 - winter clothes - try on and donate anything that doesn't fit or no longer my style
 - liquor cabinet - move things to front to be consumed first to clear out

The academic poster one is so weird, right? I ended up in a different field than my first undergrad (nursing vs a science degree), and so it feels like that poster is so symbolic of a different time and path in my life, and it's nice to remember I DID that. But it's like... I can't really hang up a poster like that, haha. It's bright orange for one!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SquashingDebt on October 17, 2018, 07:00:15 PM
Things I'm struggling with:
-Poster from my first undergrad of a paper I presented.
-Violin. I used to play when I was younger, then played again for a while in college. I don't know how to anymore, but hope to re-learn some day. It's crazy though because I've toted a violin place to place (9 or 10 times?) and haven't played in like 8 years >.<

Jumping in to motivate myself, and also to comment on these!  I am in exactly the same situation, I can't bear to get rid of my first ever academic poster, so it stays rolled up in my closet.  And I used to play oboe, and want to again, but I haven't played since college because of living in apartments with thin walls.  Once I have the space/privacy, I don't know if I'll be able to play anymore, but I also know if I get rid of my instrument, it'll be hard to find another I like as much...  I've got lower hanging fruit to declutter for now, though.

Things I need to declutter:
 - Sewing box + fabric box - get rid of duplicates, make sure I know what I have in there
 - kitchen cabinets - organize and clean shelves
 - winter clothes - try on and donate anything that doesn't fit or no longer my style
 - liquor cabinet - move things to front to be consumed first to clear out

The academic poster one is so weird, right? I ended up in a different field than my first undergrad (nursing vs a science degree), and so it feels like that poster is so symbolic of a different time and path in my life, and it's nice to remember I DID that. But it's like... I can't really hang up a poster like that, haha. It's bright orange for one!

I can verify that just looking at the PDFs of my first posters provides a good nostalgia hit, so maybe you can rely on an electronic copy or a picture?

All my printed copies were left at my various labs, I think.  Maybe some are still on the wall there? (Probably not, haha.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on October 17, 2018, 10:15:00 PM
I also still have my undergraduate posters and my old instruments....To be fair, I have played my clarinet in the last year or two and am still singing so it's not totally crazy I'd pick up the clarinet for something again.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I may take the posters to work. Does that count as decluttering?

Anyway, the real reason I came to post in this thread is that I got the fudge and smoked paprika out of my house. I recently listened to a podcast about a food sharing app called Olio and decided to give it a try. It's meant to reduce food waste by connecting people who have food they don't want with others who would enjoy it. It's based in the UK, where I think it's more active. There aren't very many listings in my city. But someone saw my post and wanted the items! She picked them up tonight.

If that hadn't worked, I was going to try my neighborhood's Nextdoor. I've never used Buy Nothing or Freecycle here but I will also keep those in mind for the future. I also would have considered donating to a food pantry, but the pantries in my area had specific requests that were not fudge.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 17, 2018, 10:19:22 PM
Awesome on the food redistribution, zygote!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 18, 2018, 07:06:01 AM
@zygote That's great!  I downloaded that app a while ago, but after three months of no postings in my area, I deleted it.
Hoping to try again maybe next year as it's fanbase grows!

----------------------------------------------------

I successfully moved this little desk that's been in my house forever into my car.  It'll go to the thrift shop this week!  Yay!
I also spent an hour or so doing mending projects last night, rather than going out and buying new things to add to my junk.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 18, 2018, 12:27:56 PM
When I did my annual files cull, I came across 15 sheets of paper all related to one purchase -four copies of the receipt (?!), copy of the full reimbursement package submitted at the time, three copies of the warranty, etc. I was pretty sure the warranty had long expired, but called today to confirm. Yep! The product is working perfectly still, the warranty expired two YEARS ago, and now I get to shred this many more pages :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 18, 2018, 12:46:24 PM
More more more! Added an old test prep book and a set of speakers to the goodwill box. Went through a couple drawers and tidied, plus a few glass jars are going to recycling. On the "pretty for staging" front, consolidated a couple bags of coffee into pretty jars, so the cupboard is nice and clean now.

A tiny bit down, SO Much more to go! On the bright side, everyone who comes to work on the house or give bids tells us they think we'll sell super fast. Maybe just good marketing, but it feels nice to hear the votes of confidence!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on October 18, 2018, 02:14:07 PM

--threw out all expired allergy meds


It's best to take old meds to the pharmacy for proper disposal, otherwise it can leech into groundwater or end up in bodies of water.  Not good for people or animals.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 18, 2018, 05:19:44 PM
Took the last of the handbags I wanted to give away* to book club last night, got 1 sneer from the woman who is insanely & pointlessly competitive and 1 offer** to take it for the dress-up box. I know I know but it's a $400 handbag! So reaching out to Dress for Success to see if they will want it. Otherwise it will go to the work colleague who wants it.

Also my trip to NZ is planned so that will be a suitcase of manga out of the house!

*this round
**from a really nice woman who I like
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 18, 2018, 06:49:34 PM
Put three more necklaces in the donation pile. Two have never been worn, and were gifts. I like the idea of small, steady steps each day!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on October 18, 2018, 08:09:59 PM

--threw out all expired allergy meds


It's best to take old meds to the pharmacy for proper disposal, otherwise it can leech into groundwater or end up in bodies of water.  Not good for people or animals.

Thanks, good to know @SunnyDays
 I've taken pain med's/opiates back to the pharmacy but never considered it with the over-the-counter anti-histamines. I'll look into it next time!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on October 18, 2018, 08:11:43 PM
Going through toiletries--eegads :)

Removing
--seven pairs of tweezers (!!)
--piles of soap/sewing kits that my SO brings from his travels
--threw out all expired allergy meds/doubles of first aid items

I have a friend who belongs to a church that does breakfast programs for struggling families and the homeless.  They are always very happy to get any hotel toiletries, travel size toothpaste and toothbrushes from the dentist, etc.  They make up little gift bags with them, and pass them out at Christmas or when needed.

Do you have something like that available?

Yes--thank you. The local thrift store is connected with/run by the social services group in the area so they receive and put these items to use :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on October 18, 2018, 10:14:21 PM
I my mind, this counts.

Last weekend I hung up my cork board, which has been in my closet for 6 months.  The only thing on it all week was the slip from the library showing due dates.  Kind of pathetic-looking.  Today inspiration struck, and I hung up the envelopes I use to hold receipts between the time I enter them in my spreadsheet and when I balance the checkbooks (6 envelopes).  They fill up a nice bit of the board and it no longer looks pathetic!

Ooh, another inspiration.  Some of the things in my last 2 unpacked boxes from the move were originally on the cork board...I should see if I want them back, or donate them.  Onward!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 18, 2018, 10:27:38 PM
Oneday- it totally counts!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on October 18, 2018, 10:40:02 PM
Today, we finally got rid of the two bags of stuff that have been gathering
-one of the bags was a recently acquired backpack that we filled with recently acquired books..all given to us, not bought

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 19, 2018, 02:29:06 AM

--threw out all expired allergy meds


It's best to take old meds to the pharmacy for proper disposal, otherwise it can leech into groundwater or end up in bodies of water.  Not good for people or animals.

Thanks, good to know @SunnyDays
 I've taken pain med's/opiates back to the pharmacy but never considered it with the over-the-counter anti-histamines. I'll look into it next time!

Omg who gives away opiates! :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on October 19, 2018, 03:58:59 AM

--threw out all expired allergy meds


It's best to take old meds to the pharmacy for proper disposal, otherwise it can leech into groundwater or end up in bodies of water.  Not good for people or animals.

Thanks, good to know @SunnyDays
 I've taken pain med's/opiates back to the pharmacy but never considered it with the over-the-counter anti-histamines. I'll look into it next time!

Omg who gives away opiates! :)

Who would want those nasty things in the house if it's not absolutely necessary?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on October 19, 2018, 08:14:21 AM
Today, we finally got rid of the two bags of stuff that have been gathering
-one of the bags was a recently acquired backpack that we filled with recently acquired books..all given to us, not bought

I'm wondering if we have reached a turning point in society where giving gifts can be considered an act of hostility!  I was looking around our house and realizing how many of the tchotchkes were gifted to me, not bought.  I never wanted any of this stuff, though I love the people who gave them to me and treasure their intentions. And I am downright resenting visiting elderly relatives who fill my trunk with their junk.

Got rid of a quantity of baby stuff including the high chair! Hopefully there will be room enough in our garage and closets so we can do some serious organization, rather than cramming items into the closet and then closing the door quick before things fall out.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 19, 2018, 08:23:42 AM
Quote
I'm wondering if we have reached a turning point in society where giving gifts can be considered an act of hostility!

Good question... Unless specifically thought-out, it’s just people dumping their crap or emotions on victims, or being unwilling to level up their relating. Not actually a gift at all...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Lincolnshire Girl on October 19, 2018, 09:32:16 AM
Quote
I'm wondering if we have reached a turning point in society where giving gifts can be considered an act of hostility!

Good question... Unless specifically thought-out, it’s just people dumping their crap or emotions on victims, or being unwilling to level up their relating. Not actually a gift at all...

I put it down to the hand-me-down/war era where the same probably happened to them. It was the thing to do.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on October 19, 2018, 09:47:15 AM

--threw out all expired allergy meds


It's best to take old meds to the pharmacy for proper disposal, otherwise it can leech into groundwater or end up in bodies of water.  Not good for people or animals.

Thanks, good to know @SunnyDays
 I've taken pain med's/opiates back to the pharmacy but never considered it with the over-the-counter anti-histamines. I'll look into it next time!

Omg who gives away opiates! :)

Who would want those nasty things in the house if it's not absolutely necessary?

It took me 5 pharmacies to find one who would take them back.  Between my husband and I we had over 200 pills - dating as old as 8 years ago.
Apparently our doctors give out prescriptions like candy, and then we take 1 or 2.   hydrocodone, hydromorphone, codeine, I couldn't believe how much was in the medicine drawer.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on October 19, 2018, 09:59:09 AM

--threw out all expired allergy meds


It's best to take old meds to the pharmacy for proper disposal, otherwise it can leech into groundwater or end up in bodies of water.  Not good for people or animals.

Thanks, good to know @SunnyDays
 I've taken pain med's/opiates back to the pharmacy but never considered it with the over-the-counter anti-histamines. I'll look into it next time!

Omg who gives away opiates! :)

Who would want those nasty things in the house if it's not absolutely necessary?

It took me 5 pharmacies to find one who would take them back.  Between my husband and I we had over 200 pills - dating as old as 8 years ago.
Apparently our doctors give out prescriptions like candy, and then we take 1 or 2.   hydrocodone, hydromorphone, codeine, I couldn't believe how much was in the medicine drawer.

And that is part of why we have an epidemic of addiction and deaths. Consider telling your doctor(s) how much you just turned in.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 19, 2018, 10:06:00 AM
In my town we used to have an annual drug disposal day. You would drive up with your drugs in bags and they would collect them. Now, if you want to dispose drugs you take them to the police station and I guess they have a container to dispose of them. Seems to me people would be more apt to go to a community event to dispose of drugs than to go to the police station.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 19, 2018, 10:11:55 AM
Got rid of two skirts, one bra + two summer dresses that don't fit. We're going to Hawaii in a few weeks, and I figured now was the time to try on my beachy wear & get rid of anything that I wouldn't want to bring on a vacation. All in the donation pile. I think I'll peek into the kids rooms to see what mysteries await, and what's available for donation!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 19, 2018, 01:51:19 PM
So this week I got rid of three magazine storage boxes and a pile of magazines. They were very bulky and I had no shelf space for them anymore so it feels good.

About the tablets & prescriptions. I just don't fill out new prescriptions if I've still got old ones. I guess I'd have packets  and packets of codeine if I filled them all every time I needed four tablets after an op or what have you. Noone's ever prescribed me the really really strong -odone stuff but I was a bit astonished when I got prescribed the strongest prescription only codeine for a persistent cough - I just asked for the lower strength one at the pharmacy as that's what I have for migraines so I get to use up the packet.

What I have got is hundreds of unused needles from doing IVF - I don't expect anyone would accept them and needle disposal is quite hard - my local pharmacy won't take them so I might have to go to a hospital.

For some reason we also have loads of bandages - good for a Halloween mummy costume??
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on October 19, 2018, 03:08:21 PM
@Fresh Bread --a mummy costume is a great idea :)

Dealing with
-old seeds into the compost
-getting rid of a planter that lost one small leg, still use-able but can go to the free-store
-some electronics that my SO has been holding onto
-brand new runners that he was given for some reason..doesn't need or want
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 19, 2018, 03:13:46 PM
@Fresh Bread --a mummy costume is a great idea :)

And donating them now so someone else can make one is perfect!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 19, 2018, 03:22:07 PM
@Fresh Bread --a mummy costume is a great idea :)

And donating them now so someone else can make one is perfect!

Yeah, I'll get them out there! Today however I must declutter the weeds as there is a break in weeks of rain.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 19, 2018, 04:40:12 PM
Can I just say that getting up and walking into my much more minimalist lounge this morning was quite fabulous. We just got plantation shutters and I really love having no curtains. Was going to put them back up but I love it so much without. How funny.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on October 19, 2018, 04:58:20 PM
Ugh.  I got home this afternoon and went to take a picture of the high chair to put on FB and found that DH has moved it into storage.  And he's covered the desk I wanted to try to sell in stuff from his office.  This is NOT the direction this is supposed to be going.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 19, 2018, 05:08:32 PM
...I really love having no curtains. Was going to put them back up but I love it so much without. How funny.

I'm required to have logistically difficult blinds, but I was able to easily remove the overhang and change other secondary aspects -so much better!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: CrustyBadger on October 19, 2018, 05:17:26 PM
A few months ago I drastically decluttered all the camping cookware I had gathered in the basement.  Of course today my son asked for a lot of it as he was going camping and needed the pots and pans and mess kits I had donated!

Oh well, I told him they were gone and ... he dealt with it!   He figured something out.  I hang on to things because I think "they might come in handy some day" and I'm afraid to throw stuff out because "someone might need it".  But if he had given me even a few days' notice we could have borrowed some things. And as it turned out, he managed to make do.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on October 19, 2018, 10:48:28 PM
Small wins this week - I read "Decluttering at the Speed of Life" and liked the anti-konmari approach of keeping things contained as you go, so that if you are interrupted (or sick, or tired) you are not left with a larger interim mess.  I really like KonMari - especially for the folding advice - but this was more practical for me at the moment so I can keep some progress going without commiting my full office or home to overhaul. It is just not the time for that now.

With that in mind, I got rid of about 4 inches of paper clutter at work, and a full box of stuff at home. I also needed to read her take on kitchen pantry clutter - which I fight against (frequent lurker on the 'https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/eat-all-the-food-in-your-house-take-2/?topicseen (http://'https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/eat-all-the-food-in-your-house-take-2/?topicseen) topic, and I hate the thought of food waste).  She asked - is the food already wasted? As in, you might be ok eating slightly expired food, and using up non-favorites, but how many times have you opted for something else when it should have been an option. Also addressed the 'i don't want the chance of being sick today', with - when is a good time to feel sick?

So, a super old bag of broken/mixed/yucky cereal and similarly broken/mixed/yucky biscuits plus the last few tablespoons of lemon curd finally hit the bin. I'm very relieved. I tried a few pudding and other recipes with those items and they were never good. It was wasted food a long long time ago. Now I can focus on the next mystery ingredients in my cupboard, and the next likely stack of shreddable papers.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 19, 2018, 11:55:15 PM
Those new angles sound fresh and awesome, halftimer :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 20, 2018, 05:38:17 AM
Small wins this week - I read "Decluttering at the Speed of Life" and liked the anti-konmari approach of keeping things contained as you go, so that if you are interrupted (or sick, or tired) you are not left with a larger interim mess. 

Thanks for the recommendation.  It is popular, I am now #78 in line for it at my library.

I liked The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, very low key, funny, and realistic.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 20, 2018, 07:49:43 AM
Entire truck bed full went to goodwill! I didn't even realize we had acquired so much. Some was small old ikea type pieces that we used in the garage- like an old lack coffee table we used as an easy to move table to do wood working projects in the garage- stuff like that can go now in advance of listing the house. Other stuff was things we've been adding to the goodwill pile the last few weeks, then an old synthetic comforter and fuzzy blanket that sheds.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on October 20, 2018, 12:47:35 PM
@MaybeBabyMustache I appreciate you posting so steadily.  That goes for everyone.  I just *love* coming back here periodically to find how much others are "in it with me". 

Yesterday got 4 small boxes of CDs back to Mr. X.  Actually, 3 boxes of CDs and one box of empty CD cases.  Nice to get that particular box out of the house with only minimal effort on my part!

5 down, 4 to go.  Those were the smallest 5, so the last 4 will likely take more effort.  Maybe a box a week rather than 3?  Putting the end date for this project at Nov 18.  Yes, that is what I'll shoot for.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 20, 2018, 03:00:56 PM
Awesome job, everyone! Shout out to @Bracken_Joy for the entire truck bed of donations!

@oneday - so happy it's useful. I find it personally motivating as well. I also went through my fridge/freezer today, tossing things that weren't going to ever be eaten. Sad for food waste, but yay for having only things we will eat. I also have 5-6 things of the kids that I pulled out of their closets and will either sell or donate to our local kids swap.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 20, 2018, 06:12:07 PM
*Shipped kid's course work off to teacher
*Returned comfort item ($) I will no longer need for coping with exams
*Returned library book of kid's that was a touch overdue and that he found when doing thorough weekly tidy of his room
*Dropped off latest pile of recycling
*Threw out cuticle cream I somehow lost the cap for
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on October 20, 2018, 06:12:54 PM
I managed to get the high chair listed on FB for sale.  Also got a few of the nicer cloth diapers listed on a specialty page for sale.  Threw out a box full of training manuals for a class I took nearly two years ago and haven't used since.  Now to get the rest of his outgrown clothes ready for the next round of consignment sales. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on October 21, 2018, 11:52:42 AM
@Bracken_Joy

Yes, that's a tough one for my sentimental heart! Can you roll up the poster or take a picture of it and store on your computer?

I would have a hard time getting rid of the violin too... that's why I follow this thread.

Okay, so my question is how did you declutter your jewellery box? I have lots of jewellery that was given to me over the years that's just not my style. A lot of it is silver and semi-precious stones so I wouldn't want to give it away...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 21, 2018, 12:16:34 PM
Went through the kids closets. Got rid of at least 35 items, for the donation pile. We don't buy that much, but get hand me downs from my nephews, and sizes/seasons/preferences don't always totally align.

I also put aside a shirt that's from my friend's child's favorite sports team. He's a size smaller than my kids, and this is in great condition.

I also found a pair of pants with the tags still on that I'll attempt to sell.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Debts_of_Despair on October 21, 2018, 12:18:34 PM
Was going through some stuff in the attic and came across an old model car. eBay search shows it’s worth about $200!  Score!  Best part is it holds zero sentimental value so no consideration given to keeping it.  Not even sure where it came from.  The weirdest part is that I thought I was free of items like this but I occasionally I find something new.  Imagine how much stuff a non-declutterer has in their house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 21, 2018, 02:00:34 PM
@Debts_of_Despair - nice! What a great find!

I also went through & listed four things on a Facebook swap + one bundle on eBay. I already have one taker for a Facebook swap item. Yay!

I ended an eBay listing that was not paying off (had been posted 3 times), so added that + a tshirt to the donation pile. I'm feeling so good with the progress this weekend! If only every weekend was like this. Once I get on a roll, I try to take advantage of my motivation while it's hot. ;-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on October 21, 2018, 02:11:22 PM
Got a couple of boxes of kids clothes ready for consignment sale.  Added bonus that it cleared a whole bunch of clothes hangers out of my closet.  Figured out that I'm going to have way more than the item limit for the spring sale. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on October 21, 2018, 04:18:28 PM
@MrsTuxedocat I went through my jewelry today, and I made four separate piles.  1. Keep; 2. Pawn Shop (gold/silver or gemstone jewelry that I never wear); 3. Donate (good looking costume jewelry, silver-plated, etc); and 4. Trash (really ugly or tarnished costume jewelry).  My DH is due to make a trip to a pawn shop or Jewelry/Coin type place soon to sell some of his coin collection, so I'm going to have him take the Pawn pile along to sell and hopefully get a bit back for it.  If the pawn shop doesn't want it, I'll decide if anyone I know might like it as a gift, otherwise donate it.

I also went through a small under-bed bin, a small bin from my closet, my bag of hair clips/barrettes, and a small bowl that sits in my living room and tends to collect bits and bobs.  Tossed a few things, and put a bunch more in the donate box.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on October 21, 2018, 06:37:59 PM
R, I decluttered my jewelry in a similar way except that jewelry stores buy gold and silver to melt down and pay more than pawn shops. I have also put nice rings on consignment at upscale shops that sell used designer clothes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on October 21, 2018, 07:00:09 PM
Don't you just love it when you do your to-do list out of order?
Dropped off 4 bags of stuff to Goodwill.
Then pulled winter clothes out and put summer clothes away. Several items added to the box.

I've decided I'm going to get rid of a bike (leg powered) and an insert for a sliding door with a cat door in it. Now just to actually do it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 21, 2018, 07:09:55 PM
Everyone is crushing it! Must be the day/weekend for decluttering
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on October 21, 2018, 09:33:00 PM
My step-mother tried to hand on a small "occasional table" to us this weekend.  We have "so little furniture" and she saw it by the side of the road and thought it might be of use to us.

Sorry, but no.  And it had to be firmly put in the end.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on October 22, 2018, 02:32:11 AM
Tomorrow I will borrow the hanger at work at get rid of the big garbage around our house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 22, 2018, 06:52:04 AM
My step-mother tried to hand on a small "occasional table" to us this weekend.  We have "so little furniture" and she saw it by the side of the road and thought it might be of use to us.

Sorry, but no.  And it had to be firmly put in the end.

Oh no, I hate that.
It's generally well meaning people, but it's people who just don't get it.

I can't tell you the number of people who have tried to give me their TVs over the years.  I've never owned a TV and I never want one. 
People have a VERY hard time with this. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on October 22, 2018, 10:07:05 AM

What I have got is hundreds of unused needles from doing IVF - I don't expect anyone would accept them and needle disposal is quite hard - my local pharmacy won't take them so I might have to go to a hospital.
 

Are there any animal rescues that sponsor free/low cost clinics for pets in your area?  They may be able to take needles, depending on the gauge, for shots and surgeries.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on October 22, 2018, 02:18:56 PM
Thank you for the suggestions and now off to declutter :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 22, 2018, 02:27:14 PM
Tomorrow I will borrow the hanger at work at get rid of the big garbage around our house.

What is the hanger at work?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on October 22, 2018, 02:28:56 PM

What I have got is hundreds of unused needles from doing IVF - I don't expect anyone would accept them and needle disposal is quite hard - my local pharmacy won't take them so I might have to go to a hospital.
 

Are there any animal rescues that sponsor free/low cost clinics for pets in your area?  They may be able to take needles, depending on the gauge, for shots and surgeries.

A shelter that I used to volunteer at did accept such things.

Alternatively, my hazardous waste drop off day advertised they'd take sharps, used or not.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: krmit on October 22, 2018, 02:54:51 PM
Moved this weekend from a 750 sq. foot apartment into a positively palatial 1194 sq. foot house! We decided to do our decluttering as we unpack, as we weren't sure which random crappy shelf units will be useful and which will not. We've also inherited a fair amount of shelving, cleaning products, etc in the new garage.

We've already been barraged with offers of furniture from both sets of downsizing parents. We're going to be very thoughtful about what we accept and what we don't (and fortunately our parents won't take no as an insult).

Goals: unpack at a steady rate, get a Goodwill box going. Declutter as we go. Get the right new furniture, not the first ones we're offered.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on October 22, 2018, 03:00:48 PM
Most of our grocery stores have sharps disposals in the bathrooms...  I mean, it would take awhile to get rid of them all...but it's an option.

Or could you put them all, well wrapped in a plastic container and just put them in the trash?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 22, 2018, 03:18:16 PM
Most of our grocery stores have sharps disposals in the bathrooms...  I mean, it would take awhile to get rid of them all...but it's an option.

Or could you put them all, well wrapped in a plastic container and just put them in the trash?

I'm going to ask at the vets what type of needles they use. From memory they are quite different but I can ask. I have the insulin type (which they might use) but also ones that are just a needle tip that screws on a pen dispenser. I have hundreds of those because they give you about 9 with each vial but I only ever used three as I was doing a massive dose!
The answer for those is probably the bin, safely enclosed in a box. No-one actually handles the garbage anyway, it's all automated.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 22, 2018, 03:35:27 PM
So I got rid of all those bandages to someone :) With those out and the sharps in a bag waiting to be dealt with I can reorganise the meds drawer so that everything is easily located. I have other more urgent things to do (put the pictures up that are covering the dining table) but maybe this will start the snowball??

Hubby has got rid of two books, that's quite a major achievement. He goes away on Friday and a few little things are going to go missing during that time including expired vitamins and a couple more home mags.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: happy on October 22, 2018, 03:39:58 PM
I'm still feeling like I've too much stuff. Since I moved a year ago I've continued to try to get rid of stuff. We have been doing a whole house reno whilst living in it, so we have been shifting piles of belonging from one place to another. Often working to a deadline we have simply gathered stuff up and shoved it in the next location.

Some of the permanent cupboards/drawers are now installed in the laundry, kitchen and master bedroom, so I've been thoughtfully trying to move stuff into the appropriate places. A lot of items need dusting/cleaning, so its a slow process.

Compared to my early decluttering attempts, not so much is being culled now. Rubbish and broken items are going into a big skip bin. A few more loads of miscellany have gone to the family store and clothing is steadily being donated.

I feel like I need some sort of shock tactic to move me onto the next level so to speak. In reality I think I will  just keep going as I am, and see how full/empty the house feels once it is all finished.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 23, 2018, 07:58:27 AM
Another big box left. I realized I had an interesting mental bias at play- which was, we only got too much stuff when we moved here, so I should only *get rid of* things I got since we moved! The problem with that, though, is of course I really like some of the stuff I've gotten in the last couple years! So the obvious solution is I need to get rid of older stuff to make room for that newer stuff.

In that vein, I got rid of a couple sentimental but odd items- an old comforter and pillow that my old dog used as beds, a large hamper I've had since I was young (13 or 14? but I much prefer our new hamper). I think there were a few other items in there, but honestly I'm not even keeping track now. House photos were yesterday, so it's been an utter flurry of activity.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 23, 2018, 08:55:35 AM
One success for me: I gave a big box of soap-making supplies to my neighbor who is on maternity leave until February.  She's just getting into soap-making, thrift stores won't take the supplies, and I haven't made soap in a year and didn't apply to sell at any farmers markets this summer AND my Etsy shop has been in 'Vacation Mode' for 16 months... it's time to let it go, for now.
 I can always jump back into it, and it's both a good space saver for me and something she really wants to do while she's on leave.  WIN WIN.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 23, 2018, 09:17:26 PM
-Put a pair of way too big oven mitts in the donation pile. (They are newish, and came in a set).
-However, while I was out at the donation pile (it's inside of our garage), I discovered that DH had put in a hoodie that was too small for him. Back into the house it went, for me. It will save me money, as I was planning on buying something for around the house, or re-purposing something out of my work wear that's not in as good of shape. I don't think I've ever removed anything from the donation pile before!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on October 23, 2018, 10:27:18 PM
Sooo  based on your suggestions, I went to the gold/silver buyers store and took in my old jewellery. I earned $61 from the useless stuff.

I think I will be wearing more jewellery now, that my box isn't full of clutter.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on October 24, 2018, 01:38:12 AM
-Put a pair of way too big oven mitts in the donation pile. (They are newish, and came in a set).

Why is it so difficult to find a pair of fitting ones? I have also once managed to buy very large ones. Now at home, we have that large pair in use for DH and a smaller, but still large pair for me.
In the past we had smaller gloves that fitted both of us, but what happened to those?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 24, 2018, 05:38:38 AM
You guys are so inspiring.  I am gearing up for another round a de-cluttering.  A pile is forming in the garage.  Another is forming in the basement.  A garbage bag is filling in the front closet.  It is noticeably easier to clean the house already but I keep on seeing stuff that is just collecting dust and after it makes it way to the pile it feels so much better.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on October 24, 2018, 06:38:39 AM
When going to the communal garbage place for throwing away rooting wood, I put our bread toaster and a citrus press on the shelf for recycling, where other people can pick it up.
These are 2 items that I seldom or never use.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Car Jack on October 24, 2018, 07:05:43 AM
Most of our grocery stores have sharps disposals in the bathrooms...  I mean, it would take awhile to get rid of them all...but it's an option.

Or could you put them all, well wrapped in a plastic container and just put them in the trash?

I'm going to ask at the vets what type of needles they use. From memory they are quite different but I can ask. I have the insulin type (which they might use) but also ones that are just a needle tip that screws on a pen dispenser. I have hundreds of those because they give you about 9 with each vial but I only ever used three as I was doing a massive dose!
The answer for those is probably the bin, safely enclosed in a box. No-one actually handles the garbage anyway, it's all automated.


Do a google search on "selling pen needles".  Both my son and I are diabetic and use both normal needles and pen needles.  Going through our supplies, we're overloaded a bit so in searching, I found companies who will pay for pen needles since they are sealed.  Also, just for information, lancets, and test strips are easily sold to companies who will resell them.   Regular syringe needles depend on the state on whether you can sell them or not and I've found no company who will buy them.  But you can donate them and an animal shelter would be perfect.  There's no special type of needle for animals.  The different type of needle needed more depends on the amount of the injection the syringe can hold.  Shelters aren't going to be picky about this.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 24, 2018, 12:52:10 PM
@Linda_Norway - I prefer the kind without fingers (you just slide your entire hand in). Any time you get the kind for fingers, I find that they are way too large
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 24, 2018, 02:05:50 PM
*Raincoat - That was a toughie. After moving to a sopping climate, I needed a raincoat, but just wanted something simple and easy. I received one in a white elephant Christmas and just loved it! Red, hooded, zip, pockets... I felt so happy in it :)    Alas, the last two outings it has sliced itself long and wide. I thought I might store it as a souvenir, but I don't want to, so off it went.

*Car contents - We keep things in there for long outings (three bottles of water, two games, thick blanket, gym shoes, etc). Went through EVERYTHING, reorganized, took a big bagful out for recycling, thrift, summer storage, and garbage.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 24, 2018, 02:45:02 PM
Five more books out of the house and I am making a new clothing pile for donation.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 24, 2018, 04:23:59 PM
Thanks @Car Jack , I looked it up and I have about $20 worth so took them back out of the bin and am trying to give them away. I've asked at the animal shelter too what they use for their diabetic dogs.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 24, 2018, 04:33:07 PM
I'm a minimalist at heart and excited to join this thread.
I've moved more times than I can count, so I've always kept my possessions down to two carloads at most, BUT I'm planning to buy a house in late 2019/early 2020 so I want to pare it down as much as I can, and get rid of things with bad energy (yep, that sounds woo woo when I type it out) or poor function.
I've already started this process prior to digging into this thread, so I'll start with planning.

To Do:
Update Capsule Wardrobe excel spreadsheet
Make Household item list spreadsheet (yes, I seriously want to do this)

Sell:
DONE Leaf Blower (must clean up first)
DONE Espresso machine
Bean Grinder (maybe just give away)


Clean out/Give Away:
DONE Crafting/soap making items
DONE Sort bins under bed
DONE Make donation trip to local nonprofit thrift shop when I get two more bags or boxes (NOT Goodwill)


Yay!  Glad to join in!

A few things DONE from my list, a few remaining, but good progress!  The donation to the local thrift ended being huge- I was so happy.

Left to do:
Give away or sell Coffee bean grinder (uh, where did I put it?)
Update Capsule Wardrobe list (tonight?)
Make Household Item list (this seems like too big a job, I'm clearly avoiding it... I think I need to chop it up into several tasks...)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on October 24, 2018, 06:37:49 PM
Packed up a beautiful wool winter coat that I will likely never fit into again.  Winter is coming, and someone is going to be happy to find this at our local Goodwill.   Added a trenchcoat that Mr. SP will never get back into either, and some books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 24, 2018, 11:23:48 PM
Winter is coming, and someone is going to be happy to find this at our local Goodwill.

Nice :))))
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 25, 2018, 12:08:14 PM
*Processed another set of warranty paperwork. Able to look its reference number up online and see if it was still in effect. It's not; bye bye!

*In the latest round of decluttering, found several items that will serve as excellent gifts for white elephant Christmas. For example, when I bought an essential oil I loved, I received a teeny bottle of a different one. Not my style, but a perfect fit for someone I'll be sharing Festivus with. Now have a lovely selection of similarly wonderful items ready.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on October 25, 2018, 12:31:17 PM
House is a mess. We rearranged furniture and then got pulled away to life so the final cleanup isn't finished. This weekend we need to clean it up and get the yard ready for winter! We have two actual days off from other duties!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on October 25, 2018, 01:38:17 PM
Our cat passed away recently. I took an unused bag of litter over to some friends of ours this morning (they have two cats and use the same type of litter). Our other perishable cat items -- food, her meds, treats -- will go to the shelter, hopefully this weekend. We'll still have her collar and toys (can't give those up yet) and her bowls and litterbox (which should be useful for future cats).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on October 25, 2018, 01:41:56 PM
Our cat passed away recently. I took an unused bag of litter over to some friends of ours this morning (they have two cats and use the same type of litter). Our other perishable cat items -- food, her meds, treats -- will go to the shelter, hopefully this weekend. We'll still have her collar and toys (can't give those up yet) and her bowls and litterbox (which should be useful for future cats).

I'm so sorry you lost your kitty friend.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mm1970 on October 25, 2018, 01:58:14 PM
I'm not sure my husband noticed yet.  He's been traveling a lot and only returned last night. 
He does not get rid of papers.  I discovered this 15 years ago, he had piles of paper for doing the bills - but junk mail in there too.  So I took over and recycle junk mail immediately.

But with 2 kids in school...oh the paper.  One night this week while he was traveling, I went through the 4 piles.  I filed the medical papers.  I have no idea if we have a medical folder.  I made a new one.  I filed the school business papers.  Already had a folder for that.  I recycled all the 1st grade school papers.  And I went through the enclosed "art" bench and recycled anything that was half done.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on October 25, 2018, 03:19:25 PM
Our cat passed away recently. I took an unused bag of litter over to some friends of ours this morning (they have two cats and use the same type of litter). Our other perishable cat items -- food, her meds, treats -- will go to the shelter, hopefully this weekend. We'll still have her collar and toys (can't give those up yet) and her bowls and litterbox (which should be useful for future cats).

I'm so sorry you lost your kitty friend.

She had a good run of it, and was well loved for many, many years. It just plain sucks to lose her, but I'm grateful for all the time I got have with her, and grateful that when her time came it was quick.

And I'm so glad that I can take her leftover things to friends and to a shelter where they can benefit other cats. It helps to know that her food and treats and medicines will help others.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 26, 2018, 07:19:41 AM

And I'm so glad that I can take her leftover things to friends and to a shelter where they can benefit other cats. It helps to know that her food and treats and medicines will help others.

I donated all Missy's things to a dog rescue group.  It was good to know that her things wold help other dogs.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 26, 2018, 07:51:40 AM

And I'm so glad that I can take her leftover things to friends and to a shelter where they can benefit other cats. It helps to know that her food and treats and medicines will help others.

I donated all Missy's things to a dog rescue group.  It was good to know that her things wold help other dogs.

Same. We had just bought a ton of meds and rx food when our dog took a sudden turn for the worse. We probably could have returned some of it, but it felt healing to help pets who wouldn't have gotten the treatment otherwise. Especially since Old Miss Dog was old, but a lot of pets that get her condition are often young.


My decluttering A- paid off and B- is taking a slightly strange turn. Our very first showing turned into a really strong offer on the house... and they want to buy a bunch of our stuff! Couch/TV/entertainment center/Stereo-Amp/Home gym/W+D/Fridge/two bedside tables. I love that couch... but honestly, they're offering a price on it all that would be insane NOT to take, especially since a bunch of that stuff was gonna get downsized anyway! Moving will be a lot easier I guess, haha!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 26, 2018, 07:53:49 AM
Wow, Bracken_Joy, awesome!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 26, 2018, 07:57:31 AM
Apparently I was right to obsessively clean, tidy, minimize EVERY spot in my home I could think of. Their showing lasted two hours, and they looked through the whole kitchen! Our agent is also their agent, so I got the deets, haha. (Also probably how it happened so quick- he's had this client for a long time and they've never made an offer. I think he knew our house was exactly what they wanted. Apparently, he was right!)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bateaux on October 26, 2018, 09:29:41 AM
A friend is selling some really great stuff for 100.  Worth well over 1000 new.  Problem is I have enough stuff.  But dang what a deal.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 26, 2018, 10:24:27 AM
Clutter is never a deal ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on October 26, 2018, 10:36:35 AM
Apparently I was right to obsessively clean, tidy, minimize EVERY spot in my home I could think of. Their showing lasted two hours, and they looked through the whole kitchen! Our agent is also their agent, so I got the deets, haha. (Also probably how it happened so quick- he's had this client for a long time and they've never made an offer. I think he knew our house was exactly what they wanted. Apparently, he was right!)

Congrats!  Great to see all your work pay off like that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on October 26, 2018, 01:52:48 PM
Apparently I was right to obsessively clean, tidy, minimize EVERY spot in my home I could think of. Their showing lasted two hours, and they looked through the whole kitchen! Our agent is also their agent, so I got the deets, haha. (Also probably how it happened so quick- he's had this client for a long time and they've never made an offer. I think he knew our house was exactly what they wanted. Apparently, he was right!)

Congrats!  Great to see all your work pay off like that.

+1
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 26, 2018, 02:41:32 PM
Well done Bracken Joy! What a result.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on October 26, 2018, 03:49:31 PM
Went through my kitchen cabinets this afternoon.  Tossed a few things that were badly out of date or things we'll never use, set aside a few bags of sunflower seeds for DH to take to work for snacks, and pulled out a spice packet I forgot I had so we can use it this week.  Not a ton of decluttering, but it felt so good to wipe down the shelves and put everything back neatly!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marty998 on October 26, 2018, 06:25:36 PM
I don't normally participate here but I thought I'd share I just threw out four large garbage bags of tops, jumpers, pyjamas, singlets, shirts and jerseys. Over 50 items of clothing that I've barely seen in years.

Oh and there was one pair of socks in there too.

Good win for today.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 27, 2018, 01:07:38 PM
Awesome news @Bracken_Joy.

I went through my closet & got rid of 2 scarves, 2 sweaters, a tshirt, & a skirt. I need to be realistic about what I actually wear, and what fits me.

I also recycled a luxury style magazine (no idea where it came from but "gag"), & a rope that I found in the kids room. Again, where do these things come from?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on October 27, 2018, 09:48:38 PM
I don't normally participate here but I thought I'd share I just threw out four large garbage bags of tops, jumpers, pyjamas, singlets, shirts and jerseys. Over 50 items of clothing that I've barely seen in years.

Oh and there was one pair of socks in there too.

Good win for today.

Huge win. Well done!

You motivated me to throw a few more things in the Vinnies bag.

And we need some food storage options at work so I'm taking in some jars and plastic containers I'm more than happy to part with.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on October 28, 2018, 07:32:36 AM
@Serendip Thanks for the idea about composting old seeds! I feel foolish that I hadn't thought of it before.

I brought the big bag of stuff to donate, which felt great. Then I immediately started a new one. We also put out our two trash-picked chairs and they were picked up by someone new. Hooray! The recycling cycle continues.

Update: I posted my wetsuit for sale. I'm inordinately proud of myself. Sure, it probably won't sell because it isn't the right season, but I did the thing that I had been putting off, and it was easy!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 28, 2018, 02:29:04 PM
Gave away a big staff of baseball cards & two more jackets. Found a jacket that had been hung in the wrong closet, & put it in its rightful location, so hopefully someone will find it/wear it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 28, 2018, 02:39:34 PM
We went with the buyer who wants to buy all our stuff haha. So we'll replace a few items, but not all of them, and see if we want to add them back in one by one. (Ie, we'll replace our TV, but not our sound system for example.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on October 28, 2018, 04:51:42 PM
I'd love for someone to take all my stuff and let me start again! I think hubby would have a hard time though.

He's away for a week and I am making such great strides. It's not just about the decisions to get rid of stuff (it takes so much time when you need to explain or debate everything that's not even his) but also having everything stay tidy and uncluttered once I've done an area. And once a room has stayed tidy and uncluttered for a day then I'm much likely to clean or I can see how to rearrange things to look good.

I should have taken some 'before' photos!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 28, 2018, 05:03:56 PM
We went with the buyer who wants to buy all our stuff haha. So we'll replace a few items, but not all of them, and see if we want to add them back in one by one.
That is the dream. So pleased for you
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 29, 2018, 06:23:19 AM
I worked in the garage for a couple of hours.  While nothing has left the property the pile is sorted into zones for drop off locations in a consolidated area.  All the items that need repairs are in another place.   Some stuff left the basement.   A lot of garbage made it into the bins.  So much space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on October 29, 2018, 07:36:23 AM
Congrats, @Bracken_Joy !

I emptied out my older backpack and put it in the donate bag. I had been holding onto it for sentimental reasons (I'd used it for 11 years) and because I had some fuzzy notion that I would use my old backpack for occasions when I didn't want to get my new bag dirty....what!? My new bag carries loads much more comfortably and is better organized. The old bag, which is in pretty good shape, is off to find its new home. (If you're wondering why I got the new bag in the first place, it's because it's a higher capacity traveling backpack that I use for trekking, vacations, work, and everyday.)

I also got rid of a pair of what if shoes, whose what if scenarios have never occurred, and I cleared off the entrance table.

I noticed that I have a tendency to keep items out if I want or need to do something with them, but then I don't do those things. Then every time I see the item, I think about how I have to do that thing, but continue on not doing it. What a silly drain on my mental energy! Maybe I'll create a closet box for all my to dos, and periodically, I can go through it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 29, 2018, 09:09:04 AM
I started my 'List of Everything I Own' this weekend and while I have a long way to go to get everything listed, it's already helping!!

As I went through the list (just mentally, I didn't get up and dig through just yet- I'm doing memory first, then dig through and add to list) I jumped up out of my desk chair several times to get said item from said area and move it to my 'Donate' box. 
Something about listing everything and seeing it written out in front of me is helping so much.  Plus I get to do a strike-through on the list when I get rid of things, and that's VERY satisfying.  LOL.

Gone:
Coffee Grinder
Glass Cookware (I used for soap making)
Extra mobility balls (How many do I need....)
Duplicate mobility bands
Box of brand new high quality casters (I was saving for an imaginary project)
Roll of 5" elastic
Saucepan I never use

..and a few other things I can't remember just now.

YAY!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on October 29, 2018, 11:47:14 AM
I started my 'List of Everything I Own' this weekend and while I have a long way to go to get everything listed, it's already helping!!

As I went through the list (just mentally, I didn't get up and dig through just yet- I'm doing memory first, then dig through and add to list) I jumped up out of my desk chair several times to get said item from said area and move it to my 'Donate' box. 
Something about listing everything and seeing it written out in front of me is helping so much.  Plus I get to do a strike-through on the list when I get rid of things, and that's VERY satisfying.  LOL.

Gone:
Coffee Grinder
Glass Cookware (I used for soap making)
Extra mobility balls (How many do I need....)
Duplicate mobility bands
Box of brand new high quality casters (I was saving for an imaginary project)
Roll of 5" elastic
Saucepan I never use

..and a few other things I can't remember just now.

YAY!

I did this many years ago when I had a lot less stuff.  I found that it made me get rid of things, because I couldn't be bothered to write some things down, so I figured I didn't want it all that badly!  Might be time to do this again.  I use all kinds of strategies for decluttering and they all have their uses.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on October 29, 2018, 11:58:03 AM
I started my 'List of Everything I Own' this weekend and while I have a long way to go to get everything listed, it's already helping!!

As I went through the list (just mentally, I didn't get up and dig through just yet- I'm doing memory first, then dig through and add to list) I jumped up out of my desk chair several times to get said item from said area and move it to my 'Donate' box. 
Something about listing everything and seeing it written out in front of me is helping so much.  Plus I get to do a strike-through on the list when I get rid of things, and that's VERY satisfying.  LOL.

Gone:
Coffee Grinder
Glass Cookware (I used for soap making)
Extra mobility balls (How many do I need....)
Duplicate mobility bands
Box of brand new high quality casters (I was saving for an imaginary project)
Roll of 5" elastic
Saucepan I never use

..and a few other things I can't remember just now.

YAY!

I did this many years ago when I had a lot less stuff.  I found that it made me get rid of things, because I couldn't be bothered to write some things down, so I figured I didn't want it all that badly!  Might be time to do this again.  I use all kinds of strategies for decluttering and they all have their uses.

I'm curious to try this, but it also kinda terrifies me a little. When you do this, how much detail do you use? ("Jar of pens" or "jar of pens, 10 black, 5 blue"? Or just "box of office supplies (pens, paper, etc)"?) And how many items do you end up with?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadowmoss on October 29, 2018, 12:00:53 PM
Your inventory, your rules.  From attempting this a few times ( note word attempting) I'm guessing you will find the level of detail that makes sense.  Also, you can start with groups, then go into more detail later.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 29, 2018, 12:43:05 PM

I'm curious to try this, but it also kinda terrifies me a little. When you do this, how much detail do you use? ("Jar of pens" or "jar of pens, 10 black, 5 blue"? Or just "box of office supplies (pens, paper, etc)"?) And how many items do you end up with?

I think it'll be different for everyone. 
For me, so far (this could change) if it's something I have more than 10 of, I'll write something like "15-20 pens" etc.  This helped a lot because as I was typing some of this stuff out I was even able to go "do I REALLY need 12 three-ring binders?" and then I could get them out, take a look, and then just save the best few of the bunch.
 
I'm not going to get into painful detail, but just enough to help me REALLY realize what I have and think about each thing/category at least for a moment.

It's been great so far!  I highly recommend this.

I'm doing room-by-room/purpose such as "office items", "kitchen", "bathroom", "exercise stuff", Closet 1, Closet 2, etc. 

It'll probably be a messy list until I work on it for a while and condense, etc.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on October 29, 2018, 01:02:24 PM
I do periodically inventory my books, which has helped me with that particular problem (books have been a gazingus pin for me in the past). And just listening to you guys talk about it this little bit, I suspect it'll help with a few other clutter areas (e.g. stationery -- I have stuff I love that I bought for myself, and stuff that people have given me that I don't particularly love).

I can doooooo this.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on October 29, 2018, 04:57:51 PM
For a while I inventoried my books on Librarything but that's now so out of date, with the multiple sheddings that I would need to delete and re-load all my contents. A friend came over on the weekend for help making her Halloween party costume and I gave her a top that  I loved the colour of and then realised I needed to be ~6" taller to pull off, luckily she *is* that much taller and it's just right  for her. And I don't have to trek back to Uniqlo to return it. That place is a madhouse.

We returned 1 fork & 4 lunch containers to The Other House only to immediately find another container and 3 more forks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Debts_of_Despair on October 29, 2018, 06:04:46 PM
Old broken iPod touch sent back to Apple for recycling.  They will give you a free shipping label for returning such items.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 29, 2018, 09:18:28 PM
Got rid of a sweater & a shirt today. Sweater is too short & shirt is too tight. it's my goal to consolidate my closet to 3/4 of its current size. Each day, as I look to pick something to wear, I force myself to consider wearing a few things that are in my closet & haven't been worn in the last 9-12 months. If the answer is still no, and the item is seasonally appropriate enough to be logically considered, into the bin it goes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 30, 2018, 05:49:31 AM
Okay, I need a kick in the ass.

Problem 1: I emptied two very large containers that were on my countertop filled with utensils. One is a crock type container and the other is a square acrylic, clear container. Both are really nice and I am having issues getting rid of them but I have no use for them!

Problem 2: I bought a spicy shelf to organize my spices and emptied out about 20 small clear bottles. They all have sticky labels on them. I don't want to donate them without washing them but if I do donate them, the labels are going to require a lot of work to remove them. I am thinking about tossing them all out.

Problem 3: I have a friend who sends me flowers and they always come with a nice vase. Now I have about 6 vases and getting overwhelmed with all of them. They are all so nice but I just have too many!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 30, 2018, 06:18:52 AM
Okay, I need a kick in the ass.
OK, I'll try!

Problem 1: I emptied two very large containers that were on my countertop filled with utensils. One is a crock type container and the other is a square acrylic, clear container. Both are really nice and I am having issues getting rid of them but I have no use for them!
> If you have no use for them, put them into your car to donate.  If they sit in your car for a few days, you might forget about them and be more OK donating them.  It's step one of three donating steps after you declutter/minimalize: put in car, drive to place, donate to place :)  If you end up not wanting to donate them, that's ok, but just take that first step.
Also, when I was younger, I really really relied on thrift stores to have a nice home.  You'll be helping someone out by donating them.


Problem 2: I bought a spicy shelf to organize my spices and emptied out about 20 small clear bottles. They all have sticky labels on them. I don't want to donate them without washing them but if I do donate them, the labels are going to require a lot of work to remove them. I am thinking about tossing them all out.
> Donate them AS-IS or recycle them.  Don't let them sit in your house for another day.  Into the car to donate or into the recycling bin they go!  If you can't put them in your car right now, put them in a box outside of your house.  Out.

Problem 3: I have a friend who sends me flowers and they always come with a nice vase. Now I have about 6 vases and getting overwhelmed with all of them. They are all so nice but I just have too many!
> That's so very kind of your friend and certainly something you want to remember.  Pick one that you like the most, donate the rest.  When she sends new flowers either move them into that favorite vase and recycle the one they arrive in, or if you like the new one more, keep that until the next ones come.  No more than one back up vase seems necessary to cherish this thoughtful act.  Again, someone will really love finding those at the thrift store, and if you end up recycling them, that's great too- they'll become something else!  How cool.  They'll get to live their lives in some other manner and spread that good energy throughout the world.  Only one back up vase- get the rest out.


Good luck!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 30, 2018, 06:42:19 AM
OKAY JJ I think you put a dent in my ass! The empty spice jars will go unwashed in a bag for donation. I will sort thru the vases and donate 'most' and the two big ass jugs I will also donate. UGH!

It seems the more I declutter or organize, it just doesn't seem to make any difference. We have rented dumpsters, gigantic ones, and filled them up around 3 times. Have donated hundreds of bags to Goodwill and Vietnam Vets (over the years) and still, my house is overflowing. There are only two of us and we never had kids so we can only blame ourselves! I donated a boat load of professional culinary books to a local cooking school. Since then, I have purchased maybe 5 books! Not all cook books but they are creeping back in again! Just bought a new skillet after donating a bunch of pots and pans...

I used to have a timeshare and wish I could minimalize like that. Our timeshare slept 6. In the kitchen there were six of each type of glass, plates, silverware. Limited amount of pots pans and a spaghetti strainer. If you ran out of something the answer was to wash them to reuse them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 30, 2018, 07:07:12 AM
OKAY JJ I think you put a dent in my ass! The empty spice jars will go unwashed in a bag for donation. I will sort thru the vases and donate 'most' and the two big ass jugs I will also donate. UGH!

It seems the more I declutter or organize, it just doesn't seem to make any difference. We have rented dumpsters, gigantic ones, and filled them up around 3 times. Have donated hundreds of bags to Goodwill and Vietnam Vets (over the years) and still, my house is overflowing. There are only two of us and we never had kids so we can only blame ourselves! I donated a boat load of professional culinary books to a local cooking school. Since then, I have purchased maybe 5 books! Not all cook books but they are creeping back in again! Just bought a new skillet after donating a bunch of pots and pans...

I used to have a timeshare and wish I could minimalize like that. Our timeshare slept 6. In the kitchen there were six of each type of glass, plates, silverware. Limited amount of pots pans and a spaghetti strainer. If you ran out of something the answer was to wash them to reuse them!

What's stopping you from doing that? My husband and I lived like that for many years when we were starting out.

Also, +1 me with JJ for items to thrift stores potentially being major gifts to someone else. A lot of my home is still the thrifted or freebie items I bought/found/saved from apartment trash rooms when I was younger. Releasing your guilt and self blame is a step I think you need to take on all this. But right now I've only had one sip of coffee after waking up at 5:30am, so any further insights will have to wait, lol!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 30, 2018, 07:17:22 AM
OKAY JJ I think you put a dent in my ass! The empty spice jars will go unwashed in a bag for donation. I will sort thru the vases and donate 'most' and the two big ass jugs I will also donate. UGH!

It seems the more I declutter or organize, it just doesn't seem to make any difference. We have rented dumpsters, gigantic ones, and filled them up around 3 times. Have donated hundreds of bags to Goodwill and Vietnam Vets (over the years) and still, my house is overflowing. There are only two of us and we never had kids so we can only blame ourselves! I donated a boat load of professional culinary books to a local cooking school. Since then, I have purchased maybe 5 books! Not all cook books but they are creeping back in again! Just bought a new skillet after donating a bunch of pots and pans...

I used to have a timeshare and wish I could minimalize like that. Our timeshare slept 6. In the kitchen there were six of each type of glass, plates, silverware. Limited amount of pots pans and a spaghetti strainer. If you ran out of something the answer was to wash them to reuse them!

What's stopping you from doing that? My husband and I lived like that for many years when we were starting out.

Also, +1 me with JJ for items to thrift stores potentially being major gifts to someone else. A lot of my home is still the thrifted or freebie items I bought/found/saved from apartment trash rooms when I was younger. Releasing your guilt and self blame is a step I think you need to take on all this. But right now I've only had one sip of coffee after waking up at 5:30am, so any further insights will have to wait, lol!

Not going to happen. We like to cook therefore we have lots of nice cookware, expensive knives and other quality stuff. It was nice while on vacation to experience it but I like having my stuff! The pots at the timeshare were cheap aluminum, the skillets were crappy too. I had a very generous Mother who loved to gift us with stuff. She would have us make a list of things we would like for Christmas. I might list a sweater in the color red. Well, if there were 6 other colors, she would buy all of them! So instead of one sweater, I would get 7! Multiply that with 10 other gifts she would buy all the colors too. She would do the same thing with my husband. We would come home from her house on Christmas day with our SUV jam packed to the moon with gifts! Multiply that by 40 years! So, we are digging out!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 30, 2018, 07:21:42 AM
OKAY JJ I think you put a dent in my ass! The empty spice jars will go unwashed in a bag for donation. I will sort thru the vases and donate 'most' and the two big ass jugs I will also donate. UGH!

It seems the more I declutter or organize, it just doesn't seem to make any difference. We have rented dumpsters, gigantic ones, and filled them up around 3 times. Have donated hundreds of bags to Goodwill and Vietnam Vets (over the years) and still, my house is overflowing. There are only two of us and we never had kids so we can only blame ourselves! I donated a boat load of professional culinary books to a local cooking school. Since then, I have purchased maybe 5 books! Not all cook books but they are creeping back in again! Just bought a new skillet after donating a bunch of pots and pans...

I used to have a timeshare and wish I could minimalize like that. Our timeshare slept 6. In the kitchen there were six of each type of glass, plates, silverware. Limited amount of pots pans and a spaghetti strainer. If you ran out of something the answer was to wash them to reuse them!

What's stopping you from doing that? My husband and I lived like that for many years when we were starting out.

Also, +1 me with JJ for items to thrift stores potentially being major gifts to someone else. A lot of my home is still the thrifted or freebie items I bought/found/saved from apartment trash rooms when I was younger. Releasing your guilt and self blame is a step I think you need to take on all this. But right now I've only had one sip of coffee after waking up at 5:30am, so any further insights will have to wait, lol!

+2 (I'm also tired, so not sure +2 even makes sense, but... ok)
I still live very close to the 1-per-person rule, but since I live alone, I do keep enough to have a dinner for 4.  4 mugs, 4 plates, 6 glasses (uh oh), etc.  I have one VERY good pot/pan for each need, and any pots/pans that were too similar were sold/donated.
I still live with "trash furnishings" and purchase nothing new besides underwear, or occasionally something at the thrift that still has the tags on it.  Your donations will truly help someone.

It may not be the right time for you to go minimalist or to scale way back, but if you're stressed from your house feeling like it's bursting, it may be time to make an organized plan of attack. 
Our "things" are supposed to HELP us with life; to make it doable and even enjoyable.  If your stuff is stressing you out, it's gotta go!

There are many methods of attack here...
> You can make a colossal pile of everything in one room and then pick through it one by one.
> You can make a big list and trim it back room by room
> You can hire a professional to help (there's a professional organizing company in my city who specializes in minimalist, believe it or not!)
> You can donate nearly everything and start with just 2-4 of everything and then repurchase what you NEED (this may seem wasteful at first, but it can work quite well).
> You can do the KonMari method
Etc. Etc... sooooo many ways.

I'm a list maker and an excessive planner, so I have to make a list that I can check off...

What method do you think might work for you?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 30, 2018, 07:29:55 AM
Right on, Roadrunner, you’ve got this!

JJ’s ideas were exactly how I’d approach things. For your bigger picture, I would consider a few things. Yes, you can live in that timeshare environment -that’s how I do it and it helps me feel so peaceful and happy. If you have this much stuff -that you’ve released this much over the years and still have heaps- I would look at things like:

1. Taking a week off decluttering to implement systems to stop new influx. Put a stop to junk mail. Tell people NOW that the greatest Christmas gift you can receive is “help creating a clear home; no physical gifts please.” Where else is clutter coming from? Halt those incomings.

2. Keep a large, solid bin in your car. Anything to go, put directly in there. So there is no release pile in your house longer than three hours. You decide what goes, put it in the car bin. When it’s full, drop it off.

3. It’s okay to hire help. I had two points in my life where I had more stuff than felt good to own. In the first case, I worked through the stuff. In the second, it was paper and I was just stuck. I brought in a pro who sat with me and helped me identify, inventorize, and file the papers. All I had to do was hold each page up in the air :)  It was glorious. I’ve had only a lovely amount of paper since. A neighbour was feeling very overwhelmed with general physical excess and disorganization. He too hired a pro for I think three afternoons, and that was enough to get everything moving super fast and well. The ideas and support of the pro were enough to kickstart his major momentum. One in between -1800gotjunk- will let you just point at what to take away from their nooks and crannies. Here they’ll thrift, recycle, etc, what they feel they can and only garbage the rest.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 30, 2018, 07:32:06 AM
@Roadrunner53 - for the vases in particular, I've had success with flower shops accepting back vases (all in excellent condition, washed) for credit. Especially if they are from "Joe's Flowers", and you've received 10 bouquets, I'd call ahead, explain to Joe's Flowers that you have 10 vases you'd like to turn in & see if they would give you a $10 credit or whatever. Next time you need to send flowers, there you are. Vases out of your house, credit towards a future purchase.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 30, 2018, 07:35:17 AM
OKAY JJ I think you put a dent in my ass! The empty spice jars will go unwashed in a bag for donation. I will sort thru the vases and donate 'most' and the two big ass jugs I will also donate. UGH!

It seems the more I declutter or organize, it just doesn't seem to make any difference. We have rented dumpsters, gigantic ones, and filled them up around 3 times. Have donated hundreds of bags to Goodwill and Vietnam Vets (over the years) and still, my house is overflowing. There are only two of us and we never had kids so we can only blame ourselves! I donated a boat load of professional culinary books to a local cooking school. Since then, I have purchased maybe 5 books! Not all cook books but they are creeping back in again! Just bought a new skillet after donating a bunch of pots and pans...

I used to have a timeshare and wish I could minimalize like that. Our timeshare slept 6. In the kitchen there were six of each type of glass, plates, silverware. Limited amount of pots pans and a spaghetti strainer. If you ran out of something the answer was to wash them to reuse them!

What's stopping you from doing that? My husband and I lived like that for many years when we were starting out.

Also, +1 me with JJ for items to thrift stores potentially being major gifts to someone else. A lot of my home is still the thrifted or freebie items I bought/found/saved from apartment trash rooms when I was younger. Releasing your guilt and self blame is a step I think you need to take on all this. But right now I've only had one sip of coffee after waking up at 5:30am, so any further insights will have to wait, lol!

Not going to happen. We like to cook therefore we have lots of nice cookware, expensive knives and other quality stuff. It was nice while on vacation to experience it but I like having my stuff! The pots at the timeshare were cheap aluminum, the skillets were crappy too. I had a very generous Mother who loved to gift us with stuff. She would have us make a list of things we would like for Christmas. I might list a sweater in the color red. Well, if there were 6 other colors, she would buy all of them! So instead of one sweater, I would get 7! Multiply that with 10 other gifts she would buy all the colors too. She would do the same thing with my husband. We would come home from her house on Christmas day with our SUV jam packed to the moon with gifts! Multiply that by 40 years! So, we are digging out!

But you can have NICE things, and not need a TON of things. We have an 8 piece set of big plates, small plates and bowls now, because we host holidays sometimes. If we need to host more, we have someone bring extras. Our dishes are nice, but we don't need tons! We also don't have tons and tons of pots and pans, and they're all incredibly high quality. (Le crueset, all clad, so on! NOT musachian, but we also adore cooking, and most have been gifts). Honestly, I think having fewer nicer items helps streamline your cooking, because then you "flow" in the tasks better. We cook a ton and all from scratch, so I definitely get wanting more kitchen items than some people might have. You have to find your balance though, and really curate your collection. You're a chef- would a chef want their kitchen overflowing with lesser used items? Or would they have their favored chef's knife kept in perfect condition always at the ready? =) Collection curation shall set us free, lol!

It definitely sounds like you might be in the place, based on the mom story, of having a hard time separating the items from the meaning of the items? Like, those sweaters aren't just sweaters, they're a symbol of love and of your mom's quirks and so on? That's not "wrong", it's just a really common impediment to decluttering! We have to come to a place to realize we're not releasing any love from our lives, we're JUST releasing objects. And, like JJ was talking about with the vases, just keeping one of a collection to symbolize a memory, or pictures, or transforming items (t shirt quilts and the like) so they serve us better.

@Roadrunner53 - for the vases in particular, I've had success with flower shops accepting back vases (all in excellent condition, washed) for credit. Especially if they are from "Joe's Flowers", and you've received 10 bouquets, I'd call ahead, explain to Joe's Flowers that you have 10 vases you'd like to turn in & see if they would give you a $10 credit or whatever. Next time you need to send flowers, there you are. Vases out of your house, credit towards a future purchase.

Oooh that's a good one! I'll need to keep that in mind.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 30, 2018, 07:36:22 AM
Lots of cross-posting above. I hear your point about wanting the nice cookware, Roadrunner. I have that too, as cooking comfortably from scratch (health) is a very high priority for me. But when your stuff is down to just those kinds of things -your highest priorities- it will feel like the timeshare environment. Everyone’s clutter-free space will look different. Mine has cookware, and chairs for guests but pretty much nothing else, lol.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 30, 2018, 07:46:01 AM
I am lacking motivation for the most part. I have little projects going right now. Our bathroom one sink small vanity was a sty and partially due to the fact that it is a small bathroom. I bought these hanging toothbrush holders and toothpaste holder and love them. Then my husbands prescription bottles were on the vanity. I bought this small chrome shelf and put up some hangers to hold the shelf. I created this chrome wall shelf for the mouthwash that was on the vanity. Then for the door I bought this over the door organizer with two shelves and hooks to hang damp towels. On another wall I bought this wine rack that also doubles as a rolled up towel rack. Hub painted it white. It came in black. Works really good. So I got the vanity completely cleaned off and love it. This small bathroom drives me nuts! But I am working with what I have. I also bought some more wine/towel racks for another bathroom and want to clean off that vanity. I am combining two racks together but the hub had to cut of parts of the second one and with wire tie them together and paint them too. I have another rack for the back of that door too. I have a chrome drawer organizer that is to go under the sink in that bathroom.

I kind of miss working and using my brain. House work is just not fun or challenging enough. I am always 'inventing' something around the house. My hub goes along with it but half the time he has no clue what it is I am telling him! I have to explain stuff to him a bunch of times then he will do what I ask. He is a great guy but he just can't wrap his head around my creativity. Plus, I think he is totally not interested so he only half listens to me! LOL!

JJ, I used to be an avid list maker and owned a Franklin Planner. It was for work and was pretty great. I think I need a real planner to write in and see what my chores are. Sometimes I watch youtube and people that are organizing or speed cleaning for motivation.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 30, 2018, 07:51:56 AM
I am lacking motivation for the most part. I have little projects going right now. Our bathroom one sink small vanity was a sty and partially due to the fact that it is a small bathroom. I bought these hanging toothbrush holders and toothpaste holder and love them. Then my husbands prescription bottles were on the vanity. I bought this small chrome shelf and put up some hangers to hold the shelf. I created this chrome wall shelf for the mouthwash that was on the vanity. Then for the door I bought this over the door organizer with two shelves and hooks to hang damp towels. On another wall I bought this wine rack that also doubles as a rolled up towel rack. Hub painted it white. It came in black. Works really good. So I got the vanity completely cleaned off and love it. This small bathroom drives me nuts! But I am working with what I have. I also bought some more wine/towel racks for another bathroom and want to clean off that vanity. I am combining two racks together but the hub had to cut of parts of the second one and with wire tie them together and paint them too. I have another rack for the back of that door too. I have a chrome drawer organizer that is to go under the sink in that bathroom.

I kind of miss working and using my brain. House work is just not fun or challenging enough. I am always 'inventing' something around the house. My hub goes along with it but half the time he has no clue what it is I am telling him! I have to explain stuff to him a bunch of times then he will do what I ask. He is a great guy but he just can't wrap his head around my creativity. Plus, I think he is totally not interested so he only half listens to me! LOL!

JJ, I used to be an avid list maker and owned a Franklin Planner. It was for work and was pretty great. I think I need a real planner to write in and see what my chores are. Sometimes I watch youtube and people that are organizing or speed cleaning for motivation.

I adore those speed cleaning motivational videos =) Love Meg and Jessica Tull are a couple of my favorites. Who are your go-tos? There are also some GREAT konmari decluttering videos! Those always inspire me a lot.

Sometimes, organizing and working with your space is totally what's needed, agreed! And sometimes, it's the old adage "don't organize your clutter". It can be hard to tell which is which, lol! I think that's a moving target for all of us. Setting up a home frugally was where a lot of my creativity went for a while. Needing something and trying to get it for free, and then for very cheap. Recently, I had to get really clever on making storage attractive in my pantry for showing the house. It wasn't BAD before, but it certainly made it look hard to organize- which is true, haha. But some baskets and shelves and stuff later, and it looked way better.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 30, 2018, 07:53:00 AM
[More cross-posting, so feel free to ignore if you just covered an aspect.]

Another method: Identify (write down) your 100 favourite or most-used items, release the rest. (Let the generosity and tastefulness and wealth of your mom and friend now reach hundreds of others, while the items are still in good, usable shape. What a legacy!)

Or, identify a cause very important to you (e.g. womens shelter) and ask a rep to come over and point at what would be most helpful to their clients. Later, bag most of those up and deliver them. (Integrate your mom’s gift of overwhelming generosity.)

Or, think of it as disaster planning. If flood, fire, hurricane reaches your excess before you manage to process it, it’s no good to you or anyone. If you make it available to others now, your moms gifts are assured to support hundreds of people, long-term.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on October 30, 2018, 08:16:54 AM
@Roadrunner53 - for the vases in particular, I've had success with flower shops accepting back vases (all in excellent condition, washed) for credit. Especially if they are from "Joe's Flowers", and you've received 10 bouquets, I'd call ahead, explain to Joe's Flowers that you have 10 vases you'd like to turn in & see if they would give you a $10 credit or whatever. Next time you need to send flowers, there you are. Vases out of your house, credit towards a future purchase.


That sounds like a good idea.  The other thing you might think about is saying to your friend "I love that you send me flowers, and now I've got so many lovely vases to put them in, it would be great if you could have them sent them as a bouquet without a vase".  You might even get extra flowers that way!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on October 30, 2018, 12:05:39 PM
After my latest phone backup, I realized I only had 30 GB free on my computer. WHOOPS.

So last night I deleted 130 GB worth of stuff. Some older phone backup files, junk from the downloads folder, and the recycling bin I never remember to empty. There's still more I could delete, but at least I have >10% of the hard drive free again. Going through the rest of my files will be slower going. There's also some stuff I will only feel okay deleting if it's backed up on an extra external drive, which I am asking for for Christmas.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 30, 2018, 12:12:00 PM
Okay, I bagged up the spice jars, the two big ass utensil containers, another sponge type holder and one flower vase! Out of sight, out of mind!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on October 30, 2018, 12:26:33 PM
Got rid of a bag of baby clothes and crib shoes.
What are even the point of crib shoes? We never put any of these on our daughter (hand me downs).

Waiting to find out the sex of baby 2.  We've tried to save all gender neutral clothes, but since we had almost all hand me downs for the first one most of our clothes were pink and frilly; if this one is a boy (and I suspect it is) a lot of the saved clothes is leaving the house ASAP.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on October 30, 2018, 12:30:22 PM
Okay, I bagged up the spice jars, the two big ass utensil containers, another sponge type holder and one flower vase! Out of sight, out of mind!
BOOM.  Great work!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 30, 2018, 01:00:32 PM
Was procrastinating on getting rid of that crap (actually good stuff) but glad it is bagged and tagged to go!

Thanks JJ!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on October 30, 2018, 05:50:33 PM
Was procrastinating on getting rid of that crap (actually good stuff) but glad it is bagged and tagged to go!

Thanks JJ!

Oops, maybe I' too late!  I was going to say that the way I removed labels from jars is to let them soak in a sink/bowl of hot water until the paper part comes off or the glue is soft enough to pull off a plastic label, then use an SOS pad to scrub off the glue.  Works great.

I must say, it sounds like you just have too much of everything.  You could try watching the show "Consumed" to see how little you really can be happy with and the process for getting rid of things.  (Cliff's notes:  keep only bare essentials for a few weeks, while removing everything else.  Once you're used to that level of spareness, go through everything you've put away and see what you want to add back.  Probably a lot less that you think, because finding somewhere to properly put it all is stressful and tiring.  Get rid of all the excess.)  It may not be practical to do this all in one fell swoop, so you can do it by room instead.  Another trick I use is to tell myself I must either use something or display it in order to keep it - I can't just "store" it.  Because really, if I'm not doing either thing with it, then what is it good for?  Another mental trick is "if I had a fire and lost everything, what would I bother to replace?"  I change tactics periodically when I get stalled using any particular one.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on October 30, 2018, 06:34:42 PM
Oops, maybe I' too late!  I was going to say that the way I removed labels from jars is to let them soak in a sink/bowl of hot water until the paper part comes off or the glue is soft enough to pull off a plastic label, then use an SOS pad to scrub off the glue.  Works great.

It's no worries, though -the person gifted with them via the thrift shop can do it just as easily :)

Probably best if RR just focuses on moving perfectly good stuff out at this point.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on October 30, 2018, 08:41:40 PM
Three boxes of baby clothes sorted. Sad to be getting rid of all the frilly stuff but we have zero need to hang onto it.

Will take it to once upon a child tomorrow and the rest that they don't take to Goodwill.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on October 31, 2018, 08:47:58 AM
After my latest phone backup, I realized I only had 30 GB free on my computer. WHOOPS.

So last night I deleted 130 GB worth of stuff. Some older phone backup files, junk from the downloads folder, and the recycling bin I never remember to empty. There's still more I could delete, but at least I have >10% of the hard drive free again. Going through the rest of my files will be slower going. There's also some stuff I will only feel okay deleting if it's backed up on an extra external drive, which I am asking for for Christmas.

If you have a windows computer, there's also the Disk Clean Up function (at least there was, no idea about Win10). That can clear a TON of stuff sometimes, and it's windows doing it so it knows not to delete system files.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on October 31, 2018, 06:45:57 PM
After my latest phone backup, I realized I only had 30 GB free on my computer. WHOOPS.

So last night I deleted 130 GB worth of stuff. Some older phone backup files, junk from the downloads folder, and the recycling bin I never remember to empty. There's still more I could delete, but at least I have >10% of the hard drive free again. Going through the rest of my files will be slower going. There's also some stuff I will only feel okay deleting if it's backed up on an extra external drive, which I am asking for for Christmas.

If you have a windows computer, there's also the Disk Clean Up function (at least there was, no idea about Win10). That can clear a TON of stuff sometimes, and it's windows doing it so it knows not to delete system files.

Thanks for the suggestion! I hadn't heard of that. I just checked, and it says it can clear a grand total of 400 MB. Wah wah. Either the tool got less useful or I really hoard way too many files on this thing. Probably the latter, though I guess it could be both.

Maybe the tool will help someone else.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on November 01, 2018, 01:10:52 AM
Tiny future win: my birthday is coming up. Some friends asked me what I wanted to get. I said that I wanted nothing and that I was absolutely positive about that - also, if they do get me anything it'll most probably end up in the donation box during my next declutter. There was some hemming and hawing but I think I'll be okay!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 01, 2018, 03:30:30 AM
Nice one, Nederstash!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 01, 2018, 04:21:42 AM
Tiny future win: my birthday is coming up. Some friends asked me what I wanted to get. I said that I wanted nothing and that I was absolutely positive about that - also, if they do get me anything it'll most probably end up in the donation box during my next declutter. There was some hemming and hawing but I think I'll be okay!

Why don't you ask for something consumable like movie tickets, a home cooked meal, a gift certificate to Red Lobster, ingredients to a recipe such as 7 can taco soup, a batch of home made chicken noodle soup, a pan of cookies, a bottle of wine or booze, flower bulbs or flower seeds for outdoors, an outdoor plant such as a Hosta, an American Flag to hang outside, a first aid kit for your car, a fire extinguisher. This might sound dumb but a family pack of toilet paper and Kleenex. Useful! Some new spices to replace old ones. Your favorite coffee or tea. A box of chocolates! A weeks worth of Mason Jar salads or refrigerated overnight oats. A pan of lasagna. A weekly planner, a journal or a nice pen you wouldn't buy yourself.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on November 01, 2018, 06:07:31 AM
Tiny future win: my birthday is coming up. Some friends asked me what I wanted to get. I said that I wanted nothing and that I was absolutely positive about that - also, if they do get me anything it'll most probably end up in the donation box during my next declutter. There was some hemming and hawing but I think I'll be okay!

Why don't you ask for something consumable like movie tickets, a home cooked meal, a gift certificate to Red Lobster, ingredients to a recipe such as 7 can taco soup, a batch of home made chicken noodle soup, a pan of cookies, a bottle of wine or booze, flower bulbs or flower seeds for outdoors, an outdoor plant such as a Hosta, an American Flag to hang outside, a first aid kit for your car, a fire extinguisher. This might sound dumb but a family pack of toilet paper and Kleenex. Useful! Some new spices to replace old ones. Your favorite coffee or tea. A box of chocolates! A weeks worth of Mason Jar salads or refrigerated overnight oats. A pan of lasagna. A weekly planner, a journal or a nice pen you wouldn't buy yourself.

+1
Every time I have ever requested "No Gifts" I have still received gifts... people can't seem to help it.
Fast forward to now- every single x-mas one of my clients gives me the biggest jumbo one-ply (they know my style) supply of Toilet Paper they can get as Costco. 
It's become sort of a running joke, but I absolutely LOVE IT! 
It lasted me 6 months last year, It lasted me 7.5 months this year!! 
I had a roommate for part of last year, so I am curious to see if the pack can last me the whole year this year. 
It's so big it blocked my view in the passenger seat and I had to put it in my trunk.  YAY!

My parents also had a hard time with this for a while, so I caved and let them mail care packages for birthdays for a few years... eventually they realized that it wasn't cost efficient, so now they usually send me a small gift card ($20 to the dollar store or Amazon or something). 

My best friend makes really beautiful handmade cards every year... I don't know how she does it... she has two kids, she's a practicing midwife and she's very involved in local politics in her area.  But every year, here comes her card in the mail.  I love it.

These are the only gifts that I receive, but I've slowly curated them to be meaningful and useful while keeping everyone happy.

Every now and then I'll get a "typical" gift (a box of chocolate or a gift set of smelly lotions or whatever) from a client or from a vendor at work and I always express gratefulness and then immediately re-gift in some way- one year that meant breaking apart the gift set and giving one lotion/smelly stuff item to each of the women that I see with signs asking for help at the intersections.  I never have cash to give them, but I do know that I used to use smelly stuffs to get through only showering once a week when I lived in a camper (about a decade ago- harder times) and didn't have shower access besides at a gym. 
Another year I took the chocolates to the day job and plopped them down at the front desk. 
They were gone within an hour.
Outdoor plants are a great gift!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 01, 2018, 10:41:41 AM
I love receiving a certain kind of gifts. But I also find it easy to put them in the thrift after a day, a week, a month, a year -whenever my enjoyment or use of them is complete. The givers know I do this and don’t mind.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on November 01, 2018, 02:00:55 PM
3 bags and boxes are in the car boot ready for the charity shop.

A spare tent can go to the local church collection for refugees next month.

What is left to go through are 4 boxes of papers, a big box of books, and whatever is piled into the spare bedroom.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on November 01, 2018, 02:09:56 PM
Local anarchist space is having a "really free market" this weekend -- this seems like a great chance to take clothes, groceries, and some other supplies we have an excess of and get them to folks who could use them. \o/
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 01, 2018, 02:10:51 PM
Made an appointment with Vietnam Vets to pick up my donations. I have at least 10 bags or more. I made labels that they require to apply to the bags to identify them as donations (VVA). The earliest they will come is 11/9/2018. Yay, a giant pile is ready to go!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 01, 2018, 08:39:44 PM
Bought a toaster!

We'd never had a toaster before. When we moved into our current place, management gave us one someone had left behind. Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery long toaster, with the markings rubbed off so everything was a guess. I've gotten a kick out of it, but its length only allowed it to be stored in a cupboard my kid can't reach, so it would get left out, filling most of a counter.

Let myself buy a new one today, $12, fits even the smallest cupboard (and only half of it, at that).

Old one is now in the thrift bag with Halloween stuff :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on November 02, 2018, 09:30:58 AM
After my latest phone backup, I realized I only had 30 GB free on my computer. WHOOPS.

So last night I deleted 130 GB worth of stuff. Some older phone backup files, junk from the downloads folder, and the recycling bin I never remember to empty. There's still more I could delete, but at least I have >10% of the hard drive free again. Going through the rest of my files will be slower going. There's also some stuff I will only feel okay deleting if it's backed up on an extra external drive, which I am asking for for Christmas.

If you have a windows computer, there's also the Disk Clean Up function (at least there was, no idea about Win10). That can clear a TON of stuff sometimes, and it's windows doing it so it knows not to delete system files.

Thanks for the suggestion! I hadn't heard of that. I just checked, and it says it can clear a grand total of 400 MB. Wah wah. Either the tool got less useful or I really hoard way too many files on this thing. Probably the latter, though I guess it could be both.

Maybe the tool will help someone else.

Buried in that screen there is (or was) an option to clean up system files. That clears old windows update files, etc. Try that too. But yes, you're probably a digital hoarder.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 02, 2018, 09:34:53 AM
Local anarchist space is having a "really free market" this weekend -- this seems like a great chance to take clothes, groceries, and some other supplies we have an excess of and get them to folks who could use them. \o/

I love events like that.  Our buy nothing group does a free garage sale every year the weekend after city wide garage sales. People are usually in disbelief that the stuff is actually, really free.

The biggest issue is making sure we have enough volunteers to get things to goodwill at the end of the day; but last year we had over 1000 people visit to get or give stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 02, 2018, 12:59:58 PM
The clean out continues. I'm more of a "one a day" person, as I find it motivating. Over the past few days, I've added the following to our donation pile: a necklace, a pair of sandals, two pair of good condition socks. And, tomorrow I'll drop off a jacket at the "Dress for Success" donation event happening down the street.

I also cut a pair of jeans to make them capris. They are too long & I never wear them. Not nice enough to have hemmed, and I wear capris a lot here due to the weather.

I also had to buy a new sheet set (old set ripped), so I'm hoping to turn the rest of the ripped sheet into handkerchiefs, if I can figure out how to run the sewing machine.

More progress coming this weekend!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 02, 2018, 08:58:50 PM
The clean out continues. I'm more of a "one a day" person, as I find it motivating. Over the past few days, I've added the following to our donation pile: a necklace, a pair of sandals, two pair of good condition socks. And, tomorrow I'll drop off a jacket at the "Dress for Success" donation event happening down the street.

I also cut a pair of jeans to make them capris. They are too long & I never wear them. Not nice enough to have hemmed, and I wear capris a lot here due to the weather.

I also had to buy a new sheet set (old set ripped), so I'm hoping to turn the rest of the ripped sheet into handkerchiefs, if I can figure out how to run the sewing machine.

More progress coming this weekend!

Make sure you tension the sewing machine properly.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frankies Girl on November 02, 2018, 09:27:22 PM
Another truck load today. Lots of miscellaneous, but mostly x-mas decor. We had two trees (one fake real, one ridiculous green tinsel). Dumped all the outside decorations including the candy canes, gumdrop lights, oversized lollipops and giant C9 old school multi lights that used to make the house look like a gingerbread cottage (we used to do a candyland theme for x-mas).

I no longer care about x-mas at all. It just hurts to see the stuff. We kept the silly tinsel tree, but that likely will go next year since I never want to put up a tree or even acknowledge the holiday again.

One of the biggest things I've had to deal with during all these purges of stuff is the fact that I was keeping most of it because of things that represented what should have been, but will never be and now just serves as a constant reminder of how naive and downright stupid I was. Realizing that keeping stuff you saved/bought in anticipation of how you thought things would be? Sad and kind of pathetic. Sort of a Miss Haversham but without the cake. But it was stuff imbued with love and dreams for the future and lots and lots of happiness and hope, and letting go of that stuff also means letting go of all of those hopes and dreams. Which hurts so very very much. But I keep telling myself - it's just stuff.

Sorry for the downer. But it has been a pretty bad day/week actually around here.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on November 02, 2018, 09:33:43 PM
Processing the loss of things we have dearly hoped for hurts. It hurts so.damn.much. And stuff may just be stuff, but it's tied in with so many other parts of our lives, and when letting go of stuff reflects the letting go that you're doing now -- damn. Add in another dollop, or two, or twelve, of pain.

Sending you hugs if you want them, Frankies Girl, and take care of yourself and lean into your support network (IRL, here, and anywhere else) as you process this.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 02, 2018, 09:49:23 PM
@Frankies Girl I am so sorry for your bad week and the reasons behind it.  FWIW, I don't think you were stupid to buy those things...you were trying in all the ways you knew, to make your dreams come true.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on November 02, 2018, 10:45:17 PM
I'm sorry to hear you are having a painful time Frankie's Girl. I hope getting rid of the things saves on painful reminders in the future.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 03, 2018, 12:13:15 AM
Hey Frankie's Girl, hope and planning for the future is not naive or stupid. I am so sorry that it didn't work out and hope that clearing out the stuff helps you transition to a new space. Sending all the good thoughts your way.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 03, 2018, 12:23:48 AM
Yes, you are not stupid, Frankies Girl :(
I'm so sorry you're going through a hard time.
You've made so much great headway in your life over the last several years, and I know you'll continue to do so even if right now sucks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 03, 2018, 12:26:09 AM
Ready for a chill time, so:
*dropped off latest batch to thrift
*returned all library books, so now zero signed out
*swept up leaves
*deleted myself from a few threads here that seemed like they were going to live forever vs wrap up
*completed final major banking steps, which means I can file and shred lots tomorrow
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 03, 2018, 10:04:42 AM
@Frankies Girl I feel for you. Best of luck as you work your way through.

I started reading Decluttering at the Speed of Life, and it has resulted in the decluttering kickstart I've been hoping for. I'm nothing like the author, but I find the book entertaining and helpful all the same. Today, I got rid of some multiple-times-over mended clothes (jeans, sweater, hat). It was hard to let go of them, but it was time. I'm also donating a suitcase that we do not need anymore since we are one-bag travelers.

Update: We cleared out our garden plot (although I guess it's not ours anymore). I feel so much lighter. It's bittersweet to let it go, but mostly sweet because I had a great time there, and I'm looking forward to our new adventures.

I also cleaned out under the sink and found that it was actually in great shape. Score!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 03, 2018, 11:44:00 AM
Moving day/weekend is here! Decluttering as I go, somewhat.

Out:
-Old/ugly christmas swag
-Extra mugs
-Tall glasses we don't like/use.
-Old worn shoes to the trash. (I really should have gotten rid of these a while ago... but didn't want to buy replacements... haha)
-Opted to not move either of the extra beds we had in the house (both freebies, but were great for staging and guests). Offered them to the buyer for free. We'll get something smaller and easier to share with the office for the new place. (Going from a 3br+office to a 2br).
-Most of our tools I'll be taking out to my parent's place. We won't have a garage or yard anymore, so there's lots to shed. While I could have gotten money from these, it would have taken more time and effort, and my parents are happy to have them. Win-win.
-Selling our lovely electric lawnmower to some friends. We gave them our old reel mower when they bought their house, but their experience ended up mirroring ours- in spring in Oregon, the grass grows too fast to reasonably work, have hobbies, and keep up with a reel mower. They're been looking to buy an electric, so we'll give them ours for a really good deal, and it's an easy sale/good karma for us. (Love these friends. They're younger/just starting out, and also frugal sorts. They tend to welcome items we're getting rid of, like our old TV, the reel mower, some curtains, etc. I'm very mindful of what I offer- don't want to just dump stuff on them- so I think it works quite well for all of us!)

Life is changing one heck of a lot!


And @Frankies Girl my heart just hurt reading your post. It resonated. I'm not sure what dreams you've let go of, but this entire move for me is accepting that my life plan just isn't what we had hoped. I am so, so torn as I load baby stuff that I just don't know if we'll ever get to use. Part of me wants to get rid of it along with the house, but I haven't given up hope that entirely yet. I'm not totally at the end of the road with all my options. So it's coming with, for now, and I just... it's weird and hard and surreal. It's amazing how much sway items have, how much meaning.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 03, 2018, 04:06:05 PM
*processed this week's admin papers (YNABed, stapled, filed or shredded)
*gathered leaves from patio, etc
*deadheaded, pruned back, and tidied garden
*covered garden with the beautiful dry leaves, then added last of manure/compost bag on top
*shredded last items
*took shreds and other recyclables to recycling
*transferred kid's old phone to new, so that tomorrow old can go to PersonWhoWantsIt
*laid out items for new project duotangs, preventing ongoing reprocessing
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on November 03, 2018, 05:53:39 PM
Unpacked another box of stuff.  Threw out most of it.  Listed an old fishing reel I found on eBay.  It sold in 6 hours. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 03, 2018, 07:21:39 PM
Three more books out of the house and there is starting to be So Much Space on all the bookshelves!

I think it may be time to go through the socks and remove all the ones I never wear and the tights that don't fit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on November 04, 2018, 03:43:21 AM
Tiny future win: my birthday is coming up. Some friends asked me what I wanted to get. I said that I wanted nothing and that I was absolutely positive about that - also, if they do get me anything it'll most probably end up in the donation box during my next declutter. There was some hemming and hawing but I think I'll be okay!

Why don't you ask for something consumable like movie tickets, a home cooked meal, a gift certificate to Red Lobster, ingredients to a recipe such as 7 can taco soup, a batch of home made chicken noodle soup, a pan of cookies, a bottle of wine or booze, flower bulbs or flower seeds for outdoors, an outdoor plant such as a Hosta, an American Flag to hang outside, a first aid kit for your car, a fire extinguisher. This might sound dumb but a family pack of toilet paper and Kleenex. Useful! Some new spices to replace old ones. Your favorite coffee or tea. A box of chocolates! A weeks worth of Mason Jar salads or refrigerated overnight oats. A pan of lasagna. A weekly planner, a journal or a nice pen you wouldn't buy yourself.

One person kept pushing, I managed to direct her to bath bombs. Lord knows I love my bath and that's one of the few things I'll actually use and enjoy. I just don't want people to spend money - or goods to have been produced - simply because I made the trip around the sun. (I do give gifts, though, because people want them. Then I try to stick to experiences or consumables).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on November 04, 2018, 04:36:02 AM
@Frankies Girl so sorry you're having a bad time, but it sounds like it would've been more toxic to keep that stuff around... you did the right thing!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 04, 2018, 08:22:12 AM
@Frankies Girl - hoping that getting rid of your holiday stuff brings you peace through your transition. It's not foolish or naive. Sometimes we need certain things in our lives, and objects can be a part of that. As we grow & adapt, we may recognize that the objects don't have the power they once did, but maturing & growing doesn't mean that you used to be foolish.

@Bracken_Joy -sending you lots of good thoughts on your move, and the changes happening. May they lead you both in a fabulous new place as a couple.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 04, 2018, 10:50:29 AM
@joonifloofeefloo , love your lists as always!  Thanks for sharing.

@Nancy I just read that one too!  I liked her methods, I know a couple people it could help if they wanted it/were ready for that.  However, the one sticking point I found for myself, and this could be hard for certain people who hold on to things for emotional reasons, is that the 2 questions will determine the permanant future of an object.  Sometimes I'm just not ready to make that decision and that's why I still have an item.   But if (or when) I/one were ready to clean up, those are excellent questions.  I never thought about it that way, so that was cool and eye-opening to get her take on the subject.

@Bracken_Joy: ABD.  Always Be Decluttering :)  Decluttering while moving/packing helped in my case too.  And I think you'll find when you get into your new space that certain things will & won't work there, so more decluttering is probably in your future.

@Sugaree such a great result to your ebay listing!  Happy for you!

@mspym it's definitely the right time for culling hoisery that you won't use! :)

@Nederstash excellent redirect!


This morning I decided to rearrange my bedroom a bit.  Doing so showed me that I can put the dry erase pens and thumb tacks in my nightstand (now that it's on the same side of the room as the white board & cork board), and I'm almost ready to admit that I have an extra book case.  The only thing on it is my printer, which could go elsewhere (easily found 2 places).  For now, I'll settle into this new arrangement, enjoying the lack of office supplies on bedroom surfaces.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 04, 2018, 04:35:41 PM
@oneday Nice work rearranging your space! I see what you mean about the book's decluttering questions. I think the questions are designed to force a decision, especially if you have to get rid of something else to house the item. I could definitely see that being a roadblock.

Today, I got rid of a no-longer waterproof raincoat, a shirt with a ratty collar, and two pairs of pants that don't fit. I couldn't believe I still had those. I also went through all of our gardening stuff and donated/composted it all (minus one growing lamp that I think I'll try and sell). I also found a location to donate one of my bikes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on November 04, 2018, 05:55:03 PM
@Frankies Girl Share away, the easy and difficult. This is a space for that.

Today, I sorted throughout my vitamin/drug stash and got rid of a few bottles.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FreelanceToFreedom on November 05, 2018, 11:42:58 AM
I'm in the process of getting rid of 95% of my possessions. It's stressful at times but mostly feels good every time I get rid of something. We're preparing to travel full time for the next year or two, so pretty much selling/donating everything that we don't want to lug around the world, save for a box or two of sentimental stuff.

Also, I learned recently that nobody uses Craigslist any more, at least not in my area. I was trying to sell stuff for weeks on CL with little response. Turns out, everyone uses Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, etc. I've sold maybe 10 items in the 2 weeks using these platforms, and so far people are a lot less flaky that Craigslisters ever were!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on November 05, 2018, 02:42:04 PM
Dropped off a few things at a Thanksgiving donation drive that I wasn't going to use.

I also recently finished reading Decluttering at the Speed of Life, and while my clutter issue isn't in remotely the same class as what she describes, I did find some things in her approach helpful.  Particularly the advice to always start from the most visible spaces, and that it's ok to grieve when 'decluttering dreams,' as she put it.  It does hurt to give up the image of ourselves doing something we've always thought we would do, and it's ok and necessary to allow space for that grieving process.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 06, 2018, 05:25:52 AM
@FreelanceToFreedom Nice work! I hadn't heard of OfferUp. Thanks for the tip. We're also getting rid of our stuff so we can travel for a year or two. Good luck!

Today: Dropped off items to donate. I started a new bag and have put in a few items (2 pashmina scarves), but now I'm getting to the point where all the easy stuff is gone. I know I have to get rid of more stuff because I don't want to end up storing it.  On the bright side, my apartment is looking great!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on November 06, 2018, 06:35:04 AM
Everyone is doing such an AWESOME JOB! Inspiring!

I recently deleted my Facebook account (OMG what a weight lifted off my shoulders, such a depressing place) so I don't have the option of FB Marketplace, but I certainly do need to check out OfferUP for resale. 
I have had good luck with Ebay and might try PoshMark soon too.  I kind of hate the name 'PoshMark' which is the dumbest reason to have not tried it before... but it's like nails on a chalkboard.  Posh... :::Shudder:::
LOL.  Will try.

-----------------------------------------------

My personal Declutter Update:

I found the coffee grinder I had been hunting for to give away and I ended up filling up the rest of a box in order to donate more items.  Yay!
I have a brand new box of large well made casters that I was "saving" to upcycle a piece of furniture in the future... but that's a SERIOUSLY VAGUE plan, so they probably need to go. 
I also tossed in a planter I had bought because it was cheap yet I never really liked it, some kitchen stuff, and a few hats and scarves for the incoming cold weather.

I worked on my 'List of Everything That I Own' and it's going well so far.

I found a rectangular Tupperware container (like one of the ones that would hold a meal prep, not the big casserole ones...) of old family photos and got a little frozen. 
I didn't get rid of any, but organized them a little bit neater. 
I also found the old coins that my grandmother would gift to me every year as a child - at some point my dad meticulously labeled them each (she'd just give them to me in a paper envelope for my birthday) and mailed them to me as an adult. 

Someday I'll look up the value of each, sell them, and keep one that I particularly like... or use that cash to buy a memorial type piece of jewelry to remember my grandma (she's still alive) but today was not that day.

I found a little mini photo album of my first childhood dog that my mom had made for me when he passed away (when I was around 13). 
I've kept it all these years and I don't think I plan on getting rid of it.  I might scale it down to my favorite 5 photos or something and then use the rest of the album to move the old family photos (some) into. 
Not there yet though, I still had THE FEELS (light cry) when I looked through it.  He was such a good dog.

My sentimental items take up about one office binder's worth of space, but it still stresses me a little that I have so many. 
The old family photos I may start mailing out to my relatives randomly. 
My dad has 6 sisters, so I have approx. 7,900,000 cousins that I don't even really know. 
A lot of them are sort of deadbeat-ish, but I also don't know them much and shouldn't judge... I'd just hate to mail them a 100 year old photo and have them just throw it away.

I'm big on rituals when getting rid of something sentimental. 

Ideas?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chaskavitch on November 06, 2018, 06:44:53 AM

My sentimental items take up about one office binder's worth of space, but it still stresses me a little that I have so many. 
The old family photos I may start mailing out to my relatives randomly. 
My dad has 6 sisters, so I have approx. 7,900,000 cousins that I don't even really know. 
A lot of them are sort of deadbeat-ish, but I also don't know them much and shouldn't judge... I'd just hate to mail them a 100 year old photo and have them just throw it away.

I'm big on rituals when getting rid of something sentimental. 

Ideas?

My mom is the keeper of all things old for her family of 8 siblings, so she has a TON of the old photos, starting from the mid/late 1800s.  She's scanned the majority of them and actually uploaded a lot of them to Ancestry tagged to her family tree.  Yes, she pays for it, but now other people who are related to her who are also interested in family history have access to the pictures as well.  She hasn't actually gotten rid of any of the physical pictures yet, but it might help you feel like you can get rid of some of the more recent ones, or at least store them somewhere secure that you don't need to have easy physical access to.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on November 07, 2018, 12:28:39 PM

I worked on my 'List of Everything That I Own' and it's going well so far.


ooh----I have wanted to do this!
So cool that you are working on it. I had an idea to do micro-illustrations to go with the list but of course..this is a huge time-commitment. Maybe in the new year once we have finished our year of No-Shopping and truly have less belongings :)

We just took another box to the thrift store

-some athletic shoes my SO was given that he didn't like
-a button-up shirt and t-shirt that I gave him that he didn't love
-more books
-a weird wood & metal thing that my father gave us at Christmas..we didn't even know what it was for, maybe a BBQ?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 07, 2018, 02:51:51 PM
Found another box of random junk in the basement.   The pile in the garage is getting bigger.  The basement closet fits all the patio furniture cushions. Yessssss.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 07, 2018, 03:23:59 PM
Added The Communist Manifesto, Life and Work: Rethinking Economic Man and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was to the workplace lending library.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on November 07, 2018, 03:52:14 PM
Added The Communist Manifesto, Life and Work: Rethinking Economic Man and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was to the workplace lending library.

Lol! I should have given all my career change books to old work! Including "if it wasn't for the money I wouldn't be doing this" about how to get by when you hate your job.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 07, 2018, 07:04:20 PM
Added The Communist Manifesto, Life and Work: Rethinking Economic Man and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was to the workplace lending library.

Lol! I should have given all my career change books to old work! Including "if it wasn't for the money I wouldn't be doing this" about how to get by when you hate your job.

I looked that up- gosh it's hard to source! ONE COPY on Abebooks!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on November 07, 2018, 07:18:36 PM
Added The Communist Manifesto, Life and Work: Rethinking Economic Man and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was to the workplace lending library.

Lol! I should have given all my career change books to old work! Including "if it wasn't for the money I wouldn't be doing this" about how to get by when you hate your job.

I looked that up- gosh it's hard to source! ONE COPY on Abebooks!

I got it from a second hand shop... Had no idea it was so rare, it's not a bad book. It had tips for toxic colleagues and how to make people like you (bring food).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on November 08, 2018, 03:49:23 AM
Took two enviro bags of donations that have been accumulating over the last three months to the drop-off. Donated a veggie steamer thing for a pot we no longer have. Was going to donate a big terranium jar that I haven’t planted yet but second guessed myself at the last moment and put it aside to think about for a while. Everyone is going greatguns!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 08, 2018, 04:05:41 AM
Have around 11 giant garbage bags going to Vietnam Vets Tomorrow. They will come to the house to pick the stuff up. I told my friend about another boat load of stuff leaving my house and she said "wow, your house must be almost empty by now". Hahahahaha, not even close! Two people, no kids and a house ready to explode! Where did all this crap come from? I keep bagging up the stuff and getting rid of it but there is still more and more and more!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 08, 2018, 12:59:24 PM
-Donated a suit jacket to Dress for Success over the weekend
-Repurposed an old poster board for a kid school project, vs buying new
-In my continuing attempts to try on something I haven't worn in a long time every day, & either wear it or donate, found another shirt to add to the donation pile. Apparently, I optimistically thought that, some day, I'd wear patterns. Nope.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frankies Girl on November 08, 2018, 01:41:34 PM
I appreciate the support. The whole "desperately wanted kids/of course can't have them through any possible means - and yes, we tried everything, multiple times, including what you're about to helpfully suggest" thing has changed the entire fabric of my existence. When there is no one to save things for, it changes your whole outlook on the intrinsic value/need of your stuff.

I spent a few days sorting and then shredding old photos I took from middle and high school - just dumb kid stuff. I also have a huge amount of family photos of parents/sibling/family stuff that I guess need to be mailed back to my sibling, since I'm a dead branch so they'll just get pitched out eventually if I don't give them to the "fertile" branch of our family. It was another sobering, sobbing thing realizing that no one is going to care about keeping stupid old photos of me as a kid, no one will care or remember me after I'm gone anyway, so why save any of them? My sibling barely acknowledges me anyway and sibling's kid literally doesn't know me - I'd be surprised if kid even knows my last name. Husband is an only child. We're not close to any family at all... so everything is going to be left to strangers (charity) and our personal junk is likely going to be trashed if they can't sell it.

Husband is contacting his old high school to find out about donating his yearbooks. He doesn't really want them, so I suggested asking if they wanted them before tossing them into a recycle or donating.

We're supposed to go tomorrow to dump a huge amount of old toys/comics/books. Actually should be getting a bit of $ for it as there are things like Star Wars toys in decent condition, some collectable stuff that is actually worth money, just needed to wait til after the shop in question finished a big sale so they were willing to buy what we had to replenish their stock.

We're going to be sitting on a pretty large amount of Halloween decorations until next summer, unless I get antsy to dump more of it before then. But likely that would mean they'll be thrown away and I haven't reached the point of being comfortable with "perfectly good stuff" being trashed and we do have the space to store the items so we'll be hanging in there for a bit longer.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 08, 2018, 02:34:17 PM
Frankie, I had NO idea you were in the same boat as me. We're not at the end of the line, yet, but there's not a whole lot between us and it. Once you get through an IVF round and everything is genetically abnormal, your chances aren't looking good anymore =\ I'm giving it one more try though. But I just wanted to say... I just so, so deeply and sadly and bone achingly get it. And I wish no one else was going through this shit, but since there are, I'm glad I can connect with a kickass human like yourself.


-Listed bedframe and mattress on FB marketplace for a low price and had takers (had none through buy nothing, ironically). So that'll be going tomorrow.
-Sold our gorilla shelves that won't fit well/we don't need to our new building's maintenance guy for $20 for the two of them. Made a little, didn't need to transport them, cultivated some good will. Wins all around.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 08, 2018, 04:44:22 PM
Tomorrow 11 giant garbage bags out the door. Vietnam Vets will do a pick up between 8 am and 5 pm. We are due to get rain in the afternoon so I hope they come early. So much good stuff leaving my house. Kind of feel sad to give it up but none of it has been used in years...I hope it makes someone happy! We have probably given 50 bags to Vietnam Vets so far not to mention dumpsters, donating to Goodwill and selling stuff on ebay. OMG, where does this stuff come from? Still have tons of crap to get rid of! Just two people with no kids!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 08, 2018, 05:04:14 PM
Way to go, Roadrunner53!!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JAYSLOL on November 08, 2018, 07:24:47 PM
I've been away from this thread for too long, and now moving day is in sight so I've got to get going on clearing out the clutter.  I've dropped off a big car load of donation items, and have a lot more to go including some furniture, speakers, old TV, tons of boxes of left over garage sale stuff and clothing to clear out.  It's going to be an interesting ride.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 08, 2018, 07:43:13 PM
Way to go, Roadrunner53!!!!
whoot whoot
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on November 08, 2018, 10:27:25 PM
This thread is so motivating! I went through my stationary drawer and got rid of random paper, some pens that no longer work and corroded paper clips.

I also donated dropped of a small bag of clothing at a thrift store. I posted a few free items online and should have them gone by the weekend.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on November 09, 2018, 02:05:32 AM
Yesterday donated a box of surplus office supplies to the village school.  Today taking a box of bits and pieces from my mother's house (she died nearly 4 years ago) to my brother - a nice chance to get together for a country pub lunch.

Apart from too much old paperwork and the disaster which is the spare bedroom the house is looking and feeling pretty good.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 09, 2018, 09:37:51 AM
I finally got rid of my old torn up gardening sneakers. (Thank you for your service; you were brilliant.) Also donated school supplies and some just in case sewing supplies, among other things. Some posts ago, I listed jobs to tackle, and I'm happy to say I've done them all. Today, I'm walking my bikes over to the donation place where teens learn how to fix bikes and work their way toward owning one of the donated bikes. I'm stoked!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 09, 2018, 09:47:21 AM
Giant bag going to goodwill.
This has gotten harder for me to do now that we aren't itemizing our taxes. I feel like I should save it all for a year that we do (we think we will every 3 years now due to our DAF.)

I tried to sell a few of the things in it, but it is barely worth the time. :(
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 09, 2018, 11:49:53 AM
Love this thread!

Six items to the donation bin today:
-1 shirt that I never wear
-3 maxi dresses (too small)
-1 race shirt (too small)
-1 gaming item I received at a conference & never used

Now that I have a bit of momentum, I may open the doors to the boys room. It's always so frightening to see what lurks in the rooms of an 11 & 12 year old!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on November 09, 2018, 12:03:03 PM
Did a walk-through of my house and then my charity drop off this morning. Only had a small box, along with some boxes and some unsalvagable furniture to the dump. Apart from books and clothes I think I'm pretty much done decluttering! Organized some stuff and cleaned. Every drawer and cupboard gives me a peaceful feeling. I love it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 09, 2018, 12:11:52 PM
We just got an energy audit done on our house and the biggest energy saving thing we can do is insulate the basement walls.  That will entail pulling everything away from the walls of the basement.  Which is 75% devoted to storage.  This will be a massive opportunity to declutter.  I will have to be ruthless about not putting stuff back after.  I think we will tackle that project next summer.  Trying to decide if I should try to de-clutter first so that there is way less stuff to take off the shelves and out of the closets or just let it stay there for now and shame myself with the craziness of the amount when we go to put it back?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on November 09, 2018, 12:41:21 PM
Did a walk-through of my house and then my charity drop off this morning. Only had a small box, along with some boxes and some unsalvagable furniture to the dump. Apart from books and clothes I think I'm pretty much done decluttering! Organized some stuff and cleaned. Every drawer and cupboard gives me a peaceful feeling. I love it.

What a superb feeling--congrats!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 09, 2018, 12:42:15 PM
We just got an energy audit done on our house and the biggest energy saving thing we can do is insulate the basement walls.  That will entail pulling everything away from the walls of the basement.  Which is 75% devoted to storage.  This will be a massive opportunity to declutter.  I will have to be ruthless about not putting stuff back after.  I think we will tackle that project next summer.  Trying to decide if I should try to de-clutter first so that there is way less stuff to take off the shelves and out of the closets or just let it stay there for now and shame myself with the craziness of the amount when we go to put it back?

I'd definitely start decluttering, so there's less stuff to put on the shelves. Sounds like a great opportunity to declutter!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on November 09, 2018, 01:47:27 PM
Started a new donation bag. Decluttered a camping bathroom bag thing with a hook to hang up in the shower... I’d been putting off decluttering it for ages because it would mean I would have to empty it out and in my mind that was an impossible task. Opened it up and the entire contents were 4 individually wrapped tampons and a necklace I wore once and am never going to wear again. Donated the necklace, set aside the tampons until I make contact with the women’s shelter and find out if they take half-open boxes. I remember watching an interview with homeless women once and over and over they requested tampons not pads... it really stuck with me, and now I no longer need them it seems so wrong to throw them away.

Other than that found a weird card holder thing that is meant to stick to the back of your phone and donated that. The donation bag itself is a backpack I don’t want and I saw something on Hubbys desk that I think I can donate I just need to check with him first.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on November 09, 2018, 05:06:15 PM
Did a walk-through of my house and then my charity drop off this morning. Only had a small box, along with some boxes and some unsalvagable furniture to the dump. Apart from books and clothes I think I'm pretty much done decluttering! Organized some stuff and cleaned. Every drawer and cupboard gives me a peaceful feeling. I love it.

Nice. I'm not very far off that if I don't open Hubby's drawers ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 09, 2018, 11:03:57 PM
Combining the Gazingus Pin and Clutter threads, I went through my stash today and put all the material I am never ever going to make into clothes into the donation pile, along with any patterns that I am never ever going to make. I live in Sydney, I don't need woolen skirts and once I live in a country that might need them, I'm not going to need work suitable clothes anymore. Similarly, the peppermint striped material that I thought would make a sundress? Is 100% artificial fibers and will be disgusting in the heat! The iridescent olive green taffeta with a dark olive plaid? Even if I made it up, I would never ever wear it. All these fantasy outfits provided a GREAT DEAL of enjoyment to me when I was picturing making them, and now someone else gets to have them.

I also went through the repair pile and mended my perfect linen dress and my favourite shirt, so they are back in the closet and accepted that I am never turning my $12 wedding dress [white linen Laura Ashley!] from the Vinnies into a shirt or work out how to make one shirtdress less inexplicably frumpy. Into the donation pile they go!

I officially abandoned all of my WIP that I have made no progress on in 1 calendar year, and now I can fit all my fabric into the one storage box. It feels great. And now I have cut out a new pattern {kwik sew 3232} and wil be making it up in sea blue linen from the duvet set we bought at Ikea that we didn't like sleeping on.

Lastly, I turned one of my old teeshirts into a plaid rope chew toy for Honey and she loves playing tug of war with it.



Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 10, 2018, 08:17:03 AM
We just got an energy audit done on our house and the biggest energy saving thing we can do is insulate the basement walls.  That will entail pulling everything away from the walls of the basement.  Which is 75% devoted to storage.  This will be a massive opportunity to declutter.  I will have to be ruthless about not putting stuff back after.  I think we will tackle that project next summer.  Trying to decide if I should try to de-clutter first so that there is way less stuff to take off the shelves and out of the closets or just let it stay there for now and shame myself with the craziness of the amount when we go to put it back?

Declutter now.  It will be easier to move everything away from the walls.  When you put back what is left you will find more to declutter.  I've done serious decluttering before every move, and still moved stuff that then got donated.  It's like peeling an onion, there is another layer once the first layer is gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 10, 2018, 09:32:00 AM
Two votes for continuing to de-clutter and none for taking a break.  I think I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the task but you folks buck me up in just the right way.  Resolve renewed. 

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 10, 2018, 10:08:32 AM
@mspym I'm impressed! Not only did you declutter your stash, you also got some projects done. Good on ya!

I donated fabric to a cool second-hand art supply store in my neighborhood. I can't believe that fabric survived three moves. I had already used what I needed from it years ago. Silly.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on November 10, 2018, 11:35:34 AM
A small ting. I threw away a photo album containing 5 photos or so. It was supposed to document Norwegian buildings in past times. But we never added more than the few first photos. Also, the album had been in a box when the cellar flooded and was water damaged. It has been laying on the floor of the garage for the last year or two.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on November 10, 2018, 03:30:38 PM
I finally took a big box of clothes and randomness to the thrift store.  Bonus that I got DH to get rid of a stack of dress shirts and ties he hasn't worn in years.

Yesterday I gave a bunch of jars to a friend who's been getting into canning.  I also passed on a basket from our old fridge that I could never find a good place for (delivered some of the jars to her in the basket).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 10, 2018, 04:34:35 PM
Dusting some stuff in the house today and found 3 things to donate. One was a vase someone gave me that I never put any flowers into. One is a personalized cookie jar for a dog that we had that is deceased for many years and then some decorative candle thing someone gave me that I never used. All of it was collecting dust. Just got rid of 10 bags to Vietnam Vets on Friday. Now it begins again! More STUFF to get rid of! Stuff is like mushrooms in my house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 10, 2018, 05:39:35 PM
Brought another truck load from the house to the apartment. This is a tough one. Lots to go through. Lots of emotional processing, too. I finally had Husband load the high chair and stroller in to be donated. That was a blow, but there's no attic to hide them in anymore. Haven't talked myself into getting rid of the clothes and cloth diapers yet, so we'll see there.

Influx was mainly decor items though. First pass I unloaded all the "easy" items, put all the things that were clear give aways into the donation box, and currently have 3 "hard" boxes to get back to. Now we're hanging art, and anything that doesn't make it up we'll get rid of.

Hardest part of all this is my mom had given me a lot of family items. We had a house, they downsized and moved far away, it made sense to 'pass the torch' in a way. But, life had other plans. So a lot of items have to be stored a couple months until we drive the nearly 1500 miles for Christmas and return it all.

A lot of this is harder than expected. Glad I bought some whiskey. Lol.

Even having to declutter a bottle of wine I had been saving for a long time with sentimental value. It got far too cold, so it should be consumed now =( Probably for the best. Clean start for everything. Husband and I will open it together tonight and try to savor it. Hopefully it's not vinegar now ;)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on November 10, 2018, 06:07:30 PM
I love my personal home shredder for the tiny bits I like to do daily. 3-5 documents, maybe 30 on an exciting day. Backlog -the build up from years, or from a massive project- I like to get to a shredding company, out, done.

I'm way behind on this thread - I get discouraged because I have to get approval to get rid of almost anything.

Anyway: Shredding!

I'm pleased with the personal shredder we got from Costco some years ago. Occasionally oil the blades, occasionally remove stuck bits from the teeth. Works great for the everyday mail sorting type shredding.

For bigger shred sessions (old files) - I usually take a pile into work and use the industrial shredder.

Edit: I have decluttered my desk :)- shredded/filed/tossed a fair stack of documents, verified gift cards were zeroed and disposed, consolidated the "to do" list.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on November 10, 2018, 08:14:42 PM
A ‘dress up’ shirt, the cozy bolaro I wore over my wedding dress a year ago, my formal dress from year 12 (8 years ago) plus the matching bow tie, all into the donation bag. I feel like we have too many big plates, so put all the chipped ones into a bag under the bed while I decide if that means we have too few. If we don’t miss them by after Christmas they will go too. Trying to drink down some of my tea stash - finished a sample pack yesterday, moving onto another sample pack today.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on November 10, 2018, 09:39:03 PM
Doing a huge wardrobe clearout, plus a heap of baby things. One big surprise is EIGHT great quality bras in a size I haven't been for years - probably the only time in my life I've owned eight bras in one size?! Such luxury. Luckily a friend thinks they'll fit her so they're going to a good home.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frankies Girl on November 10, 2018, 10:11:46 PM
So.

I'm thinking in the next week of donating something I used to think I'd have til I died... my grandparents had this wacky GIANT round mirror in their house and when they died, I ended up with it. All I know about it is that it was once a barbershop mirror back in the 40s or 50s and my granddad somehow ended up with it (he was not a barber - no idea). It is like 4 foot round, small bevel, nothing to really look at other than the sheer size of it. It has 4 basic clips that are screwed into a heavy wooden frame and the whole thing likely weighs something like 30 pounds and there are a few tiny chips in the edge and it's got some very very minor silvering specks happening. And the clips themselves always look like it's about to slip the frame and fall - I can see the edge of the wood frame back at the top. I got so paranoid for about 6 months it wasn't even on a wall as I wanted to get it looked at and then just said screw it and put it back up, but it give me butterflies still seeing it hanging up and thinking about what a godawful mess it would make and all the cat blood that would result from it crashing down as the only room it can go in is the "cat/craft room" where we keep the litterboxes (we have 5 cats. I am a sucker for a sob story stray).

So no one is going to know if I donate it. It's not like it's an heirloom that someone will rise up from their grave and there's no secret compartment or anything. I think someone that is into modern/clean lines and mirrors would really love it, but I just don't really want to deal with it any more. I keep thinking about the bother and expense of getting it remounted and for all of that, I could go BUY a beautiful, well framed and even antique mirror if I really, really had to have one again.

So can I get rid of it?

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on November 10, 2018, 10:16:28 PM
You had me at "cat blood".

There is someone out there who will LOVE it and cherish it and make it the centrepiece of their favourite room.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on November 11, 2018, 04:48:55 AM
My battle at the moment is not letting Ofpym derail my progress- he keeps saying "oh I'll read that" when I create a book pile. MY DUDE YOU WON'T BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.

My hubby does the exact same thing. He has read about 4 books in the last five years and all except one of those were biography type books related to his hobby in the last few yrs. He doesn't even read articles he's saved. Maybe in retirement... :/

If my Dad is any indication.... it won't happen. He has unopened boxes of books, articles, etc in the basement that I know were  still boxed from moves back at least as far as 1991. Last year I was finally able to get him to let me dispose of some magazines that I know were sitting in a box back in the 1980s.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on November 11, 2018, 04:59:11 AM
Small win - gave away an unopened bottle of bath wash and it occurred to me that the person who wanted it might want an open bottle of similar gunk. She does! Getting rid of two products we won't use instead of one :-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 11, 2018, 05:08:16 AM
So.

I'm thinking in the next week of donating something I used to think I'd have til I died... my grandparents had this wacky GIANT round mirror in their house and when they died, I ended up with it. All I know about it is that it was once a barbershop mirror back in the 40s or 50s and my granddad somehow ended up with it (he was not a barber - no idea). It is like 4 foot round, small bevel, nothing to really look at other than the sheer size of it. It has 4 basic clips that are screwed into a heavy wooden frame and the whole thing likely weighs something like 30 pounds and there are a few tiny chips in the edge and it's got some very very minor silvering specks happening. And the clips themselves always look like it's about to slip the frame and fall - I can see the edge of the wood frame back at the top. I got so paranoid for about 6 months it wasn't even on a wall as I wanted to get it looked at and then just said screw it and put it back up, but it give me butterflies still seeing it hanging up and thinking about what a godawful mess it would make and all the cat blood that would result from it crashing down as the only room it can go in is the "cat/craft room" where we keep the litterboxes (we have 5 cats. I am a sucker for a sob story stray).

So no one is going to know if I donate it. It's not like it's an heirloom that someone will rise up from their grave and there's no secret compartment or anything. I think someone that is into modern/clean lines and mirrors would really love it, but I just don't really want to deal with it any more. I keep thinking about the bother and expense of getting it remounted and for all of that, I could go BUY a beautiful, well framed and even antique mirror if I really, really had to have one again.

So can I get rid of it?

If you truly don't feel the love for the mirror, let it go. One man's trash is another mans treasure. However, before you get rid of it give it one more thought. Have you considered spray painting the frame an updated color. Spray paint is amazing and can turn something ugly into something beautiful. Plus, if you updated it and now liked it better it would mean a bit more to you that it was something your granddad liked. Remove the frame and put an decorative edging on it (see video). Some people make mirrors into chalkboards so you can write on it like what's for dinner to night or appointments. Some people apply mirrors to table tops. Here is a video for some ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrW68JQfzS4    You might be able to find an art student to help apply pieces of ceramic tiles in a decorative pattern on the edges of the mirror. Some people apply fake flowers or beads or shells. I am not a fan of that because it will become a dust magnet and I have no idea how you would clean it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: smalllife on November 11, 2018, 06:50:18 AM
You had me at "cat blood".

There is someone out there who will LOVE it and cherish it and make it the centrepiece of their favourite room.

+1   Doesn't sound like there is any emotional or family significance, donate and feel like your babies are safe.

I have a quilt in the donate pile (accepted when my grandmother downsized, to replace a polyester comforter - but apparently I like the polyester better, so the quilt has to go).  I put a bunch of candlemaking supplies up for sale, will list just the wax next if they still don't sell.  When I switched out the wardrobe to winter, I put a few items I wasn't excited about seeing in the donate bin as well.  Unfortunately, this means a trip to Goodwill as I literally have one work appropriate long-sleeved shirt (the other DIED, like omfg this thing stretched three sizes died the other day).  I also threw out a few fabric scraps too small to use that aren't going in my patchwork quilt.

And in the alternative use category, I took some unused mason jars - bought on sale for when the garden ramps up in a few years - filled them with water, and put them in our freezer to improve the efficiency. Win win on storage.

I've been lurking on this thread for a while, and it inspired me to do another round - hence the candles, etc.   Keep it up everyone!

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on November 11, 2018, 08:29:55 AM
Yes, ditch the mirror.  It's taking up too much mental space, clearly, and someone else will love to have it.

Friday night I burned up all the credit card offer type junk mail that accumulated over summer.  Actually, there is probably some more to burn, but the main basket full by the fireplace is gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on November 11, 2018, 09:01:35 AM
I went through my summer wardrobe and weeded out a bunch of things.  A few t-shirts with small holes that I am quite fond of went in the sewing pile to be reincarnated in my next project (only because I have a concrete plan to use them that was already going to be my next project, which I have already started organizing, otherwise they would be for the donate or rag bin depending on condition).  A few other ones that I'm not attached to or weren't the right kind of fabric went in the donate bag.  Also weeded out a perfectly good bathing suit that happens to be my least favorite, and I have plenty, and a few pairs of shorts that are just a tiny bit too short to be comfortable.  Also moved a pair of boots that I like the look of but just aren't comfortable to wear into the donate pile.

The pile is getting big enough it's time to schedule a donation drop day.  Unfortunately our local thrift shop has fairly narrow hours for donations, so I'll have to time it carefully.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 11, 2018, 12:23:35 PM
A for sure yes to getting rid of the mirror.

I helped my younger soon clean his room.
-We recycled maybe 3 shoe boxes worth of junk
-donated a few odds & ends
-I found two complete game sets that have never been played with (let that be a lesson to me at Christmas this year.) I've listed them on our local Facebook swap for a steal. Hopefully they can make someone happy!
-Everything that didn't belong in his room (bike lock, pool toy, granola bars?) are now back to their proper location
-All dirty laundry stashed under the bed has now been properly transferred to the wash

It looks SO GOOD! Also, the old library book that my son claimed he'd turned in . . . yes, that was there too. ;-0
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 11, 2018, 12:29:27 PM
More to the donate box. Our old towels were getting really worn (we only had 4, and I wash them weekly and it's been 7 or 8 years. I guess I'll allow it!). We had bought some pretty white ones to have as the guest towels, so when we moved and we don't have as much room now, the old towels will get passed on.

There's still some key areas that aren't dealt with yet, so I'm sure more will join! Need to address meds/bathroom goods, camping gear, christmas decor, general decor (some remaining unknowns), and what *was* our garage stuff, but we don't have a garage anymore, lol! We also have a large dresser in the back of our truck that ended up not fitting. Dang. Oh! And I'm moving a bunch of my clothes from hanging and from the dresser my husband and I have been sharing, into a dresser of my VERY OWN. (Gasp). I'm sure I'll pare down as I go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on November 11, 2018, 01:18:13 PM
A few tubes of almost used up creams, tinctures and the like while cleaning out the entry closet that doubles as the bathroom and ‘shed’ storage. Two pretty bras that are too uncomfortable to wear. A tiny handbag with an Elmo pattern that I’ve grown out of XD
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 11, 2018, 06:40:17 PM
The way we all list out the specific items we ditch reads like death notices for things. Don't get me wrong; I love this thread. It just struck me as funny and deliciously weird.

Old pillows, sodastream, and computer backpack are added to the donation pile.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Jim Fiction on November 11, 2018, 06:55:39 PM
Visited my folks this weekend and grab two huge bins of my DVDs that I've been storing there. Planning to go through and ebay/decluttr/good will the vast majority of them. So I helped to declutter their house, while temporarily cluttering mine!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 11, 2018, 11:56:02 PM
@MaybeBabyMustache I appreciate you posting so steadily.  That goes for everyone.  I just *love* coming back here periodically to find how much others are "in it with me". 

Yesterday got 4 small boxes of CDs back to Mr. X.  Actually, 3 boxes of CDs and one box of empty CD cases.  Nice to get that particular box out of the house with only minimal effort on my part!

5 down, 4 to go.  Those were the smallest 5, so the last 4 will likely take more effort.  Maybe a box a week rather than 3?  Putting the end date for this project at Nov 18.  Yes, that is what I'll shoot for.

In the last little while, I have been able to rip 3 of the remaining 4 boxes.  One of the ripped boxes was completed today, so will definitely be gone by next weekend. The last remaining box is the second biggest, not totally sure I'll be able to get that done in a week, but my estimate of 11/18 was not that far off.  I'll probably make a push to try to get done by then.  But work has been taking extra time, so we'll see how that shakes out.

So, next project is a combined paper/digital decluttering.  Getting all my passwords into a password manager.  It's deadly dull.  But I've been hanging on to this one dog-eared piece of paper that has the passwords written on it, so will be nice to ditch that even though it doesn't take up much space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on November 12, 2018, 01:36:30 AM
I have asked DH if we could throw away a whole moving box full of cassette tapes. We don't have a cassette player anymore.
Most of the tapes are stuff he recorded as a hobby, not music, but stand-up comedy. He didn't want to use time on it exactly then, but I hope he can let it go when (or before) we will sell the house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 12, 2018, 04:29:24 AM
Linda_Norway not sure if your husband would be interested but there is a converter that you can use to convert cassettes to CD's.

http://www.cassette2usb.com/?tid=B002
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on November 12, 2018, 04:37:49 AM
Linda_Norway not sure if your husband would be interested but there is a converter that you can use to convert cassettes to CD's.

http://www.cassette2usb.com/?tid=B002

We did that once with a bunch of longplay records. We borrowed a record player, connected it to the audio in the computer and recorded it on CD. Worked very well. I guess we could score a cassette player somewhere and do the same trick. It is just that this box contains so many tapes, that it is a very big job. Also, he knows 99% of the content by hart and can citate it. He also hasn't been playing them for the last 10 years or so. Maybe time to let go...
We have also 4 boxes full of VHS tapes with stand up comedy. They are not standing in the way, as they stand on top of a closet in a bedroom. But we also haven't opened these boxes for a decade at least. We still have a VHS player which is not connected to the TV and stereo. I hope we can some day ditch both the player and the video tapes, including the movies that we still have on video tapes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 12, 2018, 04:58:54 AM
I just donated VHS movies to Vietnam Vets. Some were brand new and never opened. UGH! I still have two VCR's! We have the first one and the last one and I think we got rid of another one. The first one has the remote on a wire, that is how old that one is! It was SUPER expensive because it was new technology at the time! Now it isn't worth 10 cents!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Unique User on November 12, 2018, 08:52:32 AM
This weekend I took two full boxes to our county shredding event - tax returns and insurance policies are all scanned now.  Sold a sewing machine we no longer use and listed 5 more items on craigslist. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on November 12, 2018, 11:05:36 AM
This probably isn't exactly in the spirit of this thread, but I thought you all would understand. I'm in the midst of unpacking boxes.  I guess when everything was packed away I could kind of lie to myself about how much china I have.  I just unpacked 9 place settings of my "good" pattern and 12 settings of my grandmother's pattern (that I'm 95% sure she got free for buying an air conditioner).  Oh yeah, and the extra 8 dinner plates and hostess pieces that match my grandmother's set.  The only mustacian thing about any of this is that I've never paid full price for any of them. They are mostly pieces that I've picked up over the years at thrift stores and yard sales.  But it's still ridiculous for dishes I might use once a year.  Trying to talk myself into at least consolidating to one set...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 12, 2018, 12:12:50 PM
I went through our three tiered tray that we keep to organize incoming mails, coupons, bills, etc. It's supposed to be cleaned out weekly. It gets. . . less attention than that. It's now pretty much organized. Could use one more pass to reassign things to their proper filing drawers, but all of the junk is now recycled & gone, at least.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 12, 2018, 01:15:05 PM
Dropped more clothes off at Once Upon a Child. They'll only take 1/4 of them, but maybe I can get $10 before sending them to goodwill.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: smalllife on November 12, 2018, 04:00:17 PM
This probably isn't exactly in the spirit of this thread, but I thought you all would understand. I'm in the midst of unpacking boxes.  I guess when everything was packed away I could kind of lie to myself about how much china I have.  I just unpacked 9 place settings of my "good" pattern and 12 settings of my grandmother's pattern (that I'm 95% sure she got free for buying an air conditioner).  Oh yeah, and the extra 8 dinner plates and hostess pieces that match my grandmother's set.  The only mustacian thing about any of this is that I've never paid full price for any of them. They are mostly pieces that I've picked up over the years at thrift stores and yard sales.  But it's still ridiculous for dishes I might use once a year.  Trying to talk myself into at least consolidating to one set...

Do the sets go together, or at least not clash? Keep the plates from one, bowls from another, etc.  Or serving bowls/hostess piece as a centerpiece? Basically, a way to keep a pattern you like without having to get rid of it immediately.

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on November 12, 2018, 04:14:52 PM
This probably isn't exactly in the spirit of this thread, but I thought you all would understand. I'm in the midst of unpacking boxes.  I guess when everything was packed away I could kind of lie to myself about how much china I have.  I just unpacked 9 place settings of my "good" pattern and 12 settings of my grandmother's pattern (that I'm 95% sure she got free for buying an air conditioner).  Oh yeah, and the extra 8 dinner plates and hostess pieces that match my grandmother's set.  The only mustacian thing about any of this is that I've never paid full price for any of them. They are mostly pieces that I've picked up over the years at thrift stores and yard sales.  But it's still ridiculous for dishes I might use once a year.  Trying to talk myself into at least consolidating to one set...

Do the sets go together, or at least not clash? Keep the plates from one, bowls from another, etc.  Or serving bowls/hostess piece as a centerpiece? Basically, a way to keep a pattern you like without having to get rid of it immediately.

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...

They sorta, kinda, but not really match.  The nicer set is my Lennox Opal Innocence.  My first husband came from old money so his family insisted on a very traditional registry so we had to pick china, stemware, and flatware.  I got the china and stemware back a few years after the divorce and have added pieces here and there.  I figure those were the things my ex couldn't hock.  It's basically white/platinum so it can kind of match anything.  The other set is pink and grey.  I don't normally like pink, but this one is pretty.  It's Harmony House, which was Sears' store brand for many years.  I also don't think I'll be able to get rid of it while mom is still alive either.  Oh God.  I didn't even think about my mom's set.  At least she knows that I've never particularly cared for it.  Maybe she'll leave it to my brother's wife and I won't have to deal with it.  Supposedly there is another set from my other grandmother that's supposed to be mine, but it's packed in a box somewhere and I couldn't tell you what it looks like.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on November 13, 2018, 01:59:57 AM
Gave sister in law a book and got hubs’ blessing to donate the five others by the same author. I am planning on gifting them to the giving tree at work but on the instructions at the tree it is requesting new books/toys, not second-hand... the books have each been read once, then on a bookshelf since then. They are clean and undamaged and if I hadn’t read the instructions I would have gladly donated them to the gifting tree without a second thought, but now that I’ve read that instructions sheet I’m conflicted... thoughts? The books are all young adult fiction books by John Green (popular YA author) if that makes any difference.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 13, 2018, 04:19:38 AM
Gave sister in law a book and got hubs’ blessing to donate the five others by the same author. I am planning on gifting them to the giving tree at work but on the instructions at the tree it is requesting new books/toys, not second-hand... the books have each been read once, then on a bookshelf since then. They are clean and undamaged and if I hadn’t read the instructions I would have gladly donated them to the gifting tree without a second thought, but now that I’ve read that instructions sheet I’m conflicted... thoughts? The books are all young adult fiction books by John Green (popular YA author) if that makes any difference.

Goodwill
Vietnam Vets-Will pick up donations but would probably have to be more than just a few books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on November 13, 2018, 05:21:57 AM
Gave sister in law a book and got hubs’ blessing to donate the five others by the same author. I am planning on gifting them to the giving tree at work but on the instructions at the tree it is requesting new books/toys, not second-hand... the books have each been read once, then on a bookshelf since then. They are clean and undamaged and if I hadn’t read the instructions I would have gladly donated them to the gifting tree without a second thought, but now that I’ve read that instructions sheet I’m conflicted... thoughts? The books are all young adult fiction books by John Green (popular YA author) if that makes any difference.

Given they're in excellent condition, I wouldn't hesitate to give them to the giving tree.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 13, 2018, 06:08:17 AM
Gave sister in law a book and got hubs’ blessing to donate the five others by the same author. I am planning on gifting them to the giving tree at work but on the instructions at the tree it is requesting new books/toys, not second-hand... the books have each been read once, then on a bookshelf since then. They are clean and undamaged and if I hadn’t read the instructions I would have gladly donated them to the gifting tree without a second thought, but now that I’ve read that instructions sheet I’m conflicted... thoughts? The books are all young adult fiction books by John Green (popular YA author) if that makes any difference.

Given they're in excellent condition, I wouldn't hesitate to give them to the giving tree.

Agree, if it looks like a book you'd  get at Barnes and Noble, having read it doesn't change the condition- you didn't use up the story.  If the spine is broken or pages are bent, then the condition is "used".
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Unique User on November 13, 2018, 08:12:09 AM
This probably isn't exactly in the spirit of this thread, but I thought you all would understand. I'm in the midst of unpacking boxes.  I guess when everything was packed away I could kind of lie to myself about how much china I have.  I just unpacked 9 place settings of my "good" pattern and 12 settings of my grandmother's pattern (that I'm 95% sure she got free for buying an air conditioner).  Oh yeah, and the extra 8 dinner plates and hostess pieces that match my grandmother's set.  The only mustacian thing about any of this is that I've never paid full price for any of them. They are mostly pieces that I've picked up over the years at thrift stores and yard sales.  But it's still ridiculous for dishes I might use once a year.  Trying to talk myself into at least consolidating to one set...

Do the sets go together, or at least not clash? Keep the plates from one, bowls from another, etc.  Or serving bowls/hostess piece as a centerpiece? Basically, a way to keep a pattern you like without having to get rid of it immediately.

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...

China.  I have a set of family Wedgewood from the late 1700s, I struggle with it and with other family pieces.  I also have several old books that have been signed by ancestors in the 1800s and early 1900s as well as my father's Hardy Boys books that he signed in the 1950s and I'm assuming used for target practice since there are several bb holes.  Technically it's all clutter, but I can't get rid of any of it. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on November 13, 2018, 09:48:29 AM
This probably isn't exactly in the spirit of this thread, but I thought you all would understand. I'm in the midst of unpacking boxes.  I guess when everything was packed away I could kind of lie to myself about how much china I have.  I just unpacked 9 place settings of my "good" pattern and 12 settings of my grandmother's pattern (that I'm 95% sure she got free for buying an air conditioner).  Oh yeah, and the extra 8 dinner plates and hostess pieces that match my grandmother's set.  The only mustacian thing about any of this is that I've never paid full price for any of them. They are mostly pieces that I've picked up over the years at thrift stores and yard sales.  But it's still ridiculous for dishes I might use once a year.  Trying to talk myself into at least consolidating to one set...

Do the sets go together, or at least not clash? Keep the plates from one, bowls from another, etc.  Or serving bowls/hostess piece as a centerpiece? Basically, a way to keep a pattern you like without having to get rid of it immediately.

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...

China.  I have a set of family Wedgewood from the late 1700s, I struggle with it and with other family pieces.  I also have several old books that have been signed by ancestors in the 1800s and early 1900s as well as my father's Hardy Boys books that he signed in the 1950s and I'm assuming used for target practice since there are several bb holes.  Technically it's all clutter, but I can't get rid of any of it.

See, the Wedgewood I might take and very happily (I have a Jasperware collection, which I have thinned a bit).

My mom has 4, yes FOUR, complete sets of china, plus a bunch of partials, etc. We did get her to got through all of it, with the "we're JUST repacking the stuff, the boxes are falling apart for goodness sake" phrase. We managed to go through all of it, get it all packed into boxes of only one pattern per box. And she actually designated some stuff as "sell" boxes, not that they've actually been sold. They're just sitting in the basement with everything else she's marked sell. Some estate sale company is going to have a bunch of work one of these days.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on November 13, 2018, 12:08:21 PM

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...

What is it with parents and china?  My Mom gave me a set that was her Aunt's decades ago, and is horrified that I want to get rid of it.  It is monogrammed (not our initial) and gold rimmed, so can't go in the dishwasher.  I'm sure it cost my Great Aunt a fortune when she bought it.  But no one wants it now, including us.  We have carted this stuff around through 4 houses, and it is not going with us next time.  So I've been sneaking it out so Mom doesn't notice - first the cups and saucers, then the bread plates, etc.   We are down to the dinner plates and a couple of small bowls now, and those will go after Christmas.

Got Mr. SP to go through a bunch of files, and shredded at least 10 pounds of paper.   Every time I think we've found everything that isn't needed, we find more.   I've also got a box out in the garage just about ready for Goodwill - books, things people have given us over the years that we don't need, etc.  So far I've been sticking to my goal of at least one good size bag or box out of the house each month.   
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on November 13, 2018, 12:21:40 PM
Gave sister in law a book and got hubs’ blessing to donate the five others by the same author. I am planning on gifting them to the giving tree at work but on the instructions at the tree it is requesting new books/toys, not second-hand... the books have each been read once, then on a bookshelf since then. They are clean and undamaged and if I hadn’t read the instructions I would have gladly donated them to the gifting tree without a second thought, but now that I’ve read that instructions sheet I’m conflicted... thoughts? The books are all young adult fiction books by John Green (popular YA author) if that makes any difference.

Given they're in excellent condition, I wouldn't hesitate to give them to the giving tree.

Same. If the covers are flat and shiny, I'd give them to the giving tree.

I've been doing unusually well on the decluttering front. Gave away a lot of winter stuff to collection for refugees, also used up a lot of fleece fabric making scarves for same.  While looking for the fleece in my stash, found a big bag of scraps way too small to be useful... why was I saving them? They're going to textile recycling.

Selected a bunch of children's books that I hate reading out loud  (I'm talking about YOU, Pinkalicious!) to give to the library book sale.  Turned down an offer to return some doll furniture that I once gifted to a friend's daughter before I had my own daughter. Friend's daughter is now grown and wants to sell her kid stuff, but my daughter has plenty of tiny furniture that just ends up all over the carpet and underfoot.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on November 13, 2018, 12:26:59 PM
Getting rid of some small stuffies and the litter box -- someone in the local Buy Nothing group is taking supplies up to Butte County to help out fire victims. Also gave a small spider plant away to a guest yesterday.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on November 14, 2018, 07:13:14 AM

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...

What is it with parents and china?  My Mom gave me a set that was her Aunt's decades ago, and is horrified that I want to get rid of it.  It is monogrammed (not our initial) and gold rimmed, so can't go in the dishwasher.  I'm sure it cost my Great Aunt a fortune when she bought it.  But no one wants it now, including us.  We have carted this stuff around through 4 houses, and it is not going with us next time.  So I've been sneaking it out so Mom doesn't notice - first the cups and saucers, then the bread plates, etc.   We are down to the dinner plates and a couple of small bowls now, and those will go after Christmas.


I agree!  Parents just don't understand (Cue DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince)….
I haven't thought about it too much, but I KNOW my mom has at least one set of.... maybe not china, but something she considers "her fancy dishes" and used for Thanksgiving, Xmas, etc.  I also KNOW she has a cabinet of tchotchkes (that she apparently now calls Nic Nacs, she was insisting on the phone last night that she's never used the word tchotchkes). 
We were talking a bit about my grandma, who still lives alone and just turned 91 yesterday... and I was asking if she still has cabinets full of junk at her house... my mom kept insisting that one of my aunts helped clean the house out so that it would be more livable... but when I pressed her, she said that "of course" she still has her Nic Nacs in big cabinets with glass doors... as if that's NOT what I was referring to as 'Junk' (it was).
THIMBLES and BELLS.  OH THE THIMBLES AND BELLS.

This makes me nervous that there are more cabinets of junk at my parents house than I realize.  :::Shudder:::
I try not to press them too much about the state of their junk, as I live a thousand+ miles away...  But my dad grew up dirt-floor-poor, and I know he just feels secure stockpiling stuff even though they've been securely lower-middle class for decades (not ideal, but they're secure) and he likely DOES NOT NEED his old mower salvage parts, or two decades worth of his old factory-issued steel toed boots that "have plenty of life left in them". 
OK, FEELING PANICKED, MUST STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT CROWDED HOUSE.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on November 14, 2018, 07:25:48 AM

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...

What is it with parents and china?  My Mom gave me a set that was her Aunt's decades ago, and is horrified that I want to get rid of it.  It is monogrammed (not our initial) and gold rimmed, so can't go in the dishwasher.  I'm sure it cost my Great Aunt a fortune when she bought it.  But no one wants it now, including us.  We have carted this stuff around through 4 houses, and it is not going with us next time.  So I've been sneaking it out so Mom doesn't notice - first the cups and saucers, then the bread plates, etc.   We are down to the dinner plates and a couple of small bowls now, and those will go after Christmas.


I agree!  Parents just don't understand (Cue DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince)….
I haven't thought about it too much, but I KNOW my mom has at least one set of.... maybe not china, but something she considers "her fancy dishes" and used for Thanksgiving, Xmas, etc.  I also KNOW she has a cabinet of tchotchkes (that she apparently now calls Nic Nacs, she was insisting on the phone last night that she's never used the word tchotchkes). 
We were talking a bit about my grandma, who still lives alone and just turned 91 yesterday... and I was asking if she still has cabinets full of junk at her house... my mom kept insisting that one of my aunts helped clean the house out so that it would be more livable... but when I pressed her, she said that "of course" she still has her Nic Nacs in big cabinets with glass doors... as if that's NOT what I was referring to as 'Junk' (it was).
THIMBLES and BELLS.  OH THE THIMBLES AND BELLS.

This makes me nervous that there are more cabinets of junk at my parents house than I realize.  :::Shudder:::
I try not to press them too much about the state of their junk, as I live a thousand+ miles away...  But my dad grew up dirt-floor-poor, and I know he just feels secure stockpiling stuff even though they've been securely lower-middle class for decades (not ideal, but they're secure) and he likely DOES NOT NEED his old mower salvage parts, or two decades worth of his old factory-issued steel toed boots that "have plenty of life left in them". 
OK, FEELING PANICKED, MUST STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT CROWDED HOUSE.

I so understand.  FIL grew up, not exactly poor, but his parents worked for different school districts.  They would move somewhere for the school year and when the year was over they would sell everything, including FIL's toys and stuff, and move back to their farm.  Then in the fall the cycle would repeat.  So FIL holds on to EVERYTHING.  Combine that with the fact that MIL and FIL are both only children they inherited everything from both sides.  There are at least 4 storage units full of furniture and other "antiques" that will have to be gone through and disposed of eventually.  I'm pretty sure there are at least 3 pianos including the one in their house.  And several curio cabinets like were popular in the 80s for displaying dolls and shit.  It's going to be a long process and my husband (and to some extent son if I don't nip it in the bud early) shows hoarding tendencies too.  BIL doesn't care about the stuff, so he may end up being my ally when it comes down to that stuff not coming in my house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on November 14, 2018, 07:31:50 AM

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...

What is it with parents and china?  My Mom gave me a set that was her Aunt's decades ago, and is horrified that I want to get rid of it.  It is monogrammed (not our initial) and gold rimmed, so can't go in the dishwasher.  I'm sure it cost my Great Aunt a fortune when she bought it.  But no one wants it now, including us.  We have carted this stuff around through 4 houses, and it is not going with us next time.  So I've been sneaking it out so Mom doesn't notice - first the cups and saucers, then the bread plates, etc.   We are down to the dinner plates and a couple of small bowls now, and those will go after Christmas.


I agree!  Parents just don't understand (Cue DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince)….
I haven't thought about it too much, but I KNOW my mom has at least one set of.... maybe not china, but something she considers "her fancy dishes" and used for Thanksgiving, Xmas, etc.  I also KNOW she has a cabinet of tchotchkes (that she apparently now calls Nic Nacs, she was insisting on the phone last night that she's never used the word tchotchkes). 
We were talking a bit about my grandma, who still lives alone and just turned 91 yesterday... and I was asking if she still has cabinets full of junk at her house... my mom kept insisting that one of my aunts helped clean the house out so that it would be more livable... but when I pressed her, she said that "of course" she still has her Nic Nacs in big cabinets with glass doors... as if that's NOT what I was referring to as 'Junk' (it was).
THIMBLES and BELLS.  OH THE THIMBLES AND BELLS.

This makes me nervous that there are more cabinets of junk at my parents house than I realize.  :::Shudder:::
I try not to press them too much about the state of their junk, as I live a thousand+ miles away...  But my dad grew up dirt-floor-poor, and I know he just feels secure stockpiling stuff even though they've been securely lower-middle class for decades (not ideal, but they're secure) and he likely DOES NOT NEED his old mower salvage parts, or two decades worth of his old factory-issued steel toed boots that "have plenty of life left in them". 
OK, FEELING PANICKED, MUST STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT CROWDED HOUSE.
And several curio cabinets like were popular in the 80s for displaying dolls and shit.

…. I snort-laughed when I read that!  These are the EXACT thing my parents have in their house.  Displaying who knows what?  I think there's a model airplane in one and like... some bells and a few figurines in the other?  WHYYYYYYYYY.  I'm having vague memories of what's inside those things "displayed" and... a desk clock for like a fancy bosses desk (why), figurines of ladies in bonnets and crap, model cars my dad put together in the 1990's on like one weekend a year when we weren't allowed to bother him, ummm… some childrens crafts, some glasses for whisky or something (no one drinks), um...
I'm getting a headache thinking about it.  Ha.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on November 14, 2018, 12:59:48 PM
I have a glass doored 60s display cabinet that holds books so I don't have to dust them! And my late dog's ashes and collar. There is one nic-nac in there that was a gift to hubby. It's ugly but he likes it so I put it at the bottom :P

When I was shopping for a cabinet the ad would say "contents not included", like you'd really want their collection of tat :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: NevermindScrooge on November 14, 2018, 01:52:20 PM
Following for the inspiration.

We moved earlier this year and we got rid of quite a lot of stuff (mainly my books which I sold/donated *blush*)
Now we are settled I want to address the still unopened boxes, which is a bit daunting. I will start small, tomorrow.
I found out that a donation container for clothing is close to my route to work, so I will donate two sweaters I haven’t been wearing for years.

Reading through the posts made me realize that I put too much emotional value on stuff. Just keeping things and not using them is a funny way of ‘appreciating’ I think.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on November 14, 2018, 05:44:10 PM
Loving the progress here! The descriptions about stockpiles of china and curio cabinets, and hoarding tendencies reminds me very vividly of some close family friends. She grew up living in a shack, and feels the need to hold on to everything now as security or because it is 'collectible' and 'worth something' with the idea that they can sell it at an indeterminate future date for cash. He is a recovered alcoholic, many years dry who has turned to making collections and shopping pawn shops as his new addiction. Together they just reinforced those tendencies - it was always a very clean hoard but so overwhelming.  They had rooms with hundreds of shoes, any vintage victorian item you can think of, stamps, coins, and VHS and DVDs by the hundred. We helped him once to make up a list of his movies so that he could find them easier and we found doubles of dozens of them and triplicates of many titles too!   Later, they rented out a room and the boarder secretly started a side business selling their stuff. It took them many months and many emptied storage sheds before they even suspected.

I got rid of another box of unneeded kitchen items this week - margarita glasses, crockpot insert, water filter, plus some clothes.  Then I did a reorganize project to clear up shelves, which will hopefully lead to more items to donate.  I made a floor cushion and added a hidden lapped zipper, then put all my medium sized clean fabric scraps and odds of other fabric projects (and lonely socks) inside to fill it up.  It is an 18" cube and it is more than half full already!  I'm very happy with the extra space I got back on the shelves, and now we have extra seating.  If I ever feel inspired to do mini projects or need a scrap I can rescue what I need - but I hope to just keep filling it to capacity.


Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 14, 2018, 06:22:27 PM
I definitely find the more I get rid of, the more I look at what I still keep. I gave away 6 nice handbags and now I am looking at another three "keepers" and wondering if they should go too. AND next week, we go to NZ and my luggage will be a suitcase of manga, that is being rehoused with a friend. I may even be able to leave the suitcase there. Poor bag - I had such plans for being a person with a good travelling suitcase and then I transformed into a Carry-on Luggage person the moment I moved. In its life it's been on one[1] cross-Tasman trip in total and has mostly been used when shifting house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: dashuk on November 15, 2018, 02:58:09 AM
Freecycled old dining table and four chairs*. There were another two chairs that had been broken by the kids tipping them over which we'd never got round to fixing. Offered those to the guy when he came to collect in case he wanted to try fixing them. Said "No, but since you're giving us stuff do you want me to dispose of them for you?". Unexpected bonus.

Got electric guitar and amp advertised because I only ever play the acoustic. Just trying to decide whether to accept the first slightly lower offer for a quick sale or let the ad run a bit longer.








* In a truly extravagant upgrade, we've gone from the table and chairs my parents gave us 13 years ago (which were left in a rental property belonging to my grandmother) to a nicer setup which cost us a total of £35 from charity shop (table) and local free-ads (chairs).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 15, 2018, 06:20:29 AM

I struggle with china because I don't care for it, but there's still a 12 piece set that my husband agrees we don't need but have to keep while his mother is still alive.  Huge chunk of cabinet space...

What is it with parents and china?  My Mom gave me a set that was her Aunt's decades ago, and is horrified that I want to get rid of it.  It is monogrammed (not our initial) and gold rimmed, so can't go in the dishwasher.  I'm sure it cost my Great Aunt a fortune when she bought it.  But no one wants it now, including us.  We have carted this stuff around through 4 houses, and it is not going with us next time.  So I've been sneaking it out so Mom doesn't notice - first the cups and saucers, then the bread plates, etc.   We are down to the dinner plates and a couple of small bowls now, and those will go after Christmas.


I agree!  Parents just don't understand (Cue DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince)….
I haven't thought about it too much, but I KNOW my mom has at least one set of.... maybe not china, but something she considers "her fancy dishes" and used for Thanksgiving, Xmas, etc.  I also KNOW she has a cabinet of tchotchkes (that she apparently now calls Nic Nacs, she was insisting on the phone last night that she's never used the word tchotchkes). 
We were talking a bit about my grandma, who still lives alone and just turned 91 yesterday... and I was asking if she still has cabinets full of junk at her house... my mom kept insisting that one of my aunts helped clean the house out so that it would be more livable... but when I pressed her, she said that "of course" she still has her Nic Nacs in big cabinets with glass doors... as if that's NOT what I was referring to as 'Junk' (it was).
THIMBLES and BELLS.  OH THE THIMBLES AND BELLS.

This makes me nervous that there are more cabinets of junk at my parents house than I realize.  :::Shudder:::
I try not to press them too much about the state of their junk, as I live a thousand+ miles away...  But my dad grew up dirt-floor-poor, and I know he just feels secure stockpiling stuff even though they've been securely lower-middle class for decades (not ideal, but they're secure) and he likely DOES NOT NEED his old mower salvage parts, or two decades worth of his old factory-issued steel toed boots that "have plenty of life left in them". 
OK, FEELING PANICKED, MUST STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT CROWDED HOUSE.
And several curio cabinets like were popular in the 80s for displaying dolls and shit.

…. I snort-laughed when I read that!  These are the EXACT thing my parents have in their house.  Displaying who knows what?  I think there's a model airplane in one and like... some bells and a few figurines in the other?  WHYYYYYYYYY.  I'm having vague memories of what's inside those things "displayed" and... a desk clock for like a fancy bosses desk (why), figurines of ladies in bonnets and crap, model cars my dad put together in the 1990's on like one weekend a year when we weren't allowed to bother him, ummm… some childrens crafts, some glasses for whisky or something (no one drinks), um...
I'm getting a headache thinking about it.  Ha.

Those curio cabinets are like the precursor to Instagram/Facebook, where people would collect images or objects of their lives to present a narrative to themselves (and their guests) about themselves over time. It's interesting that people do that virtually now. Humans are silly.

Anyway, I laughed when I read your post. My husband and I jokingly refer to all of our possessions as our precious golden trinkets.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 15, 2018, 06:40:57 AM
Yesterday I gave 8 crystal liquor glasses that I have had for 18 years and never once drank a liquor from, to the church treasures sale.  Also leaving the house were a number of pots and old Christmas decorations.  Man it felt good.  And they will be used in the big fundraiser.

My gramma went through a phase of making dolls.  She would make clothing for them out of her wedding dress or other important clothing.  The fabric from the suits or dresses that she had made over the years was too good for turning into a quilt or a rug.  One doll for each of her grandchildren in the  wedding dress she made herself.   I have been able to store my doll at my parents house.  She lives in the glass case on the curio cabinet in the living room with the three other dolls , for each of my brothers anď my dad.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 15, 2018, 06:42:44 AM
Okay, here is a curio cabinet story...years ago the hub and I went to Florida on vacay. We went to some shop that sold these pretty bird figurines. They are fairly large. So I get carried away and buy about 4 of these birds. They came in fairly large boxes with Styrofoam to protect them. Well, not only do we have these birds, we bought other stuff. We now realize we have no way to get these treasures home because we have no room in our suitcases. So, while we were shopping, we find this place that is selling giant roller suitcases for like $19.99 so we bought two. Now we get all this junk back to the hotel and no way we can maneuver 4 suitcases on wheels and carry bags. So we put one of our smaller suitcases into the gigantic suitcase with some of the junk we bought. We still had 3 rolly bags and one was super heavy in a cheap suitcase so it rolled like crap! Well, somehow we made it to the airport and home. Now, I have these birds and no where to put them. I have no shelves and no room to put shelves in. OMG! So, I went to Bob's furniture store (nightmare furniture store) and bought a narrow cheap curio cabinet that fit all the birds. I also had a few other random smaller birds I was able to put in the cabinet. Now, occasionally I have to dust these dumb birds. Why oh why did I buy all the birds, that led to the suitcases that led to the curio cabinet that now leads me to dust them! These birds are not collector stuff and are not worth anything but are pretty.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 15, 2018, 06:53:04 AM
When I was a kid my Mom took me to the house of someone I now recognize as a hoarder who was a doll lady. She must have had thousands. But she had a collection of 20 she changed daily based on the weather.

I was determined to do the same with my American Girl dolls, but seasonally.

Well shit, that takes a lot of time!

So my dolls get changed yearly. And I have 13 of them (down from a high of 15).  But Toy Story emotionally scarred me, so I don't know how to get rid of any of them.  I think I should have 5. That would be more reasonable...

My daughter will get a few when she's old enough to play with them. But mostly it's an oversized collection...


But curio cabinets were the stuff of my dreams when I was a kid.  I just threw out the 11 pewter figurines I got for selling girl scout cookies (I have a traumatic story about why I don't have 12...)  I LOVE a collection, but now as an adult, I only collect postcards.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on November 15, 2018, 07:11:51 AM
I think that, maybe, today is the day that the boxes of donations we filled several months ago will be able to leave the house and actually make it to the donation center. They have been sitting silently in the basement waiting for a day when I had room in the car and some extra time. I'm unreasonably excited about their immanent departure.

This weekend, DH has a whole day free. He is planning on maybe cleaning out the piled junk in said basement. More stuff may be unearthed that can leave. I think we still have too much snow to remove the leaves from the dog's yard so an inside job would be just the ticket.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on November 15, 2018, 02:25:41 PM
Any time I think I’m ‘done’ with decluttering I watch someone doing the minimalism game on YouTube and always find a few more things. I tend not to play the game properly: one thing on the first day, two on the second etc, but instead I write the numbers 1-30 and then go in little bursts to see what numbers I can cross off. Last night it was 1, 2, 3, 20. I purged some old makeup, an adjustable rod for hanging things that was super wobbly and no longer needed since I built shelves for our entry hall, a skipping rope still in its packet (to the giving tree), a little bag (coin purse maybe?) that looks like a tiny backpack that I have never used, some Fitbit ‘acessories’ a different sized band etc, and a foam roller that was too firm. All packed up into the donation bag except the skipping rope which went into my work bag to drop at the tree.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on November 16, 2018, 07:47:41 AM
The way we all list out the specific items we ditch reads like death notices for things. Don't get me wrong; I love this thread. It just struck me as funny and deliciously weird.

Old pillows, sodastream, and computer backpack are added to the donation pile.

Lol, it does seem like an obituary for stuff, doesn't it?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on November 16, 2018, 10:36:39 PM
Listed nine things on eBay. If everything sells I'll end up with $185 back in my pocket.

I topped up my shampoo, etc, so I can throw out the empty refills.

And I started writing Christmas cards so I can get them out of my house. This is the first year I didn't buy cards in the post-Christmas sales. I had about dozen left over from Christmas 2015, a dozen from Christmas 2016 and a dozen from Christmas 2017, so I'm using up those first.

I'm undecided if I will buy cards in January as I hate to be contributing to landfill. But for now I still have seven grandparents (it's a long story), two of whom are in care, and the cards mean a lot to them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on November 17, 2018, 04:45:05 AM
Doing a huge wardrobe clearout, plus a heap of baby things. One big surprise is EIGHT great quality bras in a size I haven't been for years - probably the only time in my life I've owned eight bras in one size?! Such luxury. Luckily a friend thinks they'll fit her so they're going to a good home.

They all fit her! Yay! Friend is happy, I'm happy, everybody wins.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 17, 2018, 08:05:59 AM
@Roadrunner53 I thoroughly enjoyed your bird/cabinet story. It sounds like a Dr. Seusian tale against buying souvenirs (to me anyway).

Today, I decluttered the notebooks. I tore out all of my writings and put them in a folder, then I either donated or recycled the notebooks. When I Kondoed a few years ago, I just recycled all of my writings, but I think I'll keep these for a future me to look over and say, why did I keep these? I also got rid of a bunch of what I consider school supplies because I still have the mindset of a 12 year old, but I think adult people might call them stationery supplies. (Also looked into the etymology of the word stationery because that seemed like a good use of time).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on November 17, 2018, 08:29:46 AM
Today I want to start the process of purging my cloth diapering supplies.  This is hard for me because I paid good money for them. But doing so would clear a cubic yard or so, and I have no intention of using them.
- solid metal snap setter and dies, think they cost me $150 or so
- several thousand new plastic snaps, many colors
- a few yards of hemp sherpa, PUL, foldover elastic, and performance wicking fabric for liners

Will take photos, then post on Craigslist to see if I can make a local sale. If they don't move, need to consider my options. The cost of shipping these materials, especially the heavy snap setter, would easily double their price.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 17, 2018, 08:31:00 AM
The final trips of STUFF are today and yesterday. MOST was yesterday. Including my dreaded memory boxes. Dreaded just because I have nowhere to store them, and I really don't have the emotional energy to go through them. Included are some paper things, like old letters, but also stuffed animals from when I was a child, a feather from my show roo I loved when I was a kid, that sort of stuff. No idea how I'll manage to get through everything.

Got the go ahead on getting rid of 1 of 2 dressers I had gotten from my mom. The other fits, and she okay'd me selling this one. Also yesterday was able to fit in the sale of a vacuum (we had 2, this was my old one) for $75. So far I've been able to sell $160 worth of stuff during this move with pretty minimal effort.

At least now that the final pieces are up here, I can finalize decor stuff. Know what I'll be using and not. I also have a growing stash of "stuff to give back to family". Up next: neon colored fiesta ware serving plate and gravy boat MIL inexplicably showed up with one day after we bought the house. No room now, so back they go at thanksgiving! Now I need to decide if it's more rude to show up with a large dish at someone else's thanksgiving, or show up with an empty serving platter!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on November 17, 2018, 08:44:32 AM
Up next: neon colored fiesta ware serving plate and gravy boat MIL inexplicably showed up with one day after we bought the house. No room now, so back they go at thanksgiving! Now I need to decide if it's more rude to show up with a large dish at someone else's thanksgiving, or show up with an empty serving platter!

Could you put food in the big serving plate, and send it home with somebody when they take leftovers home? 

As for sentimental stuff from your childhood, how about taking a few photos before you get rid of them?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 17, 2018, 08:51:58 AM
Up next: neon colored fiesta ware serving plate and gravy boat MIL inexplicably showed up with one day after we bought the house. No room now, so back they go at thanksgiving! Now I need to decide if it's more rude to show up with a large dish at someone else's thanksgiving, or show up with an empty serving platter!

Could you put food in the big serving plate, and send it home with somebody when they take leftovers home? 

As for sentimental stuff from your childhood, how about taking a few photos before you get rid of them?

No, I need to give it to MIL. I can't very well pass a family 'heirloom' onto another person without her permission. Also, it's a giant serving platter, like what you put the turkey on, and weighs about 14lbs, lol.

And I don't *want* to get rid of any of that stuff. That was my point! Photos don't replace the tangible experience of seeing the indents from your hands as a child. And at this point, I'm still not giving up the idea I might have children of my own. So my plan is to try and get rid of enough other stuff that I might be able to make room.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on November 17, 2018, 08:53:04 AM
I am still really really into this thread!

I think I'm down to close to my bare-bones materialism besides the old family photos.  I might be able to find a thing her and there to give away or sell, but right now I think I am tapped out.

This means the rest of my clean up energy needs to go to my 'Big List', which is... probably about 50% complete?


To be clear, my home is not without fluff, it's just down the essential fluff.  Right now I am staring at this beautiful hand made machete and leather decorate machete sash.  It hangs from the wall like art.
This machete was one of the items left in the first house that I purchased by the prior owners.  Everything else they left I threw out/gave away, but for whatever reason this thing made me smile and seemed like such a whimsical thing to keep.  Now that I've sold that house I keep it as a reminder of that proud amazing moment when I walked into the HOME THAT I HAD JUST PURCHASED and how warm my heart felt... and how I looked over and saw a machete sitting in the kitchen, laughed, and just never got rid of the dang thing.  HA.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on November 17, 2018, 09:51:49 AM
Up next: neon colored fiesta ware serving plate and gravy boat MIL inexplicably showed up with one day after we bought the house. No room now, so back they go at thanksgiving! Now I need to decide if it's more rude to show up with a large dish at someone else's thanksgiving, or show up with an empty serving platter!

Could you put food in the big serving plate, and send it home with somebody when they take leftovers home? 

As for sentimental stuff from your childhood, how about taking a few photos before you get rid of them?

No, I need to give it to MIL. I can't very well pass a family 'heirloom' onto another person without her permission. Also, it's a giant serving platter, like what you put the turkey on, and weighs about 14lbs, lol.

And I don't *want* to get rid of any of that stuff. That was my point! Photos don't replace the tangible experience of seeing the indents from your hands as a child. And at this point, I'm still not giving up the idea I might have children of my own. So my plan is to try and get rid of enough other stuff that I might be able to make room.

ah bummer!  I see what you mean. How about just quietly disappearing it, and when she asks where it is, say it's "in storage"?

Oh, I see what you mean about your childhood stuff.  Yes, this is what storage space is for. I'm getting rid of a lot of stuff that doesn't matter to me, so I can save a few of the clothes worn by my dad who died.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on November 17, 2018, 10:51:30 AM
The way we all list out the specific items we ditch reads like death notices for things. Don't get me wrong; I love this thread. It just struck me as funny and deliciously weird.

Old pillows, sodastream, and computer backpack are added to the donation pile.

Lol, it does seem like an obituary for stuff, doesn't it?

I love this observation (and also like that we give these things one last nod before removing them from our lives)

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: dashuk on November 17, 2018, 11:57:29 AM
OH just freecycled her wedding dress. Listed it for fabric as the actual outer dress had a lot of marks (oh, and a small tear from over-enthusiastic playing of lawn darts during the reception). It never got cleaned after the wedding and a decade of storage didn't do it any favours, but there was a train that never got used, plus all the lining material, etc.  So far, so dull.

But then the woman that came to pick it up said that she wanted the fabric because she used to be in a pop band, they were going on a reunion tour to the Netherlands, and so she was trying to sort out costumes. Way better story than just going into someone's craft stash.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 17, 2018, 12:42:40 PM
Yesterday was lovely things I never wear : the gorgeous chestnut Kickers, my eelskin cowboy boots, my fluevog heels. They all hurt my feet in some way but have previously escaped the purging because they are souvenirs of Paris, Melbourne and Chicago trips with Ofpym.

Goodbye boots, I hope someone find you and loves you.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on November 17, 2018, 02:58:58 PM
We had people over last night. The time spent tidying the living areas, bathroom & kitchen was minimal and it was easy to clean because.. no clutter! High five!

There's still the spare bedroom and study that are too full but I think I'll just shut the door and make peace with those. In 2019 we are building a double garage which will house stuff like skis, bikes, tools, heaters & fans that currently live in these rooms. It's not really possible to arrange stuff that just shouldn't be there in a pleasing way!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on November 17, 2018, 05:23:13 PM
Today is a great day for clearing clutter!

- I sold half my stash of newborn cloth diapers for $80. I only paid $100, so pretty darn good investment.
- I took my free second hand microwave that I myself had for 8 years to the recycling drop it centre.
- Also returned months worth of wine and beer bottles. I don't drink often, so I wait until I get a couple of bucks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on November 17, 2018, 07:11:08 PM
We had people over last night. The time spent tidying the living areas, bathroom & kitchen was minimal and it was easy to clean because.. no clutter! High five!


High five indeed!!! This is my favorite part of keeping things trimmed down- easy clean up!  Yay!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 17, 2018, 09:27:52 PM
Although my home continues to be near-empty according to most people's assessments, I want to challenge myself in a couple of areas, revamping to prevent clutter.

1. A new hobby has me making a new batch of "floor paper" pretty much daily. I completed the permanent processing of much of it yesterday, but need to find a way to delete the last 12 sheets and stop making new ones like little bunnies.

2. We've made a decision to stay in our newest city for Christmas, so no trip to other people's Christmas clutter. In planning for ours, Kid said he wants a Christmas that is fancy: a tree, decorations everywhere. LOL. We'll do that. So, I want to:

*get things we can continue using year round or ditch right after (thrift store items, borrowed things, cheap stuff, recyclable stuff, thriftable stuff)
*reduce even our few current things so that + Christmas doesn't suffocate me

Ideas:
*ask him if he'd prefer the xmas stuff be in his (large) room or the living space
*fairy lights (continue using year round)
*cardstock snowflakes hanging from ceiling via taped floss (zero cost; recyclable)
*pine bough wreath (smells terrific; compostable) as dining table centrepiece
*dining chairs have hole perfect for hanging small wreaths through
*10 fake tealights (like candles, but legal in our suite; usable year round)
*propose an xmas altar/stool vs tree (usable year round)
*if a tree of any sort, keep it low to ground, so a few small gifts looks abundant
*diffuse essential oils that have xmasy aromas, like pine, cedar, cloves, orange, etc
*Spotify playlists of a wide range of Christmas/winter/solstice/etc music

3. Commit to finishing painting so I can delete the bulky painting supplies. Alternatively (or also), store the paint spinner can in the storage room so it's not taking up 1/4 of the space in the laundry room. Find out if the storage room is okay for keeping paint we want to use.

4. Delete stuff from the storage room. We've never had one of those before, and mostly keep the landlord's excess in it. But things like my boxes can go now.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 18, 2018, 12:36:00 AM
The way we all list out the specific items we ditch reads like death notices for things. Don't get me wrong; I love this thread. It just struck me as funny and deliciously weird.

Old pillows, sodastream, and computer backpack are added to the donation pile.

Lol, it does seem like an obituary for stuff, doesn't it?

I love this observation (and also like that we give these things one last nod before removing them from our lives)

I think, for some of us, it serves the same purpose as Marie Kondo's edict to thank your items.  It's a small ritual to mark the change.  Help the emotions.


ETA: just remembered!  I did some decluttering today!  I've got through a lot and it's kind of disappointing when I don't find anything for a while.  But I came across the childhood papers I'd scanned & then saved for a cousin who doesn't use computers much.  Contacted her & dropped them off today, hooray!  I had been looking for a different paper in the paper stack (only one stack these days, woot!), and felt up to dealing with these & another envelope that arrived not too long ago.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on November 18, 2018, 03:38:17 AM
Who has watched the Netflix series "Consumed"? It's about families with too much stuff that do a massive declutter. I just watched ep 1 and it made me so anxious seeing all the stuff :) This episode had a happy ending - I hope they all do.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on November 18, 2018, 09:03:38 AM
Who has watched the Netflix series "Consumed"? It's about families with too much stuff that do a massive declutter. I just watched ep 1 and it made me so anxious seeing all the stuff :) This episode had a happy ending - I hope they all do.

I haven't seen it but had a dream last night about being in a space with slowly encroaching clutter/stuff beginning to take over the living space (so that we were only living in one tiny part of the house). Strange since we aren't adding much or anything to our space at this point!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 18, 2018, 12:55:04 PM
3. Commit to finishing painting so I can delete the bulky painting supplies. Alternatively (or also), store the paint spinner can in the storage room so it's not taking up 1/4 of the space in the laundry room. Find out if the storage room is okay for keeping paint we want to use.

Gosh, I'm silly sometimes! I just approached the painting-supplies corner. Well, for starters, most things fit inside the spinner's can! Duh. LOL!!!

*Put everything except paint inside the spinner's can. This can go in the storage room and stay accessible, dust-free, in working condition, etc.
*This leaves only a little column of two paint cans in the laundry room.

The laundry room is again so bright, clear, roomy, tidy! That was a two-minute job, if that.

1. A new hobby has me making a new batch of "floor paper" pretty much daily. I completed the permanent processing of much of it yesterday, but need to find a way to delete the last 12 sheets and stop making new ones like little bunnies.

Again, how do I forget how to do these things?? Since they were super whittled down and just "extras", put them into my "processing" box, no problem.

Who has watched the Netflix series "Consumed"? It's about families with too much stuff that do a massive declutter.

Love shows like that, and haven't been able to access any for the last couple of years. So glad to hear there's a Netflix option!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 18, 2018, 01:00:30 PM
Bed roll gets wide if left to its own devices and physics. Son's rarely-used belt is a perfect fit and makes an easy job of quickly securing a slim roll that stands. Nice.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on November 18, 2018, 02:15:11 PM
@Poundwise when you post your diaper supplies for sale, you can add to the listing that the snaps and cloths can also be used for cloth pads for feminine hygiene. I just saw a sustainability thread elsewhere where people were discussing that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on November 18, 2018, 04:23:07 PM
Who has watched the Netflix series "Consumed"? It's about families with too much stuff that do a massive declutter. I just watched ep 1 and it made me so anxious seeing all the stuff :) This episode had a happy ending - I hope they all do.

Yes, I saw the series many years ago on "regular" TV.  Amazing how much stuff people thought they needed, but soon realized they were happier without.  To the best of my recollection, there are good outcomes for all the families, unlike the people on "Hoarders."
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 18, 2018, 05:43:07 PM
Who has watched the Netflix series "Consumed"? It's about families with too much stuff that do a massive declutter. I just watched ep 1 and it made me so anxious seeing all the stuff :) This episode had a happy ending - I hope they all do.

Yes, I saw the series many years ago on "regular" TV.  Amazing how much stuff people thought they needed, but soon realized they were happier without.  To the best of my recollection, there are good outcomes for all the families, unlike the people on "Hoarders."

I used to watch "Clean Sweep"  They got rid of some furniture I would have kept, but generally speaking they really did a good job of decluttering and got the homeowners on board. Some of the reasons for the clutter were very sad, others were just people who had totally different ideas of what a space should be used for.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on November 18, 2018, 08:39:46 PM
Listed nine things on eBay. If everything sells I'll end up with $185 back in my pocket.

One thing sold, $20 for me.

I also:
- put a top and a necklace in the charity bag
- palmed half a dozen things off on @marty998
- surveyed my stock of gifted fancy teabags at home and brought anything nearing its expiry date to work, where it will be used (I don't drink tea, just keep it around for guests)
- found four books I've been given that I would like to read but not own , so as soon as I read them they are out the door
- brought some tiny bottles of hand sanitiser and moisturiser (airline toiletries) to work to keep in my desk

Looking forward to my next trip to visit family so I can deliver Christmas presents for them, Christmas shopping I've done for them, baby clothes I'm passing on from mutual friends. That will get rid of half a dozen bags from my spare room.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on November 18, 2018, 09:58:18 PM
@Poundwise when you post your diaper supplies for sale, you can add to the listing that the snaps and cloths can also be used for cloth pads for feminine hygiene. I just saw a sustainability thread elsewhere where people were discussing that.

Ooo, good point!  Thanks!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on November 18, 2018, 10:02:14 PM
- found four books I've been given that I would like to read but not own , so as soon as I read them they are out the door

A small but vital distinction.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 19, 2018, 05:49:53 AM
I bought this book after reading a small article about New England stone walls. I live in New England and always wondered about the stone walls. I have only read part of the book and it is pretty interesting. A part of our history. Just can't fathom removing the rocks from thousands and thousands of acres and building stone walls with limited resources. You had women who were probably too busy having and raising babies, old people who couldn't do the work. Children that were not that strong. How on earth did they do all this work? Rock are heavy!

Sermons in Stone

The Stone Walls of New England and New York
by Susan Allport
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on November 19, 2018, 06:07:50 AM
I bought this book after reading a small article about New England stone walls. I live in New England and always wondered about the stone walls. I have only read part of the book and it is pretty interesting. A part of our history. Just can't fathom removing the rocks from thousands and thousands of acres and building stone walls with limited resources. You had women who were probably too busy having and raising babies, old people who couldn't do the work. Children that were not that strong. How on earth did they do all this work? Rock are heavy!

Sermons in Stone

The Stone Walls of New England and New York
by Susan Allport

I always figured it was originally a byproduct of picking rocks out of the field to make it easier to plow and plant. Easiest place to stack them is the edge of the field, and if you're going to be carrying rocks to the edge of your field anyway - may as well make it a wall.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on November 19, 2018, 06:18:10 AM
I bought this book after reading a small article about New England stone walls. I live in New England and always wondered about the stone walls. I have only read part of the book and it is pretty interesting. A part of our history. Just can't fathom removing the rocks from thousands and thousands of acres and building stone walls with limited resources. You had women who were probably too busy having and raising babies, old people who couldn't do the work. Children that were not that strong. How on earth did they do all this work? Rock are heavy!

Sermons in Stone

The Stone Walls of New England and New York
by Susan Allport

I thought they made stone walls mainly because they wanted to empty their piece of land for stones. I have understood that in Britain a professional wall maker can build about 1 meter of wall per day.
Children were in the past seen as a valuable resource for low paid hard work. In the Book "The story about my boyhood and youth" by John Muir it described that he had to crawl down deep in the ground for many hours a day to dig out the well. That is also an interesting book to read.
And about women, I think they also worked very hard, running the (big) household without modern equipment like running water and electrical devices.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 19, 2018, 06:26:34 AM
I bought this book after reading a small article about New England stone walls. I live in New England and always wondered about the stone walls. I have only read part of the book and it is pretty interesting. A part of our history. Just can't fathom removing the rocks from thousands and thousands of acres and building stone walls with limited resources. You had women who were probably too busy having and raising babies, old people who couldn't do the work. Children that were not that strong. How on earth did they do all this work? Rock are heavy!

Sermons in Stone

The Stone Walls of New England and New York
by Susan Allport

I always figured it was originally a byproduct of picking rocks out of the field to make it easier to plow and plant. Easiest place to stack them is the edge of the field, and if you're going to be carrying rocks to the edge of your field anyway - may as well make it a wall.

Yep. Even modern day. Childhood Bracken_Joy and siblings and cousins were often employed as stone movers. Not for plowing, but for horses. Hooves can abscess really easily with mud and rocks. We had great fun building plinths and skipping stones with the resulting pile. And Roadrunner, don't underestimate the strength of kids. I was bucking hay in elementary school. I recently bucked a couple bales for my ILs, and was shocked how heavy it felt. (Current life status: noodle arms). I can say with confidence that I had stronger arms at 11 than I do at 29! And I am not a small woman.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 19, 2018, 06:43:05 AM
Yes, they say there are/were more rocks than soil so they had to move the rocks so they could grow food. Then there was some laws that were passed that required those who had livestock to pen them up/fence them in to keep them from destructive behaviors in neighbors yards.

Some people don't believe early settlers built the stone walls and that they were built thousands of years ago. For some reason there doesn't seem to be much documentation on building the walls.

http://www.field-notebook.com/?p=119
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: smalllife on November 19, 2018, 06:54:02 AM
You guys!!!!

One side of the family has opted out of presents between adults, with a baked goods exchange instead.  Happy thanksgiving!

I gave some candle making supplies and 8lbs of beeswax to a friend. She is short on funds and was really excited - most of it was hand me downs anyway, so no big loss. Plus, that allowed a streamlining of three storage places.

Something I hit on a year or two ago is to do a pre-holiday burst, in anticipation of more stuff coming in.  I usually get stressed about the amount of stuff joining the household, but pre clearing space really helps.

On a bummer note, I'm down to one work appropriate long sleeve shirt, which means a goodwill trip in my future.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on November 19, 2018, 07:22:57 AM

On a bummer note, I'm down to one work appropriate long sleeve shirt, which means a goodwill trip in my future.

...A funny coincidence, this is happening to me too, but with pants.  Recently I stitched my work pants for the 2nd time.  They were cheap Costco pants to begin with and I really don't think they're going to withstand another patching.  They're starting to rip again... so instead of buying new work pants I have slooooooooooowly started wearing 'nice jeans' to work (still with a dress-up shirt/blazer) and waiting to see if anyone says anything.  Nothing yet.  I'm not sure what your line of work is, but maybe you could start sliding in more casual dress 1x a week and string out the life of that last long sleeved shirt?
Just an idea! :)


------------------------------------------------------------------

As for the stone walls, that stuff is FASCINATING.  There were quite a few of these where I grew up in NE OH and I've always kind of thought that along with referring to my body as 'corn fed' I also certainly look like a person who may be descendent of folks who hauled rocks.  Ha. 
I should really get into strongman or highland games. 
My mom is from Hungary and my dad has no traceable lineage, but grew up as poor as his mom grew up, who was as poor as her mom grew up, who was as poor as her mom grew up... etc. etc. and he has fire red hair...so.... guessing irish. Ha.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: smalllife on November 19, 2018, 07:47:33 AM

On a bummer note, I'm down to one work appropriate long sleeve shirt, which means a goodwill trip in my future.

...A funny coincidence, this is happening to me too, but with pants.  Recently I stitched my work pants for the 2nd time.  They were cheap Costco pants to begin with and I really don't think they're going to withstand another patching.  They're starting to rip again... so instead of buying new work pants I have slooooooooooowly started wearing 'nice jeans' to work (still with a dress-up shirt/blazer) and waiting to see if anyone says anything.  Nothing yet.  I'm not sure what your line of work is, but maybe you could start sliding in more casual dress 1x a week and string out the life of that last long sleeved shirt?
Just an idea! :)

It's already fairly casual, a blazer would be out of place.  The issue is more that I only have one winter skirt and no dress/non-jeans I can wear with flats, which further limits the upper body options on top of a small wardrobe.  It's been about 3-4 years since I've bought any new clothes, so I'm due for a replacement year (I have a small wardrobe, so items get worn hard).   If I declutter my fabric stash by making a few pieces, that will help - which is why I bought the fabric (already connected with patterns) in the first place.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on November 19, 2018, 12:14:17 PM

On a bummer note, I'm down to one work appropriate long sleeve shirt, which means a goodwill trip in my future.

...A funny coincidence, this is happening to me too, but with pants.  Recently I stitched my work pants for the 2nd time.  They were cheap Costco pants to begin with and I really don't think they're going to withstand another patching.  They're starting to rip again... so instead of buying new work pants I have slooooooooooowly started wearing 'nice jeans' to work (still with a dress-up shirt/blazer) and waiting to see if anyone says anything.  Nothing yet.  I'm not sure what your line of work is, but maybe you could start sliding in more casual dress 1x a week and string out the life of that last long sleeved shirt?
Just an idea! :)

It's already fairly casual, a blazer would be out of place.  The issue is more that I only have one winter skirt and no dress/non-jeans I can wear with flats, which further limits the upper body options on top of a small wardrobe.  It's been about 3-4 years since I've bought any new clothes, so I'm due for a replacement year (I have a small wardrobe, so items get worn hard).   If I declutter my fabric stash by making a few pieces, that will help - which is why I bought the fabric (already connected with patterns) in the first place.

Oh, people!  I know this is a frugal website, but not a poverty one!  Go shopping!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: smalllife on November 19, 2018, 12:21:39 PM
I hate shopping ... not about the money on this one.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on November 19, 2018, 01:16:51 PM
Today I want to start the process of purging my cloth diapering supplies.  This is hard for me because I paid good money for them. But doing so would clear a cubic yard or so, and I have no intention of using them.
- solid metal snap setter and dies, think they cost me $150 or so
- several thousand new plastic snaps, many colors
- a few yards of hemp sherpa, PUL, foldover elastic, and performance wicking fabric for liners

Will take photos, then post on Craigslist to see if I can make a local sale. If they don't move, need to consider my options. The cost of shipping these materials, especially the heavy snap setter, would easily double their price.


How about Etsy?  Or does Hyenacart have a "supplies" section?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 19, 2018, 04:00:13 PM
Two soothing nature DVDs put in the free library by the kindergarten. Ofpym used them to get the boys to sleep when they were wee tinys.

We watched the first ep of Consumed last night and couldn't watch another. We kept shouting STOP HOMESCHOOLING! Send your kids to regular school also the husband was Checked Out in a way that felt really shitty. HIVES at the amount of stuff everywhere.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on November 20, 2018, 12:07:47 AM
- found four books I've been given that I would like to read but not own, so as soon as I read them they are out the door

A small but vital distinction.

I think so.

Unlike my law and politics textbooks from uni, which for some reason I feel the need to hang onto despite not opening in a decade.

I've culled it down to three, but it's still a wanker move, hanging onto them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: annapana on November 20, 2018, 02:32:19 AM
I sold an item on eBay today.  And on the weekend I allocated a box to charity, anything that goes in it goes to charity, and it’s full with unused suncreen (skin reacts to it) and lots of new baby stuff that never got used.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 20, 2018, 11:46:08 AM
Consumed doesn't seem to be available on Canada's Netflix, darn.

I lost a Thing necessary for my kid's next therapy step. Before our recent trip, I removed it from his daybag as it wouldn't be needed... And now I can't find it! I've touched ~3/4 of everything we own, including checking each file. I've found cash, other items set aside for trip time, but not the Critical Item. Sigh.

Luckily, we don't own much so going through everything doesn't take much time, but I will have to explore the other 1/4.

In the process, am rearranging each area, which feels wonderful. I have all day minus 90 minutes to tackle the home, so whew.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 20, 2018, 12:38:05 PM
Found it!!

Now my place looks like it's been burglarized, lol. But we have the critical items and can resume playing out in the world. I might drop kid off, drive back and continue at it during his long therapy... Because I accidentally invited someone for dinner, lol.

Pretty excited, though, about going through everything, finding a few things to release, washing an exposed shelf right down. Some areas have ended up looking too bare, though, so I'll rearrange those back.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on November 20, 2018, 01:17:07 PM
Consumed doesn't seem to be available on Canada's Netflix, darn.

Just Google "Consumed TV show"  You can watch it online.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 20, 2018, 01:47:40 PM
Consumed doesn't seem to be available on Canada's Netflix, darn.

Just Google "Consumed TV show"  You can watch it online.

Unless at CBC (which is a very irritating in format and ads), I've never managed to watch a show online. I know many people manage to, but it's been beyond me so far :(

No matter: I'll just watch my own transformation!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 20, 2018, 01:57:44 PM
4. Delete stuff from the storage room. We've never had one of those before, and mostly keep the landlord's excess in it. But things like my boxes can go now.

Lots of progress:

1. When I got home today, I didn't go inside -just went straight to the storage room door, unlocked it, and pulled out empty boxes. Done.

2. Reorganized things in there: anything belonging to the house (management), I tucked more tidily and deeply away -hoping I won't be required to reinstall those excesses while I live here, and hoping to live here a good 10 years, so they can be three feet deeper into the storage than they were.

3. Transferred winter items (car scraper, etc) into car.

4. Reorganized our few remaining items (ice skates and helmet each; two small pouches of garden amendments; kid's bike).

5. Went inside, grabbed spinner can and placed that in the copious, easily accessible room front and centre.

It's a MASSIVE storage area. Every neighbour I know has theirs crammed full, like the mystery closet on Friends. It's lovely to know I only need a fraction of it, yet also to have that bonus spot at all.

Letting go of boxes is my weird thing. It's skeeeeery. I have to trust that we won't need to move any time soon, that the rare item I bought brand new will continue to work and also be something we love, or that if not, we can find supplies to transport an item in. Only once have I had to spend about $10 on packaging for such a matter, and that was to get a $500 refund, so I think I'll be okay!

Now I get to eat a grilled cheese sandwich or baked potato +.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 20, 2018, 06:41:08 PM
Broke down all the packaging, Kid and I walked a giant pile each a few blocks to recycling and garbage :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 20, 2018, 10:05:39 PM
And on the weekend I allocated a box to charity, anything that goes in it goes to charity

I do this too.  I ALWAYS have a charity box, and it goes when full and is immediately replaced.



Have been picking at the paper pile, got a few more things out of it to deal with this week/weekend hopefully.

The BIG WIN is that all CDs are ripped & returned to Mr X!  Yay!  There were originally NINE boxes, and it sure makes a difference to have them all gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 20, 2018, 10:57:01 PM
The BIG WIN is that all CDs are ripped & returned to Mr X!  Yay!  There were originally NINE boxes...

Oooooooooooooooooh!!!!! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on November 21, 2018, 06:22:46 AM
Everyone is doing so well!  I need to get back to work on decluttering, I've stalled out a bit as I finished the low-hanging fruit.  However, the big win for this week was delivering my pile of 'donate' boxes to the local thrift store!  Finally have a clear back seat in the car and a mostly-clear entry way at the apartment.  I do still need to find a place that does electronics recycling in my area, to get the last box out of the way.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 21, 2018, 08:17:28 AM
Today's Goals:
Fold all cloth items, put on top shelf of closet [Done]
Move winter jacket reflectors to front hall closet shelf [Done]
Throw "present" from neighbour into garbage can [Done]
Remove wrap from paper ream, move into recycling [Done]
Enter charcoal dates (renewal, replacement) into Google calendar; delete bag [Done]

+ bought the rest of my kid's halloween stash from him, ate the good chocolates, put certain ones aside for his therapies, garbaged the vast majority :)    Healthier kid, plus no more wrappers, and no more giant bag sitting around.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on November 21, 2018, 10:49:33 AM
It's a rainy day and I have no plans except cozying up the house and unearthing my skis from the basement.

Just washed a load of linens that have been sitting in storage for a while and found 2 new pillowcases with decorative touches on them..not our style so into the donation box they go!
-added a coin purse that I've never used
-and another 2 sheets & another pillowcase, plus ripped some sheets into rags
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 21, 2018, 05:36:38 PM
Everyone is doing so well!  I need to get back to work on decluttering, I've stalled out a bit as I finished the low-hanging fruit.  However, the big win for this week was delivering my pile of 'donate' boxes to the local thrift store!  Finally have a clear back seat in the car and a mostly-clear entry way at the apartment.  I do still need to find a place that does electronics recycling in my area, to get the last box out of the way.

Yay Big Win!


Today's Goals:
Fold all cloth items, put on top shelf of closet [Done]
Move winter jacket reflectors to front hall closet shelf [Done]
Throw "present" from neighbour into garbage can [Done]
Remove wrap from paper ream, move into recycling [Done]
Enter charcoal dates (renewal, replacement) into Google calendar; delete bag [Done]

+ bought the rest of my kid's halloween stash from him, ate the good chocolates, put certain ones aside for his therapies, garbaged the vast majority :)    Healthier kid, plus no more wrappers, and no more giant bag sitting around.

You're on a tear!

It's a rainy day and I have no plans except cozying up the house and unearthing my skis from the basement.

Just washed a load of linens that have been sitting in storage for a while and found 2 new pillowcases with decorative touches on them..not our style so into the donation box they go!
-added a coin purse that I've never used
-and another 2 sheets & another pillowcase, plus ripped some sheets into rags

Have you found the skis yet?

Getting those CDs out of the way, and ignoring the paper for a while, has refreshed me so I'm ready to tackle the papers again.  Let's see what I can get done on a relaxing 4-day (US Thanksgiving) weekend!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sloeginfizz on November 21, 2018, 06:00:14 PM
From childhood, if I knew someone was going somewhere interesting, I’d ask if I could have them bring me pocket change back. Or if I was going somewhere, I’d keep the change. I also once bought a  bag of old British coins just because they were pretty. I kept it all in this decorative tin. Today, I sorted through this and grabbed any stray US coins for my wallet ($3 or so).. Almost all of the other coins are valueless now (European coins superseded by the euro or just plain pennies or the equivalent. I thought maybe some kid might get a kick out of them, so into the donation bin they went today.

It does leave me with an interesting problem. In addition to the useless coins, I found we had a lot more euros in cash than I thought from a previous trip. We aren’t planning to go back for years, if ever. I don’t know anyone else planning to go either. But i’ve got about 100€, including about 25€ in 1 or 2 € coins. I think there’s a couple of places I might be able to sell the paper money for dollars (minus a fee, of course) but none of them take coins. It’s real, spendable money. Just not here. It’s more money than I’d like to waste but I can’t figure out what to do with it. Any ideas for decluttering money?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on November 21, 2018, 06:39:14 PM
It does leave me with an interesting problem. In addition to the useless coins, I found we had a lot more euros in cash than I thought from a previous trip. We aren’t planning to go back for years, if ever. I don’t know anyone else planning to go either. But i’ve got about 100€, including about 25€ in 1 or 2 € coins. I think there’s a couple of places I might be able to sell the paper money for dollars (minus a fee, of course) but none of them take coins. It’s real, spendable money. Just not here. It’s more money than I’d like to waste but I can’t figure out what to do with it. Any ideas for decluttering money?


They are taken for charity here in the UK, maybe there's something similar where you are?  These people do apparently take coins by international post -
https://www.leftovercurrency.com/charity/

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 21, 2018, 06:55:18 PM
I've put pesos and CAD on our Facebook neighborhood group and had someone take it for a good rate.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 21, 2018, 06:55:38 PM
Any ideas for decluttering money?

Any way to incorporate it as part of your charitable givings for the year? Mailing them off to a charity where they can be used, perhaps?

The useless coins to the thrift was a great idea. I like you thinking of that kid (tiny or big) who's going to be thrilled to find them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: margarita on November 21, 2018, 07:42:00 PM
I had a big jar of coins from many countries.  Last summer I scattered them on the walkway to the elementary school near my house.  A couple of days later I checked and they were gone.  Hope I made a couple of kids happy going to school!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 21, 2018, 10:59:05 PM
Paper score:
7 pm - 27 papers in the pile, 8 partially used notebooks
10pm - 19 papers in the plie, 8 notebooks.

Off to a good start!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on November 22, 2018, 03:05:53 AM
From childhood, if I knew someone was going somewhere interesting, I’d ask if I could have them bring me pocket change back. Or if I was going somewhere, I’d keep the change. I also once bought a  bag of old British coins just because they were pretty. I kept it all in this decorative tin. Today, I sorted through this and grabbed any stray US coins for my wallet ($3 or so).. Almost all of the other coins are valueless now (European coins superseded by the euro or just plain pennies or the equivalent. I thought maybe some kid might get a kick out of them, so into the donation bin they went today.

It does leave me with an interesting problem. In addition to the useless coins, I found we had a lot more euros in cash than I thought from a previous trip. We aren’t planning to go back for years, if ever. I don’t know anyone else planning to go either. But i’ve got about 100€, including about 25€ in 1 or 2 € coins. I think there’s a couple of places I might be able to sell the paper money for dollars (minus a fee, of course) but none of them take coins. It’s real, spendable money. Just not here. It’s more money than I’d like to waste but I can’t figure out what to do with it. Any ideas for decluttering money?

Find a tourist, if they're common in your area. If you're in the Boston area in October 2019, I'll happily take them off your hands :) but I think you'll be rid of them before then!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 22, 2018, 09:19:28 AM
plus ripped some sheets into rags[/color]

This brought back an old memory - when I was a kid my parents used ripped up old sheets to tie up the tomatoes.  Strong but soft. Of course that was after the old sheets had been used to protect the garden from frost for a few years.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on November 22, 2018, 10:06:24 AM

[/quote]

It's a MASSIVE storage area. Every neighbour I know has theirs crammed full, like the mystery closet on Friends. It's lovely to know I only need a fraction of it, yet also to have that bonus spot at all.

[/quote]

Joon, can you rent out your remaining storage space to your neighbours?  Chance to earn some $ perhaps?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 22, 2018, 11:18:21 AM
Joon, can you rent out your remaining storage space to your neighbours?  Chance to earn some $ perhaps?

Oh, good idea!!! Technically, I have probably a full room plus storage room plus plus plus that I could make available (not allowed to put a person or animal in any of it, but I guess stuff is okay). But no, one of my favourite things on the planet is empty or roomy space, so I’ll leave it as is :)   ...and keep helping neighbours declutter instead. They say seeing my empty spaces is what has inspired their decluttering, and I’d rather that joy for all vs cash.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on November 22, 2018, 01:57:53 PM



It's a rainy day and I have no plans except cozying up the house and unearthing my skis from the basement.


Have you found the skis yet?

Getting those CDs out of the way, and ignoring the paper for a while, has refreshed me so I'm ready to tackle the papers again.  Let's see what I can get done on a relaxing 4-day (US Thanksgiving) weekend!

Found the skis and went for a couple of runs up the mountain! Success.
We also needed to clean out the gear room, so a few more non-useable treasures have been recycled, thrown out and donated
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on November 22, 2018, 02:26:26 PM
Gave away a roll of wire mesh to one of the stable workers today.  Yesterday I was loading manure and he asked about growing a vegetable garden, but needed something to keep his dogs out of it.

Used up a bunch of scrap wood building a small tool shed and 3 new raised beds.  The mess of scraps behind the shed is gone, and the whole area has been cleaned out.

Finally got DH to relinquish his nasty old pillow, and it went out with the trash yesterday.

Sending a saddle off on trial to someone.  Hopefully it will work and she'll buy it and it won't come back.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 22, 2018, 03:09:42 PM
Paper score:
7 pm - 27 papers in the pile, 8 partially used notebooks
10pm - 19 papers in the plie, 8 notebooks.

Off to a good start!

18 papers in the plie, 8 notebooks.

Plus I organized papers for the class I'm taking.  I have learned that each week's handouts are already in the binder the passed out at the beginning of class & require us to bring each week.  I will not accept any more duplicate handouts! And I have a system for non-duplicate handouts now.

And...I don't know why this wasn't in yesterday's paper count, but I had a clutch of papers to scan, designated as such several months ago when I was first working on paper.  I scanned a few, but several of them didn't need that much work (@joonifloofeefloo I thought of what you said about not needing proof).  Instead, I started a new spreadsheet called Personal History & transcribed the events from those pages.  Then recycle.  So even though the paper score only went down by 1, I really worked a lot more than that.  Hmm...just now realizing one page can get tacked up on my corkboard.

Final paper score for today:
17 papers in the plie, 8 notebooks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 22, 2018, 05:27:20 PM
...(@joonifloofeefloo I thought of what you said about not needing proof).  Instead, I started a new spreadsheet called Personal History & transcribed the events from those pages.

Brilliant!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on November 22, 2018, 05:56:06 PM
It does leave me with an interesting problem. In addition to the useless coins, I found we had a lot more euros in cash than I thought from a previous trip. We aren’t planning to go back for years, if ever. I don’t know anyone else planning to go either. But i’ve got about 100€, including about 25€ in 1 or 2 € coins. I think there’s a couple of places I might be able to sell the paper money for dollars (minus a fee, of course) but none of them take coins. It’s real, spendable money. Just not here. It’s more money than I’d like to waste but I can’t figure out what to do with it. Any ideas for decluttering money?


They are taken for charity here in the UK, maybe there's something similar where you are?  These people do apparently take coins by international post -
https://www.leftovercurrency.com/charity/

In Australia you can donate them to UNICEF through a bank: https://www.commbank.com.au/latest/coins-for-kids.html
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on November 22, 2018, 06:02:34 PM
We're having a Christmas charity drive at work and they're asking for donations of toiletries.

I bought a couple of items to donate and also raided my airline toiletry stash to donate unopened bottles of mouthwash, tubes of lip balm, etc.

Have to visit a shopping centre tomorrow to pick something up after having it repaired, so I'll take three old pairs of glasses and prescription sunnies to donate to the Lions Club through my optom.

I'm back to tallying everything that gets sold, donated or tossed: more than 60 items this week.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sloeginfizz on November 23, 2018, 02:48:26 PM
I liked the idea of donating the cash to charity. A little google searching and I found a decent and convenient charity that would take foreign coins. The cash as well as the coins are already mailed off this morning. Nearly three bucks in postage because the coins were so heavy but at least someone should be getting value out of this cash.

Also today:

I’ve been recovering from surgery. I received multiple floral arrangements. I finally threw out the fading flowers (no composting available to me, sadly) and have gotten rid of the vases. The high rise I live in has a “take junk, leave junk” table in the trash room, so they went there. One of the arrangements came with not one, but two stuffed bears. Since they were new with tags, I took them to a toy donation bin I saw at the library.

I got rid of the crock pot. We rarely used it and I realized that our instant pot has a setting that does pretty much the same thing, but in a smaller size, which is good. The crock pot was really too big for two people. If I decide I want a crock pot again, I can probably get another at the goodwill at any time.

I found a gold ring I didn’t even remember I still had. It was broken and honestly, not at all the sort of thing I wear. The guy at the jewelry counter still gave me $50 for it, which was more than I expected.

I also got rid of a pair of sandals that I really wanted to like. They were a half size too big or something, because they always rubbed up and down and shredded the back of my heels. Even putting in a set of those heel pad things didn’t help.

Also, a handful of books I finished went back to Open Books.

https://www.open-books.org/stores/open-books-west-loop/
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 23, 2018, 03:00:15 PM
Way to go, Sloeginfizz!! You're a pro :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 23, 2018, 08:41:49 PM
Need to get back into this thread! So far:
-Gave another child a pair of snorkel fins (in Hawaii), while we were there. They were from a set we've had for 6+ years, but my son had outgrown them
-Posted a couple of toys that have never been used on eBay
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on November 24, 2018, 08:07:08 AM
I got rid of the crock pot. We rarely used it and I realized that our instant pot has a setting that does pretty much the same thing, but in a smaller size, which is good. The crock pot was really too big for two people. If I decide I want a crock pot again, I can probably get another at the goodwill at any time.
https://www.open-books.org/stores/open-books-west-loop/

I keep thinking about doing the same thing.  But the CrockPot is stored out of the way so I wouldn't really put anything else where it lives.  The only thing it does better than an InstantPot is cook down tomatoes for sauce, but it seems dumb to keep it around just for that 1x a year occurrence.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 24, 2018, 08:52:07 AM
Couldn't sleep this morning, so have been up since 3:45! But, trying to be productive.

So far, I've listed 3 items on eBay, including my old (too small) ski pants. Tried on my new ski pants, verified they fit, and added them straight to the ski bag.

I'm mostly doing kitchen/cooking prep today, but will also try to work on my decluttering a bit.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 25, 2018, 06:30:42 AM
Decluttered three cooking pans.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 25, 2018, 09:29:46 AM
Sold the weedwacker for $40. Circular saw, two crockpots, and a large dresser are all still listed. I've dropped the dresser price a ton, and gotten some interest but it hasn't panned out (someone didn't read the dimensions, someone wanted to see if it would be safe for someone to hold onto as they walk around (?! NO. Cure nurse heart attack! May have lost the sale, but hopefully provided some valuable education....) etc). Might drop it to $20 and just get it gone.

The donation boxes continue to grow as well. We're starting to get to the point where all areas of the apartment are fully functional, although the office could still use some work.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 25, 2018, 03:40:05 PM
Final paper score for today:
17 papers in the plie, 8 notebooks.

Final paper score for today:
3 papers in the plie, 8 notebooks.

Funniest was one scrap that said "decide on dates to visit Mom on Thanksgiving weekend."  I've counted that paper several time over the last week, but didn't read it till today.  Had I read it sooner, I would have been able to toss it sooner, as those dates were decided weeks ago! lol
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 25, 2018, 04:14:18 PM
Cleaned out the pen/stamp drawer. I have to do this every 6 months as stuff in it seems to breed.

Got rid of 15 pens, 3 used gift cards and a bunch of paper.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on November 25, 2018, 05:47:00 PM
Two steps forward, one step back.  Came back from my mom's for a belated Thanksgiving with a huge bag of stuff from her.  Not part of the plan!  Some of it will be an easy swap, one in one out, but some I'll have to put some thought into.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 25, 2018, 06:37:00 PM
Put up christmas lights (around a pillar in our apartment) and went through the seven bins of christmas stuff we have. SIX can go back to my parents, now that they'll be hosting christmas again since we sold our house. Also, two cardboard boxes worth of decor will go down as well. We need to store it for a month until we drive there for christmas, but well worth it. We'll also be taking down some extra area rugs we won't be using.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 25, 2018, 07:01:54 PM
Listed 71 baby clothes for sale.
They will go to Goodwill in 2 weeks
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 25, 2018, 10:22:14 PM
Two steps forward, one step back.  Came back from my mom's for a belated Thanksgiving with a huge bag of stuff from her.  Not part of the plan!  Some of it will be an easy swap, one in one out, but some I'll have to put some thought into.

Hope the thinking things don't give you too much trouble.

You reminded me that Mom gave me a pair of her old jeans that she shrunk out of.  I'll shrink into them in a week or two.  Used one-in-one out to feel comfortable moving a different pair of too-big pants into the donate box.  Almost feel silly for keeping the other pair of too-big pants, but the amount of clothes I have keeps shrinking, and I have a good belt...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on November 26, 2018, 05:06:14 AM
DH gave away a couple of book he had won to people who really appreciated it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on November 26, 2018, 11:00:12 AM
In the spirit of "more out than in," I'm looking for some things to get rid of. I got a pair of backpacks (for use as go bags), a new ledger, and some kapok filling for craft supplies, and I need to figure out what to get rid of so that I'm not piling endless possessions in my room. I decided to add three books to the bye-bye pile. One is already out (given to a friend); I just e-mailed my old academic department to see if they'd be interested in the other two. I'm now trying to figure out a good fourth thing -- maybe another book? Or some comics....
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on November 26, 2018, 04:19:00 PM
Got Mr. SP to clean out the floor of his closet and his desk drawers today.  Found lots of old papers and magazines that will get recycled.  By the end of the day we had 3 boxes worth of decent things to donate, plus some things to trash. He hasn't gone through his clothes yet, but it's already looking so much neater.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on November 26, 2018, 05:51:00 PM
I spent yesterday afternoon decluttering the spare room.

Start -- a spare room, currently unusable, filled with DD's (she is 18) items removed from her closet when we emptied it for a repair, and replaced the "immediately needed" things.

Last week -- DD saying that she hadn't thought at all about any of the things in the spare room, (it have been over 2 months), and did not need any of it, and could get rid of it, but it was such a chore.   She wanted BF to stay over, but we did not have any bed for him to do so, and I suggested tackling the spare room (which has a clean set of sheets on the bed, ready to go, otherwise).

I asked if she wanted me to do it for her, she said yes.

Sunday -- I spent 3-4 hours sorting items, emptying binders, keeping a few keepsakes and photos into one tin, and tossing most, getting rid of garbage, Christmas presents that were opened and never used (I am keeping a few brand new things to donate to the hamper charity), I went through shoes, two bags of clothing, several "jewelry" boxes, etc.

Sunday night -- Garbage put into the bins, two large boxes for donations, moved one very large box of (mainly good winter clothing that is in excellent condition that I think she should keep if it fits... she did not move back her winter clothing to her room yet) and an area rug back to her room, AND... one box of items for me to use / give away myself (office supplies, new presents to give away).

NOW -- the bedroom is available for guest use, bed is free, floor is clear, and you can even see most of the floor in the closet.

Sunday night - Part two -- "What are all these boxes at the front door?  WAH! I had a lot of momentos that I wanted to keep!  I wanted to go through everything myself, I just did not feel like it in the past two months!  I have a friend that may want my plastic but functional gramaphone - don't give it away...!"

Sunday night - Part three -- "What!?  you opened the clothing bags that I had already decided to donate?  some of it is back in my room!  I did a lot of work to sort that stuff out, and now I need to do it again"...    (Queue Monday morning and she is wearing a nice warm cashmere sweater from that box.)

Sheesh.
I think I had better borrow the car and get these things out of here!.  I only added a large box of clothing that I had been collecting myself, but have not decluttered anything of mine yet, either.   This is takes a very long time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 26, 2018, 08:06:20 PM
Yeah, that's the situation where you needed to get the stuff out of the house immediately before the takebacks start.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on November 27, 2018, 05:32:19 AM
Yeah, that's the situation where you needed to get the stuff out of the house immediately before the takebacks start.

What she said.  When I was packing stuff up to go in the pod while the house was being fixed, I would have to take bags to my parents' trash can because my husband would go through them and pull stuff out.  It's maddening.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on November 27, 2018, 07:16:10 AM
I posted a bunch of blankets to Facebook sales pages from a horse I got rid of over the summer.  This thread motivated me to go cross post them to Craigslist as I haven't had any bites.  There is a chance my new horse will grow into them, but they're big and bulky, and I'd rather have cash in my pocket.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 27, 2018, 07:22:51 AM
When I was packing stuff up to go in the pod while the house was being fixed, I would have to take bags to my parents' trash can because my husband would go through them and pull stuff out.  It's maddening.

A boyfriend used to go out to the trash, dig through, and take out what I'd put in. (Only my own, personal stuff, ditched to maintain my health, e.g. when others would give me a pile of junk food.) The conversations after those moments were revealing, and helped signal the beginning of the end.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on November 27, 2018, 08:39:40 AM
I posted a bunch of blankets to Facebook sales pages from a horse I got rid of over the summer.  This thread motivated me to go cross post them to Craigslist as I haven't had any bites.  There is a chance my new horse will grow into them, but they're big and bulky, and I'd rather have cash in my pocket.

the shelter I got my dog from uses horse blankets when they do outreach and for cold kennel pups.  In the city I used to live in there was a horse rescue that accepted them. 
Worst case, if you can't get any money for them, there's definitely a need for them to be donated somewhere.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: DS on November 27, 2018, 12:53:28 PM
When I was packing stuff up to go in the pod while the house was being fixed, I would have to take bags to my parents' trash can because my husband would go through them and pull stuff out.  It's maddening.

A boyfriend used to go out to the trash, dig through, and take out what I'd put in. (Only my own, personal stuff, ditched to maintain my health, e.g. when others would give me a pile of junk food.) The conversations after those moments were revealing, and helped signal the beginning of the end.

He was taking food out?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 27, 2018, 12:59:14 PM
Yes. He dumpster-dived food (and anything else) regularly. But I felt I should be able to throw out my own kryptonite and have it stay gone from my home. He disagreed.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 27, 2018, 03:17:15 PM
Well this morning's flooding will be spurring on the storage room clean-out that we should have done months ago.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 27, 2018, 04:07:23 PM
Well this morning's flooding will be spurring on the storage room clean-out that we should have done months ago.

Oh nooo! Hope there isn't too much damage/hassle to deal with.


I got the dresser sold! Only getting $30 for it, but I was about to donate it, so that's $30 more than I would have gotten. (Glossing over the small stab in the heart that it's being bought by a pregnant woman to go in the baby's room, which is why I had been holding onto it. Talk about a heavy handed metaphor for letting go of my dreams, life. Jesus). Anyway, she'll pick it up Friday so that her boyfriend and I can load it since she can't lift right now.

I shuffled the last bits of decor that are in flux (do I store? Do I ditch? Do I put them out once holiday decor is stashed? Etc) into the office, so now there is only the dresser and donation items in the den. Wooo! The end is in sight for everything having a home. Still some to do on the office, for sure, but I might need to get additional storage in there. Need to figure that out, I really don't have a 'home management' area right now where I deal with all our papers and so on. Mainly though, now it's just about getting it done.

Still waiting to sell:
2 crock pots
circular saw
table top mirror

I'll give those a couple more weeks, then move on to donating. May donate the saw to the local tool library if they want it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 27, 2018, 04:19:31 PM
Well this morning's flooding will be spurring on the storage room clean-out that we should have done months ago.

Oh nooo! Hope there isn't too much damage/hassle to deal with.


I got the dresser sold! Only getting $30 for it, but I was about to donate it, so that's $30 more than I would have gotten. (Glossing over the small stab in the heart that it's being bought by a pregnant woman to go in the baby's room, which is why I had been holding onto it. Talk about a heavy handed metaphor for letting go of my dreams, life. Jesus). Anyway, she'll pick it up Friday so that her boyfriend and I can load it since she can't lift right now.

I shuffled the last bits of decor that are in flux (do I store? Do I ditch? Do I put them out once holiday decor is stashed? Etc) into the office, so now there is only the dresser and donation items in the den. Wooo! The end is in sight for everything having a home. Still some to do on the office, for sure, but I might need to get additional storage in there. Need to figure that out, I really don't have a 'home management' area right now where I deal with all our papers and so on. Mainly though, now it's just about getting it done.

Still waiting to sell:
2 crock pots
circular saw
table top mirror

I'll give those a couple more weeks, then move on to donating. May donate the saw to the local tool library if they want it.

Why don't you dig out some stuff you don't need and give to the pregnant lady. Seems she could use stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 27, 2018, 04:26:56 PM
Well this morning's flooding will be spurring on the storage room clean-out that we should have done months ago.

Oh nooo! Hope there isn't too much damage/hassle to deal with.


I got the dresser sold! Only getting $30 for it, but I was about to donate it, so that's $30 more than I would have gotten. (Glossing over the small stab in the heart that it's being bought by a pregnant woman to go in the baby's room, which is why I had been holding onto it. Talk about a heavy handed metaphor for letting go of my dreams, life. Jesus). Anyway, she'll pick it up Friday so that her boyfriend and I can load it since she can't lift right now.

I shuffled the last bits of decor that are in flux (do I store? Do I ditch? Do I put them out once holiday decor is stashed? Etc) into the office, so now there is only the dresser and donation items in the den. Wooo! The end is in sight for everything having a home. Still some to do on the office, for sure, but I might need to get additional storage in there. Need to figure that out, I really don't have a 'home management' area right now where I deal with all our papers and so on. Mainly though, now it's just about getting it done.

Still waiting to sell:
2 crock pots
circular saw
table top mirror

I'll give those a couple more weeks, then move on to donating. May donate the saw to the local tool library if they want it.

Why don't you dig out some stuff you don't need and give to the pregnant lady. Seems she could use stuff.

Well, for one I already gave it away. For two, that would be unbelievably awkward. "Oh hey do you want all these baby clothes" "Oh, do you have kids?" *looking around trendy urban apartment* "Nope! Infertile and had a miscarriage and I'm slowly dying inside being around your belly for even a second more. Here you go, good luck, ta!"
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on November 27, 2018, 05:25:12 PM
Two small rugs and a bag of books gone to the charity shop today.  There's a few too many papers in the study still, and the spare bedroom needs a good sort-out but otherwise I think I'm down to the right amount of stuff properly stored in ways that look good and function well.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 27, 2018, 05:55:34 PM
(Glossing over the small stab in the heart that it's being bought by a pregnant woman to go in the baby's room, which is why I had been holding onto it. Talk about a heavy handed metaphor for letting go of my dreams, life. Jesus).

:(   :(    :(
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on November 27, 2018, 06:53:15 PM
(Glossing over the small stab in the heart that it's being bought by a pregnant woman to go in the baby's room, which is why I had been holding onto it. Talk about a heavy handed metaphor for letting go of my dreams, life. Jesus).

:(   :(    :(

:(   :(    :( is right
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 28, 2018, 06:26:42 AM

Well, for one I already gave it away. For two, that would be unbelievably awkward. "Oh hey do you want all these baby clothes" "Oh, do you have kids?" *looking around trendy urban apartment* "Nope! Infertile and had a miscarriage and I'm slowly dying inside being around your belly for even a second more. Here you go, good luck, ta!"

It's really really hard to get rid of baby stuff.  I can't fathom how you are feeling, because I had one come along; but after my loss, we shut the door to the baby's room and didn't open it for over a year, and even then we didn't get rid of most of it.  His stuff wasn't clutter.

Don't feel you have to get rid of anything until you are ready.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 28, 2018, 06:30:54 AM

Well, for one I already gave it away. For two, that would be unbelievably awkward. "Oh hey do you want all these baby clothes" "Oh, do you have kids?" *looking around trendy urban apartment* "Nope! Infertile and had a miscarriage and I'm slowly dying inside being around your belly for even a second more. Here you go, good luck, ta!"

It's really really hard to get rid of baby stuff.  I can't fathom how you are feeling, because I had one come along; but after my loss, we shut the door to the baby's room and didn't open it for over a year, and even then we didn't get rid of most of it.  His stuff wasn't clutter.

Don't feel you have to get rid of anything until you are ready.

Ah, I *do* have to get rid of stuff though. We moved from a 1900 sq ft house with a large (400 sq ft) garage and a little attic space, to a 1300 sq ft apartment with an open floor plan. The dresser is *literally* sitting in the middle of a room. I think ultimately it would bring me a lot more pain to have the visual reminder all the time, so this is like "pulling bandaid off" status right now. I just want to get it done. I'm also considering, the items I *am* keeping, taking to my parents house in (other state) when we drive there for Christmas. I still have cloth diaper I was gifted, and a large painting my mom handed down to me of a baby wrapped in a quilt I'd always wanted to put in a nursery. If the third round of IVF actually works, I can always go get stuff back, you know?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 28, 2018, 07:47:38 AM

Well, for one I already gave it away. For two, that would be unbelievably awkward. "Oh hey do you want all these baby clothes" "Oh, do you have kids?" *looking around trendy urban apartment* "Nope! Infertile and had a miscarriage and I'm slowly dying inside being around your belly for even a second more. Here you go, good luck, ta!"

It's really really hard to get rid of baby stuff.  I can't fathom how you are feeling, because I had one come along; but after my loss, we shut the door to the baby's room and didn't open it for over a year, and even then we didn't get rid of most of it.  His stuff wasn't clutter.

Don't feel you have to get rid of anything until you are ready.

Ah, I *do* have to get rid of stuff though. We moved from a 1900 sq ft house with a large (400 sq ft) garage and a little attic space, to a 1300 sq ft apartment with an open floor plan. The dresser is *literally* sitting in the middle of a room. I think ultimately it would bring me a lot more pain to have the visual reminder all the time, so this is like "pulling bandaid off" status right now. I just want to get it done. I'm also considering, the items I *am* keeping, taking to my parents house in (other state) when we drive there for Christmas. I still have cloth diaper I was gifted, and a large painting my mom handed down to me of a baby wrapped in a quilt I'd always wanted to put in a nursery. If the third round of IVF actually works, I can always go get stuff back, you know?

Do you have someone who can come remove it for you?  That way YOU don't have to empty it all out.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 28, 2018, 07:56:20 AM

Well, for one I already gave it away. For two, that would be unbelievably awkward. "Oh hey do you want all these baby clothes" "Oh, do you have kids?" *looking around trendy urban apartment* "Nope! Infertile and had a miscarriage and I'm slowly dying inside being around your belly for even a second more. Here you go, good luck, ta!"

It's really really hard to get rid of baby stuff.  I can't fathom how you are feeling, because I had one come along; but after my loss, we shut the door to the baby's room and didn't open it for over a year, and even then we didn't get rid of most of it.  His stuff wasn't clutter.

Don't feel you have to get rid of anything until you are ready.

Ah, I *do* have to get rid of stuff though. We moved from a 1900 sq ft house with a large (400 sq ft) garage and a little attic space, to a 1300 sq ft apartment with an open floor plan. The dresser is *literally* sitting in the middle of a room. I think ultimately it would bring me a lot more pain to have the visual reminder all the time, so this is like "pulling bandaid off" status right now. I just want to get it done. I'm also considering, the items I *am* keeping, taking to my parents house in (other state) when we drive there for Christmas. I still have cloth diaper I was gifted, and a large painting my mom handed down to me of a baby wrapped in a quilt I'd always wanted to put in a nursery. If the third round of IVF actually works, I can always go get stuff back, you know?

Do you have someone who can come remove it for you?  That way YOU don't have to empty it all out.

I appreciate the concern. Luckily I already did all the emptying. Hopefully, my husband will be home Friday so he can do the loading. If not it's on me, but at least it'll be done. Honestly, the stroller and high chair were worse. At this point, I'll just be glad to be able to access my laundry closet easily <3 It might help that I have an appointment tomorrow, too, to restart treatment. So I'm hoping meeting the new doctor will make me feel more optimistic again. We'll see I guess!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on November 29, 2018, 05:49:55 AM
I finally brought the bags o' stuff to Goodwill. My husband asked me what was in them, and I couldn't remember. That's how out of my life the stuff already was. I told him I could check the public record (this forum!), but he didn't care and was happy it was going. It helps that I don't declutter any of his stuff and check with him before getting rid of any of our joint items. Onward!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nederstash on November 29, 2018, 01:37:32 PM

(Glossing over the small stab in the heart that it's being bought by a pregnant woman to go in the baby's room, which is why I had been holding onto it. Talk about a heavy handed metaphor for letting go of my dreams, life. Jesus).

Jesus @Bracken_Joy I'm so sad for you. I'm crossing all my limbs that the next try succeeds. Good luck with everything.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on November 29, 2018, 01:52:52 PM

(Glossing over the small stab in the heart that it's being bought by a pregnant woman to go in the baby's room, which is why I had been holding onto it. Talk about a heavy handed metaphor for letting go of my dreams, life. Jesus).

Jesus @Bracken_Joy I'm so sad for you. I'm crossing all my limbs that the next try succeeds. Good luck with everything.

Aww thank you =)

Sorry for bringing the tone of the thread down a bit. I just feel like it helps to be honest with how much MEANING and EMOTION can be wrapped up in all this. "It's just stuff" is true, and yet at the same time, totally misses the point.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on November 29, 2018, 05:19:31 PM
Sorry for bringing the tone of the thread down a bit. I just feel like it helps to be honest with how much MEANING and EMOTION can be wrapped up in all this. "It's just stuff" is true, and yet at the same time, totally misses the point.

Absolutely. I only *appreciate* your honesty and sharing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on November 29, 2018, 07:05:29 PM
I just feel like it helps to be honest with how much MEANING and EMOTION can be wrapped up in all this. "It's just stuff" is true, and yet at the same time, totally misses the point.

So true. Sometimes stuff is "just stuff", and sometimes it's your hopes and dreams.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on November 30, 2018, 12:07:10 AM
I can only speak from my own experience, but there is a TON of emotions pent up in the stuff that I've dealt with.  Part of the reason my progress has been slow/stalled many times; just not being able to deal with those emotions anymore.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 30, 2018, 07:06:27 AM
I totally get the emotions and stuff thing.  And @Bracken_Joy I wish you all the best in this journey.  It is awful from what I was able to observe when two of my sister-in-laws were each going through the fertility treatments but still can't imagine the depth of grief. 

In terms of my emotion loaded de-cluttering:  I listed two children's winter coats on kijiji.  I couldn't just give them away because they represent bad spending choices.  One of the coats was not even worn by my kids.  It never got to fitting one of them and will probably never fit anyone.  It is a lovely looking coat but the cut is for someone with arms to their knees and pencil wide shoulders.  It was on sale at MEC.  It was a cool colour and looked really fancy.  But on sale at MEC is often not really a great deal.  I have buried what I paid for it.
The other is a down jacket that was worn two seasons but barely.  My daughter felt it made her look fat.  I wanted her to have something warm.  So we spent a lot of money on a new coat that she never wanted.  (at MEC, not on sale)
Drilling down into it - the whole clothing shopping thing goes back to my lousy childhood of being cold and wet and grubby looking as a kid.  I was tiny for my age - so when I was a tween, I was still wearing 6X clothes, hand-me-downs from second cousins.  It was embarrassing because they were her babyish clothes from when she was five or six.  My boots were never waterproof and wearing plastic bags inside them was also embarrassing but better than being cold and wet all day at school.

When I was 10 my Dad starting bying clothes to leave at his place so we looked presentable on the weekend with him.  Including boots and winter coats.  I was so sad to leave that lovely burgundy winter coat on Sunday night.  And my mom couldn't afford a new coat and wouldn't when she found out I had a nice one I was going to wear 10 weekends at most when I was at my dad's.  So I have issues around used clothes and stylish clothes.

There has been no interest in the ads on kijiji, so I lowered the price last night.  But I am going to pull down the kijiji ads next Friday if the coats haven't sold and give them away to charity.  Slow but steady progress unpacking the baggage. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 01, 2018, 08:59:28 AM
It's hard when the items you're donating are associated with memories. Everyone is making great strides.

Here's my progress for the last few days;
-Sold 3 items on eBay (two kid things, one pair of ski pants I've outgrown)
-Donated a pair of boots that don't fit me, but are gorgeous
-I've also listed two other items on eBay, and if they don't sell, I'll donate
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on December 01, 2018, 09:19:33 AM
2 display units out the door.  My Dad made them for Mom for her spoon collection.  She got rid of the spoons, and then insisted I take the cases.  It's been at least 10 years - we are never going to use them.  Someone who does craft fairs, etc. will be excited to find them at Goodwill - they would be great for jewelry, etc.  I had a pang as I gave them away because Dad (gone now), but focused on the joy of someone else finding them.

Also another box of mixed things - crystal, glasses, etc.  Never going to use those either.   Having a box always ready in the garage to toss things in is working out really well.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on December 01, 2018, 09:55:56 AM
Someone who does craft fairs, etc. will be excited to find them at Goodwill

YES! :)

(I'm grateful my dad made big and tiny things, so I could select a couple of tiny ones to keep ongoing.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on December 01, 2018, 03:59:42 PM
Dropped off the old comforter and duvet cover, plus 2 bags of clothes and stuff at Goodwill. The house is a disaster right now because of me being mid painting projects, so it felt nice to clean up the corner of the bedroom at least!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on December 01, 2018, 05:42:00 PM
The dresser is sold and the den is WIDE open! I shuffled a few things and was able to put shoes away in the front closet, which removed a (large!) box from the office. Also, courtesy of black friday sales and my hand me down dyson upright starting to undeniably die, I bought a handheld dyson stick vacuum! I am very excited, because a- it has an attachment for hard floors and works so much better than the microfiber mop thing I have, b- it's got an off the floor mount and takes up way less room, c- isn't 16 lbs like the old one. (Not an exaggeration.) The power drive is out on the old one, too, so it was becoming pure misery to use. Anyway, the old one will soon find a new home (likely Buy Nothing?), and then the closet will have a lot more open space. Dresser being gone also means that a nice old chair I had 'floating' around has a home in the den, where it looks nice and I can place laundry baskets as I unload/load them.

I also set up all the Christmas decor I had decided to keep, and it all fits well in the apartment, so I think I picked just the right amount. Pretty pleased with that.

I have a shoe hangar coming for the front closet so it'll be more functional with shoes/helmets/paniers/etc. Pretty excited about that!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on December 01, 2018, 06:23:19 PM
That all sounds really wonderful, Bracken_Joy!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on December 01, 2018, 10:14:16 PM
Decided on a whim to put a room divider up on gumtree for $30 before putting it out on the curb. Within two hours a couple came and paid $25 for it. Winning!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on December 02, 2018, 12:04:12 AM
Gave away a spare pram on Buy Nothing to a lovely woman. I enjoy seeing things find a good home.

I'm going through my shoes today to throw out the ones that are completely worn out, and set aside for new homes the ones that are now too small.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 02, 2018, 07:44:50 AM
Read a good article on why you should give away instead of sell. So I gave a giant tub of clothes to a woman who coordinates foster care.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 02, 2018, 07:54:31 AM
Read a good article on why you should give away instead of sell.

Can you provide the reference?

I've been donating instead of selling for years, for several reasons, but it would be interesting to see the article's rationale.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mountain mustache on December 02, 2018, 08:28:44 AM
I've been doing a lot of clearing of clutter lately. A bunch of things I've sold on Ebay for $20-$30 each which has been really helpful in a low income time of year. I also have been packing up bags of clothing to donate, and give to friends who are similar sizes. It's amazing how every time I go through my belongings I find more things I don't need. I don't buy new things very often, but I think the phase of my life I'm in right now makes me not want to have any "extras." I'm looking for a new job, which could involve a move, and I would love to be able to say "yes, I'll be there tomorrow!" and pack my Element with all of my belongings and just hit the road. It's a very liberating feeling. Also I really enjoy the feeling of giving my belongings away, and seeing the new owners appreciate the things far more than I ever did.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 02, 2018, 09:07:20 AM
I can't find the original article, but basically selling takes a lot of effort and rarely for good payback. Giving is quicker and gives a sense of happiness for helping others.

We used to donate and itemized, but our deductions will rarely be high enough under the new tax plan
 Only in years we find the DAF and I'm not holding stuff until then


https://thehappyphilosopher.com/give-stuff-away/

https://www.becomingminimalist.com/sell-or-donate/
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 02, 2018, 12:08:14 PM
Sold three pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts and a coat on eBay this week ($150 total).

I also visited family and dropped off everything I’d been holding for them - Christmas presents, kids’ clothes from other family, etc.

My mum’s sewing machine died so she asked to borrow mine while she gets the motor replaced in hers. I’m happy for mine to just stay at her house so I can get better at using it under her tutelage, so that has cleared a shelf in my linen cupboard.

Finished reading two books and gave them away.

Feels great to be making this much progress before Christmas.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on December 02, 2018, 06:37:14 PM
- Sold my twin pack n play to another twin mom. I bought it used, so basically am selling for what I paid for it.
- Will go through my second hand shoes that are completely worn out.

I have a bit of a formula in my head -- if I can perhaps sell something that is worth $20 or more, I try to sell it. If the item is less than that or if I know someone that needs it, I just give it to them. I find more value in listing something for free online and directly giving it away vs donating at the local thrift shop.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 02, 2018, 09:05:23 PM
-Sold a few things on eBay (to the point above, miscalculated the shipping and wasted my own time having to buy a different sized shipping envelope). Will all be out of the house tomorrow.
-As I always do when unpacking holiday decorations, kept things down to just two bins (including lights) & tossed a few broken items
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 02, 2018, 09:39:24 PM
Finished up another roll of Christmas paper.

I haven't actually bought wrapping paper in ... six years? Still using up what I had on hand.

I also used up two gift bags, a heap of organza ribbon, and various blank Christmas cards dating back to 2013.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on December 03, 2018, 04:37:02 AM
We are still intending to move to another part of the country after FIRE. We will sell our expensive house to free up our stash and invest half of it into something else than a house.

The plan is to first hire a house somewhere else in the country to find out whether we really want to live there. I think it is difficult to decide without actually moving there. I discussed with DH that I don't expect to find our ideal place immediately. So anyway, hiring for the first year, seems smart.

Rental houses often contain furniture. It would therefore be smart to sell our current furniture, hire something furnished and start over again if we ever buy a house again. And then in the next house, buy furniture second hand at reduced price. This might be cheaper than moving our large couch and our cupboards to the other side of the country. But I have discovered that I'm quite attached to my stuff.
Of course we will keep our hobby stuff, as these are the things we will finally have enough time for when being FIREd, so they need to come with us. And we can sell the unneeded stuff like the guest beds. The large dining table and it's chairs should go anyway. But I'm pretty in doubt about the couch and 2 comfy chairs. And those will require the most fuss for moving, as they don't fit into our own car. Even hiring a large hanger and drive back and forth to another part of the country is expensive because of the distance. Our bed is so old that it would be due to replacement anyway.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on December 03, 2018, 06:35:08 AM
Sorted through some papers last night, filed some, shredded some, and took care of a few minor tasks that wound up in the pile (i.e. addressing an envelope to mail).  A small dent in overall stuff, but a bigger impact from a visibility standpoint.

Next up, going through my scarves and paring down to what fits in the basket in the closet.  This is going to be a challenge, unfortunately, I have far too many scarves but many of them I'm quite attached to.  Some I do actually rotate through to wear, but some were gifts that I don't want to get rid of, especially hand knitted ones.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 03, 2018, 09:38:26 AM
Final paper score for today:
3 papers in the plie, 8 notebooks.

Final paper score for yesterday:
? papers in the pile, 6 notebooks

Last week was a big week for mail and other paper. Plus, some of the paper I thought I was done with, I wasn't really. Today I might take a sick day, so maybe some progress???

The big win was notebooks. One was re purposed into a fledgling price book. The other I set aside to take notes on how to travel hack. I'm loving the mustachian tie ins for both :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Nancy on December 04, 2018, 09:22:09 AM
@Linda_Norway I'm having the same experiences with our stuff before our departure. We'll be away for a year or two, and we don't know where we'll end up at the end. We're going to pay to store some irreplaceable stuff, but I find myself wondering if we should store other pieces of furniture/stuff due to my attachments. I always come out on the logical side: pay for the smallest storage space available and get rid of all else, but I feel some ambivalence about it. Interestingly, I don't think of myself as strongly attached to things. Perhaps the things are merely representations of the wonderful and comfortable life I'm leaving behind - my certainty. Personal history has shown me that I often worry about feeling some way about some future event, but when that event actually comes to pass, all my worries were for naught and I feel fine. We'll see!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 04, 2018, 12:40:16 PM
Posted another eBay sale and a bunch of Christmas cards yesterday.

I found a few cards that don't have envelopes - will turn these into gift tags.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on December 05, 2018, 01:37:24 AM
@Linda_Norway I'm having the same experiences with our stuff before our departure. We'll be away for a year or two, and we don't know where we'll end up at the end. We're going to pay to store some irreplaceable stuff, but I find myself wondering if we should store other pieces of furniture/stuff due to my attachments. I always come out on the logical side: pay for the smallest storage space available and get rid of all else, but I feel some ambivalence about it. Interestingly, I don't think of myself as strongly attached to things. Perhaps the things are merely representations of the wonderful and comfortable life I'm leaving behind - my certainty. Personal history has shown me that I often worry about feeling some way about some future event, but when that event actually comes to pass, all my worries were for naught and I feel fine. We'll see!

@Nancy . Thanks, good to know I am not alone in this. I think I am not terribly attached to our furniture. What worries me most about it, is having to get new replacement stuff when we arrive. We either need to buy it new, which is a large cost. Or buy second hand, which is a lot of fuss. And as we are moving to a much smaller place (maybe to a place with 50.000 inhabitants), I guess there is less second hand stuff available than here close to the capitol. Also, we won't have a hanger when we move, which makes buying second hand a lot more fuss (which of course can be solved for a cost, as our car has a hook for a hanger).
Also, I like a new couch better than a second hand couch. For a table and for closets, I don't really care whether they are new. But a good, new couch is expensive. And our current one is not old enough to be replaced yet.

I guess a solution for me would be: Find out what it costs to move a truckload full of stuff to city X in the north, either by road or by sea container. And what it costs to store it for a year. I think in our case, storing furniture in a storage room does not make much sense. It is probably not worth the pay. So we should only transport if the next house is unfurnished. Using a storage room commits too much to taking action to retrieve it later, while not having anything stored gives maximum flexibility.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 05, 2018, 07:55:37 AM
I sometimes get gifts from business partners (not at my company). Many of them are desirable to some, but not something I/my kids are interested in, but are branded IP. I try to give them away whenever possible, to minimize clutter. I had a few really expensive & collectible items I didn't want, but didn't feel comfortable selling, and a friend is thrilled to have them as gifts for her kids for the holidays. (These are quite specific characters of an IP, and her kids are collectors.) Yay! That's 4 items out of the house.

All current ebay sales are in the mail & out of the house. Time to look through my the house & see if there's anything else to list before the holidays.

Also, one kid's BMX bike is posted in a few places for sale. It's been rainy, but i need to help my older son get good photos of his bike, and then list it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Kahooli on December 05, 2018, 08:34:01 AM
An ebay listing I had up for probably 5 years finally sold. $585 for a small box of power supplies, shipped to Brazil to help someone repair their TV transmitter. Happy to have it gone! Only 1000 cu ft more stuff to get rid of from the "electronics I acquired for free and should probably get rid of" pile.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: honeybbq on December 05, 2018, 12:07:15 PM
Hi all, new to this thread mostly. You guys are very inspiring!!

Does anyone have suggestions for how to get your spouse on board with decluttering? (similar to MMM's how to get your spouse on board with FIRE?)

My H is very romantic/emotional and attached to his "things". Both his parents are now gone and we have a lot of THINGS left from his parents that are really mostly worthless but carry a lot of emotional baggage for my spouse. I try to explain that he should keep the most precious things and then display them proudly and get rid of the rest; keeping them in a box in the back of the closet is useless. He agrees with me but struggles and has a hard time with time management allotted to these sorts of mental hurdles. He wants to google each historical item, see if it's valuable, etc, etc.

He also argues with me about selling stuff vs getting rid of it. He wanted to list individual DVDs on ebay.... what a waste. I said just donate or give away on FB. We don't need the money but the cheapskate in him struggles with that, too. It takes him an hour to list 10 DVDs that if all sell will net him $20. We each make over $100 an hour so this is just ridiculous. I want to give back to the community and just get rid of the shit.

Also, we have a large house and probably aren't going to downside any time soon. I worry about cutting down "too" much because then the house won't feel lived in. Am I being silly?

My mother is a shopping addicted hoarder and always gives us so much stuff, my rebellious reaction is just to throw everything in my house away. So we have a hard time coming to a happy medium.

Suggestions?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on December 05, 2018, 12:16:30 PM
Hi all, new to this thread mostly. You guys are very inspiring!!

Does anyone have suggestions for how to get your spouse on board with decluttering? (similar to MMM's how to get your spouse on board with FIRE?)

My H is very romantic/emotional and attached to his "things". Both his parents are now gone and we have a lot of THINGS left from his parents that are really mostly worthless but carry a lot of emotional baggage for my spouse. I try to explain that he should keep the most precious things and then display them proudly and get rid of the rest; keeping them in a box in the back of the closet is useless. He agrees with me but struggles and has a hard time with time management allotted to these sorts of mental hurdles. He wants to google each historical item, see if it's valuable, etc, etc.

He also argues with me about selling stuff vs getting rid of it. He wanted to list individual DVDs on ebay.... what a waste. I said just donate or give away on FB. We don't need the money but the cheapskate in him struggles with that, too. It takes him an hour to list 10 DVDs that if all sell will net him $20. We each make over $100 an hour so this is just ridiculous. I want to give back to the community and just get rid of the shit.

Also, we have a large house and probably aren't going to downside any time soon. I worry about cutting down "too" much because then the house won't feel lived in. Am I being silly?

My mother is a shopping addicted hoarder and always gives us so much stuff, my rebellious reaction is just to throw everything in my house away. So we have a hard time coming to a happy medium.

Suggestions?

Maybe you should let your spouse google the items to see if anything is valuable. This way he can process saying goodbye to them. Maybe you can provide him with some boxes: valuable and not valuable, that he can put the item in after googling. And afterwards he can put the valuable stuff out for sale.

But it is difficult to change a person. Lead by good example is often effective. Does you spouse have a private room in the house, like a study? Could he store his stuff in that room alone, while you declutter the rest of the house?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 05, 2018, 12:17:57 PM
An ebay listing I had up for probably 5 years finally sold. $585 for a small box of power supplies, shipped to Brazil to help someone repair their TV transmitter. Happy to have it gone! Only 1000 cu ft more stuff to get rid of from the "electronics I acquired for free and should probably get rid of" pile.

Do you think it was worth storing it for 5 years vs. just getting rid of it?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on December 05, 2018, 12:35:36 PM
I feel you, @honeybbq. My wife is similar to your husband but for different reasons. Honestly, I haven't found a great solution. You really can't make another person want to change. However, there are some things you can do to help make your space comfortable and livable for you.

-Focus on your own stuff.  Get rid of as much as you can on your own. It can serve as an example, but don't count on that. The bottom line is if you get rid of more of your stuff, you will have less stuff.
-Work together with your husband to figure out storage solutions. No, storage is not a replacement for decluttering, but it's still better than having stuff sitting around if he's not going to get rid of it promptly. Boxes for things to keep, things to sell, things to donate, things he still needs to go through. Then he can just pull out one box at a time. His time management might be better if he has a focuses set of items to deal with in any given session.
-Be vigilant about keeping your house clean. Somehow all the clutter seems less painful if the counter tops are wiped down, the bathroom is scrubbed, the floor is swept, etc. I used to put all that stuff off because I was daunted by everything I had to move to do it. Which is where the storage solutions came in....If you don't already have a good cleaning routing, I would recommend a blog called Clean Mama. I forget where it was recommended to me, but she breaks down weekly cleaning in a way that finally clicked for me. I can still make a lot of progress even if I'm having to move some stuff out of the way.

I still think we have too much clutter and would change some things if the space were just mine, but I've finally reached a point where I feel okay in the space instead of fantasizing over apartment listings for one person. In your case, I wouldn't worry about paring down too much. It sounds like you still have so much stuff the overflow is getting shoved in closets, so I don't think your house is in danger of not feeling lived in.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Kahooli on December 05, 2018, 12:39:23 PM
In my previous living arrangement, the incremental cost of the space was 0. We were two single dudes, he owned the house and I payed hilariously little to have half the space (Huge basement). I then foolishly bought a house 2.5 years ago, for just me! (and the girlfriend that disappeared).  The cost of storage is built in to owning the house. I gain nothing in useful space by getting rid of it/recycling for nothing (it's just in my basement).
I am working toward fixing the house to sell. So yes, when I eventually need to move out and downsize back to an apt the stuff will go to e-waste. I've sold about $12.5k worth of the stuff on ebay over 5 years,  so yes the cost of storage and one transport was worth it. With the right buyers, there's at least that much left to sell.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on December 05, 2018, 01:26:28 PM
Hi all, new to this thread mostly. You guys are very inspiring!!

Does anyone have suggestions for how to get your spouse on board with decluttering? (similar to MMM's how to get your spouse on board with FIRE?)


Sounds a lot like my own spousal issues, along with "but that's the only item I have to remember Z person"

"Honey, don't you also have [A, B, C] other items?"

"Yes, but..."

It's all the clutter and boxes and stacks of boxes. Frustrating.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on December 05, 2018, 01:32:43 PM

-Focus on your own stuff.  Get rid of as much as you can on your own. It can serve as an example, but don't count on that. The bottom line is if you get rid of more of your stuff, you will have less stuff.

One suggestion on this front: unless it's a practical item which will actually get used (ie, a shirt which no longer fits you but will fit the spouse) - don't let them start claiming things that you are getting rid of.

We still have this damn giant stuffed animal in the house that was mine growing up as a kid - I did the emotional work, detached myself from it and went to throw it away... and then caved when she wanted to keep it "for herself" - along with her 50+ other stuffed animals/dolls. Bothers me every time I see it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 05, 2018, 03:09:43 PM
I had a stash of new books at work that I've been given in the course of my job.

We're now moving offices, so I've started decluttering there too.

So far I've passed five books on to people who will actually use and appreciate them, and tossed two empty boxes and some papers.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on December 05, 2018, 03:23:21 PM
Neighbor on Buy Nothing moved into her first solo place and has nothing. I'm gifting a lamp, a crockpot, and some toilet cleaner (have multiple bottles and don't like it much anyway). Oh, and a microfiber cleaning rag. I'l also let her look around in our truck where we have all the donation items and see if there's anything she needs. We really need to go drop those off...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on December 05, 2018, 03:49:38 PM
If I can't get 20 for something I give it away. It also depends on my mood. Sometimes I put stuff outside with a free sign, sometimes off to the thrift store and sometimes I sell. Most dog related items sell well. As do old appliances. My husband has a much tougher time then me so he has his stuff in his office, shed and 1 car garage and he never can find anything. About once a year he will get rid of a bunch of stuff but it never lasts.  The rest of the house is neat.  I did a big paper declutter and also have bags of stuff for thrift store.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Prairie Gal on December 05, 2018, 06:56:13 PM
I having been holding on to a vintage canister set, hoping they would sell, but I decided I was tired of looking at them so they are getting donate.

I also finally sold two bar stools today. I bought them a few weeks ago off Facebook  Marketplace and the seller said they were counter height, but they weren't. Anyway, they are finally gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: honeybbq on December 06, 2018, 10:20:10 AM
Thanks all for so many good ideas and thoughts.

@Linda_Norway
"Does you spouse have a private room in the house, like a study? Could he store his stuff in that room alone, while you declutter the rest of the house?"

Yes, he does have study, it's a complete disaster. I'm so glad I never have to go in there lol. I'd love to help him organize it because I know it is a sense of frustration for him. He wants to get his shit cleaned up but truly lacks this skills to do so. I can help, but only so much. We do have an area in the garage for stuff to donate/get rid of (it's constantly filling because of my mom, see below).

@zygote
Most of the house is pretty neat and tidy with some exceptions of course. The kiddo has a play room and.... go figure, she has too many toys and too much stuff. My mother has a shopping addiction and sends us way, way, way too much stuff (I posted in the anti mustachian thread about hoarding). Part of our issue too is that our garage is really insufficient for our storage needs given that we have a lot of hobbies that unfortunately come with a large "stuff" footprint: camping, skiing,  bikes, and spouse has a motorcycle. So we have rooms that are rather empty and rooms that are overflowing. UGH.

@TomTX : He lets me throw away all my stuff, no problem, luckily. And "new" stuff my mom sends us he doesn't even want to look at. He's only strongly attached to things with memories/emotions from other people from his life.

I did manage to get rid of some sporting equipment of my kid's that was too small. Sold on craigslist. 1 thing down. 100000 to go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on December 06, 2018, 11:54:03 AM
Got a bunch of stuff moved to the street yesterday.  The city came by and picked it up right as I was finishing up.  That worked out well.  Then mom and I went Christmas shopping.  I had unpacked some dishes that we think belonged to her grandmother.  She didn't want them, so we took them by a thrift store to donate.  Bonus points for finding a new, unopened Lite Brite while I was there as a Christmas gift for my kid. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 06, 2018, 08:50:34 PM
Just when I think I've listed every possible thing that makes sense on eBay, i remember something. Two crystal ornaments that were gifts from . . . my high school boyfriend's mom. ;-) Totally not my taste, I put them on the tree every year because they are in the ornament box, etc. I looked them up on eBay today, and one of them is actually worth something! Already have an offer for $40. Not sure if the second one is worth anything. So excited!

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on December 07, 2018, 07:32:44 AM
Today on my day off, I decluttered the freezers. We have 2 fridges with each 3 freezer drawers. I had lost an overview of what was inside.
I went through the drawers and wrote everything in it on a list that is on the fridge. So it is easy to see from outside what is in it.
I threw away 1 old pot of sauce and 2 old portions of stock. I found a box of kiwis in pieces and made jam from them. I also found a small box of prunes in pieces and made a Chinese prune sauce that we will eat tomorrow. I picked 2 other portions that I will eat tonight. And I threw away some green herbs that were unmarked.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on December 07, 2018, 12:49:16 PM
A friend wanted some steel water bottles which we have too many of (most barely used!)--so three of them are heading to him and another is going to the thrift store.
So much more room in that cupboard now :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 08, 2018, 12:37:58 PM
Ended up making $50 on one of the ornaments I impulse posted on eBay. Yes! Already mailed & out of the house. I also listed another five items, including something that's been on my "post this" list for over a year.

I'm also going to try & talk my 11 year old into giving up the telescope that was a gift (he begged for) & used exactly once. Now is the right time of the year to list on our local neighborhood site, and he can keep the money for Christmas gifts.

I have posted both kids fancy BMX bikes (bought with their own money, for BMX biking) on a few local sites, so hoping they sell. It's been a valuable lesson for the kids in not buying new, saving your money (a good thing) for big purchases, but making sure the purchase is really something you think you'll want over an extended period of time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 09, 2018, 03:10:15 AM
A friend wanted some steel water bottles which we have too many of (most barely used!)--so three of them are heading to him and another is going to the thrift store.
So much more room in that cupboard now :)

I'm doing the same thing, offloading stainless steel bottles and KeepCups (I'm given a lot through work) to friends and family.

Love helping people go zero-waste at no cost.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 09, 2018, 05:05:49 PM
Caught up with family over the weekend and gave them their Christmas presents. Not strictly decluttering, but I'm thrilled to have them out of my house.

Added another book to the Vinnies bag.

And put a wobbly outdoor candelabra out for council clean-up.

Lately I'm finding it easier to get rid of things that I'd previously held on to just in case.

A relative (who lives more than 200km away and isn't popping in for a visit) gave me a queen-size turquoise fleece blanket about two years ago.

I just don't need it, but I've felt guilty for parting with it.

I finally went back to the $20 rule - could I replace this for less than $20 if I had to? Yep.

It can go to Vinnies.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on December 09, 2018, 05:39:21 PM
Caught up with family over the weekend and gave them their Christmas presents. Not strictly decluttering, but I'm thrilled to have them out of my house.

Added another book to the Vinnies bag.

And put a wobbly outdoor candelabra out for council clean-up.

Lately I'm finding it easier to get rid of things that I'd previously held on to just in case.

A relative (who lives more than 200km away and isn't popping in for a visit) gave me a queen-size turquoise fleece blanket about two years ago.

I just don't need it, but I've felt guilty for parting with it.

I finally went back to the $20 rule - could I replace this for less than $20 if I had to? Yep.

It can go to Vinnies.

You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 09, 2018, 06:10:02 PM
Caught up with family over the weekend and gave them their Christmas presents. Not strictly decluttering, but I'm thrilled to have them out of my house.

Added another book to the Vinnies bag.

And put a wobbly outdoor candelabra out for council clean-up.

Lately I'm finding it easier to get rid of things that I'd previously held on to just in case.

A relative (who lives more than 200km away and isn't popping in for a visit) gave me a queen-size turquoise fleece blanket about two years ago.

I just don't need it, but I've felt guilty for parting with it.

I finally went back to the $20 rule - could I replace this for less than $20 if I had to? Yep.

It can go to Vinnies.

You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?

That's tough. :(

I would really struggle getting rid of something handmade like that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on December 09, 2018, 06:57:14 PM
You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?

That's tough. :(

I would really struggle getting rid of something handmade like that.

As someone whose made handmade quilts (as gifts only with the advance a-ok of the recipients though)...did you consider making it into a wallhanging? 

A bunch of old Martha Stewart magazines read and listed on a local freebie website.  If no nibbles, they'll go out in recycling, along with the giant bag of Tupperware I cleared out last weekend.  Offered a Christmas wreath to my mom (will pass it off next weekend) which I bought for $12.50 on after Christmas sale a few years ago, but didn't realize it wouldn't fit on any of our doors.  Next up: need to take photos of the ~9 handmade scarves that I meant to make into an afghan years ago, to see if anyone on the local group wants it.

I lost two expensive items recently around our house, so I'm determinedly back in this group to purge out the unnecessary.  At least if I lose things after purging it'll be less to hunt through! 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on December 09, 2018, 07:27:57 PM
You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?

That's tough. :(

I would really struggle getting rid of something handmade like that.

As someone whose made handmade quilts (as gifts only with the advance a-ok of the recipients though)...did you consider making it into a wallhanging? 

A bunch of old Martha Stewart magazines read and listed on a local freebie website.  If no nibbles, they'll go out in recycling, along with the giant bag of Tupperware I cleared out last weekend.  Offered a Christmas wreath to my mom (will pass it off next weekend) which I bought for $12.50 on after Christmas sale a few years ago, but didn't realize it wouldn't fit on any of our doors.  Next up: need to take photos of the ~9 handmade scarves that I meant to make into an afghan years ago, to see if anyone on the local group wants it.

I lost two expensive items recently around our house, so I'm determinedly back in this group to purge out the unnecessary.  At least if I lose things after purging it'll be less to hunt through!

I wish she'd asked us before making... It was a wedding present. I feel like if we had had kids then we could cut into baby quilts or something. Unfortunately it's not really our style or colours (city minimalism) so it's not going on the wall either. I like it for what it is and if we lived in a cottage in the country it would be perfect. I think I'm going to just store it for now, in case it becomes appropriate in the future. I don't actually have many things of that nature so it's not the end of the world.

Xmas decorations - yes I must try to get rid of some bits in the next couple of days, good reminder! I know that somewhere under the house there is a Xmas tree stand. And I have a wrong sized wreath to go like you. Plus ugly baubles I got for free, I don't know what I was thinking, we don't have a tree.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 09, 2018, 08:21:07 PM
While looking for something in the garage, I noticed we had a few extra shoes the kids have outgrown. Two pair were in really great condition, so put in the donation bin. In puzzling news, we only have one shoe of a set. . . what happened to the other shoe???
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on December 10, 2018, 12:25:38 AM
You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?

I think you could give it away later, but you should perhaps look for a good recipient. Don't just add it to the donation box, but give it to someone who really appreciates it. Then you can tell your friend it has gotten a good home.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on December 10, 2018, 12:32:33 AM
If not to a thrift, where someone can self-select to be the happy recipient because it fits their need and home perfectly, I would encourage you to give the quilt to a shelter or second-stage housing. When I stayed in those, handmade quilts helped me so much, to feel safe, loved, cared about, even though I never knew who had carefully stitched them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on December 10, 2018, 01:51:58 AM
You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?

Speaking as someone who knows a number of quilters (and is even half-heartedly working on a quilt too, for herself) quilters make quilts mainly for themselves, and then find recipients to give them to - or find the recipient first as an excuse.

If you would rather get rid of the quilt than keep it, I would find a charity auction or raffle in which it could be the grand prize.  I would then write to the friend saying "although we love the quilt it doesn't fit into our new living arrangements, we support this wonderful charity who would love to make the quilt the centrepiece of their next auction, would that be alright with you?"
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marty998 on December 10, 2018, 03:07:59 AM
Caught up with family over the weekend and gave them their Christmas presents. Not strictly decluttering, but I'm thrilled to have them out of my house.

Added another book to the Vinnies bag.

And put a wobbly outdoor candelabra out for council clean-up.

Lately I'm finding it easier to get rid of things that I'd previously held on to just in case.

A relative (who lives more than 200km away and isn't popping in for a visit) gave me a queen-size turquoise fleece blanket about two years ago.

I just don't need it, but I've felt guilty for parting with it.

I finally went back to the $20 rule - could I replace this for less than $20 if I had to? Yep.

It can go to Vinnies.

You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?

That's tough. :(

I would really struggle getting rid of something handmade like that.

These gifts are always useful for wrapping oneself up on the couch on a cold winter night. Even if it is only once a year.

I have a couple of blankets specially for that purpose :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 10, 2018, 03:09:40 AM
Caught up with family over the weekend and gave them their Christmas presents. Not strictly decluttering, but I'm thrilled to have them out of my house.

Added another book to the Vinnies bag.

And put a wobbly outdoor candelabra out for council clean-up.

Lately I'm finding it easier to get rid of things that I'd previously held on to just in case.

A relative (who lives more than 200km away and isn't popping in for a visit) gave me a queen-size turquoise fleece blanket about two years ago.

I just don't need it, but I've felt guilty for parting with it.

I finally went back to the $20 rule - could I replace this for less than $20 if I had to? Yep.

It can go to Vinnies.

You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?

That's tough. :(

I would really struggle getting rid of something handmade like that.

These gifts are always useful for wrapping oneself up on the couch on a cold winter night. Even if it is only once a year.

I have a couple of blankets specially for that purpose :)

I already tried to offload this one on you! :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on December 10, 2018, 03:12:24 AM
I already have two lovely blankets for that purpose! Also wedding gifts, from a wedding list.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, very handy. I will try to spot a good opportunity. In the meantime I will clean and store it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 10, 2018, 08:29:18 AM
Haven't had a lot of time to focus on decluttering recently, but as I was unloading the dishwasher, there wasn't enough room in the cupboard and I'm always moving things to get newly clean things to fit.  So found one water bottle to move to the lower cupboard with the lemonade pitcher, and another to the charity box.  Mini-decluttering win!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 10, 2018, 08:33:08 AM
Kids high school is doing a big holiday fundraiser and they are collecting winter clothing so off went a whole bunch of stuff - including a brand new MEC coat and nearly new down jacket and vest. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 10, 2018, 08:44:17 AM
Our Habitat for Humanity is often looking for great condition quilts.  They are always welcomed by people receiving a new home.

I quilt, and I make sure people know my quilts to them are not obligations. They can get rid of them same as they would a cheap fleece blanket...  even though they cost hundreds of dollars and take months to make :)   If there is a condition on the quilt, I let them know. (I made gorgeous quilts for my Mom's guest rooms and told her I want them all back when she no longer wants them or dies.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: honeybbq on December 10, 2018, 11:12:36 AM
Caught up with family over the weekend and gave them their Christmas presents. Not strictly decluttering, but I'm thrilled to have them out of my house.

Added another book to the Vinnies bag.

And put a wobbly outdoor candelabra out for council clean-up.

Lately I'm finding it easier to get rid of things that I'd previously held on to just in case.

A relative (who lives more than 200km away and isn't popping in for a visit) gave me a queen-size turquoise fleece blanket about two years ago.

I just don't need it, but I've felt guilty for parting with it.

I finally went back to the $20 rule - could I replace this for less than $20 if I had to? Yep.

It can go to Vinnies.

You have reminded me... A friend handmade us a quilt. An unbelievable amount of thought and hours went into it (like a 6 month project) but it's too hot for hubby to sleep under even in winter. At the moment it lives on the spare bed but our next place will have a sofa bed only... I seriously don't know what to do with this quilt. I'm thinking that we store it in a space bag and then summon the courage to ask her if she wants to regift to someone else?

That's tough. :(

I would really struggle getting rid of something handmade like that.

Could you mount it on a wall as art?

Edit: I see I'm too late on that suggestion :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 10, 2018, 11:41:16 AM
@Fresh Bread do you have a friend with a country cabin that would be suitable for this quilt?  Something to add to your list of giving opportunities if nothing else. 

I also have to second jooni's suggestion.

Today finally decided to give away a second hand medical device that was gifted to me to help with a minor medical issue.  It was grossly covered in long white cat hairs, which I removed, but now I'm so revolted by looking at it and remembering those hairs, I can't use it.  Will pass it on, now that it's cleaned, to someone who doesn't get those gross feelings.  I can afford to buy one after all.  I wish it hadn't taken me over a month to honor those grossed out feelings.  I could have bought a new one sooner & started using it sooner.  Oh, well.  Moving on...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 11, 2018, 05:39:28 AM
I have several nice afghans my mother in law gifted me years ago with. I am half way thinking of dry cleaning them and handing them down to two of her grandchildren. I am kind of tired of them and it would be something nice to give to another relative who might like something from grandma.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 11, 2018, 06:51:50 AM
Got rid of a box of pregnancy/ovulation tests.  Took up a huge amount of room in my bathroom drawer, and I'd never need them again.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 11, 2018, 12:23:43 PM
Sold another item on eBay, will post today.

Only two things left for sale now, but I’ve made enough money to motivate me to find more to sell.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on December 11, 2018, 07:25:55 PM
It was a good day for decluttering:

- gave away maternity support band
- gave away pampers size 1 diapers
- gave away two swaddle mes
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on December 11, 2018, 08:56:49 PM
We just booked a carpet cleaner to come in 3 days, so I'm feeling very motivated to simplify the storage and furniture situation here right away.  At least we have room in our kitchen for all the displaced living room and bedroom items, but there are definitely some items on shelves and on open display that will be moved for the cleaning and then go straight to donate and not put back. I just need to make a plan quickly!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Linea_Norway on December 12, 2018, 01:33:06 AM
We just booked a carpet cleaner to come in 3 days, <...>

As this site is also about saving money, have you investigated what it costs to rent a carpet cleaning machine for a weekend and do the job yourself? Wouldn't that be much cheaper?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: marty998 on December 12, 2018, 03:00:48 AM
We just booked a carpet cleaner to come in 3 days, <...>

As this site is also about saving money, have you investigated what it costs to rent a carpet cleaning machine for a weekend and do the job yourself? Wouldn't that be much cheaper?

Local supermarket down here rents the machine for $50 a day plus $10 for the shampoo and anti-foam solution.

So easy to use and do it yourself. Highly recommend.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 12, 2018, 05:52:32 AM
My neighbour is downsizing and clearing out her clutter and offering it to me.  I really like this person, but man, I am saying no, no, no.....until I accidentally cave.  I have started suggested different locations to donate things to.  So does it count if I stop clutter from entering my door? 

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on December 12, 2018, 08:36:37 AM
Any tips for dropping prices on Craigslist? I want the item gone, and I've already dropped the price once...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on December 12, 2018, 08:43:59 AM
Any tips for dropping prices on Craigslist? I want the item gone, and I've already dropped the price once...

Try FB Marketplace instead. At least in my area, CL is super slow/way more dead.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 12, 2018, 09:39:02 AM
Any tips for dropping prices on Craigslist? I want the item gone, and I've already dropped the price once...

If you want it gone, give it away.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on December 12, 2018, 10:05:29 AM
I also use OfferUp, letgo and Nextdoor. I keep lowering the price until it’s gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on December 12, 2018, 11:16:47 AM
Any tips for dropping prices on Craigslist? I want the item gone, and I've already dropped the price once...

If you want it gone, give it away.
Of course, but it was expensive and is in perfect shape.  I was wondering if anyone had some sort of strategy... for instance, if I was interested in an item, and noticed the seller had lowered the price, I might get greedy and not buy in case they lowered the price again.

Thanks @Cassie for those suggestions, I'll try them!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 12, 2018, 11:20:35 AM
Any tips for dropping prices on Craigslist? I want the item gone, and I've already dropped the price once...

If you want it gone, give it away.
Of course, but it was expensive and is in perfect shape.  I was wondering if anyone had some sort of strategy... for instance, if I was interested in an item, and noticed the seller had lowered the price, I might get greedy and not buy in case they lowered the price again.

Thanks @Cassie for those suggestions, I'll try them!

I have a hard time with this too. Things I think should have value, but then don't sell easily.

For me, generally it is better to just let go. But it isn't always easy to do.  I certainly haven't always succeeded.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on December 12, 2018, 11:27:10 AM
I was selling a nice set of dishes. I started at 60 and after two weeks took $25.  Some stuff sells fast for full price and others need price reductions.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 12, 2018, 11:38:53 AM
My neighbour is downsizing and clearing out her clutter and offering it to me.  I really like this person, but man, I am saying no, no, no.....until I accidentally cave.  I have started suggested different locations to donate things to.  So does it count if I stop clutter from entering my door?

I think it does!

What I'm counting: I have an ongoing list I call Thrifting Treasures, where I put things I'd like to pick up if I see them in the second hand shop.  On this list is egg slicer.  I'm taking that off, since I'm not allowed to eat egg yolks on my diet right now, which makes hard boiled eggs and the need for a slicer moot.  Preemptive decluttering: it counts!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 12, 2018, 11:45:27 AM
@oneday  Thanks. 

I have brought the half sized guitar upstairs.  I am going to try to take it to a church downtown that has a holiday gift market for their registered clients a chance to 'shop' for gifts for their families as a pay what you can type market of handmade, and gently used items. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on December 12, 2018, 02:40:12 PM
Any tips for dropping prices on Craigslist? I want the item gone, and I've already dropped the price once...

Try FB Marketplace instead. At least in my area, CL is super slow/way more dead.

I've also had much more luck on Facebook Marketplace than CL recently.  I find coming in at a "I want this gone" price helps a ton, over gradual price reductions.  I also Freecycle a ton instead of selling.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on December 12, 2018, 02:49:47 PM
I read this thread pretty regularly but want to jump back into posting.

I have a breakfast in bed tray that seemed like a really good purchase at the time.  The Freecycle woman has no showed on me twice now.  I probably should move on.

I took photos yesterday of a bunch of stuff I'm going to Freecycle.  I'll post them Friday when I have more time to respond to inquiries.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on December 12, 2018, 03:23:15 PM
Last night we dropped off some nice wine glasses (plus wine) to a  friend who has just moved into a new place and needs Stuff*, meanwhile neither of us drink wine anymore so I think we all win.

*actually does, we checked
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on December 12, 2018, 05:59:39 PM
We just booked a carpet cleaner to come in 3 days, <...>

As this site is also about saving money, have you investigated what it costs to rent a carpet cleaning machine for a weekend and do the job yourself? Wouldn't that be much cheaper?

Local supermarket down here rents the machine for $50 a day plus $10 for the shampoo and anti-foam solution.

So easy to use and do it yourself. Highly recommend.

I am not able to get the carpet as clean as the truck mounted units. And if you don't get the soap out, then it can actually make the carpet get dirty faster.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 13, 2018, 02:53:28 AM
I sold something else on eBay, and gave away more books and magazines at work.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Yasha on December 13, 2018, 04:44:55 AM
Tried to gift a musical instrument (guilele) to a work friend but they would not accept it as a gift and will give me $50 for it tomorrow XD
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 13, 2018, 01:12:40 PM
Doing Secret Santa and Evil Santa at work. Evil Santa has to be a regift, so that's a couple more things I can declutter - a truly hideous brooch I was given and a couple of books.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on December 13, 2018, 03:35:44 PM
Any tips for dropping prices on Craigslist? I want the item gone, and I've already dropped the price once...

Try FB Marketplace instead. At least in my area, CL is super slow/way more dead.

Soooooollllllddddd it!!  Dropped the price $5 and posted it in a FB group.  Somebody I know has been looking for one for ages and bought it!  I dropped it a further $10 because I like her. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on December 13, 2018, 08:54:54 PM
Posted nine things on Freecycle and six things on Facebook Marketplace.  Mostly divesting myself of bike accessories now that I don't ride as much and don't do much bike repair.  Probably the wrong season to be selling, but maybe there's a Mustachian out there who needs waterproof bike panniers.

Oddly, a bike saddle I was trying to sell got flagged as "not within policy" on FB, and the form to fill out to have it reviewed wouldn't submit for me, no matter what I did.  So off to Freecycle it goes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on December 14, 2018, 12:08:18 PM
Posted a bunch of scarves I made years ago on a local Facebook page.  Person who wanted them planned to put into bags for homeless, so I offered up my hotel-sized toiletries stash as well.  She was delighted to accept the giant pile (3 stuffed gallon bags worth) of soaps, gels, lotions, shampoos, and conditioners, and a few unused toothbrushes.  After asking her, I also tossed in some less commonly needed but likely still appreciated items like unopened heat wrap boxes for various joint pains, unused disposable razors, eye drops, etc. that I came across while getting the toiletries.  Also have someone else taking the unmade scarf (aka a ball of yarn) soon.  I still have some toiletries left (I didn't want to pass on ones that didn't look in good condition, and some of the wraps on the older soaps weren't looking up to snuff though I'm sure the soaps themselves are fine), but it's massively cut down!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 15, 2018, 12:14:12 PM
Final paper score for today:
3 papers in the plie, 8 notebooks.

Final paper score for yesterday:
? papers in the pile, 6 notebooks

Last week was a big week for mail and other paper. Plus, some of the paper I thought I was done with, I wasn't really. Today I might take a sick day, so maybe some progress???

The big win was notebooks. One was re purposed into a fledgling price book. The other I set aside to take notes on how to travel hack. I'm loving the mustachian tie ins for both :)

[Sigh] Dec 3 was so nice. 

The paper pile has grown, but I'm down to 5 notebooks.  I feel kind of cruddy & work has been busy, and OMG so much mail at home.  A perfect storm for someone who is adverse to dealing with paper.  I guess I better make a new push on this if I want to clear it up before the new year.



Can't remember if this was already posted, but I've lost some weight, so had to get new work slacks (I normally replace only when they wear out).  So another pair of slacks for the donation bin!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 15, 2018, 06:26:09 PM
I've finished off another roll of wrapping paper, a roll of sticky tape and a roll of ribbon, and used up an organza gift bag.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mountain mustache on December 15, 2018, 08:55:59 PM
today I did a major deep clean of my bedroom and bathroom and got rid of tons of things. I'm in general not someone who keeps a lot of old things, or memories from childhood/highschool/college, but I was surprised at some of the things I found, and promptly got rid of. I have two giant bags of clothing to donate as well, and a box of books. Our thrift store here is super duper picky about donations, so I am going to bring it to a thrift store in a bigger city when I get the chance!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 16, 2018, 05:44:00 AM
I have 5 more giant garbage bags full of clothes, coats and stuff ready for Vietnam Vets to pick up. Pick up isn't until Dec. 28th so I will have at least 5 more bags by then.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 16, 2018, 04:27:16 PM
Sold a suit on eBay, posted that (with the suit bag) today.

Only one thing left for sale on eBay - everything else has sold. If it doesn't sell before Friday I will take down the post while I'm away over Christmas, then re-list when I sell again in January.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on December 16, 2018, 07:22:32 PM
Both crock pots are now gone! One to a young Buy Nothing neighbor setting her life up, one sold for $15 to be someone's niece's xmas gift.

Travel for the holidays REQUIRES we take a thift store drop off trip. Sadly didn't happen today, but that was due to a work emergency for Husband. Before Friday though, it'll have to happen! At that point, pretty sure everything that NEEDS to go will be gone, and it'll be on to small things/optimizing/staying on top of stuff.

Dare I say, the end of our downsizing is in sight??
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 16, 2018, 09:16:17 PM
Gave away three more books and a pen cup at work.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on December 16, 2018, 09:33:19 PM
Cleaned garage!  (no virtue there, have house emergency that requires access to parts of the garage floor and wall)

- dropped off a bag of outgrown clothes to friend's daughter
- husband found the textile recycling bin and chucked all our rags there (a Santa sack full)
- segregated all the metal recycling. Will we actually get rid of it this week??
- threw out a bunch of junk!!
- consolidated three boxes into one tub of toys to give away. Can't do it yet because they have pieces missing that are somewhere in the house!
- posted a lot of stuff on local Buy Nothing group
- took photos of other stuff to sell/give away
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 17, 2018, 11:28:14 AM
Went through my moving box at work. It's been there for months. Made a pile of things that need to go home, filed all receipts (we're required to keep them), organized everything, recycled the box! I also cleaned my desk so that all that's left is stuff I actually need & use.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on December 17, 2018, 11:43:44 AM
I've been thinking about this thread, and why letting go of certain things is so hard.  Certainly some of it for me is "I spent money on this", but I think even more I have objects that represent who I aspire to be more than who I am right now.  I used to be an avid cyclist and hardcore bike commuter.  It's even reflected in my screen name.  But I haven't really biked regularly since kid #2 was born, and it's just not something that is happening in this season of my life.  We also don't really have bike storage, so my poor beater commuter has been out in the elements for the YEAR since I rode it.

The thing is I really WANT to want to bike.  It's been such a part of my identity for so long and it's part of what drew me to Mustachianism.  But biking has become something I SHOULD do rather than something I have a drive to do.  And that makes me sad.

So I'm going to let the bike go for now.  There's always bike share, which honestly is much more in line with my current lifestyle and riding frequency.  I'm sure someday that will change, but for now, it is what it is.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SquirrelStache on December 17, 2018, 11:49:41 AM
I cleaned out the part of my closet that stores lingerie etc., because it was overflowing out of the box. Seriously, how many pairs of black tights do I need?!

I got rid of about half of it, but kept the discarded half to one side for now. I have a habit of getting rid of things, and then needing them right afterwards, so I have a holding area for keeping stuff for a while before it goes bye-bye.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on December 17, 2018, 12:13:14 PM
I cleaned out the part of my closet that stores lingerie etc., because it was overflowing out of the box. Seriously, how many pairs of black tights do I need?!

I got rid of about half of it, but kept the discarded half to one side for now. I have a habit of getting rid of things, and then needing them right afterwards, so I have a holding area for keeping stuff for a while before it goes bye-bye.

I've done the same thing, it's a great technique.  Set the items aside (back of a closet for me), and if I don't miss the item in a few months, then I know it's good to go.  I've definitely had a few that I put in the box, then a month later I'm going "what did I do with my X."  Then I remember I was going to donate it, and dig it back out.  Much more often, I go through the box before doing a donation drop and go "oh yeah, I forgot I had one of these."
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on December 17, 2018, 06:23:09 PM
Seriously, how many pairs of black tights do I need?!

I have so many pairs of stockings. I hardly ever wear them anymore, but can't bring myself to throw them out because they ladder so easily. I'll use them up eventually...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on December 18, 2018, 07:16:45 AM
We just booked a carpet cleaner to come in 3 days, <...>

As this site is also about saving money, have you investigated what it costs to rent a carpet cleaning machine for a weekend and do the job yourself? Wouldn't that be much cheaper?

Local supermarket down here rents the machine for $50 a day plus $10 for the shampoo and anti-foam solution.

So easy to use and do it yourself. Highly recommend.

I'm supporting a friend's business - eco friendly, and he's charging me practically nothing (less then I would pay to rent equipment). I also shopped the Groupon deals and other local rental places to comparison shop. He did such a great, quick job that I thanked him and his wife with a little fancy hand cream that was recently gifted to me.  Next week is games night at his place. No regret for booking the service in this case  ;-)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 18, 2018, 10:50:18 PM
I've been thinking about this thread, and why letting go of certain things is so hard.  Certainly some of it for me is "I spent money on this", but I think even more I have objects that represent who I aspire to be more than who I am right now.  I used to be an avid cyclist and hardcore bike commuter.  It's even reflected in my screen name.  But I haven't really biked regularly since kid #2 was born, and it's just not something that is happening in this season of my life.  We also don't really have bike storage, so my poor beater commuter has been out in the elements for the YEAR since I rode it.

The thing is I really WANT to want to bike.  It's been such a part of my identity for so long and it's part of what drew me to Mustachianism.  But biking has become something I SHOULD do rather than something I have a drive to do.  And that makes me sad.

So I'm going to let the bike go for now.  There's always bike share, which honestly is much more in line with my current lifestyle and riding frequency.  I'm sure someday that will change, but for now, it is what it is.

This is such a thoughtful way to look at your current life season, kudos.

Total emails at work is about 550.  Crushing.  But today I decluttered 7 work emails from Aug 2017!  Yes, some of them only need to be filed or deleted, but I have not had the capacity to even look for the deletable ones.  Several needed action and that was done today (or the projects started).  About 50 more emails from 2017...I hope to be able to clear those by Dec 31.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on December 19, 2018, 01:46:48 AM
I have been feeling a little glum because of my lack of physical decluttering but in the last couple of weeks I have been steadily handing over work tasks and moving documents to shared drives and deleting all the nonsense emails I do not need any more and that feels good for now.

Plus in the present swap wins, my sibling group all agreed no presents and give to charities instead. So yay
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 19, 2018, 06:06:39 AM

Plus in the present swap wins, my sibling group all agreed no presents and give to charities instead. So yay

That is a long term win - yay!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on December 19, 2018, 11:01:09 AM
I gave the bike away on Freecycle - the woman who received it had her bike stolen and it felt good to pay it forward.

I have a bike seat and three different sets of panniers for sale on FB Marketplace but haven't gotten any bites so I'll lower the prices and then I'll move on to Freecycle.  I also found two more travel pumps that I'll Freecycle.

I've kind of lost my decluttering mojo in the lead up to Christmas.  I am just trying to get all our holiday preparations finished.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: honeybbq on December 19, 2018, 11:54:38 AM
I gave away some stuff on my FB buy nothing page. Some books from my kiddo, a rain coat she's outgrown, some old toys, and a doll house she didn't play with.

It's easier to pare down her stuff because I know she's outgrown X or doesn't play with Y anymore.

My own stuff, I need to pare down. Part of paring down my crap is admitting that I paid for or acquired something I didn't need. I need to get over it and just weed weed weed and donate/trash the stuff that needs to go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: honeybbq on December 19, 2018, 11:55:05 AM
I gave the bike away on Freecycle - the woman who received it had her bike stolen and it felt good to pay it forward.


Awesome!! Good karma to you.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on December 19, 2018, 12:45:52 PM
I did it! Three huge boxes of outgrown kid clothes and toys have finally left the house and been donated!

Up next, the dreaded basement excavation (it would be a clean-up except things are piled so high it's fearfully cluttered).

Any ideas of what to do with outgrown baby seats? I don't think any donation centers can take them? We don't have freecycle or buynothing here (very rural)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on December 19, 2018, 12:49:57 PM
I did it! Three huge boxes of outgrown kid clothes and toys have finally left the house and been donated!

Up next, the dreaded basement excavation (it would be a clean-up except things are piled so high it's fearfully cluttered).

Any ideas of what to do with outgrown baby seats? I don't think any donation centers can take them? We don't have freecycle or buynothing here (very rural)

https://thewirecutter.com/blog/get-rid-used-car-seat/ (https://thewirecutter.com/blog/get-rid-used-car-seat/)

Not a lot you can do with them if they aren't within a couple years of purchase.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on December 19, 2018, 02:14:11 PM
Thanks!!! I hate to send them to the landfill and they are definitely expired (6-10 years old in fact). I think I'll hold them until Target offers recycling and then give away the 20% off coupons. That makes me smile!!!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: joonifloofeefloo on December 19, 2018, 06:49:36 PM
I let myself drop off a very tiny bag of stuff at the thrift yesterday. Our place is very minimalist, little comes in, and at this stage I need to let myself drop off much smaller amounts rather than requiring myself to wait until I have a full box or something.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 19, 2018, 11:32:17 PM
@Mongoose way to go!

@joonifloofeefloo I'm getting to that point.  Once I had just a small box and felt weird about dropping "just" that much off, so found a friend who had been procrastinating on a trip to the thrift.  We combined our stuff & went together!  Honestly, next time I will not hesitate though.  It just feels so good to have that stuff gone, like Mongoose did.



Four more work emails gone.  It took an exhausting hour, and it creates more work/projects/items to follow up which is why they are still there.  But now my oldest email is Oct 2017 instead of Aug 2017.

Also decluttered 4 1/2 boxes of work papers that belong to my department but were stashed in someone else's office.  3 to the storage room, 1 shred and the last half filed.  Felt good to clear that up, it had been a to-do for 2 years.  Fortunately, coworker-in-whose-office-they-were-stashed has a large office, and was kind & understanding about the whole thing. Whew!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sloeginfizz on December 20, 2018, 07:18:32 AM
I listed about a dozen items of clothing on Poshmark, things that no longer fit me. Just curious, does eBay get better sales results? I’ve used Poshmark before because the process is so easy, but the sales are kind of slow this go round. I’ve got some great stuff listed too.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on December 20, 2018, 07:23:07 AM
I lost two expensive items recently around our house, so I'm determinedly back in this group to purge out the unnecessary.  At least if I lose things after purging it'll be less to hunt through!

Woot!  I located one of the expensive items.  Now to see if I can return the replacement I bought.  I wasn't going crazy, I hadn't forgotten where I had put it, the cleaner* had moved it.

Today: A cheap old rug originally bought by an ex.  Yay for saying farewell to some emotional weight.  Planning to start in on a pile of paper after work tonight - I don't need to save *every* piece of artwork my kid creates at daycare.

Progress is slow, but I am hopeful if I keep at it, I'll move forward rather than backwards as I continue to accept used kid-related stuff from friends.  I'm slightly dreading the holiday gifts influx for my kid, which is also good motivation to keep plugging away at it when I can find the time. 

*Yes, yes, I know, not mustachian on the surface of it.  But a 1/x month cleaner is much cheaper than therapy or divorce, considering my husband refuses to clean ever.  Having a kid was my breaking point.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mountainbug on December 20, 2018, 02:30:53 PM
Joining! I don’t post on the forum much but read quite frequently.

I saw this thread pop up a few weeks ago and have been mulling over what I can de clutter, as we are fairly streamlined due to moving on a regular basis. Listed a sewing machine (never really used) and my motor cross boots (already sold my bike) on fb marketplace and both sold easily. Will have to remember to de clutter every December as it seems people are really scouting for used gifts which makes me happy!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on December 20, 2018, 03:41:42 PM
Just went through my closet. Over half of "my" quilts will come with us on our trip, to be returned to my parents. (Family quilt collection ended up at my house when they moved and we bought- we're driving to their new place, and we've since sold and downsized, so we'll take the quilts back to them). This frees up some closet space too. All but one of the quilts not in rotation now fit in one bin. And if I swap which one if out, it would look nice on the back of the couch, come to think of it!

In the quilt sorting process, I also found a cotton sheet set that I'm *pretty* sure is our old Full size set (we now have a queen). I'll try this and check, and donate if it is the old set, along with our flannel full set. Otherwise, it's our queen size cotton set, in which case I'll move it to where I'll be able to find it come spring!

This all showed me, I definitely need to go through the office closet again. Dear husband helped organize most of it, and bless him, but it was a bit of a haphazard job. Hadn't realized that!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 20, 2018, 11:51:05 PM
More work emails gone.  Can't remember the number, but my oldest is now Nov 2017 rather than Aug.  I may make it into 2018 before 2018 is over, but maybe not.  The month is quickly passing by.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on December 21, 2018, 07:45:58 AM
I'm glad to have finally used 3 wine-bottle gift bags that I had for several years. On top of those, another 15 gift bags for coworkers that I had in our stash. No new gift wrap/bags/ribbons bought this year and I still have a ton to use up. I've carefully weeded out the ones that should be retired (tattered or torn or handle not attached).  Our family has no problem reusing gift bags several times in a row  if they are clean and still look good after their initial gifting. Only down-side is I just got 3 nice reusable gift bags from same coworkers to add back in. Net-net, I'm way ahead this year though.

In non-holiday progress, I'm looking out my window at the extra fridge and treadmill we've been meaning to get rid of for some time now and today the county will come pick them up for recycling! yay! I think of all the things I purged this year, these 2 are my favorite tasks completed.

We also recently donated two sleeping bags because hubby upgraded them, several unused blankets/quilts, and of course the never-ending clothing donations.

Right now I'm looking at a bracelet I was gifted from my boss that I will def. not wear. I can resell it for around $20 so into the Ebay pile it goes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Money Badger on December 21, 2018, 04:12:34 PM
Love this thread!   We are downsizing and selling things so fast that our dog is getting nervous...   The tally for December so far is $415.   I even calculated the square footage tables and chair and other bits consumed and that’s 200 square feet x $154 per square for $30,800 saved.  Not bad!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 21, 2018, 04:22:03 PM
Got $14 at once upon a child (they barely take anything), donated 6 large boxes of stuff to Goodwill, brought a trash bag of clothes to a friend for her church clothes closet, and gave away 2 muscle gels I can't use while pregnant but will expire before I'm not.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on December 21, 2018, 04:27:03 PM
It's been a pretty good week for decluttering! I recycled two small notebooks and threw away four pens that no longer work. I gave away my pregnancy pillow, gosh they take up so much space. I also gave away my baby bath.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 21, 2018, 10:33:11 PM
Got stuck on both work projects today, so turned back to 2017 emails.  Got them all done!  61 total in the last 4 days!  Feels good.  Maybe I can keep clearing out a month of 2018 emails for every month in 2019, to keep from getting further behind. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on December 21, 2018, 11:28:30 PM
Oneday - I am impressed with your email perseverance. You can do it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SquirrelStache on December 22, 2018, 07:23:08 AM
Got stuck on both work projects today, so turned back to 2017 emails.  Got them all done!  61 total in the last 4 days!  Feels good.  Maybe I can keep clearing out a month of 2018 emails for every month in 2019, to keep from getting further behind. 

Well done! My work emails auto-delete after a year which is both good and bad. I have to check them before they expire to make sure I'm not losing anything important (a lot of work I do occurs annually). Of course, if I just saved everything as I went along I wouldn't have to do that, but I never seem to get around to that :/
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on December 22, 2018, 01:57:32 PM
A productive day yesterday (ETA: and still going)

Gifting
Pizza stone - promised to my sister for her family cottage
Blue candle - will give to my mom as part of the wrapping for edible presents (I don't have the right sized candle holder for it)
2 cookie cutters - part of the wrapping for edible presents going to my sisters
filing box - will be the packaging for my niece's present
wallet - added to my niece's gift

Donated/freecycled
Kitchenaid attachment for slicing vegetables
Cut glass platter
Pitcher & glasses
Bamboo steamer
Grilling tongs & flipper (we don't have a bbq)
Williams Sonoma cookie cutters in box (regiftable condition)
ETA: rug 1
ETA: tv
ETA: microwave
ETA: floor lamp 1
ETA: rug 2
ETA: cake stand
ETA: 3 pairs mens pants, 1 jacket, 3 button down mens collared shirts
ETA: floor lamp 2
ETA: coffee table

Dumped/recycled
glass bottles
neo citron sample (expired)
mouthwash (freebie)
plastic cutlery
emory boards
comic books (freebies)
sun screen (freebie, expired, ETA: put in the area for hazardous waste disposal)
eta: shirt with holes
eta: hair spray (in the area for hazardous waste disposal)
eta: purse
eta: warped cutting board
eta: scratched frying pan
eta: ill-fitting underwear
eta: suitcase
eta: duffel bag
eta: keyboard
eta: so many paper bags
eta: ripped towels, linens (why were we keeping them?)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on December 22, 2018, 03:03:22 PM
Couple small things today:
 - went through canning lids and recycled any with rust
 - recycled a few jars I'd been saving, but realized I have plenty and not enough space to store
 - added a purse to the donate box
 - went through my makeup bag and tossed anything old or colors I didn't like
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on December 22, 2018, 06:18:33 PM
My neighbour is downsizing and clearing out her clutter and offering it to me.  I really like this person, but man, I am saying no, no, no.....until I accidentally cave.  I have started suggested different locations to donate things to.  So does it count if I stop clutter from entering my door?

Is it much out of your way to just accept it and drop it off at a donation center along with whatever you have decluttered yourself?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on December 23, 2018, 05:34:09 AM
I made it a goal during the holiday season to unsubscribe from paper catalogues that we received between November and December. We are up to 22 now and counting. We've also been going paperless on all account statements that weren't already set up for that (a few stragglers we just never got around to doing because the account is so old it was before paperless was a thing).  Just trying to reduce all the unnecessary things that fill up our mailbox that go immediately into the recyclying bin.

We recently cancelled our WSJ subscription as well but it runs out this week. So I was hoarding a few weeks of papers.  I know that sounds like the opposite of decluttering by keeping them, but my hubby needs a couple newspapers to start up the charcoal grill chimney thing he uses so we stashed them where he keeps his coals.  I will miss getting the WSJ but I can live without it, too. He'll be using some on Tuesday when we smoke a roast for xmas! yum.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Mongoose on December 23, 2018, 10:15:06 AM
Today we are cleaning up the junk room. It was originally going to be a home office but has become a dumping ground/storage area. Shopping is a long way away so I do like to keep a backup of essentials (soap, detergents, tissues). But it has morphed into an electronics graveyard.

After that, I would like to tackle:
1. the basement
2. the pantry
3. the freezer

All could use a good clean-out or organization. I'm feeling energized after finally removing the 3 boxes of stuff earlier.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 23, 2018, 12:32:32 PM
Cleaned the fridge today.
Got rid of a homemade chutney gift that was questionably made (it was not fridgerated when it was given to us in a canning jars, but appears to have just been stored in the jar vs. canned).
Got rid of a jar of pickle juice.
Combined two jars of pickles and got rid of one jar.
Took 1/2 cup of jalepenos and put in smaller container and got rid of the 4 cup jar.

Also, just cleaned. That fridge was gross

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on December 23, 2018, 06:41:07 PM
I decluttered my expired spices. Then I looked in a tall kitchen cabinet and it was full of baking ingredients for when my mom came to visit. She has been dead 9 years. That also means I moved that stuff 6 years ago. Ugh!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on December 23, 2018, 08:18:39 PM
Six more books out of the house and into the free libraries.
In visual decluttering, today we have been clearing off the various horizontal surfaces of the detritus that has slowly accumulated. It looks So Much Better!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 24, 2018, 06:49:22 AM
Earlier this year I got rid of about 20 cookbooks and now I have bought 3 in the last few months. I have to find at least 3 to get rid of. They are slowly creeping back into the house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: innkeeper77 on December 24, 2018, 09:19:53 AM
I started a gauntlet, realized this thread existed, and wasn't able to delete my own thread.... So I'll double post here instead I guess!

I've decided that until there is no clutter left, in 2019 I will list online, or meet to sell, at least one item per day on average. If every item sells, that will be fifteen "items" per month. I posted six items over the end of last week and the weekend (An old laptop, some RC plane hobby stuff I got cheaply on carigslist a while back...) and sold four of the six already, "making" $240 back already.

This morning I posted five more "items" - all radio control related, and with a staggering total price of fifty whole dollars... but decluttering is the main point! I will be listing at least fifteen items in January!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 24, 2018, 12:10:50 PM
Earlier this year I got rid of about 20 cookbooks and now I have bought 3 in the last few months. I have to find at least 3 to get rid of. They are slowly creeping back into the house!

Sounds like you need the gazingus pins thread!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on December 24, 2018, 12:26:00 PM
Another 6 books out into the world.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on December 24, 2018, 02:22:41 PM
Decluttered the task list a bit, as well as a can of paint: painted the utility room. As a bonus, managed to not bite my sister's head off due to having something to keep me occupied.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on December 24, 2018, 06:23:50 PM
Locked out of my office for the government shutdown, so it's time for an annual decluttering.  I started on the shop today and threw out lots of stuff, mulched around a tree with some seed mat rolls that have been kicking around for ages.

I don't think there's much to declutter inside, but I'm sure I can find a few things.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on December 26, 2018, 07:41:47 PM
I'm sitting in a pile of mementos and children's artwork that I emptied out of a closet that I need for other things.  I ought to get rid of at least half of this stuff but I'm frozen.  Will try again tomorrow. Or maybe I should get rid of an equal volume of items that are less precious. Argh.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 27, 2018, 03:14:23 AM
Poundwise I can understand how getting rid of precious memories is difficult. I have no children so I can't compare it to my life. However, I had a job for 18 years and it was the best job I ever had and I was very respected. I had accumulated a lot of books and files that were reference materials, not anything confidential. When I left work, I put all the books and files and whatever memento's in to a rolling suitcase and brought it home. It sat in my garage, unopened, for probably 14 years. One day we were cleaning out the garage of junk and clutter and I spied the suitcase. I finally opened it up and realized that nothing inside was anything I'd ever use again and threw about 99% of it away and I filled it up with other good stuff to donate to charity. With your stuff, you could lay it out on a bed and take pictures of it, then put it in a suitcase. Store it all away for a while. Do something special with those pictures and eventually, you will be able to free yourself of these items. My friend had a box of her son's shirts from his many years of playing sports. Each one had a name of the team and the player's number. She recently sent these shirts to a place that cuts the shirts into large squares and makes them into quilts. She is giving it to him soon as a present. I think he will be a bit shocked when he sees it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: PMG on December 27, 2018, 07:07:50 AM
I'm sitting in a pile of mementos and children's artwork that I emptied out of a closet that I need for other things.  I ought to get rid of at least half of this stuff but I'm frozen.  Will try again tomorrow. Or maybe I should get rid of an equal volume of items that are less precious. Argh.

I know this is a thread about getting rid of things, but if you care about these items so much then don’t force it.  Don’t beat yourself up over it and feel guilty and like all the minimalist police will gang up on you. Enjoy the items. Even if you’re enjoying them just knowing they are there packed away and you look through them once a year. 

Your compromise with getting rid of something of similar size with less sentimental value sounds reasonable.  What is motivating you?  Storage for something specific?  Or just a general need to have less?  Thinking about why you’re getting rid of things might help you decide if it’s worth it?

——

I’ve been on this train of getting rid of things, reducing, living in small spaces and there are many ways that it fits my values and goals, but I guess for a while I got caught up in less for the sake of having less and now I’m trying to find balance.

In the spirit of this thread, I don’t have much left to donate to the thrift shop, but I am intentionally working my way through some fabric and craft supplies.  I brought some along on holiday travels so I wouldn’t be tempted to buy and I spent my morning piecing together and embroidering a pot holder.  Trying to use things up and make do with what I already have. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on December 27, 2018, 10:46:30 PM
Poundwise I can understand how getting rid of precious memories is difficult. I have no children so I can't compare it to my life. However, I had a job for 18 years and it was the best job I ever had and I was very respected. I had accumulated a lot of books and files that were reference materials, not anything confidential. When I left work, I put all the books and files and whatever memento's in to a rolling suitcase and brought it home. It sat in my garage, unopened, for probably 14 years. One day we were cleaning out the garage of junk and clutter and I spied the suitcase. I finally opened it up and realized that nothing inside was anything I'd ever use again and threw about 99% of it away and I filled it up with other good stuff to donate to charity. With your stuff, you could lay it out on a bed and take pictures of it, then put it in a suitcase. Store it all away for a while. Do something special with those pictures and eventually, you will be able to free yourself of these items. My friend had a box of her son's shirts from his many years of playing sports. Each one had a name of the team and the player's number. She recently sent these shirts to a place that cuts the shirts into large squares and makes them into quilts. She is giving it to him soon as a present. I think he will be a bit shocked when he sees it.

I gotta agree with the bold part of Roadrunner's post.  Sometime I've found it takes multiple rounds of reviewing items, deciding some (or none) can go, store away remainder, until I'm happy with what I've kept.  These rounds would be spaced out over time...months or years.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on December 28, 2018, 08:15:02 AM
A productive morning. I added to the donation pile a few holiday-wear items that clearly I did not choose again this year, so I don't need them like a sparkly sweater, a few evening clutch bags and two dresses that I wore a few years ago to holiday parties but will not wear again. I have two suitable black dresses if I ever decide to go to the office holiday party in the next three years (trying to avoid that though). Also identified a few picture frames that have been unused and in drawers for several years. A number of expired things in the medicine cabinet. and I'm donating another 4 or 5 towels to the animal shelter.  I have some time off this week so taking advantage of it while I'm home. I do feel bad that the hubby just dropped off two boxes of stuff to donate and I'm already starting a new pile. He may be annoyed that I couldn't go through those things just a few days earlier.  Oh well.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Tris Prior on December 28, 2018, 01:10:38 PM
I went through my closet and culled some old T-shirts and other clothing that doesn't fit properly or isn't in great shape. I discovered that a college my city has a dropoff for clothing that isn't suitable to be donated; it gets used as rags in the college's various labs. So that makes me feel really good; some of this stuff is stretched out and pilled and holey so I couldn't in good conscience take it to the charity shop.

Going to take another pass through this weekend, I think. I'm sure there's more I could ditch.

Wondering whether I should hold onto clothing that I don't wear, but would need should I ever be in another job that has a dress code other than "relevant bits covered and no NSFW language on T-shirts". Mostly dress pants, and a couple pairs of work-appropriate shoes. My industry has frequent layoffs so it's not unthinkable that I won't be here for that long. My thinking is to hold onto a few pairs of pants since I have a hard time finding pants that fit, but maybe dump the shoes? I don't want to have to rebuy shoes if I have to go on job interviews, though. Maybe keep 1 pair?

I continue to be frustrated by trying to sell things online and either getting zero interest, or getting repeated no-shows. I am in awe of you all who not only manage to sell things, but actually get people to show up at your home to look at things. This even happens on Freecycle and my local Buy Nothing Facebook group. I think I'm about done trying, honestly.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 28, 2018, 01:17:29 PM
I went through my closet and culled some old T-shirts and other clothing that doesn't fit properly or isn't in great shape. I discovered that a college my city has a dropoff for clothing that isn't suitable to be donated; it gets used as rags in the college's various labs. So that makes me feel really good; some of this stuff is stretched out and pilled and holey so I couldn't in good conscience take it to the charity shop.

Going to take another pass through this weekend, I think. I'm sure there's more I could ditch.

Wondering whether I should hold onto clothing that I don't wear, but would need should I ever be in another job that has a dress code other than "relevant bits covered and no NSFW language on T-shirts". Mostly dress pants, and a couple pairs of work-appropriate shoes. My industry has frequent layoffs so it's not unthinkable that I won't be here for that long. My thinking is to hold onto a few pairs of pants since I have a hard time finding pants that fit, but maybe dump the shoes? I don't want to have to rebuy shoes if I have to go on job interviews, though. Maybe keep 1 pair?

I continue to be frustrated by trying to sell things online and either getting zero interest, or getting repeated no-shows. I am in awe of you all who not only manage to sell things, but actually get people to show up at your home to look at things. This even happens on Freecycle and my local Buy Nothing Facebook group. I think I'm about done trying, honestly.

I worked in a factory years and years ago and we had oily equipment that was always leaking around the machines. We had to keep them clean. Our cheap boss would break down and buy bundles of rags from somewhere and they were dumped in a barrel. We would just yank out whatever was in there to mop up the messes. Quite often we were beyond amused when we'd pull out a pair of gigantic men's bloomers out of the barrel. Didn't take much to amuse us in a boring factory! LOL!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on December 28, 2018, 01:50:30 PM
@Roadrunner53 , @oneday , @PMG, thank you all for your thoughtful advice! I'm trying to clear out space so one of my children can finally have a room of his own.  Right now there's about 4 cubic yards of mementos that I didn't want to process at this time.  I'm feeling a little overwhelmed but I guess what I can do is pick one end of the pile and work on it for an hour. And while I'm working, I'll try to think of other stuff that might be easier to get rid of, both emotionally and in terms of the amount of time it would take to make the decision (for instance if I could find a big quilt to get rid of, it would take 10 seconds to say thumbs up or thumbs down, rather than having to go through the same volume of papers).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 28, 2018, 03:50:31 PM
@Roadrunner53 , @oneday , @PMG, thank you all for your thoughtful advice! I'm trying to clear out space so one of my children can finally have a room of his own.  Right now there's about 4 cubic yards of mementos that I didn't want to process at this time.  I'm feeling a little overwhelmed but I guess what I can do is pick one end of the pile and work on it for an hour. And while I'm working, I'll try to think of other stuff that might be easier to get rid of, both emotionally and in terms of the amount of time it would take to make the decision (for instance if I could find a big quilt to get rid of, it would take 10 seconds to say thumbs up or thumbs down, rather than having to go through the same volume of papers).

Here is a great idea: http://www.creativegreenliving.com/2014/04/de-clutter-challenge-kids-artwork.html?m=1
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on December 29, 2018, 02:02:19 PM
About five years ago, the pull-out part of our kitchen faucet started malfunctioning (can't remember exactly what).  We liked the faucet, so I bought the same, although slightly updated, model, and ended up just putting the new pull-out piece on the old faucet.  This morning, I finally got around to installing the new faucet!  Old one is gone, and no boxed faucet sitting under the sink.

I was also able to consolidate a couple bulk sized bottles of hand soap and get rid of one.  I'm not sure how we ended up with so much hand soap, but we still have more than a gallon in reserve.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on December 31, 2018, 11:26:32 AM
Sending my sister some bits and pieces she can use for her back-splash tile job that were leftover from my last project. Yay!
Convinced hubby to go head and release three huge ugly 'awards' he got from work over the years. He would have done it eventually, but why wait? Added a few more towels and blankets and clothes to the donation pile along with a few random things around the house. Threw out several old makeup bits that I didn't notice the last time I sorted through that drawer. Recyled a bunch of random bits that were leftover from when we had an Xbox 360 (which we don't now).  Not sure why they were not discarded at the time.  Threw out one sentimental xmas decoration that had started to get damp rot from being in the basement. It belonged to my deceased father but it was time to let it go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on December 31, 2018, 01:12:41 PM
My paint stash is getting positively small! Used up and took another 3 gallons of primer and paint to the garage to dry before tossing them. I plan to paint the walls in the bedroom, which will use another gallon. The to do list is also shrinking as a result.

More on topic, added 2 bags of Christmas stuff to the go away box, a purse my mom gave me as she doesn't like it, and some other odds and ends. Christmas has still thrown up all over my house, but I like the lights on the (fake) tree, so will leave it alone a while longer. When I take it down, will be doing a bit more culling of ornaments.

On a more serious note, I now have a compelling reason to limit the stuff on the floor - my kitty went blind (getting old sucks). So to help her get around, rearranging is being kept to a minimum, and trying to remove stuff from the floor. There's a big cat bed that used to get a lot of use, and for whatever reason is getting much less use. I may try moving it and see if a different location puts it back in rotation, otherwise will probably donate it to the local shelter.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on January 02, 2019, 08:15:09 AM
"Tidying Up" with Marie Kondo is available on netflix, for those among us who want some inspiration!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Tris Prior on January 02, 2019, 08:54:01 AM
"Tidying Up" with Marie Kondo is available on netflix, for those among us who want some inspiration!

You know, Boyfriend and I checked out a couple episodes of this last night. I.... am not sure about this show? The tone seems a little bit self-flagellating. Not on Marie's part, she is fine and I like how she is nonjudgmental. But, like, the first one we watched was the family of 4 who'd moved to an apartment in LA and nobody except the mom ever knew where everything was. It hurt my heart to hear her talking about how she felt responsible for the clutter and disarray, how she was doing a poor job at making her kids feel calm and at home, and essentially felt like a bad mom. When, she's got an able-bodied husband and kids who are of ages where they could be helping, but instead the one kid said something like "I'll basically spam mom with texts until she tells me where {thing I can't find} is." I wanted to yell at the TV, "this is not all your fault! Your family is taking advantage of you!" I actually didn't make it through that entire episode.

Then we watched the one with the young gay couple where the one guy was like, "I need to show my parents through my apartment that I am an adult so that they take my relationship more seriously." That also hurt my heart because I wonder if that would be an issue with his parents if he were straight? Their apartment wasn't even that bad! I don't know, I felt like the tone of the show was, people tidying up in order to manage others' feelings. I would've liked to have seen someone tidy up for themselves. But, I only saw the 2 episodes. Maybe the others aren't like that.

Has anyone else watched it? What do you all think?

I do like the "sparks joy" concept but I told Boyfriend that if I followed that, I would not own any winter clothing! I hate sweaters and boots and coats and gloves..... but, living in Chicago, they are needs so I can't just toss everything. I guess the best I can hope for is, only keep stuff that fits and is warm enough and doesn't, like, have holes in it? I really do hate it all, though. I haven't read her book; maybe she addresses that there.

I spent some time this weekend tossing stuff in our basement, and bagging some up for donations. One bagful of stuff went to the "free" table we have at my work. I was holding on to a lot of stuff for the annual neighborhood yard sale in June, but we live in a 2-flat and our new neighbor is a major pain in the ass, and the more I thought about it I thought, "I do not want to have to deal with negotiating yard sale logistics with this individual." It was actually freeing to just get rid of it, though part of me thinks, "I maybe could've made a few bucks on that...."
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 02, 2019, 08:58:06 AM
One of my favorite Youtube channels (Clutterbug- though she is more about organizing than minimizing) is doing #hugyourhome.
Room 1 was bedroom.
The challenge was: 15 things from the closet, 10 things from the dresser, and 10 more things to go.

I got 18 things from the closet, 22 things from the dresser (two of the 'thing' include a gigantic pile of socks and underwear, so way more than that), and 12 more things to go.

Best part- it's already at Goodwill. Except the socks and underwear, they were open, but unworn- and a friend took them after posting on Buy Nothing Project, and the expired diabetes testing supplies were trashed (feel bad I didn't give them away 2 years ago before they expired- test strips cost a fortune!)

My closet is pretty pared down (for me), my dresser is still overflowing, but getting better.  It's mostly overflowing with DH's stuff, not mine- but still something to work with him on.

And the bedroom looks way better.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on January 02, 2019, 09:02:01 AM
"Tidying Up" with Marie Kondo is available on netflix, for those among us who want some inspiration!

You know, Boyfriend and I checked out a couple episodes of this last night. I.... am not sure about this show? The tone seems a little bit self-flagellating. Not on Marie's part, she is fine and I like how she is nonjudgmental. But, like, the first one we watched was the family of 4 who'd moved to an apartment in LA and nobody except the mom ever knew where everything was. It hurt my heart to hear her talking about how she felt responsible for the clutter and disarray, how she was doing a poor job at making her kids feel calm and at home, and essentially felt like a bad mom. When, she's got an able-bodied husband and kids who are of ages where they could be helping, but instead the one kid said something like "I'll basically spam mom with texts until she tells me where {thing I can't find} is." I wanted to yell at the TV, "this is not all your fault! Your family is taking advantage of you!" I actually didn't make it through that entire episode.

Then we watched the one with the young gay couple where the one guy was like, "I need to show my parents through my apartment that I am an adult so that they take my relationship more seriously." That also hurt my heart because I wonder if that would be an issue with his parents if he were straight? Their apartment wasn't even that bad! I don't know, I felt like the tone of the show was, people tidying up in order to manage others' feelings. I would've liked to have seen someone tidy up for themselves. But, I only saw the 2 episodes. Maybe the others aren't like that.

Has anyone else watched it? What do you all think?

I do like the "sparks joy" concept but I told Boyfriend that if I followed that, I would not own any winter clothing! I hate sweaters and boots and coats and gloves..... but, living in Chicago, they are needs so I can't just toss everything. I guess the best I can hope for is, only keep stuff that fits and is warm enough and doesn't, like, have holes in it? I really do hate it all, though. I haven't read her book; maybe she addresses that there.

I spent some time this weekend tossing stuff in our basement, and bagging some up for donations. One bagful of stuff went to the "free" table we have at my work. I was holding on to a lot of stuff for the annual neighborhood yard sale in June, but we live in a 2-flat and our new neighbor is a major pain in the ass, and the more I thought about it I thought, "I do not want to have to deal with negotiating yard sale logistics with this individual." It was actually freeing to just get rid of it, though part of me thinks, "I maybe could've made a few bucks on that...."

Hmmmm, interesting. I've only watched 1 thus far, a straight couple with two young kids. I definitely was bothered by certain aspects- their relationship was very condescending, while Marie/the narrator/whatever talked about all the warmth and love in the home. That was odd to me. But I also have a *very* calm and (as described by a friend once) "annoyingly respectful" relationship with my husband. So I have a hard time knowing what is "normal" to other people. I struggle with many shows like this in general (Gail Vaz Oxlade, trying to remember others) simply because SO many of the families have issues that extend way beyond the "issue at hand", and the debt/clutter/whatever is just the symptom of deeper dysfunction. But I think it's possible to have debt or clutter concerns without it being symptomatic of a deep familial rift, and so I do worry shows like this can be problematic. I dunno, not expressing my thoughts particularly well, just to say you raise good points and I'll be curious to see what others think, and what I think as I watch more.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on January 02, 2019, 09:26:48 AM
I've seen the first four episodes and definitely see both of your points. I feel like it has given Marie Kondo the American reality TV spin. It can't just be about cleaning, there has to be a ~story. So there ends up being a lot of focus on an emotional before and after. The bickering couple with kids are kinder and more in sync after they clean, etc. And the dad in that family of 4 realizes he's a grown man and starts taking care of his own things. The kids are also much more respectful towards their stuff and their mother by the end. But you can't have that growth without pushing the subjects to talk about their problems at the beginning.

Marie Kondo does recommend starting with a vision statement about how you want your life to be and how your space fits into that. But she doesn't say you have to dig deep into all of your problems, or that your problems will be solved by cleaning. Just that you may be surprised at all the tangential positive benefits as you go along.

I am enjoying the show on the surface level as cleaning motivation, rolling my eyes a little at some of the storylines. I did a slow version of the Konmari method all year, and this definitely makes me want to do a full round two now that I have gotten rid of the easiest stuff and have honed in more on what items really do bring me joy. I did deal with my active papers pile while I watched an episode, and was able to recycle about half of it that is no longer important/relevant.

@Tris Prior, if you're interested in the concept, I definitely recommend her books over the show. She emphasizes that it is a personal journey. Definitely not a relationship tool or something to force on others. And she does talk about items you need but don't love. The main idea is that even if the item itself doesn't spark joy, its purpose can. So for example, even though you hate winter gear, you can think about it keeping you warm. Then maybe over time you will find you appreciate the item more.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on January 05, 2019, 01:46:31 PM
Alright. Keeping the momentum going this year.  I was certain that we had already released all the 'obvious' and 'easy' items from the house. I thought if I made a new challenge for myself in 2019 to get rid of one thing a day it would be hard to end the year with 365 items.  However, here we are on the 5th day of the year and I've already found over 50 more items! This is after we threw away/donated/recycled many items this fall and prior to January 1st.  I'm encouraged that I can keep this going. This is forcing me to look back over rooms/drawers/areas I've already gone over before.

My self-imposed rule is it must be something we are donating, throwing out (if broken/unusuable/can't be recycled), recycled, reselling, gifting to someone else or used up in the case of an item we are not replacing. Regular day-to-day items we use regularly and replace do not count obviously.  DH has also agreed to make no non-food (grocery) or gas purchases for the month of January. So zero new items should be entering the home this month!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on January 05, 2019, 03:46:25 PM
Dropped off the old ceiling fan at the Habitat Restore. Am about halfway through taking down the Christmas tree. (Got tired/hungry, so sat down for lunch and the cat ended up on me.) But am culling a pile of ornaments. Also dragged out the lights and went through those. Getting rid of all the non-LED, as well as any LED that aren't working.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on January 05, 2019, 03:56:23 PM
Challenging myself to get 5 things out of the house* each day I’m home during 2019. Yes, we have that much stuff. So Much Stuff. And that’s after moving house and all the purging that goes with downsizing.

*into the donate bag counts as out of the house even if it takes some time to get dropped off.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Travis on January 05, 2019, 08:48:55 PM
Two trips to Goodwill in the last 3 weeks. Both trips filled my trunk and my back seat for one of them.  I decided to go into the Goodwill after the second drop off and discovered two office chairs that are much better than the ones we've suffered through for a few years now.  I also found a Nerf gun on the rack that retails for $90 for $3.  The gun plus two good condition office chairs - $17.  We might be moving this summer so there's at least one more Goodwill run in our future this year.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 06, 2019, 12:21:37 AM
In the midst of another decluttering push, inspired by my need to find room for a shit-ton of my Dad's books. Plus, while his books are in boxes in my spare room waiting to be divided up with my siblings, I don't have a spare room to hide my clutter :-/

- I went through the pile of baby gifts we received and never opened. Some of them I have kept to regift, but many (a gazillion muslin wraps) went on Buy Nothing and found new homes.
- Released some clothing items that I felt I SHOULD love and wear, but I just didn't!
- Unpotted and gave away a fig tree that was causing more angst than joy.
- Just listed a heap of books I don't want to read again, to find new readers :-)

Next areas to attack:
- Some unwanted gifts that I bet someone else would cherish.
- Baby and toddler toys that aren't special enough to keep for the hypothetical next kid.
- Kitchen cupboards... Not looking forward to that!!
- Laundry cupboards.
- Mr Happier's clothes? Maybe. Will see how he's feeling re ability to happily let go. He's made huge progress in feeling okay letting things go, and I don't want to push it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on January 06, 2019, 08:49:36 AM
Yesterday was a good test for our decluttering and organizing efforts. We put away the last of the Christmas items, and they fit! I still need to go through and refine my office stuff, probably get a desk so I have better storage for the things I need in there. But otherwise, the apartment is 100% functional in terms of there's nothing that space-wise of visibly needs to find homes, etc.

I actually watched a youtube video last night where a professional organizer gave her thoughts on Tidying Up. The part I really liked of the video was her breaking down the 4 types of clutter she sees in people's homes. https://youtu.be/3nIO2bZjm48 (https://youtu.be/3nIO2bZjm48)
1. Too many items to store.
2. Items evoke negative emotions
3. Useful items are hard to access
4. Items are around that no longer function or lack function

So I'm to the lowest bar in some ways haha, that we now have the 'right' amount of items that we can appropriately store everything. Now I'm into the territory of 'is everything we have something we find useful or beautiful'.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on January 06, 2019, 10:06:37 AM
So far items that can't go in the household recycling and waste collections has had to be taken to the recycling centre which is 15 miles by car in the opposite direction to all my town centre shopping, social and recreational needs.  A new recycling centre is opening in my town, but not until spring this year.  So either I make a special car journey or put stuff somewhere it can wait for three or four months.  Inertia and environmental concerns will probably win, but irritating to have to hang on to things I've decided I want gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: use2betrix on January 06, 2019, 11:25:48 AM
Went through our books today that I’ve slowly been accumulating for the last 15 years. Around 60 will be heading to half price books. Keeping around 15-20. We move a lot so this will be a huge help.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on January 06, 2019, 02:13:24 PM
About five years ago, the pull-out part of our kitchen faucet started malfunctioning (can't remember exactly what).  We liked the faucet, so I bought the same, although slightly updated, model, and ended up just putting the new pull-out piece on the old faucet.  This morning, I finally got around to installing the new faucet!  Old one is gone, and no boxed faucet sitting under the sink.

Along the same lines, I'm installing a bunch of new electrical outlets and switches today.  It's been on my to-do list for years as our house is 40 years old and the outlets that get more use are loose, not to mention yucky-looking. All the old switches are being updated to rocker switches. Up to now I'd only replace a few key outlets, and installed the rocker switches as rooms have been painted/updated.  Maybe I will really get ambitious and put all the GFCI outlets in too.  Should eliminate a container of supplies that have been stored in the shop.

Also took a couple small items out of the kitchen and put them in the thrift pile.  I'm actually a little surprised at how few unused items I found while going through the kitchen, considering I took everything out of the cupboards and drawers to clean them out and put in shelf liners.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on January 07, 2019, 09:27:29 AM
I finished watching Tidying Up, and it has been really motivating for me. I did a pretty good first pass of the Kondo method last year, but I've been wanting to do a second round for a month or so. As I went through and reorganized the later categories, it gave me new perspective on some of the earlier ones. Plus, no matter how hard I try not to bring in new things, stuff creep is real. I have to be better about one-in-one-out this year.

Anyway, yesterday I pulled out all my tops, pajamas, and work clothes and went through them. I said goodbye to a decent sized pile of items that I kept last January but haven't worn since. There were also some things that have worn out or don't quite fit me right anymore. Everything in my closet is finally arranged one deep (I have stackable hangers and used to double up on some of my like items). Also, I finally did the proper folding method and packed my shirts upright in the drawers. My drawers only open halfway (thanks, tiny apartment living) and they never fit that way before. It is seriously life-changing.

The only downside is that my laundry is currently pretty full...hopefully it all still fits once those items are clean and put away. I do plan to go through it once i do a load later this week. I know I have a few pajama shirts in there that I only wore because they were on top of the pile that I can let go of. And I also have to do pants and sweaters (my nemesis!)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 07, 2019, 09:31:39 AM
I've watched a few episodes of Tidying Up and liked it more than I thought it would. I worried it would be too "reality show".
What was interesting is it did seem different than I got from her book.  Like, rather than do everything from a category from every room of the house, she seemed to put people on different rooms and focus on rooms.

I didn't get anything new done last week. I need to decide what category I'm going to be looking at next. It really needs to be "husband's clothes", but Marie Kondo has taught me that other people's stuff is theirs to deal with...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: dcheesi on January 07, 2019, 10:01:02 AM
With the help of my honey and some friends, this past weekend I was finally able to vacate my storage unit!!! That particular albatross had been around my neck since I moved 2 years ago, and it feels really good to finally be clear of it!

Since I'm no longer in that area, one of the keys for me was to rent a big truck so we could haul anything useful back up with us. It turned out that renting one-way from down there was much cheaper than round-trip from my new location, enough so that renting a cheap compact car to drive down made sense (and also saved on gas). We thought about train/bus, but the schedules weren't great, and then the pickup location ended up being in an outlying community so we would have had to arranged for a separate ride out there anyway. I was also lucky that my brother and certain friends had need of furniture (new housing arrangements since the time of my move), so I was able to parcel out a lot of stuff instead of having to dump or donate all of it.

I'll also say that (with help) it was a lot easier than I'd made it out to be. Part of the reason it had languished for so long was that I had built up a major anxiety hangup & mental block when it came to finding ways to get rid certain items: large CRT TV, dead lawnmower, etc. The well-known services (1-800-GOT-JUNK, etc.) don't operate in that area for some reason, and the local contacts I could find seemed sketchy. The truth of the matter, though, is that I have a social phone-phobia, so doing business by phone/text is just excruciating for me; even just watching my honey do it for me (thanks, hon!) gave me a deep sense of dread... In the end she found some local crew to haul away everything that wasn't donate-able, including all of my worry items.

The other thing was that just the sheer amount of stuff, combined with the distance involved (no longer living in the region), made it seem insurmountable. But when we looked at it this time (with a friend to help, and big-a** truck to haul it all in), it didn't seem nearly as daunting. We were able to clear out the unit in one day, which left us another full (and long) day to drive, distribute, and donate on our way back home.

It feels so great to finally be done with this needless expense, and all of the junk with it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on January 07, 2019, 11:08:19 AM
I worked on my kitchen yesterday and now have a few boxes for the thrift store.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: dcheesi on January 07, 2019, 11:29:55 AM
HUGE congrats @dcheesi! Sounds like an AMAZING accomplishment and I love how good you clearly feel about being DONE with the storage unit. Hopefully there's also a nice financial savings in not paying for it anymore too :)
Thanks! And yep, the bill for that unit had grown over time, so that's a huge hole in my budget1 that's now closed :)

[1 Even though I'm more of a tracker than a budgeter, I had deliberately left this expense out of my monthly spending benchmarks just so it would keep bugging me every month when I looked at my finances.]
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on January 07, 2019, 04:49:08 PM
Yay! congrats @dcheesi! that is a huge accomplishment. Really! I know once people put stuff in a unit, the burden just mounts with time. You are starting 2019 off right!

I dropped off some ceramic floor tiles at a local Re-Store that can be re-used and a hardly used manual tile cutter.  I thought I'd like using it on a particular size tile during my last project (kitchen back-splash), but the trusty wet saw came back in to play quickly.  Maybe it will be helpful to someone else who has a small project to do.

I haven't purged anything today, but I found a few more items on Sunday from the kitchen drawers and bottom cupboards. A few extra measuring cups/spoons that were duplicates, a few random odds and ends of appliances we no longer own, a couple mixing bowls we haven't used in ten years since we moved in.  I know there is more lurking in the kitchen, but for now there is absolutely nothing on the top shelf in each of the upper cabinets so that feels good.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on January 07, 2019, 05:10:39 PM
Two more large bags being picked up tomorrow.  I also have a box of books almost ready to drop off at Goodwill next week. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: adamsputnik on January 07, 2019, 08:15:40 PM
I think I am making good progress with the basement. The closet has been mostly reorganized, and I have a carful of stuff to take to Goodwill tomorrow, plus probably two carloads of rubbish waiting in the wings.

Still have some more areas to go through, but the ball is rolling and it's much less cluttered in general down there. Or will be, once the trash is gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on January 08, 2019, 10:13:41 AM
Great job everyone, especially @dcheesi. Emptying a whole storage unit is quite an accomplishment!

I went through the rest of my clothes last night (besides what's in the laundry). I cannot believe the size of the donate pile! I thought my wardrobe was just going to need a fine tune here and there, but I really got rid of a lot considering the fact that I already did a big purge last year. Multiple trips to the thrift store are in my future. I don't have a car, so I have to take things in smaller bags on public transit.

It feels really, really good. My clothes finally feel like they're at that "click" point. The closet and drawers are still relatively full, but with room to breathe.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on January 08, 2019, 11:08:34 AM
Filled another bag to donate after watching Tidying w/Marie Kondo (and just finished a year with zero shopping).. some of my things are badly in need of replacement and/or I am tired of trying to make them work.
-button up flannel that makes me look pregnant
-skirt with shorts under for hiking (I just ended up tugging at them the whole time)
-miscellaneous doo-dads,

going to do a few more rooms today hopefully!

*went through kitchen & found stainless steel tumblers, 5 wine glasses and some shot glasses that we don't use
*2 meditation cds
*weird ornamental Ikea gadget
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: momcpa on January 08, 2019, 11:32:03 AM
We will be driving thru a town with a Goodwill store in an hour for an appointment, so I made a quick look at what 'extra' stuff I have to bag up.  Not taking the time to do a big purge, but still ended up with a couple purses, a few items of clothing, an 'inspirational' desk do-dad, and some unused Christmas decorations.   And it only took about 10 minutes.  Stuff I won't even notice is gone, but it will be. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on January 08, 2019, 12:31:09 PM
Spent the better part of a day working with my husband on our office! It was the remaining area that hadn't been addressed much since the move. Went through a ton of stuff- got rid of a ton of paperwork, filed a bunch, even went through some of our files! We hung a few extra pieces of decor and decided that 5 paintings/frames could be donated. Also a small box worth of misc cables and so forth will be donated.

All this means I actually have table space now! I need to get a couple things to make it a more functional desk, since it doesn't have any drawers. But anyway, WAY better than the antique dresser drawer + dining table I was trying to use as my 'desk'. It also means I don't have to move in progress stuff for meals or guests. This will be the first time ever for me that this is true, come to think of it! I've always had weird spots in the kitchen, or use the dining room table then clear it off, that sort of thing. How exciting =)

Also today, sold our circular saw. Kinda forgot I even had it listed online actually, it had gotten tucked up into a closet. So, item we don't need now that we don't have a house is gone, and $20 in my pocket. Fine by me.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: shadesofgreen on January 08, 2019, 01:26:06 PM
Got rid of 3 sets of crummy blinds and a old camping chair over the weekend. Than I replaced my horrible shrunk up and pathetic patio drapes and got them out of the house yesterday. Feels good to get them gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raymond Reddington on January 08, 2019, 08:35:16 PM
So a while back we bought a new coffee table because the old Ikea tables just weren't cutting it. So we order one from Wayfair, but it comes damaged (corner chipped and one of the cardboard-esque particle board sides cracked) and one of the pieces was drilled backwards. So we call them to order replacement parts, but they just send us an entirely new table. So we had a partially complete defective table, and now here comes a brand new one. So we build, and use the new one. Meanwhile...still got the old one. Anyway, I finally got some time to drill the backwards piece properly (the piece doesn't face out), and we just decided...what the hell, let's build the defective table and see how it looks. It actually didn't look half bad. So we sold it cheap for $35 this week since it's got imperfections. And we're just happy to have the space it was occupying in our front room back.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 08, 2019, 09:18:10 PM
Watched the first round of Tidying Up. It really made me want a TV show to come provide childcare for days or weeks so I can declutter in peace :-P

I started going through our underbed storage yesterday. Ohmylord, THE DUST.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 09, 2019, 08:27:33 AM
I have put a lot of stuff on hold while I cope with grieving, but doing little tiny bits of de-cluttering has been therapeutic.  I can't make big decisions - like what to do with all of the 50% of the Christmas decorations that didn't make it out of the box - but I was able put a bunch of stuff in a bag to use in next year's fundraiser, including stuff that arrived just this year. 
Hubs took the pile in the garage to the dump/donation as was appropriate and it is nice to get that space back when getting into the car. 
When looking for cloth to make beeswax wraps, I found a whole bunch of useless fabric that I had saved for daughter to do crafts with.  Now gone or finding new life as a reusable wrap. 
When looking for containers for gifts of food, anything that was not functional got tossed tidying up one cupboard.
Christmas accumulations were way down and that has made things much easier. 
I am going to follow along and work at my own pace, but I too have enjoyed watching Tidying Up when I was just too tired to do anything else.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on January 09, 2019, 03:40:01 PM
Without catching up...Frugal Lizard, I am sorry for your loss.



Got stuck on both work projects today, so turned back to 2017 emails.  Got them all done!  61 total in the last 4 days!  Feels good.  Maybe I can keep clearing out a month of 2018 emails for every month in 2019, to keep from getting further behind. 


I just need a little bit of celebration.  Oldest work email is now only 10 months old!  Also, I got the oldest thing on my monthly task list (from July 2018) done!  That's a piece of paper I no longer need (the task list).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 09, 2019, 08:46:07 PM
Oneday - you are seriously rocking the email.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on January 09, 2019, 09:15:33 PM

I started going through our underbed storage yesterday. Ohmylord, THE DUST.

Underbed storage?!?!  Noooooo!  Bad Feng Shui!  Only partly kidding - somehow, I just felt better when I got rid of mine.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 09, 2019, 10:20:16 PM

I started going through our underbed storage yesterday. Ohmylord, THE DUST.

Underbed storage?!?!  Noooooo!  Bad Feng Shui!  Only partly kidding - somehow, I just felt better when I got rid of mine.

Well if we declutter enough, I can get rid of it :-)

I don't believe in Feng Shui, but seeing the edges of the underbed containers poking out sometimes bothers me, plus it does make it harder to clean under there.

On the other hand - you know there are no monsters under the bed when the space is filled with storage tubs.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 09, 2019, 10:56:37 PM
My bed has build in storage which is where clothing that brings me joy but isn't in this season's capsule wardrobe lives.

But I do need to examine the number of woollen jerseys I truly need to own given I haven't lived in NZ for a decade
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 10, 2019, 05:53:30 AM
My sister is taking the Royal Albert tiered cake stand that was a gift from my BFF. My BFF is taking the Royal Doulton cut glass decanter that was a gift from my sister. I find this HILARIOUS.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: jengod on January 10, 2019, 03:38:51 PM
Today’s decluttering box includes a roasting rack that doesn’t fit our roasting pan, a warped skillet for which I have two replacements, a butter dish for which I have two replacement, some outgrown kids clothes (donate), some ripped/holey kids clothes (compost), a puzzle the kids don’t touch, and a set of alphabet blocks.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on January 10, 2019, 04:46:47 PM
My sister is taking the Royal Albert tiered cake stand that was a gift from my BFF. My BFF is taking the Royal Doulton cut glass decanter that was a gift from my sister. I find this HILARIOUS.

Funny! Xmas & birthdays would be a lot simpler if everyone just bought something for themselves!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 10, 2019, 06:02:41 PM
My sister is taking the Royal Albert tiered cake stand that was a gift from my BFF. My BFF is taking the Royal Doulton cut glass decanter that was a gift from my sister. I find this HILARIOUS.

Funny! Xmas & birthdays would be a lot simpler if everyone just bought something for themselves!

Gift giving is horribly inefficient. Which leads me to ponder how I increase the efficiency of my giving, i.e. ensure that what I give people has at least the value to them that I have exchanged for it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 10, 2019, 06:11:36 PM
Went through half the kitchen cupboards last night, and made a huge pile of things for Mr Happier to consider. Made it Extremely Clear that he was not obligated to agree to getting rid of a single thing in the pile if he wanted to keep it all. He opted to keep two things: a mug with a built-in tea strainer, and a set of four mini mugs that he says we need for when we have a lot of guests. I kind of agree about needing the extra mugs - but I don't care at all for the particular mugs in question. So he's taking time to consider whether he wants these mugs or just some backup mugs, and when he's had time to think about it and come to a decision we'll proceed accordingly.

He marvelled at how much space I'd cleared from the cupboards, and is super excited to have space for the toddler bowl, spoons etc in a very accessible kitchen cupboard. They're in frequent use so we've just been keeping them on the counter, but neither of us loves how that looks. (Thank goodness I married a man who loves a tidy kitchen.)

Listed everything on Buy Nothing last night, and it amazes me what people want or don't want. I'm hoping to give away at least 50% of what we're decluttering, because I know that not everything given to charity actually gets bought.

We've already gone through the toddler toys and boxed up the things that we want to save for a hypothetical next kid, and set aside for Buy Nothing the stuff we don't think is worth keeping.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on January 10, 2019, 06:41:11 PM
A bit of backwards movement this week I guess. We cleared out so many items and large pieces in the last month, that when our neighbour offered to give us a treadmill we had a nice clear spot for it ready to go. At least one person in my family is very happy we have that equipment now, but I'm sad I lost the clear space.  sigh

In other news, I recently discovered a trading app called Bunz where you can post items and fill other people's or your own 'in search of' lists. Traded one item on it now, and I hope my city gets more people on it - I just really like the idea of people getting matched up with items they need and want and it not just going on some anonymous donate pile. Many people in our friend circle already swap, but it's very disorganized and can be user intensive - make a social media post with a list of items, or a google doc list, and decide who to share it to...    I don't need anything, so I'm treating it more as a give away site, but I put things on my ISO list like kids board games for the non-profit I work at, transit fare, or house plants (I can never keep them alive long).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on January 11, 2019, 06:20:34 AM
My paint stash is getting positively small! Used up and took another 3 gallons of primer and paint to the garage to dry before tossing them. I plan to paint the walls in the bedroom, which will use another gallon.

Well done!

I'm a little jealous...we have at least a dozen partial gallons of paint in the basement, most from the original owners of our house who used it probably 15+ years ago.  We've kept it because of laziness/intertia, but also because we thought it might be useful to do touch-ups (that hasn't happened) or to color-match if we ever decide to repaint some rooms (not gonna happen anytime soon).  The paint is probably no good after all this time, so I'd really like to start getting rid of it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on January 11, 2019, 06:53:07 AM
The best gift I gave myself this Christmas was to spend a lot of time decluttering the basement.  We didn't get rid of as much as I'd hoped, but some of the items were pretty large.  The biggest gains came from thoughtful reorganization, and consolidating like items into the same boxes/areas.  It's really nice to know exactly where to look for something when I need it.

I keep going down there to just walk around and enjoy the (relatively) de-cluttered and open-feeling space.  Every time I do that it inspires me to chip away at it a little more.

One thing I still want to do is replace some (or all) of the free-standing shelves with wall-mounted shelves.  We have six free-standing units and I really dislike the way they look.  Plus it really bothers me that I can't run the vacuum under the free-standing units!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 11, 2019, 07:30:47 AM
My paint stash is getting positively small! Used up and took another 3 gallons of primer and paint to the garage to dry before tossing them. I plan to paint the walls in the bedroom, which will use another gallon.

Well done!

I'm a little jealous...we have at least a dozen partial gallons of paint in the basement, most from the original owners of our house who used it probably 15+ years ago.  We've kept it because of laziness/intertia, but also because we thought it might be useful to do touch-ups (that hasn't happened) or to color-match if we ever decide to repaint some rooms (not gonna happen anytime soon).  The paint is probably no good after all this time, so I'd really like to start getting rid of it.

That paint is most likely garbage.  Depending on the pigments - it may only work for touch ups for three or four years (anything with reds is quickly faded in a bright room)  And you probably want the lower VOC paints on your walls now anyway.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on January 11, 2019, 07:59:35 AM
My paint stash is getting positively small! Used up and took another 3 gallons of primer and paint to the garage to dry before tossing them. I plan to paint the walls in the bedroom, which will use another gallon.

Well done!

I'm a little jealous...we have at least a dozen partial gallons of paint in the basement, most from the original owners of our house who used it probably 15+ years ago.  We've kept it because of laziness/intertia, but also because we thought it might be useful to do touch-ups (that hasn't happened) or to color-match if we ever decide to repaint some rooms (not gonna happen anytime soon).  The paint is probably no good after all this time, so I'd really like to start getting rid of it.

That paint is most likely garbage.  Depending on the pigments - it may only work for touch ups for three or four years (anything with reds is quickly faded in a bright room)  And you probably want the lower VOC paints on your walls now anyway.

If it's frozen at all, it definitely is garbage. A lot of hazardous waste drop offs will take old paint. I dumped something like 50 gallons on one in 2017. They were pretty shocked. So was I actually when I started gathering it all together and it just kept turning up.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on January 11, 2019, 08:10:12 AM
I'm a little jealous...we have at least a dozen partial gallons of paint in the basement, most from the original owners of our house who used it probably 15+ years ago.  We've kept it because of laziness/intertia, but also because we thought it might be useful to do touch-ups (that hasn't happened) or to color-match if we ever decide to repaint some rooms (not gonna happen anytime soon).  The paint is probably no good after all this time, so I'd really like to start getting rid of it.

That paint is most likely garbage.  Depending on the pigments - it may only work for touch ups for three or four years (anything with reds is quickly faded in a bright room)  And you probably want the lower VOC paints on your walls now anyway.

Most of the colors are neutral -- grays, beiges, light blues.  But you're still right that it's all most likely no good anymore.  I'm going to put this on my list of things that are somewhat annoying to get rid of.  Along with CFL bulbs, rechargeable batteries, old Christmas tree lights, and wood scraps.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on January 11, 2019, 08:14:37 AM
That paint is most likely garbage.  Depending on the pigments - it may only work for touch ups for three or four years (anything with reds is quickly faded in a bright room)  And you probably want the lower VOC paints on your walls now anyway.

If it's frozen at all, it definitely is garbage. A lot of hazardous waste drop offs will take old paint. I dumped something like 50 gallons on one in 2017. They were pretty shocked. So was I actually when I started gathering it all together and it just kept turning up.

I know the local recycling center has a 'hazardous waste disposal day' once or twice a year where they accept stuff like this.  I'll find out when that is and start counting down the days until I can reclaim that corner of my basement.  :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on January 11, 2019, 10:35:54 AM
Love reading these updates :)

Today I am donating
- two beautiful (but overly fancy for us) glass candleholders
- long black skirt, never worn but doesn't suit me
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Car Jack on January 11, 2019, 12:11:37 PM
My paint stash is getting positively small! Used up and took another 3 gallons of primer and paint to the garage to dry before tossing them. I plan to paint the walls in the bedroom, which will use another gallon.

Well done!

I'm a little jealous...we have at least a dozen partial gallons of paint in the basement, most from the original owners of our house who used it probably 15+ years ago.  We've kept it because of laziness/intertia, but also because we thought it might be useful to do touch-ups (that hasn't happened) or to color-match if we ever decide to repaint some rooms (not gonna happen anytime soon).  The paint is probably no good after all this time, so I'd really like to start getting rid of it.

Oh, you had to remind me.  My wife couldn't decide from the color samples and just had to buy those little samples of blue paint to do a spot on a wall when we re-did our bedroom and expanded it.  We have probably 10 different shades.  When I redo our bathroom, which really needs it, my plan is to pour them all into a 5 gallon pail and paint the whole thing whatever color blue I get.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on January 11, 2019, 05:51:08 PM
That paint is most likely garbage.  Depending on the pigments - it may only work for touch ups for three or four years (anything with reds is quickly faded in a bright room)  And you probably want the lower VOC paints on your walls now anyway.

If it's frozen at all, it definitely is garbage. A lot of hazardous waste drop offs will take old paint. I dumped something like 50 gallons on one in 2017. They were pretty shocked. So was I actually when I started gathering it all together and it just kept turning up.

I know the local recycling center has a 'hazardous waste disposal day' once or twice a year where they accept stuff like this.  I'll find out when that is and start counting down the days until I can reclaim that corner of my basement.  :)

I had a bunch of paint in my basement, some of it not that old, but when I opened the cans, the inside of the lids were rusty and of course all the "crumbs" fell into the paint.  So out it went.  I just took it to my local hardware store, and they happily accepted it for recycling.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 11, 2019, 08:41:36 PM
My "#hugyourhome" this week resulted in a huge box of mugs and bottles beind fonsted, getting rid of the magic bullet.

Then my husband added 3 pairs of shoes and 2 pairs of jeans.

Plus a bunch of other random stuff.

Feel good about tonight. If there is no snow, it all goes to Goodwill tomorrow. Magic Bullet was already gifted on BNP.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on January 12, 2019, 07:05:55 AM
We are over 100 items since January 1. Yay! Not bad for 12 days.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on January 12, 2019, 02:30:55 PM
Donated 2 big boxes of stuff, and my "old lady grocery cart" to the thrift store today.

In moving book cases up to our office, I found my two HS yearbooks.  I flipped through for about 2 minutes, thought "never want to look at these again" and into the trash they went.

Getting rid of a big cheapo corner desk that has been holding the printer in our office (way oversized for the job).  The room is so much nicer and more functional now.

The lady who does bodywork on my horses gave me some wild orange oil, which I'm running through the diffuser.  She says it promotes desires to cleanse/declutter, and her H suddenly cleaned out the garage so she can park inside when she started diffusing in her house.  Hoping it works on my husband, but I'm not getting my hopes up.  I might volunteer to clean up "his" room next week, maybe get rid of the ginormous non-working amp we've been dragging around for 13 years...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 12, 2019, 03:48:13 PM
Today I:
-Went through 12 year old's sock drawer, & found a bunch of solo socks. Matched up with three socks in our "where the heck do all of the socks go" drawer. Re-organized sock drawer so that he can now find soccer socks & shin guards easily.
-Donated an unopened puzzle & a game
-Found another item I can sell, so put that aside for when I'm back from all of my work travel

Now that I'm on a roll, I'm kind of tempted to go through my travel/sample toiletries, but should really work out instead. We'll see where I net out.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on January 12, 2019, 04:32:10 PM
Not a personal win, but today I found out my sister has started watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, and has been inspired to start decluttering!  Not that she was particularly bad about clutter, but I'm sure she could stand to go through her things.

I have a batch ready to go to the thrift store the next time I head that way, and also a few books to be donated to the library.  Recently added a fruitbowl I was given as a housewarming gift, that I didn't like, and a computer bad of DH's that hurt his back when he used it for work.

Next up, one of these days, we really need to go through the storage space.  I'm sure I've forgotten most of what's down there, but it's a daunting task so I've been putting it off.  Plus I have to have DH with me, because a lot of the stuff may be his.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 13, 2019, 04:49:52 AM
Not a personal win, but today I found out my sister has started watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, and has been inspired to start decluttering!  Not that she was particularly bad about clutter, but I'm sure she could stand to go through her things.

That's awesome!!

Good luck with the storage space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 13, 2019, 04:53:18 AM
Made so much progress today. I'm proud of me. Cleared out a whole cupboard in the laundry (still lots to do in there!), another kitchen cupboard and one of the hall cupboards. Giving away boxes of stuff on Buy Nothing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: former player on January 13, 2019, 05:25:26 AM
Just tried out a whole lot of paints from tester pots I've been saving, and it's quite clear that all but one of them will never darken my walls. 

Gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LaineyAZ on January 13, 2019, 06:45:55 AM
RaymondR,
re:  coffee tables.  I was a little surprised to find out you can function without one.  I had a relative with a toddler who removed it for safety reasons, because as we all know toddlers will inevitably stumble and hit their heads on those darn things.  Removing it really opened up the living room space, so she kept it that way even after he was school age.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on January 13, 2019, 08:01:22 AM
I'm a little jealous...we have at least a dozen partial gallons of paint in the basement, most from the original owners of our house who used it probably 15+ years ago.  We've kept it because of laziness/intertia, but also because we thought it might be useful to do touch-ups (that hasn't happened) or to color-match if we ever decide to repaint some rooms (not gonna happen anytime soon).  The paint is probably no good after all this time, so I'd really like to start getting rid of it.

That paint is most likely garbage.  Depending on the pigments - it may only work for touch ups for three or four years (anything with reds is quickly faded in a bright room)  And you probably want the lower VOC paints on your walls now anyway.

Most of the colors are neutral -- grays, beiges, light blues.  But you're still right that it's all most likely no good anymore.  I'm going to put this on my list of things that are somewhat annoying to get rid of.  Along with CFL bulbs, rechargeable batteries, old Christmas tree lights, and wood scraps.

Well sealed latex (water based) paints stored in reasonable condition are often still good for well over a decade. Color in the can probably hasn't shifted, though the color on the wall may have faded.

Not as good for touchups (unless you use techniques like drybrushing to blend instead of to highlight) - often still perfectly fine when painting a whole wall or room.

Any "skins" on the surface should be cut off and disposed of, but liquid paint and settled pigment is likely still good.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on January 13, 2019, 08:13:39 AM
It's a snow day here on the East Coast (U.S.).  Hubby will be working on about ten Ebay postings today. I'm proud of him for reselling a few of his power tools and related accessories that he knows he will not be using for many years until we sell this house and settle down somewhere else. Hoping he can get decent money for them instead of collecting dust. He's keeping anything we may need for general maintenance though or possibly to get this place ready to sell.

Since yesterday, I've found two more things to try to sell on Ebay and tossed or put on the donation pile about twenty more items we no longer need. Some never used. It's sad to see how many things enter our life and are never used, not even one time.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 13, 2019, 12:27:20 PM
It's a snow day here on the East Coast (U.S.).  Hubby will be working on about ten Ebay postings today. I'm proud of him for reselling a few of his power tools and related accessories that he knows he will not be using for many years until we sell this house and settle down somewhere else. Hoping he can get decent money for them instead of collecting dust. He's keeping anything we may need for general maintenance though or possibly to get this place ready to sell.

Since yesterday, I've found two more things to try to sell on Ebay and tossed or put on the donation pile about twenty more items we no longer need. Some never used. It's sad to see how many things enter our life and are never used, not even one time.

You are not alone. I have many clothes that have never been worn and still have original tags on them. So many things used once or twice and never used again...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on January 13, 2019, 09:03:10 PM
Oneday - you are seriously rocking the email.

Thank you!


My sister is taking the Royal Albert tiered cake stand that was a gift from my BFF. My BFF is taking the Royal Doulton cut glass decanter that was a gift from my sister. I find this HILARIOUS.

This is amazing.  Truth is really stranger than fiction.



Decluttered a pair of pants that no longer fit: gave them to Sis.  Had to put her on a plane to go halfway across the country today, too :(  At least she won't be pants-less when she gets there.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 13, 2019, 10:38:33 PM
RaymondR,
re:  coffee tables.  I was a little surprised to find out you can function without one.  I had a relative with a toddler who removed it for safety reasons, because as we all know toddlers will inevitably stumble and hit their heads on those darn things.  Removing it really opened up the living room space, so she kept it that way even after he was school age.

We haven't had one in a decade. Just another thing to clean...

I made the Goodwill run today, do that's a win
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on January 14, 2019, 08:31:06 AM
An article which fits nicely into this thread and forum: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/10/marie-kondo-you-know-what-would-spark-joy-buying-less-crap

Instead of buying more party supplies for my daughter's party, I posted a request on Buy Nothing.

I wasn't able to bring myself to go through all the kid art/sentimental stuff (just chucked it upstairs into the attic) but I did identify three handsewn Halloween costumes that I'm ready to part with.  Husband put them in the garage before I could take photos and post them, but hopefully I'll get the energy to do so soon.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on January 14, 2019, 08:50:38 AM
I'm having a bit of a laugh at myself.  This weekend I moved our two free-standing book shelves up to the office along with the books.  In their place, I put four wall-mounted shelves - two on each side of the fireplace.  Aside from two small groups of books and two pairs of bookends, I have almost nothing to put on these shelves.  I'll have to comb through the house and try to find a few tchotchkes to keep them from looking completely empty.  I was considering adding a third tier of shelving, but clearly we don't need it!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: adamsputnik on January 14, 2019, 01:48:48 PM
Continuing to make progress here. Over the weekend we tidied up the kitchen hutch, which involved getting rid of random crap that had built up in the drawers, tossing dozens of old candles and such, and getting a bunch of unused crockery ready for donation. Even that took a couple of hours.

Also took the remaining carload of trash from the basement to the dump today, so that's a lot less clutter sitting around down there.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 14, 2019, 02:07:04 PM
An article which fits nicely into this thread and forum: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/10/marie-kondo-you-know-what-would-spark-joy-buying-less-crap

Instead of buying more party supplies for my daughter's party, I posted a request on Buy Nothing.

I wasn't able to bring myself to go through all the kid art/sentimental stuff (just chucked it upstairs into the attic) but I did identify three handsewn Halloween costumes that I'm ready to part with.  Husband put them in the garage before I could take photos and post them, but hopefully I'll get the energy to do so soon.

Yep- I hope Marie Kondo goes over with her clients that the next step is to not buy more things to fill the space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on January 14, 2019, 05:09:34 PM
An article which fits nicely into this thread and forum: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/10/marie-kondo-you-know-what-would-spark-joy-buying-less-crap

Instead of buying more party supplies for my daughter's party, I posted a request on Buy Nothing.

I wasn't able to bring myself to go through all the kid art/sentimental stuff (just chucked it upstairs into the attic) but I did identify three handsewn Halloween costumes that I'm ready to part with.  Husband put them in the garage before I could take photos and post them, but hopefully I'll get the energy to do so soon.

Yep- I hope Marie Kondo goes over with her clients that the next step is to not buy more things to fill the space.
Good article--more space can and should start by having less all along!

I did toss a bag of ripped flannel sheets that I'd been holding onto in hopes of doing an art project...I then tried to donate them to the local animal shelter as liners but they didn't need them. I felt guilty throwing them out but really couldn't find a better way to dispose of them, no textile recycling around here. Used some to make cleaning rags and sewed some into washable wipes for my sister with a baby..but the mountain of sheets was a bit overwhelming.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 14, 2019, 06:31:09 PM
It's the feeling I get in IKEA - you generally don't need a Cunning Storage Solution! What you need is Less Stuff!

Two more books into the street library. I am getting holes in the shelves now, instead of everything being double-stacked.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 14, 2019, 08:09:05 PM
4 vases left the house yesterday.
today nothing much happened but I did find the receipt to some stuff I bought just in case and didn't so I will take it back tomorrow.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 14, 2019, 08:38:41 PM
An article which fits nicely into this thread and forum: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/10/marie-kondo-you-know-what-would-spark-joy-buying-less-crap

Instead of buying more party supplies for my daughter's party, I posted a request on Buy Nothing.

I wasn't able to bring myself to go through all the kid art/sentimental stuff (just chucked it upstairs into the attic) but I did identify three handsewn Halloween costumes that I'm ready to part with.  Husband put them in the garage before I could take photos and post them, but hopefully I'll get the energy to do so soon.

Yep- I hope Marie Kondo goes over with her clients that the next step is to not buy more things to fill the space.
Good article--more space can and should start by having less all along!

I did toss a bag of ripped flannel sheets that I'd been holding onto in hopes of doing an art project...I then tried to donate them to the local animal shelter as liners but they didn't need them. I felt guilty throwing them out but really couldn't find a better way to dispose of them, no textile recycling around here. Used some to make cleaning rags and sewed some into washable wipes for my sister with a baby..but the mountain of sheets was a bit overwhelming.

Do you have a buy nothing project?
Next time, offer there. Someone else might be doing the craft project. (Though I occasionally worry about enabling hoarders, so there are some people I won't give to.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Ducknald Don on January 15, 2019, 01:29:57 AM
Yep- I hope Marie Kondo goes over with her clients that the next step is to not buy more things to fill the space.

I did get the impression that she was in a cycle of consuming then discarding. If you have a problem with excess stuff then the first thing to do is stop bringing it into the house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on January 15, 2019, 04:49:02 AM
Sold the high chair (for $10 more than I paid for it 5 years ago!) and got signed up for the spring consignment sale.  Will just go ahead and donate most of what's left after the sale.  I'd say that it's helping, but I think I'm losing the battle of the stuff (married to someone with hoarding tendencies). 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 15, 2019, 06:42:52 AM
Yep- I hope Marie Kondo goes over with her clients that the next step is to not buy more things to fill the space.

I did get the impression that she was in a cycle of consuming then discarding. If you have a problem with excess stuff then the first thing to do is stop bringing it into the house.

I'm not sure it matters which order your stop buying stuff. You just have to stop buying it.  People who do these TV shows aren't taking years to clean out stuff; so it's a difference of like a month if they declutter first or second.


In other news, got rid of a printer that's been sitting on the floor of my office waiting to be taken to the dump.  Finally had room in my trashcan (we have a 35 gallon can with biweekly pickup; so we rarely have spare space in it.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on January 15, 2019, 06:51:19 AM
Yep- I hope Marie Kondo goes over with her clients that the next step is to not buy more things to fill the space.

I did get the impression that she was in a cycle of consuming then discarding. If you have a problem with excess stuff then the first thing to do is stop bringing it into the house.

My husband does this.  He's not necessarily buying things as much as he is finding treasures.  Sometimes it works out and he finds cool stuff that we can actually use.  Sometimes he brings home 16 bowling balls.  He's got decent taste, so if I could train him to actually let stuff go I think we could set up a solid side-gig flipping stuff like furniture that's left behind when the college kids move out at the end of the semester. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on January 15, 2019, 09:58:49 AM
I Did toss a bag of ripped flannel sheets that I'd been holding onto in hopes of doing an art project...I then tried to donate them to the local animal shelter as liners but they didn't need them. I felt guilty throwing them out but really couldn't find a better way to dispose of them, no textile recycling around here. Used some to make cleaning rags and sewed some into washable wipes for my sister with a baby..but the mountain of sheets was a bit overwhelming.

Most Thrift stores do fabric recycling simply because they receive so much unusable clothing.  The Salvation Army where I live actually has a facility specifically for recycling things that aren't sold in their stores.  That being said, I have also heard that only 1% of clothing in general ever gets truly recycled and tons of it ends up in Africa, where the unsold stuff there then gets burned.  Regarding sheets in particular, I use old ones for my outdoor plants when frost threatens.  Fast and effective.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on January 15, 2019, 05:43:58 PM
I Did toss a bag of ripped flannel sheets that I'd been holding onto in hopes of doing an art project...I then tried to donate them to the local animal shelter as liners but they didn't need them. I felt guilty throwing them out but really couldn't find a better way to dispose of them, no textile recycling around here. Used some to make cleaning rags and sewed some into washable wipes for my sister with a baby..but the mountain of sheets was a bit overwhelming.

Most Thrift stores do fabric recycling simply because they receive so much unusable clothing.  The Salvation Army where I live actually has a facility specifically for recycling things that aren't sold in their stores.  That being said, I have also heard that only 1% of clothing in general ever gets truly recycled and tons of it ends up in Africa, where the unsold stuff there then gets burned.  Regarding sheets in particular, I use old ones for my outdoor plants when frost threatens.  Fast and effective.

That's great that they can recycle fabric--our community is small so not much in textile recycling resources but turnover at the thrift store is high (due to a transient population of seasonal workers)..so it's always better if  things can be donated because they move through all types of objects at a rapid rate.

Cleaning up my studio space today
--donating some fabric, film, bags and odds & ends art supplies
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 16, 2019, 05:08:54 AM
Somehow I have managed to purge so much that I have four large bins that used to be full now empty.  They are quite handy to have to put stuff in for trips and activities ie: Kids, we are going skating - get your gear in this bin for the car" and then all the helmets and skates and water bottles get in there and it is one trip to the car. 
But it also means there is way less stuff in our house because they used to be full of I don't know what.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 16, 2019, 06:47:33 AM
I Did toss a bag of ripped flannel sheets that I'd been holding onto in hopes of doing an art project...I then tried to donate them to the local animal shelter as liners but they didn't need them. I felt guilty throwing them out but really couldn't find a better way to dispose of them, no textile recycling around here. Used some to make cleaning rags and sewed some into washable wipes for my sister with a baby..but the mountain of sheets was a bit overwhelming.

Most Thrift stores do fabric recycling simply because they receive so much unusable clothing.  The Salvation Army where I live actually has a facility specifically for recycling things that aren't sold in their stores.  That being said, I have also heard that only 1% of clothing in general ever gets truly recycled and tons of it ends up in Africa, where the unsold stuff there then gets burned.  Regarding sheets in particular, I use old ones for my outdoor plants when frost threatens.  Fast and effective.

That's great that they can recycle fabric--our community is small so not much in textile recycling resources but turnover at the thrift store is high (due to a transient population of seasonal workers)..so it's always better if  things can be donated because they move through all types of objects at a rapid rate.


The way fabric recycling is done in my community is that it is bundled up and sold to someone out of state. There is no facility to recycle it here.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on January 20, 2019, 02:30:20 AM

One thing I still want to do is replace some (or all) of the free-standing shelves with wall-mounted shelves.  We have six free-standing units and I really dislike the way they look.  Plus it really bothers me that I can't run the vacuum under the free-standing units!

You can mount free standing units to the wall.  You may need to add wood cleats to the wall across the studs, including one for below the unit to support it, then screw the units to the wall cleats... you can also use L brackets at the top of the unit..  depends on the construction of your units, of course, but we have had success with this..
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 20, 2019, 05:46:41 AM
I helped husband clean out his closet and drawers. 32 items going to Goodwill. And now I can out his laundry away because they aren't stuffed so tight (but always nicely folded) that I can't squeeze more in.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: use2betrix on January 20, 2019, 06:31:57 AM
We are moving in March so have made a major effort to get rid of things! Mostly selling on Craigslist and forums. This is what we’ve sold so far.

Motorcycle gloves $50
Skateboard $55
Motorcycle tire $80
Guitar amp $95
Books $65

Today we should be selling my guitar for $295 and this extra extension cord for our 5th wheel we sold for $75.

Hoping to sell my motorcycle soon as well, but we’ll see.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 20, 2019, 06:57:07 AM
A few more things found their way into the give-away box.
Yesterday I defrosted the deep freezer and sorted through the contents before putting it all back in. (it was really really cold last night so I stick all the food out in the enclosed porch and it is just like being in the freezer!)
Tonight's meal is going to be mostly from said freezer.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on January 20, 2019, 08:29:15 PM
Selling a loom, should be picked up tomorrow.
I feel happy to move it along as I didn't have the best relationship with this particular item, and maybe will own another in the future but for now--so MUCH space cleared up!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on January 20, 2019, 09:10:42 PM
I’ve been clearing out 5 items a day since Jan 1st...today’s the 20th... so I’m at 100 items given away, thrown away or listed/sold on Craigslist etc. since the start of 2019. Not a dent in the visual clutter or in my feeling of being overwhelmed/owned by my items. I will continue for the rest of January at least.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on January 20, 2019, 10:32:05 PM
I’ve been clearing out 5 items a day since Jan 1st...today’s the 20th... so I’m at 100 items given away, thrown away or listed/sold on Craigslist etc. since the start of 2019. Not a dent in the visual clutter or in my feeling of being overwhelmed/owned by my items. I will continue for the rest of January at least.

That's a shame! Have you got time (maybe in Feb) to spend half a day tackling one group of things eg DVDs and CDs or clothes or shoes? Whatever might be taking up a lot of visual space and give you a boost.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 21, 2019, 05:11:36 AM
I’ve been clearing out 5 items a day since Jan 1st...today’s the 20th... so I’m at 100 items given away, thrown away or listed/sold on Craigslist etc. since the start of 2019. Not a dent in the visual clutter or in my feeling of being overwhelmed/owned by my items. I will continue for the rest of January at least.

I would suggest you get some giant garbage bags (33 gallon size), the black ones. Go to an area that needs hoeing out. Wing the stuff in the bag that you want to get rid of but not sell. Fill a bunch of bags up and throw them in your car. Drive them to the nearest Goodwill store and donate them. This will be a no brainer. No selling, no advertising, just winging junk in bags that someone else can use. If you don't want to take them to Goodwill, call the Vietnam Veterans and they will arrange a date and will pick them up outside your house. You just have to bag and tag them VVA. Magically, the bags will be gone! I would say go to the area that needs attention, take you bags and a timer. Allow yourself 30 minutes to one hour each session. Don't dilly dally. Do this knowing time is precious and you are on a mission. Don't overthink what you are getting rid of. Bad zones in your house are just junk holes that need to be hoed out. If certain things you pull out are questionable, put them to the side. Don't dwell on them right now. Your mission is to hoe and wing into bags. Do this once a week or more. Make it a game to see how many bags you can fill up in one hour. Hoeing out 5 items a day is fine once you get the bulk of the crap out of your house. Bag it, tag it and get rid of it! Now I need to do some hoeing and winging! Anyone want to have a black bag challenge? There are 10 days till the end of the month. We could all report in on how many bags we filled on January 31, 2019.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on January 21, 2019, 09:06:31 AM
This weekend I had a couple small-but-meaningful wins in the Great Basement Decluttering.

First, after several cluttering/decluttering cycles in the basement over the past 5+ years, I've gradually ended up with three cardboard boxes containing small miscellaneous items that don't have an obvious home.  It seems kind of silly, but these small boxes (~4 cubic feet) have been a disproportionately large mental burden to me.  I see them frequently, and they are a constant reminder of tedious, unfinished business.

So I decided to tackle these boxes this weekend.  I did manage to throw a bit of it away, but mostly it was an exercise in sorting, combining like items, and finding/creating homes for things.  There is a beautiful empty place on the floor where the boxes once sat.  I still need to vacuum that spot for full closure.  But just knowing that I no longer have these dozens of orphaned items with no where to go -- it's a great feeling!

--

Second, I had planned to add some wall-mounted shelving to help organize my basement tool/work area.  I was at the hardware store and had $60+ worth of heavy-duty double-track shelf standards and brackets in my cart.  I started looking at the melamine shelf boards, and I realized that I was going to be spending $100+ just to make four smallish shelves.

My frugal side won out.  I put the heavy-duty stuff back and picked up $12 worth of angle brackets.  They only hold 100lbs, but that's still way more than I need for these shelves.  I also decided on the spot that I was going to use some scrap wood from a long-abandoned project instead of buying new shelf board.

When it was all said and done, it cost me $12 to organize my work area and my garage work bench (by removing 10+ sqft of scrap wood I re-purposed for the shelves).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 21, 2019, 10:07:54 AM
Decided in addition to the youtube #hugyourhome (which gets rid of a signifigant number of items) I'm going to do the monthly "minimalism game"- 1 item first day, 2 second day, etc, for a month.  So that's another 496 items.

I don't have time to do that on a daily basis, so I'm going through and looking for items in sets that fit the numbers. 

I have 2 giant bags in my car for goodwill. I also decided the bag I wanted to consign I'll talk to goodwill. It's good stuff, but it's long sleeve and they are asking for summer now. I just want it gone.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Car Jack on January 21, 2019, 01:58:55 PM
Craigslisted a starter weight bench with a bar and weights for $25.

Wife decided she was going to take one container of stuff from our bedroom at a time and go through it.  First on included work benefits paperwork.........from 2003, a metal hanger and a bunch of medical receipts from the early 2000's.  So everything was properly recycled.  Container #2 is now chosen and ready to sort.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 21, 2019, 03:01:42 PM
Working on clearing out an area in the basement so I have a space to set up the grow lights and heat mat for starting seedlings.  Lots of tools that don't have a space under the tool bench and cluttering up the surface.  Want to get them an away place or a new home.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 21, 2019, 03:32:58 PM
Flights booked to go help my mum sort through and pack up her life as prep for moving house. Wish me luck.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on January 21, 2019, 03:38:44 PM
I finally had the time to take pictures of and bag up the clothes I chose to get rid of a few weeks ago. I like to take pictures because it helps me be okay with letting things go. At least I'll always have that marker that it was in my life.

Anyway, it turned out to be 7 paper grocery bags worth. I can't believe I still had that much superfluous clothing after doing a giant Kondo-style purge a year ago!! It seriously has felt so good not to have the extra stuff in my closet and drawers. I finally feel like I'm at a click point (for clothing, at least).

Books and papers are still pretty good. Books all fit on one shelf and papers all fit in one accordion style folder. My next plan is to do a sweep of kitchen stuff and bathroom stuff. I can think of a few things off the top of my head that can go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 21, 2019, 04:01:05 PM
I made a goal to better use travel time last week. (International flights for work.) I deleted 565 photos, which is a good starting point. One of my goals for 2019 is to properly organize my photos, so getting rid of the junk will make it much easier to proceed.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 21, 2019, 04:23:31 PM
Flights booked to go help my mum sort through and pack up her life as prep for moving house. Wish me luck.

Best of luck, mspym!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: better late on January 21, 2019, 04:29:22 PM
I’ve been clearing out 5 items a day since Jan 1st...today’s the 20th... so I’m at 100 items given away, thrown away or listed/sold on Craigslist etc. since the start of 2019. Not a dent in the visual clutter or in my feeling of being overwhelmed/owned by my items. I will continue for the rest of January at least.

I would suggest you get some giant garbage bags (33 gallon size), the black ones. Go to an area that needs hoeing out. Wing the stuff in the bag that you want to get rid of but not sell. Fill a bunch of bags up and throw them in your car. Drive them to the nearest Goodwill store and donate them. This will be a no brainer. No selling, no advertising, just winging junk in bags that someone else can use. If you don't want to take them to Goodwill, call the Vietnam Veterans and they will arrange a date and will pick them up outside your house. You just have to bag and tag them VVA. Magically, the bags will be gone! I would say go to the area that needs attention, take you bags and a timer. Allow yourself 30 minutes to one hour each session. Don't dilly dally. Do this knowing time is precious and you are on a mission. Don't overthink what you are getting rid of. Bad zones in your house are just junk holes that need to be hoed out. If certain things you pull out are questionable, put them to the side. Don't dwell on them right now. Your mission is to hoe and wing into bags. Do this once a week or more. Make it a game to see how many bags you can fill up in one hour. Hoeing out 5 items a day is fine once you get the bulk of the crap out of your house. Bag it, tag it and get rid of it! Now I need to do some hoeing and winging! Anyone want to have a black bag challenge? There are 10 days till the end of the month. We could all report in on how many bags we filled on January 31, 2019.

So we did the big purge before we put our home on the market, and  another when we downsized into this home. A lot of what’s left is the stuff I put off to decide about later. Clutter=deferred decisions.
And then a lot of it isn’t mine. DH’s or the kids. I’m finding the 5 a day goal helps rally the troops— it’s so concrete.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 21, 2019, 04:41:53 PM
Flights booked to go help my mum sort through and pack up her life as prep for moving house. Wish me luck.

Best of luck, mspym!

Thanks, I gotta work out the balance between supporting her, helping her feel in control but also not overwhelmed by decision fatigue. It's a big change for her : /
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 21, 2019, 04:55:20 PM
Does returning 72 cans to Aldi count as decluttering? I hate living in a bottle bill state. Curbside is so much better.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 21, 2019, 05:40:40 PM
I was motivated by this thread, so after posting, I got off my duff & deleted another 500 digital pictures, & started to go through the first four boxes of print photos. I tossed another 100+ print photos, and also discovered our 2007 tax returns. Those are in a box ready to go the confidential shredder. I used the remaining folder to create a file for our 2018 taxes.

I'm getting excited about my 2019 photo project(s). Decluttering & having a usable set of photos is definitely the first and hardest part. I'm hoping that making the actual photo books will be much more enjoyable.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 21, 2019, 06:04:10 PM
Laptop mouse off to the other house for gaming. 10 more books off to the street library. The donation pile shrinks and grows as we shed and find more things to shed.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bird In Hand on January 21, 2019, 06:43:46 PM
I just found out our local library accepts DVD donations -- not to sell but to add to the library's DVD collection.  This is awesome news to us.  Now we can have someone else store our DVDs and we can still enjoy them if/when we want to re-watch something.  And hopefully others in town will enjoy our DVDs too.

If only we could do the same with our CD collection!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on January 21, 2019, 09:35:48 PM
Major win this weekend: a housemate moved out, which means that a bunch of clutter moved out, too, and some deep cleaning was done. Housemate was wonderful but I didn't realize how much stuff in the common areas was his; our yard and dining room are much clearer now, and will get even clearer once we get a taker for the huge oak desk he left, too!

It also inspired me to get rid of some clutter of my own. I need to be more ruthless about not bringing things into the house (and especially requesting that no one gift me tchotchkes anymore). It's a lot easier than feeling guilty about l letting something go later.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on January 22, 2019, 08:57:36 AM
Update: Cleaned out the bathroom cart last night. Got rid of three or four bottles of stuff that was too old to use and/or I don't enjoy using anymore. Just those few things made a difference; everything fits more comfortably now. I also wiped down the whole cart. The amount of dust that gathers in this apartment is unreal. I have no idea where it's coming from. More motivation to minimize the stuff in the apartment that it can cling to.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on January 22, 2019, 05:46:50 PM
Decluttered my office as part of recent changes at work.

My building is a great source of freebies which I often snap up for potential gifts, but in this case I had four gorgeous coffee table books that I hadn't found a suitable recipient for. I gave one to my boss to display in her office, and put the other three out for colleagues to take.

They all disappeared within half an hour.

Also got rid of a vase, took home the empty coffee jars I'd saved, and recycled a heap of paper.

On the home front, I have another pile ready for Vinnies but I haven't checked if my local shop is still accepting donations because of the Marie Kondo influx.

Somehow, even after not buying toiletries or cosmetics for six months, and already being a very minimal user of such things, the things I do have are causing me low-level anxiety. Time to sort through again!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MrsTuxedocat on January 22, 2019, 06:27:46 PM
I gave away 95% of maternity clothes to another pregnant mom. Honestly, this was really tough for me because in the back of mind I was like I could sell it on Facebook Marketplace. Realistically, I could probably get like $30 for the lot. Plus it would take a lot of time and headaches. So I gave it all away to another tall pregnant lady, who was very thankful.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 22, 2019, 07:21:50 PM
I gave away 95% of maternity clothes to another pregnant mom. Honestly, this was really tough for me because in the back of mind I was like I could sell it on Facebook Marketplace. Realistically, I could probably get like $30 for the lot. Plus it would take a lot of time and headaches. So I gave it all away to another tall pregnant lady, who was very thankful.

Good job.

I give away most of what I get rid of, but I keep trying to sell some things. It's hard to admit that things have very little value once purchased.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 22, 2019, 07:59:21 PM
5 mystery forks and a spoon moved to the workplace cutlery drawer!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on January 22, 2019, 11:09:06 PM
Craigslisted a starter weight bench with a bar and weights for $25.

Wife decided she was going to take one container of stuff from our bedroom at a time and go through it.  First on included work benefits paperwork.........from 2003, a metal hanger and a bunch of medical receipts from the early 2000's.  So everything was properly recycled.  Container #2 is now chosen and ready to sort.

I am so impressed with your wife!  Papers are hard for me.


Flights booked to go help my mum sort through and pack up her life as prep for moving house. Wish me luck.

Good luck!  That is quite the undertaking; and you are a devoted daughter.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Money Badger on January 23, 2019, 05:20:06 AM
Biggest decluttering win of 2019 so far was unloading a day-bed.   It had borderline antique value but took up 50 square feet of the room ($7500 worth of house value at $150 per sq foot) and needed about $300 worth of new cushions.   Said F-that and took a Sawzall to the old cushions to fit them in the trash and dropped the frame at Goodwill.   Maybe folks had time in the 30s to take naps on day beds in their parlor, but we sure as heck don’t!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: innkeeper77 on January 23, 2019, 09:08:09 AM
So far in the last 30 days, I have sold $800 worth of "crap" on craigslist, taken a trunk load to the resale shop, thrown out a full 96 gallon garbage bin worth of junk (full for once this week!), have another trunk load waiting to go to the resale shop, and we have cleaned everything out of TWO dressers- one in the office, one in the bedroom. My wife and I have consolidated to a shared dresser for clothes. I will be giving the dressers away on craigslist soon! Downsizing is becoming more and more possible.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on January 23, 2019, 11:21:50 AM
We have five papers bags of clothing/tchotchkes to go to Goodwill, a big bag of old towels and sheets and other animal stuff to go to the shelter, a coffee maker to get sold on CL, and a desk to be left on the sidewalk with a FREE sign. SCORE. Our house just got so much simpler.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: jengod on January 24, 2019, 11:03:02 PM
Delivered a bag of alphabet blocks to a local grandma who does full-time childcare for her granddaughter. We still have plenty of blocks and plenty of alphabets. :D
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FunkyStickman on January 25, 2019, 07:23:37 AM
Next up on the "to-go" list:
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: LaineyAZ on January 25, 2019, 07:36:11 AM
Delivered a bag of alphabet blocks to a local grandma who does full-time childcare for her granddaughter. We still have plenty of blocks and plenty of alphabets. :D


That's a great thing to do, jengod.  There are so many grandparents who are babysitting or even raising grandchildren that I bet there's many who would love some toy donations.  Wonder if AARP or similar org would consider doing a toy donation drive and then redistribute those toys to these grandparents? 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: dcheesi on January 25, 2019, 07:40:06 AM
One of my projects for this weekend is to photograph & post some leftover items from my storage building. I've already donated the easily donated items, so I'm down to stuff that's more niche interest.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on January 25, 2019, 09:04:09 AM
Next up on the "to-go" list:
  • Huge Casio keyboard my mother bought years ago. Has light-up keys and everything.
  • Dead computer I stripped for parts.
  • A clarinet I bought for $25 for my kids who no longer want it.
  • A bike my friend brought over "for me to look at." It needs new everything. Also needs to get out of my shed.
  • A crate full of dead cellphones, laptop parts, chargers, and assorted paraphernalia.
  • A really nice photo scanner that I'll never use.
  • 5 webcams.
  • A stack of dead laptop batteries to be recycled.
  • 20 miles of cables.

Sounds like my kind of junk.  I have to keep telling myself "just because you CAN fix something doesn't mean that you MUST fix it!"  I kind of wish that we fix-it sorts could have sidewalk seminars on fixing bikes, computers, etc.   If more people would fix their own broken things, then we would feel less compelled to rescue junk.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: diapasoun on January 25, 2019, 09:48:35 AM
Next up on the "to-go" list:
  • Huge Casio keyboard my mother bought years ago. Has light-up keys and everything.
  • Dead computer I stripped for parts.
  • A clarinet I bought for $25 for my kids who no longer want it.
  • A bike my friend brought over "for me to look at." It needs new everything. Also needs to get out of my shed.
  • A crate full of dead cellphones, laptop parts, chargers, and assorted paraphernalia.
  • A really nice photo scanner that I'll never use.
  • 5 webcams.
  • A stack of dead laptop batteries to be recycled.
  • 20 miles of cables.

Sounds like my kind of junk.  I have to keep telling myself "just because you CAN fix something doesn't mean that you MUST fix it!"  I kind of wish that we fix-it sorts could have sidewalk seminars on fixing bikes, computers, etc.   If more people would fix their own broken things, then we would feel less compelled to rescue junk.

Check out to see if your area has a free skool/free space or other "autonomous social space" (ye olde technical terme). They're often run by anarchist collectives and have a huge focus on DIY and self-reliance, and encourage community members to offer and take classes on all sorts of repair and creation. My local collective has both a bike repair shop and a computer repair shop that are available to literally anyone in the community to use -- I took a bike in to get help rebuilding an internal hub and ended up getting two hours of help from an awesome certified bike mechanic who totally glommed on to a fun weird project!

If you want a little less ~anarchist flair, you might also have luck with a local makerspace.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on January 25, 2019, 10:31:00 AM
Next up on the "to-go" list:
  • Huge Casio keyboard my mother bought years ago. Has light-up keys and everything.
  • Dead computer I stripped for parts.
  • A clarinet I bought for $25 for my kids who no longer want it.
  • A bike my friend brought over "for me to look at." It needs new everything. Also needs to get out of my shed.
  • A crate full of dead cellphones, laptop parts, chargers, and assorted paraphernalia.
  • A really nice photo scanner that I'll never use.
  • 5 webcams.
  • A stack of dead laptop batteries to be recycled.
  • 20 miles of cables.

Sounds like my kind of junk.  I have to keep telling myself "just because you CAN fix something doesn't mean that you MUST fix it!"  I kind of wish that we fix-it sorts could have sidewalk seminars on fixing bikes, computers, etc.   If more people would fix their own broken things, then we would feel less compelled to rescue junk.

Check out to see if your area has a free skool/free space or other "autonomous social space" (ye olde technical terme). They're often run by anarchist collectives and have a huge focus on DIY and self-reliance, and encourage community members to offer and take classes on all sorts of repair and creation. My local collective has both a bike repair shop and a computer repair shop that are available to literally anyone in the community to use -- I took a bike in to get help rebuilding an internal hub and ended up getting two hours of help from an awesome certified bike mechanic who totally glommed on to a fun weird project!

If you want a little less ~anarchist flair, you might also have luck with a local makerspace.

That sounds lovely!  Though unlikely where I live... the thought of an anarchist collective here! >snort<  Having a community bike repair shop (or even a bike repair shop at all) does sound like a nice idea... wonder whether my friends in local government would have thoughts on how to make it happen. They're trying to start a green streets initiative to encourage more walking/biking, and we're having issues with kids riding their bikes unsafely in the streets; maybe this could be part of that.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Serendip on January 25, 2019, 12:20:12 PM
Thought this was an interesting project--https://buynothingproject.org
The idea is a hyper-local gifting exchange (stuff/time/talents)--a nice way to pass things along if there is a group in your region

I am going through ABSOLUTELY each and every item in my art/creative space (art school hoarding habit needs to be acknowledged..)
--decluttering a lot of doubles (scissors, thread cutters, etc)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: jengod on January 25, 2019, 01:44:22 PM
Gone today:
* 3 bags of books
* a warped skillet
* an extra roasting rack
* chipped/mismatched bowls and plates
* extra mugs
* extra butter dish
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on January 26, 2019, 11:57:20 AM
Next up on the "to-go" list:
  • Huge Casio keyboard my mother bought years ago. Has light-up keys and everything.
  • Dead computer I stripped for parts.
  • A clarinet I bought for $25 for my kids who no longer want it.
  • A bike my friend brought over "for me to look at." It needs new everything. Also needs to get out of my shed.
  • A crate full of dead cellphones, laptop parts, chargers, and assorted paraphernalia.
  • A really nice photo scanner that I'll never use.
  • 5 webcams.
  • A stack of dead laptop batteries to be recycled.
  • 20 miles of cables.

clarinet - do your local schools have a band program?
And I foresee a trip to the e-waste recycling drop off, or Best Buy. Good luck.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on January 26, 2019, 12:00:29 PM
I decided to work on my taxes a bit. I have most of the forms, so plugged those in. However, in order to do so, I had to file the paper stack neatly. And for some reason got sidetracked by sorting through the file box for stuff that could be tossed.

I now have a 2 inch stack of paper to be shredded/recycled, taxes 1/2 done, and a mess in the living room cause I didn't get any further than that.

Edit: I cleaned up the living room some, and it's not a 2 inch stack. Closer to 5 inches. I'm taking credit for those 3 extra inches.
and going to change the credit card statements to paperless.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Shinplaster on January 26, 2019, 02:12:51 PM
Boxed up all the crystal bowls, etc. that we got as wedding gifts 40 years ago.  I have never liked it, except for the vases (which I kept).  Didn't even try to sell them - I just can't deal with kijiji people (like Craig's list, but Canadian) anymore.   So off they went to Goodwill.

Also had a box of frames - where did I get so many picture frames?   Goodwill got those too.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 26, 2019, 06:33:19 PM
Went through a tub of electronics today. Found a bunch to donate, one new in package item to sell (likely worth around $100), & finally convinced my husband to retrieve photos/videos off of an old laptop, so we can get rid of it. He had to find a wireless keyboard (laptop keyboard is broken) & we may have 3 additional laptops out of the house soon! Woohoo for getting rid of old tech!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 26, 2019, 07:18:06 PM
I finished going through my jewelry box.  A bunch of stuff is gone.  It was hard.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 26, 2019, 07:45:19 PM
Took a box of frame, books and baby clothes today.

The future baby room is slowly getting emptied...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on January 26, 2019, 08:16:04 PM
I made major progress on decluttering this weekend.  Last night I did our office stuff cabinet and ended up with a box full of stuff to donate to my daughter's school.  Then today I conquered a big pile of papers and got EVERYTHING disposed of, acted on, filed, or scanned.

Then at naptime DW and I took on a couple kitchen cabinets.  This is probably our third pass through the kitchen and yet it still feels like we have too much stuff.  I've come to realize that we're incremental declutterers, not "get rid of 80% of your possessions in one go" declutterers.  As I live with less stuff, it becomes more clear what more can go to make more physical and mental space in my life.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on January 26, 2019, 09:05:02 PM
I finished going through my jewelry box.  A bunch of stuff is gone.  It was hard.

Well done, @Frugal Lizard!



Was doing a little anti-decluttering at the thrift shop today and asked if they were still taking donations.  I'd heard that some places were overwhelmed and stopped accepting more donations, and this was attributed to Marie Kondo's show.  The cashier said that wasn't a problem at their particular location.  So I told him a little about Marie and her show and he's going to check it out.  Maybe a new convert :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mountain mustache on January 26, 2019, 09:15:33 PM
I went through my two file boxes to make a shred pile of stuff I don't need to keep anymore. I feel like I don't keep enough paperwork...but I also feel like everything is online, and I just don't have that many important things. I shredded 2 huge grocery bags of papers, and then drove the shreds to the recycling center. My life feels so much simpler just for knowing I don't have stacks of random medical bills and old insurance policies laying around.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 27, 2019, 08:17:58 AM
Did not fold any socks or underwear that holes in them.  Everything that got worn this past week, got folded or tossed by me yesterday.  Some of those underwear that hubs likes to wear are over ten years old - there wasn't even enough fabric to use them as a rag for a one time messy clean and toss.

Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: TomTX on January 27, 2019, 09:20:14 AM
The way fabric recycling is done in my community is that it is bundled up and sold to someone out of state. There is no facility to recycle it here.

Hm, shredded cotton is actually pretty good as (house) insulation. I only see the denim stuff though. Seems like a good way to use old fabric, though you would have to sort out just the cotton.
 
https://www.homedepot.com/p/UltraTouch-R-6-7-Denim-Insulation-Roll-16-in-x-48-in-6-Pack-60306-16482/202710055

You can also just cut it up into rag sizes and use it for cleaning around the house/garage/car/whatever.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 27, 2019, 12:29:36 PM
We have an ongoing donation pile going. Yesterday, my husband & son dropped it off, so it just looks cleaner now.

I went through a bunch of filing & paperwork yesterday & this morning. Got one computer completely clean of anything we'd want, and it's ready to be reset & donated. Filed all tax documents in the appropriate folder, recycled a bunch of a paperwork for a car we gifted to my parents, and filed a few other random papers that were laying around.

I'm feeling good! I also listed four sofa pillows on our local Facebook swap. They were tucked away in a closet, & in excellent condition. Would love to get rid of those, as they take up a lot of space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on January 27, 2019, 05:30:53 PM
Went through our sheet sets and got rid of the oldest/most worn set, to be torn up for rags, as well as a few pillowcases missing their mates.  When I did laundry, threw out any undies with holes instead of putting them back in the drawer.

Not the win I was hoping for this weekend, but still something.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 27, 2019, 06:05:56 PM
Today I have people coming by to pick up an underbed storage tub, and a bedside table my Dad had been using (confirmed first that no siblings wanted the bedside table - the weirdest things can suddenly become sentimental to you after someone dies).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 27, 2019, 06:33:11 PM
Four more books to the street library, reformatting G's macbook for my mum. It feels like the books are never ending donations but the gaps in the bookshelves are getting larger.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: jengod on January 27, 2019, 06:54:07 PM
* Reorganized our emergency kits, cleared out four bags of superfluous stuff to make room for face masks and goggles, which we definitely need being in a fire zone (the smoke/air pollution from wildfires is a big local issue)

* Stack of "easy readers" to the Little Free Library; they were cute vintage titles but never sold on Amazon and my first two kids can already read so sending them to other homes
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 28, 2019, 02:03:58 AM
As well as the items mentioned this morning, we found someone to take our old printer (still in working order). Yay!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on January 28, 2019, 07:40:58 AM
I freecycled a pressure cooker and a slow cooker that have been displaced by the Instant Pot.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mountain mustache on January 28, 2019, 08:00:38 AM
I got rid of 3 bags of clothing yesterday. What's crazy is I got rid of two bags of clothing about a month ago. Yesterday I just decided to show no mercy on the closet, and finally got rid of things like cute dresses from college that had a lot of memories attached, and a lot of things things that just never fit right. I already don't have a huge wardrobe because I am just not a "fashion" oriented person, but now my clothing is pretty stripped down. BUT, it's everything I wear, and nothing I don't. My drawers are all half empty, and I have 35 empty hangers in my closet! Woohoo!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: JanetJackson on January 28, 2019, 09:33:12 AM
NICE!

I got rid of 3 bags of clothing yesterday. What's crazy is I got rid of two bags of clothing about a month ago. Yesterday I just decided to show no mercy on the closet, and finally got rid of things like cute dresses from college that had a lot of memories attached, and a lot of things things that just never fit right. I already don't have a huge wardrobe because I am just not a "fashion" oriented person, but now my clothing is pretty stripped down. BUT, it's everything I wear, and nothing I don't. My drawers are all half empty, and I have 35 empty hangers in my closet! Woohoo!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on January 28, 2019, 09:47:05 AM
At one point when we first purchased the house, I had this idea that when we sold it, the new owners would be really happy to see that we had done regular maintenance like cleaning the eaves.

Today I have taken out those invoices/receipts from the box of random paperwork to go into the shredder box at work. I don't need to hold onto a vision of the new owner's hypothetical approval. And what was I thinking? That I'd have a binder beside the home inspection of all the receipts proving that I was a good home owner for people coming to an open house? That I'd give them a folder when they took possession?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 28, 2019, 09:53:58 AM
Got rid of about 1/3 of the massive pile of styrofoam from the furniture we bought a few months ago.
The daycare owner gave me permission to put it in her dumpster, so I'll take the rest tomorrow!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on January 28, 2019, 10:16:40 AM
If you had asked me 3 months ago about whether the stored things in the guest bedroom or the basement was oppressive or irritating me, I would have told you that it didn't really bother me, I barely see it, we aren't using that space anyways.

But apparently every time I passed by that closed door at the top of the stairs, or down the stairs to the basement, I was suppressing how the unaddressed task nagged at me. I know that now, because each time I walk past them now, the absence of that feeling strikes me. It probably won't last for long, humans are nothing if not adaptable.

Just imagine how good it will feel once the paint is gone (waiting for the local environment day).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: zygote on January 28, 2019, 11:11:50 AM
Spent most of Saturday cleaning some shelves in our bedroom and my jewelry box. The amount to throw away/donate was small, but the impact was huge. Now everything is much better organized, and I certainly decluttered a whole lot of dust!

I think that getting the point of actual cleaning vs. tidying has been the biggest impact on my year-long decluttering spree. Being able to dust/sweep/vacuum/mop more easily is just as refreshing as the emptier/more organized spaces. I feel like I can maintain the clean feeling much more easily now.

There are still some little things here and there that need to be organized (mostly my wife's stuff...), but I can finally say I'm in maintenance mode. I just have to be vigilant about not bringing in new things without refreshing older items to make room, etc. It feels great.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SimpleCycle on January 28, 2019, 02:19:21 PM
I sorted through all my craft stuff, which was HARD.  Thankfully there's a place here that takes donations of craft supplies and runs a reuse store with the donations.  I got rid of a ton of acrylic yarn that I felt really silly about buying but couldn't let go of until now.  I repatriated the four boxes of craft supplies I decided to keep to the closet where they are stored, and now there's some extra space in there.

A question for my fellow declutterers with kids - what do you do about their toys?  My kids are 3.5 and almost 2 and still have more toys than I'd like them to have, but every time I put something in the donate bag my wife pulls it out and tells me about a time that one of the kids loved playing with that object.  My main concern is the current lot of toys exceed the toy storage we have, so stuff just gets left out.  I'm thinking I should rotate some toys to "away" in the closet and see if they are missed.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 28, 2019, 03:25:30 PM
A question for my fellow declutterers with kids - what do you do about their toys?  My kids are 3.5 and almost 2 and still have more toys than I'd like them to have, but every time I put something in the donate bag my wife pulls it out and tells me about a time that one of the kids loved playing with that object.  My main concern is the current lot of toys exceed the toy storage we have, so stuff just gets left out.  I'm thinking I should rotate some toys to "away" in the closet and see if they are missed.

I would put almost all the toys away in a series of shoe boxes or baskets and stash them in the closet. 

Our daycare did not offer a lot of choices of toys in the toddler, preschool or senior preschool rooms.  They did have a big stash of toys in the closet and they would offer new choices just about every day.  Books were also rotated day to day - but there was at least a dozen books out every day.  There was always a craft option on the counter that the children could ask for.  There were diverse types of toys, one spatial reasoning type, a construction type, some imaginary play types (dolls, trucks, puppets)  But overall the room seemed very sparse the first time I went in.  But looking around, each child was doing something.  Too much choice overwhelmed the kids, I was told. 

I started to replicate the methods of the day care.  I put all the parts of a toy in a basket or box.  Kids loved it when I would pull out something 'new'.  I took them to the library and got a dozen books each week. 

It helped in a lot of ways.  House was cleaner, less cluttered.  Kids played better.  I was calmer - and we would put the toy back in the basket and on the shelf before starting something else, just like at daycare. 

Toys that didn't engage them for very long or at all started to stay in the closet.  Sometimes they had just outgrown it.  Sometimes it just had no play value.  By the time my son was about four some toys had to stay out because he played with them every single day for many minutes - Thomas, Lego.  After about six years, he needed an area dedicated to lego that he could construct really elaborate structures.  He still has a lego table in his room and he is 17.5.  Now he builds something or modifies it for a few minutes each week to de-stress. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 28, 2019, 04:07:45 PM
@plainjane - you may be able to deduct the cost of your improvements on your taxes to reduce your capital gains when you go to sell, and receipts/invoices would help. Not sure where you live or what your situation is, but just a shout out that specific improvements can be useful to track for the lifetime of ownership.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on January 28, 2019, 06:55:19 PM
I spent the entire day decluttering and my car and the big garbage can is full.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on January 29, 2019, 01:59:05 AM
@SimpleCycle we have a toy rotation system too, but I think you're describing a different problem, if I read your post correctly. There are toys that your kids have outgrown, or they were just never interested in, which your wife doesn't feel ready to pass on. Is that right?

We haven't reached that stage with toys yet. We get rid of the ones we feel don't/didn't provide enough value, but are still in the life stage where good toys our toddler has outgrown get boxed up for the hypothetical next kid. What has helped my husband generally with letting go of items is using the Marie Kondo trick of thanking the item for its service, plus (mostly) listing things on Buy Nothing, where we know someone actively wants the item, instead of taking it to charity where it may or may not be wanted.

I suspect when we're done having kids, he will feel very attached to certain toys and want to keep more than I do. We'll compromise somewhere between the one or two I'll want to keep and his much higher number. It helps that we agree on some things that are 100% worth keeping (Duplo and Lego!) for hypothetical grandkids.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on January 29, 2019, 11:42:30 AM
Party decorations from our last birthday party are in a bag by the front door, awaiting pickup by a neighbor.  Two bags of clothes and books are in the front passenger seat of the car, where they will ride around with me until I get fed up and finally drop them off.  I give it about a week before that happens.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on January 29, 2019, 11:44:56 AM
In the above mentioned bag, there are some battered but very beloved children's books that were read multiple times by all my kids. I took some photos of them, but in retrospect I wish I'd taken photos of the kids reading them.  It would have been easier to give up a lot of these items if I had taken more photos of the children. I don't know why I never did, I need to start!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on January 29, 2019, 01:55:23 PM
@plainjane - you may be able to deduct the cost of your improvements on your taxes to reduce your capital gains when you go to sell, and receipts/invoices would help. Not sure where you live or what your situation is, but just a shout out that specific improvements can be useful to track for the lifetime of ownership.

Yes, I'm keeping improvement work receipts. But the "every fall and every spring I pay someone to clean my eaves" - that I don't think is useful. Plus I only kept them at the beginning, and we've been here 12 years.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on January 29, 2019, 02:52:04 PM
Reporting from my mum's house: I just threw out some moisteriser that was mine from before I moved out of Chch. So, 1999 ish. She has four (4) coffee plungers and does not drink coffee. On the plus side, we made some furniture decisions which has knock on effects to how much bedding to keep and we are going to work through the bookshelves and donate everything she is not going to keep.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on January 29, 2019, 04:23:56 PM
Dropped off the load to donate that has been in my car the past week.  I didn't realize how infrequently I go that way.  Already seeing new things to go, as soon as I walked in the door.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on January 30, 2019, 10:57:23 PM
Tossed a stretched out bra.  One out, none in!  I feel accomplished.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on January 31, 2019, 06:35:50 AM
Moved a few things on facebook from my local buy group to the marketplace group.
Sold a baby outfit for $6 yesterday, and a filing cabinet for $15. 

Not much money; but it's nice to get a couple bucks instead of giving everything away.  I still give almost everything away though...it's just easier.

Today is the last day of the "minimalism challenge".  I did all 31 days, so that's more than 496 items gone from that challenge.  (If I was throwing away, say, paper clutter on day 8- I threw away a giant stack, not just 8 pieces, so I went over the amount.)   I've probably gotten rid of 1,000 items in January when I combine it with the #hugyourhome tasks, and just general decluttering that started before I counted for the challenge.

And yet, it barely makes a dent...


The big challenge now is to sell our old bedroom set. I hate to just give it away.  I know I could donate it, but the inability to itemize really removes that incentive.  I still donate to the charities I am personally passionate about, but I liked the trade off of a small reward for giving places my stuff...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on January 31, 2019, 09:43:26 AM
Spent last 3 days working all day long and 2 carloads to thrift store and copious amounts of garbage. I have been at this for years so at this point we are pretty lean and mean:))
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on January 31, 2019, 09:15:32 PM


A question for my fellow declutterers with kids - what do you do about their toys?  My kids are 3.5 and almost 2 and still have more toys than I'd like them to have, but every time I put something in the donate bag my wife pulls it out and tells me about a time that one of the kids loved playing with that object. ....

In addition to the rotation system you and others mentioned.... here is how I dealt with DH wanting to keep "special" toys.

I put together the donation box with the outgrown toys and ones the kids just did not like.   DH went through and pulled out the "keepers" in his mind, special toys or ones with real play value.   I then put these into another box and put it away in storage.   I ended up with two large boxes, by the time the kids were 10 (mostly of toys for ages 5 and under, but a few good items for building kits).

7 years later, I was able to pull out these boxes and have now donated 75% of what was in them.  With time and distance, one can see that the special toddler toy does not really matter, and that having more than one or two items to save for future unknown grandchildren is ridiculous because we could buy something new in future.... not all the toys are holding their interest value after all.

Of course, this only works if you have space for 2 largish boxes of toys in storage, but if you were fighitng the toy clutter like I was, that would seem like a dream.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: jengod on January 31, 2019, 10:21:31 PM
Did a linen closet audit and sorted all the smaller items into four storage bags. Much easier to find things and maybe it’ll be time to let go of some pillowcases soon...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on February 01, 2019, 07:00:31 AM
Agh!  Decluttering fail.  I joined a local group to give away items and I forgot to put out an item this AM like I said I would (didn't want to do it last night given the cold).  Now I'm feeling horrible they may have driven out to my house for no reason.  I hope they saw the facebook message this AM before they left their house.  (I don't check facebook except for specific reasons myself, so I wouldn't have seen it, plus it was an hour after I said I'd put it out.) 

Also, decluttering fail for taking more things in through this group than I've given away now, and much bigger items to boot, because not everything I've posted has been taken.  But my toddler has been pretty excited for the toys (duplos, play dough accessories, and ride on car) I picked up through it for him and I can pass them on through the group later.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Need2Save on February 01, 2019, 08:54:22 AM
We are over 150 items decluttered so far this year (since 1/1)! It is is def. getting harder but I take that as a sign that we are getting closer to only having things we are actively using right now. I also have mental list of items that will def. be purged in our final 6 months of working (not until late 2021/early 2022 unfortunately).

As I'm working on taxes now, I'm carefully sorting our medical bills getting ready to scan bills/EOBs we want to save for HSA tracking purposes. I'll keep temporarily with tax papers and shred in three years along with other tax paperwork (scanned and saved the important stuff). Also gives me the opportunity to shred additional account statements that we may still get but do not need to retain. We switched to electronic for many of these so they are decreasing. I worked hard in 2018 to get all our files into one filing drawer and I'm committed to not increase this size so the end of the year is the perfect time to see if anything else can be pitched or shredded!

@plainjane - I appreciated your comments about keeping something for potential buyers. I think you are right to let some of those things go because the buyers will not care about proof of regular maintenance. I do have a box with the original printed plans for our current house and some various booklets that go with appliances. Since it's in one box, it's not bothering me much. I also kept receipts for recent major projects like our master bathroom remodel and the new roof we put on last year, but I pitched a lot of stuff that the previous owners had also saved for us.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 01, 2019, 09:50:00 AM
When I was looking for some notions for a sewing projects I happened on some boxes of my Gramma's notions.  As I have no intention of getting into doll making or wedding dress making ever, a whole shoe box of over lace and ribbon and doll hair are in the pile to go away. 

I am finding it very easy to just say goodbye to random items in my day to day activities if I have a designated place to put them once I have identified that they need to go.  One shelf in the basement has a few zones where various items can go until they either get disassembled for recycling, donated to the church or the mission store or handed down to others.  Also having a bin for each waste stream in the same area is helping too.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on February 01, 2019, 03:37:19 PM
Listed 115 pieces of the kid's outgrown clothes for the spring consignment sale.  I've designated almost everything to be donated if it doesn't sell.  I think everything is underpriced, except maybe the cloth diapers, so I think they'll go fast.  I'm limited to 200 items, so I've still got a bunch more room to list things.  What ever isn't sold or donated will go in the fall sale. 

I have to admit that it was hard pulling out the little bitty baby clothes.  My "baby" is 5.  I'm excited about seeing the person he''s going to become, and I don't really want another kid, but seeing those little outfits was tough.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 02, 2019, 07:45:38 PM
Well, it's just one thing... But I got rid of a reversible sequin pillowcase cover.

A friend's daughter played with the pillow for like 2 hours today. So I asked them if they wanted it, and they were thrilled.  Yay :)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 04, 2019, 04:25:36 PM
I had piled up my donations on the spare bed waiting for the flood of donations to local charity stops to ease before I took in my bags.

Then a relative asked last night if they could stay tonight.

... sure.

So everything has been poked back in cupboards.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the stuff lately and I'm itching to get home and deal with it.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on February 04, 2019, 04:39:40 PM
A carload of donations dropped off from my mum's house *and* we have a list of what furniture will be donated/sold as soon as the house is sold plus a list of what she will be moving to the new (smaller) house.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Raenia on February 04, 2019, 04:49:49 PM
Finally found a place semi-locally that takes electronics to recycle.  I've had a box full of cords, old electronics, and a broken printer for so long I can't remember when it started.  Loaded the box in the car, we'll drop it off the next time we go to the movies (it's a few towns over, but in the same area as the theater we go to).  Probably early March, when we see Captain Marvel :).
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 04, 2019, 05:01:25 PM
I got rid of a big boxfull of collectables that I'd saved from someone's rubbish thinking I could sell them. Well I didn't manage to and I gave them away for free. SO MUCH INTEREST! Hopefully the person that took then does a better job than me.

Also someone is taking some bulky sports kit that I no longer have an interest in. I thought I'd given it away ages ago, so I think hubby might have diverted it from charity and put it in the garage! He saw the light though the other weekend and asked me if I wanted to give it away.

Also, I think I'm going to get ruthless with bed linen. It just yellows and goes manky in the cupboard, noone ever stays in the spare room so I'm thinking we only need three sets.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: jengod on February 04, 2019, 05:45:31 PM
* Plastic file slot thingie (found a quarter inside while cleaning before donating!)
* Mismatched plate
* Extra milk-glass mixing bowl

Plus installed three hooks I bought on closeout
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: middo on February 04, 2019, 07:40:31 PM
I had been keeping a small pile of odd socks that I assumed were my wife's, looking to match them up later.  She looked at them as said they were our daughters.  A quick photo and message, and neither of them claimed the socks.  Out they went.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 05, 2019, 02:39:35 AM
I had piled up my donations on the spare bed waiting for the flood of donations to local charity stops to ease before I took in my bags.

Then a relative asked last night if they could stay tonight.

... sure.

So everything has been poked back in cupboards.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the stuff lately and I'm itching to get home and deal with it.

I mentioned the decluttering to the guest and said, "If you ever need a Moleskin notebook, let me know."

He took three!

That's three less in my cupboard. (I get given dozens of them a year through work.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on February 05, 2019, 03:36:33 AM
@mustachepungoeshere I am slowly working my way through the backlog of moleskines and field notes books Ofpym accumulated in his Design Years. How do they build up so fast and never get used?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BookLoverL on February 05, 2019, 05:08:20 AM
I decided to do Marie Kondo (using her book), and, well...

I did not realise I owned this many clothes.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BookLoverL on February 05, 2019, 05:09:19 AM
I decided to do Marie Kondo (using her book), and, well...

I did not realise I owned this many clothes.

Forgot to add: this isn't including the washing basket full of dirty washing, the washing currently in the washing machine, or the washing currently in the tumble dryer.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: chaskavitch on February 05, 2019, 06:37:38 AM
I decided to do Marie Kondo (using her book), and, well...

I did not realise I owned this many clothes.

Forgot to add: this isn't including the washing basket full of dirty washing, the washing currently in the washing machine, or the washing currently in the tumble dryer.

I did that a few years ago when I read her book.  I took a picture (that I've since deleted), because lined up with just enough overlap to see all of the patterns, my skirts and sundresses took up an entire 10 foot banister around my stairs.  I can't even wear skirts to work! 

As soon as I'm done being pregnant and am at a semi-normal size, I'm doing it again, for sure.

My trunk is currently full of 3 giant boxes of diapers in size 4 and 5 that our toddler outgrew.  I'm donating them to a homeless shelter, because I don't want to save them for two years for this current baby.  I'm excited to get rid of them in a useful place.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 05, 2019, 07:24:23 AM
This is why Marie has you take everything out. 
Because you are so used to seeing it in the closet and drawers, it just doesn't seem like that much, and seems like it belongs.  It's when we get it out that we realize it's insane!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on February 05, 2019, 09:05:17 AM
When we bought our house about 5 years ago, my mom dropped off boxes and boxes of stuff from my childhood - and my old bike* I had when I was about 12.  I went through the boxes immediately, but the bike languished.  After continually moving it around to make space to fit the car in the garage**/get at things in the office, it finally went to a second home last night!  I've been getting rid of little items recently, so I'm particularly excited to a see bigger footprint item go.   The office has also become a dumping ground of late so hopefully this will inspire a good cleanout (if I can ever find the time with a toddler).

*Not to worry, I have another bike.
**We don't have that much stuff, but the 1930s one car garage is very small and barely fits a Civic plus necessary tools like reel mower, shovels, etc.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: honeybbq on February 05, 2019, 01:33:34 PM
I took back a bunch of Xmas stuff to costco that my Mom had bought for my daughter and I.... and got $128! Turned right around and spent it on groceries. :)

I did have to bribe my daughter with a piece of chocolate because she saw I was returning a giant (HUGE) reverse sequin pillow that was (a) tacky (b) unusable as an actual pillow and (c) had the WORST disney character ever on it. But in the end, she got chocolate and I got rid of crap so I'm happy.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on February 05, 2019, 01:55:07 PM
I took back a bunch of Xmas stuff to costco that my Mom had bought for my daughter and I.... and got $128! Turned right around and spent it on groceries. :)

I did have to bribe my daughter with a piece of chocolate because she saw I was returning a giant (HUGE) reverse sequin pillow that was (a) tacky (b) unusable as an actual pillow and (c) had the WORST disney character ever on it. But in the end, she got chocolate and I got rid of crap so I'm happy.

Lol now I am wondering which of the disney characters is the worst one!  Sebastian?  Pumba?  Jon Smith? 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 05, 2019, 03:03:07 PM
I took back a bunch of Xmas stuff to costco that my Mom had bought for my daughter and I.... and got $128! Turned right around and spent it on groceries. :)

I did have to bribe my daughter with a piece of chocolate because she saw I was returning a giant (HUGE) reverse sequin pillow that was (a) tacky (b) unusable as an actual pillow and (c) had the WORST disney character ever on it. But in the end, she got chocolate and I got rid of crap so I'm happy.

Lol now I am wondering which of the disney characters is the worst one!  Sebastian?  Pumba?  Jon Smith?

caillou Isn’t a Disney character right? 😂
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Goldielocks on February 05, 2019, 03:42:13 PM
Not Disney, and my kids loved Caillou, apparently.   It helps if you realize the original is in French.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 05, 2019, 07:42:09 PM
@mustachepungoeshere I am slowly working my way through the backlog of moleskines and field notes books Ofpym accumulated in his Design Years. How do they build up so fast and never get used?

I know!

And I'm always balancing the minimalist part of my nature with the frugal part.

I could get rid of x but then if I need it I will have to pay for it.

It's a bit of a problem area for me with possible gifts that I score through work: books, candle holders, high-end bath products, etc.

Happily, a friend has just announced that she's pregnant so I'm parting with a baby book and a stuffed animal (both new with tags) from the gift stash. I will buy her a proper gift when she has a baby shower, but this is just to say congratulations. And ... to get these things out of my house!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mspym on February 05, 2019, 07:50:20 PM
@mustachepungoeshere I am slowly working my way through the backlog of moleskines and field notes books Ofpym accumulated in his Design Years. How do they build up so fast and never get used?

I know!

And I'm always balancing the minimalist part of my nature with the frugal part.

I could get rid of x but then if I need it I will have to pay for it.

It's a bit of a problem area for me with possible gifts that I score through work: books, candle holders, high-end bath products, etc.

Happily, a friend has just announced that she's pregnant so I'm parting with a baby book and a stuffed animal (both new with tags) from the gift stash. I will buy her a proper gift when she has a baby shower, but this is just to say congratulations. And ... to get these things out of my house!

I would offer to take some but, as noted, we already have quite the stash. Still doesn't stop the urge for all the new pretty ones tho'

PS in my brain, your forum name is Mustache Pungo
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 05, 2019, 08:20:47 PM
@mustachepungoeshere I am slowly working my way through the backlog of moleskines and field notes books Ofpym accumulated in his Design Years. How do they build up so fast and never get used?

I know!

And I'm always balancing the minimalist part of my nature with the frugal part.

I could get rid of x but then if I need it I will have to pay for it.

It's a bit of a problem area for me with possible gifts that I score through work: books, candle holders, high-end bath products, etc.

Happily, a friend has just announced that she's pregnant so I'm parting with a baby book and a stuffed animal (both new with tags) from the gift stash. I will buy her a proper gift when she has a baby shower, but this is just to say congratulations. And ... to get these things out of my house!

I would offer to take some but, as noted, we already have quite the stash. Still doesn't stop the urge for all the new pretty ones tho'

PS in my brain, your forum name is Mustache Pungo

Pungo. I get that a lot.

It makes up for me seeing @partgypsy as partygypsy for years.

Quote
It's a bit of a problem area for me with possible gifts that I score through work: books, candle holders, high-end bath products, etc.

Literally just opened a desk drawer at work and found a huge pink make-up case full of products that I forgot I stashed there two weeks ago. Oh god...
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BookLoverL on February 06, 2019, 12:02:41 AM
I decided to do Marie Kondo (using her book), and, well...

I did not realise I owned this many clothes.

Forgot to add: this isn't including the washing basket full of dirty washing, the washing currently in the washing machine, or the washing currently in the tumble dryer.

I did that a few years ago when I read her book.  I took a picture (that I've since deleted), because lined up with just enough overlap to see all of the patterns, my skirts and sundresses took up an entire 10 foot banister around my stairs.  I can't even wear skirts to work! 

As soon as I'm done being pregnant and am at a semi-normal size, I'm doing it again, for sure.

My trunk is currently full of 3 giant boxes of diapers in size 4 and 5 that our toddler outgrew.  I'm donating them to a homeless shelter, because I don't want to save them for two years for this current baby.  I'm excited to get rid of them in a useful place.
This is why Marie has you take everything out. 
Because you are so used to seeing it in the closet and drawers, it just doesn't seem like that much, and seems like it belongs.  It's when we get it out that we realize it's insane!

It really works, so far. :) I managed to go through all of that pile yesterday except for my socks, and I've now got a pile downstairs ready to take to the charity shop (and a few things for the bin that are broken but I'd been keeping because I liked to wear them before they were broken...)

I think after this I'll be able to store my socks in my chest of drawers again, rather than putting them in a separate box on my floor due to lack of space.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: honeybbq on February 06, 2019, 10:43:47 AM
I took back a bunch of Xmas stuff to costco that my Mom had bought for my daughter and I.... and got $128! Turned right around and spent it on groceries. :)

I did have to bribe my daughter with a piece of chocolate because she saw I was returning a giant (HUGE) reverse sequin pillow that was (a) tacky (b) unusable as an actual pillow and (c) had the WORST disney character ever on it. But in the end, she got chocolate and I got rid of crap so I'm happy.

Lol now I am wondering which of the disney characters is the worst one!  Sebastian?  Pumba?  Jon Smith?

Hahaha, I guess this is totally personal opinion, but it was the little mermaid.

Married at 16 against her father's sane wishes to a man she gives up her voice, family, and life for.  Who only loves her because of her singing. Who literally is marrying someone else 5 minutes before they get married. UGH.

https://www.thegamer.com/disney-things-wrong-with-little-mermaid-ignore/

PS I have a daughter so YMMV.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 06, 2019, 03:32:45 PM
Literally just opened a desk drawer at work and found a huge pink make-up case full of products that I forgot I stashed there two weeks ago. Oh god...

Ok, this turned out to be quite fortuitous.

My parents have been renovating their IP and my cousin's wife spent yesterday helping my mum clean up the house now that the tradies have finished.

She refused to be paid for her time, so my mum is putting together a hamper of goodies to say thank you. I checked the RRP on this kit - it's $200 worth of make-up and skincare products. Perfect.

My work also has a very liberal "free to good home" policy (if there is stuff on the floor in a certain area, it's up for grabs) so I brought in two books to release back into the wild.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 06, 2019, 07:49:33 PM
Pared down 2 extended length filing cabinet drawers to 1/4 of a drawer. Also, I think I reported I sold the filing cabinet for $15.

So the papers are now in one of my craft cabinets, but that's ok
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: FunkyStickman on February 07, 2019, 01:08:14 PM
Last night, traded away:

In exchange for a $400 pair of studio monitor speakers.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 07, 2019, 11:19:34 PM
This week I tossed all undergarments that were past their prime. 

At work, they announced the intention to relocate our department to a different building, so I was enthusiastic about clearing out my file cabinets.  Alas, some files do not belong to me and the owner has so far outwitted all my attempts to offload them back on to him.  Other files are permanent.  However, I was able today to move a particular set of files to long term storage and I'm not involved in that process anymore, so they will not come back!  Also was able to shred several reams worth of outdated files.  What is left takes up less than a full drawer!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on February 08, 2019, 06:03:44 AM
I packed up a couple of boxes of kitchen stuff to be donated.  And got it into the car without DH going through it.  Still have one more box to go through.  I figure that it's all been sitting in my living room since we moved back home in September not being used so it's probably okay.  I have to admit that some of the stuff made me sad to get rid of.  Kiddie plates of my son's that he doesn't use now that he's a "big boy."  And Tupperware of my grandmother's that I have fond memories of from childhood, but have never actually used myself (a bit of background here, I moved into my grandparents' fully furnished house so I've been slowly divesting myself of all the superfluous stuff....it took me a while to actually be able to throw anything out). 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 08, 2019, 08:11:22 AM
I've been trying to be ruthless about worn out clothing lately. I have a very bad habit of being like, "well maybe just one more wear...". So instead, any time I'm wearing socks and notice they stretch out too fast or sit weird? Straight to the trash. Same with underwear. I'm unsure if I'll need to buy some more? But I figure it's better to clear out the crap and see what I'm left with, than be on a walk with a sock that keeps slipping down and cursing my cheap-ass-nature.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on February 08, 2019, 08:22:02 AM
I've been trying to be ruthless about worn out clothing lately. I have a very bad habit of being like, "well maybe just one more wear...". So instead, any time I'm wearing socks and notice they stretch out too fast or sit weird? Straight to the trash. Same with underwear. I'm unsure if I'll need to buy some more? But I figure it's better to clear out the crap and see what I'm left with, than be on a walk with a sock that keeps slipping down and cursing my cheap-ass-nature.

I need to be better about this myself.  I will patch holes in clothes until it's more patch than cloth.  Like the jeans I'm wearing now are being held together by a thread and a wish.  I even got a gift card to Old Navy to go get a new pair, but I just hate going to the mall with the fire of 10000 suns. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 08, 2019, 08:28:23 AM
I've been trying to be ruthless about worn out clothing lately. I have a very bad habit of being like, "well maybe just one more wear...". So instead, any time I'm wearing socks and notice they stretch out too fast or sit weird? Straight to the trash. Same with underwear. I'm unsure if I'll need to buy some more? But I figure it's better to clear out the crap and see what I'm left with, than be on a walk with a sock that keeps slipping down and cursing my cheap-ass-nature.

I need to be better about this myself.  I will patch holes in clothes until it's more patch than cloth.  Like the jeans I'm wearing now are being held together by a thread and a wish.  I even got a gift card to Old Navy to go get a new pair, but I just hate going to the mall with the fire of 10000 suns.

Life decided to solve that for me on other clothing =\ I've had some intense weight fluctuations the past year because of repeat IVF cycles/failures, so currently I'm rocking a predominantly new wardrobe. Luckily, underwear and socks tend to be more forgiving. Otherwise, yes, I had to do a huge purge a couple years ago (thank you husband for forcing the issue!), because I still had tons of clothes from high school that were in just... awful shape.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sugaree on February 08, 2019, 09:09:00 AM
I've been trying to be ruthless about worn out clothing lately. I have a very bad habit of being like, "well maybe just one more wear...". So instead, any time I'm wearing socks and notice they stretch out too fast or sit weird? Straight to the trash. Same with underwear. I'm unsure if I'll need to buy some more? But I figure it's better to clear out the crap and see what I'm left with, than be on a walk with a sock that keeps slipping down and cursing my cheap-ass-nature.

I need to be better about this myself.  I will patch holes in clothes until it's more patch than cloth.  Like the jeans I'm wearing now are being held together by a thread and a wish.  I even got a gift card to Old Navy to go get a new pair, but I just hate going to the mall with the fire of 10000 suns.

Life decided to solve that for me on other clothing =\ I've had some intense weight fluctuations the past year because of repeat IVF cycles/failures, so currently I'm rocking a predominantly new wardrobe. Luckily, underwear and socks tend to be more forgiving. Otherwise, yes, I had to do a huge purge a couple years ago (thank you husband for forcing the issue!), because I still had tons of clothes from high school that were in just... awful shape.

I understand.  We had to pack up our entire wardrobe and move it into storage last spring.  I purged some stuff then.  It's still packed in boxes at my parents' house.  I have half a mind to just take the boxes to Goodwill and not even open them.  I haven't needed them in a year, why not?
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: SunnyDays on February 08, 2019, 10:55:38 AM
I hear rumours that "Consumed" is now available on Canadian Netflix for those interested.  Can't confirm as I don't subscribe myself.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 08, 2019, 08:33:16 PM
Moved two books from the bedroom floor to the car, where there are already a few bags of books. They all get donated to the library sale tomorrow!  Also my daughter has a friend who lives near a Little Free Library, so we'll drop some books off there too.

It's still hard to get rid of books. I've got so much aspirational type stuff.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 08, 2019, 08:55:38 PM
Aspirational stuff as in heavy going topics / hard reads, or interests you haven't got round to, or something else? I have a few of both but I'm making this the year to plough through them.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Poundwise on February 09, 2019, 05:01:25 AM
Heavy topics/hard reads/new reads.  Science, history, and classics. I used to read a book a day when I was younger, but then lost my mojo, as professional reading and responsibilities piled up. Now I can barely finish a magazine article.

For a long time I still kept the habit of picking up used books, though. I don't know if this is the year I go through the shelves, but it would be good for me to start reading again.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BookLoverL on February 09, 2019, 11:27:14 AM
Further to my previous post: I took four bags of clothes to the charity shop yesterday, and also threw some clothes into the bin. Then I sorted the clothes I was keeping back into my chest of drawers, and was astounded by the amount of space. I can fit my socks in the drawer now, instead of having to keep them in a storage bag on the floor! :O

First picture is of the bags I took to the charity shop.

Today I got all my shoes, bags, and accessories ready to be KonMari-ed. :) The second pic is all the shoes, bags, and accessories that it turns out I own.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 10, 2019, 07:55:41 AM
I started on the stereo cabinet that spread to the bookshelf next to it.
A bunch of looe piano lesson CD's made their way back into the music books that they belong to. Now the music books need to go to a beginner student.  Perferably a family member because they are well marked up with personal stuff by my daughter.
The music books are a stack 3" high and the paper for recycling is almost 4" high. 
My brother took some books to his house a couple of weeks ago so one shelf is half empty and another one is completely empty. 

I made more room in the basement on a shelf for stuff that needs to be given away - so that I can sort by categories.  That way I can have a place for the thing to live as soon as I make the decision that it needs to leave.  This has been really helpful for me.  And I get exercise walking it down the stairs immediately once I decide that it is not bringing me joy anymore.

@BookLoverL  - that is a great achievement.  Is it feeling good?
 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BookLoverL on February 10, 2019, 08:49:57 AM
I started on the stereo cabinet that spread to the bookshelf next to it.
A bunch of looe piano lesson CD's made their way back into the music books that they belong to. Now the music books need to go to a beginner student.  Perferably a family member because they are well marked up with personal stuff by my daughter.
The music books are a stack 3" high and the paper for recycling is almost 4" high. 
My brother took some books to his house a couple of weeks ago so one shelf is half empty and another one is completely empty. 

I made more room in the basement on a shelf for stuff that needs to be given away - so that I can sort by categories.  That way I can have a place for the thing to live as soon as I make the decision that it needs to leave.  This has been really helpful for me.  And I get exercise walking it down the stairs immediately once I decide that it is not bringing me joy anymore.

@BookLoverL  - that is a great achievement.  Is it feeling good?
 

Thanks! It's feeling great so far. I'd say it's no understatement to say that this is the best tidying method I have ever discovered. Congrats on your own tidying!

The first pic is my remaining shoes, bags, and accessories now that I've KonMari-ed them.

Next I'm going to KonMari my books. As you might guess by my username, I have quite a lot. The second pic is them all spread out on my bedroom floor. Spoiler alert: probably going to end up keeping most of these.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Sibley on February 10, 2019, 12:10:50 PM
@BookLoverL  You have my permission to keep most of the books. I have 2 full bookcases of books, and that's after a dramatic reduction due to a long distance move. I got rid of 2/3 of my books then. I have no plans to get rid of what's left. People who don't get it aren't readers, and that's their loss.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BookLoverL on February 10, 2019, 12:49:16 PM
@BookLoverL  You have my permission to keep most of the books. I have 2 full bookcases of books, and that's after a dramatic reduction due to a long distance move. I got rid of 2/3 of my books then. I have no plans to get rid of what's left. People who don't get it aren't readers, and that's their loss.

Well, I already gave myself permission, but thanks anyway. ;) The thing is that all the books I'm keeping genuinely bring me joy. I want to read about everything! Or pour the knowledge into my brain through my ear or something.

So far I've gone through about half of the books in the picture, and only put about 20 books aside to go to the charity shop.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 10, 2019, 01:34:24 PM
@BookLoverL  You have my permission to keep most of the books. I have 2 full bookcases of books, and that's after a dramatic reduction due to a long distance move. I got rid of 2/3 of my books then. I have no plans to get rid of what's left. People who don't get it aren't readers, and that's their loss.

Well, I already gave myself permission, but thanks anyway. ;) The thing is that all the books I'm keeping genuinely bring me joy. I want to read about everything! Or pour the knowledge into my brain through my ear or something.

So far I've gone through about half of the books in the picture, and only put about 20 books aside to go to the charity shop.

Lat year I donated a lot of books.  Anything fiction that the library has, I donated.  I am sure I can find a few more to go in the next round, but most are keepers.

What is really helping is putting hard limits on what I buy - only non-fiction (mostly reference) and only if I have taken it out of the library multiple times.  For these I do want paper, not e-book, so I can look things up easily. So far that has been 2 books, and there are 2 more on the buy list.  Given my previous book purchase history, that is nothing.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 10, 2019, 03:07:00 PM
I took three bags to the car, so that's a step closer to dropping them off at Vinnies.

(I only need to drive once or twice a week so it doesn't bother me if they sit in the boot for a while.)

Found some interesting things in my adventures through cupboards and drawers this weekend.

- hot pink t-shirt bra, barely worn, forgot I owned it. Will keep, and toss out an older one.
- selfie stick, misguided secret Santa gift from work. Will take it back to the office and find it a new home.
- stuffed toy dog, gift from a friend during a hospital stay. Will give to my puppy to play with.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: HappierAtHome on February 10, 2019, 05:36:57 PM
Made great progress with clearing out the big laundry cupboard this weekend. Shifted gardening gear to more appropriate spots, gave away a lot of things we just don't use (garden arch, plug-in fairy lights), threw away and recycled a LOT of packaging we'd held on to for no reason, and made space for our drying racks when they're not in use. Excellent!

Next steps: Mr Happier to sort through the paint tins and painting supplies still in the big laundry cupboard. Then we'll organise and pare down the tools and DIY supplies we keep under the bed, and store them in more appropriate storage containers in the big laundry cupboard.This will get us closer to my goal of not having anything stored under the bed.

Does clearing out clutter in the form of plants count? I dug up some succulents and a butterfly bush that weren't right for the spaces they were occupying, and gave them away. Planted out some geraniums in their place.
Title: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: jengod on February 10, 2019, 08:55:22 PM
* Chucked four expired OTC medications.

* Used up the 3M no-skid safety tape on the exterior steps rather than storing it forever
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Fresh Bread on February 10, 2019, 09:00:17 PM
This weekend I made a start on a project to use up awkward shaped scrap wood that is hanging around down the side of our house. We risk attracting termites so it's really good to get it built into crates, garden beds etc and moved on! I'm hoping I get into a groove and get the lot away soon.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: oneday on February 10, 2019, 11:22:23 PM
Does clearing out clutter in the form of plants count? I dug up some succulents and a butterfly bush that weren't right for the spaces they were occupying, and gave them away. Planted out some geraniums in their place.

I say yes!



Today's declutter was epic in the amount going out, the particular items and the donation process.
Amount: 1 box, 2 chairs and a bookcase - bulky!
Items: the bookcase was something I kept through many prior rounds of decluttering.  I really like it!  I just don't have a need for it.  Finally ready to release it this week.
Process: 1st stop was not accepting donations today; second stop took the furniture and only clothing from the box.  Finally the third stop took the remaining household items.  Good thing I was already driving all over town for a bunch of errands - didn't have to go far out of my way to accomplish this.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: plainjane on February 11, 2019, 06:58:38 AM
Yesterday I went into the furnace room to see if I could make some progress and found 2 spare cupboard knobs and a nozzle thing for the kitchen sink. Which was great because two knobs in the kitchen wouldn't tighten any more, and the kitchen sink nozzle had stopped switching between spray and flow. So I replaced them and threw the old broken ones away.

My cookbook shelf is full, and didn't have space for my new magazines, so I have tagged a book to go to the free library that one of the local farmers market will run once it is warm.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Captain FIRE on February 11, 2019, 08:30:29 AM
Finally cleared out the bottom part of a closet that has been a catch-all since we moved in 5 years ago, and stuffed a bunch of toddler toys in there!  Came across things like a 2013 Christmas letter from a friend, a viola rest for when I played 20+ years ago.  Passed on a small shelf to a new home and am returning a light fixture to my folks.  Still have to do the top, but I'm resting on my laurels for a bit first.  I'm really excited about having less visual clutter out, and hopefully toddler will have a longer attention span with the toys when they are rotated out.  While we have very little storage space in this 1930s home, we still store more things than we need, and if we got rid of the unused we'd feel more comfortable with the storage space options.

Also filed away a huge stack of bill type paperwork (throwing away some inches in the process).  Unfortunately, it doesn't even look like I've made a dent in the paperwork on the table. :( Nor did a I find something FIL claims he sent us.  Next up on the paperwork is culling the toddler's artwork, but I want to take photos of them before I do that so it'll be a lengthier process.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: BookLoverL on February 11, 2019, 08:35:12 AM
Well done, everyone! :)

Pleased to announce that after sorting through my pile of books, the amount of books I've decided to sell or donate is non-zero. It's not that much compared to the overall pile - all the rest genuinely bring me joy - but it's enough to make a bit of a difference to storage. :)
Pics are of the things I'm getting rid of.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: PMG on February 11, 2019, 09:40:15 AM
Posting here for a little accountability. I'm unclear what my goals are, but... I need some!

A previous poster mentions living in a 1930s house with little storage.  That's us.  About 400 square feet, built in 1912. No closet, just an open hanging bar with a shelf above it, so even when things are put away we never have relief from the visual clutter. 

I have a shit ton of art.  I don't want to look at my art every day.  But I'm not ready to trash it.  The amount varies as things go out and come back from shows, but it is not insignificant.  Right now I have it all leaned up against the wall in the living room and covered with a sheet.  That really helped my spouse feel ok about it.  But the living room just... isn't set up right.  And I'm not sure what it will take to fix it.

hah!  Part of the reason the living room is such a challenge to set up is because you have to be right next to a window to have cell service.  We don't have wifi. Frugal person problem? 

In the past week I made boxes to fit a cube shelf that my spouse is using for a dresser.  This should help contain things.  I also finished up a bunch of sewing projects, most of them will go to my seller.  This frees storage space in the one cupboard we have (which is in a corner, over a door and ridiculously difficult to use). Finishing projects is part of feeling good at home, I think I got a lot done even though the visual impact is small.

I have the recycling loaded in the car, hoping I get to town during their small window of hours when they accept recycling, but I don't want to make a special trip. I almost put it out with the trash this morning just to have it gone... but no!  urg!  Want to recycle it. 

The house is big enough.  And while we have a few things to get rid of I really think most of the issue is how we use the space...

So, my first steps are:
 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 11, 2019, 09:57:35 AM
I've been traveling & haven't done much decluttering. However, I came home to a crazy messy house, & at least got the following done:

-Beat down the paperwork that's accumulated in our three tiered tray while I was gone
-Put a shirt in the donation pile

It's not a lot, but trying to get some positive momentum building
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: PMG on February 11, 2019, 10:50:46 AM
A previous poster mentions living in a 1930s house with little storage.  That's us.  About 400 square feet, built in 1912. No closet, just an open hanging bar with a shelf above it, so even when things are put away we never have relief from the visual clutter. 

In previous homes with a similar issue, I hung a "balcony curtain" on a curtain rod (tension or bar on command hooks) across the open side of the closet-like indent. Highly recommend.

I don't think I want to do that. But I do appreciate the suggestion.  I am glad for creative ways to think about things! 

The upside for me is that I wear the hanging clothing much more often since I see it all the time.  You can't just push things to the back and forget them. 
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 11, 2019, 09:09:06 PM
  • what would make it easy for spouse to hang up their coat?


Some kind of wall-mounted or over-the-door hook?

A previous poster mentions living in a 1930s house with little storage.  That's us.  About 400 square feet, built in 1912. No closet, just an open hanging bar with a shelf above it, so even when things are put away we never have relief from the visual clutter. 

In previous homes with a similar issue, I hung a "balcony curtain" on a curtain rod (tension or bar on command hooks) across the open side of the closet-like indent. Highly recommend.

I don't think I want to do that. But I do appreciate the suggestion.  I am glad for creative ways to think about things! 

The upside for me is that I wear the hanging clothing much more often since I see it all the time.  You can't just push things to the back and forget them. 

I actually started coveting a system like that over the weekend.

I caught up on my ironing and was hanging shirts and dresses on the hooks on my bedroom door till I put them away, and I thought how easy it would be to have everything so accessible like that.

This is only two feet from my built-in wardrobe, and opening a sliding door really isn't taxing, but it showed me a I have some more work to do in culling clothes.

My wins for the day:
- offloaded the selfie stick at work
- deleted more than 500 work emails
- sent 11 books to a friend for her CWA stall

Husband started new job yesterday, so most of the stuff he brought home from his old office (drink bottle, KeepCup, pen cup, notebooks, etc) has gone to new office.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Tris Prior on February 12, 2019, 08:43:35 AM
I Marie Kondo'ed my makeup stash last night. I feel kind of sick at the amount of money I spent on stuff that didn't look good on me (before I found MMM. Some of those eyeshadows were, geez, 7 or 8 years old? Which, probably isn't sanitary?). Oddly, though, I had the hardest time tossing out a big eyeshadow palette I didn't even like, that I was given by a friend who was destashing. Why? That's dumb. The giver would not care if I tossed it; she's not that kind of person.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: I'm a red panda on February 12, 2019, 08:58:11 AM
Oddly, though, I had the hardest time tossing out a big eyeshadow palette I didn't even like, that I was given by a friend who was destashing. Why? That's dumb. The giver would not care if I tossed it; she's not that kind of person.

One thing that minimalism books seem to stress about hand-me downs is: that person didn't even want to keep it. Why should you feel obligated to?

I gave a weird little Amish doll away today. My friend gave it to me like 10 years ago, and I used to collect dolls. It was a sweet gift. My toddler is freaked out by it because it doesn't have eyes. Like she goes around carrying it screaming "eyes!". I told my friend this and she said "I gave that to you? When, that thing is creepy." 

So I guess if she didn't have attachment to it as a gift, I didn't need to hold onto it.

(It's cute- I liked it- but my doll collection is dwindling. I'm not so into collecting things anymore.)
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 12, 2019, 04:28:18 PM
It's great when friends give you permission to offload something. I was somewhat relieved when a friend of mine separated from her new husband after three months of marriage and she instructed me to dispose of my bridesmaid dress.

My wins:
- deleted or filed another 500 work emails
- put a heap of recyclable plastic containers out for recycling

Pulled on a knit top for work this morning and realised I spend the whole day tugging the waistband back down when I wear it. I love the rest of it, but it's just too short for me. Time to let it go.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: horsepoor on February 12, 2019, 08:29:50 PM
Tonight I pulled everything out of a storage coffee table in the basement, so I can put it on Craigslist.  Lots of booklets for electronics we no longer own, and the inflater for a yoga ball that died.  In short, it was mostly storing garbage.  The papers will go in the fire, and the inflater will go out with out with the trash tomorrow.  Also identified two partially used quarts of paint that had dried out.  Need to go through and check the rest of the cans.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 13, 2019, 01:38:38 AM
Tonight I pulled everything out of a storage coffee table in the basement, so I can put it on Craigslist.  Lots of booklets for electronics we no longer own, and the inflater for a yoga ball that died.  In short, it was mostly storing garbage.  The papers will go in the fire, and the inflater will go out with out with the trash tomorrow.  Also identified two partially used quarts of paint that had dried out.  Need to go through and check the rest of the cans.

That actually sounds awesome to me. No decisions!
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: halftimer on February 13, 2019, 08:40:34 AM
I'm in awe of @mustachepungoeshere going through so many emails. You are inspiring to me

Just catching up, and saw a page ago all the comments about old t shirts that were not even good enough to use as rags, and getting rid of old textiles, and this made me need to chime in.  I sent some things recently to textile recycling, and decided that other pieces could be the stuffing of a big floor cushion.  Then last week the landlord was in my suite with the plumber and called 'do you have any old towels or sheets?' and I came home to a wicked mess! Good thing I had some big pieces I could use for the sewage mess and then immediately bag up and throw away. Landlord said they just donated all of their old stuff. 

I live in a basement suite - you just have to plan for mini floods sometimes and have extra towels on hand. Of course no one can plan for an inept plumber (he made the mess - we have had others in to fix the tree root issue before and they are very professional - they use booties, use the access port, put a stopper in open pipes if they have to leave, do not find and use my put away bath mat to put under the messy disassembled toilet, and have a wax seal on hand before deciding to disassemble/take off toilet, and most importantly do not require us to call the police to get them to stop swearing and screaming and finally go) :end rant:
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: Cassie on February 13, 2019, 09:21:55 AM
When I lived in a house with no closet I had a wardrobe so I didn’t have to look at a messy coat rack. I used to hold onto books but now limit myself to 20.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 13, 2019, 11:49:36 AM
I'm in awe of @mustachepungoeshere going through so many emails. You are inspiring to me

Nooooo, I shouldn't have let it get this bad!

My goal is to delete or file 500 a day until my inbox is under 500.

@marty998 is the king of email folders. His folder system is a work of art.
Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
Post by: PMG on February 13, 2019, 12:42:49 PM
    • what would make it easy for spouse to hang up their coat?


    Some kind of wall-mounted or over-the-door hook?



    Well, this is really something that spouse has to decide.  I put the question to him and he wasn't sure, though he suggested chocolate would be a strong motivator.

    As for the no closet situation, we would be well served by a big wardrobe.  I'd love the kind with hanging space, and a couple drawers up the side.  Alas. We are renting, don't know how long we'll live here, and have decided it's better to make do. bleh. 

    I've made small progress on my list:
    • sort out the things that belong under the kitchen sink and are just sitting under the table until the cupboard is fixed.  They need new/better homes.
    • Find a place for grocery bags for the trash can, must be easy to reach for spouse
    • what would make it easy for spouse to hang up their coat? -- the ball is in his court now but I'll follow up in a week or two
    • finish another small sewing project -- two done!
    • look at winter work clothes and sweaters all at the same time. Maybe let some go.

    I messed up that quote somehow. sry.

    I swear there aren't that many end lists, they are just show up.[/list][/list]
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marty998 on February 13, 2019, 01:06:50 PM
    I'm in awe of @mustachepungoeshere going through so many emails. You are inspiring to me

    Nooooo, I shouldn't have let it get this bad!

    My goal is to delete or file 500 a day until my inbox is under 500.

    @marty998 is the king of email folders. His folder system is a work of art.


    Noooooooo @mustachepungoeshere, you've seen it.... there's literally hundreds of folders arranged in various hierarchies.

    Which means I can never find anything I need anymore!

    I do try and keep the Inbox under 200 now. But it's a daily battle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on February 13, 2019, 02:09:02 PM
    I gave a weird little Amish doll away today. My friend gave it to me like 10 years ago, and I used to collect dolls. It was a sweet gift. My toddler is freaked out by it because it doesn't have eyes. Like she goes around carrying it screaming "eyes!". I told my friend this and she said "I gave that to you? When, that thing is creepy." 

    Your story made me laugh!!

    I got rid of some used-but-still-good party decorations through Buy Nothing. Put another box of clothes/books/toys to donate in the car.  Offered to teach a friend to knit; will let her pick through my yarn stash if she would like to make something for herself.  Still feeling stressed out by the amount of stuff we have in our home... we crossed a threshold last year where it became uncomfortable to live and hard to find things because we have too many possessions.  Mostly raw materials for projects that we didn't have time to do.  But baby steps.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on February 13, 2019, 05:42:51 PM
    I did it! I rehomed the stranded kitchen cupboard items!

    The trash can bags have a new home.

    I dropped dropped the recycling off and then dropped a large item at thrift and I took two boxes of my art/handmade stuff off at a new seller who was delighted with my aesthetic and thinks these things will move quickly. Hallelujah!

    And now I’m in the middle of another medium sized sewing project using up supplies I’ve had on hand.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 13, 2019, 05:45:05 PM
    Well done PMG!



    Today I gave my belt to Mom, whose belt was getting shredded.  Hers went in the trash.  Win-win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on February 13, 2019, 06:03:54 PM
    I'm in awe of @mustachepungoeshere going through so many emails. You are inspiring to me

    Nooooo, I shouldn't have let it get this bad!

    My goal is to delete or file 500 a day until my inbox is under 500.

    @marty998 is the king of email folders. His folder system is a work of art.


    Noooooooo @mustachepungoeshere, you've seen it.... there's literally hundreds of folders arranged in various hierarchies.

    Which means I can never find anything I need anymore!

    I do try and keep the Inbox under 200 now. But it's a daily battle.

    I'm feeling pretty smug right now.

    This year I set out to clean up my inboxes.

    Work email - currently 2 emails in the inbox awaiting action.  Everything else is deleted or filed under 9 folders.

    Personal email - currently 1 email in the inbox awaiting payment (a bill).  Everything else is filed under 12 folders.

    It makes it so much easier to find things this way, and I see what still needs to be responded to or done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 13, 2019, 07:24:13 PM
    I'm in awe of @mustachepungoeshere going through so many emails. You are inspiring to me

    Nooooo, I shouldn't have let it get this bad!

    My goal is to delete or file 500 a day until my inbox is under 500.

    @marty998 is the king of email folders. His folder system is a work of art.


    Noooooooo @mustachepungoeshere, you've seen it.... there's literally hundreds of folders arranged in various hierarchies.

    Which means I can never find anything I need anymore!

    I do try and keep the Inbox under 200 now. But it's a daily battle.

    I'm feeling pretty smug right now.

    This year I set out to clean up my inboxes.

    Work email - currently 2 emails in the inbox awaiting action.  Everything else is deleted or filed under 9 folders.

    Personal email - currently 1 email in the inbox awaiting payment (a bill).  Everything else is filed under 12 folders.

    It makes it so much easier to find things this way, and I see what still needs to be responded to or done.

    ... people use folders in their personal email?

    Oh christ, I give up.

    I just did my 500 for the day for work. My Gmail, I'm happy if it stays below 5000.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 13, 2019, 07:53:35 PM
    I think it counts as decluttering? In my personal email inbox, I get everything from 4 different email addresses delivered. Obviously, tons of junk mail. Been in process for a while.

    Went through and hit unsubscribe on lots of things to stop them coming in. Cut it by 60%.
    Did some "training" of the junk filters on the worst of it
    Setup a folder and diverted the rest of the junk into it. while I don't want to see all the ads in my face, when I am going to buy something, I will look for coupon codes, etc. This way, that stuff is accessible if I want it but out of my way. And I set it up to auto delete, so it doesn't get too out of control.

    90% fewer emails in my inbox to actually look at. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JanetJackson on February 14, 2019, 10:18:50 AM
    I'm in awe of @mustachepungoeshere going through so many emails. You are inspiring to me

    Nooooo, I shouldn't have let it get this bad!

    My goal is to delete or file 500 a day until my inbox is under 500.

    @marty998 is the king of email folders. His folder system is a work of art.


    Noooooooo @mustachepungoeshere, you've seen it.... there's literally hundreds of folders arranged in various hierarchies.

    Which means I can never find anything I need anymore!

    I do try and keep the Inbox under 200 now. But it's a daily battle.

    I'm feeling pretty smug right now.

    This year I set out to clean up my inboxes.

    Work email - currently 2 emails in the inbox awaiting action.  Everything else is deleted or filed under 9 folders.

    Personal email - currently 1 email in the inbox awaiting payment (a bill).  Everything else is filed under 12 folders.

    It makes it so much easier to find things this way, and I see what still needs to be responded to or done.

    ... people use folders in their personal email?

    Oh christ, I give up.

    I just did my 500 for the day for work. My Gmail, I'm happy if it stays below 5000.

    Fun story- when I got divorced about ten years ago, instead of changing my Gmail I decided to just abandon it.  It had over 20k unread... it was too much.  My new and current Gmail has 6k.  I've done a much better job.  I always joke that the rest of my life is so organized and clean so that I can have a dirty car and a disorganized email to balance it out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: letsdoit on February 15, 2019, 09:59:39 AM
    i count email curating as useless busy work
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on February 15, 2019, 12:56:58 PM
    Took the bus to V-Day dinner; saved on exorbitant parking too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 15, 2019, 05:20:51 PM
    Put a shirt in the donation pile today & recycled a bunch of mail & other stuff lingering around the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on February 15, 2019, 05:22:05 PM
    I got rid of a bunch of old towels and sheets yesterday to someone who's fostering a bunch of new puppies -- yay!

    Also jumped in on the email-cutting bandwagon. Down to 155 total emails in my gmail (from something like 600, plus everything in social+promptions that I got rid of).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 17, 2019, 08:28:51 AM
    Not quite out of the house yet, but listed four items on eBay yesterday, so soon!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 17, 2019, 03:12:10 PM
    Over the past three days I:

    - deleted/filed another 500 emails
    - rehomed two Biblical kids books (a well-meaning relative gave them to my nephews), a jumper I bought on eBay that never quite fit right, and a stuffed animal
    - gave my mum a bag of things I'd put aside for her
    - found an empty shoebox I'd inexplicably stashed in my wardrobe (maybe I had big plans for it?), tossed it in the recycling
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mountain mustache on February 17, 2019, 03:18:11 PM
    - listed for sale on ebay a beautiful ski coat I purchased last year that I realized I will never need, and my old ratty one will do just fine. It was $$$ so hoping since it is brand new I can recoup some of the price.
    - Donated about 100 books to the library
    - sold a brand new pair of cycling shoes I'd bought and then realized I hated the way they fit. Made back all of the $$ I spent on them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: HappierAtHome on February 17, 2019, 05:21:19 PM
    Worked through my entire shredding stack!! I give myself a gold star. Now to stay on top of it going forward...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on February 17, 2019, 07:01:24 PM
    Sorted through the 2yo’s clothes and passed along two bags of outgrown items via our Buy Nothing Group. Shoes next!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 22, 2019, 04:42:09 PM
    Lately I've been focusing on using up some consumables.

    I rounded up all the travel packs of tissues and put the tissues in a tiny basket. When the box of tissues in my lounge room was empty, I put the basket there.

    They're now all used up, which is great.

    I'm also working on the travel toiletries, using up pinky-sized moisturisers, suncream, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.

    It's an uncomfortable amount of plastic for me, and I've started reducing how much is coming in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 22, 2019, 07:13:23 PM
    My aunt (mom's sister) is mentally disabled. She is able to live on her own, and work a minimum wage job. Her partner of 30 years just passed away, so in the emergency, my mom was at her house. Sidenote: my aunt will never let anyone in her house under any circumstance. The house is. . . so beyond salvage. There are bugs, cat pee everywhere, and the ambulance crew couldn't wheel the bed in during the emergency due to the wall to wall junk, paper, garbage, etc that's stacked up. I feel so very sad for my mom, who just got done dealing with her mom & her stepfather passing away. Apparently, there are six cats living in the tiny house, and the bedbugs are so terrible that the entire house needs to be basically torn apart. Oh, and my aunt refuses to change or accept help, move into an assisted living situation, etc. It will eventually come down to my mom needing to take over legal guardianship.

    I know that's only marginally related to this thread, but I've offered to come to help my mom during my sabbatical, so that I can assist with some of the "tough love" elements of talking to my aunt & assisting with the house stuff. Sweet mercy.

    As for me, I listed three items on eBay today, and have three other items selling today. Progress!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 23, 2019, 06:38:53 AM
    My husbands aunt lived in New York in a horrible apartment up at least 3 gigantic flights of stairs (no elevator). She lived there her whole life and it was rent subsidized. She always kept a clean apartment but when she got older she must have turned into a hoarder. When she was finally put in a nursing home, basically waiting to die, another relative took over the responsibility of her apartment. She was horrified to find there were boxes stacked to the ceiling never opened from on line shopping. Worst of all it was full of bed bugs. I was told there was no way to salvage anything but some jewelry and a few non fabric things. A crew was hired to take everything out and throw it away. I think they had to bag it all up like toxic waste to transport it thru the building to the dump truck. The guys dressed up in protective suits so the bugs wouldn't get in their clothes. It cost something like $25,000 to clean it out and fumigate. Not sure if that is NY prices or if that is abnormal price but seems a lot to me. The trouble with those old buildings in NY is that if one apartment gets bed bugs they can get into all the apartments. So unless the whole building is fumigated at the same time, I don't see how they can ever get rid of these creatures. That is why NOW I am even afraid to buy second hand furniture. What if it came from a house with bed bugs!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 23, 2019, 09:08:11 AM
    @Roadrunner53 - ack. That sounds so awful. Luckily, this is a standalone house, and in a small town. So, I'm thinking the fumigation will be several thousands of dollars
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on February 23, 2019, 09:09:05 AM
    That is quite a story.  Sad that so many things were made, transported, purchased, stored, and then dumped without every being used.  Talk about waste.

    That is why NOW I am even afraid to buy second hand furniture. What if it came from a house with bed bugs!

    Bed bugs aren't generally an issue here, but when there was more of a breakout among hotels and whatnot a few years ago, I bought an antique sofa and arm chair.  It happened to be winter, so I stored them in my horse trailer for a month since bugs can't survive the cold.  Not necessarily an option for everyone, but tossing something in unheated storage in a colder climate will usually do the trick.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 23, 2019, 10:19:34 AM
    I am sure the auntie didn't bring in the bed bugs herself. She never traveled anywhere. I am assuming this horrid apartment building was infested and they migrated to her apartment. She was too old to deal with it I guess. I was in this apartment many years ago and it was tiny. They called it a 3 bedroom but two of the 'bedrooms' were no more than hole in the wall for a twin bed to fit into. I don't remember a door on the 'rooms'. Maybe they had a curtain. No windows. The weirdest thing is that this place was so small but once the auntie left the owners cut it in half and made it into two apartments! I seriously cannot fathom how small the two apartments must be and can't imagine how they configured them. I also heard that each apartment was going for $3,000 each per month! Can you even imagine walking up 3 giant flights of stairs and having a kid or groceries and no elevator? Total insanity!

    The auntie's parents moved into the apartment probably when they were in their late 20's and had 3 children. The auntie lived there her entire life and she was around 78 years old when she died. So the family had inhabited the same apartment for over 100 years!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chasingthegoodlife on February 23, 2019, 03:47:21 PM
    In the last few weeks I have:
    - Been through all our cosmetics/medications and thrown out (via chemist) some expired medications/creams, passed on a few unneeded things to grateful others and used up the last little bit of some shampoos and hand creams. Made up several mini-medication kits for our bags and cars so we have things like bandaids and panadol to hand when we need them. For the next little while will check expiry dates before taking tablets and use the ones closest to expiry.
    - Sorted through the cleaning supplies under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Very little thrown away here as it will all get used eventually, but everything is dusted and organised neatly, sponges and rags freshly washed and folded, a few duplicate products combined. My husband and I combined households almost four years ago and I am shocked by the amount of excess cleaning products we still have. I guess I don't clean a lot haha. And also prefer some vinegar/bicarb/tea tree oil when I do. Many of these will not be rebought when used up. I don't believe we need so many specific products.   
    - Brought home about 8 boxes from my parents' home (think I've already mentioned this somewhere on the forum). All the things I own in the world are now officially under my roof.
    - Gone through two of the boxes that had my sewing things in them. Decided there are so many other things I'm more passionate about right now and I don't have room for these in my life. Passed on everything usable to a friend who teaches a beginners sewing class and will rehome. 

    Next step is to:
    - Go through my shoes. I don't have many, and as a result most are looking pretty worn out. I need to take them to the cobbler to fix what he can, bin anything unsalvageable, and work out what I really need to replace.
    - Finish unpacking from our kitchen renovation. This is nearly done but there is at least one more box in the garage we forgot and a few boxes to go awaiting my husband's blessing. We also need to go through the cutlery together as we both have strong preferences about this and there is about 3x what we need for day to day. Some may get stored for larger gatherings though.
    - Go through the rest of the boxes from my parents. These seem to be books/toys from my childhood and sentimental items such as yearbooks etc. I think most of this can probably go but I need to be in the right headspace to look through it. I lost a pregnancy recently so the childhood stuff is still a bit raw.

    I'm also thinking about doing the whole Marie Kondo process from start to finish next week while I have the house to myself. I've downloaded the audio book from the library and will think about it a bit more. I've always lent towards minimalism (daughter of a hoarder, apartment dweller moving countries a bit, love a good declutter) but since moving into this house and the chaos of renovating things have definitely built up. I'm also curious if I'll learn anything about myself.




    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on February 23, 2019, 04:43:47 PM
    Declutter fail.
    The 2nd thing in 5+ years I've had to rebuy...

    I threw out lancets from when I had gestational diabetes more than 2 years ago. Then I failed my 1 hour test and instead of taking the good awful 3 hour test I'm checking my blood sugar. (Good new...not diabetic). The new box of lancets cost $12.

    (I also had to rebuy the same monitor and test strips I threw out, but my understanding is they expire. So I guess that's ok. That was $60.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 23, 2019, 05:00:50 PM
    Sorry for your loss ChasingtheGoodLife.

    I also have four days alone this week and I'm quite tempted to pull out a few cupboards. I have MKed before but the rule is you only do your own stuff which means the spare room has never really been 'done' (hubby's dumping ground).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 23, 2019, 07:16:40 PM
    My aunt (mom's sister) is mentally disabled. She is able to live on her own, and work a minimum wage job. Her partner of 30 years just passed away, so in the emergency, my mom was at her house. Sidenote: my aunt will never let anyone in her house under any circumstance. The house is. . . so beyond salvage. There are bugs, cat pee everywhere, and the ambulance crew couldn't wheel the bed in during the emergency due to the wall to wall junk, paper, garbage, etc that's stacked up. I feel so very sad for my mom, who just got done dealing with her mom & her stepfather passing away. Apparently, there are six cats living in the tiny house, and the bedbugs are so terrible that the entire house needs to be basically torn apart. Oh, and my aunt refuses to change or accept help, move into an assisted living situation, etc. It will eventually come down to my mom needing to take over legal guardianship.

    I know that's only marginally related to this thread, but I've offered to come to help my mom during my sabbatical, so that I can assist with some of the "tough love" elements of talking to my aunt & assisting with the house stuff. Sweet mercy.

    As for me, I listed three items on eBay today, and have three other items selling today. Progress!

    @MaybeBabyMustache  - the health or building department and animal control may take options away from her. At a minimum, please make sure those cats are properly cared for. They are innocent and don't deserve to be tormented by bed bugs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 23, 2019, 07:37:01 PM
    My aunt (mom's sister) is mentally disabled. She is able to live on her own, and work a minimum wage job. Her partner of 30 years just passed away, so in the emergency, my mom was at her house. Sidenote: my aunt will never let anyone in her house under any circumstance. The house is. . . so beyond salvage. There are bugs, cat pee everywhere, and the ambulance crew couldn't wheel the bed in during the emergency due to the wall to wall junk, paper, garbage, etc that's stacked up. I feel so very sad for my mom, who just got done dealing with her mom & her stepfather passing away. Apparently, there are six cats living in the tiny house, and the bedbugs are so terrible that the entire house needs to be basically torn apart. Oh, and my aunt refuses to change or accept help, move into an assisted living situation, etc. It will eventually come down to my mom needing to take over legal guardianship.

    I know that's only marginally related to this thread, but I've offered to come to help my mom during my sabbatical, so that I can assist with some of the "tough love" elements of talking to my aunt & assisting with the house stuff. Sweet mercy.

    As for me, I listed three items on eBay today, and have three other items selling today. Progress!

    @MaybeBabyMustache  - the health or building department and animal control may take options away from her. At a minimum, please make sure those cats are properly cared for. They are innocent and don't deserve to be tormented by bed bugs.

    The cats have been rehomed. It's been the biggest source of anger towards my mom, but on top of the fact that they just can't be in the house during the fumigation, she's obviously not able to take care of them (or, herself really).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on February 24, 2019, 11:35:59 AM
    Hugs, MBM, that sounds like a hard family situation.

    Donated several books to the library resale shop, and used up two little travel shampoos. I also pulled a sweater out of the mending pile and mended it, which isn't precisely decluttering but feels similar - it's getting rid of dead weight. I'm starting to feel a bit better about the volume of stuff I have. I'm not there yet, but it's better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JanetJackson on February 24, 2019, 12:39:51 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache Thank you to you or whoever in your family helped with the kitties.  I know it will be hard for all parties involved, but they will have a safer and happier life elsewhere.  <3  That sounds like a hard situation- and even if you're not directly involved, it can certainly weigh on you.  Sending you good energy, I feel for the situation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 24, 2019, 03:59:51 PM
    @JanetJackson - it was my lovely mom, who has taken care of her sister for years, but even more so since there mom passed away. I think we've all been in a bit of denial about how best to support my aunt now that her mom is gone. It's really, really hard & there are no good answers. Thanks for the support.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 24, 2019, 05:20:07 PM
    MBM - that is really hard and I am sorry your mum is going to need to take guardianship.

    Not so much decluttering as visual decluttering, I am going through a spell of clearing off horizontal surfaces and anything that is taking up a corner. I am tired of everywhere I look just being [mildly!] out of sorts. I am also discarding recipes that I will never ever make and sewing patterns that I will never make again, because they weren't flattering on me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on February 25, 2019, 09:50:16 AM
    I got a couple items into a bag and in the car waiting for goodwill drop off.  I... couldn't... let go of clothing yet.  Not gonna stress over it.

    I made a cardboard box to fit in the cabinet in the bathroom, and sorted through items I had in there, got rid of extra packaging and everything fits so much better now, and it allowed me to fit the extra TP in the same cupboard, so that's less visual clutter out in the laundry/closet room.  This feels like a huge win even though it was just little bits that actually left the house.

    I mailed a Valentine card I'd carried around for years.  Kind of silly, but now I no longer have any pre made cards.  I used to hoard them!  I do still have a little assortment of envelopes, and some paper craft supplies.  I either make an appropriate card, or just write a note to express whatever sentiment I want to express. I love letters and cards, but no more acquiring without a recipient planned.



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 25, 2019, 11:04:47 PM
    Took a gag gift (rubber band gun kit) to work and left it out for someone to take.

    It was gone in 10 minutes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on February 26, 2019, 10:00:28 AM
    One more large bag off to donation, and the next one started.  Having a bag for clothing and a box for odd things going all the time is really helping with my goal to declutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on February 26, 2019, 11:00:50 AM
    Currently seeing my recently widowed neighbour struggle, emotionally and practically, to declutter the family home of 20 years so it can be sold, because they were not mustachian in the least and now the house (less mortgage) is the only asset she has left.  Sad, and an awful warning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 26, 2019, 02:07:23 PM
    Just cleaned out my computer cabinet. OMG! So much stuff! I pulled out an old printer that wasn't even hooked up so I pulled it out and will toss it. It is very old and probably not compatible with anyone's computer otherwise I would donate it. I was able to hoe out the cabinet of a bag full of stuff to donate. I still have about 30 boxes of labels of assorted sizes and tons of cardstock and various color paper and other odd ball stuff. I bought this metal drawer organizer a while back for under a sink but it didn't fit my bathroom and I was what the heck and I going to do with it. I rehomed it under my computer desk where the printer was and organized some crap. WOW, that feels good. However, I still have way too much stuff! I have downsized about 50% so I will further unload at a later date.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 27, 2019, 07:57:12 AM
    @RoadRunner re: the printer, electronics waste can be really problematic. I'd encourage you to offer it through a free site (people will use parts, etc), or to take it to an electronics recycling place. Most cities have them =)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on February 27, 2019, 08:07:24 AM
    @RoadRunner re: the printer, electronics waste can be really problematic. I'd encourage you to offer it through a free site (people will use parts, etc), or to take it to an electronics recycling place. Most cities have them =)

    If you live near a Best Buy, they take electronics to recycle.  Or at least they do in Canada, so I'm assuming they would in the U.S. too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on February 27, 2019, 08:57:45 AM
    @RoadRunner re: the printer, electronics waste can be really problematic. I'd encourage you to offer it through a free site (people will use parts, etc), or to take it to an electronics recycling place. Most cities have them =)

    If you live near a Best Buy, they take electronics to recycle.  Or at least they do in Canada, so I'm assuming they would in the U.S. too.

    Yes, Best Buy does recycle electronics here in the US too.  I have a box of electronics including a broken printer in my car now, waiting for the next time I have errands in that direction.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 27, 2019, 02:25:04 PM
    I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

    Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

    Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 27, 2019, 03:10:26 PM
    I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

    Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

    Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

    I am no expert on storing shoes but seems they should be allowed to breathe especially if they are leather.

    Why are your clothes moldy? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to figure out how to eliminate the dampness.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 27, 2019, 03:31:57 PM
    I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

    Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

    Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

    I am no expert on storing shoes but seems they should be allowed to breathe especially if they are leather.

    Why are your clothes moldy? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to figure out how to eliminate the dampness.

    It's Sydney humidity combined with poor building practices. Best option is to move cities :)

    We have a heat transfer ventilation system which has improved circulation but if we leave the wardrobe doors shut then it gets bad. It's probably coming through the timber floor since that's the only thing left. Someone (not me) needs to crawl under the house and check the moisture levels since it should be bone dry. There's a foam insulation product you can get sprayed under your floor that can help. It's a long story but I'm not a fan of the one guy who seems to offer that service so that's tricky. In the meantime I vacuum bag my occasion clothes, ski stuff etc. and put dehumidifier packets in the drawers.

    ETA : I even get mildew on saucepans that are stored in a kitchen cupboard against an outside wall. We will be doing a big renovation so was hoping to pinpoint any damp then but it looks like I'll have to get into it earlier. We had our walls filled with insulation and I think it has caused additional problems.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on February 27, 2019, 03:47:35 PM
    I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

    Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

    Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

    I am no expert on storing shoes but seems they should be allowed to breathe especially if they are leather.

    Why are your clothes moldy? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to figure out how to eliminate the dampness.

    It's Sydney humidity combined with poor building practices. Best option is to move cities :)

    We have a heat transfer ventilation system which has improved circulation but if we leave the wardrobe doors shut then it gets bad. It's probably coming through the timber floor since that's the only thing left. Someone (not me) needs to crawl under the house and check the moisture levels since it should be bone dry. There's a foam insulation product you can get sprayed under your floor that can help. It's a long story but I'm not a fan of the one guy who seems to offer that service so that's tricky. In the meantime I vacuum bag my occasion clothes, ski stuff etc. and put dehumidifier packets in the drawers.

    ETA : I even get mildew on saucepans that are stored in a kitchen cupboard against an outside wall. We will be doing a big renovation so was hoping to pinpoint any damp then but it looks like I'll have to get into it earlier. We had our walls filled with insulation and I think it has caused additional problems.

    Without being alarmist, that sounds like more than just Sydney humidity.  When we moved into the Belgrave wreck in Melbourne the whole house was damp.  Yes, it was winter, but it shouldn't be damp inside.  We have found - in no real order:

    With each rectification we could feel the moisture levels in the house drop within a couple of days.  I would be looking for soil against the house, or leaking pipes/drains.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 27, 2019, 04:02:50 PM
    It's a brick house on piles so there shouldn't be the soil or termite problem. Having said that hubby keeps storing wood against the house on the other side. I'm dealing with that. I'll look for leaks but the underfloor of the kitchen is really hard to reach. I guess if I pull out the kickboard I would see internal stuff. We just had the sewer replaced so can't be that. Our water bills are dead low so I don't think it's any incoming pipes.

    We just spent $$$$ with an architect to improve the house and it's better but still needs work. To be honest everywhere we've lived in Sydney has been the same, it's better in this 50s house than when we lived in a new build apartment that had no ventilation. It keeps me minimalist.

    Sorry everyone for the diversion.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 27, 2019, 04:31:42 PM
    It's a brick house on piles so there shouldn't be the soil or termite problem. Having said that hubby keeps storing wood against the house on the other side. I'm dealing with that. I'll look for leaks but the underfloor of the kitchen is really hard to reach. I guess if I pull out the kickboard I would see internal stuff. We just had the sewer replaced so can't be that. Our water bills are dead low so I don't think it's any incoming pipes.

    We just spent $$$$ with an architect to improve the house and it's better but still needs work. To be honest everywhere we've lived in Sydney has been the same, it's better in this 50s house than when we lived in a new build apartment that had no ventilation. It keeps me minimalist.

    Sorry everyone for the diversion.

    You need a professional person to come in and identify where the moisture is coming from. Mold is unhealthy and dangerous to your health. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/an-insidious-mold-31-01-2002/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on February 28, 2019, 01:32:18 AM
    I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

    Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

    Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

    I am no expert on storing shoes but seems they should be allowed to breathe especially if they are leather.

    Why are your clothes moldy? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to figure out how to eliminate the dampness.

    It's Sydney humidity combined with poor building practices. Best option is to move cities :)

    We have a heat transfer ventilation system which has improved circulation but if we leave the wardrobe doors shut then it gets bad. It's probably coming through the timber floor since that's the only thing left. Someone (not me) needs to crawl under the house and check the moisture levels since it should be bone dry. There's a foam insulation product you can get sprayed under your floor that can help. It's a long story but I'm not a fan of the one guy who seems to offer that service so that's tricky. In the meantime I vacuum bag my occasion clothes, ski stuff etc. and put dehumidifier packets in the drawers.

    ETA : I even get mildew on saucepans that are stored in a kitchen cupboard against an outside wall. We will be doing a big renovation so was hoping to pinpoint any damp then but it looks like I'll have to get into it earlier. We had our walls filled with insulation and I think it has caused additional problems.

    Spray foam insulation is potentially DIY-able, although this chap has more skills than most -

    http://manhattan-nest.com/2018/12/07/fall-checklist-diy-spray-foam-insulation-with-dow-froth-pak/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 28, 2019, 02:56:52 PM
    If you have a lightbulb (incandescent) in the closet, keep it on at all times and the heat from it will dry the air, hopefully enough to prevent mild and mildew.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on February 28, 2019, 03:23:04 PM
    Donated a small bag of clothes that hadn't been worn in forever. I usually always have a "goodwill" bag going. I've slowly been going through my book collection.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 01, 2019, 05:24:27 AM
    It's a brick house on piles so there shouldn't be the soil or termite problem. Having said that hubby keeps storing wood against the house on the other side. I'm dealing with that. I'll look for leaks but the underfloor of the kitchen is really hard to reach. I guess if I pull out the kickboard I would see internal stuff. We just had the sewer replaced so can't be that. Our water bills are dead low so I don't think it's any incoming pipes.

    We just spent $$$$ with an architect to improve the house and it's better but still needs work. To be honest everywhere we've lived in Sydney has been the same, it's better in this 50s house than when we lived in a new build apartment that had no ventilation. It keeps me minimalist.

    Sorry everyone for the diversion.

    You need a professional person to come in and identify where the moisture is coming from. Mold is unhealthy and dangerous to your health. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/an-insidious-mold-31-01-2002/

    Do you have a clothes dryer that is vented to the outside or is the vent inside? If inside, that moisture can cause problems. I would buy some small fans and place them facing the areas where you are finding mold to dry up the areas. You could invest in a dehumidifier too. It will suck out the moisture in the air and fill a catch pan with water. Typically it turns off when the pan is full and you will need to empty it. Very effective in drying up damp places. My mother had a musty basement and my husband installed a humidifier. It took a little while but it dried up the basement and that disgusting smell was eliminated. My mom's basement had a drain in the floor so no one needed to empty the dehumidifier. The water trickled down the drain.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 01, 2019, 10:24:45 AM
    Three shopping bags full of odds and sods dropped off at Goodwill this morning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on March 01, 2019, 12:42:09 PM
    As part of my clearing out 5 things every day challenge I shredded checkbooks and registers from old closed out accounts. That felt awesome. Those were our spend-ier years. Nice to have them done and dusted.
    I keep having these thoughts like if something happened to me and DH our kids should NOT have to deal with this stuff.

    ETA changed spendy to spend-ier. We are still spendy in many ways
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chasingthegoodlife on March 01, 2019, 03:15:54 PM
    Great work everyone.

    Fresh Bread that does sound a bit abnormal to me too. My grandmother had similar issues when she was living in an apartment on the Gold Coast - for her I think the building wasn’t built very well and especially the bathroom had terrible ventilation.

    Husband is leaving for a week today and I’m committed to trying the whole Kondo process. My stuff only of course. I’ve listened to the audio book twice now and despite my long held belief that I’m a minimalist I think there will be a big change.

    I struggle most with the waste and consumption side of things. I buy most things secondhand to begin with and if I know something will find another home eg a nice silk scarf or leather bag, it’s easy to send it back out into the world. The initial purchase price was just a donation to charity! But a pilled and worn pair of track pants that are going to landfill and need to be replaced with a new pair? HARD.

    I did my shoes last weekend and ended up with three piles: joy, no joy and ‘so much joy but seriously lady these are falling apart and you need to throw them away’. Still pondering that last category but I deep cleaned the area I store my shoes, put aside the boots that need to go to the cobbler and arranged everything attractively with a new painting on the wall. A lot better.

    But probably the most useful thing I learnt was that my hiking boots were stored in such a difficult spot to access it was unlikely I would ever use them for the short weekend hikes I want to be doing. Have moved them and will see if they get more use.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 01, 2019, 06:59:31 PM
    -Sold a phone (unopened, was a gift) on eBay for $150! Will get it mailed out this week. So happy, as I had no idea it was even there until I started decluttering one of our hall closets.
    -Continue to try & wear clothes that I don't normally wear. If they don't make this cut, they go into the donation pile.
    -Replaced my ski wear that was too small. The last time I bought ski wear was pre-kids, & 15+ years ago. A lot has happened to my body since then, but vanity, pride & $ have prevented me from buying things that fit properly. I still have my ski jacket to go. It's a size S. I'm more of an M/L these days, and fit into it.... barely. That's up next.
    -Got rid of a bunch of junk off of my desk at work, & cleaned out/reorganized my to do list to better focus my time by high priority project
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on March 02, 2019, 03:46:04 AM
    We had a water leak and water was shut off for several days, now back again since yesterday. This could have turned out so much worse, in the end the result indoors is
    - messy because I had to move a lot of crap out from the laundry room so plumbers could work - this should have been taken care of long time ago but it wasn't. Now sits all over the basement area living space (none of it has gotten wet luckily). It's mainly bags of clothes etc to give away and throw away. I was planning to sell some but not a lot of money so I think I'll just focus on getting it out of the house. There was also about a liter (less than half a gallon) of clean water on the floor, which is tiled and waterproofed so no damage, just a quick mopping of the floor.
    - dirty floor because plumber etc of course needed to walk in and out. This I took care of yesterday evening but once all is sorted, I will clean the floors once more <- obviously no big deal
    - need to keep a small lid to an inspection gap open for a couple of weeks to dry out. No big deal, this is in a corner of the basement where we normally don't go. We don't have animals or really small kids so no worry (it is about a feet deep so not dangerous but slightly dirty)
    - need to patch and paint a few holes on the basement wall where the pipes used to run. The pipes have now been moved to a MUCH better route and in the end this area will be much nicer.

    So not too bad - it will force me to get rid of stuff that I should have moved out of the house long ago :-)

    ---

    Outdoors on the other hand... Half of the garden and all of the driveway/parking is a huge hole (I probably need to vent a bit in the garden thread), and there needs to be more digging towards the neighbour... and it will cost money. But we have the money set aside bc we knew about the risk (+100 years old water lines) and we have the best neighbours and really good plumbers etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 02, 2019, 09:33:45 AM

    Outdoors on the other hand... Half of the garden and all of the driveway/parking is a huge hole (I probably need to vent a bit in the garden thread), and there needs to be more digging towards the neighbour... and it will cost money. But we have the money set aside bc we knew about the risk (+100 years old water lines) and we have the best neighbours and really good plumbers etc.

    Given it is winter I am glad they were able to do the digging you needed.  I had an outside pipe replaced last fall before the ground froze, but the grass had no chance to regrow.   Here's to all our lawn and garden areas recovering from plumbing and winter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on March 05, 2019, 06:50:21 AM
    The guest bedroom set has been sold. I'm actually quite sad, as it was a beautiful set, we got it just before we were married (in 2004) and I just loved it.  But we really don't want to utilize the space in our house as a room with a bed that is slept in for 12 nights a year, so we got a murphy bed and will make the room into an office/photography studio.

    I apparently way underpriced it, at $475 (and took $425 from a guy who said he'd be there the next day, and was)- I had 15 messages in 24-hours.  I kind of was thinking of it as a bed with free mattress (aka: Please get this 15 year old mattress out of my house), but apparently everyone on facebook saw an amazing deal...   It cost about $1500 new for the bed and dresser (no idea about the mattress), so I'd say we did OK.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 05, 2019, 07:13:57 AM
    My neighbour is downsizing and has been trying to give me stuff and I have tried to remain strong, but am finding it difficult to continuously say 'no thank you'.  She had some fancy cocktail glasses that weren't my taste but I took them to give to a friend that had a party last year and only had one fancy cocktail glass.  They match her fancy kitchen.  I dropped them off last night and she was thrilled.  One shoebox came into my house and one shoe box left my house.

    I have also sorted through all my seeds.  I have them all sorted.  The oldest seeds that are probably not viable are all together with an elastic.  One part of my garden was really unproductive so I am not going to count on it for food production this year.  Instead I am going to heap it with compost, leaves and straw.  I realized that I could top all the future organic material with a little bit of soil to hold it down and then scatter all this old seed as a green manure and if some of it grows - bonus harvest.  If it doesn't grow well - green manure.  I will just keep testing the germination rate by sprinkling down a few seeds and keeping good records and then I can use up the seed if it is still viable.  Most of the seeds are greens, peas and beans.  None will cause issues for future plantings once I get this soil amped up. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on March 05, 2019, 09:51:37 AM
    Currently seeing my recently widowed neighbour struggle, emotionally and practically, to declutter the family home of 20 years so it can be sold, because they were not mustachian in the least and now the house (less mortgage) is the only asset she has left.  Sad, and an awful warning.

    Neighbour's decluttering finished. More than 100 black bags full and multiple trips to the dump.  If she had done this six months ago the house might have sold.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 05, 2019, 09:55:56 AM
    All the 2015-2018 catalogues are in the recycling.  Three inches of space on the shelf is now free.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 05, 2019, 10:58:03 AM
    I had my first decluttering fail this weekend - had a wonderful idea for a gift to make for MIL for next Christmas, went to find the supplies, and then sadly realized I'd donated or thrown out the potential centerpiece of the item, because I didn't have any use for it at the time :(

    On the other hand, I've contacted the library about donating some board games - one of the local libraries does a weekly adult game night, so I'm hoping they will take them.  Waiting for a call back from them.  I also contacted my school athletics office about donating my old sport equipment to the team, just need to set up a day to go over and drop it off.  And, we finally sorted through the storage locker in the basement, and a number of things have been tossed or added to the donation box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 05, 2019, 07:05:24 PM
    Currently seeing my recently widowed neighbour struggle, emotionally and practically, to declutter the family home of 20 years so it can be sold, because they were not mustachian in the least and now the house (less mortgage) is the only asset she has left.  Sad, and an awful warning.

    Neighbour's decluttering finished. More than 100 black bags full and multiple trips to the dump.  If she had done this six months ago the house might have sold.

    Ouch. Hard to imagine the extent of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 05, 2019, 07:08:34 PM
    The guest bedroom set has been sold. I'm actually quite sad, as it was a beautiful set, we got it just before we were married (in 2004) and I just loved it.  But we really don't want to utilize the space in our house as a room with a bed that is slept in for 12 nights a year, so we got a murphy bed and will make the room into an office/photography studio.

    I apparently way underpriced it, at $475 (and took $425 from a guy who said he'd be there the next day, and was)- I had 15 messages in 24-hours.  I kind of was thinking of it as a bed with free mattress (aka: Please get this 15 year old mattress out of my house), but apparently everyone on facebook saw an amazing deal...   It cost about $1500 new for the bed and dresser (no idea about the mattress), so I'd say we did OK.

    I am hoping to get hubby to agree to a sofabed for our spare room. My dad stayed in it for a week or so and we've had friends stay as per sitters, but they could have easily had our bed. It really could be so much better utilised. We swapped the spare mattress to our bed as ours had got uncomfortable so we are half way there I think. The bed is just an ikea one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on March 06, 2019, 02:11:35 AM
    Currently seeing my recently widowed neighbour struggle, emotionally and practically, to declutter the family home of 20 years so it can be sold, because they were not mustachian in the least and now the house (less mortgage) is the only asset she has left.  Sad, and an awful warning.

    Neighbour's decluttering finished. More than 100 black bags full and multiple trips to the dump.  If she had done this six months ago the house might have sold.

    Ouch. Hard to imagine the extent of it.

    Funny thing is, you could walk round the house and not particularly notice - it wasn't a horder house and is nicely decorated and in good repair.  It does all now look much more like a show house, though.  It has all made me reassess my need to declutter some more, as it demonstrates just how much stuff one ordinary house can contain.  Something close to that "show house" look seems to be the right point to aim for to know that one's decluttering has worked!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on March 06, 2019, 02:24:36 AM
    Got rid of a bag of clothes and a bag of books, bibs, and toys. Gave them to a friend who is single-handedly trying to support his mother, sister, and baby on about $1200/month, so I fee it went to a good cause.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on March 06, 2019, 04:38:17 AM
    The guest bedroom set has been sold. I'm actually quite sad, as it was a beautiful set, we got it just before we were married (in 2004) and I just loved it.  But we really don't want to utilize the space in our house as a room with a bed that is slept in for 12 nights a year, so we got a murphy bed and will make the room into an office/photography studio.

    I apparently way underpriced it, at $475 (and took $425 from a guy who said he'd be there the next day, and was)- I had 15 messages in 24-hours.  I kind of was thinking of it as a bed with free mattress (aka: Please get this 15 year old mattress out of my house), but apparently everyone on facebook saw an amazing deal...   It cost about $1500 new for the bed and dresser (no idea about the mattress), so I'd say we did OK.

    I am hoping to get hubby to agree to a sofabed for our spare room. My dad stayed in it for a week or so and we've had friends stay as per sitters, but they could have easily had our bed. It really could be so much better utilised. We swapped the spare mattress to our bed as ours had got uncomfortable so we are half way there I think. The bed is just an ikea one.

    My house is large. But the idea of a guest room is just so silly. How much does that square footage cost? Just to hold a bed that's empty 95% of the year?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 06, 2019, 12:21:37 PM
    I've had a setback  in the paper decluttering effort: gardening catalogs. I've bought a variety of plants from a couple of nurseries online, and all of them seem determined to both send me a million emails as well as the periodic paper catalog. In addition to that, I'm getting mail from several other companies that I haven't sold.

    Worst part is - while I'm not doing it right now, I will in the future be buying a bunch more plants. So I kinda want at least some of this. In the meantime, recycling bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 06, 2019, 08:14:38 PM
    -Put a shirt I can never figure out how to wear into the donation pile
    -Found the manufacturer's guide to a bike we sold & recycled it
    -Put a couple of books aside for my dad to read, and donated the rest
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on March 06, 2019, 08:39:43 PM
    * outgrown kid shoes gifted
    * outgrown kid shoes donated
    * outgrown kids books weeded for Little Free Libraries/donation
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on March 07, 2019, 12:48:50 PM
    My bossy mom (it’s true and it’s fine!) came over and helped with an audit of Thing #2’s clothes. Packed up a box of outgrown and never worn.

    Also freed up a cheapie chest of drawers that will be useful for storing linens until we can get the moisture out of our linen closet (probably going to have to strip to the studs but oh well).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FunkyStickman on March 07, 2019, 02:47:05 PM
    Went to Best Buy last week and recycled a ton of electronics:
    3 laptops (broken)
    3 tablets (broken)
    8 cell phones (useless or broken)
    and threw out a bunch of busted toys and junk that were in the recycle pile.

    Still have a box of old wifi routers to give away.

    Cleaned out the kids' homeschool science cabinet... gave away 80% of it.

    Feels good.

    *EDIT*

    Totally forgot, today I also gave away an old film camera to a photographer coworker. And my daughter's wrecked car (that has been sitting in my yard for FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS) is finally gone.

    Traded some music effects units (a rack unit and a floor pedal) for a nice set of studio monitor speakers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on March 08, 2019, 02:42:44 AM


    Feels good.





    Ooh I bet that feels good - so much electronic & big stuff! Great job!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tomita on March 08, 2019, 10:30:36 AM
    posted for sale a defective Kitchenaid mixer - for attachments and parts and got an offer, will get cash for it tomorrow, very glad to get rid of as we are not into baking so much anymore and it takes a lot of space  :)
    tried to sell some prints , seemed original to me, but the gallery won't have them :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 08, 2019, 11:11:29 AM
    Yesterday at work, was able to complete a project that had been due in Oct 2018.  The due date I silly, since nobody noticed I had not completed it all this time.  Anyway, it's done now, and the monthly paper checklist for Oct is in the recycle bin, yay!  Only 3 months behind now! :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on March 08, 2019, 02:14:03 PM
    I gave away a wrap I've kept at work all winter.  It was a gift years ago and I have moved it half a dozen times and I have NEVER LIKED IT.  Why do I keep torturing myself with it?  While I was carrying it to the goodwill bag in my car a coworker came by and was delighted to take it off my hands.  Perfect. 

    Today I brought a big blanket scarf in and that will serve as my work wrap. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on March 08, 2019, 02:29:47 PM
    Bag of crib sheets and liners to goodwill. We decided 3 is the right number, we had way too many for baby #1.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 08, 2019, 07:20:23 PM
    Threw 2 shirts that I'd gotten and didn't like, but didn't get my act together to return them into the go away box.

    Also, please observe a moment of silence for my friend, who due to the death of her brother in law today is now going to have to clean out a 4 bedroom house, 3 storage units and a shed that are all crammed full of STUFF. Yes, the BIL was a hoarder, and due to his habit of stashing things everywhere, they're going to have to go through all of it. She estimated that it's going to take a full year.

    I did suggest that she contact Habitat for Humanity and see if they do pick ups - apparently, BIL had a tendency to collect tools and various building supplies.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 09, 2019, 09:11:00 AM
    Threw 2 shirts that I'd gotten and didn't like, but didn't get my act together to return them into the go away box.

    Also, please observe a moment of silence for my friend, who due to the death of her brother in law today is now going to have to clean out a 4 bedroom house, 3 storage units and a shed that are all crammed full of STUFF. Yes, the BIL was a hoarder, and due to his habit of stashing things everywhere, they're going to have to go through all of it. She estimated that it's going to take a full year.

    I did suggest that she contact Habitat for Humanity and see if they do pick ups - apparently, BIL had a tendency to collect tools and various building supplies.

    Your poor friend. I'm sure everyone here truly feels for her situation.

    Estate agents/auction houses?  I've seen sales listed in our area where basically everything non-perishable is in the sale.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 09, 2019, 10:25:46 AM
    Threw 2 shirts that I'd gotten and didn't like, but didn't get my act together to return them into the go away box.

    Also, please observe a moment of silence for my friend, who due to the death of her brother in law today is now going to have to clean out a 4 bedroom house, 3 storage units and a shed that are all crammed full of STUFF. Yes, the BIL was a hoarder, and due to his habit of stashing things everywhere, they're going to have to go through all of it. She estimated that it's going to take a full year.

    I did suggest that she contact Habitat for Humanity and see if they do pick ups - apparently, BIL had a tendency to collect tools and various building supplies.

    Your poor friend. I'm sure everyone here truly feels for her situation.

    Estate agents/auction houses?  I've seen sales listed in our area where basically everything non-perishable is in the sale.

    She doesn't think that'll work, because he stashed important stuff all over. She's planning to start with the storage units as they'll be easier (and it'll cut down the $$ out), and once she knows what they're dealing with will take the least effort path. But the main house will probably be a nightmare.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 09, 2019, 11:15:32 AM
    She doesn't think that'll work, because he stashed important stuff all over. She's planning to start with the storage units as they'll be easier (and it'll cut down the $$ out), and once she knows what they're dealing with will take the least effort path. But the main house will probably be a nightmare.

    Oh, things like important documents, or small valuables?  Yes, in that case they are stuck.

    We cleaned out my in-laws' storage unit after they both died. 50% was garbage and another 40% was just stuff.  I think between the whole family maybe 8 items were kept.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chasingthegoodlife on March 09, 2019, 01:26:25 PM
    How important is the important stuff? I mean, if your sister will miss a few small wads of cash stashed in a desk or suitcase that seems worth a year of her time.

    Most documents will probably be in piles together (guessing here! Your BIL may have had some creative systems) and no one is going to want to buy a box of old papers at an estate sale so they could possibly just be put to the side as they come to light.

    If there are priceless family heirlooms unaccounted for that’s another thing entirely.

    Habitat sounds like a great idea. I’m wishing her luck on her mission.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 10, 2019, 12:05:05 PM
    Interesting thread. My hoarder girlfriend died 2 years ago and I'm left with her stuff.  We had big arguments about her hoarding, and I finally just gave up, and let her hoard to her heart's  content. 

    She had 3 large off site storage units full of junk, at $90 per unit per month. I harvested one old tv and 4 folding chairs, and let the storage facility take everything else. I checked out various ways of selling all the junk, but I decided it wasn't worth it. 

    Here at the  house, it still is a disaster area, but I have tossed/donated/recycled  about one third of it all.   

       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 10, 2019, 03:58:22 PM
    @slackmax - that seems really hard. Do you have a system you're using in the house?

    As for me, I went through two shelves of my pantry today, & organized & tossed a few open bags. Why do the kids always leave the pretzel bag with like two pretzels left, back on the shelf? And, organized my three tier tray where I keep papers & bills. Dealt with all of the things that needed work. Finished our taxes & now have a call tomorrow to finalize. Felt good to get all of that done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 10, 2019, 08:02:42 PM
    Got through a tough one today.  Eons ago, my ex gave me a small basket that was sort of bear shaped and the bear wears a plaid bow tie.  Charming, cute and practical.  Over the years, bear basket has faithfully held my keys and other assorted small items.  In my current apartment, he holds tape and hand sanitizer among other things.  Charming & practical as ever.  Yet he reminds me of my ex, so not ideal.  I realized today I have a very pretty ceramic bowl of similar size that does not function as it should (yarn bowl).  But would be a great and beautiful substitute for bear basket.  So the swap is done.  Bear will find a new home after he goes to the thrift store.

    This was hard because I had mixed feelings. I truly like the basket, but it comes with baggage.  So much easier to let that go once I had a substitute.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on March 11, 2019, 05:37:40 AM
    Consignment sale drop-off is done....finally.  I filled all 200 slots I was allotted in the sale with clothes that my kid had outgrown.  There are some things that I will get back at the end, mostly things like diapers or college football shirts that have a better chance of selling in the fall), but about 150 of those items are gone for good.  Of course, the kiddo picks this weekend to ask when he's going to get a brother or sister.  "Sorry, that's probably not in the cards for you.  Wouldn't you rather have a puppy?"  I'm feeling a bit...conflicted.  I'm 99.9% sure that I'm done having kids.  I'm not even one of those people who's very sentimental over my baby not being a baby anymore.  But getting rid of his little clothes, and the diapers especially, seems so...final. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on March 11, 2019, 06:13:20 AM
    I got rid of a set of taekwondo sparring pads I haven't used in 3.5 years.  I found them last month when I was looking for a duffel bag to use for my hospital go-bag for labor.  Such a silly thing to store for 3+ years. 

    My nesting brain has apparently decided our catch-all basement room is the room to declutter before there's a baby, probably because it also contains the dresser that's full of all of our saved baby clothes so I'm down there more often than I used to be.  I brought two small boxes of random things (file folders, candle jars, tea lights, an empty journal, etc), some TV trays, a toddler chair that always tips over, and an extremely old sewing machine to the ARC - holy crap do they have a lot of stuff right now.  Like, I almost want to just store my crap for longer and spread out my donations so they don't automatically go into the trash. 

    I also have a bunch of clothes to get rid of.  My church does a clothes swap every Feb/March, so they were all packed up in anticipation for last weekend, but then it got pushed to some future date that works better for more people.  I'm guessing I'll just have DH drop off the clothes - I'm due in 1 week and 2 days, so PROBABLY any future reschedule will be at a bad time for me.  Maybe it'll be a nice way to get out of the house, though, who knows?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on March 11, 2019, 07:01:50 AM
    Slowing down on the decluttering, but managed to get another bag to Goodwill.

    The hardest part is recognizing that the baby clothes have zero value. It takes too long to sell them, even at a dime a piece in lots, on facebook. (People will literally post "100 baby clothes- $12". They just need to go.  But that's hard for me to do.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 11, 2019, 02:12:50 PM
    @slackmax - that seems really hard. Do you have a system you're using in the house?

    As for me, I went through two shelves of my pantry today, & organized & tossed a few open bags. Why do the kids always leave the pretzel bag with like two pretzels left, back on the shelf? And, organized my three tier tray where I keep papers & bills. Dealt with all of the things that needed work. Finished our taxes & now have a call tomorrow to finalize. Felt good to get all of that done.

    MaybeBaby,

    My system at first was to dig into the mountain, and finds bag after bag of paper clutter - bills, bank statements, leaflets, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets,etc, and get about 5 pounds sorted out, and look over all the possibly important papers, keep the important stuff, and take the rest down to recycling.

    Each trip to recycling was a couple shopping bags of paper clutter dumped into the bin. About 5 to 10 pounds each trip. Felt good. Did about 30 trips to recycling and now all the 'easy' decluttering is done.

    The hard stuff is all the knick knacks she collected, and hundreds of unworn clothing items, craft stuff,  some electronics here and there. And about a thousand books! paperbacks and hardback. 

    My problem now is that almost everything now seems to have a monetary value, even if very low, and giving it away or tossing it is hard. A beautiful scarf is worth $1 at a garage sale, I guess.  Hard for me to donate it to Goodwill. Although I have donated a lot of decent stuff of hers to Goodwill already, just to prove to myself I can do it, and not feel bad about it.   

    Right now I'm waiting for our annual neighborhood yard sale. That's my excuse for not decluttering more. I'll put out all sorts of knicknacks for $1 each, card stock (paper) for a half-cent per sheet, perfume for $1 a bottle, Avon lotions and makeup for $1 per item, wicker baskets for $2 each (40 wicker baskets!) and a few clothing items just for kicks, books for $1 each, dvd's and vhs tapes $1 each.   And on and on and on.   

    But the yard sale is months away, and when I get bored, I still declutter. My new system is to  select an area, perhaps one specific closet, and tear all the hoarded stuff out, that's packed tightly from top to bottom, and look for any obvious junk I can throw out (and I usually find some)  and  box some of it up in a  box labeled 'yardsale'.  About half of the closet stuff gets put back in the closet.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 12, 2019, 04:56:39 AM
    Finally got rid of a bag of sports equipment that's been following me from apartment to apartment and not been used once since college.  I decided to donate it to my college program, since they offer a class for beginners for athletic credit in addition to the varsity team.  It was a bit of a drive to drop it off, but I know it will be used, unlike if I donated at a thrift store, and it was an excuse to catch up with my old coach as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 12, 2019, 01:03:10 PM
    @slackmax - sorry for your loss.  You have an extra layer of difficulty there in getting rid of her possessions.  Just wanted to share my experiences with garage sales (LOTS of them).  I found that no matter how low the price, people will always ask if you'll take less.  Some had the audacity to offer literally a dime on a dollar item!  And then you'll only sell 20% of the stuff if you're lucky  Unless you like to meet lots of people and have some interesting chats, in my opinion, garage sales just aren't worth it, with all the setting up and deciding on prices.  Not to mention packing it all back up again.  Now, I just give stuff away, to people I know if possible, or to charity garage sales.  Anything over $50 I try to sell online.  Way easier.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on March 12, 2019, 01:05:18 PM
    Guys, major binge-worthy youtube series: check out Curiosity Inc's channel. This guy bought a hoarder house two months ago. First few episodes are of him cleaning it out and finding lots of cool stuff for his antique shop. Then doing up the house and getting to know the previous owner, who is a 104 year old woman who was a potter. Her pottery was in galleries world wide. She's now considered for the Order of Canada for her contributions to the country. She couldn't deal with the hoard and sold the house as-is, contents and all. The guy finds all sorts of cool old stuff in the house.

    Anyway if you want to binge on a Hoarder-like series with some home reno thrown in, start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb4SpyeH5IQ

    It's so addictive to watch. It's an ongoing series btw, ep 9 was just put online today. I'm already rewatching.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chasingthegoodlife on March 12, 2019, 01:41:09 PM
    Will definitely check it out, sounds fascinating!

    My own update: I’m still working my way through the konmari process. So far I’ve done clothes, books, papers (both of ours), jewellery and electronics. I thought I was quite minimalist already but I’ve let go of so much in the last week and it feels great.

    The filing cabinet is now empty and will be given away, as all our documents fit in four slim document boxes on our bookshelf. I’ve got a few ideas about how I can rejig the guest room to be a relaxing space for me to exercise and work on my projects.

    I’m still holding on to two pairs of shoes that  are ready for the bin until I can buy some more but apart from that I have really gotten rid of all the stained, torn, faded clothes that are no long appropriate for out of the house wear, with the exception of three comfy gardening/renovation outfits that I enjoy wearing for that purpose. I’ll probably be washing more often after this, but I think I’ll be feeling a lot better about how I look and how I present myself at work.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on March 12, 2019, 07:23:00 PM
    Finally got 4 bags of clothing and knicknacks, an old coffee maker,  and a hat gone to Goodwill. Most of this was left by previous housemates, so it's nice to have gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 13, 2019, 04:08:40 AM
    I'm finding myself decluttering my work desk again, for sad reasons.

    My department has been sold, and we move to our new offices in less than two weeks.

    It will mean breaking up my tight-knit team (two of these people have worked together for 18 years).

    So I am - very sadly - tossing papers and donating books ahead of the office move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 13, 2019, 06:25:29 AM
    @slackmax - sorry for your loss.  You have an extra layer of difficulty there in getting rid of her possessions.  Just wanted to share my experiences with garage sales (LOTS of them).  I found that no matter how low the price, people will always ask if you'll take less.  Some had the audacity to offer literally a dime on a dollar item!  And then you'll only sell 20% of the stuff if you're lucky  Unless you like to meet lots of people and have some interesting chats, in my opinion, garage sales just aren't worth it, with all the setting up and deciding on prices.  Not to mention packing it all back up again.  Now, I just give stuff away, to people I know if possible, or to charity garage sales.  Anything over $50 I try to sell online.  Way easier.

    SunnyDays,

    Yeah, I don't look forward to the yard sale, as I'm an introvert. If I could just get 'anything' for the stuff, if I could just sell it all to another yardsaler for $10 or something, that would be great.     

    Oh well, I can practice my people skills and maybe meet some new people in the process.

    When my girlfriend was alive, I used to tell her to imagine all of her clutter just disappearing and if she would miss any of it.



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on March 13, 2019, 07:02:27 AM
    Yeah, I don't look forward to the yard sale, as I'm an introvert. If I could just get 'anything' for the stuff, if I could just sell it all to another yardsaler for $10 or something, that would be great.     



    Can you list it in large "must take all" lots for super cheap on facebook market? 
    I pretty much never think yard sales are worth the effort.

    I'm sorry for your loss.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 14, 2019, 06:38:38 AM
    Yeah, I don't look forward to the yard sale, as I'm an introvert. If I could just get 'anything' for the stuff, if I could just sell it all to another yardsaler for $10 or something, that would be great.     



    Can you list it in large "must take all" lots for super cheap on facebook market? 
    I pretty much never think yard sales are worth the effort.

    I'm sorry for your loss.

    Thanks.  I'm not a Facebook fan, but I do like Craigslist. Have had some luck selling stuff there before.  Maybe the bulk tactic would work there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 14, 2019, 11:49:04 PM
    Watching the Curiosity Inc show and got a sympathy dust-headache by halfway through the first episode.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 15, 2019, 06:48:10 AM
    I'm sloooowly going through my clothes and paring down a bit.  I did a fast pass through it all a few months ago and got the obvious stuff, but now I'm going drawer by drawer and weeding out further.  This week I went through my sock/undies drawer and my sweatpants/sleepwear and pulled a few things.  Going to try to do my t-shirts this evening.

    I also finally heard back from the library that they will accept donated board games, so I'll be able to drop those off in the next few days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on March 15, 2019, 01:06:17 PM
    Watching the Curiosity Inc show and got a sympathy dust-headache by halfway through the first episode.

    lol yeah I understand! At one point it gets to -40 F and of course there's no heating in the house. This guy is seriously a trooper, donates or resells anything he can and the house is starting to look fantastic with upcycled stuff found everywhere. Keep watching :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 15, 2019, 01:46:43 PM
    Guys, major binge-worthy youtube series: check out Curiosity Inc's channel. This guy bought a hoarder house two months ago. First few episodes are of him cleaning it out and finding lots of cool stuff for his antique shop. Then doing up the house and getting to know the previous owner, who is a 104 year old woman who was a potter. Her pottery was in galleries world wide. She's now considered for the Order of Canada for her contributions to the country. She couldn't deal with the hoard and sold the house as-is, contents and all. The guy finds all sorts of cool old stuff in the house.

    Anyway if you want to binge on a Hoarder-like series with some home reno thrown in, start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb4SpyeH5IQ

    It's so addictive to watch. It's an ongoing series btw, ep 9 was just put online today. I'm already rewatching.

    Thanks so much for posting this.  I had heard the story about "Adam", and the Bambi film cell, but didn't know about Mary's house.  So interesting to watch.  I did all 9 episodes in one evening - stayed up until 2 a.m. to do that - good job I'm retired!  I'm working my way through some of his other videos too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on March 16, 2019, 03:32:19 AM
    Guys, major binge-worthy youtube series: check out Curiosity Inc's channel. This guy bought a hoarder house two months ago. First few episodes are of him cleaning it out and finding lots of cool stuff for his antique shop. Then doing up the house and getting to know the previous owner, who is a 104 year old woman who was a potter. Her pottery was in galleries world wide. She's now considered for the Order of Canada for her contributions to the country. She couldn't deal with the hoard and sold the house as-is, contents and all. The guy finds all sorts of cool old stuff in the house.

    Anyway if you want to binge on a Hoarder-like series with some home reno thrown in, start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb4SpyeH5IQ

    It's so addictive to watch. It's an ongoing series btw, ep 9 was just put online today. I'm already rewatching.

    Thanks so much for posting this.  I had heard the story about "Adam", and the Bambi film cell, but didn't know about Mary's house.  So interesting to watch.  I did all 9 episodes in one evening - stayed up until 2 a.m. to do that - good job I'm retired!  I'm working my way through some of his other videos too.

    Yes, I saw the Bambi film cell story! This guy is just top quality. I think he wants to turn the Potters House into a museum when it's done. And so satisfying to see everything rescued from the house, cleaned and sold on from his shop. In my mind, this is true materialism: having deep respect for the items that exist around us - as opposed to an unbridled want for new and more stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 16, 2019, 11:20:45 AM
    Guys, major binge-worthy youtube series: check out Curiosity Inc's channel. This guy bought a hoarder house two months ago. First few episodes are of him cleaning it out and finding lots of cool stuff for his antique shop. Then doing up the house and getting to know the previous owner, who is a 104 year old woman who was a potter. Her pottery was in galleries world wide. She's now considered for the Order of Canada for her contributions to the country. She couldn't deal with the hoard and sold the house as-is, contents and all. The guy finds all sorts of cool old stuff in the house.

    Anyway if you want to binge on a Hoarder-like series with some home reno thrown in, start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb4SpyeH5IQ

    It's so addictive to watch. It's an ongoing series btw, ep 9 was just put online today. I'm already rewatching.

    Thanks so much for posting this.  I had heard the story about "Adam", and the Bambi film cell, but didn't know about Mary's house.  So interesting to watch.  I did all 9 episodes in one evening - stayed up until 2 a.m. to do that - good job I'm retired!  I'm working my way through some of his other videos too.

    Yes, I saw the Bambi film cell story! This guy is just top quality. I think he wants to turn the Potters House into a museum when it's done. And so satisfying to see everything rescued from the house, cleaned and sold on from his shop. In my mind, this is true materialism: having deep respect for the items that exist around us - as opposed to an unbridled want for new and more stuff.

    I love that he also kept all the family photos and papers for the family.  He could have so easily just turfed it, but instead sorted it and gave it all back to the family.   I can't wait to see what he ends up giving the town museum to represent Mary and her work.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: innkeeper77 on March 17, 2019, 12:04:34 AM
    This past month of de-cluttering has been going well! Most of this junk took a significant amount of moving van space when we moved into this house, and was not touched since then.... our next move will be much easier.

    A large box of electronics has been dropped off at a city e-recycling day (Broken car radio, old hard drives, busted fans, a trashed and stripped laptop, bulky/hard to unload things like that)
    Literal garbage (old business venture materials, etc, which have zero resale market and I couldn't give away for free) - five garbage bags full- is gone
    A second entire car load of misc good condition "junk" and clothing is ready to go to the resale shop after the first load a few weeks ago.
    TWO old dressers were taken away from our porch with minimal hassle (Thanks craigslist free section!) - DW and I now share a dresser!
    "Junk drawer" bits and parts for an old hobby- 2 large boxes worth- gone for $60
    And a piece of equipment from a failed business venture just sold on ebay for almost $1000! Even after 50lbs of shipping, that is well over $800.

    We still have "stuff", but the house is beginning to feel bare, and we will be able to stage it to sell with minimal effort. The guest bedroom (when not staging the resale shop load) is empty, and the office is close to empty aside from the computers. Our master bedroom now holds less stuff than my old rooms from when I lived alone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 17, 2019, 06:27:43 AM
    Brought a bag-o-books down to the library. Previously checked on internet to see if I could resell any online to 'buyback' places. Out of 10 books, all were worth zero, except one self-help book that was worth 16 cents.

    Happily donated the 10 books to the library.

    Also brought a bag-o-junk (said in jest) to Good Will. I'm sure they will put out at least half of it for sale. If they toss the rest, so be it.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: adamsputnik on March 17, 2019, 03:13:54 PM
    I went back through my closet after cleaning it out five or six months ago. Found even more stuff to get rid of or donate, including the forgotten tubs of sweaters lurking under the bed.

    I also reorganised my dresser drawers to help aid in the clean out. Definitely all seems to be easier to find stuff now, and the closet doesn't seem nearly as cluttered.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 17, 2019, 07:16:53 PM
    Spontaneously decluttered a 4-foot tall cat scratch post last night.  As a friend was packing up to go home, my eye fell on the post and I said, "that's the post I offered you the other day, that you didn't think would work."  She looked it over and changed her mind, so we loaded it into her car an today her cat has a nice, new sturdy and stable perch!  Yay!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on March 18, 2019, 07:52:06 AM
    I'd consider the consignment sale a success.  Sold 104 things (mostly kid's clothes) and donated ~60 pieces that didn't sell.  I did get about 35 pieces back that were either rejected for being "out of season" or that I think have a decent chance of selling in the fall.  Made about $200....which promptly paid the contractor to finish the bathroom that DH has been working on for MONTHS now. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on March 18, 2019, 08:14:44 AM
    Listed two small pieces of furniture on facebook marketplace. Hopefully they sell quickly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JanetJackson on March 19, 2019, 07:40:17 AM
    Quick update: I just moved, but it facilitated taking one giant hatchback load of stuff to the local donation store.  It felt good.  I did it with very little thinking, which helps.

    I also scraped together a few furniture solutions with things I already have/things I found in the shed rather than buying. 
    The only thing I have purchased furniture-wise is a craigslist sofa.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on March 19, 2019, 07:48:34 AM
    Sold the console table yesterday- $20 in about half an hour :)  (Listed for $25)

    I need to take the giant bag of baby clothes to goodwill. I hate sending clothes to goodwill, as most of it goes to waste (hopefully fabric recyclers) and this is all good; but no one else will take it out of season).  A friend gave me newborn clothes- all NB or 0 size (her baby is only 8 weeks). There were at least 200 outfits in there. I kept 15, which is likely more than I need, since I already had a lot on hand.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 19, 2019, 10:49:25 AM
    Posted some stuff on Craigslist 3 days ago.  No responses! There's still hope, though.

    Brought six perfectly functional but ugly and superfluous pots and pans down to the recycling place.  Forced myself to do it. 

    Going to Goodwill later on today with a plastic bag full of old china used for camping in the old days. Fully usable, but just unneeded. Some of it was so filthy I just threw it out instead of washing it. (Pats self on back for ruthlessly tossing it!)  I did wash the rest of it, and dried it and stacked it up in the plastic bag for Goodwill. All this decluttering is time-consuming, isn't it?

    Also bringing a small bag of baby clothes to Goodwill.

    Lost my flashlight somehow, making it harder to see under the stairway which is where I am decluttering now.   

    All this work and my house is still a disaster area, but posting here is therapeutic.
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on March 19, 2019, 05:56:33 PM
    I have been doing some de-cluttering but due to a toxic work situation, I don't have a lot of energy for anything. Last week I was informed that they will most likely let some of us go and I was one of those who received notice. This is pure joy from my side so no need to feel sorry for me. Tomorrow I get to know more.

    If things go as planned/union recommended, I will have a couple of months on garden leave/minimal work from home handover during two months, starting April 1st. I expect this will do wonders for my de-cluttering situation :-).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on March 19, 2019, 07:07:08 PM
    You are going to declutter that job and move on to something better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on March 20, 2019, 11:53:31 AM
    All this decluttering is time-consuming, isn't it?

    So true! I call it "unshopping".

    I can see how some hoarders get started. Begin with a conscientious, high-throughput kind of person, like me.  I want to rehome things, but nobody wants board games with pieces missing (I know those parts are somewhere around), or appliances that don't work (I could fix it if I had the time to find a part), or incomplete craft items (I just have to get a little more yarn of the right color to finish that project) etc.  So decluttering is harder than the original act of acquisition. For a while one can keep up, but when one slows down with age or gets ill, decluttering slows or stops, and then one has a hoard.

    My goal is to reduce the number of items we possess overall by the time I get old, so this doesn't happen to me. 

    I decluttered three big bags of kids' books, and now my children's bookshelves look great and are easy to use without books lying horizontally on top of the others.  We found nine duplicates and two triplicates of books!  I hate it when they get gifts of things they already own, and then open them up so they can't be regifted/returned.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 20, 2019, 02:29:24 PM
    Today is capsule wardrobe swap day aka look at the clothes you packed away and may/may not have missed day. I have a donation bag at the ready.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on March 20, 2019, 04:42:32 PM
    You are going to declutter that job and move on to something better.

    Yes, that is absolutely true. Currently I feel so excited. I have about 4-5 hour work to do tomorrow (from home as it will be phone and computer only). Fri-Sun off. Then five full days in office Mon-Fri and then I am out :-D.

    Today I sold two very nice baby blankets. My youngest is 6,5 now... Really nice (highly pregnant) lady buying got a really good price on a high quality woolen blanket, and I am happy those much beloved blankets will come to a good home. I also asked if she wanted some pieces of clothing for the cute 2-yr old she brought along so I managed to unload a jacket and a wind stopper fleece as well. So happy about that and so was she.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 21, 2019, 06:32:34 AM
    I'm still digging through the place under the first floor stairs. And I still haven't found my darn flashlight. But I did find a great little flashlight for $1 at Walmart! Works great. 

    Found a bunch of kid toys, some nice clothes, some awful old moldy, mouse chewn cloth of some sort (blanket?) and some random plastic parts of toys.

    Will take kid toys to Goodwill, the nice clothes also to Goodwill (hate to do it but too much hassle to sell), toss the random toy parts (easy to do) and recycle the mouse chewn fabric at the recycling center. It's heavy, weighs about 5 pounds. Good to get rid of it.   

    I'm spending a lot of time on this.   I have to force myself to do it. I look at the clock, and work at decluttering for a half-hour, then reassess. Usually keep going until an hour is done, then feel good about things, making progress, and stop.

    Now that I think about it, one hour a day decluttering is not that much!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on March 21, 2019, 10:36:36 AM
    One of my housemates has started to clear out her room a little and has put two bags of clothes out to be taken to Goodwill. I am very proud of her -- she used to have her own apartment and so owns a lot of stuff (and keeps buying new stuff despite having much less space now). Getting rid of stuff is a big step for her and I'm happy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 22, 2019, 05:12:29 PM
    I have a bag of clothes for the Vinnies, 2 books for the street library and for some reason am ready to get rid of 90% of my remaining cds as we have no way to play them other than the car.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 22, 2019, 05:58:15 PM
    Finally got DH to sit down with me and go through a bin and duffel bag that we were storing in the basement storage.  Wound up tossing almost everything into the donate box, just a few things he wanted to keep that need to find proper homes.  And a big pile of electronics waste/computer parts to go to the electronics recycling.  Fortunately, I hadn't made the trip yet with my broken printer, so they can all go together.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 23, 2019, 07:40:51 AM
    Found hundreds of great vinyl albums under the stairs. Blew off the dust on top, and brought them all upstairs and put them next to the record player. I had decluttered around the record player last year, so I now had some room for them.

    Moving the albums is not decluttering, but at least they will be in a better climate. Less mold-inducing. They do have a musty odor, but seem to be fine, sound great still. 

    As far as the other junk under the stairs, have been able to recycle 2 old rotting moving boxes, and recycled/ threw out  a lot of the junk in them. Will end up putting back about 25% of the 'junk' since it has sentimental value. So, a 75% success rate here, I guess.

    It's unbelievable how much time I have to take on this stuff. I have to (choose to, actually) think about just about everything I find, and reminisce about it, before deciding what to do with it. I don't photograph it, thank God. I'm not that bad, ha ha.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 23, 2019, 10:59:22 PM
    I came into a dozen gorgeous recipe books through work and put them aside for a friend.

    Finally caught up with her and handed them over.

    I also threw out a pair of work pants that were well and truly past it. (Still trying to replace them, as the company stopped making this style - black, stretchy, skinny leg suit pants with belt loops and real pockets.)

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on March 24, 2019, 09:24:02 AM
    I always gave my kids toys and clothes to foster homes because they are hard on toys.   We are older now and I definitely won’t be leaving a mess behind.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on March 24, 2019, 10:26:21 AM
    Finally got rid of the clothes I chose to purge at the beginning of January. It was too much for public transportation, so I waited until my wife went through a pile she wanted to clean, and we got a Lyft to goodwill to get rid of everything at once. It feels so good to have that corner of the room back.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: gaja on March 24, 2019, 12:13:41 PM
    The school has agreed to let me and a few other parents use the gymnasium to organize a community clothes and sports equipment swap/sale in a couple of weeks. Hope it works out well, we don't have a lot of time for preparation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 24, 2019, 01:08:07 PM
    The school has agreed to let me and a few other parents use the gymnasium to organize a community clothes and sports equipment swap/sale in a couple of weeks. Hope it works out well, we don't have a lot of time for preparation.
    Great idea.  That is how we got all our bikes as kids.  Sell your outgrown kid's bike, buy someone else's outgrown kids bike.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 24, 2019, 01:36:28 PM
    4 more handbags to add to the Vinnies pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 24, 2019, 08:21:46 PM
    -Donated two pair of barely used soccer cleats. The kids feet grew before they got any use. Sports gear is hard to come by where we live, so hopefully it will make someone happy.
    -Tried to use one of my baking pans in the oven, only to discover it's too big. The oven won't close. We moved two years ago, so this is not one of my favorites, but I was surprised to see that the oven won't shut with it. Into the donation pile it went.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 25, 2019, 07:02:09 AM
    Just unhooked a big bulky printer/scanner that I can't seem to get to work on my computer. I have widows 10 and I think this dinosaur is incompatible. I am donating it to the Vietnam Vets. It is nice and hardly used when I had it hooked up to an older computer. Printers are cheap sooooo, if I really need a second one, I can buy another.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 25, 2019, 07:58:05 AM
    Went through my stash of seed starting stuff and some it is so old that the plastic just crumbles at touch.  Why am I storing it?  Gone into the bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JanetJackson on March 25, 2019, 07:58:12 AM
    Gave away a tall white cabinet that was in my kitchen when I moved in.  I had to condense everything into the current cabinets, but it was just fine and helped me sort some kitchen items into my donation box and get that big lumbering "pantry" out of there.  Now my kitchen, which I perceived as "very small" seems pretty average or larger than average size. 
    It's a 1940's kitchen, so just two big tall upper cabinets and two lower cabinets, but really, that's probably all that I need.

    Also decluttered my "catch all" room a bit this weekend too.  I've got a big copier box about 1/2 full of donations at this point, and growing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on March 25, 2019, 05:39:40 PM
    Kon Maried literally thousands of books in anticipation of Baby #4. Simply can’t keep up with any extra maintenance, organizing, furniture. “Can’t clean a messy house” and all that. I cried hysterically several times during the process (hormones!) but I accept that it’s for the best and I’ve resolved to go work out or write when I feel the impulse to thrift.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 25, 2019, 09:02:35 PM
    I had two free hours this morning and went headfirst into the mystery top shelves of both wardrobes. I have reorganised everything, found stuff to chuck and donate,  making space to store what was under the spare room bed. I'm now reorganising the hanging space and shelving so that we can store what is lying about on surfaces and the floor. THEN we can get rid of the spare bed and start using the space.

    I have found during my sorting that hubs has NINE backpacks/ water packs!! More than I have shoes!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 25, 2019, 09:51:38 PM
    Very short and neat video on minimalism and thinking about what it is for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pJxMEeezSI
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on March 25, 2019, 10:38:50 PM
    Finally passed on a few "too precious to give to Goodwill" clothes and toys, including a beloved rocking horse, to my baby niece.

    Got rid of a combination changing table/dresser; but now as a result we are one dresser short. There is going to be a dresser cascade whereby my mother gives me one of her dressers, I pass mine to my eldest son, he passes his to his brother, and so forth.  But in the meantime there are huge maddening piles of clothing lying about.

    Note to self: declutter containers last, not first.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on March 26, 2019, 09:40:04 AM
    I have climbed Paperwork Mountain!

    Went through scads of paperwork in both Staring You In The Face and Taunting You places and in Cleverly Hidden so You've Mostly Forgotten it Exists locations.  Some particularly old gems I unearthed: library card from 30+ years ago, provisional drivers license from 25 years ago, title to the car we are going to get rid of this month (complete lucky chance - weren't aware it wasn't in the car).  There is admittedly still a small pile to deal with relocating/reorganizing, but I recycled pounds of paperwork.  Bought new folders to replace the 20+ year old ones that were falling apart and reorganized what was left in a hopefully easier to maintain way.  Have reclaimed: two file boxes previously so stuffed full I couldn't go through them, a table, shelf in the top of a closet, shelf in the basement.

    Alas there are a few more Cleverly Hidden so You've Mostly Forgotten it Exists locations to be targeted, but I needed some positive reinforcement here before soldiering on.  Alas, the worst part of doing a really good cleanout, is realizing how much stuff there is left in some of the Unused Parts of the House.

    I have also separately defeated the Master Bathroom Cabinet Monster during my son's glorious 3.5 hour nap on Saturday.  Using willpower muscles developed from the Great Paperwork Declutter, I ruthlessly purged old makeup, medications, skin regime treatments, nail polish, etc. and discovered the floor of the cabinet again.  Pretty sure we don't need to buy razors for 5+ years with the stash I collected.

    Per the video posting by mspym, it's interesting to think through WHY I am decluttering:
    - To not lose critical items and correspondingly find my things easier/faster (save money/time)
    - To not clean/reorganize stuff as much (save time/energy)
    - To be as restful at home as I am on vacation.  i.e. To not see a "to do" list when I look around my home (save energy)
    => To save time, money, and energy for what I value more.

    Why do you want to declutter?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: honeybbq on March 26, 2019, 01:43:44 PM
    Very short and neat video on minimalism and thinking about what it is for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pJxMEeezSI

    Hmm. I like the questions she poses but seems like she spends most of her time being bored. LOL.

    I mean, if you only have 1 coffee cup you can't even have a friend over for coffee. Maybe she doesn't *want* to do that...  I dunno.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Andrew9141 on March 26, 2019, 05:32:23 PM
    For some extra motivation to others.

    I grew up in a family of "organized hoarders". I was never allowed to throw anything away for fear that we may need that item some day.

    So, naturally I followed suit as an adult. It wasn't until recently where I ran into a concept of minimalism. Minimalism is about possessing only the things that either create utility value or bring joy to your life. I was so fascinated by the idea that I took it to the extreme. I threw away about 90% of everything that I owned. It was one of the most satisfying and fun things I ever did, some of the things I was even able to donate away which only brought more fun and satisfaction. Admittedly I have slowly started accumulating a few more items as extreme minimalism is not the answer. However, I still hold true that the quality of my life has vastly improved since decluttering my junk. My wallet has also benefited greatly. I estimate that I was able to increase my savings rate by an additional 10% due to the consequences of decluttering my life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 26, 2019, 05:35:01 PM
    Very short and neat video on minimalism and thinking about what it is for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pJxMEeezSI

    Hmm. I like the questions she poses but seems like she spends most of her time being bored. LOL.

    I mean, if you only have 1 coffee cup you can't even have a friend over for coffee. Maybe she doesn't *want* to do that...  I dunno.
    Ah, maybe it's personal style but I read her as having Resting Po Face so it was cracking me up.
    : )
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 27, 2019, 07:36:03 AM
    OMG, I got a response to one of my many decluttering items for sale on Craigslist. Hoping for the best!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: hdatontodo on March 27, 2019, 06:03:34 PM
    I trimmed my stuff when I moved out of the marital home, when I moved out of my apt, and after I moved into my townhouse. I got some medical news that prompted me to go through stuff again to find things to sell (my tub of bike stuff, accessories for an outdoor hobby, videos, an armoire, side-table, a TV table, etc.) My sister said that I was holding my own estate sale. I got over $1K in sales, and have a number of $10-20 items on eBay that an executor would just take to Goodwill in order to get the house on the market quickly.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 27, 2019, 06:54:51 PM
    I trimmed my stuff when I moved out of the marital home, when I moved out of my apt, and after I moved into my townhouse. I got some medical news that prompted me to go through stuff again to find things to sell (my tub of bike stuff, accessories for an outdoor hobby, videos, an armoire, side-table, a TV table, etc.) My sister said that I was holding my own estate sale. I got over $1K in sales, and have a number of $10-20 items on eBay that an executor would just take to Goodwill in order to get the house on the market quickly.

    Sorry about your health news but glad the sales have gone well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 27, 2019, 06:59:39 PM
    There is a massive fire at a storage facility nearby today. Everything inside will be lost. It will obviously be upsetting and there will be businesses affected, but I can't help think that for some people it might be a relief of a burden.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 27, 2019, 07:08:22 PM
    This week I have trimmed a bunch of craft stuff and cushions that we no longer like or need, and those things are bulky! Hubby has donated an unwanted new cap.

    I am having trouble squeezing a spare pillow into the wardrobe, so I'm thinking I bin it and if someone needs to stay, buy one? I might still find space if I pare down our linen.

    I struggle to chuck out linen that is good enough for us but not to donate. I will take it to fabric recycling I guess (eventually).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 27, 2019, 10:48:19 PM
    I have climbed Paperwork Mountain!

    Went through scads of paperwork in both Staring You In The Face and Taunting You places and in Cleverly Hidden so You've Mostly Forgotten it Exists locations. 

    Alas there are a few more Cleverly Hidden so You've Mostly Forgotten it Exists locations to be targeted, but I needed some positive reinforcement here before soldiering on

    Way to go, @Captain FIRE !  Well I know the Taunting You paperwork piles.  It is not an effective motivational tool, though.


    Very short and neat video on minimalism and thinking about what it is for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pJxMEeezSI

    Hmm. I like the questions she poses but seems like she spends most of her time being bored. LOL.

    I mean, if you only have 1 coffee cup you can't even have a friend over for coffee. Maybe she doesn't *want* to do that...  I dunno.
    Ah, maybe it's personal style but I read her as having Resting Po Face so it was cracking me up.
    : )

    I got the sense that she was keeping her vivaciousness under wraps. (What is resting Po face?)

    It was interesting that she questioned: why do you want to have 5 pairs of shoes?  I have not put a quantity on many of my items outside of clothing, but it's always tied to function.  I have 4 pairs of slacks and one pair of jeans and five cardigans; this gets me through the work week (for example). 

    But overall I declutter/minimize because I feel the burden of having excess stuff keenly.  It actually bogs down my mental process at all times. Since I have been living on my own and reducing my belongings, I feel better able to handle Life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 28, 2019, 12:42:25 AM
    @oneday "Definition of po-faced. British. : having an assumed solemn, serious, or earnest expression or manner : piously or hypocritically solemn." generally for comic effect
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on March 28, 2019, 04:38:47 AM
    @oneday "Definition of po-faced. British. : having an assumed solemn, serious, or earnest expression or manner : piously or hypocritically solemn." generally for comic effect

    It's obvious I have a kid because my first thought was Po from Kung Fu Panda.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on March 28, 2019, 07:51:15 AM
    The school has agreed to let me and a few other parents use the gymnasium to organize a community clothes and sports equipment swap/sale in a couple of weeks. Hope it works out well, we don't have a lot of time for preparation.

    Tip, see if you can arrange some sort of pickup for leftovers. My church has an annual tag sale and there are usually a lot of remainders. We deal with this many ways, such as having things go half then quarter price in the last hour; sacks of clothing go to thrift shops; but there is still a huge bulk trash pickup at the end.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on March 28, 2019, 07:53:53 AM
    I have found during my sorting that hubs has NINE backpacks/ water packs!! More than I have shoes!

    If you have a homeless shelter nearby, ask if they need these! Around here, backpacks are very desired by people with no homes.

    P.S. Sorry, I think this and my last post are unsolicited advice. Pay no regard if these don't apply to you. 
    ---------------

    I'm still struggling with the effects of the Great Leap Forward in my house. We shuffled all the kids' rooms, and now the furniture doesn't fit and we somehow lost a lot of storage, because my oldest got a room with a lot of storage which I emptied out for him... yet he doesn't own much as he gave all his toys to his siblings. So he has 1.5 large, empty closets in his room.  I have been decluttering like mad but apparently not enough. Not sure where to go from here.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on March 28, 2019, 10:05:21 AM
    I have found during my sorting that hubs has NINE backpacks/ water packs!! More than I have shoes!

    If you have a homeless shelter nearby, ask if they need these! Around here, backpacks are very desired by people with no homes.

    P.S. Sorry, I think this and my last post are unsolicited advice. Pay no regard if these don't apply to you. 
    ---------------

    I'm still struggling with the effects of the Great Leap Forward in my house. We shuffled all the kids' rooms, and now the furniture doesn't fit and we somehow lost a lot of storage, because my oldest got a room with a lot of storage which I emptied out for him... yet he doesn't own much as he gave all his toys to his siblings. So he has 1.5 large, empty closets in his room.  I have been decluttering like mad but apparently not enough. Not sure where to go from here.

    Have you thought of converting one of those storage closets into a homework/desk area? I have seen several good design ideas around. It might not help with the other things you have with no place to go but it could help you mentally about not having the storage spaces anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on March 28, 2019, 11:12:02 AM
    I have found during my sorting that hubs has NINE backpacks/ water packs!! More than I have shoes!

    If you have a homeless shelter nearby, ask if they need these! Around here, backpacks are very desired by people with no homes.

    P.S. Sorry, I think this and my last post are unsolicited advice. Pay no regard if these don't apply to you. 
    ---------------

    I'm still struggling with the effects of the Great Leap Forward in my house. We shuffled all the kids' rooms, and now the furniture doesn't fit and we somehow lost a lot of storage, because my oldest got a room with a lot of storage which I emptied out for him... yet he doesn't own much as he gave all his toys to his siblings. So he has 1.5 large, empty closets in his room.  I have been decluttering like mad but apparently not enough. Not sure where to go from here.

    Have you thought of converting one of those storage closets into a homework/desk area? I have seen several good design ideas around. It might not help with the other things you have with no place to go but it could help you mentally about not having the storage spaces anymore.

    Great idea!!  I will look into it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on March 28, 2019, 01:52:45 PM
    For some extra motivation to others.

    I grew up in a family of "organized hoarders". I was never allowed to throw anything away for fear that we may need that item some day.

    So, naturally I followed suit as an adult. It wasn't until recently where I ran into a concept of minimalism. Minimalism is about possessing only the things that either create utility value or bring joy to your life. I was so fascinated by the idea that I took it to the extreme. I threw away about 90% of everything that I owned. It was one of the most satisfying and fun things I ever did, some of the things I was even able to donate away which only brought more fun and satisfaction. Admittedly I have slowly started accumulating a few more items as extreme minimalism is not the answer. However, I still hold true that the quality of my life has vastly improved since decluttering my junk. My wallet has also benefited greatly. I estimate that I was able to increase my savings rate by an additional 10% due to the consequences of decluttering my life.

    Also the child of organized hoarders! My husband is a minimalist. It’s been a hard transition over many years but I do try to foster an abundance mindset. There is plenty. There is enough.

    above all, the time spent stewarding objects is better spent doing almost anything else.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 28, 2019, 03:31:02 PM
    @oneday "Definition of po-faced. British. : having an assumed solemn, serious, or earnest expression or manner : piously or hypocritically solemn." generally for comic effect

    Thank you @mspym I should have tried urban dictionary.  Google was only giving me results on resting b***h face.


    above all, the time spent stewarding objects is better spent doing almost anything else.

    Agree 10,000 x !!!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 28, 2019, 04:11:17 PM
    Just took out Marie Kondo's book from the library.  Hopefully this will help me get some motivation/inspiration to continue - I've hit the point where I'm not finding obvious things to get rid of, so if I want to keep paring down, I need a new tactic.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: daffodil2001 on March 28, 2019, 08:53:08 PM
    I have climbed Paperwork Mountain!


    Thanks for the inspiration! I have my own Paperwork Mountain to deal with. I told myself I would deal with it before I move mid-April. I started on a tiny bit of it and then shoved it all in a giant box because I needed the table for a board game. At this point I don’t think I have the energy to go through it before we move, so I’ll just take it as is and go through it when I need a break from tearing down wallpaper.

    I also need to get better about reading the books I own and giving away the ones I’m done with. People keep writing new books that interest me and I can’t keep up. I think I need to limit my exposure to places where I hear about new books until I get down to a reasonable amount. I have more vacation time than my husband does so I’ve been thinking about taking a couple days off to read in the hammock once it gets a little warmer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 28, 2019, 09:03:02 PM
    I also need to get better about reading the books I own and giving away the ones I’m done with. People keep writing new books that interest me and I can’t keep up. I think I need to limit my exposure to places where I hear about new books until I get down to a reasonable amount. I have more vacation time than my husband does so I’ve been thinking about taking a couple days off to read in the hammock once it gets a little warmer.


    Are you stopped buying new ones? I am religiously using the library now and although I still own unread books, I can chip away slowly at those, at least they aren't increasing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: daffodil2001 on March 29, 2019, 04:36:11 AM
    I also need to get better about reading the books I own and giving away the ones I’m done with. People keep writing new books that interest me and I can’t keep up. I think I need to limit my exposure to places where I hear about new books until I get down to a reasonable amount. I have more vacation time than my husband does so I’ve been thinking about taking a couple days off to read in the hammock once it gets a little warmer.


    Are you stopped buying new ones? I am religiously using the library now and although I still own unread books, I can chip away slowly at those, at least they aren't increasing.

    Yes—and also stopped taking free new ones from little free libraries. I also donated about thirty recently that I don’t plan to read again or could easily get from the library. I annotate some of my books and some aren’t available in libraries so deciding what to do with those is harder.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 29, 2019, 06:12:54 AM
    Drove over to a resale shop in my town and asked him what sort of stuff he would buy from me. He said he would give me $10 each for shower chair, walker, and cane. I know I have those things somewhere.

    I'm also looking around my house for other stuff he might buy. Like electronic keyboard.   

    I'm getting disappointed with Craigslist lately. Have had some success in the past but now I get no replies, or a flake.

    It would be good to just drive some stuff down to the resale store, get some $$$, and have done with it. Probably just as much $$ as I'd get from CL, too.

    On the positive side, just tossed out a bunch of old used up deodorants, empty toothpaste tubes.  And recycled an old rotting cardboard moving box.

    I just saw a 4 pack of beautiful tomato plants for sale for only $2.99 and I didn't buy them because they would just be in my way until May 15, when I could plant them.  May go back and buy them anyway, they looked so good.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Yasha on March 29, 2019, 08:52:58 PM
    Been a while since I posted but I've been chipping away at clutter this week and figured it was time for an update

    - the compost was in desperate need of some "brown"/dry material, so I grabbed a pile of paper I keep meaning to go through and with a quick shuffling found an easy 20 pages to put through the shredder and into the compost. Having an immediate need for the actual shreds made me get to that paperwork which has needed doing since before we moved here six months ago. (Still heaps to go through, but now any time the compost is a bit funky I have a reason to get to some shredding).
    - posted some necklaces and clothes on the local Pay-it-forward group. Necklaces collected, one petticoat claimed. If the rest doesn't move quickly enough I'll donate it, but I've benefited from this group and I'd like to keep it active/pay it forwards myself.
    - burnt down two candles, had been "saving" the last two hours or so of them because... who knows why... but they've been burned now.

    I've started thinking about items in terms of "am I going to use this in the next five years before we (hopefully) move to New Zealand?" and "would I pay to ship this to NZ?" It's opening my eyes and clearing out some odd and ends which have been lingering about because they don't take up "that much" space and are easy to move (see - necklaces). Obviously if we are going to move overseas there will be a huge purge beforehand, but I'd like to keep chipping away at it between now and then, it will also give us an idea of how much space we actually need (I'm angling for a campervan and living life on the road for a year or two, hubby is not convinced!).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on March 29, 2019, 09:32:16 PM
    Brought a big stack of items to the consignment store and then brought what they didn’t want to goodwill along with other household items. Nothing came back into the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 29, 2019, 11:07:14 PM
    @Yasha we have a similar timeframe [and plan] and it has been such a useful framework for assessing things. "Will we transport or put x in storage?"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 30, 2019, 07:15:53 AM
    Found some rocks. Former GF was a collector of shells and rocks). Added the rocks to my small rock rectangle area in back yard. 

    Found a bag of used crayons. Thought about throwing it out. Can't. Will take it to a mall, with a 'FREE' sign on it.   

    Decided which old musty boxes to take to recycling, which ones to fold up and store using little space.

    Found 2 old coffee makers, so had to test them. Yes, they work. And I didn't know I had them. I just bought a new coffee maker a month ago! Oh well, I now have 2 backup  coffee makers now.

    Discovered lots of sweet stuff in jars in the back of the fridge, like Maraschino  cherries and jams and jellies. Will buy a half gallon of vanilla ice crea, so I can put the sweet stuff on top, and use them up.   

    I've been decluttering my former GF's stuff for 2 years now. I think I will be another 2 years or more before completion.

    Thanks for listening.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 31, 2019, 12:34:09 AM
    I had stashed some freebies from work and managed to gift quite a few to a friend this weekend (plus a free gift bag).

    I just went through and topped up my hand soap (I'm still using bar soap but the liquid is for guests) and shampoo pump packs, put the empty refills into recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 31, 2019, 06:25:14 AM
    I decluttered the sound of robocalls from my house (and the rare real calls too) by moving the ring volume setting on the phone (landline) to 'off'.  The answering machine flashes silently if a call comes in, and anyone is free to leave a message if desired.  Take that, evil robocallers! I guffaw in your general direction!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 31, 2019, 09:55:08 AM
    Started to Konmari my clothes in hopes of paring down a bit more, and came to the unfortunate conclusion that if I actually used her criteria of "sparks joy", I would have no clothes left to wear to work!  So instead, I am switching to her folding method, which takes up much more space than regular folding, and putting things into the drawer favorite things first, so when I run out of space, anything left has to go, or if there is something I do want to keep, something else must come out of the drawer.  I have a good stack of shirts so far for the donate pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on March 31, 2019, 10:23:40 AM
    Drove over to a resale shop in my town and asked him what sort of stuff he would buy from me. He said he would give me $10 each for shower chair, walker, and cane. I know I have those things somewhere.

    I'm also looking around my house for other stuff he might buy. Like electronic keyboard.   

    I'm getting disappointed with Craigslist lately. Have had some success in the past but now I get no replies, or a flake.


    It would be good to just drive some stuff down to the resale store, get some $$$, and have done with it. Probably just as much $$ as I'd get from CL, too.

    On the positive side, just tossed out a bunch of old used up deodorants, empty toothpaste tubes.  And recycled an old rotting cardboard moving box.

    I just saw a 4 pack of beautiful tomato plants for sale for only $2.99 and I didn't buy them because they would just be in my way until May 15, when I could plant them.  May go back and buy them anyway, they looked so good.

    Almost all the sale traffic in my area has moved to FB marketplace or NextDoor. And I talked to some family recently, same is true in Denver and SF right now too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 31, 2019, 10:39:40 AM
    1 garbage bag full of clothes, a medium box of picture frames (why do we have so many picture frames???), and a smaller box with linens and dishware will be picked up by the Diabetes charity truck tomorrow.   I've already got the next box started.  It's amazing how quickly I can fill one with just tossing the odd thing every day or two.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 31, 2019, 11:36:05 AM
    Drove over to a resale shop in my town and asked him what sort of stuff he would buy from me. He said he would give me $10 each for shower chair, walker, and cane. I know I have those things somewhere.

    I'm also looking around my house for other stuff he might buy. Like electronic keyboard.   

    I'm getting disappointed with Craigslist lately. Have had some success in the past but now I get no replies, or a flake.


    It would be good to just drive some stuff down to the resale store, get some $$$, and have done with it. Probably just as much $$ as I'd get from CL, too.

    On the positive side, just tossed out a bunch of old used up deodorants, empty toothpaste tubes.  And recycled an old rotting cardboard moving box.

    I just saw a 4 pack of beautiful tomato plants for sale for only $2.99 and I didn't buy them because they would just be in my way until May 15, when I could plant them.  May go back and buy them anyway, they looked so good.

    Almost all the sale traffic in my area has moved to FB marketplace or NextDoor. And I talked to some family recently, same is true in Denver and SF right now too.

    Thanks. That's a shame. I'm not a big Facebook fan. Guess I'll try Nextdoor.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 02, 2019, 05:49:06 AM
    None of my Craigslist stuff, which I posted for sale, is getting any interest. The one guy who responded turned out to be a troll / flake. 

    Will reduce prices for the stuff. Then, when still no interest, will move to the FREE section of CL. 

    Donated 4 VHS religious tapes to my church. They actually have a VHS section in their library. 

       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 02, 2019, 06:50:41 AM
    Now that I am more aware about the clutter in my house, I am really able to resist buying stuff and seem to find it easy to dispose, re-home or use up and not replace items that I encounter in my day to day activities.  The recycling bin is getting loaded up with papers.  The pantry is getting easier to find items in because it is not so cluttered.  The rag bag is now well stocked with useful rags.  The tool bench has a working surface. 

    These days I have been focusing on the mending pile.  Some items are never going to be worn - so I am being realistic about whether I will actually wear it before I invest more time in it.  A couple of items are just a little small so I have altered them for my daughter to wear.

    I am really finding the house is getting me down less with the slow steady progress that I have been making.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 02, 2019, 07:47:38 AM
    Not that I am more aware about the clutter in my house, I am really able to resist buying stuff and seem to find it easy to dispose, re-home or use up and not replace items that I encounter in my day to day activities.  The recycling bin is getting loaded up with papers.  The pantry is getting easier to find items in because it is not so cluttered.  The rag bag is now well stocked with useful rags.  The tool bench has a working surface. 

    These days I have been focusing on the mending pile.  Some items are never going to be worn - so I am being realistic about whether I will actually wear it before I invest more time in it.  A couple of items are just a little small so I have altered them for my daughter to wear.

    I am really finding the house is getting me down less with the slow steady progress that I have been making.

    That's great!  I really need to tackle my mending pile soon, it's on the agenda for after I finish going through my clothes.  There are a few things in there that have been waiting far too long, and I know exactly what I need to fix them, but haven't made it to the craft store to pick up the right color thread or a new zipper, or whatever.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 02, 2019, 01:00:32 PM
    I've been meaning to clean out our junk "drawer/shelves", but haven't made time for it. Today, I'm working from home due to a sick kid. On a call with my manager, My sick kid walks into to grab a school supply out of the "junk drawer/shelf", & everything collapses. It was hilarious & embarrassing. My manager is a great sport & found it really amusing. It's a good reminder that it's time to clean that out. ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on April 02, 2019, 03:30:49 PM
    Minor celebration last night.  When the last tenants left, they also left behind a foam mattress.  It would have cost us over $100 to dispose of it at a tip by the time we transported and paid for the dumping, so instead I cut it up into bits and put it in the bin.  It took about 20 weeks of determined effort, but the last bit went in last night.

    Now, time to get rid of the plaster from the wall I removed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BookLoverL on April 04, 2019, 01:28:56 AM
    Update with the KonMari-ing: I finally sorted all my paper out!

    I didn't want to just throw it all away, because unlike Ms. Kondo, I actually want to keep all my old financial records, I genuinely occasionally refer back to my notes from school/university, and I'm also an amateur poet and some of my poems are only written on paper copy, so I had to sort it into different piles before I could do anything with it.

    I then proceeded to get distracted by various other things like ending the relationship I was in and also starting a new business, so the piles of paper had been just sat around in my bedroom since then. But now it's all sorted, and a bunch of old school stuff that was in a separate box now fits in my filing cabinet! :D

    Now I need to read the section on Komono/Miscellaneous...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 04, 2019, 06:41:00 AM
    Looked inside two 'stare-at-them-and-ignore-them' bags of mystery stuff that were in my living room. Turned out to have easily donated stuff in them, and a few save-for-yard-sale things.

    Put the donatable things (awful ugly knick knacks that hang on the wall) in the donate pile.

    Got two bags empty that way and out of my living room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on April 04, 2019, 08:31:18 AM
    I managed to go home last night and pull the shredder out and use it! I know there will be more to come but I was glad to get something gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on April 04, 2019, 10:22:18 AM
    Goal for this month is to de-clutter 30 things.

    1-4 will be some ramekins that a housemate left behind when she moved out this last weekend. Our Buy Nothing group is sadly close to useless, so I'll probably walk these over to Goodwill.

    5-7 will be some hats I knitted that will go to our local DSA for distribution to the homeless.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on April 04, 2019, 12:46:23 PM
    The box I started a few days ago was dropped off to Goodwill this morning. On to the next one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 04, 2019, 10:15:07 PM
    I am hoarding boxes right now due to an impending move, so am loath to use one for the donate pile, lol.  However, I have what would be about half a box of clothes.  Mostly pants that no longer fit and a lampshade.  I'll give up a precious, precious cardboard box if the stack grows and/or falls over.

    The other thing I went through was my Renaissance Faire garb/costuming.  Since I've changed sizes, I wanted to see if my bodice fit and that kind of snowballed.  Turns out it does not fit, and the other one which might have fit, I cannot find.  I guess I got rid of it?  I was a little sad about not having that other bodice until I remembered I didn't like it that much anyway.  This is an opportunity to find an even better one!

    ALSO in the ren garb was some of Mr. X's stuff.  I thought the taxes were the last thing to sever our ties, but turns out it's ren garb.  I have texted and hopefully we can get this taken care of ASAP, like this weekend maybe. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 05, 2019, 04:57:34 AM
    I got free tickets to my local minor league baseball team, so I went last night, what the heck.

    On entering, they gave everyone 2 cute little metal drink coasters advertising the local cable tv service.

    I purposefully left my coasters on the bar counter (happy hour) when I went to my assigned seat, and the barmaid said 'hey, you forgot your coasters!".  I didn't mean to, but I may have offended her when I said "I've already got way too much junk in my house". lol. She smiled, so maybe I didn't offend her.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 05, 2019, 05:07:32 AM
    I am hoarding boxes right now due to an impending move, so am loath to use one for the donate pile, lol.  However, I have what would be about half a box of clothes.  Mostly pants that no longer fit and a lampshade.  I'll give up a precious, precious cardboard box if the stack grows and/or falls over.


    Why not use a plastic bag instead of a box, to donate stuff? That's what everyone around here does at the Goodwill store. 

    I can relate about the boxes. I only throw out the really beat up boxes. And a lot of my boxes are the kind you can fold up and store flat.  :)   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 05, 2019, 09:40:07 AM
    I am hoarding boxes right now due to an impending move, so am loath to use one for the donate pile, lol.  However, I have what would be about half a box of clothes.  Mostly pants that no longer fit and a lampshade.  I'll give up a precious, precious cardboard box if the stack grows and/or falls over.


    Why not use a plastic bag instead of a box, to donate stuff? That's what everyone around here does at the Goodwill store. 

    I can relate about the boxes. I only throw out the really beat up boxes. And a lot of my boxes are the kind you can fold up and store flat.  :)

    Good call!  My first instinct was to say that California outlawed plastic shopping bags, but I could always use the kind I line my trash can with.  Not sure it will be increase the tidiness of the pile, tho :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 05, 2019, 10:28:17 AM
    Hit a bit of a slow down.  I need to accept that baby clothes are not worth anything and just give them away in a giant pile to one of the buy nothing hoarders...
    I just feel like they should go to someone who can use them, and I have SO many that it can't be a single person.

    Goodwill gives SO much to fabric recyclers, just due to donation volume, I really hate taking stuff that is in great condition there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 05, 2019, 05:58:45 PM
    Woohoo!  Just made a Craigslist sale. Got rid of set of bongo drums for $10.  Yay!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on April 06, 2019, 03:25:06 AM
    I got free tickets to my local minor league baseball team, so I went last night, what the heck.

    On entering, they gave everyone 2 cute little metal drink coasters advertising the local cable tv service.

    I purposefully left my coasters on the bar counter (happy hour) when I went to my assigned seat, and the barmaid said 'hey, you forgot your coasters!".  I didn't mean to, but I may have offended her when I said "I've already got way too much junk in my house". lol. She smiled, so maybe I didn't offend her.

    Lol, sounds like something I could say. But maybe "No thank you, I'm trying to declutter" is good as well. She probably wasn't offended... and maybe you even made a lightbulb go off in her head and made her realize that you DON'T need to take whatever comes your way. I know that I regularly find myself impressed with a good rebuff I (over)hear, and add it to my mental library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 06, 2019, 04:02:08 PM
    Another Craigslist sale! What is going on? Got rid of 5 orange life preservers. $20 for the lot. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: innkeeper77 on April 06, 2019, 10:36:59 PM
    Hit a bit of a slow down.  I need to accept that baby clothes are not worth anything and just give them away in a giant pile to one of the buy nothing hoarders...
    I just feel like they should go to someone who can use them, and I have SO many that it can't be a single person.

    Goodwill gives SO much to fabric recyclers, just due to donation volume, I really hate taking stuff that is in great condition there.

    We were one of those people taking a massive load of clothes... But we only did it once, and ended up giving away plenty to another friend with a baby. Giving away a massive load at once doesn't mean they will not get used, and it can save both you and the recipient time! (Not having to drive around looking for clothes a bunch of places was very helpful) That, and only doing full baby laundry every 3 weeks or less was a time saver as well....

    (The load of clothes we received was pre-birth, and we are still using it a year later! It was a MASSIVE pile.. we sorted into boxes by size, and didn't buy any other clothes.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 07, 2019, 06:01:09 AM
    Hit a bit of a slow down.  I need to accept that baby clothes are not worth anything and just give them away in a giant pile to one of the buy nothing hoarders...
    I just feel like they should go to someone who can use them, and I have SO many that it can't be a single person.

    Goodwill gives SO much to fabric recyclers, just due to donation volume, I really hate taking stuff that is in great condition there.

    We were one of those people taking a massive load of clothes... But we only did it once, and ended up giving away plenty to another friend with a baby. Giving away a massive load at once doesn't mean they will not get used, and it can save both you and the recipient time! (Not having to drive around looking for clothes a bunch of places was very helpful) That, and only doing full baby laundry every 3 weeks or less was a time saver as well....

    (The load of clothes we received was pre-birth, and we are still using it a year later! It was a MASSIVE pile.. we sorted into boxes by size, and didn't buy any other clothes.)

    Oh, I know, as ive often taken massive bags. I just know the people in the buy nothing group who are currently the ones claiming all the baby clothes. They are hoarders with no children. I don't even think they resell. Just take.

    A friend gave me this bag. It's all NB size and more than enough to clothe quintuplets without rewear...

    I think I'm waiting for the food bank to put out a call
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on April 07, 2019, 04:05:44 PM
    Guys, major binge-worthy youtube series: check out Curiosity Inc's channel. This guy bought a hoarder house two months ago. First few episodes are of him cleaning it out and finding lots of cool stuff for his antique shop. Then doing up the house and getting to know the previous owner, who is a 104 year old woman who was a potter. Her pottery was in galleries world wide. She's now considered for the Order of Canada for her contributions to the country. She couldn't deal with the hoard and sold the house as-is, contents and all. The guy finds all sorts of cool old stuff in the house.

    Anyway if you want to binge on a Hoarder-like series with some home reno thrown in, start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb4SpyeH5IQ

    It's so addictive to watch. It's an ongoing series btw, ep 9 was just put online today. I'm already rewatching.

    I was logged out of this site for a month, but found this series at the same time, and it is very addictive. I saw that the owner was a featured speaker for a local museum so I checked out the series to know more about him and his business before deciding to book tickets. We didn't end up going, but I did watch most of the 'Potter' (hoarder) house series.  They took out 9 tons of garbage in the first few weeks of possession!  Later there was even more to go - and that's not counting the 70 bags of clothes they kept to sell or all of the truckloads of antiques and other interesting items.

    I later had a chance to see the store itself. It felt a bit voyeuristic, as I have seen the storekeeper and the provenance of some of the items for sale from watching the recent videos. I didn't buy anything though ;-)

    ---
    Progress update for me: I was able to give away a half dozen 'too-good-to-donate' items to friends and relatives lately. It was great to give out clothes that were exactly what they were looking for, and that they wore the same day.
     
    I tried to give away another shirt I never seem to wear and it didn't go, so I was going to take it apart for fabric. Once I examined it though, I realized it was 2 thin layers with nicely finished seams on both sides and I could wear it inside out and it would match way more things.  Wore it that way today (took off the tags) and it worked out great!  A few people complimented my outfit, and I let 2 of them know my inside out trick - they couldn't tell even after I told them. Since I didn't actually alter the shirt I can still wear it the regular way too if I want to. So now it has a colorful side and a navy side. Options!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on April 07, 2019, 07:14:36 PM
    Hit a bit of a slow down.  I need to accept that baby clothes are not worth anything and just give them away in a giant pile to one of the buy nothing hoarders...
    I just feel like they should go to someone who can use them, and I have SO many that it can't be a single person.

    Goodwill gives SO much to fabric recyclers, just due to donation volume, I really hate taking stuff that is in great condition there.

    Have you thought about putting up baby clothes for sale at a huge discount, like $20 for a big bag?  Or google "donate baby clothes" and your location.  Many shelters or places of worship will collect clothes to pass on to needy young families.

    Speaking of which, I also have big bags of children's clothing to dispose of. In my case, I'm spoiled for choice: struggling with the desire to get rid of them FAST or hanging on to them to give where needed most.  I could disappear them right away through Buy Nothing to families who are about the same financial level as me (and probably better off); or save a few weeks to benefit our church youth group at the annual tag sale; or  save a few months until we find a poor family who needs those sizes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on April 07, 2019, 07:54:35 PM
    All this decluttering is time-consuming, isn't it?

    So true! I call it "unshopping".

    I can see how some hoarders get started. Begin with a conscientious, high-throughput kind of person, like me.  I want to rehome things, but nobody wants board games with pieces missing (I know those parts are somewhere around), or appliances that don't work (I could fix it if I had the time to find a part), or incomplete craft items (I just have to get a little more yarn of the right color to finish that project) etc.  So decluttering is harder than the original act of acquisition. For a while one can keep up, but when one slows down with age or gets ill, decluttering slows or stops, and then one has a hoard.

    I had a hard time with that too - partial projects and items I could upcycle but to others would just be garbage and not even accepted at the thrift stores.  Then I found that my city has a Reuse centre which accepts those kind of items, and was able to offload years worth of corks, cardboard, paper and unfinished projects that I knew I would never get to. The big purge was motivated by an impending house move that never happened, but I'm so happy I passed on those items.  It was freeing to realize if I ever wanted cardboard or any of those things there is a place to get it, and I don't need to personally store it all with no particular project in mind, just in case the artistic inspiration strikes. They also take incomplete puzzles and board games - some people use those for projects as well or to custom make their own board games. Last time I was there someone had just donated many high end art puzzles, so I grabbed a few to keep us busy on frugal evenings at home. So far only 1 was missing a piece.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Yasha on April 08, 2019, 01:56:21 AM
    Had booked an annual leave day off work and spent a lovely day slowly chipping away at clutter (there isn't much left, yet I always find something...). Gave away a bottle of perfume on our PIF site (yet to see if she collects but there was heaps of interest, so if not I'll do another draw). Plus listed a pair of boots and a chest of drawers on Gumtree (equiv to Craigslist). The drawers have sold for $10, and if the shoes don't sell by the end of the week for $10 I'll put them up on the PIF site too. Rearranged my closet and will see if the new look (open so everything is visible) inspires me to declutter some more clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jnnfr on April 08, 2019, 03:36:37 AM
    Took some miscellaneous, decade old, electronics down to Cash Converters. 2 laptops, 2 cameras, couple of old consoles and a few games. Nothing special so I was happy with $365 for the lot, especially since I’d nearly taken the whole lot to the electronic waste collection!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 08, 2019, 04:05:34 AM
    In the past week I have:

    - cashed in two bags of bottles and cans
    - gave a friend a birthday present that has been sitting here for a month
    - gave @marty998 the mesh produce bags I ordered for him, which I've been carrying around for two weeks and kept forgetting to hand over

    Still have to drop off a couple of bags of donations and list about a dozen things on eBay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: TomTX on April 08, 2019, 05:55:41 AM
    Speaking of which, I also have big bags of children's clothing to dispose of. In my case, I'm spoiled for choice: struggling with the desire to get rid of them FAST or hanging on to them to give where needed most.  I could disappear them right away through Buy Nothing to families who are about the same financial level as me (and probably better off); or save a few weeks to benefit our church youth group at the annual tag sale; or  save a few months until we find a poor family who needs those sizes.

    Our local elementary schools have a free "clothes closet" based on donations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 08, 2019, 06:32:03 AM
    Took some miscellaneous, decade old, electronics down to Cash Converters. 2 laptops, 2 cameras, couple of old consoles and a few games. Nothing special so I was happy with $365 for the lot, especially since I’d nearly taken the whole lot to the electronic waste collection!

    Congratulations. Well done!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 08, 2019, 07:18:35 AM
    Hit a bit of a slow down.  I need to accept that baby clothes are not worth anything and just give them away in a giant pile to one of the buy nothing hoarders...
    I just feel like they should go to someone who can use them, and I have SO many that it can't be a single person.

    Goodwill gives SO much to fabric recyclers, just due to donation volume, I really hate taking stuff that is in great condition there.

    Have you thought about putting up baby clothes for sale at a huge discount, like $20 for a big bag?  Or google "donate baby clothes" and your location.  Many shelters or places of worship will collect clothes to pass on to needy young families.

    Speaking of which, I also have big bags of children's clothing to dispose of. In my case, I'm spoiled for choice: struggling with the desire to get rid of them FAST or hanging on to them to give where needed most.  I could disappear them right away through Buy Nothing to families who are about the same financial level as me (and probably better off); or save a few weeks to benefit our church youth group at the annual tag sale; or  save a few months until we find a poor family who needs those sizes.

    I can't sell them, as I haven't done a good job of keeping track what was given to me and what I bought. I don't want to sell things that were gifts.

    I like Buy Nothing Project, as I've benefited greatly from them. I don't mind that people don't "need" the financial assistance; I'd rather things just go used.
    I also give a lot through foster projects, churches, and the food pantry- but none of the usual places are asking for clothes.

    I'm hoping someone puts up a BNP request soon. As, while the "rules" say you don't have to give to anyone you don't want- it's weird when only the one hoarder asks for things (um, everything), and then you just not give it away...  She's gotten like 60 requests in the past 2 weeks because no one else is claiming things...  most people just want stuff gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on April 08, 2019, 09:38:03 AM
    I hope your plans, travel, etc are shaping up well... 
    A question, becuase I think I have mixed things up in my mind...

    You mentioned challenges with getting US health insurance, ACA changes maybe impacting your coverage / costs, etc.   I think I understand some of that.... but then you mentioned that if you travel and live elsewhere, like Germany, that their health care system may not have available some of the wonderful new (hideously expensive) drugs that are actually working for you.

    I keep wondering if I mis-understand...  It seems like you don't like the US private system because coverage for people without tons of money or with existing conditions sucks (it does), but then socialist type health care would not even provide you the expensive newer treatments you need...?   I know I was shocked at how much health care a person on a "good" employer health plan and $5k in out of pocket could get in the USA..  Levels of health care proceducres / drugs / service that are not available in Canada.

    Anyway, please correct me?  Would you want the EU type social health care if you move, or not or ??
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 08, 2019, 11:45:05 AM
    I have decided I am not going to make* my own wine any more, the LCBO has all sorts of interesting wines at decent prices.  So 3 cartons of empty wine bottles will go for returns once the weather clears again.

    I have also started a bunch of sweet potato slips, have been saving jam bottles for that.  I will be glad when they have all gone to our fund-raiser and I can put all the bottles into recycling and reclaim the windowsill.


    *To be honest, I buy the concentrate and the store does all the work. I just do the bottling.  So at least there is no wine-making equipment to be gotten rid of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on April 08, 2019, 11:58:29 AM
    We used up a quart of paint, and a roller cover, and then built a desk with scrap wood accumulated for that purpose and had to buy two quarts of paint for it and some other projects, so have we really decluttered anything?!  Almost. Almost. 

    A friend gave me a few tops she didn't want.  They don't fit.  I feel a lot of awkward obligation to resew them and make them fit, and wear them in front of her so she can see I appreciate them... but I don't like them!  Synthetic fabrics, bleh!  I had one all pinned up to alter then came to my senses.  I found another friend who just started a new job and needs office wear, they are more likely to work for her... so perhaps I can navigate my way out of that ridiculous social obligation.

    I've also packed up a few small things for Goodwill, and feeling good about it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on April 08, 2019, 01:15:29 PM

    A friend gave me a few tops she didn't want.  They don't fit.  I feel a lot of awkward obligation to resew them and make them fit, and wear them in front of her so she can see I appreciate them... but I don't like them!  Synthetic fabrics, bleh!  I had one all pinned up to alter then came to my senses.  I found another friend who just started a new job and needs office wear, they are more likely to work for her... so perhaps I can navigate my way out of that ridiculous social obligation.

    I've also packed up a few small things for Goodwill, and feeling good about it.

    I like the notion that once someone gives something away that they don't like/use, they also relinquish the right to be offended if their recipient does the same! I have been practicing this myself, even gave away a sweatshirt that my sisters gave me as a gift (they each had a matching one) but I couldn't wear it and thought someone else might love the colors.

    Packing a bag with clothing, a purse, books, skipping ropes--all heading out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on April 08, 2019, 02:54:32 PM
    I can't sell them, as I haven't done a good job of keeping track what was given to me and what I bought. I don't want to sell things that were gifts.


    I guess I'm just shameless!! I used to feel that way,  but nowadays will turn around and sell any gift that I don't want/need, even within a month of receipt.  I think I would have some qualms about handmade gifts though. I have a big ugly (but warm) sweater that my mother knit for me in the 1980s.  Big bat wing sleeves, y'know? Still haven't brought myself to get rid of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jnnfr on April 08, 2019, 03:21:13 PM
    Took some miscellaneous, decade old, electronics down to Cash Converters. 2 laptops, 2 cameras, couple of old consoles and a few games. Nothing special so I was happy with $365 for the lot, especially since I’d nearly taken the whole lot to the electronic waste collection!

    Congratulations. Well done!

    Thank you! Today’s task is to deposit the cash in my bank account so it gets tracked in YNAB and not frittered away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marty998 on April 08, 2019, 03:29:26 PM
    In the past week I have:

    - cashed in two bags of bottles and cans
    - gave a friend a birthday present that has been sitting here for a month
    - gave @marty998 the mesh produce bags I ordered for him, which I've been carrying around for two weeks and kept forgetting to hand over

    Still have to drop off a couple of bags of donations and list about a dozen things on eBay.

    Do I have to remind you again @mustachepungoeshere that giving me things doesn't really count as clearing clutter?

    It just transfers it! :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 08, 2019, 03:53:57 PM
    In the past week I have:

    - cashed in two bags of bottles and cans
    - gave a friend a birthday present that has been sitting here for a month
    - gave @marty998 the mesh produce bags I ordered for him, which I've been carrying around for two weeks and kept forgetting to hand over

    Still have to drop off a couple of bags of donations and list about a dozen things on eBay.

    Do I have to remind you again @mustachepungoeshere that giving me things doesn't really count as clearing clutter?

    It just transfers it! :D

    Do I have to remind you, @marty998, that plastic is forever and you don’t need a single-use plastic bag to carry apples the two blocks between the supermarket and your apartment?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marty998 on April 08, 2019, 04:02:03 PM
    In the past week I have:

    - cashed in two bags of bottles and cans
    - gave a friend a birthday present that has been sitting here for a month
    - gave @marty998 the mesh produce bags I ordered for him, which I've been carrying around for two weeks and kept forgetting to hand over

    Still have to drop off a couple of bags of donations and list about a dozen things on eBay.

    Do I have to remind you again @mustachepungoeshere that giving me things doesn't really count as clearing clutter?

    It just transfers it! :D

    Do I have to remind you, @marty998, that plastic is forever and you don’t need a single-use plastic bag to carry apples the two blocks between the supermarket and your apartment?

    Sassy! haha. point taken :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 08, 2019, 07:46:31 PM
    Did a few bits of paper - and it feels great.
    Two books to the free library.
    Daughter did a whole bin of clothes.
    Collected all the tomato seeds for donation to the seed library.

    Not doing so well on the dishes - neighbour gave me some beautiful dishes, I couldn't say no.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 09, 2019, 06:26:41 AM
    Opened up a small mystery box that was sitting in front of the TV. I was sure I had already gone through it and decided about it. But when I opened it up, it was stuff I could easily bring myself to donate to Goodwill. Yay! No agonizing over it. Weird old-fashioned kitchen utensils of various sorts.

    It's in a bag ready to go. 
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 09, 2019, 07:02:16 AM
    Over the past two weeks I watched some Hoarder show episodes. OMG, crazy, crazy, crazy what these people accumulate! One episode I watched this woman had 3 homes full of stuff inside and out. When they came to help her clean out she wanted to go thru every box and bin to see what to keep. They could hardly get anything done with all the procrastination! She was selling junk for $10 while the town she lived in was imposing fines of like $500 a day for not complying with zoning laws. She was freaking out when they tried to throw out absolute crap. Her one daughter was being very pushy thus causing the mother to dig her heel in further. The woman's boyfriend was fed up was taking a hammer to crap to break it so there was no question on it being junk or not! I am addicted to watching that show now! It is like peeking into a hole to a world you can not imagine exists! I think I have junk and some clutter but I am Mrs. Clean by those people's standards! If you even need inspiration to get rid of crap around your house, watch a few of those episodes!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 09, 2019, 07:32:16 AM
    Over the past two weeks I watched some Hoarder show episodes. OMG, crazy, crazy, crazy what these people accumulate! One episode I watched this woman had 3 homes full of stuff inside and out. When they came to help her clean out she wanted to go thru every box and bin to see what to keep. They could hardly get anything done with all the procrastination! She was selling junk for $10 while the town she lived in was imposing fines of like $500 a day for not complying with zoning laws. She was freaking out when they tried to throw out absolute crap. Her one daughter was being very pushy thus causing the mother to dig her heel in further. The woman's boyfriend was fed up was taking a hammer to crap to break it so there was no question on it being junk or not! I am addicted to watching that show now! It is like peeking into a hole to a world you can not imagine exists! I think I have junk and some clutter but I am Mrs. Clean by those people's standards! If you even need inspiration to get rid of crap around your house, watch a few of those episodes!

    I saw that episode. Honestly, that woman hasn't hit rock bottom yet. Until she does, she's not going to change.

    ---
    On topic - added another can of paint to the pile to be donated to the local theater. I will finally have a chance this week/next week or drop off all 4 cans, which will definitely help the closet situation. Am getting close on finishing painting the back bedroom (down to doors/trim), so am debating if I'll pass on the left over paint. One gallon is 3/4 full and I don't anticipate using it again. Decisions, decisions.

    Also added a couple tops to the go away pile. Realized I haven't worn them all winter, therefore I'm not going to wear them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Yasha on April 09, 2019, 04:48:19 PM
    Finished and submitted an assessment task yesterday. Got up this morning and shredded the printed readings straight away. Means I have some paper shreds to add to the compost next time I need them. This is very out of character for me (I would usually move those papers to a pile of similar papers and be annoyed at them for months/years until I finally went through them all and purged), I am keen to encourage this new behaviour!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 09, 2019, 05:15:05 PM
    This weekend is hard rubbish! making a pile of the things to go out feels so satisfying. The best part is people scope things out and take stuff so there is a lot of practical recycling that happens. Goodness knows, this is where we have got a lot of *our* furniture
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 10, 2019, 05:15:38 AM
    I've been finding a lot of paper clutter that's easy to part with lately. Old local blurb magazines, etc., stuffed under couches.  So my brown paper grocery bag is full and heavy with all this paper clutter, and I have an excuse to drive over to the recycling place and dump it all in. Very satisfying. 

    The place looks as messy as ever, but at least I know it is one bagful less cluttered.

    As far as the 'yard sale' stuff goes, I'm still donating a lot of that to Goodwill, since I'm not sure I actually want to take part in my neighborhood's annual yard sale, since I am an introvert.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 10, 2019, 06:16:52 AM
    worked on more of the little pieces of paper and am starting to see some clear spaces on my desk.
    Man it feels good.
    Started putting away some of the gear from winter and had empty bins waiting and space on the shelf where they are supposed to live
    Man that felt good too.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 10, 2019, 06:21:42 AM
    Emptied out my purse and tossed all the scraps of paper, dead pens, and other junk.  Swapped the important stuff into my back-up purse, and I'll be donating the first purse as I've decided I like the back-up better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 10, 2019, 06:35:01 AM
    I have 8 giant garbage bags full of stuff to donate. I found our first VCR and I remember we paid around $800 for it! The remote control is on a wire connected to the machine! LOL! No chance of losing it was the only good thing!

    I have a lot of crap for shredding. Our local senior center has had a free shred event for the last couple of years but there is nothing on the schedule yet. GRRRR!!! There is another shred event but it will cost me $10 a box. So...fingers crossed I find out about the free event before I have to pay about $50 to get rid of this stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: haypug16 on April 10, 2019, 07:34:17 AM
    Sold an old bookshelf on Let go last night. Made $20 and the hallway is looking so empty!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 10, 2019, 09:52:54 AM
    Does anyone do a garbage bag rodeo? Grab some garbage bags and run around the house to see if you can fill them up in maybe half an hour? I think I am feeling like doing that today. I may just do one bag full because the garbage bags I have are 33 gallon size.

    Does anyone still have their wedding gowns? Mine is OLD, OLD, OLD! I have no one to 'give' it to and will never wear it again and it sits in my closet taking up space. I feel weird donating it. Part of me wants to keep it and part of me wants to donate it. What to do...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 10, 2019, 10:18:00 AM
    Does anyone do a garbage bag rodeo? Grab some garbage bags and run around the house to see if you can fill them up in maybe half an hour? I think I am feeling like doing that today. I may just do one bag full because the garbage bags I have are 33 gallon size.

    Does anyone still have their wedding gowns? Mine is OLD, OLD, OLD! I have no one to 'give' it to and will never wear it again and it sits in my closet taking up space. I feel weird donating it. Part of me wants to keep it and part of me wants to donate it. What to do...

    I donated mine immediately after the wedding. I never understood why people held onto them for 40-50 years.  What do you do with it?

    Some cities have charities where they take donations to make funeral gowns for stillborn babies.  Ours is swamped with donations though and not accepting anymore.
    There are also wedding dress specific charities, which I think is probably preferable to goodwill, where it is likely to get shelved with prom and formal wear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 10, 2019, 10:33:22 AM
    Does anyone do a garbage bag rodeo? Grab some garbage bags and run around the house to see if you can fill them up in maybe half an hour? I think I am feeling like doing that today. I may just do one bag full because the garbage bags I have are 33 gallon size.

    Does anyone still have their wedding gowns? Mine is OLD, OLD, OLD! I have no one to 'give' it to and will never wear it again and it sits in my closet taking up space. I feel weird donating it. Part of me wants to keep it and part of me wants to donate it. What to do...

    I still have mine, but to be fair I got married less than a year ago.  I have vague plans to try dyeing and hemming it, so I can use it as an evening gown (the style is suitable) but I have to clear out my sewing pile before tackling a new project.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 10, 2019, 10:44:18 AM
    Does anyone do a garbage bag rodeo? Grab some garbage bags and run around the house to see if you can fill them up in maybe half an hour? I think I am feeling like doing that today. I may just do one bag full because the garbage bags I have are 33 gallon size.

    Does anyone still have their wedding gowns? Mine is OLD, OLD, OLD! I have no one to 'give' it to and will never wear it again and it sits in my closet taking up space. I feel weird donating it. Part of me wants to keep it and part of me wants to donate it. What to do...

    I donated mine immediately after the wedding. I never understood why people held onto them for 40-50 years.  What do you do with it?

    Some cities have charities where they take donations to make funeral gowns for stillborn babies.  Ours is swamped with donations though and not accepting anymore.
    There are also wedding dress specific charities, which I think is probably preferable to goodwill, where it is likely to get shelved with prom and formal wear.


    What do you do with it? It hangs in the original bag with veil and shoes! It takes up room and yes, been hanging for 40+ years! Maybe I could be buried in it but they would have to buy some extra fabric to let the dress out a few feet. LOL! Maybe it is time to let it go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on April 10, 2019, 10:58:40 AM
    Put a book in the little free library on my street.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on April 10, 2019, 12:13:30 PM
    My dad gave me a stack of books from his career (he's retired now) and they've been sitting in my bookcase for well over a year now. Tomorrow I'll take them to work and drop them off at a department that might actually use it. If they don't want it, next step is the coffee table at work with a 'free' note.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 10, 2019, 12:23:30 PM
    My dad gave me a stack of books from his career (he's retired now) and they've been sitting in my bookcase for well over a year now. Tomorrow I'll take them to work and drop them off at a department that might actually use it. If they don't want it, next step is the coffee table at work with a 'free' note.

    I donated a bunch of famous chef cookbooks acquired at the Culinary Institute of America to a local non profit culinary school for their use. If your books are of an educational nature like engineering or the trades, you might consider donating them to a local technical school.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 11, 2019, 06:54:48 AM
    Resisting the thought in the back of my mind "Hey, I could get 50 cents for this at a garage sale", I donated a 2,000 piece puzzle to a church I was visiting yesterday, for their annual yard sale. I asked if they took clothes and they said no. Asked if they took unused scented candles, and the answer was yes! But since they said yes, I'm now thinking of selling them to my local reseller guy, assuming he takes them.

       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 11, 2019, 07:11:11 AM
    There was so much stuff in my house (still is) that I worry about what effect there will be on  my heating and cooling bill if I ever get rid of it all.

    So far the clutter I've removed  was tons of paper clutter (well, about 500 pounds at least).     

    All that paper was storing heat in the winter and coolth in the summer. Sort of a thermal 'ballast' that makes it take longer for the air in house to change temperature, in theory, and allowing the heat pump to come on less often. Same way a fridge full of stuff is cheaper to run than an empty fridge.     

    I'm still going to keep decluttering, though.

    I'm maybe the only one thinking about this, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 11, 2019, 08:28:28 AM
    Resisting the thought in the back of my mind "Hey, I could get 50 cents for this at a garage sale", I donated a 2,000 piece puzzle to a church I was visiting yesterday, for their annual yard sale. I asked if they took clothes and they said no. Asked if they took unused scented candles, and the answer was yes! But since they said yes, I'm now thinking of selling them to my local reseller guy, assuming he takes them.

       

    Just a thought on jigsaw puzzles. At my local oncology department at the hospital they have a big table set up just to do crossword puzzles. Any visitor can sit down and try their luck at the puzzle. So, if anyone has puzzles to donate, think about your local oncology center to see if they have an ongoing puzzle table. Maybe even a Senior Center too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 11, 2019, 08:45:06 AM
    There was so much stuff in my house (still is) that I worry about what effect there will be on  my heating and cooling bill if I ever get rid of it all.

    So far the clutter I've removed  was tons of paper clutter (well, about 500 pounds at least).     

    All that paper was storing heat in the winter and coolth in the summer. Sort of a thermal 'ballast' that makes it take longer for the air in house to change temperature, in theory, and allowing the heat pump to come on less often. Same way a fridge full of stuff is cheaper to run than an empty fridge.     

    I'm still going to keep decluttering, though.

    I'm maybe the only one thinking about this, lol.

    The risk of pest damage and mold growth that comes along with a lot of stuff would more than outweight a bit of heat savings, IMO.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on April 11, 2019, 09:13:45 AM
    What do you do with it? It hangs in the original bag with veil and shoes! It takes up room and yes, been hanging for 40+ years! Maybe I could be buried in it but they would have to buy some extra fabric to let the dress out a few feet. LOL! Maybe it is time to let it go!

    Ha ha, I had to laugh at this. I have a wedding gown in my attic too.  Let's go full Havisham and start wearing our gowns daily. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 11, 2019, 09:19:58 AM
    What do you do with it? It hangs in the original bag with veil and shoes! It takes up room and yes, been hanging for 40+ years! Maybe I could be buried in it but they would have to buy some extra fabric to let the dress out a few feet. LOL! Maybe it is time to let it go!

    Ha ha, I had to laugh at this. I have a wedding gown in my attic too.  Let's go full Havisham and start wearing our gowns daily.
    Unfortunately I am 30 pounds more than when I married - so that would be more than a little uncomfortable.  I should see if my daughter will fit it because she is almost taller than me.  If she gets taller than me it will never fit her and I should re-use that silk for something else.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 11, 2019, 09:36:28 AM
    What do you do with it? It hangs in the original bag with veil and shoes! It takes up room and yes, been hanging for 40+ years! Maybe I could be buried in it but they would have to buy some extra fabric to let the dress out a few feet. LOL! Maybe it is time to let it go!

    Ha ha, I had to laugh at this. I have a wedding gown in my attic too.  Let's go full Havisham and start wearing our gowns daily.
    Unfortunately I am 30 pounds more than when I married - so that would be more than a little uncomfortable.  I should see if my daughter will fit it because she is almost taller than me.  If she gets taller than me it will never fit her and I should re-use that silk for something else.

    My daughter tried on my wedding dress and it did not fit - she is taller and bustier than I was then.  Not sure why I held on to it, and now that I am long divorced I am really wondering what to do with it - as in, where best to donate it.  I married in the early 70s, so it is definitely out of fashion, unless someone wants something really retro.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on April 11, 2019, 09:40:06 AM
    What do you do with it? It hangs in the original bag with veil and shoes! It takes up room and yes, been hanging for 40+ years! Maybe I could be buried in it but they would have to buy some extra fabric to let the dress out a few feet. LOL! Maybe it is time to let it go!

    Ha ha, I had to laugh at this. I have a wedding gown in my attic too.  Let's go full Havisham and start wearing our gowns daily.
    Unfortunately I am 30 pounds more than when I married - so that would be more than a little uncomfortable.  I should see if my daughter will fit it because she is almost taller than me.  If she gets taller than me it will never fit her and I should re-use that silk for something else.

    What about making a really simple drape-y blouse. I'm assuming the skirt has the most fabric to it.  Even if there is a seam it might be ok to just let it add a visual element to a simple top. Something like the Lou Box top.  https://www.sewdiy.com/shop/lou-box-top-pdf-pattern
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: daffodil2001 on April 11, 2019, 10:53:03 AM
    I recently dropped off three bags of worn out clothes for textile recycling, along with some things I decluttered in advance of our upcoming move. And then my grandma dropped off a set of dishes she found at a thrift store and decided I just had to have. (I already have a full set of dishes and never expressed interest in having more.) I think she wanted to get me something because I knit her some fingerless gloves since her hands are always cold. I’ll probably keep them around for a few months and make a point of using them when Grandma visits, and then maybe “loan them to a friend who’s having a party.” I don’t want to just get rid of them right away  because she was so excited about them, but the dishes I already have are oven safe and these new ones aren’t.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 11, 2019, 11:40:12 AM
    Watched another Hoarders episode yesterday. This woman lived in a 31 room mansion in SC and she had every room filled with JUNK! She had little trails she walked thru with her cane! It was a disaster. The stupidest things she saved. She actually lost the house to foreclosure and was living in her van with two dogs and the van was a mess too. The new owners, along with the Hoarder show people, allowed her to come on the property so she could take a few things. Well we all know how that would go. She wanted to pick thru everything. They had 35 workers and in the end I think they filled 100 dumpsters. She was dragging stuff into the street and had someone come with a pick up truck hauling a trailer. That got loaded up but no way all of it could fit. So the town came along and scooped it up into a dumpster. What a nightmare!

    If anyone is procrastinating on hoeing your house out, watch a few episodes of Hoarders and you will get mighty motivated! I have 8 bags ready for Vietnam Vets but I plan to fill more before I call them!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 11, 2019, 12:40:26 PM
    Watched another Hoarders episode yesterday. This woman lived in a 31 room mansion in SC and she had every room filled with JUNK! She had little trails she walked thru with her cane! It was a disaster. The stupidest things she saved. She actually lost the house to foreclosure and was living in her van with two dogs and the van was a mess too. The new owners, along with the Hoarder show people, allowed her to come on the property so she could take a few things. We well all know how that would go. She wanted to pic thru everything. They had 35 workers and in the end I think they filled 100 dumpsters. She was dragging stuff into the street and had someone come with a pick up truck hauling a trailer. That got loaded up but no way all of it could fit. So the town came along and scooped it up into a dumpster. What a nightmare!

    If anyone is procrastinating on hoeing your house out, watch a few episodes of Hoarders and you will get mighty motivated! I have 8 bags ready for Vietnam Vets but I plan to fill more before I call them!

    Wow.
    I'm not watching hoarders, just planning to sell the house is enough motivation to get all the extra stuff out so it will show better.  Word to the wise - this is exhausting, do it sooner rather than later.  Two moves ago I donated masses of stuff and still found more to donate as I was unpacking.  And that was a move to a bigger house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on April 11, 2019, 01:19:43 PM
    I've been watching the hoarder shows as a cautionary tale.  Unfortunately DS and DIL are dealing with DIL's parents' hoarding.  It started out slow, but is now at the point where between clutter and mold, the house will become uninhabitable if they don't do something soon.   

    We would like to move either this year or next, if we could just find a place to move to in the GTA we like and could afford.  We've been in this house 20 years, which is the longest we have ever lived in one place.  We usually moved every 7 years or so, and that did wonders for keeping the clutter down.  My goal has been one bag or box per month, and so far I am exceeding that.  Which says we have far too much stuff in this house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 11, 2019, 03:04:17 PM
    The thing with having a hard time throwing things out is that we become attached to things that made us happy in the past. For some it is like a security blanket to have stuff.  I also find that guilt makes me keep stuff. Like if a friend or my Mother gave me something.  But for these hoarders, it is an illness and they can't let go and cannot recognize they are hoarding even when there are mouse droppings and urine on things. What gets me is that it is bad enough that the stuff is up to the ceiling but some have piles of clothes all over the floors, even in the kitchen. No room at all in the kitchen to prepare a meal or run water in the sink. Some have broken plumbing and can't use the toilet or tub! Some don't have heat and no one will come in to fix the problem because they can't get into the house! Plus, Styrofoam cups, food containers and crap that could go in the garbage can but is placed everywhere. As much as I can't agree with hoarding at all, you would think that there would be some kind of organization like placing things in giant rubbermaids and labeling them.

    So glad I don't have this disorder! I have way too much crap though! I am doing good whittling it down and am seeing the light of day. We built our house in 1975 and have never moved. Over the years stuff came into the house but not much left it! I am finding I don't have much need for anything. I can let it go without a problem. Just gotta spend time bagging it up. I am trying to use the concept if I buy some new kitchen thing I have to get rid of one kitchen thing. So far so good. Just got rid of a zillion kitchen spatulas, tongs and duplicates, triplicates and stupid things. Got rid of a giant bag of kitchen towels, placemats, books. I tell a friend of mine quite regularly on how many giant garbage bags I am getting rid of and she is in awe of my accumulations. Not moving is a bag thing!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on April 12, 2019, 12:16:52 PM
    I helped a friend pack up her kitchen yesterday.  She is moving from a large family home to a condo.   (Divorced a few years ago but kept the family home until her youngest is done grade 12).

    She is excellent at not holding onto "stuff"...truly, only her kitchen and workshop have a lot of "tools"... even so, it was interesting to see her thought processes.  She has a lot of very nice pots / pans / dishes and did a great job culling out at least 25% on the first go before I arrived.   I would subtly remind her from time to time about the size of the new kitchen...   or ask if she tends to cook with three large frypans at the same time so could maybe get down to two?  No? Okay. (She started with 5).   I encouraged her to get rid of the large wok, for example, by pointing out how many fabulous Asian restaurants are at the door of her new place, and that maybe she will want to get into SE Asian cooking or something new next.

    We hold onto our stuff for so many reasons:
    - it is great condition / quality still
    - It cost a lot
    - We remember being young and NOT having some of these items / quality items and it sucked.  Fear of missing it sometime in future.
    - Memories of the food that we have made, people we made it with.
    - Hope (dream) for another dinner party or event of X in future (Hello shaped cake pans and 10 piece plate setting x 5 sizes of plates and bowls).
    - We identify with a role "Decorator", "Family chef and party maker" and surrounding ourselves with these things reinforces our self-identity

    But you know what?  At some point the old stuff prevents us from making new memories with new people and activities, events.   We need to remember the good and MOVE ON.

    My friend did a terrific job and will cull more after she moves in and lives in the space.   It did inspire me to gut a couple of corners in my own place, too.  We are never as good at this as we think we are.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 13, 2019, 01:35:12 AM
    I'm making an effort to use up my stash of 100 or so tea lights.

    Once I've used them up I think I'll donate the cute tea light holders and just stick with one or two large candles at a time.

    I need to research more a more environmentally-friendly approach to candles that are only used for ambience and decor.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 13, 2019, 02:01:22 AM
    Hard rubbish day is being a big success. So much of the stuff we put out has already been picked up so won't end up in the tip. It feels good to have things out of the basement, making room for the things we do use.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on April 13, 2019, 04:21:26 AM
    I'm making an effort to use up my stash of 100 or so tea lights.

    Once I've used them up I think I'll donate the cute tea light holders and just stick with one or two large candles at a time.

    I need to research more a more environmentally-friendly approach to candles that are only used for ambience and decor.

    Keep a few tea lights  for power outages.   

    I only buy candles second hand now. I’ve seen “sustainable” candles marketed but decided second hand was right for me. I question how good (or bad) the scents and smoke are but still enjoy burning some in a long evening. 

    ETA: I broke the spirit of the thread suggesting you keep tealights!  Ah! Sorry!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 13, 2019, 04:46:40 AM
    I'm making an effort to use up my stash of 100 or so tea lights.

    Once I've used them up I think I'll donate the cute tea light holders and just stick with one or two large candles at a time.

    I need to research more a more environmentally-friendly approach to candles that are only used for ambience and decor.

    Keep a few tea lights  for power outages.   

    I only buy candles second hand now. I’ve seen “sustainable” candles marketed but decided second hand was right for me. I question has good (or bad) the scents and smoke are but still enjoy burning some in a long evening. 

    ETA: I broke the spirit of the thread suggesting you keep tealights!  Ah! Sorry!

    But tealights in a good holder make great emergency candles.  They don't smell, and if the container is really solid you can leave one burning all night as a night light.   Votive candles the same - actually better, they last longer.  Or the decorative candles in a glass jar.  The last batch of emergency candles I bought reeked.  My decorative candles are my emergency candles.  Just be sure you know where the matches are in the dark!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 13, 2019, 08:58:04 AM
    So I'm 10 weeks pregnant now, and after a good scan, I'm realizing that luck might actually be on my side for once and I might *actually* need to fit an infant into this apartment, LOL. Not that we don't have the space, it's a big place, but I know it'll be less stressful to deal with the influx of baby stuff if we cull other unneeded stuff first. So that'll be my next big project. I also need to figure out what things I don't fit I'll store, vs what I'm unlikely to fit again. (I'm thinking skinny jeans that were already pretty tight on my hips might be a no go- I have fairly narrow hips now, so I'm guessing they may end up wider, ultimately. And not sure $15 jeans are worth storing with that likelihood, you know?)

    Our biggest inefficient storage areas are our 3 closets. 1 will likely survive most culling, since it has our camping gear. The master currently has a hodgepodge of items up top, some hand me down baby gear, gift wrap, winter gear, that sort of stuff. It's a super tall closet and if nothing else very inefficiently packed, so I think I'll be able to streamline it a lot. Our front hall closet is like, our garage kinda. It's where everything we kept from the garage went. Also has a bunch of shoes and some coats, again poorly stored so it's really space inefficient. Ideally I could get it so a stroller can fit in there, so we don't block the hallway with it full time. This will require culling shoes, and organizing the remainder better. ...not on super short weird freebie hand me down particle board racks, haha.

    Oh, also thought of- our second bathroom (we're in 2br/2ba, second bedroom is my husband's office since he WFH). That bathroom has built in storage, most of which is storing off season linens, some massive serving platters and such we got for our wedding, basically things that made sense when we owned a home, but not now. Unsure what we'll do with these. I don't want to get rid of them? But if we need the space, I suppose they're things that could go. There's also a lot of bulk storage in there right now (ziplocks, paper towels, toilet paper) and all my old IVF supplies (extra needles, sharps containers, on and on). So I can whittle that stuff down pretty easily.

    Cool, I kinda have a game plan! Let's hope this second tri energy shows up soon so I can actually DO these plans, haha!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 14, 2019, 12:22:11 AM
    I'm making an effort to use up my stash of 100 or so tea lights.

    Once I've used them up I think I'll donate the cute tea light holders and just stick with one or two large candles at a time.

    I need to research more a more environmentally-friendly approach to candles that are only used for ambience and decor.

    Keep a few tea lights  for power outages.   

    I only buy candles second hand now. I’ve seen “sustainable” candles marketed but decided second hand was right for me. I question how good (or bad) the scents and smoke are but still enjoy burning some in a long evening. 

    ETA: I broke the spirit of the thread suggesting you keep tealights!  Ah! Sorry!

    I can't believe I didn't think to look for second-hand! Love this idea, thank you.

    No worries about suggesting I hang onto a couple of tea lights. It's a good idea. At the moment they fill an entire basket, so once I'm down to half a dozen for emergencies that can hide in a drawer, I'll be happy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 14, 2019, 04:32:51 AM
    So I'm 10 weeks pregnant now, and after a good scan, I'm realizing that luck might actually be on my side for once and I might *actually* need to fit an infant into this apartment, LOL. Not that we don't have the space, it's a big place, but I know it'll be less stressful to deal with the influx of baby stuff if we cull other unneeded stuff first. So that'll be my next big project. I also need to figure out what things I don't fit I'll store, vs what I'm unlikely to fit again. (I'm thinking skinny jeans that were already pretty tight on my hips might be a no go- I have fairly narrow hips now, so I'm guessing they may end up wider, ultimately. And not sure $15 jeans are worth storing with that likelihood, you know?)

    Our biggest inefficient storage areas are our 3 closets. 1 will likely survive most culling, since it has our camping gear. The master currently has a hodgepodge of items up top, some hand me down baby gear, gift wrap, winter gear, that sort of stuff. It's a super tall closet and if nothing else very inefficiently packed, so I think I'll be able to streamline it a lot. Our front hall closet is like, our garage kinda. It's where everything we kept from the garage went. Also has a bunch of shoes and some coats, again poorly stored so it's really space inefficient. Ideally I could get it so a stroller can fit in there, so we don't block the hallway with it full time. This will require culling shoes, and organizing the remainder better. ...not on super short weird freebie hand me down particle board racks, haha.

    Oh, also thought of- our second bathroom (we're in 2br/2ba, second bedroom is my husband's office since he WFH). That bathroom has built in storage, most of which is storing off season linens, some massive serving platters and such we got for our wedding, basically things that made sense when we owned a home, but not now. Unsure what we'll do with these. I don't want to get rid of them? But if we need the space, I suppose they're things that could go. There's also a lot of bulk storage in there right now (ziplocks, paper towels, toilet paper) and all my old IVF supplies (extra needles, sharps containers, on and on). So I can whittle that stuff down pretty easily.

    Cool, I kinda have a game plan! Let's hope this second tri energy shows up soon so I can actually DO these plans, haha!


    Some people turn a closet into a pseudo office space. If you have a closet you could expand somehow, you could use the second bedroom for the baby. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/342344009147600588/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 14, 2019, 05:11:58 AM
    Bbq, two desks, a drawer frame, two hiking bags, a bike, a skateboard, two frying pans, misc tools in a toolbox, misc bike parts. Some balls for sports we no longer play! All out for hard rubbish! The neighbourhood kids have had a great time in the park the last couple of days with various toys and wheels from the piles. It has been fun.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 14, 2019, 05:44:10 AM
    I'm making an effort to use up my stash of 100 or so tea lights.

    Once I've used them up I think I'll donate the cute tea light holders and just stick with one or two large candles at a time.

    I need to research more a more environmentally-friendly approach to candles that are only used for ambience and decor.

    Keep a few tea lights  for power outages.   

    I only buy candles second hand now. I’ve seen “sustainable” candles marketed but decided second hand was right for me. I question how good (or bad) the scents and smoke are but still enjoy burning some in a long evening. 

    ETA: I broke the spirit of the thread suggesting you keep tealights!  Ah! Sorry!

    I can't believe I didn't think to look for second-hand! Love this idea, thank you.

    No worries about suggesting I hang onto a couple of tea lights. It's a good idea. At the moment they fill an entire basket, so once I'm down to half a dozen for emergencies that can hide in a drawer, I'll be happy.

    Ah, so there is a chance someone will buy my 10 unopened, and of course, unused, scented candles when I put them on Craigslist for $1 each, must buy all?

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jnnfr on April 15, 2019, 02:59:44 AM
    Two smallish boxes of stuff and a set of glasses to the op shop today. Progress has been slowed by my partner having sprained his ankle pretty badly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 15, 2019, 06:37:05 AM
    My DD completely cleared out the main bath vanity.   It looks amazing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 15, 2019, 07:39:59 AM
    I had a complete breakdown last night about the clutter in the garage. At midnight I was in there throwing stuff into boxes, because it's just ALL over the shelves... 
    We still have room for our 2 cars in the garage; but the garage is the main entry into the house and there is just STUFF everywhere. And as much as I sweep or vacuum, the dirt and dust and sawdust is just everywhere.  I can't declutter the garage because it isn't my stuff.

    So now, most of the shelves are at least in boxes, and I don't have to see it anymore.

    But I feel bad, because I really took it out on my husband...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 15, 2019, 11:49:10 PM
    I had a complete breakdown last night about the clutter in the garage. At midnight I was in there throwing stuff into boxes, because it's just ALL over the shelves... 
    We still have room for our 2 cars in the garage; but the garage is the main entry into the house and there is just STUFF everywhere. And as much as I sweep or vacuum, the dirt and dust and sawdust is just everywhere.  I can't declutter the garage because it isn't my stuff.

    So now, most of the shelves are at least in boxes, and I don't have to see it anymore.

    But I feel bad, because I really took it out on my husband...

    Sounds tough, red panda. I've been there, where I've just completely snapped over stuff.

    I'm sure you're forgiven. And at least you don't have to look at it now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 15, 2019, 11:54:07 PM
    I put a pair of work pants in the Vinnies bag this morning.

    They haven't been worn in at least three years, and I've lost 10 kilos since then.

    They were so laughably big on me that I sent a pic to @marty998, who was incredibly polite in agreeing with me that the big pants make my already-short legs look ridiculously stumpy.

    Why have I even kept them this long??? (The pants, that is. The short legs I'm apparently stuck with.)

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marty998 on April 16, 2019, 01:41:26 AM
    I put a pair of work pants in the Vinnies bag this morning.

    They haven't been worn in at least three years, and I've lost 10 kilos since then.

    They were so laughably big on me that I sent a pic to @marty998, who was incredibly polite in agreeing with me that the big pants make my already-short legs look ridiculously stumpy.

    Why have I even kept them this long??? (The pants, that is. The short legs I'm apparently stuck with.)

    They looked flared! Or clown size haha.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 16, 2019, 06:59:48 AM
    Why have I even kept them this long??? (The pants, that is. The short legs I'm apparently stuck with.)

    If you ever find a way to get longer legs, let us all know.   ;-) 
    DD and I are the same height sitting down, she is 3" taller than I am.  Guess who has long legs and who has short legs?  ;-(   It sure does make it difficult to find pants that look good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Yasha on April 17, 2019, 01:33:37 AM
    Arranged for someone to collect the boots. Was also looking for a particular paper, so I kept each page I came across that was ready for shredding as I was looking and visited the shredder once I found the page I was actually looking for. So much clutter hidden away~!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 21, 2019, 08:54:53 AM
    Decluttered shoes and coats this week - only 1 pair of shoes in the donate bin, I actually don't have that many pairs to spare.  I did clear out a few jackets and fleeces that are duplicate weight or don't fit right.  I'm running out of low-hanging fruit, though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 21, 2019, 09:30:31 AM
    So excited! Our senior center is having a free shredding event for seniors middle of May! I have a ton of stuff collected and one more file box to clean out. A few days before this event there is a Rotary club one and even though it is a charity event, it would cost me $10 a box. I probably would have 10 boxes full. So I am HAPPY I can take my stuff to the free senior event! YAY!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 21, 2019, 10:16:45 AM
    Worked on my closet for a bit this morning. Went through & organized all of my freebie books (from work), so they are nicely stacked. We don't have a bookshelf.

    Found two things to donate, several boxes to recycle, and one box that's perfect for eBay mailing. That went into the mailing cupboard. While not much came out, everything is tidied & looks so much better.

    I'm trying on my evening/going out dresses sometime today, in anticipation of a reasonably dressy vacation with my mom. Any of the dresses that don't currently fit are going into the donate pile. Many are 10+ years old, and span a variety of kid sizes. No more "saving for a future weight". If they don't fit, they are gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 21, 2019, 06:28:20 PM
    Over the weekend I:

    - gave away five bottles of wine to family
    - gave my nephews their Easter bunnies, getting them out of my house
    - gave a pair of irreparable pants to a friend who wanted the fabric for a sewing project
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on April 21, 2019, 11:35:34 PM
    Happy Easter
    DH this morning was asking me for the egg cups, to serve the hard boiled (coloured) eggs in.

    Um... Egg Cups?   I think I donated them about 8 years ago...  And the eggs tpdau were hardboiled, not soft, anyway.  No need for egg cups, especially as you only want them once every other year or less.

    I don't think he gets the declutter movement.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 22, 2019, 12:37:14 AM
    Happy Easter
    DH this morning was asking me for the egg cups, to serve the hard boiled (coloured) eggs in.

    Um... Egg Cups?   I think I donated them about 8 years ago...  And the eggs tpdau were hardboiled, not soft, anyway.  No need for egg cups, especially as you only want them once every other year or less.

    I don't think he gets the declutter movement.

    Shot glasses make decent egg cups... :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on April 22, 2019, 01:17:49 AM
    Happy Easter everyone!

    I've said it before, but I'm pretty much all decluttered except for 2 categories: books and clothes. With books, I see it as a big waste to get rid of them. I can't even really say why... fellow book hoarders will understand, I guess. It doesn't help that I got most of these books from my parents. I'm the designated book dump. I'm holding on to books simply because they are books... But I also know I absolutely detest translated works when I can read the original work. I have a lot of English literature translated to Dutch. My English is fine and I'd rather read the original words from the author. Translations can be so annoying and not authentic.
     
    So here's my challenge... can I donate some books I know I'd never read, even if I had all the time in the world to read them? Part of me already shudders at the thought. I have so much guilt and shame connected to books! Urgh.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 22, 2019, 06:12:31 AM
    Happy Easter everyone!

    I've said it before, but I'm pretty much all decluttered except for 2 categories: books and clothes. With books, I see it as a big waste to get rid of them. I can't even really say why... fellow book hoarders will understand, I guess. It doesn't help that I got most of these books from my parents. I'm the designated book dump. I'm holding on to books simply because they are books... But I also know I absolutely detest translated works when I can read the original work. I have a lot of English literature translated to Dutch. My English is fine and I'd rather read the original words from the author. Translations can be so annoying and not authentic.
     
    So here's my challenge... can I donate some books I know I'd never read, even if I had all the time in the world to read them? Part of me already shudders at the thought. I have so much guilt and shame connected to books! Urgh.

    Nederstash, not sure I have the love of books you do but we did have quite a collection of Culinary Institute of America cookbooks. My hub took cooking enthusiasts courses and with each course he got a beautiful book, some even were signed by the author/chef. They sat and sat and sat for years and we never used them. So, I called this local culinary school that teaches people to work in the food industry to become skilled in kitchen procedures. I asked if they would like the books and they were thrilled to get them. They even sent someone to get them! So, in a weird way I didn't want to part with them but knowing it will make others happy made it worthwhile. I am sure your local library has a once a year book sale to raise money. You could take some of your less loved books and donate them. It will help them and help you regain space. You may find as you start unhoarding the books, the easier it is to get rid of them. Not sure where you keep all your books but maybe you could consider a new bookshelf that might fit a maximum of 50 books. That way you will have to decide which books are worthy to fill the 50 slots. Once the bookshelf is filled you must get rid of a book should you buy a new book. All books must fit on the bookshelf.

    I know this thought might make you cringe, but some people make purses out of the book covers. I have seen them on Etsy and the purses sell for quite a bit of money due to the fact that it is lined, purse handles added and lots of hand work. Unfortunately, the book contents are removed. Then I have seen people make arty things from printed pages from books too, also on Etsy. I found a small collection of books on Craigslist. They were filled with fairy tales and pictures. After I got the books I decided I didn't want them. There were approximately 10 of them. I contacted a lady on Etsy who had made a purse out of an identical book I had in the collection. I asked her if she might be interested in buying the collection and she was. So I got the books free and sold them for maybe $20. I was glad to get rid of them! She was selling the purses for around $175 each!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 22, 2019, 06:34:14 AM
    I finally got rid of some empty boxes that I was saving 'just in case'. A big vacuum cleaner box that is 25 years old. It's out on the curb waiting for the recycling guys come to toss it into the truck.

    And the box is full of 3 other boxes I stomped down.

    I couldn't bring myself to toss out the box that my stereo receiver came in, though. Ya never know when you might want to pack up your stereo, right? 

    Anyway, I no longer have the annoying big stack of boxes in my hallway. Yay.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on April 22, 2019, 07:51:28 AM
    Hi Nederstash! I know that set of feelings around books. It's usually helped me to remember that when they sit unread and unloved on my shelves, that's not respecting those books. They should be in a home where they'll be read and appreciated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 22, 2019, 07:57:34 AM
    In and out! A friend gave us some clothes. We immediately tried them on and grabbed what fit, and will be re homing the ones that don't. I don't want them sitting around if they don't work at all!

    Already gifts are coming in. MIL gave us some baby clothes and a book at easter. I'm only 11 weeks! I better get a plan pronto for where I'll keep this stuff for the time being- right now it's sitting on my kitchen table, so this isn't going to work long term, clearly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on April 22, 2019, 08:53:58 AM
    A year and a half after we went through our drinking glass cabinet, we found four glasses we never reach for and added them to the goodwill bag.

    Very grateful to be out of low-hanging fruit. But everyday maintenance is still important! I never want to build back up to the level we were at before and I can see it happening very easily. Same concept as money, the small things really do add up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 22, 2019, 10:32:26 AM
    Happy Easter everyone!

    I've said it before, but I'm pretty much all decluttered except for 2 categories: books and clothes. With books, I see it as a big waste to get rid of them. I can't even really say why... fellow book hoarders will understand, I guess. It doesn't help that I got most of these books from my parents. I'm the designated book dump. I'm holding on to books simply because they are books... But I also know I absolutely detest translated works when I can read the original work. I have a lot of English literature translated to Dutch. My English is fine and I'd rather read the original words from the author. Translations can be so annoying and not authentic.
     
    So here's my challenge... can I donate some books I know I'd never read, even if I had all the time in the world to read them? Part of me already shudders at the thought. I have so much guilt and shame connected to books! Urgh.

    I am a book lover. If it's a book I will never read, didn't like, or for any reason do not want - it can go. On the reverse, I can keep a book even if I'll never read it just because I want to own it.

    You do NOT have to keep a book just because you're not "allowed" to get rid of books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 22, 2019, 10:35:15 AM
    In and out! A friend gave us some clothes. We immediately tried them on and grabbed what fit, and will be re homing the ones that don't. I don't want them sitting around if they don't work at all!

    Already gifts are coming in. MIL gave us some baby clothes and a book at easter. I'm only 11 weeks! I better get a plan pronto for where I'll keep this stuff for the time being- right now it's sitting on my kitchen table, so this isn't going to work long term, clearly.

    @Bracken_Joy  - you need a plan for what and how much you'll accept, period. Where to put it is a separate issue. If you're getting stuff in the 1st trimester, you have a much bigger issue to address. Just look at all the parents bemoaning the tide of plastic crap.

    Also consider a flat out ban on any "firsts", for ever and ever.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 22, 2019, 11:51:06 AM
    In and out! A friend gave us some clothes. We immediately tried them on and grabbed what fit, and will be re homing the ones that don't. I don't want them sitting around if they don't work at all!

    Already gifts are coming in. MIL gave us some baby clothes and a book at easter. I'm only 11 weeks! I better get a plan pronto for where I'll keep this stuff for the time being- right now it's sitting on my kitchen table, so this isn't going to work long term, clearly.

    @Bracken_Joy  - you need a plan for what and how much you'll accept, period. Where to put it is a separate issue. If you're getting stuff in the 1st trimester, you have a much bigger issue to address. Just look at all the parents bemoaning the tide of plastic crap.

    Also consider a flat out ban on any "firsts", for ever and ever.

    I mean... I'm not going to tell my MIL she can't buy me a onesie *shrugs* This is the first baby between the two families, and I've gone through years of IVF and loss. To say people are impatient is to put it mildly. It may change if it's like, plastic toys and stuffed animals and shit I don't need. But at this point, I'll take things and rehome them as needed, because I have spent insane amounts trying to *get* this baby, so the least I can spend on it, the better frankly. I'll happily accept a tide of baby crap, and send it on its way. Buy Nothing baby stuff always goes super fast, so I have no doubt I'll be able to easily rehome.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 22, 2019, 12:03:51 PM
    In and out! A friend gave us some clothes. We immediately tried them on and grabbed what fit, and will be re homing the ones that don't. I don't want them sitting around if they don't work at all!

    Already gifts are coming in. MIL gave us some baby clothes and a book at easter. I'm only 11 weeks! I better get a plan pronto for where I'll keep this stuff for the time being- right now it's sitting on my kitchen table, so this isn't going to work long term, clearly.

    @Bracken_Joy  - you need a plan for what and how much you'll accept, period. Where to put it is a separate issue. If you're getting stuff in the 1st trimester, you have a much bigger issue to address. Just look at all the parents bemoaning the tide of plastic crap.

    Also consider a flat out ban on any "firsts", for ever and ever.

    I mean... I'm not going to tell my MIL she can't buy me a onesie *shrugs* This is the first baby between the two families, and I've gone through years of IVF and loss. To say people are impatient is to put it mildly. It may change if it's like, plastic toys and stuffed animals and shit I don't need. But at this point, I'll take things and rehome them as needed, because I have spent insane amounts trying to *get* this baby, so the least I can spend on it, the better frankly. I'll happily accept a tide of baby crap, and send it on its way. Buy Nothing baby stuff always goes super fast, so I have no doubt I'll be able to easily rehome.

    It's extremely easy to give baby stuff away on BNP, you're right about that.

    I did tell my mother "I know you're excited about a baby girl, but after a you buy just a few tiny girl things, I'd prefer no clothes, because we just have so many."  Now that we are at size 3t, the prohibition is gone, and we receive new clothes for her ALL the time. Like an outfit a month...    I think I could have gone the whole first year not repeating an outfit because there was SO much from BNP, neighbor hand me downs, etc.  (I've heard girls are easier than boys in this regard though)

    Now, the ban on "firsts"- this is TOTALLY up to you, and I was all about the "I don't want to pay for it", but some parents really want to pick out the outfit their baby wears on the first Christmas, first birthday, first Halloween, etc-  so if that's important to you, since your relatives are really eager, make sure to set the boundary. "Thank you for your excitement, but as the Mom, I really want to be able to decide on the outfits for special celebrations. But baby could really use some (play clothes, reusable food pouches, monogrammed spit clothes, etc.) 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 22, 2019, 12:16:58 PM
    Just got another giant black garbage bag full of clothes. Sorta sad seeing some of the clothes that I got rid of were worn for meaningful events. However, I am too fat to fit into them now. Boo hoo!

    Gotta call the Vietnam Vets to do a pick up. I have 13 giant bags now to donate! OMG! We are definitely making a dent but still more to go. Just two people in one house but lived here for 40+ years. We have had dumpsters here many times and I am talking gigantic ones! We have taken hundreds of bags of everything you can imagine out of here and given to Goodwill and Vietnam Vets.

    Now we have to keep pecking at this, bag it up and get it out!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 22, 2019, 02:47:08 PM
    Caught up with some family last night and offloaded half a dozen USB drives, three branded lanyards, and four Moleskin notebooks. They are involved with a hobby group for teenagers and love getting these to hand out to the kids.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chasingthegoodlife on April 23, 2019, 04:10:39 PM
    We filled the bin and recycling with junk from the garage on the weekend and it’s been picked up this morning.

    Public holiday tomorrow so we are going to hit the garage again. Now that we’ve almost dealt with the last of SOs moving boxes of ‘inside stuff’, it is obvious that the shelving we’ve got out there (repurposed bookshelves) is not really suited for the type of stuff we want to store in the garage (esky, tent, tools). Resulting in all that large/heavy stuff being on the floor and making our life miserable. Broached the topic of getting some proper garage shelving with SO and he’s already found some second hand for a great price that he’ll pick up tomorrow morning.

    Also had some hard chats about the amount of time we have spent ‘sorting out the garage’ at his request and that I feel we’re just shuffling things because he’s not ready to make a decision about most items. Which is fine but maybe we need to take a break until he is. That seemed to click something for him and he’s been a lot more decisive.

    Inside the KonMari continues - I’ve done all my personal komono except for makeup/bathroom. Did the linen over the weekend and can see that shared stuff will be a much bigger challenge but it looks FANTASTIC and SO is happy with the result. We had 27 towels for a household of two people! I shudder to imagine a scenario where they would all be necessary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 24, 2019, 04:51:03 AM
    Saw charcoal on half price sale, and resisted the urge to stock up, since last time I did that it took 3 years to use it all up.

    I just bought one bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 25, 2019, 09:47:36 AM
    Saw charcoal on half price sale, and resisted the urge to stock up, since last time I did that it took 3 years to use it all up.

    I just bought one bag.

    I think that's the hardest one for minimalist mustachians! It certainly is a situation I struggle with. Good job!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 26, 2019, 09:53:53 AM
    Continuing with the microdecluttering here. I kept bumping into an old shirt and slacks  hanging on a hanger next to the dryer. Both were pretty dusty. I thought about washing them so I could donate them, but nope, into the textiles recycling bag they went, mercilessly.   

    ABout 5 feet away from the slacks and shirt, was a pile of those big shopping bags that certain stores give you or sell you. Macy's, Lord and Taylor, etc. Nice big bags, clean and useful, for somebody, but not me. Most of them made out of cloth, believe it or not.   

    Looked at them all one by one, put a few into recycling, and put the rest neatly into a bag which I will dump off at Goodwill next time I am there. Now I have room to move my lawn mower again !   

    edit to add:  I never shop at Macy's. I'm a guy and 90% of the stuff I am decluttering is from my ex girlfriend, lol.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 26, 2019, 09:59:48 AM
    Saw charcoal on half price sale, and resisted the urge to stock up, since last time I did that it took 3 years to use it all up.

    I just bought one bag.

    I think that's the hardest one for minimalist mustachians! It certainly is a situation I struggle with. Good job!


    Thanks !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 26, 2019, 10:23:07 AM
    I've lost energy to do any decluttering. My house is still full of things, and I would love to get another few hundred out of it. But I'm just too tired.

    Where is the "nesting" instinct that makes pregnant woman clean in me?  Because I only feel stress that I'm not getting anything out of the house, and I'm adding another person to it in 13 days. I just want us to own less stuff.  There is stuff everywhere.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 26, 2019, 10:54:53 AM
    My Senior center is offering a free shred service on May 15th. I just cleaned out a file cabinet and have two giant grocery bags full. Some of the paperwork goes back to 2004! I also have another 8 bags full. So this is a win, win situation. We also have a local fund raiser shred early May that would cost me around $10 a bag so this is saving me probably $100. I went to the free shred event last year and as soon as I came home, I found a whole file cabinet that I over looked.

    I have been purging and purging everything but it is hard! Even the paperwork I threw out it made me want to keep some of it. There were statements from former employers of my paychecks, 401k savings. Since I don't work anymore, it is 'fun' to see what I was earning back then. But, WHY I said to myself! Why do I need it...I don't so it got bagged up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 26, 2019, 04:53:17 PM
    I've lost energy to do any decluttering. My house is still full of things, and I would love to get another few hundred out of it. But I'm just too tired.

    Where is the "nesting" instinct that makes pregnant woman clean in me?  Because I only feel stress that I'm not getting anything out of the house, and I'm adding another person to it in 13 days. I just want us to own less stuff.  There is stuff everywhere.

    It will hit on day 12.  Or 14.  I was out in the garden tying up tomatoes in the morning and started labour in the afternoon (2 days past due date).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on April 27, 2019, 12:50:50 AM
    Tossed three expired things and one empty thing from my medicine box this morning.

    I'm allowing myself to be generous with burning candles to use up the stash, because I still have quite a few and I usually get a couple for my birthday.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on April 27, 2019, 01:20:10 AM
    I can't find anything in the garage, AGAIN! I'll spend an hour in there tomorrow looking for things that can live in the newly organised spare room and look for some cheap/free shelving. In 7 months we will have one less bedroom, but a double garage plus garden shed, can't wait.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 27, 2019, 07:13:22 AM
    ...........

    I have been purging and purging everything but it is hard! Even the paperwork I threw out it made me want to keep some of it. There were statements from former employers of my paychecks, 401k savings. Since I don't work anymore, it is 'fun' to see what I was earning back then. But, WHY I said to myself! Why do I need it...I don't so it got bagged up.

    When I have this situation (tons of paper records discovered) I recycle half of them and keep the rest for a future purge.  Feels safer that way.  lol...

    But some old stuff I will keep forever if it doesn't take up much space. Ancient home equity loans forms and stuff like that.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 27, 2019, 10:09:44 AM
    When I was laid off from the best job of my life in 2005 after working there 18 years I bought home a small suitcase full of work stuff. The suitcase sat in the garage for probably 10 years and was never opened once. It was like a security blanket and a tether to my past that was really important to me. One day the Hub and I were purging and I finally opened Pandora's box and threw out at least 99.9%. Right now I really can't say what was in the suitcase but for some reason I had to hold onto it till my heart could let it go. People are complicated!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on April 28, 2019, 08:23:45 AM
    This is organizing technically, not decluttering, but I'm still happy with it and it's making progress on our space being more functional.
    -Bought a shelf off FB marketplace that fits above our freezer in otherwise dead space. Had the room to put 3 baskets I already own that were living in a closet. Moved our overflow ziplocks, paper towels, and kleenex to these from the guest bathroom cupboards. I'm still trying to decide what baby stuff we'll put where, etc, but open spaces are a great place to start. If we're desperate for room as baby approaches, we'll stop buying stuff in bulk and convert the over the freezer storage to other lesser accessed items, allowing us even more space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on April 28, 2019, 06:45:57 PM
    Got rid of 2 lawnmowers and 1 semi-professional paint sprayer.  All needed maintenance to run better, and could be "worth something"... but when we tried to get maintenance, the costs were too high for our use.  Also got rid of the second sectional section (out of 3). One left, which is in use, then it will go, too.

    At least the lawnmowers went to metal recycling.... and I am freeing up a lot of space getting rid of the big things.  So hard to give up things that have value / use...  So nice to have the room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 28, 2019, 06:57:27 PM
    Got rid of 2 baby books. And another 2 waiting pickup from BNP.

    Also got 5 cardboard boxes into recycling
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 28, 2019, 07:19:54 PM
    Instead of just putting all the Easter decorations back in the big bin with a ton of old junk that we haven't taken out of the box in years, I got rid of almost all the stuff still in the box before I put away all the decor items that we used this year.

    The box is only 1/3 full.  Don't have a smaller bin at the moment so the large mostly empty bin just went back on the shelf until a smaller bin appears.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 29, 2019, 05:18:47 AM
    Found some 'no decision, easy stuff' to declutter when I was looking in a kitchen cabinet for something: 2 boxes of oatmeal I can use up slowly, day by day. I never knew they were there.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on April 29, 2019, 08:36:02 AM
    Finally decided to get rid of my old suitcase, which I replaced about 2 years ago.  It is stuffed full of random clothes and in the car to be donated today, along with two Pyrex casserole dishes, a book, and a big comforter that we don't use because it doesn't breath properly.

    I also went through my crafting supplies/random bits and found quite a few things to toss.  There was a whole stash of stuff sacks from various down vests and jackets.

    For now I'm setting aside a small box of clothes that are currently too small.  Just the items like high-end jeans that I feel are worth storing for a bit to see if I can shrink back into them (we're talking 10# here, so I think it's in the realm of possibility).

    This Wednesday should be the free hazardous waste collection day at the fire department, so I need to get some old electronics and things pulled together and bring them over.  We had a whole tote box full of old routers, an ancient MP3 player, etc.  Like, why are we storing this dead technology?

    I've managed to sell a couple horse items on eBay, but sales are SLOW.  Freecycling a horse-riding shirt that came free with purchase and is not a color I'd ever wear, and supposedly have someone taking one of my extra saddles on trial this week.  I think I'll just add a Best Offer option on my eBay listing for the other, because I'm getting sick of looking at it, and have a new-used saddle for the baby horse arriving tomorrow, which will put me at 5(!) saddles.

    Need to list a squat rack and big coffee table on CL, but have been waiting until DH returns from a work trip, rather than dealing with rando people while home alone (since those items are too large to meet and exchange in a public spot).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bird In Hand on April 29, 2019, 12:52:27 PM
    I finally got the nerve to get rid of a couple dozen text books from college, plus a handful of other expensive books that I have little interest in.  The library was accepting donations for the spring book sale, and I sneaked these in (technically I don't think they like to take text books as donations, but nobody checked).  I feel a little bit of sadness and a little bit of relief that they're gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on April 29, 2019, 01:17:09 PM
    I have 25 items selected for my get-rid-of-30 things goal this month. 5 are actually out of the house, eep. Tonight's goal is to dig a little bit more and then to get rid of what I can get rid of (there's some donatables that should be easy -- just drop them at the coffeeshop network).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Mongoose on April 29, 2019, 01:42:28 PM
    All our old baby seats were decluttered to be recycled at Target last Monday. We'd been hanging on to them until we could find a way that they didn't end up in the landfill. Major amount of space freed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on April 29, 2019, 02:01:58 PM
    All our old baby seats were decluttered to be recycled at Target last Monday. We'd been hanging on to them until we could find a way that they didn't end up in the landfill. Major amount of space freed!

    I've noticed BNP has had a nice trade in old car seats. So not only do they get recycled, people have even found someone else to take them in for them :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 29, 2019, 04:46:16 PM
    Two SUV loads gone/donated in the last few weeks.   Plus maximum amount allowed each week for garbage and recycling.  A lot was sort of hidden stuff, the difference is not massively obvious yet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 29, 2019, 05:33:44 PM
    Fifteen 33 gallon bags going tomorrow to Vietnam Vets. I had one more bag started but not sure if I will fill it. We have to put the bags out at 8 am. But no idea on what time the pick up occurs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on April 30, 2019, 10:28:08 AM
    I am relieved that I got 3 boxes of stuff out of the house this weekend to donation. It was very mentally freeing to see the empty spot in the living room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: daffodil2001 on April 30, 2019, 10:41:46 AM
    I moved recently and had a box of stuff that I wasn’t ready to part with earlier but decided it wasn’t needed in my new house. Brought it to a thrift store along with two boxes of bubble wrap for the store to use when people buy fragile things (I asked if they wanted it before dropping it off).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 30, 2019, 03:53:16 PM
    I am relieved that I got 3 boxes of stuff out of the house this weekend to donation. It was very mentally freeing to see the empty spot in the living room.

    I love this feeling!  Just dropped off 2 boxes today, and the open space in the entry way is glorious.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 30, 2019, 04:52:20 PM
    Fifteen 33 gallon bags going tomorrow to Vietnam Vets. I had one more bag started but not sure if I will fill it. We have to put the bags out at 8 am. But no idea on what time the pick up occurs.

    Gone, gone, gone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 30, 2019, 07:22:06 PM
    Read the entire thread over the past few days. So much inspiration here!

    I scanned all my old tax paperwork and took the actual papers to be shredded.

    I have a giant box in the car to go to Goodwill.

    I've used up a ton of trial- or travel-sized toiletries.

    A big one is finally asking my family about the china set I've been toting around for ten years! I thought it was my great-grandmothers that her son bought in Europe during WWII when he was in the army. Nope! My mom has that set, which I will inherit. This? Nobody knows whose it was, and I don't remember who I got it from. So out it goes! When I think of the number of times I have carefully wrapped and packed those dishes and cups throughout my nomadic life!! An entire cabinet emptied out. Too bad I left the roll of newsprint in the mail room with a "free" sign just last week. :P

    I've gotten all of the easy stuff. Now I've been through summer and winter clothes, the kitchen cabinets, books, and some sentimental things. I've noticed that after a while, some sentimental things become less...sentimental and more 'what is this?'

    Now to decide if I really need a printer, since it usually lives unplugged on a closet shelf. I have a workplace where I can print, and my building's office will gladly let tenants use their office equipment for small, one-off things. The shredder got donated weeks ago, when I opted out of most junk mail and opted in to email statements on almost everything.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 01, 2019, 07:54:23 AM
    I finally got the nerve to get rid of a couple dozen text books from college, plus a handful of other expensive books that I have little interest in.  The library was accepting donations for the spring book sale, and I sneaked these in (technically I don't think they like to take text books as donations, but nobody checked).  I feel a little bit of sadness and a little bit of relief that they're gone.

    Fellow textbook and technical manual keeper here! A few years ago I donated some to my library. Don't know if they put them out for sale. I still have a lot more stored on the floor in my house. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 01, 2019, 11:10:47 AM
    I am finally getting rid of the pile of stockings that I have that are gorgeous stockings but just really plain uncomfortable to wear -- so they sit, looking beautiful, as I never wear them because owwwww.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bird In Hand on May 01, 2019, 12:07:17 PM
    Fellow textbook and technical manual keeper here! A few years ago I donated some to my library. Don't know if they put them out for sale. I still have a lot more stored on the floor in my house.

    Was it a struggle for you to finally donate some?  Most of my books were technical in nature, and many were out of date.  My reluctance to get rid of them was a combination of sunk cost fallacy (those suckers cost me ~$100/each on average), the feeling that I was tossing some good resources for useful information that me or my kids might make use of some day (but duh, we could find better/more up to date information on these topics online or from a library), and sheer sentimentality (I am oddly sentimental about the weirdest stuff).

    I tried selling some -- no dice.  I briefly considered burning them ala a Viking funeral pyre.  But I finally decided that at least there is a small chance someone will want one of the books, so now they're the library's problem to deal with.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on May 01, 2019, 12:38:47 PM
    I'm surprised by everyone donating textbooks - our library won't take them, and our thrift store won't take them either.  I had to recycle mine when I finally convinced myself to let go :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on May 01, 2019, 12:44:34 PM
    I cheated and took my textbooks to work. (I have a technical position at a university so this is not weird.)

    Every once in a while I do go back and look something up, but 99% of the time I just get my info online. They're mostly there for decoration/nostalgia.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bird In Hand on May 01, 2019, 01:36:11 PM
    I'm surprised by everyone donating textbooks - our library won't take them, and our thrift store won't take them either.  I had to recycle mine when I finally convinced myself to let go :(

    Had the people at the library examined the contents of the big box of books I dropped off (donations for a book sale), they might well have told me "Sorry, no text books!"  But they were not really paying attention, so I just set the box down with the other donations and scooted out of there before they had a chance to take a look.  :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 01, 2019, 02:48:39 PM
    Our library sells books to raise money, and we do actually take textbooks. Textbooks are one of the few things that I've gotten requests for as a cashier in the store -- lots of people want to teach themselves something, and are okay if that something's out of date, as long as they're only spending $2-5 on it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 02, 2019, 07:21:44 AM
    Fellow textbook and technical manual keeper here! A few years ago I donated some to my library. Don't know if they put them out for sale. I still have a lot more stored on the floor in my house.

    Was it a struggle for you to finally donate some?  Most of my books were technical in nature, and many were out of date.  My reluctance to get rid of them was a combination of sunk cost fallacy (those suckers cost me ~$100/each on average), the feeling that I was tossing some good resources for useful information that me or my kids might make use of some day (but duh, we could find better/more up to date information on these topics online or from a library), and sheer sentimentality (I am oddly sentimental about the weirdest stuff).

    I tried selling some -- no dice.  I briefly considered burning them ala a Viking funeral pyre.  But I finally decided that at least there is a small chance someone will want one of the books, so now they're the library's problem to deal with.

    I like the Viking funeral pyre idea! But I won't do it myself.

    Yes, it was a struggle to donate them, but I viewed as a self-improvement thing,   
    like going to that party even though you are shy, since you'll be glad you did afterwards. 'Doing the right thing' even though you don't want to.   

    My textbooks are 95% free from work days. They allowed me to take them with me when I left. All computer programming stuff.

    I keep them for as a reminder of how productive I was in this life. So, sentimentality there, yes. I never read them unless I am thinking of recycling them. Then after a few paragraphs, I say 'I can't discard this priceless stuff. It's the only physical representation I have of my work role in the world'. They are all in one room, and take up only about 20% of the floor space when stacked.

    What doesn't help is seeing similar textbooks on Ebay listed for $30 to $40 each. But for some reason, now I can't see if they ever sold or not, and for how much. Has Ebay hidden that information now? I used to be able to see it somewhere, like 'completed auctions', but it has disappeared.

    So when I donated them I assumed I was possibly missing out on $30 each! (I know, dreaming). 

    I did put an ad on Craigslist for them, and suggested buyer make an offer. Zero responses, sadly.   

    I also have a few stacks of my computer programs in the same room. I have actually recycled about 30% of these, and now am actually regretting it!  Who knew? Oh well, I still have a lot. Also saving presentations I made describing the  projects I led.

    I also had a bunch of those 3 ring binder manual full of training lessons, which I was able to recycle without too much emotion. Pop open the metal rings, toss paper into recycling bag, donate 3 ring binder to Goodwill. They sell them for $1 or $2 each, believe it or not. I actually saw a guy at the cash register buying one once at Goodwill. I don't miss those. Kept a few empty 3-ring binders just in case, lol.   


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on May 02, 2019, 07:34:33 AM
    You can check the buyback sites before donating.  If they are older than 5 years I wouldn’t expect anything (especially for programming), but there are outliers.  I regularly buy old text books at thrift shops and sell them to one of the bigger book dealers.  I might make more if I were selling them myself, but that’s too much hassle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on May 02, 2019, 07:42:26 AM

    What doesn't help is seeing similar textbooks on Ebay listed for $30 to $40 each. But for some reason, now I can't see if they ever sold or not, and for how much. Has Ebay hidden that information now? I used to be able to see it somewhere, like 'completed auctions', but it has disappeared.

    So when I donated them I assumed I was possibly missing out on $30 each! (I know, dreaming). 


    You used to be able to see prices of sold comparable items as one of the final steps in listing your own item. Idk if it’s still there though
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 02, 2019, 09:32:53 AM

    What doesn't help is seeing similar textbooks on Ebay listed for $30 to $40 each. But for some reason, now I can't see if they ever sold or not, and for how much. Has Ebay hidden that information now? I used to be able to see it somewhere, like 'completed auctions', but it has disappeared.

    So when I donated them I assumed I was possibly missing out on $30 each! (I know, dreaming). 


    You used to be able to see prices of sold comparable items as one of the final steps in listing your own item. Idk if it’s still there though

    Go to ebay
    To the right of the search bar there is the word ADVANCED
    Click on ADVANCED
    On that page fill in search bar and type in item name you want to find sold
    Go down on that same page and check mark 'SOLD'
    Then click on the blue search button

    The item or similar items should appear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on May 02, 2019, 11:50:10 AM
    Got rid of the last of the track lights from the basement this morning.  Also 2 large boxes of odds and ends - lots of 'display' items and glassware that were given to us as wedding gifts.   If we haven't used them in 40 years, I don't think we're going to. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: formerlydivorcedmom on May 02, 2019, 01:33:24 PM
    I've noticed that after a while, some sentimental things become less...sentimental and more 'what is this?'

    I've noticed this too.   I think I've reset my internal expectation of what sentimental means by getting rid of so much.  I need to do a second pass, because I'm still drowning in piles of sentimental stuff (I am the family historian).

    I had surgery last month and was off my feet for a while.  It's amazing how much stuff accumulates - both medical supplies that I don't want to get rid of (I guarantee one of my kids will need these crutches before I get them out of the house) and random crap that my husband bought when I wasn't there to say "No, we don't need that." 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 02, 2019, 07:37:39 PM

    What doesn't help is seeing similar textbooks on Ebay listed for $30 to $40 each. But for some reason, now I can't see if they ever sold or not, and for how much. Has Ebay hidden that information now? I used to be able to see it somewhere, like 'completed auctions', but it has disappeared.

    So when I donated them I assumed I was possibly missing out on $30 each! (I know, dreaming). 


    You used to be able to see prices of sold comparable items as one of the final steps in listing your own item. Idk if it’s still there though

    Go to ebay
    To the right of the search bar there is the word ADVANCED
    Click on ADVANCED
    On that page fill in search bar and type in item name you want to find sold
    Go down on that same page and check mark 'SOLD'
    Then click on the blue search button

    The item or similar items should appear.

    Thank you!   :) 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 02, 2019, 09:10:33 PM
    I put two tank tops in the donation pile. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I have the opportunity to go through the side of my close that's been untouched in the colder weather. For things that don't fit well, or show too much cleavage for the office due to stretching or whatever, into the donation bin
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on May 02, 2019, 09:12:32 PM

    What doesn't help is seeing similar textbooks on Ebay listed for $30 to $40 each. But for some reason, now I can't see if they ever sold or not, and for how much. Has Ebay hidden that information now? I used to be able to see it somewhere, like 'completed auctions', but it has disappeared.

    So when I donated them I assumed I was possibly missing out on $30 each! (I know, dreaming). 


    You used to be able to see prices of sold comparable items as one of the final steps in listing your own item. Idk if it’s still there though

    Go to ebay
    To the right of the search bar there is the word ADVANCED
    Click on ADVANCED
    On that page fill in search bar and type in item name you want to find sold
    Go down on that same page and check mark 'SOLD'
    Then click on the blue search button

    The item or similar items should appear.

    Thank you!   :)

    Thank you +1
    I have a few things to list and prior sales will make it so much easier!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on May 03, 2019, 02:52:32 AM
    I came across a charity online that collects hotel/airline toiletries for homeless people.

    (It's called Every Little Bit Helps for any Aussies interested.)

    I've just gone through my stash and picked out about 50 things to donate.

    Once upon a time I would have felt a pang at the sense of scarcity, but now I'm just relieved.

    I enjoy the simple straightforwardness of having four things in my shower and four things I put on my face. Why bother hoarding the rest of it?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: soccerluvof4 on May 03, 2019, 03:12:34 PM
    So excited i have a dumpster on site for some work getting done so I am going through the house and getting rid of everything that is junk!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on May 03, 2019, 09:27:14 PM
    Just listed eight things on eBay, $80 if it all sells at minimum asking prices.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MrsTuxedocat on May 03, 2019, 11:12:14 PM
    It's been a good week for decluttering:

    - I gave away a big bag of baby clothing to a mom in need
    - I sold my rice cooker, because we use the instant now
    - I sold my activity play mat
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on May 05, 2019, 03:48:06 PM
    Just sent a saddle off on trial - hopefully it will stay gone!

    Also sold a protective riding vest that didn't fit properly, and sold the other one a few weeks ago, so down to just the one that I like and fits properly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 06, 2019, 04:38:05 AM
    Good to see so many people who are able to sell stuff. I have discovered church rummage sales, where you pay $10 or $15 for a space and maybe a table, then set up your stuff to sell. I plan on trying one out soon.

    I'm slowing way down on my donating of stuff to Goodwill now, and I (slightly) regret donating the good stuff, since now I realize (maybe) that I can actually get some money for it at a rummage sale.   

    Before, I was in a panic to just 'get it out of the ******* house' since there was soooooooooo much junk. For example, I was bagging up 20 VHS tapes at a time and bringing them to Goodwill.  I still have about a hundred VHS tapes, but now I am actually watching them, one at a time, on my retro VCR, and enjoying it.

    So I'm taking a break from the purge mentality for a while, while I see what I can  sell at these rummage sales.       
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 06, 2019, 05:24:47 AM
    Good to see so many people who are able to sell stuff. I have discovered church rummage sales, where you pay $10 or $15 for a space and maybe a table, then set up your stuff to sell. I plan on trying one out soon.

    I'm slowing way down on my donating of stuff to Goodwill now, and I (slightly) regret donating the good stuff, since now I realize (maybe) that I can actually get some money for it at a rummage sale.   

    Before, I was in a panic to just 'get it out of the ******* house' since there was soooooooooo much junk. For example, I was bagging up 20 VHS tapes at a time and bringing them to Goodwill.  I still have about a hundred VHS tapes, but now I am actually watching them, one at a time, on my retro VCR, and enjoying it.

    So I'm taking a break from the purge mentality for a while, while I see what I can  sell at these rummage sales.     


    Years ago I sold stuff at a Christmas Bazaar and at that time I was registered with the state with a tax ID number and had to charge tax for the purchases. One of the other vendors told me that it is not uncommon for State people to come in and ask to see your tax ID. Just be careful if that might be your situation. I happened to have the tax ID number for other reasons but it came in handy at the bazaar. No one asked to see my ID.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on May 06, 2019, 10:57:38 AM
    I spent this weekend at my dad's house with my sister, working on decluttering some of his stuff, and some of mine that I had left there.  We donated a big box of kitchen things that Dad never uses or had duplicates of, plus two bags of stuff out of my old closet and a bag full of clothes we found in a closet, that my mom never came back for after the divorce.  We also loaded up Dad's truck with things to go to the dump, mostly things that had been left to mold and couldn't be saved.

    This really reminded me why I want to keep decluttering.  I never want my home to feel like that!  It will take many more trips for my sister and I to clean out Dad's house, with his cooperation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dare2Dream on May 06, 2019, 11:07:01 AM
    It's been a good week for decluttering:

    - I gave away a big bag of baby clothing to a mom in need
    - I sold my rice cooker, because we use the instant now
    - I sold my activity play mat

    I sometimes struggle with the best home for clutter that might have value to someone else.  My current rules are:

    under $10 - good will

    $10-$15 - craigslist honor system (i leave the item on my porch for the buyer and they leave the money). Not worth dealing with schedules and such for that price. Not worth crying about it they don't pay.

    over $15 - craigslist

    anyone have luck with other avenues like consignment shops?

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 06, 2019, 11:42:12 AM
    I cleared out the corner lower cupboard in the kitchen.  Found a place for the re-used aluminum trays, plates ect.  I gifted some old lunch bags that were stuffed in there.  Also found a place for the clean re-used take away containers in a drawer that was overstuffed with place mats and table clothes.

    The table linens are now sitting on the bench to be sorted.  There are so many and piled deep in a drawer, they are not easy to use and get wrinkled when I root through them looking for one.  Not a good system.  I have a cupboard in the dining room - near the table they get used on most often they could move into.  I need to figure out how to fold them so that I can see them and get them out easily, and put them back. 

    I still have too many platters and pie plates in the corner cupboard but I can now see them all and there is a logic of where they sit in this giant cupboard.  And the random lids with no container are in the bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on May 06, 2019, 12:16:11 PM
    Trash: Cat litter box, leftover cat food
    Gave away: 2 unopened bags of cat litter, cat water fountain & filters, some toddler items also given to us by our neighbors renovating their house (e.g. handprint molds for kids 2-5)
    Sold: Old HiFi speaker for 30-pin ipad for $30

    Next up: Go through our bags/duffels/suitcases to finish cleaning out the laundry room and the rest of the pile of stuff from the neighbors in the basement.  I'm hoping to get our basement back in order by the end of the month.  (My husband's cat was peeing around in the basement before she passed so I'm in the midst of trying to treat those marks as well.  It's a big project.  Between toddler storage and the cat pee reek, the basement has been abandoned for a while.)

    I'm pleased with the areas I've decluttered (and kept up): Hall closet that now contains space for the toy swaps so our main space is more restful, paper clutter, bathroom cabinets, boxing up and storing baby stuff, kitchen Tupperware, etc.  It's also been useful for being easier to find some things.  That said, progress is slow so I'm getting discouraged and losing steam.  I've got a toddler, so my decluttering efforts are limited to when he's asleep (and I'm not already exhausted).  It's also all on me - my husband has a new job and isn't interested in bothering to declutter.  He's not opposed to me doing it, but doesn't particular feel the need himself.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on May 07, 2019, 11:00:25 PM
    anyone have luck with other avenues like consignment shops?

    Children's consignment, yes.   Lots of yes.
    Furniture consignment - friends, yes (I just buy there)... you need current, good quality furniture (not brown goods unless current usually modern style).

    Not so much luck with clothing -- I did make some money, but you need to have spent a lot on clothes first.  On line consignment is good.

    Ebay for high quality sports stuff that you can ship (bike paniers, high end backpacking gear) works.  I may try our sports consignment for that too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dare2Dream on May 08, 2019, 05:16:44 AM
    anyone have luck with other avenues like consignment shops?

    Children's consignment, yes.   Lots of yes.
    Furniture consignment - friends, yes (I just buy there)... you need current, good quality furniture (not brown goods unless current usually modern style).

    Not so much luck with clothing -- I did make some money, but you need to have spent a lot on clothes first.  On line consignment is good.

    Ebay for high quality sports stuff that you can ship (bike paniers, high end backpacking gear) works.  I may try our sports consignment for that too.

    Much appreciated.  I might give it a try on my next round of consolidation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on May 08, 2019, 02:48:09 PM
    2 more large bags off to Goodwill.  Guy at the donation door said "Back again?".   So I guess I'm starting to be a regular.  And yet we still have so much stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on May 08, 2019, 08:12:50 PM
    2 more large bags off to Goodwill.  Guy at the donation door said "Back again?".   So I guess I'm starting to be a regular.  And yet we still have so much stuff!

    Ha! Love this!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Rosy on May 09, 2019, 12:25:39 PM
    Finally had my son drop off a box at goodwill. Three months in the making - ugh:)
    Donated some books to the library.
    Gave away an EZ-up to a friend.

    Hopefully, DIL will pick up our practically new loveseat today. That thing just never worked out as intended.
    Thrashed a few things as we cleaned up the garden storage area - about a big trash bag full. Fixed up and organized or used the remainder.

    De-cluttered and cleaned my spice drawer - now it is a beautiful thing to behold - once again.
    Thought I was decluttering the utensil drawer - turns out, I am using everything in there - amazing:), but it got a needed clean up anyway.
    Started on a new donation box, three items so far.

    De-cluttered and cleared/cleaned the utility room - another big trash bag full.
    De-cluttered the carport - one more big trash can - full.
    Plumbing problems forced me to clean under the kitchen sink - bakeware ruined and a lot of stuff lost to water damage. One kitchen trash bag full.

    Cleared out and cleaned up the big fridge/freezer incl odd storage on top - one full-size contractor bag full of trash. How is it possible to have something with an expiration date of 2017 in my fridge - hiding:)

    So much more to go it makes my head spin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 09, 2019, 01:18:01 PM
    Still hoeing out old paperwork for the free shred event next week. I now have at least 10 plastic grocery bags full. Some of this stuff went back to 1995. Bank statements, Social Security statements, 401k statements, investments that are no longer in banks where these statements were from. Years and years of this stuff. I threw out one year of Income Tax paperwork so I have 7 years worth still here.

    I have one more stash to clean up. It is the current stuff collected during the last year. Not a lot but got to get rid of it. I don't plan to ever collect this much paperwork ever again!

    There was a shred event fund raiser last week and if not for this free senior center event, I would have taken my stuff to that but glad I waited for the free event! YAY!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on May 10, 2019, 08:50:28 AM
    This one's kind of a Mustachian fail even if it's a decluttering win.

    We gave away a bulky foam mattress pad on craigslist after we failed to get interest at any price. We bought it a few months ago to try to revive an old mattress. I liked it fine, but my wife's back still hurt so we ended up having to get a new mattress anyway. We tried it on the new mattress too, and it was not a good combination. That time we both woke up in pain. We like the mattress we picked all on its own, anyway.

    Big waste of money for something we only used for three nights. But we didn't know it wouldn't work until we tried it, and hopefully the elderly couple who ended up taking it will enjoy it. They seemed very grateful when they picked it up. And it's a big relief to have the space back after a month or two of it sitting on the floor.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JoJoP on May 10, 2019, 09:12:14 AM

    --threw out all expired allergy meds


    It's best to take old meds to the pharmacy for proper disposal, otherwise it can leech into groundwater or end up in bodies of water.  Not good for people or animals.

    They found traces of opioids in shellfish.  It does leach into the water. Scary stuff!  I hauled a bunch of horse meds to the local sheriff's office for recycling.  They have a drop bin there, but I've heard all pharmacies will take old meds (human) also.
     
     https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/25/614593382/traces-of-opioids-found-in-seattle-area-mussels
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on May 10, 2019, 09:37:52 AM
    In some places it can be hard to get rid of meds. Our pharmacies take opiods a few days a year, but never anything else. Our emergency services don't take them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on May 10, 2019, 08:50:55 PM
    3 bins of children's clothes and random housewares to big church tag sale (not even my own church, I got impatient waiting for ours.)

    Went up to attic to find more stuff for the tag sale. Brought it down.  Found a box of books, but tag sale doesn't accept those so brought them to the library book sale. Library rejected them for various reasons (names written in front, too old, etc) so dropped rest off at little free library. Had to take a few because my little daughter Pennywise was with me and begged, but overall, I got rid of 20 big books and acquired only 2 little ones, so that was a win.

    House is still messy and car is still full because of stuff that I took down from the attic, but I do have some space up there now and hopefully by tomorrow I will be able to clear out a tub or two more.  It's complicated because Mr. Poundwise and all the kids just chuck stuff in boxes, so I have a few pieces of a game in one tub, then more parts in another box. etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 11, 2019, 06:17:26 AM
    This one's kind of a Mustachian fail even if it's a decluttering win.

    We gave away a bulky foam mattress pad on craigslist after we failed to get interest at any price. We bought it a few months ago to try to revive an old mattress. I liked it fine, but my wife's back still hurt so we ended up having to get a new mattress anyway. We tried it on the new mattress too, and it was not a good combination. That time we both woke up in pain. We like the mattress we picked all on its own, anyway.

    Big waste of money for something we only used for three nights. But we didn't know it wouldn't work until we tried it, and hopefully the elderly couple who ended up taking it will enjoy it. They seemed very grateful when they picked it up. And it's a big relief to have the space back after a month or two of it sitting on the floor.

    Congratulations!  I had a clean, good shape crib mattress on Craigslist for $10 and no takers, so moved it to the FREE
    section of CL. Been 2 days, still no responses.   

    In other news, I couldn't stand tapping my 25 inch TV so much, to get the flicker to stop, so I have
     replaced it with my non-flickering 20 inch TV. I just have to acclimate to the smaller screen size.
     Future of the flickering 25 inch TV is unknown at this time. Man is it heavy! I haven't moved
    anything that heavy for a long time.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 11, 2019, 06:45:06 AM
    Minor setback! The church that had just taken my name and phone number last week as registration to be a seller at their yard sale called me back and said sorry, we made a mistake and we were already full, and you can't come.

    **** ! 

    So now I'm combing thru the internet looking for some other places that will rent you space to sell stuff. Nothing so far! Everything is neighborhood/ no outside vendors type of yard sales. Bollocks.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 11, 2019, 08:47:39 AM
    -I went through all of my sports bras, and pulled out a few that are too tight. I'll see if my sister wants them. If not, into the donation bin they will go
    -I have a dress in the same pile, for my sister to check out
    -I've been going through my freebie book pile, and either reading a few pages & keeping, or immediately putting in the return pile
    -Recycled paperwork & found a few new tax documents that have to be filed
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on May 12, 2019, 04:04:13 AM

    My textbooks are 95% free from work days. They allowed me to take them with me when I left. All computer programming stuff.

    I keep them for as a reminder of how productive I was in this life. So, sentimentality there, yes. I never read them unless I am thinking of recycling them. Then after a few paragraphs, I say 'I can't discard this priceless stuff. It's the only physical representation I have of my work role in the world'. They are all in one room, and take up only about 20% of the floor space when stacked.

    What doesn't help is seeing similar textbooks on Ebay listed for $30 to $40 each. But for some reason, now I can't see if they ever sold or not, and for how much. Has Ebay hidden that information now? I used to be able to see it somewhere, like 'completed auctions', but it has disappeared.

    So when I donated them I assumed I was possibly missing out on $30 each! (I know, dreaming). 

    I did put an ad on Craigslist for them, and suggested buyer make an offer. Zero responses, sadly.   

    I missed this conversation on textbooks. Recently I put up a 17 year old textbook up for sale on Amazon, and to my surprise it was snapped up within a week!  After shipping costs etc were deducted, I made $23 off what probably cost $200-$300, but the outcome was much better than I expected.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on May 13, 2019, 04:20:48 AM
    Posted two bags of new toiletries and cosmetics to two Australian charities.

    Found a bag of fridge magnets for a friend who mentioned she doesn't have enough to hold all her kids' artwork on the fridge.

    Still waiting for my eBay items to sell. If they don't, I'll put two things in the donation bag and keep re-listing the others. No pressure.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 14, 2019, 10:31:22 AM
    A friend's dad has latched onto the fact that I'm a Star Wars fan, and has brought home several books from work (resale, gets donations) and given them to me. None of these are items I want, but this family has pretty much adopted me. Have added these books to my donate pile.

    Realistically, I at least will get them out of the house, while he would probably still bring them home but then sit on them for years. I've seen their basement, and I'm not going to make it harder for the mom and my friend to clean it up. I can handle a few books. Also volunteered to take some old paint cans that will need to to go the hazardous drop off. I have to go anyway, won't hurt to add a few more items to that pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 14, 2019, 04:33:59 PM

    My textbooks are 95% free from work days. They allowed me to take them with me when I left. All computer programming stuff.

    I keep them for as a reminder of how productive I was in this life. So, sentimentality there, yes. I never read them unless I am thinking of recycling them. Then after a few paragraphs, I say 'I can't discard this priceless stuff. It's the only physical representation I have of my work role in the world'. They are all in one room, and take up only about 20% of the floor space when stacked.

    What doesn't help is seeing similar textbooks on Ebay listed for $30 to $40 each. But for some reason, now I can't see if they ever sold or not, and for how much. Has Ebay hidden that information now? I used to be able to see it somewhere, like 'completed auctions', but it has disappeared.

    So when I donated them I assumed I was possibly missing out on $30 each! (I know, dreaming). 

    I did put an ad on Craigslist for them, and suggested buyer make an offer. Zero responses, sadly.   

    I missed this conversation on textbooks. Recently I put up a 17 year old textbook up for sale on Amazon, and to my surprise it was snapped up within a week!  After shipping costs etc were deducted, I made $23 off what probably cost $200-$300, but the outcome was much better than I expected.

    Way to go!  You've given me hope. I'm going to browse thru Amazon now and see if I can find any used IT textbook prices.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 14, 2019, 09:45:23 PM
    I have been listening to the audiobook 'The Minimalist Home' by Joshua Becker of The Minimalists. It's actually pretty good and has helped me / inspired me to do a bit more.

    Eg If keepsakes don't inspire you / make you feel confident about the future, don't keep them. I've never actually tackled my 'memories' box but this will help.

    Also, putting the toaster in the cupboard. We don't actually use it daily, so why is it out on the side? I will have to chuck some stuff to fit it in though...

    I haven't read a lot on their website so it's possible the book has some repetition from that, I wouldn't know.

    I wanted to free up a couple of shelves of the linen cupboard, so I've gone through my bathroom drawer and cleaned out enough stuff that I can store the three spare handtowels and my facecloths. I've made a pile of old towels for vets etc if they want them. There's a bulky heated throw blanket that can go and if I go through my shoes again I might make space in our bedroom for a spare set of sheets. Then if I go through all the stationery I've hoarded eg gift bags given to me, I might make space to move my craft things to the study and keep the spare bed sheets in the spare room. It's like a puzzle.

    And then I can try and remember why I wanted these empty cupboard shelves in the first place!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on May 15, 2019, 09:54:08 AM
    Huge coffee table off to Goodwill this morning.  Thankfully we have a hatchback - it barely fit.  Table had been languishing in our finished basement since we moved into this house (20 years ago) because it was too big to fit anywhere else.  Rec room looks so much bigger now without it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frankies Girl on May 15, 2019, 03:19:22 PM
    So.

    I'm thinking in the next week of donating something I used to think I'd have til I died... my grandparents had this wacky GIANT round mirror in their house and when they died, I ended up with it. All I know about it is that it was once a barbershop mirror back in the 40s or 50s and my granddad somehow ended up with it (he was not a barber - no idea). It is like 4 foot round, small bevel, nothing to really look at other than the sheer size of it. It has 4 basic clips that are screwed into a heavy wooden frame and the whole thing likely weighs something like 30 pounds and there are a few tiny chips in the edge and it's got some very very minor silvering specks happening. And the clips themselves always look like it's about to slip the frame and fall - I can see the edge of the wood frame back at the top. I got so paranoid for about 6 months it wasn't even on a wall as I wanted to get it looked at and then just said screw it and put it back up, but it give me butterflies still seeing it hanging up and thinking about what a godawful mess it would make and all the cat blood that would result from it crashing down as the only room it can go in is the "cat/craft room" where we keep the litterboxes (we have 5 cats. I am a sucker for a sob story stray).

    So no one is going to know if I donate it. It's not like it's an heirloom that someone will rise up from their grave and there's no secret compartment or anything. I think someone that is into modern/clean lines and mirrors would really love it, but I just don't really want to deal with it any more. I keep thinking about the bother and expense of getting it remounted and for all of that, I could go BUY a beautiful, well framed and even antique mirror if I really, really had to have one again.

    So can I get rid of it?




    So FINALLY took the mirror to the small, church run donation/charity shop. They were lovely and I feel a tiny bit of anxiety but mostly relieved and just sat in the car afterwards and chanted the recovering hoarder's mantra "it's okay to let it go. you didn't need it or want it" for just a few dozen times (I wish I was kidding about doing this).

    Only took me 8 months! :D



    Took some other bits and pieces with it too - some pretty red heels I can't walk in without risking a fall, fancy wine/champagne glasses I can't remember EVER using, clothes that no longer fit (hooray! I'm not a plus size, so screw keeping any of that stuff any more!), and we even were able to donate our old iphones for them to recycle as they specifically list that they make money off of them and are very grateful for donations of that type.

    AND I got rid of two old expired fire extinguishers that could not be reused and 2 gallons of old paint that absolutely would not dry out and we didn't want to waste the time/kitty litter trying to solidify. Turns out there is a FREE COUNTY DROP OFF for household hazardous waste - and it is like 15 minutes from our neighborhood! They accept dropoffs every Wednesday - talk about perfect timing. And they also accept cooking oil and small engine oil (husband does our mower's oil changes and we thought we'd have to pay to dispose of it once the container was full). Sweet!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 15, 2019, 06:49:31 PM
    I had an old word processor (electric typewriter with a screen)  on Craigslist for cheap, then on the FREE part of Craigslist, but nobody responded.

     So today I took it off to Staples and recycled it. 10 pounds and 2 cubic feet of clutter gone! I will also recycle the paper user manuals it had.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 16, 2019, 06:55:48 AM
    Yesterday took around 10 plastic grocery bags full of paperwork to the Senior Center Free shred event! WOO HOO! The hub did give some organization a small donation to help seniors. My one screw up is that I had a small container full of paperwork that I should have gone through but kind of ran out of time. It isn't that big and I will go thru it and bag it up for the free shred event next year. I have cleared up a LOT of paper clutter. I have been going to this event for 3 years now and I can finally say I have cleared out most of the nook and crannies of paperwork. I know there is more paperwork lurking but I really put a dent in it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 16, 2019, 03:46:15 PM
    Book clubast night and most of the women have kids a few years younger than the boys so very grateful recipients of lots of books that we have grown out of (all the Wimpy kids, 13-story tree house etc). It felt good!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 17, 2019, 09:28:14 AM
    Just bagged up another bag for Vietnam Vets. I have a second one started. UGH, I just got rid of at least a dozen bags a week ago. Where does this stuff come from?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on May 17, 2019, 10:15:10 AM
    RR, if you have kids it will never end as they outgrow clothes/toys. We are older and don’t buy a lot so clued is not such a problem anymore. We have downsized a lot through the last 10 years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 17, 2019, 03:01:34 PM
    Cassie, no kids here. We never had any but we have lived in this house for 44 years. We bought a lot of stuff, received a lot of gifts, hub got lots of free stuff from work over the years. We are not hoarders but have a lot of accumulation. We have rented dumpsters, gigantic ones, probably 4, and filled them up. We had 1800 Junk take a truck load away. We throw stuff away, Given at least a hundred giant garbage bags full of household items to Goodwill and now we donate to Vietnam Vets. VV pick up at the house so it is very easy. I gave probably 20 CIA culinary cook books to a local culinary school. We have mad a huge dent in the accumulation. We keep weeding out. I have a whole gigantic suitcase full of mens jeans and nice polo shirts. I had intended to sell them on ebay but never got around to that yet.

    It is really nice when I open a closet or drawer and see some room that didn't exist before. I cleaned out my sock drawer and weeded out at least 60+ pairs of sock! Now I probably have 25! Still too many! Insanity.

    My attic needs to be hoed out. It mostly has packing materials like bubble wrap and packing peanuts, cardboard boxes. Used for ebay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frankies Girl on May 17, 2019, 04:22:58 PM
    Have a major home improvement fail today, which is resulting in more stuff to donate. NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS.

    We have asshole cats. We did not want more pets, but we took care of them and ended up adopting them. They are not real cuddly cats, they are mostly assholes that tolerate petting and only act nice when they are hungry and they have ruined or destroyed many things so far.  And one of them has a food issue so we don't free feed and they have meals at specific times which means we have to hire someone to petsit them or else we can't even be gone for longer than 10 hours. The food issue cat also wants breakfast at least an hour earlier than we do. She decided that the best way to get our attention when we're still in bed is to knock the lamp off the nightstand. She's broken it and I've been able to fix it so far but it's gotten stupid and thought I'd replace it with a wall-mounted lamp. I got a deal on a pair off facebook marketplace. Turns out they both sort of start coming loose if you do the swingarm too much, and needs some sort of adjustment to stay level that we can't figure out, and top it off our wall/anchors won't work for us. I tried 3 different types of anchors and every one of them failed. Something wrong with our drywall or just my luck. So I now feel stupid for buying the lamps, wasted money and time locating lampshades and anchors, and have 4 holes about the size of a quarter after finally getting the failed anchors out of the $#!@$ wall that I repaired, but no longer have matching paint for. So I get to repaint the entire #@$! wall possibly the room... due to these asshole cats.

    And goodwill or somebody will get these stupid failed wall mount lamps. Likely someone - anyone - else will be able to use them. :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on May 17, 2019, 04:39:49 PM

    We have asshole cats.

    Off topic I know but we have 1 too. He was my mothers. He is large and scary and only affectionate if he wants something. We are all a bit afraid of him.

    I post here every now and then...my decluttering attempt continue...As well as mopping up from a whole of house reno, my parents have now both died, and I have boxes and furniture lining the carport and the wall inside..all waiting to be srted and disposed of. Just when I was getting my own junk somewhat under control. Never mind, the work continues.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: TomTX on May 18, 2019, 09:01:45 AM

    AND I got rid of two old expired fire extinguishers that could not be reused

    I use expired fire extinguishers for practice out in the yard. Pull pin and squeeze!

    ABC Dry chemical fire extinguishers are typically ammonium phosphate, so effectively fertilizer - spray it around!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 18, 2019, 08:50:31 PM
    Have a major home improvement fail today, which is resulting in more stuff to donate. NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS.

    We have asshole cats. We did not want more pets, but we took care of them and ended up adopting them. They are not real cuddly cats, they are mostly assholes that tolerate petting and only act nice when they are hungry and they have ruined or destroyed many things so far.  And one of them has a food issue so we don't free feed and they have meals at specific times which means we have to hire someone to petsit them or else we can't even be gone for longer than 10 hours. The food issue cat also wants breakfast at least an hour earlier than we do. She decided that the best way to get our attention when we're still in bed is to knock the lamp off the nightstand. She's broken it and I've been able to fix it so far but it's gotten stupid and thought I'd replace it with a wall-mounted lamp. I got a deal on a pair off facebook marketplace. Turns out they both sort of start coming loose if you do the swingarm too much, and needs some sort of adjustment to stay level that we can't figure out, and top it off our wall/anchors won't work for us. I tried 3 different types of anchors and every one of them failed. Something wrong with our drywall or just my luck. So I now feel stupid for buying the lamps, wasted money and time locating lampshades and anchors, and have 4 holes about the size of a quarter after finally getting the failed anchors out of the $#!@$ wall that I repaired, but no longer have matching paint for. So I get to repaint the entire #@$! wall possibly the room... due to these asshole cats.

    And goodwill or somebody will get these stupid failed wall mount lamps. Likely someone - anyone - else will be able to use them. :(


    Hahahaha, asshole cats! That is funny! I have two dogs, I call them names because they are both annoying at times! One is sick and won't eat dinner most nights. The other is just finicky and has been his whole life. He is 15 lbs and has been that weight his whole life since adulthood. He will eat all of his food one night and two bites the next. He is going on 16 years old but is a maniac at times running around the house. The sick one is around 11 years old. Takes a ton of drugs. Has diarrhea quite often from his pills. UGH! Breaks my heart but asshole cats and kooky dogs are good for the soul.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on May 18, 2019, 10:50:51 PM
    We do dog rescue and I appreciate all of you that do cat and dog rescue. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 19, 2019, 03:00:12 AM
    Two more bags of clothes off to the Vinnies. Two more shirts thrown out as they are too wrecked.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on May 19, 2019, 07:45:01 AM
    Sigh. Two maternity dresses (tunics at best on me, lol), ended up having too short of sleeves =( Yesterday I hosted some pregnant friends, so I have the dresses to someone who is much shorter than I am =) Hopefully they'll get some good use! And now they're out of my home. Downside: I own even less mat clothing than I thought! This is definitely an exercise in living with the reduced wardrobe though. All my 'regular' clothing that I can't wear (most of it) is packed away now. Honestly, a bit more should be but I'm in denial about that. I'm definitely attached to some of my clothes! More than I realized.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GermanStache on May 19, 2019, 08:09:59 AM

    I cleaned out my sock drawer and weeded out at least 60+ pairs of sock! Now I probably have 25! Still too many! Insanity.

    Wow... how can so many socks accumulate? I knit our socks and enjoy that and therefore we have more then we need. But it is maybe 20 pairs each plus 10 pairs of bought cotton ones. We buy new if to many have holes and we run low.
    I hope it is okay to say this to you... from my observation from reading your posts you are doing a great job getting grid of things. But you have to watch the accumulation side too. I remember you buying several organizing items online that not all worked out. Maybe first sort through everyting and see if the stuff you are keeping works and THEN purchase new organizing items? I used to work the same way and now have too many boxes and storage solutions that I have to get rid of. It took a long time for me to come to the realization that it really comes down to keeping only what you truly need and love and not organizing what you have with the one or two  things (or in your case multiple bags) that are thrown out during the reorganization.
    Love, Katja
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 19, 2019, 01:14:40 PM
    Just listed a whole bunch of décor items on Facebook for cheap. I hope they sell, if not they will get donated.

    Today is un!@#k your house day here, so there may be more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 19, 2019, 04:21:47 PM
    I paid $15 and drove 20 miles one way to set up some stuff at a library flea market. I only sold $32
     worth of stuff, but it was all worth it to me.  Got rid of 25 different items, most small, but they are
    gone!     Biggest thing was a school backpack for $5. Most expensive thing was a working toy
    cannon for $8.

    But it's tough bringing all the uinsold stuff back in the house. Now it seems more cluttered than
    before since I unearthed all the stuff to sell, and it's not going neatly back in.

    I'm going to have to start throwing stuff out en masse, or donating en masse if I ever want to finish.
    (Sigh....) 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 19, 2019, 04:28:26 PM

    I'm going to have to start throwing stuff out en masse, or donating en masse if I ever want to finish.
    (Sigh....)

    I donate en masse.  Find something that accepts donations that support a cause you like, and go for it.  I have 2.  I'm clearing out the house to prep for sale, and have given away 4 carloads in the last 2 weeks.  I plan to radically downsize once  the house sells, so there will be another round of donations then.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on May 20, 2019, 01:25:55 AM
    I paid $15 and drove 20 miles one way to set up some stuff at a library flea market. I only sold $32
     worth of stuff, but it was all worth it to me.  Got rid of 25 different items, most small, but they are
    gone!     Biggest thing was a school backpack for $5. Most expensive thing was a working toy
    cannon for $8.

    But it's tough bringing all the uinsold stuff back in the house. Now it seems more cluttered than
    before since I unearthed all the stuff to sell, and it's not going neatly back in.

    I'm going to have to start throwing stuff out en masse, or donating en masse if I ever want to finish.
    (Sigh....)

    I tried flea markets once and hated it. It was not worth my time. So I donate or sell on our equivalent to eBay. My mother though loves selling on flea markets and see it as her hobby.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 20, 2019, 06:13:03 AM

    I'm going to have to start throwing stuff out en masse, or donating en masse if I ever want to finish.
    (Sigh....)

    I donate en masse.  Find something that accepts donations that support a cause you like, and go for it.  I have 2.  I'm clearing out the house to prep for sale, and have given away 4 carloads in the last 2 weeks.  I plan to radically downsize once  the house sells, so there will be another round of donations then.

    Well done!  I have donated about 30 bags of various things I don't want or that won't sell for much, to Goodwill.   I had tons of paper clutter that was easy for me to recycle, and that really opened up some good space in my house. But now all the clutter is real things, that I have to sell, throw out, or donate. 

    I hear you about the carloads!  I drove about 7 carloads of donations from my parents' downsizing, to Salvation Army. That was easy, since it wasn't my stuff.
    But it's harder to donate or throw out my own stuff. 

    I'm still going to look for rummage sales. They are hard to find, even with internet.  If I get tired of rummage sales it'll maybe be easier to donate. I don't have a particular cause I can think of that I like that accepts donations, though. Goodwill is good enough, I guess, lol.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 20, 2019, 09:00:49 AM

    I cleaned out my sock drawer and weeded out at least 60+ pairs of sock! Now I probably have 25! Still too many! Insanity.

    Wow... how can so many socks accumulate? I knit our socks and enjoy that and therefore we have more then we need. But it is maybe 20 pairs each plus 10 pairs of bought cotton ones. We buy new if to many have holes and we run low.
    I hope it is okay to say this to you... from my observation from reading your posts you are doing a great job getting grid of things. But you have to watch the accumulation side too. I remember you buying several organizing items online that not all worked out. Maybe first sort through everyting and see if the stuff you are keeping works and THEN purchase new organizing items? I used to work the same way and now have too many boxes and storage solutions that I have to get rid of. It took a long time for me to come to the realization that it really comes down to keeping only what you truly need and love and not organizing what you have with the one or two  things (or in your case multiple bags) that are thrown out during the reorganization.
    Love, Katja

    The accumulation is years and years worth of accumulation. Have been married almost 46 years. My Mom was over the top generous. She would have a whole Christmas tree loaded up just for the hub and I. We would take a car load home every year. I do mean a packed, full to the top car load. Multiply that times 40 years alone. My hub worked for a company that was constantly throwing out 'good' stuff and people could get scrap passes to take the stuff home. he did that over a 20 year period. It just caught up with us over time. We built our house in 1975 and never moved since. So, no need to make hard choices on what to toss or keep. We have made great strides on getting rid of stuff. Still working on it. It didn't get here overnight and won't leave overnight either. My MIL loved to crochet and made us many afghans. More things to store. I just bagged up a fairly new bedspread, shams and an afghan from the 1970's. I have another bedspread and shams I was on the fence about a few days ago but now I think I will bag it up. I used to work for a research and development company and every Friday we would wash down the stainless steel tables and tiled floors with special detergent. We would put anything away that would be ruined by the water then hosed it all down including the walls. That is my idea of cleaning the house! The floor had a drain in the floor and all the grime went down the drain.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 20, 2019, 01:17:54 PM
    Tried to Oxiclean the pit stains out of a t shirt. No go. I now am decluttering said shirt for rags, at least.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 20, 2019, 02:37:20 PM
    Tried to Oxiclean the pit stains out of a t shirt. No go. I now am decluttering said shirt for rags, at least.

    I just bought this stuff called Lysol laundry sanitizer (you use it in the softener cycle) and Out Prowash workwear detergent. Works really good. I have used oxiclean too and doesn't cut the underarm odor.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 20, 2019, 04:01:37 PM
    Do you find that it works on yellowing, Roadrunner? Or just smell? (The shirt smells fine, it's definitely the bright yellow discoloration that's the issue.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 20, 2019, 04:21:56 PM
    -Gave two like new sports bras & workout tanks to a friend
    -Had my sister & friend try on a dress. It didn't work for either, so it went into the donation pile

    Five items, out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: daffodil2001 on May 20, 2019, 05:11:01 PM
    Do you find that it works on yellowing, Roadrunner? Or just smell? (The shirt smells fine, it's definitely the bright yellow discoloration that's the issue.)

    I found this recipe for treating discoloration elsewhere on the forums a while ago: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/homemade-oxi-clean-for-armpit-stains/

    It brightened up some cotton undershirts that were discolored all over but especially bad in the armpits. It didn’t entirely get rid of the staining but I only did it once for each shirt. It might also give better results if the stains are more fresh. The mixture completely removed discoloration from a white dress (polyester blend I think).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 20, 2019, 05:19:21 PM
    Yeah... this shirt was pretty old and pretty discolored. (The fabric is decayed a bit where the stains are as well.) I think it is time. :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 21, 2019, 05:45:37 AM
    Do you find that it works on yellowing, Roadrunner? Or just smell? (The shirt smells fine, it's definitely the bright yellow discoloration that's the issue.)

    Out also makes a fabric whitener. I am currently soaking some whites in it. Don't know if it works good or not yet. The clothes I used the sanitizer in came out smelling good and were all colors.

    My hub does a lot of hard work outside and his clothes just get gross! I have also resorted to using Lysol concentrate. That stuff is very concentrated and you only need a tiny capful. Less than a spoonful. It is so strong, I typically use hot water with Lysol and rewash the clothes again to get the strong Lysol smell out. It disinfects the clothes and takes all smells out!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Enigma on May 21, 2019, 09:09:01 AM
    Went through my clothes and realized that they have been shrinking over the past few years.  I just kept hiding them in the back.  I went through my closet and changed everything out.
    I had a hodgepodge of mixed underwear, socks, polo shirts, and t-shirts as well.  Found my favorite type of socks, underwear, cotton polo shirts, and t-shirts and got rid of the rest.

    It takes a lot less time to find something to wear.  Mostly because it is almost like a uniform setup.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 22, 2019, 06:17:10 PM
    Aaaaaaaages ago I posted in this thread about all the stuff under our spare bed that isn't used. Someone suggested getting rid of it and I was reluctant but I am happy to say that I sold my unused artist easel last night! Took a while to get there but it's gone. I also wanted to sell my photography tripod - used but not in 8 yrs - but hubby wants to hang on as he wants to get into it in retirement.

    Also have sold a desk from the study, so now there are three tables in there (two are small folding ones). I've raised the idea of selling the desktop computer we never use but haven't convinced hubby yet. We'll get there.

    Also got rid of a never used strainer. There must be other kitchen stuff that can go.

    My winter coat is hung up waiting for photos. It cost a fortune but I don't wear it so hopefully I get a few bucks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: soccerluvof4 on May 23, 2019, 02:45:04 AM
    Felt so good to get rid of about 25 paint cans from the basement that the homeowner we bought the house from over four years ago left behind. We since painted the entire houses interior so it was time to get rid of EVERY CAN. Some of it was nasty old too!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on May 23, 2019, 09:50:56 AM
    I got a decent start for more things to go. I used to be into tea sets/pots  when I was younger but they just took up too much room and I donated several. I held onto 2 sets but I am letting go. I just don't get the enjoyment out of them that I used to and so I am hoping someone will appreciate and use them. In that vein I am starting to go through the kitchen. I know that I have baking ware that I can donate and clean out some cubbard space.

    My house has exploded around me but I am hopeful that I will be able to get some things done over the long weekend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on May 24, 2019, 08:16:25 AM
    Huge load to Goodwill this morning.  DS was home on the weekend and sorted through some things - he took a bunch, and was happy to turf the rest.  Good job we have a hatchback - the back area was completely full.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on May 26, 2019, 11:25:33 AM
    Went though a stack of file folders today and scanned a few things, set aside some others to scan with DH's better quality scanner, and a big pile sent through the shredder.  Emptied out the shredder bin, and I'll aim to do another stack later today and/or tomorrow.  I want to get rid of enough to go down to go down to a single file drawer once we move (currently have a huge ugly double-wide 2-drawer file cabinet that I want to get rid of).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 26, 2019, 11:48:46 AM
    Have two more giant garbage bags ready for Vietnam Vets. Mostly bedspreads and an afghan. King size so filled the bags quickly. Also, a few other things stuffed in the bags.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 26, 2019, 02:19:32 PM
    Went though a stack of file folders today and scanned a few things, set aside some others to scan with DH's better quality scanner, and a big pile sent through the shredder.  Emptied out the shredder bin, and I'll aim to do another stack later today and/or tomorrow.  I want to get rid of enough to go down to go down to a single file drawer once we move (currently have a huge ugly double-wide 2-drawer file cabinet that I want to get rid of).

    Go for it!  I started with 6 drawers stuffed full.  I now have 4 drawers with lot of extra space in each.  It is daunting but doable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on May 27, 2019, 08:54:37 AM
    I'm a bit in shock, buy my husband has declared that he needs to clean out and organize "his" room.  We already have one dedicated guest room that only has storage in the closet, but his room also has a queen bed in it.  I told him we could get rid of that bed, since only once in nine years have we had multiple guests at once.  If that happens again, and we don't want to make someone sleep on the couch, I told him we could get one of the bed-height inflatable mattresses.  Low likelihood of that, but it seemed to reassure him that we didn't need to have a full queen bed taking up space for eternity.  I also told him he could get rid of my ski gear, which I'd been holding onto since my failed attempt to learn to ski ~5+ years ago.

    Now that he's started on his own, I'll see if I can help him, as organization is not his strong suit, or something he grew up with.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on May 27, 2019, 10:05:28 AM
    I have been absent from this thread for a while and you can tell if you come to my house. :)

    This weekend we cleaned up the kids' room and shampooed their carpet.  And you know what?  I realized as we moved all their stuff around that I think we've reached a good point of having enough but not too much.  So a few items got put in the donate pile but most of it just got put away because we have space for the reduced amount of stuff we've had since decluttering.

    However, upstairs is another story.  We have this buffet with a bunch of drawers that are poorly utilized, and so much stuff piled on top of it.  One of the accumulated piles was for Freecycle, so I listed all that stuff yesterday and most of it is gone.  Still a few pending pick ups.  I also listed a few items on Facebook Marketplace and one of them sold for $60.  Win!

    Today I'm going to go through our pantry and living room storage spaces and clear out some stuff.  Hopefully I'll have another good report soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 28, 2019, 05:19:25 AM
    Looking for vacuum cleaner bag to replace the full one, had to empty out a kitchen cabinet, found the bags on the bottom. Was able to bring myself to throw out, recycle, and move into the 'rummage sale' pile about one third of the stuff in the cabinet. Easy pickings. 

    Still looking for yard sale places that allow outside vendors (me). They like to make it hard to find them. They advertise for the yard sale, and mention they have x amount of vendors, but never have a phone number listed, so you have to go in person the day of the event, and get the info, for NEXT year. Or go to the site before the event, and bug people for the info.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on May 28, 2019, 05:54:54 AM
    Went though a stack of file folders today and scanned a few things, set aside some others to scan with DH's better quality scanner, and a big pile sent through the shredder.  Emptied out the shredder bin, and I'll aim to do another stack later today and/or tomorrow.  I want to get rid of enough to go down to go down to a single file drawer once we move (currently have a huge ugly double-wide 2-drawer file cabinet that I want to get rid of).

    Go for it!  I started with 6 drawers stuffed full.  I now have 4 drawers with lot of extra space in each.  It is daunting but doable.

    4 more bags of shredded paper out the door after yesterday's sorting!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on May 28, 2019, 03:24:59 PM
    I have finally caught up on this loooooong thread...just in time to post some progress myself! We've had this bunk bed we planned to sell for several months. There was a post on facebook last week about a refugee family that needed a bunk bed, so I reached out to the community organizer. They sent a truck out Saturday and in addition to the bunk bed I was able to donate the following (all brand new or barely used): pretty kid's step stool, bike, two scooters, baby doll with stroller, dump truck, Lincoln Logs set. The family includes a newly widowed mother with 4 young children. They could use the bed much more than I need the money I could have gotten for it, and I was glad to pass along the other items as well.

    This got me motivated to do some more decluttering this weekend. Like you, Roadrunner53, I donate to VVA all the time because it is so convenient. I keep an itemized list in a notebook and enter everything in It'sDeductible at tax time. Last year it really helped (although taxes were still SO BAD). Actually, it helped so much that my "save everything just in case" husband is now much more open to donating things to get the write off! We've been thinking about downsizing to a smaller house, although it may be a few more years. It will definitely happen eventually, but we always figured it would be when the little kids are older (kids are 7, 9, and 18...going off to college in August). I suggested we start going through everything now as opposed to waiting until we actually move, and he's on board.

    This past weekend I decluttered a bunch of stuff: tons of old stuff from my bathroom that will clearly never get used, clothes, 120 hangers (seriously, it doesn't even look like I made a dent in unused hangers in our giant closet...), jewelry, 2 jewelry boxes, an old backpack, about a dozen old children's books. My 7 year old daughter got in on the action and identified about a dozen stuffed animals and 10-20 pieces of clothes, most of which were hand me downs from our neighbor previously. I also got my shred pile caught up again. A few months ago I finally finished shredding the last of boxes and boxes of stuff. There is still a lot of paper to sort through in the office, but I worked on that too, caught up the junk mail and decluttered a box of stuff that has been sitting under my desk for a couple years.

    I'm going to try and read and post in this thread a little more because I want the motivation and accountability!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 28, 2019, 03:37:52 PM
    FireHiker, you are really kicking ass! YAY to you!

    As far as claiming donations, since the new tax laws implemented last year, we take the standard deduction so we can't claim anything. BOOOO to that!

    That is great you donated to that woman with the 4 children! I would love to know that my donations made someone happy!

    The Hoarders show gets my blood pumping to gather up things to get rid of! LOL!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: daffodil2001 on May 29, 2019, 06:06:27 AM
    I moved in April and am finally done unpacking. Recycling gets picked up every other week, and the bin has been completely full with cardboard boxes each time. We’re getting near the end of the pile now.

    We also found two boxes of little things that we decided to donate after seeing how everything fit in the new house. I still need to work on my book collection and papers that need to be scanned before I shred/recycle them but we’re still working on things like putting up curtains. We might take some vacation time soon to work on all the little projects. We haven’t gotten much done on weekends because of graduation parties and weddings to attend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on May 29, 2019, 05:13:12 PM
    Thanks, Roadrunner53! I really appreciate your encouragement. :) We are still well over the standard deduction at this point (3 kids, high property taxes, lots of donations), but since we could only deduct half of our property taxes (ugh clown house) the new taxes really hurt us. Fortunately all our itemized donations really helped a lot. My mom is a borderline hoarder who saves EVERYTHING but not trash or gross stuff thankfully. She is always giving me "stuff" so now I accept anything she gives me and I donate what I don't want...more tax deductions, and less I'll have to deal with someday because I know my siblings won't help with all the stuff. And I've joined a facebook group for helping local refugees, so hopefully I can find other good stuff to give directly to people who need it. That's not tax deductible but totally fine with me!

    I've never seen the Hoarders show but I have the same reaction when I go to my mom's house. I come home and just want to get rid of stuff.

    I am struggling with my smaller sized clothes and a drawer of nice bras. They haven't fit in 10 years...I really should just let them go and give myself permission to buy brand new if/when I need a smaller size. I'm not sure why I can't bring myself to let them all go; I did add 3 to the donate pile this weekend though so that's something.

    My oldest son graduates high school in two weeks so we'll be doing a clean out of his room soon-ish before he moves across the country for college. He isn't really a keeper of stuff in general, but things do accumulate anyway.

    My garage though...it's going to need a ton of work. We have a 3 car garage where one of the spots is tandem and full of stuff. We do park both of our cars in the garage, so it's really only a 1 car garage worth of stuff to deal with. I still have all my old college notebooks too; most of my textbooks have either been sold back or brought to work. I'm an engineer and I have a mostly empty bookshelf in my office, so I don't have a need to deal with the 8 books I have there.

    Looking forward to posting more often and getting rid of all the extra stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 30, 2019, 08:32:37 AM
    FireHiker, Buy several new bras, like 3 at a time and then bag up 3 that don't fit for donation. Keep doing that and in no time you will have nice new fitting bras and the non fitting ones will be gone. Sometimes you have to play mind games with yourself.

    I still need to play many mind games! I get rid of a bunch of stuff and next thing I know I buy something. GRRRR!!! I am trying to swap out things when I buy something. Like for instance, I recently bought some non sick cast iron skillets and pans and I LOVE them! So, I had some other cookware I have pulled out to either sell or donate.

    Anyone here doing ebay? I have not sold anything for about a year now and I see something about ebay is charging state taxes and they take care of that. Can anyone explain further about that?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on May 30, 2019, 08:55:28 AM
    Yesterday I was feeling anxious and not-surprisingly I started decluttering and it helped. Often it has to do with relieving pressure to 'do something' with the objects..

    -Threw out rescued socks that I planned to make into stuffies (finished one already and kept enough to make one more for a friend  but got rid of about 25 others)
    -bagged up heaps of fabric and wool to be donated
    -emptied some nice storage boxes which I don't want in my space anymore--to be donated
    -making a bag of craft odds & ends
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on May 30, 2019, 10:06:57 AM
    Roadrunner53 I was actually thinking about that approach this morning. I try to follow a "2 in 1 out" rule these days since there is still so much excess in my house, so that would work eventually. I'll take another look at it again soon I think.

    Unfortunately I don't know anything about selling on ebay so I'm no help there. My mom occasionally sells stuff but generally she buys more than she sells (and can afford none of it...sigh).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tris Prior on May 30, 2019, 12:57:09 PM
    My goal is to get rid of at least 1 item per day. Baby steps! I've been surpassing that.

    - Tossed out some broken/falling apart cat toys

    - Finally got rid of the two beat-up pairs of sandals that I was saving for dirty chores or garden work. I put them on, went into the garden, and realized the ankle straps were so stretched out I was probably going to trip and twist an ankle. Nope! Not worth keeping.

    - A friend is having a big group yard sale sometime this summer and I've been putting aside stuff for that. I have a decent sized box so far, mostly clothing. I was bummed about not participating in our neighborhood yard sale (chiefly because we have an insane downstairs neighbor now and I just didn't want to deal with her freaking out that we were setting stuff out on the front walk/stoop as we don't have a garage). But the forecast looks to be shit, storms all day, so I'm pretty glad I didn't. The neighborhood association was charging $10 for it too!

    - Brought some unneeded garden stuff to the community garden and set it out in the "free" area. It's already gone!

    I need to list for sale a pet gate that we bought, assembled, and then never used because we discovered in about 5 seconds that it was not going to corral our kittens as we needed it to. I'm putting that off because ugh, dealing with buyers who don't show up, or change what time they're coming over and over again, or argue with my evening/weekend only availability *which I always clearly state in my listing* and demand that I make myself available while I'm supposed to be at work, and then arrive without enough cash, ARGH, do not want. But the thing's brand new and cost like $50 so I don't want to just donate it. I keep putting this off.

    What should I do with a very large inkjet printer that I was given, that I am not sure whether or not it works (I suspect not, the owner hadn't used it in years and wasn't sure), and I don't want to buy 4 expensive cartridges of ink to test it out to see if it works? I hate to just toss it. I don't have a car and it's too heavy for me to carry onto the train or else I'd put it in the electronics recycling at work. I could post it as a free item and do porch pickup, I suppose. I actually did that recently for the first time; I live in the city and porch theft is sometimes a problem so I never did that before. But at our current address we haven't had an issue so I tried it and unloaded a big cat bed that the cats ignored. Victory!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 31, 2019, 05:04:09 AM
    Yesterday I was feeling anxious and not-surprisingly I started decluttering and it helped. Often it has to do with relieving pressure to 'do something' with the objects..


    I get that 'decluttering pressure' feeling too. So much of it, it seems like a lifetime task, and nearly impossible.  But getting rid of even one thing takes the pressure off for a day.

    I wonder if there is a thing called post-clutter depression.  What does one use his time for once all the clutter is gone? Have to find a hobby, I guess.

    Yesterday I was going through old clothes, and found a shirt that was too awkward for a rag, and too torn to wear anywhere, so I brought it to the textile recycling place, since it was on my way to the store. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on June 01, 2019, 02:59:48 AM

    I am struggling with my smaller sized clothes and a drawer of nice bras. They haven't fit in 10 years...I really should just let them go and give myself permission to buy brand new if/when I need a smaller size. I'm not sure why I can't bring myself to let them all go; I did add 3 to the donate pile this weekend though so that's something.


    I read somewhere that organisations that work with homeless are in need for underwear and bras because most of the people don't donate that stuff. Maybe you could look if there is some kind of organization that needs them. At least for me it is easier to get rid of stuff if I donate to a good purpose. Bras also loose elasticity over the years. I decided last year to give away most of my to small clothes because they just took up place in my wardrobe and was a reminder of a smaller me. I gave away everything that did not fit well and saved some suits and a dress that didn't fit. Now I am back again with the weight loss journey and everything that does not fit me until the end of year will be donated after that. I rather have clothes that make me feel well in them that reminders of a smaller me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on June 01, 2019, 11:18:56 AM
    A local bike club was running an e-waste clean up today.  You could take anything but large appliances or paint in, and they had a disposal company on hand to sort and shred.   All they asked for was a small donation to fund their free bike give away each spring.  I was more than happy to clean out the box in the garage, know it was going to be handled responsibly, and help some kids get some bikes.

    Some cities (mine!!) make it really difficult to deal with e-waste - no drop off bins, city won't take it, and the Best Buy that is supposed to take most things is very picky about what they accept.  Today's event was very welcome I think - there were a lot of people dropping things off even at 9am.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on June 01, 2019, 01:05:04 PM
    @Tris Prior, I’d try Freecycle.  You actually can’t toss a printer in our city, you have to take it to ewaste recycling on Goose Island.  They have limited hours and it’s such a pain.

    I Freecycled 22 items last weekend, have 5 or 6 left, and sold three things on Facebook.  I also returned two pairs of shoes that I ordered from Amazon and didn’t fit.  Still more to go through in the dining room area, so I’ll do some today.

    Daycare requested a bunch of items, so I ended up ordering a water bottle and posting a few item wanted posts of Freecycle.  I so don’t want to bring more stuff into the house even if it’s going to daycare.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tris Prior on June 01, 2019, 01:36:56 PM
    Ugh, I live in Edgewater, I don't want to haul this thing on CTA to Goose Island! I don't even think I can carry it and I don't think it fits in my cart. I've had really bad luck with Freecycle (people never showing up, me sitting here for hours on end waiting for them), but I suppose I could offer porch pickup and if someone other than the intended recipient steals it, oh well, it's out of my house.

    I pawned off some unwanted craft fair displays on a crafter friend. Put a box of mailing labels that I didn't need on the "free" table at work - gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on June 01, 2019, 01:55:33 PM
    I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 01, 2019, 03:29:56 PM
    A local bike club was running an e-waste clean up today.  You could take anything but large appliances or paint in, and they had a disposal company on hand to sort and shred.   All they asked for was a small donation to fund their free bike give away each spring.  I was more than happy to clean out the box in the garage, know it was going to be handled responsibly, and help some kids get some bikes.

    Some cities (mine!!) make it really difficult to deal with e-waste - no drop off bins, city won't take it, and the Best Buy that is supposed to take most things is very picky about what they accept.  Today's event was very welcome I think - there were a lot of people dropping things off even at 9am.

    Good on you, Shinplaster!  Where I live, the city wants $40 for any tv larger than 20 inch diagonal! Yeah, no problem... lol..  I never see TV's lying beside the road, so I guess people are hoarding them in their basements?  Or tossing them into dumpsters at midnight, lol ???  I wish there were a low cost way to get rid of old electronics here.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 01, 2019, 03:41:48 PM
    A local bike club was running an e-waste clean up today.  You could take anything but large appliances or paint in, and they had a disposal company on hand to sort and shred.   All they asked for was a small donation to fund their free bike give away each spring.  I was more than happy to clean out the box in the garage, know it was going to be handled responsibly, and help some kids get some bikes.

    Some cities (mine!!) make it really difficult to deal with e-waste - no drop off bins, city won't take it, and the Best Buy that is supposed to take most things is very picky about what they accept.  Today's event was very welcome I think - there were a lot of people dropping things off even at 9am.

    Good on you, Shinplaster!  Where I live, the city wants $40 for any tv larger than 20 inch diagonal! Yeah, no problem... lol..  I never see TV's lying beside the road, so I guess people are hoarding them in their basements?  Or tossing them into dumpsters at midnight, lol ???  I wish there were a low cost way to get rid of old electronics here.

    Wow, that's terrible. Anything our local authority can make decent money from selling to recyclers is free to drop off and we only pay to dump landfill. Plus there's an annual free chemical drop off, otherwise people would be pouring it down the drain.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on June 01, 2019, 07:19:27 PM
    A local bike club was running an e-waste clean up today.  You could take anything but large appliances or paint in, and they had a disposal company on hand to sort and shred.   All they asked for was a small donation to fund their free bike give away each spring.  I was more than happy to clean out the box in the garage, know it was going to be handled responsibly, and help some kids get some bikes.

    Some cities (mine!!) make it really difficult to deal with e-waste - no drop off bins, city won't take it, and the Best Buy that is supposed to take most things is very picky about what they accept.  Today's event was very welcome I think - there were a lot of people dropping things off even at 9am.

    Good on you, Shinplaster!  Where I live, the city wants $40 for any tv larger than 20 inch diagonal! Yeah, no problem... lol..  I never see TV's lying beside the road, so I guess people are hoarding them in their basements?  Or tossing them into dumpsters at midnight, lol ???  I wish there were a low cost way to get rid of old electronics here.

    Wow, that's terrible. Anything our local authority can make decent money from selling to recyclers is free to drop off and we only pay to dump landfill. Plus there's an annual free chemical drop off, otherwise people would be pouring it down the drain.

    Yes.  I have heard people talking about trying to get rid of hard drives or old computers, getting frustrated, and just hiding it in their garbage.  Or sneaking into a McDonald's trash bin or something.   We watched (and unsuccessfully tried to stop) a neighbour pour varsol, roundup, and heaven knows what else into the storm sewer last year.
     



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on June 03, 2019, 05:20:42 AM
    I woke up yesterday morning to a friend on FB asking if anyone had a two-drawer filing cabinet that they weren't using.  Why, yes.  As a matter of fact I do.  I had to dig it out of a closet, but she came and picked it up a few hours later.  That also got me motivated to clear out some other stuff and list a kitchen table on FB marketplace. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 03, 2019, 05:34:05 AM
    I woke up yesterday morning to a friend on FB asking if anyone had a two-drawer filing cabinet that they weren't using.  Why, yes.  As a matter of fact I do.  I had to dig it out of a closet, but she came and picked it up a few hours later.  That also got me motivated to clear out some other stuff and list a kitchen table on FB marketplace.

    It's awesome when you get a bit of momentum going, isn't it?

    I got rid of a pan we don't use today on a freebie site. We never used it and it just took up space in the cupboard, silly really.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on June 03, 2019, 06:23:27 AM
    I woke up yesterday morning to a friend on FB asking if anyone had a two-drawer filing cabinet that they weren't using.  Why, yes.  As a matter of fact I do.  I had to dig it out of a closet, but she came and picked it up a few hours later.  That also got me motivated to clear out some other stuff and list a kitchen table on FB marketplace.

    It's awesome when you get a bit of momentum going, isn't it?

    I got rid of a pan we don't use today on a freebie site. We never used it and it just took up space in the cupboard, silly really.

    That's what I need to work on next.  Part of my problem (aside from a husband with hoarder tendencies) is that I live in my grandparents house and it was fully furnished when I moved in.  There are tons of pots and pans that I rarely use.  I might pull them out for Thanksgiving, but even then I could probably get away with fewer pots and more planning.  Some of them I've never used, and don't really have a sentimental attachment to because I don't recall my grandmother ever using them either.  I also seem to have 1.5 lids for every pot.  I thought I'd done good last year when we pitched a lot of stuff in preparation to move it into storage while the house was being fixed.  Apparently I didn't do as good as I'd thought and they just got shoved back into the cabinets when we moved everything back in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tris Prior on June 03, 2019, 08:40:28 AM
    I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

    Yeah - I'm going to do that from now on. In the past, I lived in buildings without any sort of front porch or stoop. Our last building had a small front stoop, but it was in a neighborhood where anything left there would immediately disappear. Which, I guess, would've solved the problem and made stuff disappear from my home? haha.

    Dammit - I just realized that I'm pretty sure our old tube TV is still shoved in the back of the closet in Boyfriend's office. Because it is too heavy for us to carry down the stairs. How in hell are we ever going to get rid of that thing? I can't imagine anyone taking that on Freecycle, even if we could carry it. The idea of paying to recycle it PLUS paying for the zipcar to haul it, makes me feel vaguely ill.
    (ETA: Looks like there are some pickup services? $$$, though. $180 for them to come out plus $40 for the TV?! Ugh.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on June 03, 2019, 08:55:37 AM
    I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

    Dammit - I just realized that I'm pretty sure our old tube TV is still shoved in the back of the closet in Boyfriend's office. Because it is too heavy for us to carry down the stairs. How in hell are we ever going to get rid of that thing? I can't imagine anyone taking that on Freecycle, even if we could carry it. The idea of paying to recycle it PLUS paying for the zipcar to haul it, makes me feel vaguely ill.
    (ETA: Looks like there are some pickup services? $$$, though. $180 for them to come out plus $40 for the TV?! Ugh.)

    Package deal for whoever gets the office building next?  I knew someone who bought a house and the sleeper sofa came with it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 03, 2019, 11:52:24 AM
    I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

    Dammit - I just realized that I'm pretty sure our old tube TV is still shoved in the back of the closet in Boyfriend's office. Because it is too heavy for us to carry down the stairs. How in hell are we ever going to get rid of that thing? I can't imagine anyone taking that on Freecycle, even if we could carry it. The idea of paying to recycle it PLUS paying for the zipcar to haul it, makes me feel vaguely ill.
    (ETA: Looks like there are some pickup services? $$$, though. $180 for them to come out plus $40 for the TV?! Ugh.)

    Package deal for whoever gets the office building next?  I knew someone who bought a house and the sleeper sofa came with it.

    My friend bought a condo and found 3 old tvs in the storage unit. One was one of the massive, huge ones. No idea what she did with it, but its gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 03, 2019, 01:14:14 PM
    1800 GOT JUNK. But they are expensive. There is some other company called JUNK LUGGERS. Never used them.

    When I was a kid my Dad would go to a bar and find some strong guys and pay them to move our furniture when we moved a few times. LOL!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 03, 2019, 03:46:00 PM
    I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

    Dammit - I just realized that I'm pretty sure our old tube TV is still shoved in the back of the closet in Boyfriend's office. Because it is too heavy for us to carry down the stairs. How in hell are we ever going to get rid of that thing? I can't imagine anyone taking that on Freecycle, even if we could carry it. The idea of paying to recycle it PLUS paying for the zipcar to haul it, makes me feel vaguely ill.
    (ETA: Looks like there are some pickup services? $$$, though. $180 for them to come out plus $40 for the TV?! Ugh.)

    Package deal for whoever gets the office building next?  I knew someone who bought a house and the sleeper sofa came with it.

    I bought a house and the pool table came with it.  I never thought to specify that they had to take it with them!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 04, 2019, 09:51:31 PM

    I am struggling with my smaller sized clothes and a drawer of nice bras. They haven't fit in 10 years...I really should just let them go and give myself permission to buy brand new if/when I need a smaller size. I'm not sure why I can't bring myself to let them all go; I did add 3 to the donate pile this weekend though so that's something.


    I read somewhere that organisations that work with homeless are in need for underwear and bras because most of the people don't donate that stuff. Maybe you could look if there is some kind of organization that needs them.

    Thank you for this comment! You motivated me to actually search an Australian bra donation service.

    I bought a new (quality) sports bra, ran in it twice and it rubbed holes in my skin both times.

    Will now be posting it to this organisation:

    Support The Girls Australia
    P.O. Box 10717
    Southport BC,
    Qld, 4215
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 05, 2019, 08:45:35 AM
    Now that the weather is warmer, I'm trying on each of my workout tank tops each day. For those that are too tight, too big, uncomfortable, etc, they are going straight into the donation pile. So far, I've gotten rid of two, with more to come!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on June 05, 2019, 08:50:16 AM
    Now that the weather is warmer, I'm trying on each of my workout tank tops each day. For those that are too tight, too big, uncomfortable, etc, they are going straight into the donation pile. So far, I've gotten rid of two, with more to come!


    I've started using a similar method for my kid's clothes.  I keep a laundry bag in his room and as he's getting dressed in the morning, if it doesn't fit, it goes into the bag for donation/consignment.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on June 05, 2019, 10:22:39 AM
    Box and bag of miscellaneous items now out of the house and headed for the Church fete jumble stall.  Feels good on several levels.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on June 05, 2019, 12:59:32 PM
    ~3 vases given to a florist friend's business
    ~8 magazines and egg cartons will leave my life tomorrow.  Oh, and my old 2001 Chevy.  :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: dcheesi on June 05, 2019, 02:19:22 PM
    1800 GOT JUNK. But they are expensive. There is some other company called JUNK LUGGERS. Never used them.

    When I was a kid my Dad would go to a bar and find some strong guys and pay them to move our furniture when we moved a few times. LOL!
    I had to get rid of stuff, including a large tube tv, in a town where none of these major junk services seem to operate. My gf found some local guys (appeared to be a moonlighting landscaping crew) through one of the usual "local" sites (maybe Craigslist, maybe a different one?) and a few phone calls. They showed up with a pickup and trailer and hauled the lot away. Had to pay extra for the TV, but it was well worth it to be rid of that albatross!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 05, 2019, 03:12:31 PM
    Anonymously donated a 'Captain Planet' board game to a retirement community, as well as  one wicker basket. Marching on.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 05, 2019, 07:02:46 PM
    Posted the sports bra and some sanitary products to Support the Girls this morning.

    Spoke to my grandfather last night and he mentioned needing laundry bags as he accidentally damaged one of his wool jumpers in the washing machine.

    I've somehow accumulated a dozen laundry bags, so I put three aside to give him.

    And I'm palming a pair of calf guards/compression sleeves off on @marty998 (with his permission).

    So six things out of the house this week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 05, 2019, 08:46:02 PM
    Slowly continuing to prune the book collection, both physical and digital. Two more books for the street library and out of my TBR pile!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marty998 on June 06, 2019, 05:41:51 AM
    Posted the sports bra and some sanitary products to Support the Girls this morning.

    Spoke to my grandfather last night and he mentioned needing laundry bags as he accidentally damaged one of his wool jumpers in the washing machine.

    I've somehow accumulated a dozen laundry bags, so I put three aside to give him.

    And I'm palming a pair of calf guards/compression sleeves off on @marty998 (with his permission).

    So six things out of the house this week.

    Thank you @mustachepungoeshere! Very helpful for marathon recovery!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 06, 2019, 09:57:19 AM
    Three more tank tops + one race shirt out of the house. Every time I get a workout shirt, I force myself to grab one I don't normally wear. If it's not a go, into the donation pile it is. Super helpful to just make progress on getting things out of the drawers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 08, 2019, 07:39:37 AM
    Found a bag-o-papers on the living room floor pile of junk. Easy to jettison this stuff. Old receipts, church bulletins, etc. Saved some of the paper since it can be written on, for notes.

     Also was some toss-in-trash junk there too, which I happily tossed into the trash.

    Will bring the full bag of old receipts, bulletins, etc to recycling and get that ahhhhh feeling when I dump the whole thing in!

    Two fewer  pounds of paper clutter in the house.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 08, 2019, 07:51:38 AM
    As per our normal last day of school routine, I had the kids do the following:
    -Empty their backpacks. Recycle all old papers, clean out garbage, & save all school supplies that can be reused next year
    -Try on all of their shoes, donating anything still in good condition, tossing the rest. This helps us make a list for what we need, as we tend to buy shoes 2x year at the Nike outlet on vacation.
    -Try on all of their clothes, putting anything they don't fit into/won't wear into the donation bin. I made a small pile of super nice stuff that I might be able to sell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on June 08, 2019, 08:27:07 AM
    We are moving in a couple weeks, so this weekend we:

    - Threw out over 10 bags of papers and trash
    - Placed some old but still serviceable baby toys in a box beside the dumpster
    - Threw out all old expired makeup
    - Gave away a really nice brand new Starbucks thermos
    - Threw out an old suitcase with broken wheels
    - Threw out a steamer and some other kitchen appliances that we never use

    By “throwing out”, I mean we placed them in a box/bag on the ground beside the dumpster. We made sure to place the items out on a sunny day when all the retired folks were sitting outside chatting and playing cards and mahjong. We made sure they could see us walk all these wonderful goodies to the dumpster. Then we left the apartment complex to run errands so that they could pick through the things in peace. We discovered that they don’t pick through anything. They just take everything. Even the old cardboard box holding all the stuff was gone. It was like we hadn’t placed anything outside at all.

    Another box of nice, random stuff is going out tomorrow morning, as long as it’s not raining.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 08, 2019, 02:13:16 PM
    Put a dress (too short) & a pair of shorts (just ugh) into the donation bin. Slow but steady!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 09, 2019, 04:33:46 AM
    Trying to get rid of an old baby stroller. Reseller says he will give me $10 for it and he will sell it for $20. But he hasn't seen it yet. I was in his area yesterday, so I stopped by, got stroller out. He wasn't there, try again tomorrow.

    I then spent 20 minutes figuring out how to collapse the stroller so I could get it back in the car. Pull, twist, stretch, pry, right, left, up, down. Unbelievable. I was lifting it up to just shove it back in uncollapsed and suddenly something shifted into the right configuration, and I got it to collapse.

    It's probably too dirty for the reseller to be interested, anyway. I tried to clean it up.

    I'll be so happy when I get rid of it.  Had it on Craigslist for $5, I think. No interest.     

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: TomTX on June 09, 2019, 09:10:41 AM
    Should have just left the stroller at the reseller's door and texted/emailed that they can pay you $10 if they like it.

    You're wasting a lot of time and effort on $5 worth of stroller.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 09, 2019, 05:00:44 PM
    Should have just left the stroller at the reseller's door and texted/emailed that they can pay you $10 if they like it.

    You're wasting a lot of time and effort on $5 worth of stroller.

    That just makes too much sense, TomTx. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on June 09, 2019, 06:05:30 PM
    Should have just left the stroller at the reseller's door and texted/emailed that they can pay you $10 if they like it.

    You're wasting a lot of time and effort on $5 worth of stroller.

    A lot of time when I sell stuff on Craigslist I tell people to just put money under the door mat. It's rarely worth my time to meet up with them. If they want to steal the thing, at least it's gone
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 09, 2019, 09:46:22 PM
    Should have just left the stroller at the reseller's door and texted/emailed that they can pay you $10 if they like it.

    You're wasting a lot of time and effort on $5 worth of stroller.

    A lot of time when I sell stuff on Craigslist I tell people to just put money under the door mat. It's rarely worth my time to meet up with them. If they want to steal the thing, at least it's gone

    A friend of mine has the same approach. Anything under $40, she leaves it on her front verandah and asks them to leave the cash. If they leave the cash, it's a perk. If not, she still got rid of a thing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 09, 2019, 09:52:25 PM
    Visited my parents on the weekend and decluttered my room there. (I have a bad habit of dumping old hoodies and ancient jeans there to dag around in till they wear out completely. The problem is, I've been doing that for 10 years and have yet to actually get to the next stage and throw anything out.)

    Tossed an old pair of shoes, put a few things in a donation bag, and threw out some actual rubbish.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Noodle on June 09, 2019, 09:55:35 PM
    Over the Memorial Day weekend I had Marie Kondo'd my sweaters and shoes. Weeded out a ton (gone to Goodwill) but what was really helpful was arranging what I kept by color. It's amazing how much faster it is to find things, and how much more motivated I am to put things away when they have a specific spot (as opposed to somewhere in the sweater keeper). It worked so well I got motivated to alphabetize my spice drawer, and although I didn't toss much there, it's shocking how much easier it is to find things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 10, 2019, 06:26:07 AM
    Over the Memorial Day weekend I had Marie Kondo'd my sweaters and shoes. Weeded out a ton (gone to Goodwill) but what was really helpful was arranging what I kept by color. It's amazing how much faster it is to find things, and how much more motivated I am to put things away when they have a specific spot (as opposed to somewhere in the sweater keeper). It worked so well I got motivated to alphabetize my spice drawer, and although I didn't toss much there, it's shocking how much easier it is to find things.

    I find that the organization matters so much. I have my closet clothes (work sweaters, tops, etc) hung by color & sleeve length. I also have drawers that i use for workout clothes, because color is pretty much irrelevant. Instead, I have: tank tops, short sleeve, long sleeved all rolled separately. At a glance, I can quickly grab the first available in whichever type I need. I also have two types of sports bras: those good enough for running, & those not quite supportive enough. Same with workout pants: those that don't slip during running, and those that are good for running. I stack in separate piles in my drawer, so I just grab the first one on top from the pile I need. It has made getting ready to work out infinitely easier.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on June 10, 2019, 07:03:18 AM
    Finally parted with my old prom gown - I know, it's ridiculous to have kept it this long, but it's a gorgeous dress, still fits me perfectly (probably looks better on me now than when I was in high school, honestly) and I kept trying to convince myself that I could use it someday - costume party, evening gown, etc.  But it's not the right style for an evening gown, and I can't hold onto it just on the off chance I come up with a costume to use it.  Still a little sad about it, though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on June 10, 2019, 11:43:28 AM
    As per our normal last day of school routine, I had the kids do the following:
    -Empty their backpacks. Recycle all old papers, clean out garbage, & save all school supplies that can be reused next year
    -Try on all of their shoes, donating anything still in good condition, tossing the rest. This helps us make a list for what we need, as we tend to buy shoes 2x year at the Nike outlet on vacation.
    -Try on all of their clothes, putting anything they don't fit into/won't wear into the donation bin. I made a small pile of super nice stuff that I might be able to sell.

    Great idea!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on June 10, 2019, 11:44:41 AM
    Should have just left the stroller at the reseller's door and texted/emailed that they can pay you $10 if they like it.

    You're wasting a lot of time and effort on $5 worth of stroller.

    A lot of time when I sell stuff on Craigslist I tell people to just put money under the door mat. It's rarely worth my time to meet up with them. If they want to steal the thing, at least it's gone

    Haha we used to do the same thing except we used the mailbox for the cash drop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 10, 2019, 12:01:26 PM
    Finally parted with my old prom gown - I know, it's ridiculous to have kept it this long, but it's a gorgeous dress, still fits me perfectly (probably looks better on me now than when I was in high school, honestly) and I kept trying to convince myself that I could use it someday - costume party, evening gown, etc.  But it's not the right style for an evening gown, and I can't hold onto it just on the off chance I come up with a costume to use it.  Still a little sad about it, though.

    I still have my old prom gown...I was just looking at it the other day, as my oldest (son) went to his prom a week ago. Maybe I'll get rid of it someday, but not quite yet. I certainly could NOT fit in it right now though.

    This weekend was a wash for us. We did more acquiring than normal, and unplanned at that. We replaced some outdoor furniture after I sat on a chaise lounge and it broke...it was a cheap wicker-like material and it was living on borrowed time. We went to Ikea and bought two new chaise lounges and matching chairs, as our chairs were also cheap and disintegrating. Confession time: I didn't even look second-hand; my oldest graduates Thursday and we have all kinds of social hosting coming up at our clown-house with pool... We have the money (not too bad at $129 for a solid wood chaise lounge, even if we did have to do some assembly) and took the expedient route this time around. We did re-use our cushions though as they are still in decent shape. The old furniture is not usable so my husband is in the process of dismantling it so it can be thrown out/recycled as appropriate. He already cut down the boxes from the new furniture and put them in the recycling instead of stashing them in the garage, which is progress for him!

    On the upside, we did a very thorough cleanout of the fridge last night and I took a stab at the pantry also. I am determined to do a better job of eating what we have and not having things get "lost" in either one. My middle son (who's 9) started cleaning out his closet this weekend and I'm going to work with him soon to go through his stuff and help him declutter. He is not a keeper of stuff, but things accumulate anyway, so it will be much easier than my daughter who wants to keep EVERYTHING.

    On an unrelated note, my 2008 Honda Civic has been having A/C issues and of course it's starting to get hot. My husband ordered relays online ($12) and it seems to be working today! Not a de-cluttering event, but I'm so happy to have (hopefully) fixed it so cheaply.

    I just need to get through this week with my oldest's high school graduation and get past all the school year end festivities and then I look forward to having time this summer to really tackle the house, one drawer/cabinet at a time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 10, 2019, 07:47:24 PM
    Having decluttered (used up or donated) most of the airline toiletries, I moved a few nice things (hand creams, etc) into the bedside table in the spare room for guests.

    Most of the little decluttering jobs are done now (apart from the ongoing maintenance), with one big job left: to donate a very heavy timber hutch and move an antique timber desk from the garage back into the house.

    The hutch doesn't get used, takes up space and looks out of place where it is.

    The desk has been damaged while in storage, and I want to move it back into the house before it gets damaged further.

    I just need a van and more muscle than I possess...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Noodle on June 11, 2019, 10:25:29 AM
    Over the Memorial Day weekend I had Marie Kondo'd my sweaters and shoes. Weeded out a ton (gone to Goodwill) but what was really helpful was arranging what I kept by color. It's amazing how much faster it is to find things, and how much more motivated I am to put things away when they have a specific spot (as opposed to somewhere in the sweater keeper). It worked so well I got motivated to alphabetize my spice drawer, and although I didn't toss much there, it's shocking how much easier it is to find things.

    I find that the organization matters so much. I have my closet clothes (work sweaters, tops, etc) hung by color & sleeve length. I also have drawers that i use for workout clothes, because color is pretty much irrelevant. Instead, I have: tank tops, short sleeve, long sleeved all rolled separately. At a glance, I can quickly grab the first available in whichever type I need. I also have two types of sports bras: those good enough for running, & those not quite supportive enough. Same with workout pants: those that don't slip during running, and those that are good for running. I stack in separate piles in my drawer, so I just grab the first one on top from the pile I need. It has made getting ready to work out infinitely easier.

    It really surprised me how much of a difference it made to have a specific spot for each thing that it goes back into. I am fairly organized already (I think our closets are pretty similar!) but this took it up a notch!

    I have been disposing of some things entirely but also trying to use things that had been stashed away. I got two greeting cards into the mail that had been tucked in a drawer and wore two pairs of cute shoes (on separate days :) ) that had been lurking in a dark corner, only to discover they had aged past the point of wearability...enjoyed one last time of wearing them and then sent them to their reward.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 12, 2019, 08:03:55 AM
    Awesome, @Noodle

    As part of my sabbatical, I committed to decluttering our entire house. We've moved twice in the last 5+ years, so both of those were a great exercise in getting rid of stuff. However, things still build up. Yesterday I went through one of our hall closets, took everything out, organized what was left, cleaned the dust bunnies on the floor, and found three things to donate. Added two items to the "sell" pile. I'm currently holding on selling anything, as we're going to be out of town for a few weeks. So, I'm instead generating a big "sell" list for our return.

    For today, I have another hall closet & perhaps my *shivers* filing cabinet on the to do list. Otherwise, maybe the fridge & freezer. Which isn't really as much about decluttering as cleaning, organizing & ensuring I know what's available.

    The hot weather over the past few days has meant more time for inside chores vs all of my yard work projects.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on June 12, 2019, 11:58:57 AM
    Two more big bags of stuff my son decided he no longer wanted us to keep off to Goodwill.  Also a bunch of odds and ends we don't need.  Lots of vases, kitchen utensils we have multiples of, etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on June 12, 2019, 12:24:49 PM
    Threw out 3 vases of dried roses. Represent a rose from every bouquet I've been given in over 20 years. But I don't need them.

    I kept one rose from when my son was stillborn, it hangs on a bulletin board, but the rest are gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 12, 2019, 04:48:49 PM
    I'm a red panda - that sounds hard. It's great you found a way to honor your son as well.

    I moved on to a bathroom drawer clean out today. I did one side (four drawers, two shelves) & got rid of a bunch of stuff. Some to donate, some to trash, some to better reorganize. I also cleaned everything thoroughly. More to come, because our house has a ton of nooks & crannies!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 13, 2019, 12:48:43 PM
    Finished one bathroom clean out. Got rid of expired medicine, a variety of junk we don't need, and consolidated extra products. Need to move on to the second bathroom or the hall closet next. The fun continues!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on June 13, 2019, 01:52:18 PM
    Threw out a bunch of underwear I don't like. And a big pile of Christmas cards.

    I need to empty closets, but the baby just isn't up for it...
    Maybe he will let me put him down next month, but maternity leave is flying by and I'm trapped under him for most of the day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 14, 2019, 10:54:37 AM
    I need to empty closets, but the baby just isn't up for it...
    Maybe he will let me put him down next month, but maternity leave is flying by and I'm trapped under him for most of the day.

    Oh gosh, I remember those days! I found that the only way I could do anything sometimes was with a Moby wrap. Total lifesaver when you have a baby that doesn't want to be set down at all. Enjoy the time though; my oldest graduated from high school yesterday. There is a lot of truth to the saying "the days are long and the years are short."

    Haven't gotten rid of anything since my last post, but we did prevent adding to clutter yesterday (well, months ago really I suppose). Like I mentioned, my oldest graduated from high school yesterday. He chose to rent all of the graduation stuff and didn't even want to buy a tassel because he is not a keeper of stuff. So, hopefully HE won't ever have to post in a thread like this!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 15, 2019, 03:27:10 AM
    Tidied my pantry and consolidated a couple of sauce bottles, threw out a worn-out pair of pants, and sold a dress on eBay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 15, 2019, 05:46:37 AM
    Finally got rid of the bulky awkward space-consuming baby stroller. Goodwill didn't want it. I tried to plop it down in their back door drop off area, but a watchful guard popped out and said 'we don't take those!'

    Was able to unload it at the Salvation Army. Their website implied they took baby stuff. Placed it in an outdoor shed at the SA. Big sign saying 'you are on camera'. OK, fine. But no guard to stop me.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 16, 2019, 12:39:38 AM
    I had serviettes left over from a party (from years ago - I no longer buy single-use products like this).

    They were sitting in a drawer not being used, so I cut them into quarters to use in place of tissues and paper towel.

    Once they're used up, they won't be replaced.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: letsdoit on June 17, 2019, 08:01:31 AM
    one of our rooms has almost no furniture in it now
    so relaxing
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 17, 2019, 11:08:38 AM
    I had a pretty productive weekend on this front, although my house is overwhelming and there's still so much progress to make.

    This weekend I:
    -cleaned out most of 2 medicine cabinets and purged old/expired medications and makeup
    -tackled part of the laundry room, cleaning out old stuff from when we cloth-diapered our kids. I really don't think we still need old diaper sprayer parts when our youngest is 7.5!
    -reorganized our food storage drawers and removed some older items that aren't usable anymore. I did a pretty thorough purge in this area a year ago and didn't actually find any mismatched/missing lids or anything, just streamlined a little more and tidied up.
    -put daughter's old dance stuff in the donate bin
    -pulled 2 pairs of my shoes to donate...my shoes are almost fully decluttered now

    We went to an open house this weekend over where my daughter's best friend lives. Our current house is a giant clown house, 5 bedrooms+loft, 4 baths, 3 car garage, pool. 3690 square feet. We toured a 3 bedroom+loft, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage townhome with a small fenced patio/yard. 1628 square feet. Although we don't think the timing will work on this particular unit, we are definitely inspired to continue downsizing our stuff so we'll be ready to move smaller when the timing IS right. We are leaning towards 1800-2000 square feet being our target; we want a little bit bigger of a kitchen and living space than the place we saw last weekend. Our oldest goes to college in August which will leave us as a family of four with a 7 and 9 year old still at home. We do have a dog so we want to keep at least a larger fenced patio or small yard. There are a few communities in our current neighborhood that will work, but we aren't quite ready to sell yet. We are working on decluttering/tackling small maintenance projects so that we'll be ready to jump when it's time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 18, 2019, 12:54:28 AM
    I had a pretty productive weekend on this front, although my house is overwhelming and there's still so much progress to make.

    This weekend I:
    -cleaned out most of 2 medicine cabinets and purged old/expired medications and makeup
    -tackled part of the laundry room, cleaning out old stuff from when we cloth-diapered our kids. I really don't think we still need old diaper sprayer parts when our youngest is 7.5!
    -reorganized our food storage drawers and removed some older items that aren't usable anymore. I did a pretty thorough purge in this area a year ago and didn't actually find any mismatched/missing lids or anything, just streamlined a little more and tidied up.
    -put daughter's old dance stuff in the donate bin
    -pulled 2 pairs of my shoes to donate...my shoes are almost fully decluttered now

    We went to an open house this weekend over where my daughter's best friend lives. Our current house is a giant clown house, 5 bedrooms+loft, 4 baths, 3 car garage, pool. 3690 square feet. We toured a 3 bedroom+loft, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage townhome with a small fenced patio/yard. 1628 square feet. Although we don't think the timing will work on this particular unit, we are definitely inspired to continue downsizing our stuff so we'll be ready to move smaller when the timing IS right. We are leaning towards 1800-2000 square feet being our target; we want a little bit bigger of a kitchen and living space than the place we saw last weekend. Our oldest goes to college in August which will leave us as a family of four with a 7 and 9 year old still at home. We do have a dog so we want to keep at least a larger fenced patio or small yard. There are a few communities in our current neighborhood that will work, but we aren't quite ready to sell yet. We are working on decluttering/tackling small maintenance projects so that we'll be ready to jump when it's time.

    I'm really excited for you, @FireHiker! Keep us updated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 18, 2019, 11:48:18 AM
    I'm excited, too, @mustachepungoeshere ! It may still be a couple years until we make a downsize jump, but we're working towards it. If we stay where we are and work another 11 years we'll be firmly in the Boglehead sort of category with our retirement number, but I don't want to work another 11 years and keep cleaning and maintaining this giant house. We could definitely retire now if we move to a LCOL area and substantially reduce our future travel plans, but we aren't quite ready to commit to lean-FIRE. Hopefully I can stay active here cleaning out the clutter so we'll be ready to move when we make the when/where decision.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on June 18, 2019, 01:16:07 PM
    Returned 4 small gifts today. Things I just don't need. Glad they are not in my house anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on June 18, 2019, 01:35:26 PM
    It's satisfying to read these updates :)

    We did our full winter for summer switch/ clean-out of the front closet, including bikes for skis.

    In the process we cleaned out about 6 toques (beanies), some shoes I bought but never wore, a bunch of odds & ends, found some new boots and roof-racks to sell and took a whole bag of fabric to the thrift store.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 19, 2019, 02:48:44 PM
    Haven’t heard the term serviettes used for a longtime!  In Canada, we used to call them that, but now the American word “napkin” has taken over.  Many years ago, my parents were in the US and asked for one at a restaurant, and the waitress had no idea what they were talking about.  A while later she came back and asked “What did you call it?”
    No one ever says “chesterfield” any more either.  Guess I’m officially old.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 19, 2019, 03:54:54 PM
    Haven’t heard the term serviettes used for a longtime!  In Canada, we used to call them that, but now the American word “napkin” has taken over.  Many years ago, my parents were in the US and asked for one at a restaurant, and the waitress had no idea what they were talking about.  A while later she came back and asked “What did you call it?”
    No one ever says “chesterfield” any more either.  Guess I’m officially old.

    Serviettes - no one uses cloth any more, except at nice restaurants.  I still have my napkin ring from when I was a child - does anyone even remember why we had them?  Besides me, that is.

    I was never too clear on the difference between a chesterfield and a couch and a sofa.  Still 3 words that mean roughly the same thing, as far as I can tell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on June 19, 2019, 05:00:39 PM
    I have napkin rings. We always put our cloth napkins out in them when we set the table as kids. I don't "set the table" now though. I've never used them.

    Paper napkins are not allowed in my house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 19, 2019, 05:12:02 PM
    I'm waiting for a charity van to come and hopefully pick up an entire carport of old furniture. "Hopefully", because these days they only want good stuff they can sell, and I'm not sure whether they will say some of the stuff is a scruffy. Its all solid and works just fine, and I would use it except that I already have more than enough furniture: however charities no longer provide free hand-me downs for people who are down on their luck.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 19, 2019, 05:37:08 PM
    Napkins are cloth, serviettes are paper. Napkin rings were to hide the previous day's stains and allow for reuse of a napkin instead of having a fresh one everyday. [Of course, we now just use teatowels for everything so no napkin rings needed.]

    Two more books out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 19, 2019, 06:13:15 PM
    Serviettes are paper?  To me serviettes are the really nice, fairly large, often linen, napkins, while napkins are usually smaller and cotton (probably polyester these days).  Funny how words change meaning as geographic area changes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 19, 2019, 08:06:07 PM
    I'm waiting for a charity van to come and hopefully pick up an entire carport of old furniture. "Hopefully", because these days they only want good stuff they can sell, and I'm not sure whether they will say some of the stuff is a scruffy. Its all solid and works just fine, and I would use it except that I already have more than enough furniture: however charities no longer provide free hand-me downs for people who are down on their luck.

    Grrrr... they wouldn't bring the truck down the drive even to come get it. So that was a waste of time.  >:(       >:(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 19, 2019, 08:11:08 PM
    Serviettes are paper?  To me serviettes are the really nice, fairly large, often linen, napkins, while napkins are usually smaller and cotton (probably polyester these days).  Funny how words change meaning as geographic area changes.
    That is funny - to me napkins are the nice cloth things, serviettes are for holding under a party pie or wrapped around a sausage in some white bread bought outside a garden centre or sportsfield :D

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 19, 2019, 11:37:57 PM
    Haven’t heard the term serviettes used for a longtime!  In Canada, we used to call them that, but now the American word “napkin” has taken over.  Many years ago, my parents were in the US and asked for one at a restaurant, and the waitress had no idea what they were talking about.  A while later she came back and asked “What did you call it?”
    No one ever says “chesterfield” any more either.  Guess I’m officially old.

    Serviettes - no one uses cloth any more, except at nice restaurants.  I still have my napkin ring from when I was a child - does anyone even remember why we had them?  Besides me, that is.

    I was never too clear on the difference between a chesterfield and a couch and a sofa.  Still 3 words that mean roughly the same thing, as far as I can tell.

    Australian. They're still called serviettes here.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on June 20, 2019, 02:39:37 AM
    According to Wikipedia "napkin" is U and "serviette" is non-U -

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_and_non-U_English

    A Chesterfield is a specific type of sofa with the arms the same height as the back.  And sofa is U but couch and settee are not.

    Dear dog, us English, right?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on June 20, 2019, 05:08:09 AM
    I'm waiting for a charity van to come and hopefully pick up an entire carport of old furniture. "Hopefully", because these days they only want good stuff they can sell, and I'm not sure whether they will say some of the stuff is a scruffy. Its all solid and works just fine, and I would use it except that I already have more than enough furniture: however charities no longer provide free hand-me downs for people who are down on their luck.

    Grrrr... they wouldn't bring the truck down the drive even to come get it. So that was a waste of time.  >:(       >:(

    That's annoying.  The thrift store here will take almost anything, but they have people on staff who are good at spotting the good stuff.  Most of it gets sent to an antique shop in big, semi-local city.  It's good for their mission, I suppose (I have some issues with the way this particular one does business), but there are very, very rarely any treasures to be found. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on June 20, 2019, 05:43:59 AM
    Not an immediate win, but we discovered a small free library while walking through our new neighborhood.  Will definitely keep it in mind as I unpack books, as we'll inevitably find something to donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 21, 2019, 02:53:47 PM
    I'm waiting for a charity van to come and hopefully pick up an entire carport of old furniture. "Hopefully", because these days they only want good stuff they can sell, and I'm not sure whether they will say some of the stuff is a scruffy. Its all solid and works just fine, and I would use it except that I already have more than enough furniture: however charities no longer provide free hand-me downs for people who are down on their luck.

    Grrrr... they wouldn't bring the truck down the drive even to come get it. So that was a waste of time.  >:(       >:(

    That's annoying.  The thrift store here will take almost anything, but they have people on staff who are good at spotting the good stuff.  Most of it gets sent to an antique shop in big, semi-local city.  It's good for their mission, I suppose (I have some issues with the way this particular one does business), but there are very, very rarely any treasures to be found.


    I was watching Jeopardy once, and the then champion was bragging about how he slummed in salvation army stores to buy stuff he resold on Ebay for a profit.  I guess this isn't bad or good, just seems wrong.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on June 21, 2019, 10:08:34 PM
    Had a big win this week - posted 1/3 of my sectional on a free/trade site and someone offered me 3 chocolate bars.  I'm very happy - I gained back all the floor space for that section of the sofa and got some sweets, plus I won't have to move it in a few months if we decide to move!  Our place feels so much more spacious now.  I also took a load of items to the donate centre and reuse centre, and asked my friend if they had anything else I should take to donate. In total we got rid of 12 bags of items!

    Then we got 4 small bags of shredding done, sorted through a big box of papers (most went to recycling), and I did 2 mending fixes today. I have a few other projects and items I want to get through soon, but the mix of big stuff and little stuff being dealt with feels. so. good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on June 22, 2019, 08:09:28 PM
    Crystal and the two sets of flatware I never used- sent off to Replacements.com. I’ll get about $100.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 23, 2019, 08:47:29 PM
    I'm waiting for a charity van to come and hopefully pick up an entire carport of old furniture. "Hopefully", because these days they only want good stuff they can sell, and I'm not sure whether they will say some of the stuff is a scruffy. Its all solid and works just fine, and I would use it except that I already have more than enough furniture: however charities no longer provide free hand-me downs for people who are down on their luck.

    Grrrr... they wouldn't bring the truck down the drive even to come get it. So that was a waste of time.  >:(       >:(

    That's annoying.  The thrift store here will take almost anything, but they have people on staff who are good at spotting the good stuff.  Most of it gets sent to an antique shop in big, semi-local city.  It's good for their mission, I suppose (I have some issues with the way this particular one does business), but there are very, very rarely any treasures to be found.

    I had some success today with a second hand store...they took a few items of furniture away. Still have quite a few pieces left - some of which I will put out for landfill later this week. I wish I had a Buy Nothing group in my area.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 24, 2019, 06:24:57 AM
    I'm waiting for a charity van to come and hopefully pick up an entire carport of old furniture. "Hopefully", because these days they only want good stuff they can sell, and I'm not sure whether they will say some of the stuff is a scruffy. Its all solid and works just fine, and I would use it except that I already have more than enough furniture: however charities no longer provide free hand-me downs for people who are down on their luck.

    Grrrr... they wouldn't bring the truck down the drive even to come get it. So that was a waste of time.  >:(       >:(

    That's annoying.  The thrift store here will take almost anything, but they have people on staff who are good at spotting the good stuff.  Most of it gets sent to an antique shop in big, semi-local city.  It's good for their mission, I suppose (I have some issues with the way this particular one does business), but there are very, very rarely any treasures to be found.

    I had some success today with a second hand store...they took a few items of furniture away. Still have quite a few pieces left - some of which I will put out for landfill later this week. I wish I had a Buy Nothing group in my area.

    I think I just sold a nice snobby scarf at a yard sale for way less than I should have. I  am consoling myself by knowing many people would have just donated it to the Goodwill, and a watchful clerk  would have made a big profit on it.   

    In the good news category, I got a good price at my latest yardsale,  $50,  for an antique taxi horn that I received ZERO responses  on, on  Craigslist, even at only $35.   

    It's funny how someone seems to show up immediately, as if they have a sixth sense, whenever you have something of value to sell. I sold the taxi horn about a half hour after I put it on display.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on June 24, 2019, 06:42:25 AM
    I'm waiting for a charity van to come and hopefully pick up an entire carport of old furniture. "Hopefully", because these days they only want good stuff they can sell, and I'm not sure whether they will say some of the stuff is a scruffy. Its all solid and works just fine, and I would use it except that I already have more than enough furniture: however charities no longer provide free hand-me downs for people who are down on their luck.

    Grrrr... they wouldn't bring the truck down the drive even to come get it. So that was a waste of time.  >:(       >:(

    That's annoying.  The thrift store here will take almost anything, but they have people on staff who are good at spotting the good stuff.  Most of it gets sent to an antique shop in big, semi-local city.  It's good for their mission, I suppose (I have some issues with the way this particular one does business), but there are very, very rarely any treasures to be found.


    I was watching Jeopardy once, and the then champion was bragging about how he slummed in salvation army stores to buy stuff he resold on Ebay for a profit.  I guess this isn't bad or good, just seems wrong.

    I do something similar.  I piece out board games that I source at thrift stores.  A lot of people want to buy a single battleship piece rather than go out and buy a new version of the game.  Especially if it's the game they've had since childhood.  It's not making me a fortune or anything, but it's a low-effort way to get into eBay selling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on June 24, 2019, 07:34:04 AM
    So I'm in an interesting spot, because I'm acquiring a TON right now. But trying to keep in useful, organized, sensible, etc. Baby on the way and the desire to get free stuff means a LOT is incoming!

    -Decided we don't want to use the bassinet we got with a bunch of other stuff on BN. This will go to a friend who is also expecting- if she decides she doesn't want it, she works with foster families and will put it into their charity lot.
    -Getting tons of hand me down clothes. I'm sorting it as it comes in. Setting aside things I don't like, or are too "boyish" for me to want to dress a girl in. Another friend is due the day before me, and is having a boy, so we're going to do a swap- she has some girl hand me downs she's gotten.
    -Sold our futon and bought a twin bed for the office/'guest' room. It'll make for much better sleep when we do any shifts, and if we end up needing my mom to stay after the baby. I'm hoping not, but if I have a c-sec and Husband has to go quick back to site work, then we'll have no choice.
    -Have some area rugs and hallway runners listed for sale. Also a puppy exercise pen and a second crate we don't use. And an amp we aren't using, since we swapped out for a soundbar after we moved.
    -We're selling our truck. Going to trial one car for a while, and if car share etc doesn't work with a baby, then get a second car that's more appropriate to where we live now.

    While husband is gone for work the next few days, I plan to sort through my dog's various toys, treats, etc. There's plenty of random odds and ends from when she was a little puppy that will be trash or I should rehome, I'm sure.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 24, 2019, 02:38:32 PM
    We are trying to decide when we're downsizing (we've decided it is no longer an if), and in the meantime I'm trying to clean stuff out of the house. This weekend I worked with the kids to clear out some old stuff from their rooms: several stuffed animals, other toys, some clothes. I pulled a couple pairs of shoes that I don't wear and some books too. I put a large wall hanging, some books, and a frozen toy on buy nothing and they were all gone right away. It's barely a dent if we really do downsize by more than half the square footage...but we're working on it. Now we're trying to decide on logistics for moving, but getting rid of the clutter will make everything easier. I really wish I'd finished it already...oh well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: letsdoit on June 25, 2019, 09:10:29 AM
    saw one bed bug and it enabled me to get rid of some clutter in the bedroom
    now BR looks almost like an ikea catalog photo
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 25, 2019, 09:48:50 AM
    I'm waiting for a charity van to come and hopefully pick up an entire carport of old furniture. "Hopefully", because these days they only want good stuff they can sell, and I'm not sure whether they will say some of the stuff is a scruffy. Its all solid and works just fine, and I would use it except that I already have more than enough furniture: however charities no longer provide free hand-me downs for people who are down on their luck.

    Grrrr... they wouldn't bring the truck down the drive even to come get it. So that was a waste of time.  >:(       >:(

    That's annoying.  The thrift store here will take almost anything, but they have people on staff who are good at spotting the good stuff.  Most of it gets sent to an antique shop in big, semi-local city.  It's good for their mission, I suppose (I have some issues with the way this particular one does business), but there are very, very rarely any treasures to be found.


    I was watching Jeopardy once, and the then champion was bragging about how he slummed in salvation army stores to buy stuff he resold on Ebay for a profit.  I guess this isn't bad or good, just seems wrong.

    I do something similar.  I piece out board games that I source at thrift stores.  A lot of people want to buy a single battleship piece rather than go out and buy a new version of the game.  Especially if it's the game they've had since childhood.  It's not making me a fortune or anything, but it's a low-effort way to get into eBay selling.

    What a neat idea! You can sell stuff, and a buyer  is happy to get just what he needs and no more.  Cool. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 25, 2019, 10:17:03 AM
    I have done that for years on ebay. I cannibalized my broken Keurig coffee maker and sold all the parts and they sold quickly. People are looking for parts and it is cheaper to buy a part than an new machine. I just bought a blender part on ebay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 25, 2019, 11:17:03 AM
    We are putting in an offer today. The plan is to go from a 3,690 square foot house with yard and pool to a 1,642 square foot townhome with a large hardscaped patio. No more grass to mow, woohoo! Both my husband and I have been up since 1:30am since neither of us could sleep. It is a HUGE change for us. I'm actually looking forward to ruthlessly getting rid of stuff. I plan to give my mom a TON of stuff to sell on ebay since she is effectively retired at this point but doesn't really make ends meet. My deal with her is anything I give her to sell on ebay she gets to keep all the earnings. Frankly most of the stuff worth selling she probably bought at some point for me/us anyway because she is SUCH a buyer of stuff. All my old American Girl stuff that she bought in the first place, gave to me, and my daughter doesn't want? Going back to my mom (with her blessing) to ebay.

    Last night I pulled probably 50 books and 6 travel coffee mugs. My 7 year old is super excited and also pulled about 20 books to donate. We are drowning in books, and now that I have a kindle I just don't need physical books for most things anymore. I'll let the library store them for me (digitally when possible), thanks! Since I couldn't sleep last night I was mentally going through what all will have to go, what will have to stay, and what will be replaced. We will need to buy some new furniture because our giant couches will not fit, but aside from smaller couch(es) and some desks/storage for the kids' rooms, there will be very little to have to purchase. Maybe a much smaller china cabinet/storage because my big lovely one won't fit. I'd rather be retired and travel than have a big china cabinet with stuff in it though. I am both excited about the end result and terrified about the amount of time and effort it will take to reach it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on June 25, 2019, 03:28:33 PM
    Got rid of some extra flower seeds earlier this week via BuyNothing, and looks like I'll be getting some tubes of acrylic paints out the door this week too via BuyNothing. WOO.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on June 25, 2019, 07:59:07 PM
    I do something similar.  I piece out board games that I source at thrift stores.  A lot of people want to buy a single battleship piece rather than go out and buy a new version of the game.  Especially if it's the game they've had since childhood.  It's not making me a fortune or anything, but it's a low-effort way to get into eBay selling.

    This is genius!

    I already sell on eBay but selling board game parts never occurred to me. Mind blown!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on June 25, 2019, 08:39:41 PM
    Donated a box of maternity clothes. Also a dog life jacket that was still new with tags :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on June 26, 2019, 06:51:10 AM
    We're considering moving soon, so my husband is now motivated to clean out our basement, yay!  I'm trying to sell a backpacking backpack and a wave master punching bag on FB, but otherwise I think most of it is going to the dump or the thrift store.  We're making progress, though!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on June 26, 2019, 07:36:44 AM
    Saw a funny ad from a local storage unit business:  Declutter your home...Rent a storage unit from us!   
    I don't think that's the real meaning of declutter, but maybe for some people it's a baby step. 

    With that, I do understand the value of storage units as a temporary measure when circumstances dictate, e.g., transitioning from one home to another over a period of time, or cleaning out a loved one's property and keeping larger items for heirs or a sale, or storing valuable items during extensive travel.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on June 26, 2019, 09:26:42 AM
    I used to hoard like crazy, but I turned a corner when I realized I had 2 sets of everything.  I had a set of normal/everyday stuff and I had my "nice stuff" for special occasions.  Then it occurred to me that my "normal stuff" was pretty worn/ratty.  So I thought "why not just get rid of ALL the normal/everyday stuff and ONLY have the nice stuff and actually use the better quality items in my every day life".

    So that's what I do - I have very few things now, but they are NICE.  Makes my daily life very simple, but quality. 

    Also, I really like this perspective from Antione de st. Exupery.  He's talking about design, but it applies equally to a work space or your home:

    Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 26, 2019, 10:01:08 AM
    So, after donating tons of stuff in the last 2 years to a local animal charity, I've decided to make one final push, because there's STILL crap in the house! Because my roommate is moving out in 100 days (as of June 23rd), I'm going to get rid of 1 item per day until then.  If I still have stuff left after that, I'll start an "until Christmas" challenge with myself.  I'll post my weekly list on Sundays, so stay tuned ....
    (Disclaimer:  some of it will be up for sale, so may not leave the house immediately, but will still be put on the list.  Other things will leave as possible.)
    Wish me luck!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 26, 2019, 10:47:15 AM
    Another big push last night, which will be the status quo for the next two months. My daughter either wants to get rid of everything or nothing; not a lot of inbetween with her. She pulled a TON of stuff from the playroom yesterday, and about 80% of it will go. I'm listing on Buy Nothing and donating to VVA primarily. I'll probably list the play kitchen for sale online because it is a really good one with lots of accessories, but most little stuff I'll just donate. I'm excited to get rid of so many plastic toys. I also boxed up all the books and moved them to the VVA pile in the garage for my Monday scheduled pickup. My husband took a stab at the garage yesterday and threw out a bunch of stuff and gave me some items to donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 26, 2019, 03:24:43 PM
    Has anyone done and ebay challenge where you posted one item per day to sell? I get burned out on ebay at times and have not done it in almost a year. I have things I need to sell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 26, 2019, 04:57:44 PM
    I'm still making slow intermittent progress. After my mother died, I ended up with so much stuff that I was too overwhelmed to even figure what I had and which things should stay and which should go. I've worked through the bedding, and most of the sheets/towels etc. After a big push in the last 2 weeks I've  gotten rid of  half a carport of furniture, and about 2 cubic metres of broken items  to landfill. And sold a few things for $200. Still a work in progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 26, 2019, 11:10:42 PM
    Has anyone done and ebay challenge where you posted one item per day to sell? I get burned out on ebay at times and have not done it in almost a year. I have things I need to sell.

    I haven't done this but I've sold things before and it saves heaps of time to list a few similar things in one session I find, when you are in the zone. I worry that it would be a time suck to list one thing a day. I guess if you can pick up a previous day's listing and "sell similar" it wouldn't be too bad. Generally ebay takes so much time compared to our version of Craiglist but it's still useful for things like collectables where you need a bigger marketplace.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 27, 2019, 06:04:45 AM
    Has anyone done and ebay challenge where you posted one item per day to sell? I get burned out on ebay at times and have not done it in almost a year. I have things I need to sell.

    Funny you should mention Ebay. I've got some stuff that I could sell on Ebay, like a Christian Dior perfume which goes for about $49,  and a 35 mm camera which is probably worth $100 or more.

    I used to do Ebay 15 years ago, to buy and sell, and it was OK back then. You could accept checks, but now you are forced to use Paypal for everything, right?
    Seems like too much hassle and too many fees.  But maybe it's the way to go, sigh...   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 27, 2019, 06:32:19 AM
    Got brave enough to extract a big suitcase from the hoard in the bedroom, place it on the floor, and open it. Yep, filled completely and efficiently with ancient financial statements and personal letters of the deceased girlfriend. 

    Am now spending a half hour per day examining every item, and tossing 99% of them into the recycling bag. Time-consuming but the good news is that it is a no-brainer what to do with it all, ie, recycle it. 

    Am finding some neat sentimental value things too, and keeping those.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 28, 2019, 10:42:55 AM
    We've made more progress the past couple days. We decided to give the play kitchen and all it's accessories to our favorite neighbor whose daughter turns 4 tomorrow and LOVES it. We also gave her some good like-new puzzles that our daughter has outgrown. That makes me much happier than selling it to someone I don't know. We have listed some things on buy nothing and already have takers: toys, doll bed, old train/lego table. My husband has cleared out SO MUCH STUFF from the garage. Mostly junk to trash/recycle but we're donating or giving away as much as we can. He has also started on the side yard...there is a fair bit of work left there though. I took a pass through my closet this morning before work and have a pile of clothes to bag up. I'm sure it won't be the last one. I've been keeping smaller sizes to fit into "someday" but giving myself permission to buy new when I lose the weight (which will be much easier with the free time that the smaller house will allow!) makes it a lot easier to let the stuff go. My 18 year old made a pass through his room so I have a pile of clothes and stuff to donate from there too. I went through my old piano music and I'm getting rid of half of it; somehow I still had ALL the old stuff from when I was 9 taking lessons...I think I have moved beyond that at this point. If either kid decides they want to learn they are going to want my old ratty/marked up lesson books!

    I have VVA scheduled for Monday pick up, and my mom is happy to take a bunch of stuff to list on ebay, so we're moving right along. I've boxed/bagged most of it up and set it aside in the garage for the next time she comes down. It's still going to be a TON of work but with everyone on board it should be okay. It's amazing how much old stuff my mom saved and passed along to me over the years. No way in hell I'm doing that to my kids.

    I will be posting A LOT the next few months; I am so excited about our soon-to-be smaller and simpler home. We are really, really excited about the fact that it will cut 5 years off of our FIRE timeframe. I'd rather have that than all this stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 28, 2019, 02:17:15 PM
    FireHiker, you're on a role. Keep it up!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 28, 2019, 04:13:37 PM
    Doll bed and train table gone, listed another small play table and already have someone to pick up this weekend. This weekend is going to be HUGE for getting rid of stuff; I'm exhausted already just thinking about it. Listed our large backyard playset on buy nothing; our realtor said it's really too big for the yard (yeah it is) and the house will show better with it gone. Just one more thing to handle/get rid of though. This is definitely a good reminder to not accumulate more stuff once we move!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on June 28, 2019, 04:28:18 PM
    Crystal I never used and two place setting of sterling flatware off to Replacements.com. I'll only net about $150- but it is gone and I'll make a little cash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on June 28, 2019, 04:33:28 PM
    Crystal I never used and two place setting of sterling flatware off to Replacements.com. I'll only net about $150- but it is gone and I'll make a little cash.

    Wow, I had never heard of this...thank you so much for mentioning it. I have crystal that we were planning to get rid of in this move and it is discontinued. Is it pretty easy to ship off to them?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on June 30, 2019, 06:52:35 AM
    Sold the backpacking pack and wavemaster punching bag on FB marketplace.  Another $50 in my wallet instead of given to the thrift store, yay!  I'm finding it's MUCH easier to get a buyer through FB than Craigslist (also you can check on their profile to make sure they're not a crazy fake person.)

    We just put in an offer on a house that has ~500 sq feet less floor space than our current house (but plenty of storage in the attic/cellar), so I'm finding EVEN MORE things to get rid of - queen sized bed frame, an old dresser, all of my maternity clothes, baby swings.  It's going to be awesome.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on June 30, 2019, 03:30:12 PM
    Crystal I never used and two place setting of sterling flatware off to Replacements.com. I'll only net about $150- but it is gone and I'll make a little cash.

    Wow, I had never heard of this...thank you so much for mentioning it. I have crystal that we were planning to get rid of in this move and it is discontinued. Is it pretty easy to ship off to them?

    You contact them and they will send you a sheet showing everything in your pattern and what they are offering. You have to box and send at your expense. Since we had just moved- I had a lot of boxes around. Crystal went in a wine box with dividers inside another box- all padded with newsprint. They then inspect your shipment and confirm the offer and send you a check. I am waiting for the check. You are only going to get about 1/3 of what they are selling it for on the website- but it is something. I would definitely look into it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 30, 2019, 05:07:05 PM
    Bagged up the stuff to go to thrift store and got it into the car. 3 bags. Then I pulled some more stuff from the desk, 4th bag.

    Also have a bag of canned food that my cat doesn't like (Sibley ate most of the wet food, and since she's gone, don't need it) and a couple of like new cat toys that were immediate rejects ready to go to the shelter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 30, 2019, 09:21:43 PM
    So, after donating tons of stuff in the last 2 years to a local animal charity, I've decided to make one final push, because there's STILL crap in the house! Because my roommate is moving out in 100 days (as of June 23rd), I'm going to get rid of 1 item per day until then.  If I still have stuff left after that, I'll start an "until Christmas" challenge with myself.  I'll post my weekly list on Sundays, so stay tuned ....
    (Disclaimer:  some of it will be up for sale, so may not leave the house immediately, but will still be put on the list.  Other things will leave as possible.)
    Wish me luck!

    First week's list:

    1.  broken rain barrel - unfortunately recycling wouldn't take it in spite of a triangle symbol, so into the landfill it went
    2.  box of sticks - my previous dog loved to chew them, the current one doesn't, so gave to the neighbours for their fire pit
    3.  winter thermal top - going to thrift store
    4.  long sleeve tee shirt - to be offered to relative
    5.  another long sleeve tee - off to fabric recycling
    6.  scrap fabric - fabric recycling also
    7.  paperback - going to thrift store

    So far, it's been painless.  I'm sure it will get harder, but it feels good to have a goal in mind.

    Week 2 report next Sunday!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on July 01, 2019, 09:27:26 AM
    Trying to keep the insane baby gear influx a little more sane! Got a big haul from Buy Nothing of bottles- took what I wanted, passed the bulk on to a friend that will be back at work right away with a 9-5 and needs lots. Also gave her some of the baby clothes I didn't want/were too gendered for our preferences. She also gave me some maternity clothes in turn- I tried those on immediately do decide what I'll keep and what'll go.

    Huge 'declutter'- we're selling our second car. Challenge here is it's our truck, and some of our camping gear was kept in there, so we need to figure out how to store that =\ Bah. Always more to solve!

    Currently have a rug listed on FB marketplace, will soon add two more. Then will add our old vacuum. Gifted a salt lamp I didn't use from my desk onto Buy Nothing, and have our old printer pending pickup now that DH's new employer gave him a new one they'll provide ink for.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 01, 2019, 07:47:18 PM
    Crystal I never used and two place setting of sterling flatware off to Replacements.com. I'll only net about $150- but it is gone and I'll make a little cash.

    Wow, I had never heard of this...thank you so much for mentioning it. I have crystal that we were planning to get rid of in this move and it is discontinued. Is it pretty easy to ship off to them?

    You contact them and they will send you a sheet showing everything in your pattern and what they are offering. You have to box and send at your expense. Since we had just moved- I had a lot of boxes around. Crystal went in a wine box with dividers inside another box- all padded with newsprint. They then inspect your shipment and confirm the offer and send you a check. I am waiting for the check. You are only going to get about 1/3 of what they are selling it for on the website- but it is something. I would definitely look into it.

    Very timely post for me! I recently found out that the china I've packed and moved over a dozen times in my life and rarely used is NOT the WWII era gift from my great-uncle to my great-grandmother. No one in the family knows whose it is! I got 'permission' from my mom to do whatever I want with it :P She knows I'll sell it, but I'd been putting it off.

    I just filled out the 'sell to us' form on the site, and am waiting to hear back. A lot of the pattern I have is sold out on their site, so I may be in luck!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 01, 2019, 08:54:45 PM
    Went through some dresser drawers and gave away a number of "wishful thinking" items. You know … the ones that you hope will fit again someday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on July 01, 2019, 09:37:42 PM
    I used to hoard like crazy, but I turned a corner when I realized I had 2 sets of everything.  I had a set of normal/everyday stuff and I had my "nice stuff" for special occasions.  Then it occurred to me that my "normal stuff" was pretty worn/ratty.  So I thought "why not just get rid of ALL the normal/everyday stuff and ONLY have the nice stuff and actually use the better quality items in my every day life".

    So that's what I do - I have very few things now, but they are NICE.  Makes my daily life very simple, but quality. 

    Also, I really like this perspective from Antione de st. Exupery.  He's talking about design, but it applies equally to a work space or your home:

    Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away

    You've just given me some clarity.

    I had an old dinner set where at least half the plates and bowls have little chips here and there.

    A friend gave me a lovely new dinner set for my birthday last year, but I've been hanging onto the old one just in case...


    Time to move it on.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on July 02, 2019, 06:11:13 AM
    And got the check from replacements.com today. Ca- ching
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 02, 2019, 06:52:24 AM
    I just watched 2 beer case boxes full of old work papers, about 10 pounds each, get hoisted up into the top of the recycling truck, and dumped down into the hold.

    Twenty pounds less junk in my house. Yay!

    Hopefully to be recycled into something useful for humanity, and not landfilled. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on July 02, 2019, 10:55:20 AM
    I tried to post with a picture yesterday but had issues. Oh well. We had a GIANT pile get picked up by VVA yesterday, yay! Now that we are in escrow on the new place and we're getting ready to sell our current place we are frantically going through all of our stuff. It's depressing to me how much accumulates so easily. I've already scheduled the next VVA pick up for next Monday and I have a medium pile ready to go. I have taken two more passes through my closet, and my husband took a pass through his side, and we have a growing pile of clothes to donate again.

    We've been pulling and setting aside the furniture that we'll sell or donate in one part of the garage as well; right now I'm pretty glad we have the 3 car garage for staging/sorting stuff that will stay or go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 02, 2019, 11:08:50 AM
    Read a book last night and put it in a donate pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 02, 2019, 12:57:08 PM
    I used to hoard like crazy, but I turned a corner when I realized I had 2 sets of everything.  I had a set of normal/everyday stuff and I had my "nice stuff" for special occasions.  Then it occurred to me that my "normal stuff" was pretty worn/ratty.  So I thought "why not just get rid of ALL the normal/everyday stuff and ONLY have the nice stuff and actually use the better quality items in my every day life".

    So that's what I do - I have very few things now, but they are NICE.  Makes my daily life very simple, but quality. 

    Also, I really like this perspective from Antione de st. Exupery.  He's talking about design, but it applies equally to a work space or your home:

    Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away

    You've just given me some clarity.

    I had an old dinner set where at least half the plates and bowls have little chips here and there.

    A friend gave me a lovely new dinner set for my birthday last year, but I've been hanging onto the old one just in case...


    Time to move it on.

    Awesome, I'm glad it helped!  I know for me, dealing with clutter really needed a mind shift towards embracing a more minimal lifestyle and not holding on to things "just in case".  Have very few things, but make them nice things.  That way you get quality in your life (luxury even!) and getting rid of the "stuff" doesn't feel like depravation. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on July 02, 2019, 01:17:33 PM
    Have very few things, but make them nice things.  That way you get quality in your life (luxury even!) and getting rid of the "stuff" doesn't feel like depravation.

    This is absolutely what I'm working towards!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on July 03, 2019, 11:33:19 AM
    Last night was another productive evening, but gosh, we are quickly getting burnt out. We have a desk alcove with storage that has been a crammed dumping ground the whole time we've lived in this house. I cleared off everything and went through all but one drawer. Another couple of boxes packed and a couple large bags of trash and donate...evidently end of school year kid crap has been stashed in these cupboards, ugh. It is completely tidy now with the games the kids actually play regularly stacked neatly in the cupboard.

    We have also done the following last night/this morning before work:

    -I bagged up two large bags of clothes to donate, some shoes, and an old exercise ball that has never been used in this house.
    -We took two old desk chairs out to the garage donate pile, along with two large chairs we aren't keeping.
    -Someone from buy nothing came by and picked up some toys last night.
    -We brought a shoe bench we aren't keeping in to work to give to a young co-worker who was looking for one. We're going to give her a chance to see if she wants any of the other furniture we're not keeping too.

    Whew, still so much to do. I am never, ever living in such a big house again, or accumulating so much stuff. It's absurd!! I found a whole drawer of coloring/activity books that the kids outgrew. I think when we move we're going to get some of those Ikea art storage drawers that are much more shallow so they don't lose stuff anymore in deep drawers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 05, 2019, 07:47:23 PM
    Cleared out an entire set of china that I've moved several times. Turns out it's not the family heirloom I thought it was, and I'm not the guardian of family memories. Funny how I suddenly saw all these plates and bowls as irritating clutter, when I'd thought all these years that they were priceless links to my famiy's history! They are in the car, ready to be dropped off at the donation center tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 06, 2019, 10:22:36 AM
    Getting bogged down in the living room. What to sell? What to donate? SHould I just box it up and put it in the corner?

    So I went upstairs and sorted through old bills. Got about a hundred easy-to-discard years-old bills into the recycle bag.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 07, 2019, 07:50:17 PM
    I decluttered the box of curtains by hanging the dang things. Finally. And am thinking that I should return the curtains I got for another room, partially because I'm second guessing if I like them, partially because I'm not going to hang them any time soon.

    Also dropped off a bunch of stuff to the local animal shelter that my cat doesn't like (food/toys). Then turned around and got some of it back (food) along with a cat I'm fostering!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 07, 2019, 08:01:24 PM
    Week 2 report:

    8. Teeny tiny Pony bike that came with my house.  What kid could ride a 15" at the seat 2 wheeler?  No one that small would have the necessary balance.  Gone to thrift store.
    9. 23 plastic plant pots - thrift store also.
    10. Golf club thrown over my fence.  Put aside for animal rescue garage sale.
    11. Silver necklace - thrift store.
    12. Pair of shoe insoles - thrift store.
    13. Pair of sandals - thrift store.
    14. One winter glove, also thrown over my fence.  Thrift store.  (What's wrong with you people?  At least give me something useful!)

    So far, still easy.  Why didn't I start this months ago?  One item a day is so doable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 07, 2019, 08:08:54 PM
    Someone just came and picked up a bag of gift wrapping stuff. It's amazing how much space I've cleared by using up / giving away / throwing out this sort of stuff. Next is probably stationary. All this stuff I've been through before but not touched in 18 months so...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 07, 2019, 08:58:48 PM
    Week 2 report:

    8. Teeny tiny Pony bike that came with my house.  What kid could ride a 15" at the seat 2 wheeler?  No one that small would have the necessary balance.  Gone to thrift store.
    9. 23 plastic plant pots - thrift store also.
    10. Golf club thrown over my fence.  Put aside for animal rescue garage sale.
    11. Silver necklace - thrift store.
    12. Pair of shoe insoles - thrift store.
    13. Pair of sandals - thrift store.
    14. One winter glove, also thrown over my fence. Thrift store.  (What's wrong with you people?  At least give me something useful!)

    So far, still easy.  Why didn't I start this months ago?  One item a day is so doable.

    You are doing great on the decluttering SunnyDays but why on earth are you giving a pair of shoe insoles and one glove to the thrift store? They won't sell or even give these away. Why not throw them away instead of making someone else do it?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 07, 2019, 09:00:15 PM
    Took the china and another box of random items to the thrift store, less than 12 hours after I put them in the car! I didn't drive them around in my trunk for weeks! There's a lovely empty spot in my closet where the box was. I'll probably put another empty box in there soon, so that I can toss things into it as I realize they need to go. But I'm really getting close to exactly where I want to be with my stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: kaposzta on July 08, 2019, 03:10:55 AM
    Last week DW and I did the following:
    - Throw paper trash out from one of our rooms
    - Throw out some old magazines and boxes
    - Throw out empty bottles

    My goal is to get rid of at least 1 unnecessary stuff every day.

    Next steps:
    - check all frickin' empty boxes in our apartment (keep them for storage or throw out)
    - clear out our "storage" room (it shouldn't be a storage room :D)
    - check my old clothes one by one (and asking myself: would I pay for this piece in the store, or not? if not, I get rid of it)
    - check my bookshelf again and sell or throw out the bad / unnecessary books
    - check my shoes (I have an incredibly high number of shoes now) and get rid of the ones with holes in them :D
    - open the dreaded drawer packed with cables, old computer stuff, etc. and keep only the really necessary stuff
    - decide whether I should buy a new battery for my old laptop (currently we're using a better one), sell it or keep it as a backup
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 08, 2019, 04:03:12 AM
    Church fete next week, and the bric-a-brac stall has so far benefitted from a dog basket, a laundry basket, a rug, cushions, tablecloths, a laundry rack, some costume jewellery and various other things I've already forgotten. My guest bedroom is much improved as a result.  Anything that doesn't sell will be passed on to a local charity that runs activities for people with disabilities.

    (It's interesting how quick and easy it is to forget items which have been passed on.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 08, 2019, 09:02:28 AM
    Week 2 report:

    8. Teeny tiny Pony bike that came with my house.  What kid could ride a 15" at the seat 2 wheeler?  No one that small would have the necessary balance.  Gone to thrift store.
    9. 23 plastic plant pots - thrift store also.
    10. Golf club thrown over my fence.  Put aside for animal rescue garage sale.
    11. Silver necklace - thrift store.
    12. Pair of shoe insoles - thrift store.
    13. Pair of sandals - thrift store.
    14. One winter glove, also thrown over my fence. Thrift store.  (What's wrong with you people?  At least give me something useful!)

    So far, still easy.  Why didn't I start this months ago?  One item a day is so doable.

    You are doing great on the decluttering SunnyDays but why on earth are you giving a pair of shoe insoles and one glove to the thrift store? They won't sell or even give these away. Why not throw them away instead of making someone else do it?

    SunnyDays, I've done the one glove donation too!  I feel you!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 08, 2019, 09:23:03 AM
    Someone just came and picked up a bag of gift wrapping stuff. It's amazing how much space I've cleared by using up / giving away / throwing out this sort of stuff. Next is probably stationary. All this stuff I've been through before but not touched in 18 months so...

    I actually sold some wrapping stuff at the flea market yesterday. I only got 50 cents for it, but that's OK! Happy to be rid of it, and not to the Goodwill.

    Every couple of weeks I take some of the stuff in the house down to the flea market and sell it. So far, I've always made at least $10, which is the fee they charge for a table.   

    But at this rate, It'll take me years to finally  be decluttered. That's OK, except that I need to have some contractors inside my house soon to do some carpentry work, and that will be embarrassing! 

    I'm stressing out about where to move the stuff, to get it out of their way. I guess I'll just have to consolidate it all, and throw out some perfectly good empty boxes. Or maybe I can keep them but stack them in a corner. 

    I'm not a hoarder, but I have inherited a hoard that my late girlfriend left me. My OCD thing is not wanting to throw way or donate anything 'useful'. It's emotionally easy for me to sell it, though, even at a very low price.

    The good news is that stuff is leaving the house and very little if any new stuff is coming in.   




     

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on July 08, 2019, 09:36:02 AM
    Gave my 32 year old brother his school mementos folders. They were being stored at my place because "reasons." I was over it. He did try and leave them at my parents' house,  but they held firm.

    Gave away some unused stationery and a brand new, never used photo album to an acquaintance.

    I have 4 bags ready to get dropped at the salvation army, but I am waiting to consolidate trips.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on July 08, 2019, 09:39:19 AM
    Week 2 report:

    8. Teeny tiny Pony bike that came with my house.  What kid could ride a 15" at the seat 2 wheeler?  No one that small would have the necessary balance.  Gone to thrift store.
    9. 23 plastic plant pots - thrift store also.
    10. Golf club thrown over my fence.  Put aside for animal rescue garage sale.
    11. Silver necklace - thrift store.
    12. Pair of shoe insoles - thrift store.
    13. Pair of sandals - thrift store.
    14. One winter glove, also thrown over my fence. Thrift store.  (What's wrong with you people?  At least give me something useful!)

    So far, still easy.  Why didn't I start this months ago?  One item a day is so doable.

    You are doing great on the decluttering SunnyDays but why on earth are you giving a pair of shoe insoles and one glove to the thrift store? They won't sell or even give these away. Why not throw them away instead of making someone else do it?

    Many thrift stores sell crap to fabric recyclers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 08, 2019, 10:28:56 AM
    Well, in my defense, the insoles were new in package, not ripped out of old shoes!  Also, the one glove was in brand new condition and maybe the store could find a match for it.  Worth a try!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on July 08, 2019, 12:24:09 PM
    Such a crazy, busy, productive weekend. VVA came again today and picked up a giant load of stuff, with the next pick up already scheduled for next week. Too much really to itemize for VVA here, although I have it all itemized to enter into It's Deductible for taxes next year. This was all stuff like books, clothes, shoes, toys, misc house items.

    In addition to the GIANT PILE that went out today we also decluttered the following this past weekend:
    -furniture my sister-in-law wanted, and some decorative stuff
    -boy's suit my son will never wear (buy nothing)
    -old Wii games and controllers (buy nothing)
    -preschool toys, two giant toy boxes, two booster seats (buy nothing)
    -so much old art stuff, recycled or trashed or donated as appropriate
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 08, 2019, 03:51:04 PM

    My OCD thing is not wanting to throw way or donate anything 'useful'. It's emotionally easy for me to sell it, though, even at a very low price.


    Yeah, I used to be that way too, but after many garage sales and the amount of work that goes with them for very little profit (and still ending up with 3/4 of the stuff left), I just bit the bullet and started giving stuff away.  Once it was gone, it was such a relief and I really never thought about the stuff again.  As long as I can see it, I still hem and haw and find reasons why I like it and should keep it, but out of sight and out of mind.  Once you realize how much time and mental energy you spend on things that are worthless TO YOU, the easier it is to let go.  The amount you might receive for selling things is usually pretty small compared to the time and effort it takes out of your life.

    You might consider getting a 2nd hand dealer to come in and give you a price on the whole lot and be done with it.  At some point, it's just time to move on.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 08, 2019, 08:20:33 PM

    My OCD thing is not wanting to throw way or donate anything 'useful'. It's emotionally easy for me to sell it, though, even at a very low price.


    Yeah, I used to be that way too, but after many garage sales and the amount of work that goes with them for very little profit (and still ending up with 3/4 of the stuff left), I just bit the bullet and started giving stuff away.  Once it was gone, it was such a relief and I really never thought about the stuff again.  As long as I can see it, I still hem and haw and find reasons why I like it and should keep it, but out of sight and out of mind.  Once you realize how much time and mental energy you spend on things that are worthless TO YOU, the easier it is to let go.  The amount you might receive for selling things is usually pretty small compared to the time and effort it takes out of your life.

    You might consider getting a 2nd hand dealer to come in and give you a price on the whole lot and be done with it.  At some point, it's just time to move on.

    Thinking of car boot sales I've done in the past, there can be a bit of community around it, so if slackmax goes every week, so there's a benefits there. Talking to people and making friendships with the regulars could be quite fun.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on July 09, 2019, 02:08:53 AM
    Finally dropped off two bags of donations to charity, and a bag of soft plastics to recycling.

    I suspect there is another bag for charity in the garage that was put in the car with the best of intentions then removed before a trip. That's next on my hit list.

    I actually did a little charity store shopping while interstate recently, picked up some beautiful notecards and greeting cards for about $1.50, so that motivated me to actually take in my donations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 09, 2019, 02:55:10 AM
    Fabric recycling at H&M has been a game changer for our clutter - husband is finding it much easier to let things go if they go to recycling. We are talking worn out stuff that charity does not want and we already have plenty of rags. Four big bundles have gone out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on July 09, 2019, 06:19:56 AM
    Fabric recycling at H&M has been a game changer for our clutter - husband is finding it much easier to let things go if they go to recycling. We are talking worn out stuff that charity does not want and we already have plenty of rags. Four big bundles have gone out.

    Ooh, do they take undergarments as well?  I definitely have some undies and bras that aren't wearable anymore, but I don't want to just throw them away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 09, 2019, 06:43:52 AM
    Fabric recycling at H&M has been a game changer for our clutter - husband is finding it much easier to let things go if they go to recycling. We are talking worn out stuff that charity does not want and we already have plenty of rags. Four big bundles have gone out.

    Ooh, do they take undergarments as well?  I definitely have some undies and bras that aren't wearable anymore, but I don't want to just throw them away.


    My municipal recycling place has a huge bin called 'textiles'. They take all sorts of things. Old shoes, boots, clothes, rags, hats, you name it. I asked the worker there what happened to all the stuff, and he said it gets sorted through eventually and some is thrown out, some is recycled into who knows what, and some is given to charity.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 09, 2019, 07:08:27 AM

    My OCD thing is not wanting to throw way or donate anything 'useful'. It's emotionally easy for me to sell it, though, even at a very low price.


    Yeah, I used to be that way too, but after many garage sales and the amount of work that goes with them for very little profit (and still ending up with 3/4 of the stuff left), I just bit the bullet and started giving stuff away.  Once it was gone, it was such a relief and I really never thought about the stuff again.  As long as I can see it, I still hem and haw and find reasons why I like it and should keep it, but out of sight and out of mind.  Once you realize how much time and mental energy you spend on things that are worthless TO YOU, the easier it is to let go.  The amount you might receive for selling things is usually pretty small compared to the time and effort it takes out of your life.

    You might consider getting a 2nd hand dealer to come in and give you a price on the whole lot and be done with it.  At some point, it's just time to move on.

    Thinking of car boot sales I've done in the past, there can be a bit of community around it, so if slackmax goes every week, so there's a benefits there. Talking to people and making friendships with the regulars could be quite fun.

    You nailed it, Fresh Bread. It's therapeutic for me to do the car boot sales. I would even say 'adventurous', since I'm so INTJ.

    SunnyDays, you are right about the low return on investment. I end up putting 80 % of the stuff back into the car at the end of the day, but so far, I still like doing the yard sale thing, and I'm getting rid of stuff. I've already donated a ton of it to Goodwill, anyway. Time will tell. Maybe I'll end up donating a ton more.   


     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 09, 2019, 09:16:21 AM
    Fabric recycling at H&M has been a game changer for our clutter - husband is finding it much easier to let things go if they go to recycling. We are talking worn out stuff that charity does not want and we already have plenty of rags. Four big bundles have gone out.



    Ooh, do they take undergarments as well?  I definitely have some undies and bras that aren't wearable anymore, but I don't want to just throw them away.


    My municipal recycling place has a huge bin called 'textiles'. They take all sorts of things. Old shoes, boots, clothes, rags, hats, you name it. I asked the worker there what happened to all the stuff, and he said it gets sorted through eventually and some is thrown out, some is recycled into who knows what, and some is given to charity.     

    Don't get too excited about H & M "recycling."  There's a show on CBC called Marketplace about clothing waste, and apparently only 1 % of the donations actually get recycled.  It's mostly just a "feel good" for customers.  This show is worth watching - most clothing going to thrift stores ends up in Africa, where it's sold in street markets and the unsold stuff is just burned in landfills.  Makes you never want to shop again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 09, 2019, 02:14:02 PM
    I worked in a factory years ago and we would get barrels of rags for wiping down stuff. All just cut up clothes. Hahaha, one time a pair of men's jockey underpants were in the barrel. We all got a good laugh that day!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on July 12, 2019, 03:06:12 PM
    We're still making progress, as we will continue to do for the next two months...I have VVA scheduled to pick up again on Monday so I'll spend a lot of time this weekend clearing more stuff out. Since my last post we got rid of two large chairs; comfortable but need to be re-upholstered or have a slip cover. We've also cleaned out a bunch of junk on the side yard: broken old outdoor furniture and umbrella, large trash can and sprinkler fittings given to gardener, old materials gone from a small construction project.

    My oldest is finally feeling better (long story involving strep AND an allergic med reaction while on vacation with his dad) so he's sorting through the boxes of stuff from his room. I'm hoping for another productive weekend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 12, 2019, 05:59:43 PM
    Still making slow progress. Council cleanup is booked for the coming week...2 more mattresses and bases will get recycled, and nearly all the the remains of what was  a carport of furniture will go out. The rest has been given away, donated to the goats to climb on or smashed up and put in the skip. Deconstructed an old guinea pig cage ( about 6 foot long) that was collecting leaves on the back deck....relevant parts will go out also. Another large green garbage bag of old clothes and linen was also donated last week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 12, 2019, 06:57:49 PM
    Cleared out a desk file drawer - mostly old calendars with pretty pictures and lots of dates.  Gone to recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on July 12, 2019, 07:44:30 PM
    Some wins, some losing ground(ish)-
    -Gifted maternity clothes I didn't like/didn't fit well and some boys clothes to another expecting neighbor
    -Sold an exercise pen and dog crate we weren't using. $40!
    -We're getting a dresser for baby clothes, which will allow them to be properly stored- and as part of this, properly sorted more for quantity at various sizes.
    -Losing ground in that we're selling our truck, so everything that was in it is now inside our apartment! Went through trash immediately- old deodorant and protein bars that are better off tossed, etc. But we had a full emergency slash camping kit in there that we'll now need to either consolidate to our car, store, or pass on.  Problem with consolidation is we need room for Husband's work gear for his new job (lots more than the old one!) AND room for a stroller. Gulp. Physics, be on my side! Haha.

    Still, I think net we're moving in the right direction =) I suppose you could say going down to one car is a BIG declutter, haha! 1500lbs worth or something ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on July 13, 2019, 02:52:27 AM
    Sorted through my binder of important paperwork and pulled out about an inch-high stack of old insurance policies, out of date rego papers, etc that I no longer need to keep on file.

    I'm going to ask if there is a shredder at work (not sure what the deal is since we moved offices).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on July 13, 2019, 07:40:31 AM
    Sorted through my binder of important paperwork and pulled out about an inch-high stack of old insurance policies, out of date rego papers, etc that I no longer need to keep on file.

    I'm going to ask if there is a shredder at work (not sure what the deal is since we moved offices).

    Oh yes! This reminds me, when I was tracking down the title for our truck to sell it, I grabbed a few things that clearly could be shredded now out of the fire safe. I need to go back and slim down all our files. Hmmm, and make one for the baby while I'm at it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cannot Wait! on July 13, 2019, 08:39:54 AM
    "Quote from: slackmax on July 08, 2019, 11:23:03 AM

    My OCD thing is not wanting to throw way or donate anything 'useful'. It's emotionally easy for me to sell it, though, even at a very low price. "


    Me too! Except for me it's not OCD but MMM  ;)
    I've cured this by posting pics on fb marketplace to sell stuff as I go.  I made $45 to clean out some cupboards yesterday.  I'm going to  be home decluttering anyway - this way I feel like I'm getting paid for my time. So it's a switch from thinking that I'm selling stuff at a fraction of what I paid for it - to thinking, hey, I'm getting paid to clean out my cupboards.

    Also we have a "Really, really free market" group in our town that sets up in a park and everyone just brings stuff.  Sometimes you get to see the people who pick up your stuff and their reactions.  Gives me the warm fuzzies that I don't get from Value Village.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cannot Wait! on July 13, 2019, 08:47:35 AM
    The other thing I find very motivating is to take before and after pictures.
    And to commit to doing just 20 mins at a time.  This gets me started; most times I continue, sometimes I don't,  but those 20 min sessions add up.
    These tips come from the "Unfuck Your Habitat"website.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 13, 2019, 12:08:07 PM
    Major decluttering happening this week in the Badger household.  I had some visiting relatives with teenagers come to help me declutter attic and basement.   it was so nice to just be able to point to things and say "Donate!" "Garbage" "Recycle" and have them whisk away the boxes and bags to the appropriate location.  We did the work the morning recycling was picked up by the town, and the day before big trash day.  So they brought stuff down to the curb in time for the recycling truck; placed donate bags and boxes into my car, and left big trash by the side of the house until the evening when they carried it all down to the curb.  (We live on a big hill so doing all this myself would have been tiring.)

    I'm thrilled that my attic and eaves are completely empty now (will be replacing insulation next week).  And even the basement has been emptied a bit of stored items.

    I've been reading a really good book for me on home organization called "Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD".    It is full of specific rules for me on how much of something to keep.  The author's suggestions might not be useful for people who have the organization thing under control (like Marie Kondo fans!) but for people like me they are really useful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 13, 2019, 07:42:09 PM
    Week 3 report:

    15. Another paperback - for animal rescue garage sale.
    16. Brand new wallet - gifted to me and passed along to relative.
    17. Wrecked dog toy - garbage.
    18. Cracked plant pot - recycling.
    19. Unused frying pan - thrift store.
    20. 4 pots of flower bulbs - put on donate table at old work place.

    Still pretty easy.  More to go .......
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 13, 2019, 07:45:51 PM
    Oops, one more:

    21. 2 dead dustbusters - going to electronic recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on July 13, 2019, 10:58:44 PM
    Finally started dealing with the bag of hard drives and other electronics that's been haunting me for months. I know I want it all to go, but I have to deal with checking and wiping everything first. These are all computer backups that ran out of room. I'd just buy another bigger one and let the old one(s) collect dust. So most of them are redundant beyond the redundancy I build in with my two active hard drives. I'll never pull files off these things, and I hate using them because they require external power sources.

    Anyway, tonight I pulled out the first one to check what's on it. I was expecting to just be able to delete everything, but there are some extra files not backed up anywhere else. So I'm letting those transfer and will wipe it in the morning. I knew this would take a while, which is why I've put it off. But I didn't realize it was going to take days/weeks based on the speed of the external hard drive to external hard drive file transfer and the number of files I hoard. So I've got to just get through them one at a time.

    I know digital clutter is a problem too, but my files are well organized and I do look back through stuff a lot. My way of dealing with it is to be more selective about files I bring onto my computer. I still accumulate more, but at a much slower rate than I used to.

    I've also got an old kindle with either a dead battery or a broken charging port. I got a new one for Christmas last year and don't use the old one anymore, so I just need to wipe it and recycle. But how can you wipe a dead device that won't turn on?? I think I need to suck it up and contact Amazon help. I don't really care about the content but I don't like that it presumably has my Amazon account info on there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 13, 2019, 11:38:46 PM
    Fabric recycling at H&M has been a game changer for our clutter - husband is finding it much easier to let things go if they go to recycling. We are talking worn out stuff that charity does not want and we already have plenty of rags. Four big bundles have gone out.



    Ooh, do they take undergarments as well?  I definitely have some undies and bras that aren't wearable anymore, but I don't want to just throw them away.


    My municipal recycling place has a huge bin called 'textiles'. They take all sorts of things. Old shoes, boots, clothes, rags, hats, you name it. I asked the worker there what happened to all the stuff, and he said it gets sorted through eventually and some is thrown out, some is recycled into who knows what, and some is given to charity.     

    Don't get too excited about H & M "recycling."  There's a show on CBC called Marketplace about clothing waste, and apparently only 1 % of the donations actually get recycled.  It's mostly just a "feel good" for customers.  This show is worth watching - most clothing going to thrift stores ends up in Africa, where it's sold in street markets and the unsold stuff is just burned in landfills.  Makes you never want to shop again.

    My understanding from when I looked it up myself is that a tiny percentage actually goes for sale in charity shops /overseas and the majority goes to rags - did the source you watched say the majority was going to landfill? I'm fully intending my stuff to go for rags, it would not get as far as market stalls in Africa unless the sorter is blind, so I really hope that's not happening.

    We generally wear our clothes out beyond the charity shop stage, so the issue I was having was the husband was having trouble letting go of almost wearable clothes like work shirts where the collar has rubbed away and the cuffs have ripped. But there's a limit to how many painting shirts and rags we can get through ourselves.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on July 14, 2019, 01:14:22 AM
    We generally wear our clothes out beyond the charity shop stage, so the issue I was having was the husband was having trouble letting go of almost wearable clothes like work shirts where the collar has rubbed away and the cuffs have ripped. But there's a limit to how many painting shirts and rags we can get through ourselves.

    Shirts like that, I offer to my mum.

    She is a gifted seamstress, so she cuts them down into cute shirts for herself or dress-ups for my nephews.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 14, 2019, 01:46:23 AM
    We generally wear our clothes out beyond the charity shop stage, so the issue I was having was the husband was having trouble letting go of almost wearable clothes like work shirts where the collar has rubbed away and the cuffs have ripped. But there's a limit to how many painting shirts and rags we can get through ourselves.

    Shirts like that, I offer to my mum.

    She is a gifted seamstress, so she cuts them down into cute shirts for herself or dress-ups for my nephews.


    Also: quilts.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 14, 2019, 06:37:46 AM
    Finally started dealing with the bag of hard drives and other electronics that's been haunting me for months. I know I want it all to go, but I have to deal with checking and wiping everything first. These are all computer backups that ran out of room. I'd just buy another bigger one and let the old one(s) collect dust. So most of them are redundant beyond the redundancy I build in with my two active hard drives. I'll never pull files off these things, and I hate using them because they require external power sources.

    Anyway, tonight I pulled out the first one to check what's on it. I was expecting to just be able to delete everything, but there are some extra files not backed up anywhere else. So I'm letting those transfer and will wipe it in the morning. I knew this would take a while, which is why I've put it off. But I didn't realize it was going to take days/weeks based on the speed of the external hard drive to external hard drive file transfer and the number of files I hoard. So I've got to just get through them one at a time.

    I know digital clutter is a problem too, but my files are well organized and I do look back through stuff a lot. My way of dealing with it is to be more selective about files I bring onto my computer. I still accumulate more, but at a much slower rate than I used to.

    I've also got an old kindle with either a dead battery or a broken charging port. I got a new one for Christmas last year and don't use the old one anymore, so I just need to wipe it and recycle. But how can you wipe a dead device that won't turn on?? I think I need to suck it up and contact Amazon help. I don't really care about the content but I don't like that it presumably has my Amazon account info on there.

    Can't you just bang the heck out of the kindle with a hammer, making it unusable? Then take it to electronics recycling? It doesn't have to be functioning to be recycled, does it?     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on July 14, 2019, 09:23:07 AM
    Fabric recycling at H&M has been a game changer for our clutter - husband is finding it much easier to let things go if they go to recycling. We are talking worn out stuff that charity does not want and we already have plenty of rags. Four big bundles have gone out.



    Ooh, do they take undergarments as well?  I definitely have some undies and bras that aren't wearable anymore, but I don't want to just throw them away.


    My municipal recycling place has a huge bin called 'textiles'. They take all sorts of things. Old shoes, boots, clothes, rags, hats, you name it. I asked the worker there what happened to all the stuff, and he said it gets sorted through eventually and some is thrown out, some is recycled into who knows what, and some is given to charity.     

    Don't get too excited about H & M "recycling."  There's a show on CBC called Marketplace about clothing waste, and apparently only 1 % of the donations actually get recycled.  It's mostly just a "feel good" for customers.  This show is worth watching - most clothing going to thrift stores ends up in Africa, where it's sold in street markets and the unsold stuff is just burned in landfills.  Makes you never want to shop again.

    My understanding from when I looked it up myself is that a tiny percentage actually goes for sale in charity shops /overseas and the majority goes to rags - did the source you watched say the majority was going to landfill? I'm fully intending my stuff to go for rags, it would not get as far as market stalls in Africa unless the sorter is blind, so I really hope that's not happening.

    We generally wear our clothes out beyond the charity shop stage, so the issue I was having was the husband was having trouble letting go of almost wearable clothes like work shirts where the collar has rubbed away and the cuffs have ripped. But there's a limit to how many painting shirts and rags we can get through ourselves.

    I have the same understanding and I am personally only giving them stuff that you can’t sell in a charityshop. I have noticed the same effect with my mother. I took 4 bags of her stuff there yesterday and a couple of months of ago I took 4 bags and my sister took our old baby clothes a couple of months ago. So I think we have taken about 15 bags that would have gone to trash or been in some boxes in storage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Need2Save on July 14, 2019, 10:27:49 AM
    I've been tracking since the beginning of this year towards my goal of purging 500 items from the household for my family this year.  After a lot of momentum in the beginning of the year, it fell off after around month 4 with other priorities including a death in the family and a brief absence from work for a procedure.  But we have kept at it.  Just reached 300 items after this weekend. We took a big trip to our local bulk dump/recycling center.  Felt good to recycle a few random metal items that had been sitting in our garage waiting for such an occasion and we got rid of a used mattress which was recently replaced.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on July 14, 2019, 12:54:39 PM
    Took 3 bags to the Goodwill yesterday-clothes, CDs, DVD’s, assorted other bits & bobs. We’re having our first child in January and the house will be de-cluttered before then, come hell or high water...it’s not actually too bad, since I have a pretty strong minimalism streak, but there are areas that definitely need work. Some are entirely my husband’s, so I’ve given him a deadline to get those spots done by Christmas, and I’m trying to put together a list of the other areas so we can begin checking them off. Some of this is just crap that the previous home owner left behind, so no emotional attachment, just lack of prioritization. Wish me luck!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cannot Wait! on July 14, 2019, 09:44:11 PM
    Good luck!

    Today I went to attack my shed but basically walked back out again because it was too hot, I could work on something else, I didn’t feel like doing it, blah,  blah, blah.
    Then I laughed at myself as I realized that I was NEVER going to FEEL like doing it.  So I stepped back in and got 'er done!  I am so proud of myself.  There was crap in there from my ex husband who left in 2007!

    One of my problems is that I am a sucker for free stuff.  I'm trying to internalize that just cuz it didn't cost me anything, doesn't mean it's free....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on July 15, 2019, 10:25:48 AM
    We had another hugely productive weekend cleaning out stuff. Our pile for VVA today was so big that we actually put some of it back in the garage for next time because we were clearly over the allotted donation size I'd specified. I really hope they take everything that's out there. I'll set up another pick up date for next week, again.

    This weekend we cleaned out:
    -6 drawers by the garage...they're not entirely empty, but I made a good first pass
    -upstairs hall closet: 1 large box for VVA, some trash and recycling, and packed a box of stuff we'll keep
    -my 18 year old's room: worked with him to sort everything (take to college, keep, get rid of) and then boxed up accordingly
    -my husband cleaned out most of his tool chest to make sure he's only moving what he wants to keep
    -all the corners of our giant master walk in closet; so much random stuff everywhere
    -downstairs bathroom drawers and cabinet under sink: got rid of old sunscreens, old first aid kit stuff
    -another pass through the pantry
    -the top two shelves in the entire kitchen: several things out to donate!
    -laundry room cupboards and shelves: not done, but I did finally recycle almost all of my old college notebooks. Seriously pared down our spare linens.
    -my husband and I both thinned out our sock and underwear drawers. He also got rid of all the shorts he doesn't wear, and so many old white(ish) t-shirts
    -china cabinet drawers and storage: got rid of excess table linen. I donated 58 cloth napkins. Everyone buys them for me; I only kept what I liked. Seriously, mom, I'm glad you're on board, but I don't need more every time I see you (got another 12 from her at Christmas last year!). Also pulled out a large wood bowl we don't use, and placemats
    -storage closet by kitchen: got rid of old water bottles, sorted through old kid stuff (old slime...yay).
    -upper two shelves in four cabinets by garage cleared out: mostly recycle, e-waste, donate. Very little keep in that pile.

    I know there was more. It was a very productive weekend, but I'm exhausted.

    I don't see how we can possibly still have so much left to do, but there is still plenty left. We went to our friends' house last night and my husband said it's actually freeing to downsize by so much because you HAVE to be ruthless and not keep everything "just in case" which is what he usually does. I knew I felt that way, but I was glad to hear he did too! He's always been the "keep just in case" one, so I'm glad he's coming around.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on July 15, 2019, 10:36:06 AM
    3 boxes of random stuff out of the house.
    Also I bought new ottomans and the old ones were picked up by someone from BNP within an hour. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on July 15, 2019, 11:37:13 AM
    Can't you just bang the heck out of the kindle with a hammer, making it unusable? Then take it to electronics recycling? It doesn't have to be functioning to be recycled, does it?     

    I may give that a shot if Amazon can't help me. I'm waiting another few days until the Amazon strike is over, and then I'll see what they say.

    At least all the hard drives are empty and ready for recycling now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on July 16, 2019, 08:53:58 AM
    I have been off the decluttering train for a while, my mental capacity was busy dealing with other things (job loss, husband suddenly thinking he may want a divorce). Things are now better (communication w/DH making him want to work on marriage) but kids are home from school, we have been travelling, and husband is either at work and/or travelling, so I never had time and energy at the same time.

    In the last few days I have been planning and starting out a project of clearing out the laundry room, where I have kept A LOT of stuff that should leave the house, only it has been mixed together. There is recycle/trash/give away/charity and a small amount of sell, mainly bigger toys where the kids get a couple of dollars. I have almost given up on selling, it is not worth my time and effort. I only sell if I can get more than $10 on the local FaceBook group and I normally price very low.

    Today both kids spent several hours with friends so I had the place to myself. I went through several bags and boxes and got almost all the stuff from laundry room sorted. Kids are now back, with their friends, so those parents can go 1) grocery shopping and 2) to hardware store w/o their kids :-). So I now have four boys here, refusing them to use computer so I will join them to the football field shortly. But first I will load some bags into the car so we can drop off tomorrow morning as we leave the house.

    Also, as the other parents came to drop off the kids, I managed to give away one set of rain gear for a younger sibling and a large noisy toy my kids have said they wanted to sell. The parents were really happy to receive but I was happier to give :-D.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 17, 2019, 07:46:02 AM
    Decluttering is now interfacing with home repairing. I have to move lots of clutter away from a corner on 2 floors, in order to allow space for a contractor to work on a leaking french door. But... I guess I can put off the repair for a while longer without further damage.

    I've had 2 years to declutter, since my hoarder girlfriend departed this planet,  and I've made great progress (pat on the back) but the place stills looks like an episode from Hoarders. There's just soooo muuuuuch stuff.... I estimate I'm half done at this point. At least 1,000 pounds of paper clutter recycled. Hundreds of knick-knacky things donated to Goodwill.   

    I'm currently working in the living room, clearing out that corner. I'm just relocating the clutter to the other side of the room. But I'm finding stuff I can sell also, and putting it aside for my weekly yard sale. Also found some old financial records that I have to look through, and then probably recycle it all.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 17, 2019, 02:43:36 PM
    Decluttering is now interfacing with home repairing. I have to move lots of clutter away from a corner on 2 floors, in order to allow space for a contractor to work on a leaking french door. But... I guess I can put off the repair for a while longer without further damage.

    I've had 2 years to declutter, since my hoarder girlfriend departed this planet,  and I've made great progress (pat on the back) but the place stills looks like an episode from Hoarders. There's just soooo muuuuuch stuff.... I estimate I'm half done at this point. At least 1,000 pounds of paper clutter recycled. Hundreds of knick-knacky things donated to Goodwill.   

    I'm currently working in the living room, clearing out that corner. I'm just relocating the clutter to the other side of the room. But I'm finding stuff I can sell also, and putting it aside for my weekly yard sale. Also found some old financial records that I have to look through, and then probably recycle it all.

    No, you can't put it off. Get the leaky doors fixed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 17, 2019, 06:04:38 PM
    Decluttering is now interfacing with home repairing. I have to move lots of clutter away from a corner on 2 floors, in order to allow space for a contractor to work on a leaking french door. But... I guess I can put off the repair for a while longer without further damage.

    I've had 2 years to declutter, since my hoarder girlfriend departed this planet,  and I've made great progress (pat on the back) but the place stills looks like an episode from Hoarders. There's just soooo muuuuuch stuff.... I estimate I'm half done at this point. At least 1,000 pounds of paper clutter recycled. Hundreds of knick-knacky things donated to Goodwill.   

    I'm currently working in the living room, clearing out that corner. I'm just relocating the clutter to the other side of the room. But I'm finding stuff I can sell also, and putting it aside for my weekly yard sale. Also found some old financial records that I have to look through, and then probably recycle it all.

    No, you can't put it off. Get the leaky doors fixed.
    Yeah.  The main key to keeping a house in good condition is keeping water where it should be.  Fix the damn doors.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 18, 2019, 03:45:32 PM
    Good going Slackmax!  Keep at it-there will be an end to it.  Just be careful that your weekly sales aren’t flagged as a business.  Where I live, we’re only allowed 2 per year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 18, 2019, 04:19:41 PM
    Another carload of stuff donated.  The end is in sight.

    Although as I unpack from the move, I am sure there will be many "Why did I keep this?'" moments.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 18, 2019, 04:20:10 PM
    Success! We can now get a car into the carport :). Nearly all of the old furniture in there has been given away, or this last week the remainder has gone on a council cleanup. A lot of this is from my deceased parents house. @slackmax : we removed >500kg (1100lbs) of paper from their house, so I know how that feels!

    I am collecting up a pile of animal cages/bowls etc to donate to RSPCA at some point, as we now only have 1 guinea pig left, but not done sorting yet. And I have a  box of bric a brac slowly filling, also for donation. Not done yet, but progress is being made.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on July 19, 2019, 02:14:21 AM
    We just moved to a new apartment and the previous tenant left a lot of stuff that they thought we could use. We’ve found two things whose purpose we can’t identify. We spent the afternoon sorting through kitchen paraphernalia. My Chinese friend started laughing when I showed her the garlic press, whose sole purpose is to mince garlic and release juices by smashing it. Her comment was, “Why can’t you just flatten the garlic with a knife and then mince?” She also laughed at the lemon/orange juice squeezed, the egg separator, the egg slicer, and apple corer, the pineapple peeler, the ice cream scoop, the pizza slicer, and the rectangular griddle for making pancakes.

    We cleared out a giant ikea bag of kitchenware which will be donated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 19, 2019, 06:34:15 AM
    Success! We can now get a car into the carport :).

    Congrats! That's a monumental achievement!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 19, 2019, 06:44:23 AM
    I have been spending this heat wave staying inside my house (I'm a teacher on summer break) and decluttering.

    Yesterday was the hardest ever.  I'm going through two boxes of personal mementos, letters, photos and items from high school and college days (some elementary school too!) .  I have lugged these mementos through over 12 moves, never going through them but also never weeding them out!

    It is so emotional to go through them now (at almost age 52).  Young people, don't put off this task as I have done!   

    I have letters high school friends wrote me the year I was an exchange student; letters and cards from old boyfriends; letters my family sent me when I was living away from home.  So hard to just recycle without rereading but everything is in cramped, faded cursive and so wordy!  How did we have time to write such long missives back then?  (I know, we weren't emailing, texting and binge watching on Netflix.)

    I can't throw much of it out but I did a rough sort yesterday and am going to try a more massive purge today.  Some easy rules to help me:

    - toss all birthday cards
    - toss all postcards.  All of them.
    - toss all letters written by people I can't remember
    - toss any letter that doesn't remind me of something happy (so, the bad break up boyfriend letters -- toss them.)
    - toss any memento that is broken or stained
    - toss any recipes
    - toss old report cards from grade school and high school
    - toss awards from elementary and middle school


    -keep anything written by a family member to me or anything I wrote to a family member (but not birthday cards)
    - keep letters from old boyfriends that made me happy
    - keep all photos for a later sorting day
    - keep any saved schoolwork that makes me happy to look at it
    - keep awards I earned high school +
    - keep religious documents and mementos

    Hoping to get two large boxes down to one organized half a box through this hard work today
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 19, 2019, 11:39:36 AM
    Here's another way that I moved away from clutter and toward minimalism (which was HARD, btw).  Instead of looking at each item and deciding if I wanted it or not (which just got me bogged down half the time), I changed my approach to asking this question:

    "If I were starting out from scratch, TODAY, what would I actually use or want to own".

    This is a subtle shift away from the idea of "what can I get rid of" and toward "what do I want to keep". 

    Once you know the things you want to keep, it's a lot, lot, lot easier to get rid of the things that you don't.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 19, 2019, 12:01:52 PM
    @tyort1  that's a great way of looking at things.

    I'm wondering, do you find you want to keep any old letters or cards?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 19, 2019, 12:25:14 PM
    I do this too tyort1! It's especially helpful in evaluating my (large) book collection.

    CrustyBadger, I do keep all my old letters and cards (and I do read through them periodically, actually). They make me really happy to look at/through them. That being said, I don't have anything in the breakup letters/schoolwork category.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 19, 2019, 12:30:30 PM
    @tyort1  that's a great way of looking at things.

    I'm wondering, do you find you want to keep any old letters or cards?

    Let me answer in a bit of a roundabout way, as for me it wasn't an immediate (or obvious answer).  But I promise there'll be a payoff :) 

    I'm recently divorced.  When I first got married, my wife and I bought/acquired really nice things.  A lot, lot, lot of nice things.  To the point that things were fairly cluttered. 

    At a certain point I became uncomfortable with all the clutter, all the time, in all areas of our lives.  So I made efforts to pare down, but these efforts were strenuously resisted by my then-wife. 

    I didn't understand it at the time but I do now.  For me, I only wanted to keep the things that were "the most" beautiful and/or functional.  She wanted to keep everything.  Because we "might need it again some day", but also there were memories associated with a lot of it.  So it wasn't just "we don't need 3 nice knife sets", but rather "oh, remember when we were in Germany with my mom and we got this?" 

    So after the divorce I still had a fair bit of clutter that I needed to deal with, even though she took like 4/5ths of the furniture and stuff to her new house.  So I went through and ruthlessly pared down to only the most essential things and the most beautiful things.  I started this during the separation.  For example, we had 5 really nice table lamps, but one of them was clearly nicer than the others.  So I kept the single lamp that was the nicest. 

    Here's what happened - the impact of the single awesome lamp was actually increased because it didn't have all the other "sort of nice" lamps taking away from it's awesomeness.  It stood out even more BECAUSE it was alone. 

    So the moral for me - even if you have lots of nice things, the beauty/impact of them is hugely impaired when you have too many of them.  Thus, I keep ONLY the very, very, very NICEST things and get rid of all the other stuff that's merely "good".

    Now, to bring this back to cards and papers - I take the same approach.  I only want to keep the things that have the MOST impact, and bring me the MOST happiness.  IME, those things are actually pretty easy for me to identify!  So I sort those out of the pile first and put them in the "You won't even get this out of my cold, dead hands" box.  Those things are the things I cherish the most and they are sacred. 

    The other stuff that makes me "sort of" happy, I toss all that.  Because I don't want the "pretty good" memories to take up any of my headspace and thus distract me from the "super awesome" stuff that I really cherish. 

    Sorry for the longwinded answer, but I hope that helps!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 19, 2019, 02:38:16 PM
    It does help!  It might help me finish off this pile of letters I'm sorting through right now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 20, 2019, 06:15:48 AM
    Off to the tip today with a load of scrap metal, recycled for free. And another 200kg of random rubbish, some our own and some picked up from around the property.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 20, 2019, 07:33:50 AM
    Good going Slackmax!  Keep at it-there will be an end to it.  Just be careful that your weekly sales aren’t flagged as a business.  Where I live, we’re only allowed 2 per year.
    Thanks for the warning, SunnyDays. I'm not selling in my driveway, I'm selling out of a parking lot next to an antique store, alongside other vendors, and I pay $10 per day per table. So far no Federales!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 20, 2019, 07:54:19 AM
    I had been trying to sell a cute set of wooden toy soldiers that I thought for sure someone would buy at my rummage sales for a cheap price, but after 4 rummage sales and the thing still not sold, I ruthlessly tossed it into the garbage! Not even taking it to Goodwill. 

    Also culled out 2 big books no one wants to buy, even for just 50 cents apiece, and they are going to the library as donations today.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 21, 2019, 09:41:41 AM
    Now, to bring this back to cards and papers - I take the same approach.  I only want to keep the things that have the MOST impact, and bring me the MOST happiness.  IME, those things are actually pretty easy for me to identify!  So I sort those out of the pile first and put them in the "You won't even get this out of my cold, dead hands" box.  Those things are the things I cherish the most and they are sacred.

    So having spent much of two days sorting through these boxes I have carried with me from home to home over the course of 30 years of adulthood -- it turns out almost NONE of it brings me happiness to look at or have.  Really, why have I been hanging on to these things for so very long??
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 21, 2019, 03:14:46 PM
    Now, to bring this back to cards and papers - I take the same approach.  I only want to keep the things that have the MOST impact, and bring me the MOST happiness.  IME, those things are actually pretty easy for me to identify!  So I sort those out of the pile first and put them in the "You won't even get this out of my cold, dead hands" box.  Those things are the things I cherish the most and they are sacred.

    So having spent much of two days sorting through these boxes I have carried with me from home to home over the course of 30 years of adulthood -- it turns out almost NONE of it brings me happiness to look at or have.  Really, why have I been hanging on to these things for so very long??

    YES!!  And once you realize the truth of that with one category of things, it's so much easier to carry that approach over to everything.

    Here's another cool thing I find about this approach - it shifts your mentality away from "what do I want to get out of my life" and more toward "what do I want to keep in my life".  And that's a beautiful thing. 

    I really love this idea that you can curate your life.  Not just your physical living space, but also your memories and relationships.  Keep the best, toss the rest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 21, 2019, 03:23:31 PM
    Here's another cool thing I find about this approach - it shifts your mentality away from "what do I want to get out of my life" and more toward "what do I want to keep in my life".  And that's a beautiful thing. 

    I really love this idea that you can curate your life.  Not just your physical living space, but also your memories and relationships.  Keep the best, toss the rest.

    Downsizing really forces this on you.  It is not a question of what to get rid of, it is a question of limited space and what is worth keeping?  And once you have sorted through the clothes and the furniture and kitchen stuff and hobby stuff and office stuff, your curating mental muscles are well developed and the sentimental stuff is (relatively) easy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cannot Wait! on July 21, 2019, 07:37:55 PM
    I just watched a Nate Berkus Show on exactly this.  Move Out to Move In.  (Of course I can't find it again now...)  but he had "Laurie " put everything in boxes labeled "New Laurie" or  "Old Laurie".  They moved everything out and only the "New Laurie" boxes were allowed back in. Transformative!  She was also told to pick ONE trophy to represent all her trophies, etc. Inspiring.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 21, 2019, 08:17:54 PM
    Week 4 report:

    22. Ratty rattan (hah!) end table - going to thrift store although they may just throw it out.  Worth a try.  After tons of garage sales, I’ve learned not to predict what people will buy.
    23. Jigsaw puzzle - thrift store
    24. Decorative palm fronds - thrift store
    25. Almost new makeup items - thrift store.  Believe it or not, they sell it.
    26. Spray can of acrylic fixative - giving to artist relative
    27. Box of melamine shelf remnants.  Trying to decide what to do with them.  You know, they “might be useful” to someone.
    28. Box of branches - city compost. (This counts, right?)

    Still not hard.  What have I been keeping all this junk for?
     
    Not everything has left the house yet.  Putting it all in category piles to make the trips worth it.  This coming week should see couple of piles go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 21, 2019, 10:20:23 PM
    Sunny Days - do you have somewhere like a fb freebies group where you can list things for free? I'd put the offcuts and anything you're not sure about on there. And if there's no takers, it's destined for the bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on July 22, 2019, 06:13:51 AM
    Cleared out a bunch of pots and pans this weekend.  I still have a few more than I really need/want, but want to go through one Thanksgiving before I fully commit to culling anymore out. 

    That one was kind of tough because a lot of them were my grandmother's.  I don't know if I've mentioned this, but when I moved into my house, it was already fully furnished with my grandparents' stuff.  So, for the longest time there was stuff tucked back in closets and cabinets that I just kind of ignored.  Some of it was stuff that I thought was kind of cool, but I finally faced up to the fact that I was never going to use an egg poaching pan from the 60s. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on July 22, 2019, 06:45:25 AM
    I'm trying to go through my packets of photographs that are scattered in different boxes in my basement.  I don't want to get rid of ALL of them, but so many are from rolls of film I shot in HS, then didn't get developed for months/years, and a lot of the pictures are washed out or dark or of people I don't know (or of ex boyfriends, ha). 

    The last few posts about getting rid of sentimental things have actually been really helpful.  I only went through one box last night, but I was far more effective at getting rid of pictures than I have been in past moves.  Usually I just look through them and reminisce and put them all back :)

    Two (three?) more boxes to go, then I'm moving on to photo albums!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 22, 2019, 06:47:03 AM
    Sugaree, moving into to somewhere that already is filled with other people's things sounds really hard.

    Yesterday I went through shoes and sheets. Shoes went very well, I'm down quite a few pairs but I only managed to remove two pillowcases.

    Today I spontaneously had a go at my bottom drawer, the one with my rarely used stuff like hairdryer, straightener, jewellery. Well due to Sydney humidity a lot of it is in a bad way - mould made it easy to throw out a couple of travel wash bags I was keeping just in case and it compounded my desire to be super minimalist.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 22, 2019, 06:59:34 AM
    I'm trying to go through my packets of photographs that are scattered in different boxes in my basement. 

    Oh you reminded me - I looked up bulk photo scanning and it's not cheap where I am but I might do it and then get rid of a few albums. I never look at them, I'll probably find when I do that I don't want scans either! I thought I'd also get my husband's scanned and then box them nicely so they can be viewed. He insists on keeping them yet they are just sitting in the envelopes from the developers in a never opened box.

    This is all pics from pre-2003 - thank goodness for digital cameras for us non-gifted photographers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on July 22, 2019, 07:23:45 AM
    Sugaree, moving into to somewhere that already is filled with other people's things sounds really hard.


    At the time, it wasn't that bad.  I grew up next door to my grandparents, so this was not like moving into a stranger's house.  Also, when I left my first husband, I left behind basically everything except my clothes, my laptop, and my cat.  So moving into a furnished house really was a blessing even if my grandparents kept EVERYTHING (I'd say a depression era habit, but they both say that they grew up so poor that the depression really didn't make much of a difference in their life).  Ten years on, and we've gotten a decent idea what we use and what we don't.  Everything that was "valuable" (tv, jewelry, guns, etc.) was parted out to family members (though I may or may not have moved her cast iron skillets out of the house when an opportunistic uncle came sniffing around). 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 22, 2019, 02:22:15 PM
    Fresh Bread - I’m not on Facebook, but I’ve decided to just put them at the curb and hope they disappear.

    Also, you can just take pictures of the pictures and then it’s all digital for free!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on July 22, 2019, 03:47:14 PM
    Here's another cool thing I find about this approach - it shifts your mentality away from "what do I want to get out of my life" and more toward "what do I want to keep in my life".  And that's a beautiful thing. 

    I really love this idea that you can curate your life.  Not just your physical living space, but also your memories and relationships.  Keep the best, toss the rest.

    Downsizing really forces this on you.  It is not a question of what to get rid of, it is a question of limited space and what is worth keeping?  And once you have sorted through the clothes and the furniture and kitchen stuff and hobby stuff and office stuff, your curating mental muscles are well developed and the sentimental stuff is (relatively) easy.

    This is exactly how we're approaching things with our upcoming move. If I have to ask whether I should keep something or not, out it goes. There is just not enough room to keep things that aren't a definite yes.

    We had open houses this past weekend so I haven't gotten much getting rid of stuff done since I had to keep the house pristine. I did spend a few hours Saturday morning working on the laundry room shelves though and did another pass through the pantry last week. We leave tomorrow for vacation and then it will be back to frantic packing and clearing out of stuff next week. I'm really looking forward to the break. It isn't even just the physical effort and time at this point, but the emotional effort. I don't want to make one more decision for a bit!! It is a LOT of decisions when you're going through all the stuff...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 22, 2019, 04:34:19 PM
    The emotional effort is definitely a thing.  I just dropped off a carload of donations, couldn't even get everything in the car.  More will go out in a few days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 23, 2019, 05:34:11 AM
    Here's another cool thing I find about this approach - it shifts your mentality away from "what do I want to get out of my life" and more toward "what do I want to keep in my life".  And that's a beautiful thing. 

    I really love this idea that you can curate your life.  Not just your physical living space, but also your memories and relationships.  Keep the best, toss the rest.

    Downsizing really forces this on you.  It is not a question of what to get rid of, it is a question of limited space and what is worth keeping?  And once you have sorted through the clothes and the furniture and kitchen stuff and hobby stuff and office stuff, your curating mental muscles are well developed and the sentimental stuff is (relatively) easy.

    This is exactly how we're approaching things with our upcoming move. If I have to ask whether I should keep something or not, out it goes. There is just not enough room to keep things that aren't a definite yes.

    ......   (snip)   .....   I'm really looking forward to the break. It isn't even just the physical effort and time at this point, but the emotional effort. I don't want to make one more decision for a bit!! It is a LOT of decisions when you're going through all the stuff...

    +1 to the decisions being tiring. Each item is another decision for me. Even if I decide to keep it, I have to decide where to move it in the house.

    When I was decluttering my parents' house my motto was "When in doubt, toss it out". lol.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 23, 2019, 08:34:19 AM
    On two separate occasions my sister and I both showed up at parent's house for a few days. We went through ALL the Christmas, books, and china boxes over about 3 days (a year apart). Probably 40 or so boxes in total. By the time dinner came around, everyone was tired, hot, dirty, and incredibly crabby. Someone ordered pizza, everyone took showers, and then we all avoided the rest. The emotional management was at least 60% of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 23, 2019, 09:31:56 AM
    Reorganised my kitchen a bit: it looks a lot tidier because stuff I don't use much is out of the way and stuff I use a lot is easily to hand.  The food cupboard yielded up a jar of honey and a jar of chutney that I won't get to any time soon: they have gone to a friend who came by with a trug of fresh produce from her garden.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 23, 2019, 10:23:39 AM
    I just found out that I have to move by the end of September (current rental needs foundation retrofittals, which can't be done while the place is occupied).

    I anticipate a sudden influx of decluttering...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on July 23, 2019, 11:04:43 AM
    Well, decluttering for me and for a friend.  Friend's husband just died of brain cancer and seemed to be a professional collector.  Hundreds of event t shirts and hats.  But also a dozen or more guitars.  I'm a guitar player and live in a much more populated area, so am craigslisting these for her.  My wife has helped her a lot with sorting, throwing out and taking stuff to either donate or sell off.  Just emphasizes to get rid of crap before you die and leave the work to someone else.

    For myself, just craigslisted off a couple maple bar stools that my mom gave us and my wife told me 3 years ago that we'd use them.  Well, ok, if use them means collecting cob webs in the basement.  Nobody will miss them and I collected a cool five bucks.  :D  Craigslist.....it's like a dumpster that hands you money.  I have a couple wedding presents to sell off next.  They've been in storage in attics since we were married in 1986.  Think we'll use them?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Logans on July 23, 2019, 01:15:09 PM
    I just watched a Nate Berkus Show on exactly this.  Move Out to Move In.  (Of course I can't find it again now...)  but he had "Laurie " put everything in boxes labeled "New Laurie" or  "Old Laurie".  They moved everything out and only the "New Laurie" boxes were allowed back in. Transformative!  She was also told to pick ONE trophy to represent all her trophies, etc. Inspiring.

    Love the idea!!! Thanks for sharing!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 24, 2019, 02:49:44 PM
    I had been saving an old rickety set of shelves and a small wooden lecturn, to try to sell at the rummage sale, but got tired of looking at them, and drove them both down to Goodwill and jettisoned the space-wasting ****suckers. I am just sooooooooo sick of this ****.     :)   

    Tore into the basement hoard today. Yes, the sacred basement hoard!  Moved some of it into the car for Friday's rummage event. Moved some into the toss-out pile. Why is this so hard? 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 24, 2019, 02:54:03 PM
    The basement is my next area to venture into.  I don't know why it is so hard.  So many years of accumulated items - no matter how much I get rid of it seems there is always more!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 24, 2019, 04:52:13 PM
    I've used up half of my ridiculous stock of lentils.

    It's the little declutterings that bring so much satisfaction, sometimes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 24, 2019, 05:01:05 PM
    My subconscious seems to have decided it's time to kick this back upstairs- all my dreams last night were about moving and having to frantically declutter/discard 90% of what I owned. I just wanted to burn everything so I didn't have to think about it
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 24, 2019, 07:32:29 PM
    I am working in a disaster zone - all the basement storage is out and stashed around my office, the porch and even under plastic outside while insulated walls are going up in that end of the basement.  Our house is U-shaped so this part of the basement has a lot of exterior walls that were lined with stuff in bins or on shelves or in cabinets.  I was not able to fully review all the stuff as it was coming out of the storage, now it is piled around my work space and it is driving me nuts.  I am not going to let it just all get put back though - so I am going to live with it for a while until the walls are done and only the stuff we actually use is going back in there. 

    The Hubs made a comment about building more shelving once the walls are done and I asked him if it wouldn't be better to have less stuff?  It is so open and spacious now without all the junk in there. He commented about how some of the stuff was boxes he packed up from our old house that was in the basement there.  We moved here in 2010.  Gwack I wish I wasn't working so much right now - I would be pulling open those dusty / moldy gross boxes and tossing stuff in the right location to leave us forever.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on July 24, 2019, 07:56:47 PM
    I am working in a disaster zone - all the basement storage is out and stashed around my office, the porch and even under plastic outside while insulated walls are going up in that end of the basement.  Our house is U-shaped so this part of the basement has a lot of exterior walls that were lined with stuff in bins or on shelves or in cabinets.  I was not able to fully review all the stuff as it was coming out of the storage, now it is piled around my work space and it is driving me nuts.  I am not going to let it just all get put back though - so I am going to live with it for a while until the walls are done and only the stuff we actually use is going back in there. 

    The Hubs made a comment about building more shelving once the walls are done and I asked him if it wouldn't be better to have less stuff?  It is so open and spacious now without all the junk in there. He commented about how some of the stuff was boxes he packed up from our old house that was in the basement there.  We moved here in 2010.  Gwack I wish I wasn't working so much right now - I would be pulling open those dusty / moldy gross boxes and tossing stuff in the right location to leave us forever.

    If the boxes were moved from another place to here, and haven't been opened since 2010, is it worth opening them at all?  They obviously don't have anything of use in them, or you would be using it, and if it is of value, sentimental or otherwise, then you would know.  I would be voting to toss them straight into a skip bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 24, 2019, 10:45:54 PM
    Three books and some comics in the to-go pile. \o/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 25, 2019, 08:23:23 AM
    I am working in a disaster zone - all the basement storage is out and stashed around my office, the porch and even under plastic outside while insulated walls are going up in that end of the basement.  Our house is U-shaped so this part of the basement has a lot of exterior walls that were lined with stuff in bins or on shelves or in cabinets.  I was not able to fully review all the stuff as it was coming out of the storage, now it is piled around my work space and it is driving me nuts.  I am not going to let it just all get put back though - so I am going to live with it for a while until the walls are done and only the stuff we actually use is going back in there. 

    The Hubs made a comment about building more shelving once the walls are done and I asked him if it wouldn't be better to have less stuff?  It is so open and spacious now without all the junk in there. He commented about how some of the stuff was boxes he packed up from our old house that was in the basement there.  We moved here in 2010.  Gwack I wish I wasn't working so much right now - I would be pulling open those dusty / moldy gross boxes and tossing stuff in the right location to leave us forever.

    If the boxes were moved from another place to here, and haven't been opened since 2010, is it worth opening them at all?  They obviously don't have anything of use in them, or you would be using it, and if it is of value, sentimental or otherwise, then you would know.  I would be voting to toss them straight into a skip bin.

    Seconded. Clearly, you don't need them. And if it's moldy, sorry - but that probably has to be tossed regardless.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 25, 2019, 09:02:49 AM
    I am working in a disaster zone - all the basement storage is out and stashed around my office, the porch and even under plastic outside while insulated walls are going up in that end of the basement.  Our house is U-shaped so this part of the basement has a lot of exterior walls that were lined with stuff in bins or on shelves or in cabinets.  I was not able to fully review all the stuff as it was coming out of the storage, now it is piled around my work space and it is driving me nuts.  I am not going to let it just all get put back though - so I am going to live with it for a while until the walls are done and only the stuff we actually use is going back in there. 

    The Hubs made a comment about building more shelving once the walls are done and I asked him if it wouldn't be better to have less stuff?  It is so open and spacious now without all the junk in there. He commented about how some of the stuff was boxes he packed up from our old house that was in the basement there.  We moved here in 2010.  Gwack I wish I wasn't working so much right now - I would be pulling open those dusty / moldy gross boxes and tossing stuff in the right location to leave us forever.

    If the boxes were moved from another place to here, and haven't been opened since 2010, is it worth opening them at all?  They obviously don't have anything of use in them, or you would be using it, and if it is of value, sentimental or otherwise, then you would know.  I would be voting to toss them straight into a skip bin.

    Seconded. Clearly, you don't need them. And if it's moldy, sorry - but that probably has to be tossed regardless.
    This is the area that gets complicated - the stuff is my husband's stuff.  If it was mine - then it would be gone already.  I can't throw his stuff out.  I am hoping I can go through it all just to see what it is. I will test the waters. He got really upset when I didn't realized how important some of the 'junk' was to him when we moved the second time.  Then we got this little dynamic going where he hoarded stuff just because he needed to have a hoard.  A couple of years ago he threw out a bunch of notes from university (twenty years after)  Then about two years ago, when his parents went from 2800 square feet with two car garage and full basement and a shed to a 1400 square foot condo with only a small locker of storage, and all his stuff came to our house, he threw away boxes and boxes of stuff.  It was incredible.  Hopefully he is ready to open all his remaining stashes and make this decision for himself. 

    All the kids stuff will be sorted through a second time and I will be asking them what we must keep. 
    All my stuff will also get a very careful going through. 
    But Hubs stuff is his stuff.  I will just be asking questions and making sure all the moldy dusty card board is out of the house.  If he wants to repack crap into plastic bins and dust them, I have to live with that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 27, 2019, 05:02:06 AM
    I had been saving an old rickety set of shelves and a small wooden lecturn, to try to sell at the rummage sale, but got tired of looking at them, and drove them both down to Goodwill and jettisoned the space-wasting ****suckers. I am just sooooooooo sick of this ****.     :)   

    Tore into the basement hoard today. Yes, the sacred basement hoard!  Moved some of it into the car for Friday's rummage event. Moved some into the toss-out pile. Why is this so hard?

    Made morale-boosting progress in the basement. Got rid of BIG junk, like an old oxidized chaise lounge.  And a big plastic kids easel. I recycled the aluminum  chaise lounge at the recyc place, and donated the easel to Goodwill.

    Tossed some other BIG stuff into garbage like old picture frame with broken glass.

    Will go through my rummage sale stock and recycle/donate/jettison lots (I  hope)
    of stuff today, that hasn't sold. 

    It's so good to have enough room in the basement now to easily move around!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 27, 2019, 09:59:11 AM
    I'm pretty minimal at this point, but I continue to be pretty ruthless about stuff.  My ex-wife left a ton of unfinished projects around the house.  Like, our garden level finished basement only being half-painted and then abandoned (mostly because her junk grew up around all the walls), so I re-painted all that myself and made it look really nice.  Same with our entry way - it was a hodgepodge of different colors along with holes left over from a previous alarm system.  Filled all that in, and painted it a sunflower yellow, as that's the darkest area of the house & needed some brightening. 

    Same with stuff outside - there was just projects she started and simply abandoned.  So there's metal dividers sitting on the back porch that's supposed to get planted in the front that just sat there for the last 9 months.  Or, even better we have a concrete sidewalk out back that she got flagstones to replace the concrete with so it'd be a nice walkway.  That crap has sat there, half done for 2 years.   Grr.  So as of today, that's being properly installed by professionals.  Yeah, it cost me some $$ but it's worth it not to have a half beaten up concrete sidewalk and a massive number of flagstones just piled up randomly. 

    Anyway, this is actually the nice part about having already done the decluttering in the rest of the house - it gives me energy to tackle other stuff that otherwise would never have gotten done. 

    I forget where I first heard it, but someone once told me about "The strategic value of clear space", I didn't understand it at the time but I do now.  Getting to this point is freaking awesome.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on July 27, 2019, 03:03:13 PM
    Plugged my old kindle in one last time as a last ditch effort, and this time the charging light came on, but the low battery screen never disappeared. In my desire not to deal with Amazon support, I googled kindles that won't turn on and came upon a hard reset from holding down the sleep/wake button for 30 seconds. Well, that did the trick. Now I feel silly for not trying that sooner. But now the kindle has been fully charged and wiped, and I've signed up to trade it back into Amazon for a $15 credit. Definitely better than the zero dollars I thought I was going to get for a dead device.

    All the rest of my hard drives have been wiped, too. Now I just have to find a time to get to Best Buy to hand them in for recycling. Not worth trying to sell them now that one can get better new drives for cheap.

    Plus, we've got two more small bags full of random items that have accumulated over the last few months.

    I am really feeling the results of all this effort. Small decluttering tasks like this come up every once in a while, but I spend most of my time tidying and cleaning the apartment rather than decluttering. We still have more stuff than I'd like, but it feels much more manageable and livable now.
    Title: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on July 27, 2019, 05:30:38 PM
    “The strategic value of clear space”

    Brilliant
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on July 27, 2019, 10:34:52 PM
    Went through all toiletries in my bathroom. Threw away expired stuff and some half empty lotion that I was never going to finish. I use a monthly pill box- filled that and can see what pills I need to get refilled in the future. Had a huge stash of Korean facial masks that were a gift that I will never use- off to the giveaway box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on July 28, 2019, 06:11:19 PM
    Listed a top on eBay and gave a dress to my mum.

    I also got her to hem a pair of suit pants that I've shrunk out of so they are in good enough condition to donate to charity (the hems were slightly worn in a couple of places but they're in otherwise good condition).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cannot Wait! on July 28, 2019, 07:17:09 PM
    Well...I DID IT! I have gone through every box, shelf, dresser and cupboard in my apartment.  As well as the storage room and shed.  Today was the last box.  THEE BOX that I had been dreading, thee box that I glossed over or never quite got to.  Done!  It was HARD.  So freakin hard.
    My god it feels good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 28, 2019, 07:22:55 PM
    Well...I DID IT! I have gone through every box, shelf, dresser and cupboard in my apartment.  As well as the storage room and shed.  Today was the last box.  THEE BOX that I had been dreading, thee box that I glossed over or never quite got to.  Done!  It was HARD.  So freakin hard.
    My god it feels good.

    WHOOO!!!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 28, 2019, 07:45:22 PM
    Took a bag and some tops to the Vinnies yesterday. I've been trying to make myself love them for several months and I don't so off they go. I also went through my bags and they are now all stored in a way that won't disfigure them PLUS they fit in the space allocated to them. My next mission is to be better about taking my bag UPSTAIRS when I get home and emptying it and putting it AWAY so I stop having a small bag mountain downstairs by the end of the week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 28, 2019, 08:40:42 PM
    Week 5 report:

    29. Vinyl flooring glue - new almost full can, to be put up for sale.
    30. Tee shirt that's too big - to be offered to relative.
    31. Never worn blouse - to be offered to same relative.
    32. Dog house - to be offered to animal rescue group for northern dogs that have no shelter.
    33. Leaky basketball - garbage.
    34. Old, unused shingles - going to curb with off-cut shelves.
    35. Roll of drawer liner - to be actually put into drawers.

    25 items have left the house so far.  It's easier to identify things to get rid of then actually do it.  There's no second thoughts involved, it just takes some organization to get them to where they need to go.  So, I'm behind in that regard, but confident it will eventually happen.  But still, I'm a quarter of the way toward my goal!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 29, 2019, 06:46:49 AM
    “The strategic value of clear space”

    Brilliant

    I'm taking carload after carload of stuff  from my basement to the recycling place and to Goodwill. Slowly but surely getting more 'strategic clear space' ! 

     But... just found a big box full of brand new but ancient IT software on CD's with user manuals (COBOL and mainframe programming testing tools) and I think I'll have to just shove it into a corner. Can't bear to throw it out, and I'm sure no one wants it, even for free. lol...         
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 29, 2019, 07:37:28 AM
    “The strategic value of clear space”

    Brilliant

    I'm taking carload after carload of stuff  from my basement to the recycling place and to Goodwill. Slowly but surely getting more 'strategic clear space' ! 

     But... just found a big box full of brand new but ancient IT software on CD's with user manuals (COBOL and mainframe programming testing tools) and I think I'll have to just shove it into a corner. Can't bear to throw it out, and I'm sure no one wants it, even for free. lol...       

    Why? Just because it was never used, why would you keep it? That's a slippery slope.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: With This Herring on July 29, 2019, 08:33:31 AM
    “The strategic value of clear space”

    Brilliant

    I'm taking carload after carload of stuff  from my basement to the recycling place and to Goodwill. Slowly but surely getting more 'strategic clear space' ! 

     But... just found a big box full of brand new but ancient IT software on CD's with user manuals (COBOL and mainframe programming testing tools) and I think I'll have to just shove it into a corner. Can't bear to throw it out, and I'm sure no one wants it, even for free. lol...       

    Why? Just because it was never used, why would you keep it? That's a slippery slope.

    Try eBay!  They might sell either as collectibles (like this (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Microsoft-Product-Sheets-FORTRAN-80-Pascal-BASIC-Compiler-COBOL-software/362636889682)) or to some organization that is actually still using those things for legacy compatibility issues (maybe like this (https://www.ebay.com/itm/myDOS360-IBM-Mainframe-on-Your-PC-Software-Package-COBOL-FORTRAN/254173949463)? 9 of 10 have already sold).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cannot Wait! on July 29, 2019, 09:17:02 AM
    Please don't put it in the corner!
    If you're sure nobody wants it get rid of it; it will only drag you down.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 29, 2019, 09:51:29 AM
    Why? Just because it was never used, why would you keep it? That's a slippery slope.

    I get it!  Sometimes things need to age a while longer before I am ready to part with them!   LOL

    Just kidding, yeah, get rid of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 30, 2019, 06:41:11 AM
    “The strategic value of clear space”

    Brilliant

    I'm taking carload after carload of stuff  from my basement to the recycling place and to Goodwill. Slowly but surely getting more 'strategic clear space' ! 

     But... just found a big box full of brand new but ancient IT software on CD's with user manuals (COBOL and mainframe programming testing tools) and I think I'll have to just shove it into a corner. Can't bear to throw it out, and I'm sure no one wants it, even for free. lol...       

    Why? Just because it was never used, why would you keep it? That's a slippery slope.

    Try eBay!  They might sell either as collectibles (like this (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Microsoft-Product-Sheets-FORTRAN-80-Pascal-BASIC-Compiler-COBOL-software/362636889682)) or to some organization that is actually still using those things for legacy compatibility issues (maybe like this (https://www.ebay.com/itm/myDOS360-IBM-Mainframe-on-Your-PC-Software-Package-COBOL-FORTRAN/254173949463)? 9 of 10 have already sold).

    OK, now you've done it!  I am going to save it.  I have sooooo much stuff to deal with, sometimes I find out later that I donated an
    expensive item, or sold something at the rummage sale for way too little. Argghh.
    Anyway, yesterday I found 10 huge old binders of original IBM computer manuals like IBM mainframe 360 systems commands, OS stuff, error codes, cobol abends, and on and on and on...
    I have already checked out selling them and found some iffy results on eBay. Hard to tell if there was a market
    for these old manuals. I'm so sick of figuring out if something will sell, and I realized I wished I had never found the darn things
    in the first place, so I clicked open all the binders, dumped all the pages into a big box, about 20 pounds worth, and took them all
    down to the recycling center. Now someone will tell me I could have sold them for good money on the internet! lol...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on July 30, 2019, 07:14:16 AM
    Donated a suitcase of stuff to a place that collects household goods for new expats.

    ...but then I picked up two suitcases of stuff that I wanted including cushions and Tupperware. Sigh.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on July 30, 2019, 07:26:50 AM
    Donated a suitcase of stuff to a place that collects household goods for new expats.

    ...but then I picked up two suitcases of stuff that I wanted including cushions and Tupperware. Sigh.

    At least you only have two suitcases of stuff instead of three? 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 30, 2019, 10:43:28 AM
    “The strategic value of clear space”

    Brilliant

    I'm taking carload after carload of stuff  from my basement to the recycling place and to Goodwill. Slowly but surely getting more 'strategic clear space' ! 

     But... just found a big box full of brand new but ancient IT software on CD's with user manuals (COBOL and mainframe programming testing tools) and I think I'll have to just shove it into a corner. Can't bear to throw it out, and I'm sure no one wants it, even for free. lol...       

    Why? Just because it was never used, why would you keep it? That's a slippery slope.

    Try eBay!  They might sell either as collectibles (like this (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Microsoft-Product-Sheets-FORTRAN-80-Pascal-BASIC-Compiler-COBOL-software/362636889682)) or to some organization that is actually still using those things for legacy compatibility issues (maybe like this (https://www.ebay.com/itm/myDOS360-IBM-Mainframe-on-Your-PC-Software-Package-COBOL-FORTRAN/254173949463)? 9 of 10 have already sold).

    OK, now you've done it!  I am going to save it.  I have sooooo much stuff to deal with, sometimes I find out later that I donated an
    expensive item, or sold something at the rummage sale for way too little. Argghh.
    Anyway, yesterday I found 10 huge old binders of original IBM computer manuals like IBM mainframe 360 systems commands, OS stuff, error codes, cobol abends, and on and on and on...
    I have already checked out selling them and found some iffy results on eBay. Hard to tell if there was a market
    for these old manuals. I'm so sick of figuring out if something will sell, and I realized I wished I had never found the darn things
    in the first place, so I clicked open all the binders, dumped all the pages into a big box, about 20 pounds worth, and took them all
    down to the recycling center. Now someone will tell me I could have sold them for good money on the internet! lol...

    At a certain point it's just more valuable to have the space clear than to try to nickel and dime a small profit.  If selling it is easy, do it.  If not, then just trash it and don't feel bad about leaving (imaginary) money on the table.  The clear space is worth FAR MORE than most $$ you could get for it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 30, 2019, 10:54:26 AM

    At a certain point it's just more valuable to have the space clear than to try to nickel and dime a small profit.  If selling it is easy, do it.  If not, then just trash it and don't feel bad about leaving (imaginary) money on the table.  The clear space is worth FAR MORE than most $$ you could get for it.

    It's not just the space that is more valuable, it's also your time and emotional resources.  Please care for yourself more than you do all this shitstuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: DeniseNJ on July 30, 2019, 11:15:27 AM

    At a certain point it's just more valuable to have the space clear than to try to nickel and dime a small profit.  If selling it is easy, do it.  If not, then just trash it and don't feel bad about leaving (imaginary) money on the table.  The clear space is worth FAR MORE than most $$ you could get for it.

    It's not just the space that is more valuable, it's also your time and emotional resources.  Please care for yourself more than you do all this shitstuff.

    Ah ha.  Yes.  I have a few things that I should sell on craigslist/ebay, but I haven't gotten around to it.  Never actually sold anything before.  And I see all the stuff for sale and feel stupid for just tossing stuff.  But yes, getting rid of stuff is valuable too.  How much would I pay NOT to have these things?  Not having things weighing me down is a valuable thing too--certainly as valuable as the few bucks I might earn by selling.  Thank you.  Will be tossing/donating stuff this weekend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 30, 2019, 11:19:49 AM

    At a certain point it's just more valuable to have the space clear than to try to nickel and dime a small profit.  If selling it is easy, do it.  If not, then just trash it and don't feel bad about leaving (imaginary) money on the table.  The clear space is worth FAR MORE than most $$ you could get for it.

    It's not just the space that is more valuable, it's also your time and emotional resources.  Please care for yourself more than you do all this shitstuff.

    Ah ha.  Yes.  I have a few things that I should sell on craigslist/ebay, but I haven't gotten around to it.  Never actually sold anything before.  And I see all the stuff for sale and feel stupid for just tossing stuff.  But yes, getting rid of stuff is valuable too.  How much would I pay NOT to have these things?  Not having things weighing me down is a valuable thing too--certainly as valuable as the few bucks I might earn by selling.  Thank you.  Will be tossing/donating stuff this weekend.

    It's especially dangerous if you have a frugal nature and don't want to "waste" anything.  So you try to get some value back from the junk by taking the time/effort to sell it.  But then the selling process itself becomes overwhelming or a barrier to just getting rid of it, and the net result is that you never fully get rid of all the crap. 

    Now, some things are OBVIOUSLY valuable, like anything gold/silver, etc... but that's an exception.  For the vast majority of stuff, it's just not worth the time/effort to sell it.  Donate or trash it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on July 30, 2019, 11:32:16 AM
    It's especially dangerous if you have a frugal nature and don't want to "waste" anything.  So you try to get some value back from the junk by taking the time/effort to sell it.  But then the selling process itself becomes overwhelming or a barrier to just getting rid of it, and the net result is that you never fully get rid of all the crap. 

    Wow, this is...yes.

    This idea and the concept of free space discussed above have been life-changing for me. I had to start seeing the open space as inherently valuable. Is it really a waste to donate something when you get your home back in return?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on July 30, 2019, 12:40:50 PM
    I instinctively began what I later learned is the Swedish Art of Death Cleaning late last year.  I then read the average age to begin such is 50.  So, there ya' go.  ;)

    My point is, I agree with the posts above.  Life is so much calmer with less belongings and clutter.  Speaking of:

    Donated 2 bags full of gently used sheets and towels, along with a bar stool cushion, to the animal shelter.  While there, I also decluttered a bit of my business account with a cash donation.

    Waiting for a local teacher to come pick up two boxes full of DH's old, unused tools.  The teacher is teaching a STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, ART, and Math) class this year and put a shout out on social media.

    Will recycle egg cartons to a chicken owning friend later this week.

    Tossed a old sugar bowl with a cracked lid and am now using a Mason jar from our pantry.

    Last month (?) I gave 3, used only once, flower vases to a floral shop owning friend.  Who needs 5 vases??

    Thanks to posts earlier in this thread, I'm looking into replacements dot com  hoping to sell a few things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 30, 2019, 06:07:29 PM

    At a certain point it's just more valuable to have the space clear than to try to nickel and dime a small profit.  If selling it is easy, do it.  If not, then just trash it and don't feel bad about leaving (imaginary) money on the table.  The clear space is worth FAR MORE than most $$ you could get for it.

    It's not just the space that is more valuable, it's also your time and emotional resources.  Please care for yourself more than you do all this shitstuff.

    Ah ha.  Yes.  I have a few things that I should sell on craigslist/ebay, but I haven't gotten around to it.  Never actually sold anything before.  And I see all the stuff for sale and feel stupid for just tossing stuff.  But yes, getting rid of stuff is valuable too.  How much would I pay NOT to have these things?  Not having things weighing me down is a valuable thing too--certainly as valuable as the few bucks I might earn by selling.  Thank you.  Will be tossing/donating stuff this weekend.

    It's especially dangerous if you have a frugal nature and don't want to "waste" anything.  So you try to get some value back from the junk by taking the time/effort to sell it.  But then the selling process itself becomes overwhelming or a barrier to just getting rid of it, and the net result is that you never fully get rid of all the crap. 

    Now, some things are OBVIOUSLY valuable, like anything gold/silver, etc... but that's an exception.  For the vast majority of stuff, it's just not worth the time/effort to sell it.  Donate or trash it!

    Thanks, everyone, for the kind and perceptive responses. You guys have me figured out completely! This thread keeps my morale up.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on July 31, 2019, 05:28:44 AM
    May I please join in? I am on page 17 of the thread and loving all of your posts!
    I am a long-term declutterer, having started around 13 years ago when I realised that in order to have time to read all the books, I needed to be very organised and not have a lot of stuff to clean/maintain.

    It amazes me how I *still* have stuff to get rid of as I am very mindful of what comes into the house, but life happens, and there are always new stages we go through as a family (daughter moved out this year, son wants his room reorganised and painted, our THREE sheds needed clearing out...)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 31, 2019, 06:05:46 AM
    May I please join in? I am on page 17 of the thread and loving all of your posts!
    I am a long-term declutterer, having started around 13 years ago when I realised that in order to have time to read all the books, I needed to be very organised and not have a lot of stuff to clean/maintain.

    It amazes me how I *still* have stuff to get rid of as I am very mindful of what comes into the house, but life happens, and there are always new stages we go through as a family (daughter moved out this year, son wants his room reorganised and painted, our THREE sheds needed clearing out...)

    Welcome, lazycow (love your screen name).  Decluttering IS a long-term process, isn't it? I started decluttering two and a half years ago.  I took pictures of all of it before I started. It's in every room!

    I am making progress, definitely, but it is slow. I always feel good when I toss more stuff at the recycling center, drop it off at the Salvation Army, throw it out, or, best of all, sell it at a rummage sale. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on July 31, 2019, 06:19:51 AM
    I really need to get back in the decluttering mindset - after we moved mid June, I switched over to 'putting away' rather than decluttering, but this approach doesn't seem to be working out well enough.  Things are starting to pile up, anything I can't find a good spot for is just getting jammed in out of the way.  I have a donation box started, but haven't put anything new in it for several weeks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on July 31, 2019, 04:22:07 PM
    We are back from vacation and need to re-focus on getting rid of stuff and packing for our upcoming move at the end of August. We have accepted an offer and we are in escrow so this giant downsizing thing is really happening!

    I am hoping to spend this week and weekend focusing on the garage, my 9 year old's closet, and finally finishing the upstairs hall closet and laundry room. I am still really excited about our dramatic downsizing, but it is SUCH a pain going through all the STUFF.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 31, 2019, 11:31:54 PM
    Decluttering gone wrong:

    I knit a lace shawl many moons ago, but in organizing my knitting paraphernalia, realized I didn't like wearing it.  So gave wrapped it up pretty & gave it to a friend.  She loved it so much, she got me a gift in return! There were two items in the gift bag she handed me, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on August 01, 2019, 07:12:34 AM
    Some out but some still not out.

    We had a couple really nice maple bar stools my mom gave us when she moved.  I saw no use for them in our house but the wife seemed to think that someday we could use them.  Well, 3 years later, they're still sitting in the basement under piles of junk.  I put them on craigslist for $15 and sold them to the first offer of $5.  Gone!

    Recently a friend passed away and his wife is going through both his junk and things that could be worth something.  I live in an area with more people than cows, and craigslist all the time so agreed to put stuff up for sale.  Sold one very nice bass guitar and passed the money back to her.  Another guitar is really a junker and worth maybe $10.  She told my wife that if it's only worth $25, not to sell it.  That ain't the way to get rid of junk, but whatever.  It's going back to her.  They sell new for $79.  Also sold off a bar sign for $10 that I'm sure she thought was worth gold, but it's gone.  Still have one more bass guitar to sell off.  Also eyeing gifts we received for our wedding in 1986 that have never even been unwrapped.  Stuffed under piles of junk (I know where they are), they'll be coming out, getting photo'd and sold off on craigslist for give away prices.

    This is going very, very slowly. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 01, 2019, 07:23:54 AM
    A side note:  I found an old tea pot in the basement hoard with a price tag on it for $375  !!  It is a "Hull Art" tea pot. Similar tea pots on eBay are going for $20 to $40 though. Hmmmmm. 

     Well, I found a pottery discussion group online and apparently Hull Art prices collapsed completely back on or before 2015.   Oh, well, at least I know what price to ask.

    In other news, I have someone coming to pick up, for free,  a 6 feet by 4 feet lattice I want to jettison. Got rid of it on Craigslist Free section.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on August 01, 2019, 09:09:13 AM
    In other news, I have someone coming to pick up, for free,  a 6 feet by 4 feet lattice I want to jettison. Got rid of it on Craigslist Free section.

    I'll give you a hesitant congrats on the lattice give away.  I've found that the free section of craigslist brings me nothing but hassle.  People in Boston tend to think everyone is on the T or that they'll magically be able to get the thing I'm giving away, realize they need to transport it and then ask me to deliver it.  I've had much better luck putting $5 on things I want to give away.  People, for some reason will get in their own car and come get something for $5 where they figure something for free isn't worth the bother.  I do put things at the end of my driveway and people take them.  Gave away a picture last week that way.  Leaned it against the trash can on trash day and in an hour it was gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 01, 2019, 05:50:01 PM
    In other news, I have someone coming to pick up, for free,  a 6 feet by 4 feet lattice I want to jettison. Got rid of it on Craigslist Free section.

    I'll give you a hesitant congrats on the lattice give away.  I've found that the free section of craigslist brings me nothing but hassle.  People in Boston tend to think everyone is on the T or that they'll magically be able to get the thing I'm giving away, realize they need to transport it and then ask me to deliver it.  I've had much better luck putting $5 on things I want to give away.  People, for some reason will get in their own car and come get something for $5 where they figure something for free isn't worth the bother.  I do put things at the end of my driveway and people take them.  Gave away a picture last week that way.  Leaned it against the trash can on trash day and in an hour it was gone.

    Yeah, I got 7 responses to my "free" ad, and the first 2 have already flaked out. I'm on the third one now and he seems legit. We'll see. lol. 

    I did get rid of a big section of fence a few years ago right away, no flakes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Gail2000 on August 01, 2019, 07:09:15 PM
    I started the minimalist game today of getting rid of a number of items corresponding to the day of the month. Say we are the first and so I get rid of one item and tow more items on the second day and so on. I got on a tear and threw some items away and filled a small box full of items. I need to keep it up this time. I got lulled into complacency after rationalizing that I had already gotten rid of more items the day before and end op stopping all together.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 02, 2019, 05:03:25 AM
    I just checked our sheds, and my husband has already gotten rid of everything we'd put aside for decluttering last weekend! He and our son took apart our old kitchen cabinets (cheap materials, not worth selling) and took them to the tip, so no need to hire a skip.  There was also a scooter, kid's hockey set (not used in 5 years) and several bags of random stuff. His impetus was that he has a whole group of friends coming to visit in a couple of weeks and wanted to have everyone hang out by the wood fire and drink beer and play table tennis (I will be away, yay!)

    My contribution to the decluttering this week was to take a tote bag of books, clothes and a few other items to the Salvation Army op shop. I also have a horribly manky, almost flat European pillow (my husband used it as a couch cushion for years) which I'm planning to insert in my very flattened couch seat to see if it will plump it up. If not, one of the dogs can use it as a sleeping mat.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 02, 2019, 06:05:32 AM
    I started the minimalist game today of getting rid of a number of items corresponding to the day of the month. Say we are the first and so I get rid of one item and tow more items on the second day and so on. I got on a tear and threw some items away and filled a small box full of items. I need to keep it up this time. I got lulled into complacency after rationalizing that I had already gotten rid of more items the day before and end op stopping all together.

    I took a break from decluttering yesterday and went to a bowling social event.
    I've been doing a few hours every day for the last 5 days in a row. Isn't it amazing how there always seems to be MORE clutter to deal with? 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 02, 2019, 11:40:34 AM
    I started the minimalist game today of getting rid of a number of items corresponding to the day of the month. Say we are the first and so I get rid of one item and tow more items on the second day and so on. I got on a tear and threw some items away and filled a small box full of items. I need to keep it up this time. I got lulled into complacency after rationalizing that I had already gotten rid of more items the day before and end op stopping all together.

    I took a break from decluttering yesterday and went to a bowling social event.
    I've been doing a few hours every day for the last 5 days in a row. Isn't it amazing how there always seems to be MORE clutter to deal with?

    It breeds in captivity.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 02, 2019, 11:44:20 AM
    I got rid of (donated) sooo much stuff when I was decluttering to get the house ready to sell.  I got rid of another 3 carloads before the move.  Now that I am unpacking I am finding more stuff - I expect to have another carload of donations within the next few weeks.  Plus a few more garbage bags of junk, where was it all hiding?

    My new apartment building is full of retirees who have downsized from houses - every time I mention this, I get nods of recognition. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 02, 2019, 02:59:19 PM
    I am contemplating doing another sweep through my wardrobe and clearing out more of the unused clothes that made it through the last cull.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on August 02, 2019, 04:11:10 PM
    I donated about a dozen books yesterday, and also threw out some old makeup and dug out three little travel toothpastes to use up before we move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Gail2000 on August 02, 2019, 07:39:59 PM
    I started the minimalist game today of getting rid of a number of items corresponding to the day of the month. Say we are the first and so I get rid of one item and tow more items on the second day and so on. I got on a tear and threw some items away and filled a small box full of items. I need to keep it up this time. I got lulled into complacency after rationalizing that I had already gotten rid of more items the day before and end op stopping all together.

    I took a break from decluttering yesterday and went to a bowling social event.
    I've been doing a few hours every day for the last 5 days in a row. Isn't it amazing how there always seems to be MORE clutter to deal with?

    It breeds in captivity.

    It’s not me then! It’s real. I swore I gave boxes away a year ago and...poof....there’s more....( unsolved mystery creepy music).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 03, 2019, 07:33:39 AM
    Got rid of a bike helmet and 1 novel, and composted a completely worn through pair of wool socks. So satisfying to actually wear an item of clothing till it becomes a rag!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 03, 2019, 07:40:49 AM
    In other news, I have someone coming to pick up, for free,  a 6 feet by 4 feet lattice I want to jettison. Got rid of it on Craigslist Free section.

    I'll give you a hesitant congrats on the lattice give away.  I've found that the free section of craigslist brings me nothing but hassle.  People in Boston tend to think everyone is on the T or that they'll magically be able to get the thing I'm giving away, realize they need to transport it and then ask me to deliver it.  I've had much better luck putting $5 on things I want to give away.  People, for some reason will get in their own car and come get something for $5 where they figure something for free isn't worth the bother.  I do put things at the end of my driveway and people take them.  Gave away a picture last week that way.  Leaned it against the trash can on trash day and in an hour it was gone.

    Arrgghhh.... I got 8 responses from Craigslist saying they wanted it, but no one has taken the darn thing! I now have it leaning against my fence, on the front sidewalk with a "free" sign taped to it.  OMG.  lol...   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 03, 2019, 07:49:27 AM
    In other news, I have someone coming to pick up, for free,  a 6 feet by 4 feet lattice I want to jettison. Got rid of it on Craigslist Free section.

    I'll give you a hesitant congrats on the lattice give away.  I've found that the free section of craigslist brings me nothing but hassle.  People in Boston tend to think everyone is on the T or that they'll magically be able to get the thing I'm giving away, realize they need to transport it and then ask me to deliver it.  I've had much better luck putting $5 on things I want to give away.  People, for some reason will get in their own car and come get something for $5 where they figure something for free isn't worth the bother.  I do put things at the end of my driveway and people take them.  Gave away a picture last week that way.  Leaned it against the trash can on trash day and in an hour it was gone.

    Arrgghhh.... I got 8 responses from Craigslist saying they wanted it, but no one has taken the darn thing! I now have it leaning against my fence, on the front sidewalk with a "free" sign taped to it.  OMG.  lol...

    How annoying. Hopefully it will be gone the next time you look! My husband was going to try to sell our 2nd fridge (which sort-of-works) for $20 if someone wants to take it away, but I found a friend who wants an extra fridge for her shed and will take it off our hands, so we will just give it to her.  I want it out, out, out!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 03, 2019, 07:59:41 AM
    Got rid of a bike helmet and 1 novel, and composted a completely worn through pair of wool socks. So satisfying to actually wear an item of clothing till it becomes a rag!

    I had myself a pat-on-the-back moment yesterday. I found an old pair of my "dockers" shoes in the basement hoard that were perfectly good, except for the mold that was on them. I thought "what's a little mold? It's natural and organic, right? Just wipe it off".  But I put them in the garbage bag, and threw them out.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on August 03, 2019, 09:41:52 AM
    Got rid of a bike helmet and 1 novel, and composted a completely worn through pair of wool socks. So satisfying to actually wear an item of clothing till it becomes a rag!

    I had myself a pat-on-the-back moment yesterday. I found an old pair of my "dockers" shoes in the basement hoard that were perfectly good, except for the mold that was on them. I thought "what's a little mold? It's natural and organic, right? Just wipe it off".  But I put them in the garbage bag, and threw them out.

    What would happen if you put the ENTIRE basement hoard into boxes and carted it off to the dump?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 03, 2019, 10:05:17 AM
    Got rid of a bike helmet and 1 novel, and composted a completely worn through pair of wool socks. So satisfying to actually wear an item of clothing till it becomes a rag!

    I had myself a pat-on-the-back moment yesterday. I found an old pair of my "dockers" shoes in the basement hoard that were perfectly good, except for the mold that was on them. I thought "what's a little mold? It's natural and organic, right? Just wipe it off".  But I put them in the garbage bag, and threw them out.

    What would happen if you put the ENTIRE basement hoard into boxes and carted it off to the dump?

    I'd have to buy some new tools. There are actually good things in "the hoard". sawhorses, big thick plastic tubs,  usable plastic chairs, nice wooden tray tables. Yes, I could donate these things, but I think I have made enough room so that a contractor can now work on the leaking french door. 

    When my hoarder girlfriend was living with me, I used to ask her if she would really miss anything if she came home one day and all her crap were gone.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 03, 2019, 02:32:02 PM
    I threw out a pair or very worn out shoes. I wear them for commuting, then when they break down so my feet start to hurt walking, I wear them to work on the house/yard. When they get dirty I put them through the washer. These shoes got a LOT of wear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on August 03, 2019, 05:30:20 PM
    I need to get more serious about this. In a little over two years I plan to move to a much smaller space.

    So far this past week I managed to toss one school backpack and one pair of very nice & lightly worn running shoes that hurt my toes a little in the back of the car for donation. Pathetic progress. Hopefully after I make dinner tonight I can start working on clothes. I did the "reverse the hanger" trick a couple of years ago. If it hasn't been worn since I flipped those around, then I really have no excuse to keep the item.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 04, 2019, 01:47:35 PM
    ANother bittersweet day at the Slackmax estate. Sold a lot of little stuff at the rummage sale, but still have houseful of unwanted stuff.

    The ugly fake Christmas tree did not sell, so I donated it to Salvation Army. Also dropped off  a bagful of other rummage sale non-sellers at SA.

    Soooooo......   more stuff out of the Slackmax household, at a very modest profit, but a long way to go still in the decluttering saga.   

    I'm glad I donated that CHristmas tree. It was taking up a lot of room in the living room.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on August 04, 2019, 03:02:59 PM
    Christmas in July, @slackmax? You're my kind of people.

    I got both Marie Kondo books at the library today: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and a newer one, Spark Joy, that has folding directions with illustrations.

    I read the first book a few years ago when it first came out and made some progress on my clothes before I got derailed. It did change the way I fold shirts, and I am thankful for that. Unfortunately the full on complete house tidy never happened, but the situation did improve from reading her book and visualizing how I want my spaces to be. At this point I am more determined, and there are fewer other projects to interfere.

    Into the breach!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on August 04, 2019, 03:43:50 PM
    I got rid of a filing cabinet a couple weeks ago and man it is wonderful to go in the garage and see that space be clear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 04, 2019, 04:40:22 PM
    Returned a bag full of stuff to the hardware store. It's small potatoes to the rest of the mess, but that bag I know I don't need, and the rest is ether needed for the project or I'm not sure it's not needed yet.

    Also returned the 4 unopened curtains that I got and decided I didn't like. Ordered 2 curtains for another room, which are ready to be hung when they arrive.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 04, 2019, 08:52:36 PM
    Week 6 report:

    36. Vintage velvet lounger robe - to be offered to relative.
    37. Seersucker robe - to be offered to same relative.  If she wants neither, off to thrift store they go.
    38. Unused bag of cotton balls - thrift store.
    39. 2 dog training books - to be given to neighbour, who has a new puppy.
    40. Stiff, gunky paint brush - garbage.
    41. 9 more plastic plant pots - going to thrift store.
    42. Computer keyboard missing one key - if not found among roommate's hoard when she moves, it goes to electronic recycling.  (Blame the cat for this one.)

    I's been very easy so far, but I have a feeling it's going to get progressively harder from now on.  I might need to resort to "Kondoing" to identify 48 more items - there are fewer things to just come across through the day, but we'll see.  Till next week ........
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on August 05, 2019, 05:39:11 AM
    ^ and ^^, Keep up the good work!

    I managed to fill the trunk of my car last night with items that don't spark joy. I'll drop these at the rescue mission thrift shop this morning. It was easier to sort things than I thought it would be. Sure, that free t-shirt the dealer gave me when I bought a used car several years ago is a perfectly good t-shirt, but does it spark joy? No, it does not.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 05, 2019, 06:09:25 AM
    Found some Amway and Avon jewelry.  I assumed it was junk and almost donated it, but talked to some other vendors at the rummage sale place, and decided to look online for prices (the jewelry is in boxes with descriptions on it!).

    In a "make-the-sale-and-get-rid-of-it-your-time-is-valuable" moment, I sold an Avon magnifying glass pendant for $3.  Looked it up online later (no magical rectangle on hand at the time of the sale) and it is going for $40 !! 

    It's true I would have to hassle with selling online. But I would have asked $10 at the rummage sale, had I known it was $40 online. A lot of the buyers know the real value of stuff, so I think I would have gotten $10. 

    Just sayin'.  So much time this clutter uses up!   

    Anyway, today I'm going to look up the other jewelry I have and make sure I'm not giving the store away in the future.



     

       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on August 05, 2019, 10:56:33 AM
    Yeah, go idea looking those things up.

    I'm sure I could have made some bank selling some of what I donated this morning. For example, I had a barely worn Marmot ski parka with zip out vest that was $300 new but it doesn't fit right any more (aka I'm not the hyper fit warrior of days of yore anymore) . . . it still looks stylish and definitely would have fetched something on ebay.

    But, somebody who needs a coat will hopefully get it from the rescue mission thrift shop. Where I live, plenty of people don't bother getting truly warm winter clothes for their kids because very warm coats are hard to find for good prices and our winters aren't that bad (except when they are, which is a couple of random weeks every year.) In my mind's eye, there will be a teenager who is happier and warmer at the morning bus stop this winter because I donated instead of selling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on August 05, 2019, 11:08:40 AM
    So proud of my partner: He pulled a dozen books off the shelf like it was nothing to toss into the donate bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on August 05, 2019, 12:12:31 PM
    -snip-

    But, somebody who needs a coat will hopefully get it from the rescue mission thrift shop. Where I live, plenty of people don't bother getting truly warm winter clothes for their kids because very warm coats are hard to find for good prices and our winters aren't that bad (except when they are, which is a couple of random weeks every year.) In my mind's eye, there will be a teenager who is happier and warmer at the morning bus stop this winter because I donated instead of selling.

    Just watch, in about two weeks someone will post over on that "what small things did you do to save money" thread about the super great marmot coat they found for just a few dollars.  And in 3 or 4 years they'll post again when they mend a small hole in the pocket.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on August 05, 2019, 03:43:48 PM
    I've scheduled VVA to come again this Friday so I went through and did some more clean out this weekend. I added four more large bags to the donate pile: clothes, bedding, towels, toys. I also went through all the boxes of old sentimental STUFF and condensed two full boxes, two large plastic tubs, one small plastic tub, and a medium basket down to one partial box. A lot of it is stuff I will photograph or scan and then trash/recycle after the move...I just don't have time to do it all right now before the move, although I did get through some of it. We also went through a bunch of stuff in the garage including a first pass through our camping supplies and yet another pass through tools. I did some photo sorting as well and was able to consolidate out a large shoe box and another small plastic tub of stuff just by recycling old papers and sorting out bad/duplicate photos to toss. Incidentally I was reminded that my mom is a TERRIBLE photographer, ha. Finally we went through our winter/ski bag and got rid of a couple pairs of pants, an old pair of goggles, and I think four old pairs of ski gloves. My husband and his "back up" stuff kills me...if you haven't used your "back up" pants or gloves in the past 6.5 years, it's time to go!

    We have the buyers of our house coming over Wednesday night (who we already know...LONG story) to walk through furniture we don't plan to keep and see what they want if anything. While we are downsizing 2000+ square feet they are upsizing about 1200 square feet and their current home has a TON of built-ins so it should work out very nicely for everyone. Another neighbor wants any Christmas decorations we don't keep; we have the dubious distinction of having won the neighborhood contest the past two years so we have an embarrassing amount of lights, many of which I got from my boss a few years ago when they downsized their decorating.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 06, 2019, 07:19:25 AM
    I've scheduled VVA to come again this Friday so I went through and did some more clean out this weekend. I added four more large bags to the donate pile: clothes, bedding, towels, toys.     

    I have a lot of that type of stuff. Comforters, towels, sheets, fabric of all sorts in tubs. Takes up a lot of space so it would be good to declutter.  Going to be tough letting it go!  Guess I could try selling it at the rummage sale, hmmm.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: dcheesi on August 06, 2019, 08:10:59 AM
    Started the process of moving into my gf's place(!). I already donated a bag full of clothes, and what's left seems to fit in the new space (for now). I bought an under-bed storage thing for my out of season clothes, which helped a lot.

    Now I'm on to footwear. I went through a truly facepunch-worthy shoe binge earlier in the year, and even with some downsizing I still have too many. It's annoying because to cut any further would mean donating shoes that I bought recently and still like, but don't actually need --which serves to further emphasize just how off-the-rails spendypants I was over the last year or so. Whereas my gf is in the position of not having enough shoes, since she broke her brand new pair of sandals while gardening. It's all around embarrassing!

    Meanwhile, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to fit all of my books into one new bookshelf (I had previously downsized when I moved to my current location). However, there's really no place for all the DVDs and CDs I kept from the old pre-streaming days.

    I do want to keep the CDs, if only to justify/backup my ripped library, but they can go into storage. It's the DVD/BD/Games that I'm not so sure about. Those aren't backed up digitally, so if I get rid of them they're just gone. And part of me likes having them available and even on display, similar to the books on the bookshelf. But right now I'm not even sure if my old PS3 console is coming with me or not, and if not then we won't even have a way to play any of them!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on August 06, 2019, 08:18:14 AM
    We're down to 5 days left of packing before we move.  We've gotten rid of a lot of stuff - books, duvet covers, comforters, clothes, pictures, etc., but now I'm in enough of a hurry that I'm not letting myself sort so much as throwing things in boxes. 

    My goal is to find at least a little bit more to get rid of, and then to unpack SLOWLY at the new house, especially my clothes.  Like I said before, I'm still nursing/building muscle/changing shape since I'm only 4 months post partum, so I've got a lot of clothes that kind of fit, might fit soonish, or that I need to keep for nursing.  I'm going to do my best to only unpack the clothes that I want to use and see what stays packed long-term.  I have a feeling that's going to be quite a lot of it, unfortunately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on August 06, 2019, 10:11:13 AM
    Good luck, chaskavitch!!! May the moving gods bless you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 06, 2019, 12:50:47 PM
    I've scheduled VVA to come again this Friday so I went through and did some more clean out this weekend. I added four more large bags to the donate pile: clothes, bedding, towels, toys.     

    I have a lot of that type of stuff. Comforters, towels, sheets, fabric of all sorts in tubs. Takes up a lot of space so it would be good to declutter.  Going to be tough letting it go!  Guess I could try selling it at the rummage sale, hmmm.

    If the comforters and towels are no longer "fit for human consumption," vet clinics and animal shelters are always happy to take them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 06, 2019, 01:01:02 PM
    I've scheduled VVA to come again this Friday so I went through and did some more clean out this weekend. I added four more large bags to the donate pile: clothes, bedding, towels, toys.     

    I have a lot of that type of stuff. Comforters, towels, sheets, fabric of all sorts in tubs. Takes up a lot of space so it would be good to declutter.  Going to be tough letting it go!  Guess I could try selling it at the rummage sale, hmmm.

    If the comforters and towels are no longer "fit for human consumption," vet clinics and animal shelters are always happy to take them.
    +1

    I donated a bagful each of towels and sheets, along with a bar stool cushion, to our local shelter last week. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 07, 2019, 08:31:23 AM
    I've scheduled VVA to come again this Friday so I went through and did some more clean out this weekend. I added four more large bags to the donate pile: clothes, bedding, towels, toys.     
    I have a lot of that type of stuff. Comforters, towels, sheets, fabric of all sorts in tubs. Takes up a lot of space so it would be good to declutter.  Going to be tough letting it go!  Guess I could try selling it at the rummage sale, hmmm.

    If the comforters and towels are no longer "fit for human consumption," vet clinics and animal shelters are always happy to take them.

    Thanks for the suggestion, SunnyDays. I hadn't thought of that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on August 08, 2019, 10:34:52 AM
    The buyers came over last night and we did a walk-through at our house (it's an unconventional/complicated scenario, but we know them, and everyone is very happy with the overall arrangement). They are moving from a smaller place and will be happy to keep several of the things we don't want to move/don't have the time and energy to try and sell. HUGE weight off our shoulders right now with getting ready to leave to drive my oldest across the country to college in two days. We are also swapping BBQs which is fantastic. Theirs is a smaller version of ours, and we are downsizing home and yard while they are upsizing. I'm sure we could make some money trying to sell some of the furniture and garage stuff, but we really just want to be done at this point.

    It was actually really nice to do a walk-through together, go over how things work, etc. I know buyers and sellers don't usually interact much (or at all) directly, but given the specific circumstances here it is better for everyone.

    VVA comes tomorrow so my oldest is making one more pass through all of his stuff before moving to college on Saturday. I feel like we're getting down towards the end of the mountain of stuff, but I'm sure there will be a few more iterations even after we move. I'll be so happy to be in a smaller space and not be able to accumulate so much in the future. I hope. ;)

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 09, 2019, 06:09:44 AM
    Good luck with the move, FireHiker.

    A few days ago my huge countertop microwave finally died after 30 years. Took it apart, fuse was still good, nothing obviously fried, so decided to recycle it (couldn't fix it).

    Took it into Staples, fearing they would reject it, but they took it no problemo. 

    Lots of nice space on my countertop now. Not replacing the micro yet. Maybe never.

    In other news.....  something changed in my thinking (in a good way) and I was able to haul the 20 pound box of ancient IBM manuals to recycling and dump them in , and actually feel like I was doing a good thing.       :) 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on August 09, 2019, 06:33:38 AM
    Well done on the manuals, what a relief!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on August 09, 2019, 09:52:07 AM
    In other news.....  something changed in my thinking (in a good way) and I was able to haul the 20 pound box of ancient IBM manuals to recycling and dump them in , and actually feel like I was doing a good thing.       :)

    I think you found the key.  Just keep doing that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 11, 2019, 08:51:37 PM
    And here's week 7's progress:

    43. A few small pieces of gold jewelry I never wear - to be sold to jewelry store or gold buyers.
    44. Camcorder - to be sold.
    45. Winter coat that's too small - to be donated to a local church for their Thanksgiving give-away to needy people,
    46. Bag of manure that's been sitting in the shed for 2 years - to be dug into the garden.
    47. 3 plastic TV dinner trays - to be donated for animal rescue garage sale.
    48. Worn-out length of carpet runner - hopefully to be recycled if I can find somewhere that will take it.
    49. Rebounder - to be donated to a local kid's recreation program.

    That's it for this week.  It is getting a little harder, and now I have to work at actually getting the stuff to where it needs to go.
    Turns out that the roommate is moving sooner than expected, but I'll still stick with the 100 item challenge.  Now that I'm halfway there, I suspect I won't be able to find more than 100 things to declutter.  (Unless I count all my roommate's stuff she'll be taking with her!)  Stay tuned to find out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 11, 2019, 09:21:16 PM
    A book, two tops, a pair of trousers, merino leggings, two necklaces and a key holder moved to the donation pile. Chipping away at this, and I think if I look through the stored clothing [capsule wardrobe] there will be more things for the discard piles.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 12, 2019, 08:50:25 AM
    A book, two tops, a pair of trousers, merino leggings, two necklaces and a key holder moved to the donation pile. Chipping away at this, and I think if I look through the stored clothing [capsule wardrobe] there will be more things for the discard piles.

    I almost forgot it was curbside recycling day! Put my usual stuff out, then rooted around in the
     basement hoard  and found about a dozen empty cardboard boxes and put them out too. Still have a
    boatload of empty boxes for 'just in case', lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Gail2000 on August 12, 2019, 08:56:26 AM
    A book, two tops, a pair of trousers, merino leggings, two necklaces and a key holder moved to the donation pile. Chipping away at this, and I think if I look through the stored clothing [capsule wardrobe] there will be more things for the discard piles.

    I almost forgot it was curbside recycling day! Put my usual stuff out, then rooted around in the
     basement hoard  and found about a dozen empty cardboard boxes and put them out too. Still have a
    boatload of empty boxes for 'just in case', lol.

    Is t that the way? It never fails that I need a box after I clear them out.

    I am accumulating a box full of things before I bring it to the charity shop. I am targeting my wardrobe this week. And hopefully the kids toys that are leachin*their way out of the corner. Her birthday is coming soon...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 12, 2019, 12:11:29 PM
    -At least 50 pounds of paper documents were burned Saturday night.
    -2 boxes of older stuffed animals and random items will be dropped off at Goodwill this week.
    -Another box of not so old stuffed animals will go to the police department to be used by first responders in children involved emergency situations.
    -A bag full of stickers, barely used Crayons, and other items was dropped off at our 3rd grade teacher neighbor's house this morning (I texted her last night to confirm she can use them).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 12, 2019, 03:07:06 PM
    -At least 50 pounds of paper documents were burned Saturday night.
    -2 boxes of older stuffed animals and random items will be dropped off at Goodwill this week.
    -Another box of not so old stuffed animals will go to the police department to be used by first responders in children involved emergency situations.
    -A bag full of stickers, barely used Crayons, and other items was dropped off at our 3rd grade teacher neighbor's house this morning (I texted her last night to confirm she can use them).

    Wow, 50 pounds of paper burned! Good.  Where? Outdoors? Bonfire?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 13, 2019, 11:52:36 AM
    -At least 50 pounds of paper documents were burned Saturday night.
    -2 boxes of older stuffed animals and random items will be dropped off at Goodwill this week.
    -Another box of not so old stuffed animals will go to the police department to be used by first responders in children involved emergency situations.
    -A bag full of stickers, barely used Crayons, and other items was dropped off at our 3rd grade teacher neighbor's house this morning (I texted her last night to confirm she can use them).

    Wow, 50 pounds of paper burned! Good.  Where? Outdoors? Bonfire?

    Yes, complete with adult beverages and garden hose, LOL.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 14, 2019, 04:17:36 PM
    I've been on a tear this summer, mostly because I'm on sabbatical & have the time & energy. I've made $920 on eBay, and more on our local site, so about $1,000 selling things. Our donation pile is huge & ready to be dropped off. I need to do that this week. So far today:
    -Listed a necklace, dress, bra & 2 ties on eBay
    -Added a shirt & a zippered toiletry bag to the donation pile
    -Gathered around 15 items for ThredUp, which I'll try out for the first time as soon as my bag arrives
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on August 14, 2019, 05:06:31 PM
    The Garage.  The one area that's been a bit neglected in my push toward minimalism.  Today while my car was getting tree sap removed from it, I swept the whole garage, got all cobwebs out of the entire place, top to bottom, and started removing shelves, hooks, and other crap that was just sitting there and would never be used. 

    Result?  A clean garage and about half decluttered.  Gotta wait till trash gets picked up on Friday, then the ruthless culling can continue.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 15, 2019, 07:15:56 AM
    The Garage.  The one area that's been a bit neglected in my push toward minimalism.  Today while my car was getting tree sap removed from it, I swept the whole garage, got all cobwebs out of the entire place, top to bottom, and started removing shelves, hooks, and other crap that was just sitting there and would never be used. 

    Result?  A clean garage and about half decluttered.  Gotta wait till trash gets picked up on Friday, then the ruthless culling can continue.

    This reminds me that I have some rooms I haven't even started on yet!

    And congratulations on just throwing out the stuff instead of spending time trying to reuse or donate.   

    My garage is OK. I can get my car in, but the sides are full of stuff.   


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on August 16, 2019, 01:18:15 AM
    The Garage.  The one area that's been a bit neglected in my push toward minimalism.  Today while my car was getting tree sap removed from it, I swept the whole garage, got all cobwebs out of the entire place, top to bottom, and started removing shelves, hooks, and other crap that was just sitting there and would never be used. 

    Result?  A clean garage and about half decluttered.  Gotta wait till trash gets picked up on Friday, then the ruthless culling can continue.

    This is very impressive. The garage is an ugly, scary monster.

    I'm facing a harsh reality: due to some weight gain over the past year, neither my other half nor I can fit into some of our pants. The reason this is hard is that many of these pants do actually "spark joy." Sigh. I hate to keep any clothes that don't fit, but the ones that spark the most joy AND are closest to fitting will be kept at this time. I've put them in a separate pile so I am not faced with accidentally trying them on in the mornings. Part of the issue is that, due to my height, I have trouble getting pants I like in the first place. So when I find them, I get really attached. I almost need to categorize these as sentimental items, and then see if I make any progress towards fitting back into them over the next year. If not, then I suppose they can go. At some point in the future they will be mostly out of style anyway, so there is a limited time window for my silly hope that these pants will be worn by me again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 16, 2019, 06:09:33 AM
    Finally have some real space in front of the TV in the living room. I can walk around in a circle there now. It feels like the Grand Canyon!   

    Still plenty left. Still sorting and throwing out, recycling, donating and selling (and sometimes keeping when appropriate).

    I just realized I have starting visualizing my house totally barren when I am done decluttering, but must remember to keep some stuff !   

    Another concern : what to have as a "purpose" when and if all the clutter is gone?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on August 16, 2019, 06:52:26 AM
    ^Well, @slackmax, Marie Kondo turned her decluttering skill into a lucrative business helping others declutter. Side hustle if you really like it? Or, you will be free to go outside and exercise, watch a movie, volunteer, etc. That will be great!

    I actually don't think you need to keep much. Clear it all out unless you come across something that you absolutely love. Clean up really good. Once it's cleared out, visualize exactly how you want the space to look, perhaps from home shows on TV or something like that, and go on Craigslist looking for things that match your wishes.

    One of my family members had a fire that destroyed everything. In a month or two on Craigslist we were able to refurnish a whole house with items that completely matched his style desire (he wanted modern looking things.) It took some time to do that, but you'll have time once you've decluttered!

    Used furniture is often very cheap, the price is often negotiable, and it's really cheap if someone is moving and wants to get rid of everything, so refurnishing is easier to manage than you probably think. Before the fire he had a mishmash of things that he mostly was either ambivalent about or hated . . . in the fire he only lost one piece of furniture, a big bureau, that he had picked out and really, really loved. He lost some sentimental smaller items, like photos and drawings, but, once he got through the trauma of it all, he was actually happy to have the opportunity to begin anew with feathering his nest the way he wanted it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on August 16, 2019, 08:09:25 AM
    ^Well, @slackmax, Marie Kondo turned her decluttering skill into a lucrative business helping others declutter. Side hustle if you really like it? Or, you will be free to go outside and exercise, watch a movie, volunteer, etc. That will be great!

    Yeah, honestly, I think minimalism is due for a more 'every man' rebranding. It's not a like... fringe thing, or just an urban thing, or just a female thing anymore. But when you look at the faces of minimalism, that's a lot of what you see. I've never seen someone declutter a nascar mancave, you know? =P And I don't know Slackmax, but the way you write it definitely comes across as the approachable neighbor type of a thing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Gail2000 on August 17, 2019, 03:02:06 AM
    I attacked the toys! I accepted the resistance and gave in to a few “but I LOVE this”. She is almost 6 so let’s face it: all things are treasures. Even slime put in the mesh side pocket of her school bag ( oh she still wanted that too but off the old bag went). I am on holidays so that took half a day and left the rest to fun and building a canoe rack for our tip.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 17, 2019, 07:46:31 AM
    Well, it's taken over a week, but was finally able to recycle 4 pieces of paper. They represent my task lists at work for Jan to April.  I've been pulled in so many directions that haven't had the time to tackle all the tiny tasks that are part of my core job. But that's hopefully changing! These 4 papers are evidence.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 17, 2019, 08:59:46 AM
    ^Well, @slackmax, Marie Kondo turned her decluttering skill into a lucrative business helping others declutter. Side hustle if you really like it? Or, you will be free to go outside and exercise, watch a movie, volunteer, etc. That will be great!

    Yeah, honestly, I think minimalism is due for a more 'every man' rebranding. It's not a like... fringe thing, or just an urban thing, or just a female thing anymore. But when you look at the faces of minimalism, that's a lot of what you see. I've never seen someone declutter a nascar mancave, you know? =P And I don't know Slackmax, but the way you write it definitely comes across as the approachable neighbor type of a thing.

    Random comments:  (and some self-indulgent stuff, sorry)

    Sometimes I go out to social events to get away from the decluttering. I feel like I ought to be decluttering 8 hours a day, but that's just too much. In reality, I spend about 10 hours a week decluttering. And that's slow, careful decluttering.   

    I also sometimes use decluttering as a way to avoid worrying about decisions I have to make about prosaic things like what new dentist to pick, or what contractor to use to repair something. So then I like having the decluttering available as an escape.

    Also some grief involved since my girlfriend's death was the beginning of all the decluttering. (She was a hoarder). I think the decluttering makes me feel like I'm getting her out of my life finally. It was finally "OK" for me to take 2 pairs of her old shoes to the textiles recycling place yesterday, for example.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on August 17, 2019, 09:12:39 AM
    ^Well, @slackmax, Marie Kondo turned her decluttering skill into a lucrative business helping others declutter. Side hustle if you really like it? Or, you will be free to go outside and exercise, watch a movie, volunteer, etc. That will be great!

    Yeah, honestly, I think minimalism is due for a more 'every man' rebranding. It's not a like... fringe thing, or just an urban thing, or just a female thing anymore. But when you look at the faces of minimalism, that's a lot of what you see. I've never seen someone declutter a nascar mancave, you know? =P And I don't know Slackmax, but the way you write it definitely comes across as the approachable neighbor type of a thing.

    Random comments:  (and some self-indulgent stuff, sorry)

    Sometimes I go out to social events to get away from the decluttering. I feel like I ought to be decluttering 8 hours a day, but that's just too much. In reality, I spend about 10 hours a week decluttering. And that's slow, careful decluttering.   

    I also sometimes use decluttering as a way to avoid worrying about decisions I have to make about prosaic things like what new dentist to pick, or what contractor to use to repair something. So then I like having the decluttering available as an escape.

    Also some grief involved since my girlfriend's death was the beginning of all the decluttering. (She was a hoarder). I think the decluttering makes me feel like I'm getting her out of my life finally. It was finally "OK" for me to take 2 pairs of her old shoes to the textiles recycling place yesterday, for example.   

    That's the big thing with decluttering, isn't it? On the surface, it may feel like just going through your stuff. But there is SO much more going on. And complex grief can definitely make it incredibly overwhelming. You're making great progress. I *am* glad to hear you haven't let it take over your entire life. Like you said before- there still needs to be stuff to go to when you're done!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 18, 2019, 02:08:58 PM
    Due to a house project that is happening in 2 phases, I have 95% of my desk packed away in a tubby. There's about 2 things I've wanted out of that tub in the past month. I'm going to have to be critical when unpacking it - there's things I need annually (Christmas cards), things I can't get rid of (oversize important papers), and the rest will be considered for decluttering. But first, I need to get carpet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 18, 2019, 04:57:11 PM
    Due to a house project that is happening in 2 phases, I have 95% of my desk packed away in a tubby. There's about 2 things I've wanted out of that tub in the past month. I'm going to have to be critical when unpacking it - there's things I need annually (Christmas cards), things I can't get rid of (oversize important papers), and the rest will be considered for decluttering. But first, I need to get carpet.

    I am also finding that the longer stuff is packed away, the more I realise there is a lot I can do without.  2 moves in 5 weeks is very educational.  ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 18, 2019, 08:05:18 PM
    I just helped my mum Kondo her books. We identified the bookshelf she wants to take in her move, I took all the books out and she just worked out what she wanted to go into the shelf and what could be discarded. She did great. No more books that make her feel bad about herself!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on August 18, 2019, 08:15:21 PM
    I just helped my mum Kondo her books. We identified the bookshelf she wants to take in her move, I took all the books out and she just worked out what she wanted to go into the shelf and what could be discarded. She did great. No more books that make her feel bad about herself!

    Love it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Gail2000 on August 18, 2019, 08:19:12 PM
    Another car load to the thrift store! I feel relieved and lighter. In this case I have decluttered as I walked through a room and got obvious stuff out. My target next week is going to be more precise. I am aiming for a drawer of pictures.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on August 19, 2019, 12:23:06 PM
    One big bag off to the Diabetes Association.  I haven't been posting much over the past month, but I am still working on the decluttering.  I have a huge pile of things to finally offload to DS now that he has a house.  We will no longer be his storage unit - yay!   Also a growing pile for donation that just needs to be boxed up.

    House goes up for sale next April - it's going to take me that long to get rid of everything!  We used to move every 7 or 8 years, which was a good way to enforce decluttering.  But have been in this house for over 20 years, and it's mind boggling how many things you can collect/forget about in that time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 19, 2019, 06:29:06 PM
    I have another single page ready to be shred. Since I don't have a shredder, I'll take it to work with me tomorrow. This page I had written all my passwords on. It took a year, but they are all in my password manager now. I'm moving apartments, and the shame of having this project still incomplete after my year lease was up was my motivation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 20, 2019, 07:43:40 AM
    Two things.

    First, Marie Kondo was a question on Jeopardy last night. (By the way, I knew the answer for Final Jeopardy, Miles Standish, and the 3 contestants did not! What do I win? lol  )

    Second, I almost sold an old 1975 issue of National Lampoon for $1 at the rummage sale, or was going to donate it to lib, in my decluttering just-get-rid-of-everything frenzy. But...... I took the time to google it, and this magazine is worth $29 plus shipping, minimum, on Amazon, lots of entries. 


     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on August 20, 2019, 08:21:00 AM
    Two things.

    First, Marie Kondo was a question on Jeopardy last night. (By the way, I knew the answer for Final Jeopardy, Miles Standish, and the 3 contestants did not! What do I win? lol  )

    Second, I almost sold an old 1975 issue of National Lampoon for $1 at the rummage sale, or was going to donate it to lib, in my decluttering just-get-rid-of-everything frenzy. But...... I took the time to google it, and this magazine is worth $29 plus shipping, minimum, on Amazon, lots of entries.

    Lots of entries often means it's not actually selling at that price. Supply>demand.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on August 20, 2019, 08:32:46 AM
    Two things.

    First, Marie Kondo was a question on Jeopardy last night. (By the way, I knew the answer for Final Jeopardy, Miles Standish, and the 3 contestants did not! What do I win? lol  )

    Second, I almost sold an old 1975 issue of National Lampoon for $1 at the rummage sale, or was going to donate it to lib, in my decluttering just-get-rid-of-everything frenzy. But...... I took the time to google it, and this magazine is worth $29 plus shipping, minimum, on Amazon, lots of entries.

    Lots of entries often means it's not actually selling at that price. Supply>demand.
    Yes, but price it at $25 plus shipping and yours will be the first to sell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 20, 2019, 10:56:16 AM
    De-cluttered: the flower vase collection sort of  - It is now 2/3 of its former size.  Two shelves are pristine empty.
    - some old magazines. Now there is room for all of the magazines on one shelf.  Once the shelf is full I will go again. This tidies up an area of my office and the dining room.
    -Worked on a couple of shelves in the garage. Shelves were nearly empty so the Hubs can take them down to insulate this wall.  We are not going insulated until the fall and hopefully on a cloudy day because we have to removed the solar panel inverter while insulation gets installed behind it.  Wish I had thought about this before it was installed.  But the shelves are getting de-cluttered. 
    - Worked on a couple other shelves by the back door.  All the old pots that I will never ever use are in the give away pile. The pots of soil are getting solarized for re-use and added compost.  It now looks like a nice little potting bench with garden supplies.  I was able to re-purpose some pots to up-pot two orchids that were so pot bound. 
    - DD went through the baking cupboard and consolidated ingredients, organized them and wiped down the shelves.  Love it now.  I feel like baking when I open it up.  I need to make a few things with molasses - three containers, corn-syrup - also three containers, pine nuts - enough for a lot of presto! etc etc etc.  Next time she tells me she is bored, I am asking her to do the pantry cupboards.
    I hit a couple of shelves on the door of the fridge and got rid of the unrecognizable and the super old.  I got an old bucket and filled it with hot water and cleaned out the jars so the glass could go in the recycling and the contents went straight into the composter.
    I was feeling really down about the clutter and just getting some shelves cleared out has given me the little boost to stop worrying about everyone else's stuff and just work on my stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 20, 2019, 01:39:30 PM
    I did a bunch of yard work today, & filled the bin with debris. So, getting rid of yard clutter? ;)

    I have decluttered the vast majority of our belongings, & while there is always more work to be done, I'm feeling pretty good about where we are. I did find one tablet cover that doesn't' fit any of our existing tablets, so into the donation bin it went. I'm hoping to go through one more cupboard & back through a few kitchen cabinets.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: 1967mama on August 21, 2019, 05:01:37 PM
    *Two garbage bags of clothes OUT

    *One box of books OUT
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on August 21, 2019, 08:50:32 PM
    Emptied out the storage boxes/baskets in pantry, bedroom and living room. Threw away or donated stuff I don't use. Kept the boxes, obvs, no point getting rid of something useful, but they're now stacked invisibly under the bed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on August 21, 2019, 10:45:35 PM
    Box of books off to the donation bin \o/

    Two bags of wood detritus out of the shed our old housemate neglected to clean out when he moved. Be used to plane wood meditatively and wow, that was a lot of wood shavings!
    Title: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jengod on August 21, 2019, 11:18:56 PM
    Threw away two stretched-out old bras.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 22, 2019, 06:03:44 AM
    Surprised myself. My bedroom is stacked with plastic bags of clothes up against the walls 5 feet high and on top of 2 desks. How could I get rid of these perfectly good clothes?  Well, I started with just one. Open bag, look at item, what could I sell it for? $1 at most, if it sells at all. Into the donation bag with it!

    I cleared out about 12 square feet of wall space yesterday. Must have removed 20 different clothing items, into the donation bag.

    After the twenty items, and the wall space nicely opening up, I started to feel the 'this is wrong' feeling (which makes no sense) and stopped decluttering.  Pretty sure I can get back into decluttering mode later on this wall. 

    I DID find one shawl type thing with a fancy 'made in Scotland'  tag, with 75% Mohair. Going to check that one out on Ebay. Kept it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on August 22, 2019, 06:33:16 AM
    Surprised myself. My bedroom is stacked with plastic bags of clothes up against the walls 5 feet high and on top of 2 desks. How could I get rid of these perfectly good clothes?  Well, I started with just one. Open bag, look at item, what could I sell it for? $1 at most, if it sells at all. Into the donation bag with it!

    I cleared out about 12 square feet of wall space yesterday. Must have removed 20 different clothing items, into the donation bag.

    After the twenty items, and the wall space nicely opening up, I started to feel the 'this is wrong' feeling (which makes no sense) and stopped decluttering.  Pretty sure I can get back into decluttering mode later on this wall. 

    I DID find one shawl type thing with a fancy 'made in Scotland'  tag, with 75% Mohair. Going to check that one out on Ebay. Kept it.
    Anything worth selling will probably have a good quality fabric, such as the mohair you've already found, and if you are handling that much clothing you will very quickly learn by feel what a good fabric feels like without even bothering with the label.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on August 22, 2019, 03:06:19 PM
    Bought 2 small glass shelves at IKEA for bathroom storage.  They replaced 2 mesh bags.  I tossed what was expired and kept only what I wanted.  Now these items are visible and easy accessible with the bonus of the bathroom being overall neater and nicer looking. 
    (it's another example of the way decluttering seems to work best for me:  after I figure out which type of storage or display unit would be most functional and attractive, then I can easily replace what wasn't useful and toss or donate the junk. I can't seem to do the process in reverse.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on August 22, 2019, 03:58:56 PM
    I had a few things kicking around in the freezer and pantry, mainly small servings of fruit (half a banana, quarter cup of strawberries etc). Friend of mine is having a birthday this weekend, and an idea was born!

    Found a fantastic recipe for home made ice cream (with just a handheld mixer, no churning machine needed). Bought a carton of heavy cream and a tin of condensed milk, added my pantry leftovers. I now have 5 little jars of home made ice cream: strawberry cheesecake,  banana/walnut/chocolate, mango/lime, salted caramel, and rose with sprinkles (because why not). First time making this recipe, it was so easy! My fridge and pantry are a little bit emptier and I'm sure my friend will be happy getting 5 flavors of ice cream.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 22, 2019, 04:54:28 PM
    I had a few things kicking around in the freezer and pantry, mainly small servings of fruit (half a banana, quarter cup of strawberries etc). Friend of mine is having a birthday this weekend, and an idea was born!

    Found a fantastic recipe for home made ice cream (with just a handheld mixer, no churning machine needed). Bought a carton of heavy cream and a tin of condensed milk, added my pantry leftovers. I now have 5 little jars of home made ice cream: strawberry cheesecake,  banana/walnut/chocolate, mango/lime, salted caramel, and rose with sprinkles (because why not). First time making this recipe, it was so easy! My fridge and pantry are a little bit emptier and I'm sure my friend will be happy getting 5 flavors of ice cream.
    [/quote

    Now that you have tested the recipe, could you please post the web site for the rest of us?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on August 22, 2019, 08:04:29 PM
    I had a few things kicking around in the freezer and pantry, mainly small servings of fruit (half a banana, quarter cup of strawberries etc). Friend of mine is having a birthday this weekend, and an idea was born!

    Found a fantastic recipe for home made ice cream (with just a handheld mixer, no churning machine needed). Bought a carton of heavy cream and a tin of condensed milk, added my pantry leftovers. I now have 5 little jars of home made ice cream: strawberry cheesecake,  banana/walnut/chocolate, mango/lime, salted caramel, and rose with sprinkles (because why not). First time making this recipe, it was so easy! My fridge and pantry are a little bit emptier and I'm sure my friend will be happy getting 5 flavors of ice cream.

    That is a great present. I would love to get a present like that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on August 23, 2019, 04:38:21 AM
    I had a few things kicking around in the freezer and pantry, mainly small servings of fruit (half a banana, quarter cup of strawberries etc). Friend of mine is having a birthday this weekend, and an idea was born!

    Found a fantastic recipe for home made ice cream (with just a handheld mixer, no churning machine needed). Bought a carton of heavy cream and a tin of condensed milk, added my pantry leftovers. I now have 5 little jars of home made ice cream: strawberry cheesecake,  banana/walnut/chocolate, mango/lime, salted caramel, and rose with sprinkles (because why not). First time making this recipe, it was so easy! My fridge and pantry are a little bit emptier and I'm sure my friend will be happy getting 5 flavors of ice cream.

    Now that you have tested the recipe, could you please post the web site for the rest of us?

    +1, please share!  I've got some apricot slices in my freezer that keep getting passed over for smoothies...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 23, 2019, 04:47:55 AM
    Bought 2 small glass shelves at IKEA for bathroom storage.  They replaced 2 mesh bags.  I tossed what was expired and kept only what I wanted.  Now these items are visible and easy accessible with the bonus of the bathroom being overall neater and nicer looking. 
    (it's another example of the way decluttering seems to work best for me:  after I figure out which type of storage or display unit would be most functional and attractive, then I can easily replace what wasn't useful and toss or donate the junk. I can't seem to do the process in reverse.)

    I find that after I've tried to sell an item at my weekly rummage sale, and it doesn't sell for a few weeks, even at a very low price, I am eager and happy to donate it or toss it, lol.  Otherwise, there's that feeling of 'loss' when donating or tossing it.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on August 23, 2019, 10:28:34 AM
    Well, our big moving day is tomorrow. I was gone last week to drive with my son across the country to college, so that was a car-load of stuff out of my house! And my oldest kid, sigh. I know he is so excited, and I'm really excited for him, but the other coast is so far away!

    Anyway, I didn't get as much decluttering done before the move as I had hoped. The summer got away from me, between two trips and work and everything else. I know that we'll probably have to do some VVA pick ups at the new house too. I guess I'll just be really ruthless while unpacking since we are down to "throw all the things left in boxes and sort it out later" this afternoon...oh well. The sellers left a giant ugly mirror and I already have 5 people interested on buy nothing so that should be gone today or tomorrow, I hope.

    I still have some not-great furniture that I need to deal with, but the buyers aren't moving in until the following weekend and I can leave some stuff in the garage to deal with next week. I am NOT looking forward to especially the next week or two (and the next month overall) but we are now entirely debt free except for a 160k mortgage, so that will make it all worth it in the end. :) There will be more decluttering reports from me in the next few weeks for sure!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 24, 2019, 04:30:30 AM
    I have decluttered on a huge scale - for me - over the past couple of weeks. I have a big bag of rags which has lived under my laundry sink for the last 7 years which I have never used. They are going to the op shop' which sells bags of rags for $8AUD to tradies. Now I have several old towels neatly stacked in the cupboard to mop up spills. If I need more rags I will cut up a towel.

    Rearranged my kitchen cupboards so everything stacks neatly. Took 2 minutes. Previously, I would swear every time I wanted the wok, or splatterguard, or a baking tray. Now everything is easily accessible. Donated an 8 pocket rectangular loaf tin.

    Cleaned out my baking drawer, which I had been dreading. It was full of stuff I used when the kids were younger: icing pens, sprinkles, food dyes. It made me very nostalgic for more innocent and fun times. I hardly bake any more as our tastes have changed and there is only 1 almost adult kid living at home, but I allowed myself to mourn the passing of time.

    The biggest effort was completed by my husband who completely decluttered our sheds in order to host a golfers' weekend. It all looks fantastic and spacious. Just need to get a friend to pick up our 2nd fridge which we are giving away, and find a home for 2 fireplace guards.

    I feel a little bereft now, as I will have to wait 6 weeks to fully declutter and organise the 16 year old's room when we get it painted. Would really love to hire myself out to help others but am a little scared of putting myself out there...

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on August 24, 2019, 09:17:34 AM
    Bought a much smaller desk, so now my mega-desk that's been on indefinite loan from my Brother can go back to him. This makes a lot more room in the office/guest space/kinda nursery. Means the bassinet in there can be against the wall, rather than pretty much in the middle of the room. It also gives me less desktop space, which will reduce my (and AHEM my husband's) dumping of random things on my desk. This also means, if we decide the pack n play in our bedroom isn't cutting it, we'll be able to make room for a full size crib.

    So, a little improvement now, hopefully stem more mess later, and give us flexibility for later! For $25, I think this is all around a pretty clear win.

    I did also find some papers to shred and recycle, and some bits and bobs to donate, while transferring the desk over.

    I hardly bake any more as our tastes have changed and there is only 1 almost adult kid living at home, but I allowed myself to mourn the passing of time.

    That's such an important step <3
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 24, 2019, 07:30:40 PM
    The painter came last week to do 2 projects that I am not capable of doing (I do mostly DIY painting, but the 2nd floor and stairwell are no-gos). One can of paint in the trash!

    Put a couple items of clothing in the go away box. Mostly, been decluttering the to-do list more than physical items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: 1967mama on August 24, 2019, 09:37:11 PM
    Salvaged 3 boxes from the latest Costco run. My plan is that if I put them upstairs where all the stuff is that needs to be declutterred, I will get to it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 25, 2019, 10:01:40 PM
    Not sure what to do with a drawer full of artists acrylic paints. The kids used them in their art classes but that was 5 years ago. I should let them go, but something is holding me back. I crochet, knit and quilt and will never use them myself. Maybe I am finding it so difficult because they are a reminder if the time before everyone became surgically attached to their phones. Sigh.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 25, 2019, 10:03:34 PM
    What, no one noticed my missing Week 8 report?  I'm disappointed in you folks!
    My excuse is that I was out of town with only my phone, then discovered I'd forgotten to bring my charger and the battery was already low, so didn't want to drain it further.  So I now have 2 weeks of stuff to report.

    Weeks 8 & 9:

    50. Make- up brush - thrift store.
    51. Straw sun hat, brand new, with tag - to be offered to relative.
    52. CD - accidentally bought a duplicate of one I had, so to be returned to store.
    53. 2 paint cans - to be taken to hardware store for recycling.
    54. Paperback - set aside for animal shelter garage sale.
    55. 3 plastic food containers I never use - same garage sale.
    56. Plastic lettuce keeper - garage sale.
    57. 3 final plant pots - thrift store.
    58. 2 useable rug remnants - thrift store.
    59. Makeshift 2 x 4 "table" - to be taken apart and wood given to family member.
    60. Small end table - garage sale.
    61. Pile of pens - dried out, so ordered refills from EBay, and once received, will be donated to thrift store.  Is this going too far in the name of conservation?  Most people would just pitch them.
    62. Miscellaneous horse stuff - some will be given to garage sale but I might try to sell some things, like a saddle pad, stirrups and brushes.  I've held onto this stuff for way too long, both because it reminds me of my departed horses, and also because it's hard to acknowledge that my riding days are over.  I'll keep a few key pieces, but it's time to let the rest go and be of use to someone else.
    63. Bike, brand new with tags - can't do bike riding anymore either, so will sell it.

    I feel like I'm now into decluttering more significant stuff, both emotionally, and in terms of value and freed-up space.  While one part of me appreciates more clear space in the house, another part is somehow feeling less protected and more exposed.  The ton of little things I've gotten rid of in this challenge and in previous years has been a relief, but now it's definitely getting psychologically harder.  But I will persevere anyway, because I'm not a quitter! I'm sure I will adjust.  Onwards!



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 26, 2019, 05:04:18 AM
    Not sure what to do with a drawer full of artists acrylic paints. The kids used them in their art classes but that was 5 years ago. I should let them go, but something is holding me back. I crochet, knit and quilt and will never use them myself. Maybe I am finding it so difficult because they are a reminder if the time before everyone became surgically attached to their phones. Sigh.

    I'm coming across lots of painting supplies in my decluttering. Paint of all sorts, and brushes too. I don't have the emotional attachment to it that you do, since my girl friend, who hoarded the supplies,  never painted. 

    No one wants to buy them on Craigslist, so I put them all in a big box, snuck them all into the crafting room at my mom's retirement place when no one was looking! 

    (BTW, I'm still finding more painting supplies as I go deeper into the hoard. )
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 26, 2019, 05:24:12 AM
    What, no one noticed my missing Week 8 report?  I'm disappointed in you folks!
     ....................


    61. Pile of pens - dried out, so ordered refills from EBay, and once received, will be donated to thrift store.  Is this going too far in the name of conservation?  Most people would just pitch them.

    >>>>>  not me. I test out all the pens I find and keep them if they work. When they don't work, it makes me happy since I can throw them out. I have hundreds of pens. I never keep the free pens at the bank.   <<<<<<

    ................................

    I feel like I'm now into decluttering more significant stuff, both emotionally, and in terms of value and freed-up space.  While one part of me appreciates more clear space in the house, another part is somehow feeling less protected and more exposed.  The ton of little things I've gotten rid of in this challenge and in previous years has been a relief, but now it's definitely getting psychologically harder.  But I will persevere anyway, because I'm not a quitter! I'm sure I will adjust.  Onwards!

    I'm getting a wary feeling now that more floor space is being exposed. Glad, but wary. Hmmmm.  (lying on couch for Freudian psychoanalysis, lol)   And I've been at this for 2 and a half years now! I must have recycled a thousand pounds of paper clutter. And donated, sold, or thrown out hundreds of individual things.

     
     

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 26, 2019, 06:50:11 AM

    I feel like I'm now into decluttering more significant stuff, both emotionally, and in terms of value and freed-up space.  While one part of me appreciates more clear space in the house, another part is somehow feeling less protected and more exposed.  The ton of little things I've gotten rid of in this challenge and in previous years has been a relief, but now it's definitely getting psychologically harder.  But I will persevere anyway, because I'm not a quitter! I'm sure I will adjust.  Onwards!

    I read years ago on a decluttering forum that the hard decluttering is when we declutter things that were aspirational or part of former activities.  Because when we declutter those things, we are admitting/acknowledging to ourselves that we will never be that person, or be that person again.

    When I moved to the apartment, and therefore decluttered my life by getting rid of a house, I had to acknowledge that I am no longer the Mom whose daughter visits and sleeps over.  I am also no longer a heavy-duty gardener, since selling the house means I also decluttered a whole garden out of my life.  I know we don't tend to think of these major life changes as decluttering, but they are, on a larger scale - after all, I could have moved to a house or town house and had the spare bedroom and a smaller garden.  But they are gone from my life now.  And of course I have also decluttered the job description of "general contractor for my house".    ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 26, 2019, 09:21:37 AM
    Glad to see I'm not alone in these feelings.  I'm surrounded by people who throw things out without a second thought!  I think as I age (58 now), there's definitely a loss of identity in ridding myself of certain things, and knowing it's the start of continual future losses as I get even older is hard.  The acquisition years were a whole lot easier.

    I'll get my note book, Slackmax, I'm a retired psychologist!  Oh, the irony!  How far along to finished would you say you are, in terms of percentage?  I think I'm about 80 % there, and I've been at it about the same amount of time, but it sounds like you're starting with way more stuff.

    RetiredAt63, I don't look forward to that kind of move.  I know I will hang onto my house as long as possible, and I see my dad, who's 88, doing the same thing.  I want to WANT to move, and not be forced by circumstances, like health issues.  I'm not really a "go with the flow" kind of person.  I like my control!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 26, 2019, 07:04:47 PM
    For the art supplies - would the art program at the local school like them? Assuming there is an art program. If not, I'm sure you could find an after school program that's on a budget or similar.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 26, 2019, 07:14:05 PM
    Convinced my husband to part with a hanging garment bag that he's never used & had for several years. It's a very nice Tumi, so I will attempt to sell it on eBay. I've asked all summer for him to come up with a list of things I can sell or donate, but he's a bit of a clutter bug, so this is a big step.

    For helping others, I also listed 4 really nice clothing items from my sister on eBay. She's struggling financially, and I have a bunch of eBay listings already up, so it's easy to help out. At any rate, these are now out of her house & soon enough will be out of mine.

    Received my ThredUp bag today, & I'll be putting a bunch of kid clothes (already gathered, ready to go) into the bag & a few of my items. I've heard you don't get much, but the items are currently getting zero use, so anything would be a bonus.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 27, 2019, 01:50:54 AM
    The drawer of paints will get dealt with as a 2 part process. Last night I went through and binned  all the dried out tubes, and put aside all the duplicate colours (had sets for both kids). One set is going to a friend who home schools, and I am -temporarily - holding on to the other lot for my daughter wwhen she comes home on her Uni break next month. I will donate them if she doesn't want them.  But at least I have cleared out a whole drawer as they all fit with the drawing pencils/charcoals etc. I put the mini tubes of watercolours on my desk and if i don't use them by the end if the year they are gone.  *Love* an empty drawer!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 27, 2019, 04:39:43 AM
    Convinced my husband to part with a hanging garment bag that he's never used & had for several years. It's a very nice Tumi, so I will attempt to sell it on eBay. I've asked all summer for him to come up with a list of things I can sell or donate, but he's a bit of a clutter bug, so this is a big step.

    For helping others, I also listed 4 really nice clothing items from my sister on eBay. She's struggling financially, and I have a bunch of eBay listings already up, so it's easy to help out. At any rate, these are now out of her house & soon enough will be out of mine.

    Received my ThredUp bag today, & I'll be putting a bunch of kid clothes (already gathered, ready to go) into the bag & a few of my items. I've heard you don't get much, but the items are currently getting zero use, so anything would be a bonus.

    Maybebabymoustache, can you comment on ebay charging taxes on sales? When you make a listing I believe you can opt out of collecting taxes. My state (CT) has a clause that says "If you're located in state and making casual and occasional sales only (i.e., not running a business or using a resale certificate) you are not required to register for sales tax." My question is, seems ebay is charging tax on everything sold on ebay. So, what is the responsibility of the seller in regard to the taxes ebay has collected? I used to be an avid seller and want to start selling again, but this tax thing has me perplexed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 27, 2019, 06:30:50 AM
    Glad to see I'm not alone in these feelings.  I'm surrounded by people who throw things out without a second thought!  I think as I age (58 now), there's definitely a loss of identity in ridding myself of certain things, and knowing it's the start of continual future losses as I get even older is hard.  The acquisition years were a whole lot easier.

    I'll get my note book, Slackmax, I'm a retired psychologist!  Oh, the irony!  How far along to finished would you say you are, in terms of percentage?  I think I'm about 80 % there, and I've been at it about the same amount of time, but it sounds like you're starting with way more stuff.

    RetiredAt63, I don't look forward to that kind of move.  I know I will hang onto my house as long as possible, and I see my dad, who's 88, doing the same thing.  I want to WANT to move, and not be forced by circumstances, like health issues.  I'm not really a "go with the flow" kind of person.  I like my control!

    Psych major here, Sunnydays!  Skinner, Maslow, Adler, et al.   Remember Transactional Analysis? Those were the days, lol.

    Yes, I started with a house straight out of 'Hoarders'. Pathways through very tightly packed 'stuff' in every room except bathrooms.

    I'd say I'm about 51% done.  And no matter how many trips I make to the Salvation Army, it always looks 51% done. Maybe because as I take the piles apart, the clutter expands into the open space.

    I'm consolidating some stuff, and just relocating some stuff. But I'm not taking any new stuff in, so I know that the clutter is going OUT.   

    I spend a lot of time and effort trying to sell stuff, like old printers, 'rare' magazines, etc because I only feel right about donating it if I can't sell it, or can get very little for it. 

    My parents were both non-hoarders. Nice stuff out with the trash every week when they were downsizing. I saw the garbage men take stuff into the passenger part of the truck sometimes, lol.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 27, 2019, 07:30:57 AM
    RetiredAt63, I don't look forward to that kind of move.  I know I will hang onto my house as long as possible, and I see my dad, who's 88, doing the same thing.  I want to WANT to move, and not be forced by circumstances, like health issues.  I'm not really a "go with the flow" kind of person.  I like my control!

    Oh, I like my control too.  And I understand staying, my grandmother stayed in her house until she was 90.  Despite my inner gardener screaming at me, I wanted to move.  The reasons to move were much more compelling than the reasons to stay.  And I am basically healthy, and want to do things that having a house would make quite difficult.  I think this kind of move is a lot easier done sooner rather than later.  And I have to admit, the house I planned to live in until I was carried out feet first was 2 houses ago.  Leaving that house hurt.  There was no major emotional attachment to the house I just sold.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 27, 2019, 07:33:22 AM
    Convinced my husband to part with a hanging garment bag that he's never used & had for several years. It's a very nice Tumi, so I will attempt to sell it on eBay. I've asked all summer for him to come up with a list of things I can sell or donate, but he's a bit of a clutter bug, so this is a big step.

    For helping others, I also listed 4 really nice clothing items from my sister on eBay. She's struggling financially, and I have a bunch of eBay listings already up, so it's easy to help out. At any rate, these are now out of her house & soon enough will be out of mine.

    Received my ThredUp bag today, & I'll be putting a bunch of kid clothes (already gathered, ready to go) into the bag & a few of my items. I've heard you don't get much, but the items are currently getting zero use, so anything would be a bonus.

    Maybebabymoustache, can you comment on ebay charging taxes on sales? When you make a listing I believe you can opt out of collecting taxes. My state (CT) has a clause that says "If you're located in state and making casual and occasional sales only (i.e., not running a business or using a resale certificate) you are not required to register for sales tax." My question is, seems ebay is charging tax on everything sold on ebay. So, what is the responsibility of the seller in regard to the taxes ebay has collected? I used to be an avid seller and want to start selling again, but this tax thing has me perplexed

    Wow, I haven't looked into the sales tax thing, but I certainly will. That's really interesting. I'll need to see what the requirements are in CA.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 27, 2019, 11:12:46 AM
    For the art supplies - would the art program at the local school like them? Assuming there is an art program. If not, I'm sure you could find an after school program that's on a budget or similar.

    +1

    I second donating to the school.  I (finally) started cleaning out my home office/gym closet and desk a few weekends ago.  I donated barely used Crayons, several unopened note pads, stickers, and several other items to our neighbor who teaches third grade.  She was very grateful.

    Regarding clothing:  I donated 3 carefully selected tops, a belt, and some toiletries including a package of pretty, unused emery boards, to a local thrift shop last week.  The tops are 3X, and the store person said they are always looking for larger sizes. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 27, 2019, 01:33:14 PM
    I have been able to get back into doing little tiny zones of clutter removal.  It feels so good just to achieve one small thing. What is great is that it doesn't take long and I don't need to ask anyone's permission.  I can feel the 'clean' of having a drawer or shelf empty of old and dusty junk. 
    One area I have been working on:
    I inherited my grandmothers sewing machine and supplies almost twenty years ago.  The machine has its own piece of furniture it drops down into with three drawers on one side.  I have never done anything with the junk in those drawers.  She had kept every bit and bob ever.  I just boxed them up in smaller boxes that came with all the supplies and shoved them in those drawers.  If someone gave me something sewing related, I just stuffed it in there.  So I started with one box - metal bits into the recycling, and plastic into the garbage.  Smelly card board boxes also into the recycling.  When I got the sewing machine, I couldn't throw out anything but now I look at those rusty pins and think - why are these here?  I like being able to open the drawer and see my sharp fabric scissors and not get a nose full of dusty moldy. 
    In addition to getting rid of what was essentially garbage in those three drawers, I was inspired to do a bunch a mending, hemming and even re-purposed a skirt that I love the fabric of but not the cut and a dress that was too big when I bought it on sale into a skirt that is great.  Two skirts that were too small got handed down to daughter who was very pleased as well.  A couple of other items that didn't suit anyone got donated. So now there is no pile a textiles on the ironing board either!  And the bin in the closet is now half empty.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on August 27, 2019, 01:57:26 PM
    Oh man, I am SO TIRED of stuff and more motivated than ever to get ride of more. We are still moving stuff out of the old garage (OMFG) and I cannot believe how much stuff we still have. I thought I had done a great job of decluttering and I realize I was nowhere near where I thought I was. Seriously, going from 3,690 to 1,642 square feet is NO JOKE. I am elated at the financial side, but dealing with all the stuff has been horrendous. We aren't bothering to sell most of it; it isn't worth our time (both engineers making 6 figures). I have a bunch of stuff to give my mom to sell on ebay and she can keep the proceeds. I have donated stuff to VVA, refugee groups. I've offered stuff up on buy nothing, gifted to friends, neighbors, and co-workers as appropriate. I am still overwhelmed by how much we have left. It's been extremely eye opening and alarming. I'm really glad to have a three day weekend coming up because I want to push through the unpacking and get rid of more stuff along the way. I hate that we got to the point of "throw everything in boxes and we'll deal with it on the other side" but with the oldest going off to college the week before the move, well, life got in the way.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on August 27, 2019, 02:15:05 PM
    I mended a cardigan, a pair of shorts, and one of my partner's sweaters on Sunday and brought them back into rotation. Clutter --> usable objects! Huzzah!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on August 27, 2019, 02:39:47 PM
    I mended a cardigan, a pair of shorts, and one of my partner's sweaters on Sunday and brought them back into rotation. Clutter --> usable objects! Huzzah!

    The best kind of decluttering!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 27, 2019, 06:29:49 PM
    Oh man, I am SO TIRED of stuff and more motivated than ever to get ride of more. We are still moving stuff out of the old garage (OMFG) and I cannot believe how much stuff we still have. I thought I had done a great job of decluttering and I realize I was nowhere near where I thought I was. Seriously, going from 3,690 to 1,642 square feet is NO JOKE. I am elated at the financial side, but dealing with all the stuff has been horrendous. We aren't bothering to sell most of it; it isn't worth our time (both engineers making 6 figures). I have a bunch of stuff to give my mom to sell on ebay and she can keep the proceeds. I have donated stuff to VVA, refugee groups. I've offered stuff up on buy nothing, gifted to friends, neighbors, and co-workers as appropriate. I am still overwhelmed by how much we have left. It's been extremely eye opening and alarming. I'm really glad to have a three day weekend coming up because I want to push through the unpacking and get rid of more stuff along the way. I hate that we got to the point of "throw everything in boxes and we'll deal with it on the other side" but with the oldest going off to college the week before the move, well, life got in the way.

    I feel for you/ with you. I just moved from a 1200 square foot 3 bedroom bungalow with a fully finished basement and a huge 2 car garage to a 920 square foot apartment with a parking spot and an almost 3 foot by almost 4 foot locker.  I started decluttering and donating 2 years ago and I  still had too much stuff.  I may still have too much stuff.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on August 27, 2019, 10:21:47 PM
    I received an expensive tote bag through work.

    I opened the parcel, emailed the person to say thank you for the bag, then immediately donated it to a charity which puts together hampers for women escaping domestic violence.

    She fulfilled her obligation to give me something. I used it as an opportunity to support one of my favourite charities. Easy come, easy go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 28, 2019, 03:15:27 PM
    @lazycow good going on the empty drawer!!!

    @MountainGal you have found excellent places for your excess!

    @Frugal Lizard getting rid of those drawers of dusty moldy...nice!

    @FireHiker I feel you on the "throw everything in boxes and we'll deal with it on the other side" phase.  Just accomplished my own move.  Commiseration.

    @diapasoun You're my inspiration! I will try to use your sterling example (and Frugal Lizard's) to get my own mending/sewing done. 

    @mustachepungoeshere I have done the same thing...no use keeping a thing you never had a need for!




    As mentioned in my last post on this thread, I've moved apartments.  I was able to cull 2 sizeable boxes before hitting the "just gotta get it moved" threshold & packed up everything that's left.  Those boxes have been donated, thankfully. 

    Also sold the extra bike, and should sell the hand truck to a Craigslist person tomorrow.  Hopefully he does not flake out.

    Up next are a socket wrench set, printer/scanner and the vacuum.  The new place has mostly hard floors, I don't need a "widepath" vacuum for sure.  Bedrooms are carpeted, so I may get a sweeper or stick vac...will check the thrift shops first for sure.  So that's less decluttering and more like down sizing :)

    Combined, this is a rather large footprint out the door (especially the bike); pleased with progress so far.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 28, 2019, 05:14:21 PM
    Everyone is doing great. I am starting to get some spaces in my previously double stacked bookshelves and taking a note from my mum, am getting rid of any books that make me feel bad. I am also deleting ebooks that I bought, didn't like but haven't got rid of yet. Why was I saving them? I don't want to reread them!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 28, 2019, 05:35:30 PM
    Filled a bag for ThredUp. It's getting picked up tomorrow, so I'll follow up with whether it was worthwhile. I've heard mixed feedback. I need to keep going & tackle the kitchen. It's pretty much the last frontier, as I've largely decluttered the rest of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Money Badger on August 28, 2019, 06:50:56 PM
    A basement clutter exorcism is done!    Had our college kids dorm/apt furniture stored temporarily for summer which was OK.   But that good stuff hid some “bad” stuff that we hadnt had the discipline to purge after our recent move.   Now 3 truckloads of donation runs later, 2 dining tables, cabinet, boxed triplicative china, misc chairs, old lamps and lots of old hand me downs are GONE!   Add a healthy curb trash load for things picky charities wouldn’t take in a good economy (I remember ‘09 they would take ANYTHING)   We now often stop and just gaze  at how cool the finished basement space is now without all the Clutter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 29, 2019, 06:27:52 AM
    A basement clutter exorcism is done!    Had our college kids dorm/apt furniture stored temporarily for summer which was OK.   But that good stuff hid some “bad” stuff that we hadnt had the discipline to purge after our recent move.   Now 3 truckloads of donation runs later, 2 dining tables, cabinet, boxed triplicative china, misc chairs, old lamps and lots of old hand me downs are GONE!   Add a healthy curb trash load for things picky charities wouldn’t take in a good economy (I remember ‘09 they would take ANYTHING)   We now often stop and just gaze  at how cool the finished basement space is now without all the Clutter!

    You have motivated me to donate at least one bag of never-used china and 'collector item' (ha ha) plastic Wawa 20 ounce cups  from my overstuffed kitchen cabinets. 
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on August 29, 2019, 08:53:40 PM
    Everyone is doing great. I am starting to get some spaces in my previously double stacked bookshelves and taking a note from my mum, am getting rid of any books that make me feel bad. I am also deleting ebooks that I bought, didn't like but haven't got rid of yet. Why was I saving them? I don't want to reread them!

    I've done book purges also. I only keep the ones that I have read and re-read, or ones that have sentimental value - like books I loved as a kid. Every so often I re-read those.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on August 30, 2019, 05:58:06 PM
    Decluttering is apparently invading my subconscious, because last night I had a dream that our master bedroom was this giant expanse with a big fireplace flanked by shelving all along one wall.  Suddenly I realized the previous homeowners had left various random tchochkes on those shelves, and I was going through trying to get rid of them.  Then I was shoving dirty clothes into a pile and wondering how it was such a big pile, and hadn't I just done laundry?  This wasn't as bad as a dream from a few weeks ago where the house had ceilings and shelving on approximately the scale of a CostCo warehouse, and I was aware that there were valuable antique books and things mixed in with the crap, and it was going to take me years to go through it all.

    And then I woke up and breathed a sigh of relief.

    I'm on staycation next week, so I'm sure I'll do some decluttering.  Right now I see some Priority Mail boxes that can go back to the Post Office.  I'll be getting some horse blankets cleaned and re-waterproofed so I can sell them once the weather cools a bit (no one seems to think about buying blankets until it's cold).  There is a trunk full of random horse gear to go through.  I think it's mostly decluttered already, but certainly a few things can and should be listed on eBay.  Outside, I need to go through the greenhouse, which has turned into a bit of a dumping ground for gardening supplies, and get it tidied up.  I'm sure I'll find some other clutter to deal with as well while I'm tinkering around the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 31, 2019, 04:51:34 PM
    Thursday's Craigslist person showed up and purchased the hand truck, yay!

    Today I made it to the haz mat place before it closed and dropped off a bag of chemicals. Bonus, the had mat lady wanted the bag, which saves me from taking it to a thrift shop, woot!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 01, 2019, 04:33:15 PM
    Week 10 report:

    64. 13" CRT TV.  What to do with it?  Works perfectly, but no one wants them anymore.  Hate to recycle a "good" item.
    65. 26" CRT TV.  Ditto above.
    66. Shedding blade for dog - to go to animal rescue.
    67. Brand new bathmat - will ask various relatives if they want it, otherwise, goes to animal rescue garage sale.
    68. Brand new round brush - to be offered to relative.
    69. Brand new paddle brush - ditto above.
    70. Worn-out tee shirt - fabric recycling.

    One more month's worth of items to go.  Can I find enough stuff?  Yes, I think I can.  And probably then some, because I'll be starting on my dad's place next.  He's 88 and guess who inherits it all?  So, some pre-emptive strikes are in order, with his blessing.  I'm looking forward to reaching the "click point" that Marie Kondo talks about.  Once I'm done, I won't know what to think about - this is becoming a lot more mentally consuming than I imagined.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 02, 2019, 07:04:13 AM
    Week 10 report:

    64. 13" CRT TV.  What to do with it?  Works perfectly, but no one wants them anymore.  Hate to recycle a "good" item.
    65. 26" CRT TV.  Ditto above.
    66. Shedding blade for dog - to go to animal rescue.
    67. Brand new bathmat - will ask various relatives if they want it, otherwise, goes to animal rescue garage sale.
    68. Brand new round brush - to be offered to relative.
    69. Brand new paddle brush - ditto above.
    70. Worn-out tee shirt - fabric recycling.

    One more month's worth of items to go.  Can I find enough stuff?  Yes, I think I can.  And probably then some, because I'll be starting on my dad's place next.  He's 88 and guess who inherits it all?  So, some pre-emptive strikes are in order, with his blessing.  I'm looking forward to reaching the "click point" that Marie Kondo talks about.  Once I'm done, I won't know what to think about - this is becoming a lot more mentally consuming than I imagined.

    I think someone might take your tvs for free on Craigslist, no? 

    I was looking for a 25 inch free tv, but I actually haven't pilled the trigger and gotten one, I must admit, since I have 2 working 22 inchers,  20 inch, and a 13 inch, in different rooms. 

    I have a crystal clear My 25 inch CRT tv, but it only works well in the winter, since it likes cool temps, and I keep it down around 64 degrees, lol.     

    I'm wondering what I'll do with the 25 incher if it totally dies. I'm not willing to spend the $40 they want here to recycle it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 02, 2019, 10:47:03 AM
    I did some huge decluttering yesterday. Not in volume but in feelings :-)
    I dropped off some things at goodwill, INCLUDING my old vinyl records. They are from my late teenage/early twenties so 25+ years old. Have not listened to the since then. The have moved with me so many times and been in the way a lot. However, the were really important to me then, I was a bit of an outsider when it came to music and they were part of my identity (in a positive way, something I'm still happy and proud of).

    However, I made a list of them in an email to myself and that is enough for me nowadays. Showed them to my young kids who could not understand how music could come out of those :-D. And then I said goodbye.

    Today I feel nothing but happiness to have decreased even more sentimental clutter from my life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on September 02, 2019, 11:08:05 AM
    I did some huge decluttering yesterday. Not in volume but in feelings :-)
    I dropped off some things at goodwill, INCLUDING my old vinyl records. They are from my late teenage/early twenties so 25+ years old. Have not listened to the since then. The have moved with me so many times and been in the way a lot. However, the were really important to me then, I was a bit of an outsider when it came to music and they were part of my identity (in a positive way, something I'm still happy and proud of).

    However, I made a list of them in an email to myself and that is enough for me nowadays. Showed them to my young kids who could not understand how music could come out of those :-D. And then I said goodbye.

    Today I feel nothing but happiness to have decreased even more sentimental clutter from my life.

    Good for you.  I have my old albums from the 60s and 70s and my parents' albums from the 50s, but no turntable.  I don't have digital versions of most of these, so I am debating buying a turntable.  I need to go through them all and see if I really want to listen to them again, or just use YouTube.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on September 02, 2019, 01:03:38 PM
    DS and DIL bought a house, so I could finally hand off all the tools my dad left to him.  It felt like 400 pounds.  Also took up all the Lego (bins and bins of it!) from DS' childhood, and random other things he was storing at our house.  Completely filled the back seat/floor and trunk area of our Versa.

    Bonus was to watch our 3 year old grandson discover Daddy's Lego, and go crazy with building all the things over the weekend.    : )
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 02, 2019, 01:06:29 PM
    I did some huge decluttering yesterday. Not in volume but in feelings :-)
    I dropped off some things at goodwill, INCLUDING my old vinyl records. They are from my late teenage/early twenties so 25+ years old. Have not listened to the since then. The have moved with me so many times and been in the way a lot. However, the were really important to me then, I was a bit of an outsider when it came to music and they were part of my identity (in a positive way, something I'm still happy and proud of).

    However, I made a list of them in an email to myself and that is enough for me nowadays. Showed them to my young kids who could not understand how music could come out of those :-D. And then I said goodbye.

    Today I feel nothing but happiness to have decreased even more sentimental clutter from my life.

    Good for you.  I have my old albums from the 60s and 70s and my parents' albums from the 50s, but no turntable.  I don't have digital versions of most of these, so I am debating buying a turntable.  I need to go through them all and see if I really want to listen to them again, or just use YouTube.

    I'm pretty well set up emotionally for decluttering my old vinyl.  I listen to them one at a time and decide whether to keep or not. If 'not' I try to sell it at the weekly rummage sale I go to. So far I have sold about a dozen, I suppose. Glad to be rid of them.  I have about 20 records left in my 'sell' box, that no one wants, apparently! Stanley Clarke (jazz)  Willie Nelson (country) and a lot of classical. Thought for sure I'd have sold the Willie Nelson by now, lol.   

    And I don't mind the space that's taken up by the ones I like.

    I do have an old turntable and a stereo that still works.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 02, 2019, 08:11:27 PM
    Put a shirt in the donation bin today when I realized I had two nearly identical shirts in the closet. I'm more of a slow declutterer, but I like to try & find one thing to sell, donate or trash every day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 03, 2019, 08:43:21 AM
    I cleaned out a couple of kitchen cabinets and filled up a box to donate.  Why did I have two hand crank meat grinders?  Or the electric frying pan with no lid?  I'm still holding on to my crockpots because I did actually use all of them two weeks ago to make chicken stock.  I've also got a kitchen table and chair set that's been listed on Marketplace for a couple of weeks now with no bites.  My husband says he knows someone who needs it, and will take it to them tomorrow (he's been saying this for two weeks now).  It will be going to the thrift store soon if he doesn't get on it.

    I've got a bunch of the kiddo's clothes hung up and tags printed out for the consignment sale.  It looks like I'm only going to fill about half of my 200 available slots this time around though.  I might sneak some toys in since I have space left.  That'll be next weekend and at least 75% of that stuff will be gone whether it sells or not.  Of course, any sales I have will only go to offset the new clothes that I'll buy since the kid won't stop outgrowing his clothes after three wears.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 03, 2019, 03:04:59 PM
    Well, it's taken over a week, but was finally able to recycle 4 pieces of paper. They represent my task lists at work for Jan to April.  I've been pulled in so many directions that haven't had the time to tackle all the tiny tasks that are part of my core job. But that's hopefully changing! These 4 papers are evidence.

    It took over 2 weeks, but I finally recycled another 1-page work task list, this one for May.  Feels good, but unfortunately this is not an unfettered happy dance post.  Because I just printed out this month's task list, so I still have 3 pages.  As of now, I'm only 2 months behind on 10 tasks and 1 month behind on 6 additional tasks.  The game plan is to complete prior month's tasks as this month's deadline arrives, but that's been the game plan since I fell behind.  And see how well that worked :-/

    Still, happy to be more caught up than I was on Friday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on September 03, 2019, 09:28:49 PM
    sold an item on ebay and mailed it out!  $in, stuff out!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 04, 2019, 10:12:43 AM
    sold an item on ebay and mailed it out!  $in, stuff out!

    Me too! Randomly sold three items yesterday, after selling nothing for a week.
    -Old tie from my husband
    -New pair of flip flops that were a gift & didn't fit
    -A jewelry roll/organizer that I've never used. (Also a gift)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 04, 2019, 04:13:52 PM
    Also today:
    -Put another shirt in the donation pile
    -Found a huge stack of old eBay shipping receipts - from 2017. Recycled all of them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on September 04, 2019, 04:52:28 PM
    sold an item on ebay and mailed it out!  $in, stuff out!

    Me too! Randomly sold three items yesterday, after selling nothing for a week.
    -Old tie from my husband
    -New pair of flip flops that were a gift & didn't fit
    -A jewelry roll/organizer that I've never used. (Also a gift)

    That’s awesome!
    My item was a gift too...
    My eBay store is empty - gotta restock
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 04, 2019, 07:00:58 PM
    @better late - I think I'm done for awhile. I have some business trips coming up & they just make the logistics so hard. I tried to adjust my handling time, but eBay doesn't let you go beyond 3 days?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 05, 2019, 03:35:54 PM
    It's been two and a half years since my beloved hoarder girlfriend died, and I can finally think about selling or recycling her clothes.  I pulled out her shirts, one by one, from the tightly packed bedroom closet, and got 5 nice shirts to try to sell at a yard sale, and 5 shirts that are very clean but ripped or missing buttons, bless her heart, that I will take to  the 'textiles' bin at the recycling place.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on September 05, 2019, 07:33:53 PM
    @better late - I think I'm done for awhile. I have some business trips coming up & they just make the logistics so hard. I tried to adjust my handling time, but eBay doesn't let you go beyond 3 days?

    I don't know for sure - but it sure seemed like Ebay was in a rush to get me to mail my item. Maybe someone else can answer the question.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 05, 2019, 08:58:04 PM
    @slackmax - that sounds really hard. I'm glad you're at a point where you're ready to proceed with dealing with her stuff. Big hugs to you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 05, 2019, 09:10:07 PM
    @better late - I think I'm done for awhile. I have some business trips coming up & they just make the logistics so hard. I tried to adjust my handling time, but eBay doesn't let you go beyond 3 days?

    I don't know for sure - but it sure seemed like Ebay was in a rush to get me to mail my item. Maybe someone else can answer the question.

    When I've had a 4-5 day business trip coming up, I just put in my eBay ads Horsepoor will be traveling from XX-XX.  If you purchase between these dates, I will mail when I return on X/X.  Usually, people just won't buy during those dates, and I'm sure someone could be a dick about the shipping time if they wanted to, but I've seen other sellers do this as well.  If you have an eBay store front, then you can do vacation settings that are more official so eBay won't expect you to enter the shipping info until the end of the vacation period.

    On the decluttering front, I just took a deposit on my old trailer, and I think it's finally sold (4 previous buyers backed out over the past few 3 months, so I've gotten rather jaded).  That will declutter a rather large patch at the end of our RV driveway.  If the truck shell that's also back there doesn't sell soon, I'll look into selling it cheap to a place that deals in used shells so I can get to work on building a simple shed back there for my bulkier horse stuff.

    Yesterday, on the fail side, it was hazardous waste collection day at the fire station and I was being either too lazy or introverted to take our cans of ruined paint over there.

    Have been picking through my closet and have culled a couple tops that have small stains (office tops, not really suitable to turn into rags or work shirts).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 05, 2019, 09:43:23 PM
    @slackmax you are doing great. I am so impressed with your thoughtfulness and care as you work through the stuff and the emotions.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 06, 2019, 08:16:06 AM
    @horsepoor - that's great. I will try that! eBay also just needs a "pause" button, that you can use to pause all of your Buy Now listings & then "unpause" when you're back.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 06, 2019, 02:22:44 PM
    @slackmax - that sounds really hard. I'm glad you're at a point where you're ready to proceed with dealing with her stuff. Big hugs to you.

    Thank you!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 06, 2019, 02:25:56 PM
    @slackmax you are doing great. I am so impressed with your thoughtfulness and care as you work through the stuff and the emotions.

    Thanks, mspym.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 07, 2019, 07:44:11 PM
    Pulled out some shirts that I haven't worn in 3 years. Apparently, when I'm not at work and not working on the house, I only want to wear geeky t-shirts. So the non-geeky ones went in the box for donation.

    Threw out a pair of old jeans because they developed a large split in the crotch. Praying it happened after I was home for the day. (I wear jeans to that point, working on the house/yard)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 07, 2019, 10:45:00 PM
    @horsepoor - that's great. I will try that! eBay also just needs a "pause" button, that you can use to pause all of your Buy Now listings & then "unpause" when you're back.

    That is what the vacation setting is.  I guess they need to save some perks for the more active sellers who have store fronts, so, they have it, just won't offer it to everyone for some reason.

    Yesterday I finally found the holy grail of lunch bags.  It folds, so it can go in my luggage when I have to travel and teach field classes, it's waterproof, and it's big enough to hold my GlassLock containers, so I was able to say goodbye to 3 other lunchbags that each had limited utility.

    Also corralled some old bottles and travel mugs and put them in the donate bin.

    Extra horse blankets are cleaned, waterproofed, and sitting in the basement just waiting to be listed on FB/CL in October when people start thinking about needing such things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 08, 2019, 01:01:43 AM
    Two books in the street library, 5 tops & 2 necklaces I never wear donated to the Vinnies.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 08, 2019, 08:21:25 AM
    Oh goodness. SO glad I've been working on clearing stuff out. Baby shower yesterday. There are piles I need to sort and store. Deep breaths.

    Guy is supposed to be coming by this morning for two runners I've been selling- I've had SO Many people flake on these. For some reason, selling rugs is cursed apparently. Every rug I've sold on FB marketplace involves like 15+ dead end contacts and 2+ straight up flakes before an actual buyer appears.

    Avoiding clutter accumulating- had bought wrist compression sleeves for my caral tunnel I developed. After 1 day, it was clear they cut into the web of my hand way too much (deep bruising now). Immediately got a return set up and got them back to amazon. Refund already pending.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 08, 2019, 02:43:23 PM
    Whew!  It's been a busy weekend around here.  Dropped off about 125 items to the consignment sale, took three boxes and an old tv to the thrift store, Kondo'd my kid's clothes, and cleaned out/inventoried the freezers and pantry.  I wish I'd been able to cull a few more of his clothes, but between the ones that don't fit anymore and the ones that he didn't pick as a favorite, we cut it in half.  The entirety of his school clothes now fit into two drawers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on September 08, 2019, 05:26:55 PM
    Finally took the necessary steps to get rid of the unneeded boxsprings that couldn't be moved up the stairs at the house.  They've been sitting in the garage because the trash won't pick up large items without a special kind of sealed bag.  We ordered the bags and they came in this week, so we got them bagged up and out to the curb for tomorrow's trash pickup.  One major step toward getting the garage usable!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 09, 2019, 05:56:16 AM
    Sort of a fail during the weekend - had to declutter two pair of perfectly good pants since DS2 announced they were way too short (and he was right). He must have jumped a bit in in leg length when I didn't look bc he normally wear pants enough times to destroy the knees (he is an active six year old).
    Oh well, I will give them away and someone will make good use of them. And I will actually order two sizes larger for him .

    But also a win, my mum was here and we went through a big bag of old bed sheets and kitchen towels, embroidered by deceased relatives 70-80 years ago. She took a small towel, I don't want any of it as I have some saved that are much nicer (but I have been carrying these in many moves and stored it during a lot of years). I will ask on neighbourhood Facebook if anyone wants them and I think some of them will go to the cat/dog rescue place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 09, 2019, 08:29:28 AM
    Sort of a fail during the weekend - had to declutter two pair of perfectly good pants since DS2 announced they were way too short (and he was right). He must have jumped a bit in in leg length when I didn't look bc he normally wear pants enough times to destroy the knees (he is an active six year old).
    Oh well, I will give them away and someone will make good use of them. And I will actually order two sizes larger for him .

    My 6 year-old had the same problem this weekend.  Though he will deny, deny, deny that his favorite pairs of pants are too small.  One pair looked like high-water yoga pants on him and he still swore that they fit.  I'm actually having trouble deciding what to do about his clothes right now.  He's good on pants and has enough shorts to make it until the weather turns too cold to wear them.  He could also use a few more long-sleeved shirts.  But, it's consignment season and Children's Place is running a sale on the cargo shorts that he really likes.  I'm SO tempted to pick up a few in a larger size for next spring, but I will try to resist since I just finished purging nearly half his clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 09, 2019, 05:13:00 PM
    @LinneaH My inner hoarder gasped at the idea of donating embroidered linens to the animal shelters, but of course it's better for them to be used than to just take up space in your home. I have fond memories of my grandmother's embroidered linens.

    Me too, on both counts!  I inherited a few things from my grandmother, but unfortunately not any of the embroidered pillow cases.

    So, I'm a day late but not an item short, ha ha, with my weekly report.  Here's Week 11:

    71. Framed picture - to go to animal rescue garage sale.
    72. 2nd pair of sandals - pretty wrecked, so garbage.
    73. Worn out track pants - fabric recycling.
    74. teapot with broken handle - going to ceramic recycling.
    75. Tank top - to be offered to relative.
    76. Blouse that goes with tank top - as above.
    77. Broken bag clip - garbage.

    It's been two and a half years since my beloved hoarder girlfriend died, and I can finally think about selling or recycling her clothes.  I pulled out her shirts, one by one, from the tightly packed bedroom closet, and got 5 nice shirts to try to sell at a yard sale, and 5 shirts that are very clean but ripped or missing buttons, bless her heart, that I will take to  the 'textiles' bin at the recycling place.       

    I had a hard time with this too when my mom passed away.  I found that the easiest way to approach it was to keep the items that she wore the most and that reminded me most of her.  Once I had separated those, I had little problem giving away the rest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on September 10, 2019, 12:51:18 PM
    We're T-20 days on having to have ALL the housemates and ALL the stuff out of our current place.

    In personal decluttering: Tossed more clothes into the donate pile.

    In house decluttering: Got rid of a crappy desk chair that Abominable Ex-Housemate left behind, and we have a plan to get a buuunch of stuff off to the dump this weekend. EEK.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 10, 2019, 03:29:44 PM
    It took over 2 weeks, but I finally recycled another 1-page work task list, this one for May.  Feels good, but unfortunately this is not an unfettered happy dance post.  Because I just printed out this month's task list, so I still have 3 pages.  As of now, I'm only 2 months behind on 10 tasks and 1 month behind on 6 additional tasks.  The game plan is to complete prior month's tasks as this month's deadline arrives, but that's been the game plan since I fell behind.  And see how well that worked :-/

    Still, happy to be more caught up than I was on Friday.

    One week update: I'm only 2 months behind on 10 3 tasks and 1 month behind on 6 4 additional tasks.

    No physical clutter gone, but the mental burden is lifting.  Next goal is to get 2 of the 3 done before vacation next week, and the last one done before current month end.  This is lofty, as being on vacation really causes a backup in my workload.  Even if I make this goal, I'll still only be treading water with regards to behind-ness.  Hopefully I can keep even rather than falling farther behind, then make progress in October.

    In my personal life, I got the last stack of moving boxes & packing material out!  Given to a nice young couple who is moving.

    Adding to the list, I have 4 items still to sell/give away.  Keep coming across stuff I don't need in the new apartment.  But I am also bringing stuff in, so in a way it's just churning. :-\

    Those last 4 will probably wait until after vacation at this point.  But one is listed already, so I'm keeping fingers crossed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 11, 2019, 08:46:00 AM
    Did an immediate round of dealing with stuff after my baby shower. Regular pampers: scented to high heaven. Tiny baby dresses: adorable, but way too much effort to actually use on a newborn. So we took a return trip to Target, got a $68 merch card and some items out of the house. We can use that later for items that come up that we still need.

    DID get those runners sold, thank goodness.

    Organization wise, I'm sorting everything as it comes in that I'm keeping. Thank goodness for those Costco bins I got a few weeks back, it's such a relief to know exactly where stuff can go as it comes in. Currently I have NB and 0-3m sizes in her dresser, then a bin for 3-6m sizes, a shared bin for 6-9m and 9-12m, and then another bin of 12m+ and later use toys/accessories. This also let me clear out an area that was a baby stuff inbox, basically, and now that is diaper and wipe storage.

    Challenges still to go:
    -I need to sell our "pantry" still. (Book shelf with doors). Thinking we might offer delivery for extra cost, then just go through the hassle of borrowing a truck from family. In a city, I'm guessing that's been the bottleneck with people wanting it.
    -I have a bunch of gift boxes and bags to rehome, or possibly use as storage/drawer dividers in the case of the gift boxes. This shouldn't be hard, I just need to get around to listing it all on Buy Nothing. (Any suggestions for rehoming if Buy Nothing doesn't want them? Can I donate these?)
    -Need to buy a different cabinet (top part to a bottom we already have) to replace the "pantry". It was out of stock when we went to the store yesterday, annoyingly. Once I get that, I can transfer the "pantry" contents over. MAY have to downsize our wine glasses and vases? That would really suck, since some are custom like from our wedding. I need to brain storm if there's somewhere else I can store them for now.
    Once we get that stuff done, I can move my desk to where the pantry currently is, and then the crib can go where my desk currently is.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: dcheesi on September 11, 2019, 08:56:26 AM
    Had a moving FAIL; my gf threw out a bunch of my old bills & records, thinking they were paper recycling. The really important stuff was in a couple of fire-safes, but who knows what moderately-important stuff I may have lost?

    On the bright side, this makes it even easier to just call a Junk removal service and be done with the rest of my old stuff! Which is good, since recent family/life events have left me with very little time remaining to vacate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 11, 2019, 09:26:59 AM
    Facing reality of how slowly I am decluttering my place. I called up a window and door replacement place today for an appointment for them to come inside my house and look at a French door !

    So they are going to see the remains of the hoard, even after my 2.5 years of de-hoarding it. It has gone from a fully packed living room with pathways, to a one-third packed living room, with some loose empty boxes lying around.  A big improvement, I must say.

    I'll have enough room around the French door for them to see everything, but the place in general is am embarrassment. Sigh....

    And now I have to move a lot of junk out of the foyer into the basement to make the scene upon entering my house less horrifying. 

    I'll dedicate an hour today to more decluttering, I guess. Seems so endless. I need cheering up. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, etc, etc.  ha ha. 

    I'm OK, just venting !  Onward! 




    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on September 11, 2019, 10:08:38 AM
    Facing reality of how slowly I am decluttering my place. I called up a window and door replacement place today for an appointment for them to come inside my house and look at a French door !

    So they are going to see the remains of the hoard, even after my 2.5 years of de-hoarding it. It has gone from a fully packed living room with pathways, to a one-third packed living room, with some loose empty boxes lying around.  A big improvement, I must say.

    I'll have enough room around the French door for them to see everything, but the place in general is am embarrassment. Sigh....

    And now I have to move a lot of junk out of the foyer into the basement to make the scene upon entering my house less horrifying. 

    I'll dedicate an hour today to more decluttering, I guess. Seems so endless. I need cheering up. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, etc, etc.  ha ha. 

    I'm OK, just venting !  Onward!
    Cheering squad here: you are doing a hard and necessary job well and with care for your girlfriend's memory and an eye to finding useful homes for everything that can be useful.

    Also, I guarantee that anyone who visits peoples' homes for work will have seen far worse and won't bat an eyelid.  After all, their job is to improve houses that need improving, right?  They've never visited a perfect home once in their working lifetimes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 11, 2019, 10:43:35 AM
    Bracken Joy - I see gift boxes and bags all the time at thrift stores around here, so I don't see why yours won't take them.

    Slackmax - do you have a spare room where all the hoard can live as you go through it all?  For me, seeing it all the time would be discouraging.  I would prefer to be able to close a door on it all and see it only when I have time to actually do something with it.  I guess the basement might work, if you don't mind trudging down the stairs a thousand times.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on September 11, 2019, 10:50:26 AM
    Just checking in as someone that went from clutter to minimalism.  I lived with a massive hoard for most of the last 20+ years.  Looking back, I can say when I was living with the hoard, just having that clutter in my life made my daily existence a real struggle.  It took a HELL of a lot of work to get rid of all that clutter over the last 3 years. 

    BUT, it is so worth it.  I've been full on minimalism for almost a year now and life is soooooo much simpler/easier now.  The house is clear, everything is clean, and it takes very little effort to maintain it.  Emotionally, I'm not surrounded by piles and piles of "to do" crap any more.  All of the old "to do" crap is gone (just binned all that stuff) and it is so freeing.  Nowadays my "to do" list is stuff like 'wipe the counter' or 'cook food'.  And that's it!  I didn't realized before just how much the accumulated crap had been weighing me down.

    For example, in the past, I would wake up in the morning and I would literally think, before even getting out of bed "There are at least 20 things I need to get done today, and I know I can't get to them all" and that alone would make my day start off crappy.  I tell you what, having clear space now is so f'ing awesome!  To everyone still working toward clear, keep at it, it's SO worth it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 11, 2019, 12:25:55 PM
    Craigslist came through with a buyer for my old pickup camper shell this morning!  It's been up on a rack at the back of the driveway, keeping the rain off my set of horse jumps and a few other things.  This weekend someone is coming from Montana to buy my old horse trailer, and then my shed construction can begin.  It will be storage for shavings and straw bales, and to keep my set of horse jumps out of the elements in the winter, not just a giant receptacle for clutter. It will be open-sided, which should cut down on the temptation to pack it full of crap. Looking forward to a clean, clutter-free driveway in the near future. :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 11, 2019, 01:55:33 PM
    Bracken Joy - I see gift boxes and bags all the time at thrift stores around here, so I don't see why yours won't take them.

    Slackmax - do you have a spare room where all the hoard can live as you go through it all?  For me, seeing it all the time would be discouraging.  I would prefer to be able to close a door on it all and see it only when I have time to actually do something with it.  I guess the basement might work, if you don't mind trudging down the stairs a thousand times.

    SunnyDays, Thanks, but it is  in *every* room, with the possible exception of the bathrooms.  And my deck is clutter-free, and my yard. Hmm. I could spend more time outside, haha.

    I am just glad that I now have enough to space to walk in a complete circle in front of my tv set in the living room, and now can walk in a straight line through my basement to the basement door (ground level basement).  Those space- creating improvements really cheered me up at the time.

    One room to contain the hoard?  Hahahahahaha  I wish!    ....  But thanks !   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on September 11, 2019, 03:26:11 PM
    Slackmax, my heart really hurts for you.  Is there anyone who can help?  Friends, family, hired person?  Please try for your own sanity...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on September 11, 2019, 05:12:27 PM
    Slackmax, maybe it's OK to start thinking about mass binning (tossing) the stuff out.  I'm sure your girlfriend wouldn't want you to suffer because of the stuff.  And she definitely has no need for it anymore.  Letting go is hard (I know, from experience), but just consider that maybe, just maybe, she would want you to be clear of this stuff, too. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 11, 2019, 05:37:41 PM
    Bracken Joy - I see gift boxes and bags all the time at thrift stores around here, so I don't see why yours won't take them.

    @Bracken_Joy : second data point...my thrift store takes them.

    @dcheesi that really is a bright side!  I see a similarity to what Tyson is saying.

    @slackmax you have really made a ton of progress!

    @Tyson you are right, that clear space is so worth it!  I've had more space before, and the emotional relief was just wonderful.

    @horsepoor woot! Things are moving!!!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 12, 2019, 06:51:58 AM
    Slackmax, my heart really hurts for you.  Is there anyone who can help?  Friends, family, hired person?  Please try for your own sanity...

    I may be being overly dramatic describing my situation.  I'm making good progress. There's just sooo much stuff.

    I was watching an episode of 'Hoarders' a while ago, and the narrator said that the son of the hoarder was probably going to take a few years to declutter his mother's house. I thought 'how can that be?'.  But here I am taking years to declutter my girlfriend's hoard. It's true. It's such a boring grind, that's the thing.
    You have to force yourself to do an hour here, an hour there. And then something time-and-energy consuming happens in your real life, and you forget about decluttering for a few days.   

    As for having people help me, I guess I could try it. That might make it easier to jettison stuff.  Maybe not.   

    As far as my sanity goes, haha, the decluttering isn't a big deal. Other things in life challenge my sanity, yes, but not the decluttering.

    The good news is that I'm about half way done. My kitchen is 80% clutter-free. Living room is 50% clutter-free. Basement is 50% clutter-free. Bedrooms are 10% clutter-free.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 12, 2019, 07:50:05 AM
    @LinneaH My inner hoarder gasped at the idea of donating embroidered linens to the animal shelters, but of course it's better for them to be used than to just take up space in your home. I have fond memories of my grandmother's embroidered linens.

    Me too, on both counts!  I inherited a few things from my grandmother, but unfortunately not any of the embroidered pillow cases.

    Oh dear! :-D I need to clarify: My grandmother was really good at embroidering, as were some other relatives before her. We have a lot of really fine work  saved (both mum and me), then we both have a lot in good condition that we use regularly (like kitchen towels etc). Then there was this big bag, some of it is nice/good condition but not really our taste - will try to give away. This is also not personalized. And then there are threadbare sheets, towels that are a bit holey (not so holy), things where the embroidery is frayed and not mendable. This is the stuff mum and I agree that will go to animal shelters, something we both feel strongly for, and grandma did so also.

    My mum did take one small kitchen towel. She is not a hoarder, which is nice since my dad is somewhat of that (they are divorced and remarried).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 12, 2019, 07:51:59 AM
    Organization wise, I'm sorting everything as it comes in that I'm keeping. Thank goodness for those Costco bins I got a few weeks back, it's such a relief to know exactly where stuff can go as it comes in. Currently I have NB and 0-3m sizes in her dresser, then a bin for 3-6m sizes, a shared bin for 6-9m and 9-12m, and then another bin of 12m+ and later use toys/accessories. This also let me clear out an area that was a baby stuff inbox, basically, and now that is diaper and wipe storage.

    This really really sounds lovely - it does help a lot to have it sorted so one doesn't miss to use it and then it is outgrown.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 12, 2019, 07:56:50 AM
    So they are going to see the remains of the hoard, even after my 2.5 years of de-hoarding it. It has gone from a fully packed living room with pathways, to a one-third packed living room, with some loose empty boxes lying around.  A big improvement, I must say.

    I feel for you Slackmax. It's sort of not fair after all the work you have done.
    I have done a similar journey but on a much smaller scale. But I sometimes feel when people come to visit and I know they will se piles of paper and stuff that they should see "before" and "after" pictures of my home so they can understand the big improvement and all the work I have done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 14, 2019, 10:51:04 AM
    Slackmax, my heart really hurts for you.  Is there anyone who can help?  Friends, family, hired person?  Please try for your own sanity...

    There's just sooo much stuff.

    I was watching an episode of 'Hoarders' a while ago, and the narrator said that the son of the hoarder was probably going to take a few years to declutter his mother's house. I thought 'how can that be?'.  But here I am taking years to declutter my girlfriend's hoard. It's true. It's such a boring grind, that's the thing.   
       

    You are making it harder on yourself than it technically needs to be.  The hard part is not just physically getting rid of it.  That could be done in short order, but if you're trying to get as much money out of it as you can, then it will take a lot longer.  From reading your older posts, it seems like you have to go through a process of considering what an item is worth, making an attempt to get that amount for it, and only if you fail, letting it go for free.  Unless you really need the money, there is likely something else going on here.  Maybe an attachment to the stuff because it was your girlfriend's or an anxiety about seeing the house truly "empty.?"  And if it's about the money, how much money in total is it worth to you to go through this lengthy process?  (I also find it interesting that in one post you talk about having given up the battle with your girlfriend around her accumulation of stuff, and yet, now that you can get rid of it all, you seem to be in no hurry to do so.  Humans - we're so contradictory, huh?)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 14, 2019, 05:53:48 PM
    And, the horse trailer is gone and the $$$ is in my account!  That frees up about an 8x18' area in the driveway.  I also gave the buyer some accessories I no longer need since I have a gooseneck trailer now.  Everyone was happy!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 14, 2019, 06:24:22 PM
    And, the horse trailer is gone and the $$$ is in my account!  That frees up about an 8x18' area in the driveway.  I also gave the buyer some accessories I no longer need since I have a gooseneck trailer now.  Everyone was happy!
    Way to go, horsepoor!  Lots more space!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 14, 2019, 06:35:21 PM
    Slackmax, my heart really hurts for you.  Is there anyone who can help?  Friends, family, hired person?  Please try for your own sanity...

    There's just sooo much stuff.

    I was watching an episode of 'Hoarders' a while ago, and the narrator said that the son of the hoarder was probably going to take a few years to declutter his mother's house. I thought 'how can that be?'.  But here I am taking years to declutter my girlfriend's hoard. It's true. It's such a boring grind, that's the thing.   
       

    You are making it harder on yourself than it technically needs to be.  The hard part is not just physically getting rid of it.  That could be done in short order, but if you're trying to get as much money out of it as you can, then it will take a lot longer.  From reading your older posts, it seems like you have to go through a process of considering what an item is worth, making an attempt to get that amount for it, and only if you fail, letting it go for free.  Unless you really need the money, there is likely something else going on here.  Maybe an attachment to the stuff because it was your girlfriend's or an anxiety about seeing the house truly "empty.?"  And if it's about the money, how much money in total is it worth to you to go through this lengthy process?  (I also find it interesting that in one post you talk about having given up the battle with your girlfriend around her accumulation of stuff, and yet, now that you can get rid of it all, you seem to be in no hurry to do so.  Humans - we're so contradictory, huh?)

    Here's something interesting:  Even though I carefully evaluate every item while decluttering the house, the 3 packed storage units my girlfriend was renting were another story. After she died, I took a TV and 4 folding chairs, and that was it. Her family wanted nothing to do with the storage units, and they actually thought I would just sell it all off. But it was all 'junk', maybe a few things worth something.  And I wasn't crazy enough to go through it all. I told the owner of the storage place he could have it all, and he agreed, with no charge to me. He wasn't going to allow me to hold a storage unit sale on the property, anyway, so that wasn't even a consideration.  So I saved untold hours of my time by just "letting all that stuff just go".     Yay for me, lol.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on September 14, 2019, 07:02:09 PM
    @slackmax I agree, it seems that the house is holding you back from enjoying your life.  Have you considered trying a fresh approach to help you move things along?

    Rather than a little here and a little there, you could:
    - Prioritize tackling the bigger items to clear out more space quickly.
    - Sort the remaining items into low, medium, and high value items.  Take all the low value items away immediately without spending your time on trying to recoup value.  Your time is worth money too, as is being able to relax and enjoy your space at home.
    - Focus on getting one room decluttered, rather than a bit of one and a bit of another so progress is hard to see.  (I suggest the kitchen as a practical matter and that it's the furthest along, but another good choice is wherever you spend the most time.)
    - Move all of the remaining items to the basement that can fit.  Move as much out of your bedroom as you can into the basement and other bedrooms.  This should hopefully free up your living room and carve out some space in your bedroom too. 
    - Once you have the kitchen, living room, and your bedroom done, close the doors to other bedrooms and give yourself some time off from decluttering.

    Alternative 1, contact an estate sale company and see if they can take a large chunk of the items off your hands.
    Alternative 2, take a week off from work and give yourself *just* that time to go through things.  Anything left at the end of the week should be donated/gotten rid of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 14, 2019, 08:51:33 PM
    Slackmax, my heart really hurts for you.  Is there anyone who can help?  Friends, family, hired person?  Please try for your own sanity...

    There's just sooo much stuff.

    I was watching an episode of 'Hoarders' a while ago, and the narrator said that the son of the hoarder was probably going to take a few years to declutter his mother's house. I thought 'how can that be?'.  But here I am taking years to declutter my girlfriend's hoard. It's true. It's such a boring grind, that's the thing.   
       

    You are making it harder on yourself than it technically needs to be.  The hard part is not just physically getting rid of it.  That could be done in short order, but if you're trying to get as much money out of it as you can, then it will take a lot longer.  From reading your older posts, it seems like you have to go through a process of considering what an item is worth, making an attempt to get that amount for it, and only if you fail, letting it go for free.  Unless you really need the money, there is likely something else going on here.  Maybe an attachment to the stuff because it was your girlfriend's or an anxiety about seeing the house truly "empty.?"  And if it's about the money, how much money in total is it worth to you to go through this lengthy process?  (I also find it interesting that in one post you talk about having given up the battle with your girlfriend around her accumulation of stuff, and yet, now that you can get rid of it all, you seem to be in no hurry to do so.  Humans - we're so contradictory, huh?)

    Here's something interesting:  Even though I carefully evaluate every item while decluttering the house, the 3 packed storage units my girlfriend was renting were another story. After she died, I took a TV and 4 folding chairs, and that was it. Her family wanted nothing to do with the storage units, and they actually thought I would just sell it all off. But it was all 'junk', maybe a few things worth something.  And I wasn't crazy enough to go through it all. I told the owner of the storage place he could have it all, and he agreed, with no charge to me. He wasn't going to allow me to hold a storage unit sale on the property, anyway, so that wasn't even a consideration.  So I saved untold hours of my time by just "letting all that stuff just go".     Yay for me, lol.     

    Yes, that IS interesting.  What is preventing you from taking this same approach with the stuff in your house?  Do you feel that it is more yours, since it is in your house?  Or because you have easier access to it all, you can take the time to go through each item?  Are the items actually worth more than the "junk" in the storage units?  Maybe the solution is to move all the stuff into another storage unit, then let the owner have that too!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on September 14, 2019, 09:26:32 PM
    I've got a friend who is a storage unit broker. She regularly has to clean out units, and it's always absolute junk they're full of. OK, maaaaaaybe the tenants took out everything of worth before abandoning the unit. She sometimes has to go into units with the tenant's permission, to replace rodent traps or whatever else and it's still just all junk. Why people pay to keep acres and acres of absolute shit is beyond me. I've helped her clear out units and it's cardboard boxes of linen that could have gone to a thrift store years ago, paperwork no one cares about, cheap crappy furniture, old appliances etc. The units rented by commercial entities are even worse - advertising material from years ago, shop display systems they don't even use anymore and that aren't complete, hundreds of plastic coathangers, broken desks etc. Just worthless bullshit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 14, 2019, 09:43:55 PM
    I've got a friend who is a storage unit broker. She regularly has to clean out units, and it's always absolute junk they're full of. OK, maaaaaaybe the tenants took out everything of worth before abandoning the unit. She sometimes has to go into units with the tenant's permission, to replace rodent traps or whatever else and it's still just all junk. Why people pay to keep acres and acres of absolute shit is beyond me. I've helped her clear out units and it's cardboard boxes of linen that could have gone to a thrift store years ago, paperwork no one cares about, cheap crappy furniture, old appliances etc. The units rented by commercial entities are even worse - advertising material from years ago, shop display systems they don't even use anymore and that aren't complete, hundreds of plastic coathangers, broken desks etc. Just worthless bullshit.

    And they can't seem to build new storage units fast enough around here
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on September 14, 2019, 10:19:26 PM
    I've got a friend who is a storage unit broker. She regularly has to clean out units, and it's always absolute junk they're full of. OK, maaaaaaybe the tenants took out everything of worth before abandoning the unit. She sometimes has to go into units with the tenant's permission, to replace rodent traps or whatever else and it's still just all junk. Why people pay to keep acres and acres of absolute shit is beyond me. I've helped her clear out units and it's cardboard boxes of linen that could have gone to a thrift store years ago, paperwork no one cares about, cheap crappy furniture, old appliances etc. The units rented by commercial entities are even worse - advertising material from years ago, shop display systems they don't even use anymore and that aren't complete, hundreds of plastic coathangers, broken desks etc. Just worthless bullshit.

    And they can't seem to build new storage units fast enough around here

    An entire industry built on the fact that people can't part with useless, worthless garbage. It's not even stuff with sentimental value, as far as I can see. It's really just garbage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on September 15, 2019, 12:09:57 AM
    I've got a friend who is a storage unit broker. She regularly has to clean out units, and it's always absolute junk they're full of. OK, maaaaaaybe the tenants took out everything of worth before abandoning the unit. She sometimes has to go into units with the tenant's permission, to replace rodent traps or whatever else and it's still just all junk. Why people pay to keep acres and acres of absolute shit is beyond me. I've helped her clear out units and it's cardboard boxes of linen that could have gone to a thrift store years ago, paperwork no one cares about, cheap crappy furniture, old appliances etc. The units rented by commercial entities are even worse - advertising material from years ago, shop display systems they don't even use anymore and that aren't complete, hundreds of plastic coathangers, broken desks etc. Just worthless bullshit.

    And they can't seem to build new storage units fast enough around here

    An entire industry built on the fact that people can't part with useless, worthless garbage. It's not even stuff with sentimental value, as far as I can see. It's really just garbage.

    It's the sunk cost fallacy, writ large.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 15, 2019, 10:05:13 AM
    Slackmax, my heart really hurts for you.  Is there anyone who can help?  Friends, family, hired person?  Please try for your own sanity...

    There's just sooo much stuff.

    I was watching an episode of 'Hoarders' a while ago, and the narrator said that the son of the hoarder was probably going to take a few years to declutter his mother's house. I thought 'how can that be?'.  But here I am taking years to declutter my girlfriend's hoard. It's true. It's such a boring grind, that's the thing.   
       

    You are making it harder on yourself than it technically needs to be.  The hard part is not just physically getting rid of it.  That could be done in short order, but if you're trying to get as much money out of it as you can, then it will take a lot longer.  From reading your older posts, it seems like you have to go through a process of considering what an item is worth, making an attempt to get that amount for it, and only if you fail, letting it go for free.  Unless you really need the money, there is likely something else going on here.  Maybe an attachment to the stuff because it was your girlfriend's or an anxiety about seeing the house truly "empty.?"  And if it's about the money, how much money in total is it worth to you to go through this lengthy process?  (I also find it interesting that in one post you talk about having given up the battle with your girlfriend around her accumulation of stuff, and yet, now that you can get rid of it all, you seem to be in no hurry to do so.  Humans - we're so contradictory, huh?)

    Here's something interesting:  Even though I carefully evaluate every item while decluttering the house, the 3 packed storage units my girlfriend was renting were another story. After she died, I took a TV and 4 folding chairs, and that was it. Her family wanted nothing to do with the storage units, and they actually thought I would just sell it all off. But it was all 'junk', maybe a few things worth something.  And I wasn't crazy enough to go through it all. I told the owner of the storage place he could have it all, and he agreed, with no charge to me. He wasn't going to allow me to hold a storage unit sale on the property, anyway, so that wasn't even a consideration.  So I saved untold hours of my time by just "letting all that stuff just go".     Yay for me, lol.     

    Yes, that IS interesting.  What is preventing you from taking this same approach with the stuff in your house?  Do you feel that it is more yours, since it is in your house?  Or because you have easier access to it all, you can take the time to go through each item?  Are the items actually worth more than the "junk" in the storage units?  Maybe the solution is to move all the stuff into another storage unit, then let the owner have that too!

    Anna, I love your description of the stuff in storage units. Spot on!

    Now I remember some more details. I would have had to keep paying the $290 per month rent for the crap. Plus I had all the estate probate stuff to mess with, a huge amount of clerical tasks, and no time for the storage crap. My girlfriend left no will even though we were asking her to make one, and I agreed to help with  the probate work. 

    So......... the stuff that's currently in my house isn't costing any rent, so it's less annoying than junk I would have to pay rent on (And no, I can't believe any sane person would pay to store crap month after month forever, but that's what hoarders do. Psychological problems).   

    *** Maybe the solution is to move all the stuff into another storage unit, then let the owner have that too!  ***  Love it!  lol. 

    Yes, I think the stuff she left in the house is more valuable than the stuff she stored in the units. I'm coming across some "collector items" here and there now. You would not believe what people collect and pay for :  example - a guy at my rummage sale place sells old blank receipt pads for some Texaco station from the 60's, for $4 a pad, and people buy them !!

    Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I am taking them seriously. And I have already attacked the big things. I even donated a large fake Christmas tree instead of waiting til Christmas to sell it, just to get rid of it because it was big. So I'm not a hopeless case,  lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 15, 2019, 10:07:59 AM
    I've got a friend who is a storage unit broker. She regularly has to clean out units, and it's always absolute junk they're full of. OK, maaaaaaybe the tenants took out everything of worth before abandoning the unit. She sometimes has to go into units with the tenant's permission, to replace rodent traps or whatever else and it's still just all junk. Why people pay to keep acres and acres of absolute shit is beyond me. I've helped her clear out units and it's cardboard boxes of linen that could have gone to a thrift store years ago, paperwork no one cares about, cheap crappy furniture, old appliances etc. The units rented by commercial entities are even worse - advertising material from years ago, shop display systems they don't even use anymore and that aren't complete, hundreds of plastic coathangers, broken desks etc. Just worthless bullshit.

    And they can't seem to build new storage units fast enough around here

    An entire industry built on the fact that people can't part with useless, worthless garbage. It's not even stuff with sentimental value, as far as I can see. It's really just garbage.

    It's the sunk cost fallacy, writ large.

    Or, as most of us on this thread have discovered, actually dealing with your stuff takes time and physical and emotional energy.  Way easier to just put it out of sight, even if you have to pay for that privilege.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on September 15, 2019, 11:05:18 AM
    [quote
     So I'm not a hopeless case,  lol
    [/quote]

    @slackmax , I don't think you're hopeless.  I just think you are in a really crappy situation that has been crappy for so long you don't even realize how much it is weighing you down.  I'd like to see that weight gone so you can start living your best life, not weighed down by the past and another person's choices.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 15, 2019, 12:37:01 PM
    Made about $100 at consignment sale.  A lot of sellers were complaining about how they made so much less money this year than last.  I'm sitting over here happy because I got paid for stuff that was just going to the theft store anyway.

    I purged my drawers and got rid of a bunch of stuff.  I finally came to terms with the fact that it's unlikely I'll ever be a size 2 again, and even if I do I'm entirely too old to wear those clothes again.  Aside from the boxes of stuff that's stored over at my parents house that I'm debating putting on poshmark, that takes care of decluttering all of our clothes.  I need to cut down the number of towels we have, or at least the number we keep in the bathroom, but we're making progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on September 15, 2019, 03:09:04 PM
    I vividly remember posting here that I was done decluttering... sigh, what a glorious time that was. I remember, clear as day, looking around my house and seeing a serene, clean space filled with only items I love. But life has a way of sneaking shit into your house, so here I am again. I feel a little agitated when I look around my house. Little piles of books stacked on top of a dresser because there's no more room. A gift I'm storing purely out of obligation. Various books in various states of finishing. My sock basket... none of my socks are folded in the Marie Kondo style and it just looks so messy. Dvd's, even though I recently upgraded to a laptop that doesn't support any discs. Heck, even bike keys from bikes that were stolen (yes, plural, sadly) and are unlikely to turn up again.
     
    I'm also dealing with burn out. This means that I will have to budget my energy very carefully. My first instinct is to pull everything off the shelf and have a massive 5 day declutter fiesta, followed by a 5 day deep clean. Perfectionist at heart... I have to keep asking myself "what I can do in an hour?" without committing to anything bigger.
     
    I guess I'll start with:
    1. Collecting all my dvd's, photographing them and list them online (30 minutes?)
    2. Take a basket and go around my house. If I immediately know it can go, it goes in the donation basket. Borrowed items also go in here, I'll sort the basket out later. (15 minutes)
    3. Fold my damn socks (15 minutes)
    4. Any time left: have a cuppa.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 15, 2019, 05:57:37 PM
    Nederstash, I feel your pain. I have taken a zillion trips to Goodwill and dropped off carloads of stuff. I have bagged up probably 75 bags to the Vietnam Vets. We have rented dumpsters (gigantic) 3 times and filled them up. We had 1800 got junk to haul some stuff away. The hub has cleaned out stuff in the garage and given stuff to a young guy who appreciates tools and other gizmo's. I gave a ton of professional culinary cookbooks to a local culinary school. We are only two people and have lived in our house over 40 years. We just kept bringing it in and never getting rid of stuff. I still have so much stuff it is ridiculous! I converted my hallway linen closet to a kitchen pantry. I have pots, pans, casseroles, small appliances and it is packed full. All kitchen cabinets are packed full. My bedroom closet is so full I can't fit a thin piece of paper between clothes. Drawers are full. It blows my mind that I have given away so much and still have too much stuff! I cleaned out my computer cabinet and got rid of a ton of stuff and it still is full of stuff. OMG! I think the clutter grows like mushrooms during the night!

    I need to get on the ball and start bagging up some junk and get rid of it. It is like a full time job!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 15, 2019, 09:15:27 PM
    Week 12:

    Worked on the bathroom this week, so mainly toiletries to report.
    78. Inflatable bath pillow-who has time for baths, I'm too busy decluttering!  To be offered to relative.
    79. Soap dish a previous roommate left behind - animal rescue garage sale.
    80. Battery operated toothbrush.  Hate it.  Thrift store.
    81. Huge bag of cotton balls - thrift store.
    82. Like new suitcase most recent roommate left behind.  Tear to be sewn and given to animal rescue garage sale.
    83. Bag of miscellaneous small toiletries - to be offered to relative.
    84. Bag of packing peanuts - thrift store.

    2 1/2 weeks to go!  I'm having to look harder to find things, but's it's still not really hard.  Goes to show how much useless stuff I had/have.  I only have one bedroom/storage room and the basement to finish, then I'm done.  Well, and the shed, but that will have to wait until spring, because I'll be running out of good weather soon.

    Wow, Roadrunner 53, that's a lot of stuff!  40 years is a long time to accumulate things.  Has more stuff come in too?  It sounds stressful to live with all that.  Maybe you should try my method, but aim for 5 - 10 items a day?  You can't possibly be using it all?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on September 16, 2019, 04:25:14 AM
    Just took a box to fill with 'quick decision items'... and promptly got sucked into my supply closet. I purged, cleaned and organised that for an hour. I can never do things half way...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 16, 2019, 04:53:27 AM
    SunnyDays, I keep tossing out stuff. Yes, stuff does keep coming in but I try to get rid of something old when something new comes in. Doesn't always work. Last year got an 8 quart Instant Pot and it is pretty huge. I got rid of a pot or two so I could have a place to store the IP. I am going to get on the ball and start purging again. I have a bunch of bags downstairs already for Vietnam Vets but I like to have at least 10 giant garbage bags full before I call them. I think I have about 5 right now.

    I should challenge myself to purging 5 things a day or more!

    Anyone know what to do with old cell phones? Does anyone really want used flip phones and non smart phones?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 16, 2019, 05:39:08 AM
    Anyone know what to do with old cell phones? Does anyone really want used flip phones and non smart phones?



    One of my brother's Eagle Scout projects was to collect old cell phones for a battered women's shelter.  They could program them so that they could be used for emergency calls.  I don't know if they can still use them or not, but that's a place to start.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on September 16, 2019, 08:07:30 AM
    Anyone know what to do with old cell phones? Does anyone really want used flip phones and non smart phones?

    https://www.cnet.com/how-to/recycle-your-old-phone-laptop-tv-and-batteries-everything-you-need-to-know/ (https://www.cnet.com/how-to/recycle-your-old-phone-laptop-tv-and-batteries-everything-you-need-to-know/)

    Don't throw them away, whatever you do. Husband's job has him run across what happens when batteries start fires in trash compactors and sorting facilities. It isn't pretty, and it's just so unnecessary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 16, 2019, 08:13:01 AM
    Made about $100 at consignment sale.  A lot of sellers were complaining about how they made so much less money this year than last.  I'm sitting over here happy because I got paid for stuff that was just going to the theft store anyway.

    I purged my drawers and got rid of a bunch of stuff.  I finally came to terms with the fact that it's unlikely I'll ever be a size 2 again, and even if I do I'm entirely too old to wear those clothes again. 

    Sugaree,  What do you mean by consignment sale? Was it  several sellers at the same location, like a 'carboot sale'?    You must have unloaded some nice clothes to earn $100, lol.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 16, 2019, 08:17:54 AM

    Anyone know what to do with old cell phones? Does anyone really want used flip phones and non smart phones?

    BestBuy and probably some other electronics stores have drop boxes for that type of thing.  Some people do like flip phones because the battery lasts so much longer than a smart phone.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: dcheesi on September 16, 2019, 09:24:51 AM
    So the junk haulers have come and gone; it cost more than I would have hoped, but well worth it given my time constraints (and not having to carry all that junk down four floors of stairs!). Another delight: I cashed in my 10+ years worth of spare change (a literal suitcase full of cash lol), and it came out to enough to just about cover the cost of the junk haulers!

    There were only a couple of items that I had second thoughts about, but I know we don't have room for them in our new combined household. If anything, I wish I had donated those pieces directly, so I'd know they weren't going to waste (they say they donate items when possible, but...?).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 16, 2019, 12:51:56 PM
    Made about $100 at consignment sale.  A lot of sellers were complaining about how they made so much less money this year than last.  I'm sitting over here happy because I got paid for stuff that was just going to the theft store anyway.

    I purged my drawers and got rid of a bunch of stuff.  I finally came to terms with the fact that it's unlikely I'll ever be a size 2 again, and even if I do I'm entirely too old to wear those clothes again. 

    Sugaree,  What do you mean by consignment sale? Was it  several sellers at the same location, like a 'carboot sale'?    You must have unloaded some nice clothes to earn $100, lol.   


    Yeah, pretty much.  Twice a year, a local church puts it on.  You sign up to be a consignor and you bring between 30 and 200 things that your kid has outgrown.  Clothes, toys, baby gear, etc.  I think that they had 250 consignor slots this year and a small waiting list in case some of the original sellers didn't get their minimum number of items in.  This one is fairly picky about what they will allow to be sold, i.e. they'll reject anything with stains.  There's another local sale that allows "play clothes."  For four and a half days people can come in and shop, with the first day being reserved for people who volunteered and/or brought things to sell and the last day being the half-price day.  Consignors get 70% of their sales (75% if they also volunteer).  It's a fundraiser for the church's youth group.

    I sold about 60 items, so I averaged just over $1.50 per piece.  I had only taken 125 things in, so I sold about half of what I sent.  Most of what I sold/donated was probably bought a few years ago at the same sale, lol.  Some of it I did choose not to donate because I think that eventually I can sell them. These were mainly things like cloth diapers that it will take the right buyer and they can easily be put into the next sale. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on September 17, 2019, 10:40:30 AM
    Recently:

    Dropped off 2 boxes at Goodwill
    Returned my sister's canvas tote to her full of recent magazines and 4 egg cartons for her co-worker
    Took an empty toner cartridge to Office Depot for recycling
    Mailed off 11 empty egg cartons to a chicken and duck owning friend
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireHiker on September 17, 2019, 11:16:05 AM
    We have been in our much smaller home for three weeks now, and we got both cars in the (small) two car garage last weekend! I feel like I have been doing nothing but decluttering for the past few months, but it has been very worth it. My friend came over who has the same floor plan and commented that our place seemed so much bigger. I think we just have a lot less stuff everywhere. There is still a fair bit of progress to make, but we do have some empty cabinets here and there, and both cars fit in the garage!! I am definitely not DONE, but I feel like I can take a break here and there and actually spend some time on the weekend now doing something I enjoy instead of only focusing on unpacking/decluttering. Everyone is amazed at how we downsized (the first question is always "but what did you do with all your stuff?!"), but I think all that effort I had made all those years to declutter the stuff periodically made a big difference. I am so thankful we never "filled" the old house. We had all kinds of empty space in it, and that made all the difference in downsizing. I wish the downstairs was a little bit bigger, and we will probably re-do the kitchen because it is tiny and not efficiently designed, but there is amazingly enough closet space. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on September 17, 2019, 11:50:16 AM
    Today I decluttered my old laptop. I used Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) to destroy all data - to Department of Defense levels of data destruction. It's a free program - yay! - but takes some work to set it up properly and it completely wipes everything, even the operating system. So don't do this if you just want to reset your pc and want to use it afterwards. You'd need a boot disk to make it work again, so I think I'll put it online for tech-savvy people to pick up for a small price.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 20, 2019, 09:43:06 PM
    About 2 years ago I bought a lawn edger at a yard sale. Beast of a machine. Gas powered. Had a clutch. I used it once. Couldn't remember how to start it.

    Sold it for 3x what I bought it for. I will get a new (to me at least) edger, but smaller, hopefully electric. One that I actually remember how to turn on and am not terrified of using.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 22, 2019, 10:40:08 PM
    Week 13 report:
    85. 2 glass bowls - animal rescue garage sale.
    86. Brick of an old (OLD!) cell phone.  Will try selling it, but not hopeful.
    87. Hardcover book - garage sale.
    88. Cracked desk floor mat - trying to salvage some but not having much luck cutting it.  Likely garbage.
    89. Mostly empty old stamp book - will try to sell.
    90. 2nd winter coat - to go to local church at Thanksgiving drive.
    91. Brand new tablecloth and napkin set - garage sale.

    Nearing the end and I’m getting rid of some things I don’t really want to but know I won’t miss once they’re gone, so not feeling too bad about it.  The only thing I really regret getting rid of in my two plus years of decluttering is a vintage clothes hamper.  Still kick myself over that one.  Nothing else has cost me any sleep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marty998 on September 23, 2019, 12:55:23 AM
    I threw out the last 6 months of magazines I had accumulated. That was a heavy load to carry out the door.

    Also got rid of an old jacket I hadn't used in years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 23, 2019, 03:17:03 AM
    We took two old boy mattresses to the council pick up (free!) and I donated a bag of clothes in the same trip. We have a new pile of books to share with the neighbourhood street libraries.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 23, 2019, 07:39:51 AM
    And, the horse trailer is gone and the $$$ is in my account!  That frees up about an 8x18' area in the driveway.  I also gave the buyer some accessories I no longer need since I have a gooseneck trailer now.  Everyone was happy!

    So I was going to build a simple shed in the driveway, but this weekend I kept glancing guiltily at my largely unused greenhouse, which has become a dumping ground for random yard things.  I got in there, cleaned and organized it, and moved in my set of horse jumps.  There is still plenty of space to store a stack of shavings, and those were basically the two things the shed was going to store.  I just need to add a hose hanger or two to store hoses for winter, but that's much cheaper than building an entire shed, obviously.  Also, I now get to do other things than build a shed on my week off next month!

    Posted several horse blankets on FB yesterday and have someone interested in buying the entire lot, so that should declutter the basement significantly in the near future.

    Also have a box of random things going to Goodwill today, and an ugly, bulky vest with my employer's logo is going to be deposited in the breakroom for someone to grab.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 23, 2019, 11:53:22 AM
    Week 13 report:


    Nearing the end and I’m getting rid of some things I don’t really want to but know I won’t miss once they’re gone, so not feeling too bad about it.  The only thing I really regret getting rid of in my two plus years of decluttering is a vintage clothes hamper.  Still kick myself over that one.  Nothing else has cost me any sleep.

    I don't know if you are mourning the monetary loss or something else, SUnnyDays. 

    Fancy Burberry scarf, new in package (but no price tag). It looked like a $19.95 item to me so I was happy to get $7 from the very appreciative customer at my rummage sale.  Looked it up on EBay later. Worth hundreds,  supposedly..............Gaaaaarghhhh....   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 23, 2019, 01:42:16 PM
    Fancy Burberry scarf, new in package (but no price tag). It looked like a $19.95 item to me so I was happy to get $7 from the very appreciative customer at my rummage sale.  Looked it up on EBay later. Worth hundreds,  supposedly..............Gaaaaarghhhh....   

    Please keep in mind that you have people like my mother, who is fully convinced that many items she has are quite valuable. Except that when you actually look at it, they're not.

    Just because you're asking $$$ doesn't mean you'll get it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on September 23, 2019, 04:35:19 PM
    Fancy Burberry scarf, new in package (but no price tag). It looked like a $19.95 item to me so I was happy to get $7 from the very appreciative customer at my rummage sale.  Looked it up on EBay later. Worth hundreds,  supposedly..............Gaaaaarghhhh....   

    Please keep in mind that you have people like my mother, who is fully convinced that many items she has are quite valuable. Except that when you actually look at it, they're not.

    Just because you're asking $$$ doesn't mean you'll get it.

    Yes.  Looking at asking prices on Ebay is not worth doing.  Look at sold prices.  Also how many of that item have sold recently.  Expectations and reality are rarely the same.

    My Mom is about to go into a retirement home in 6 weeks.  We are going through the 'but it's worth a lot of money' conversations too.  No Mom, unfortunately it's not worth a lot of money.  No one wants your treasures or furniture, including the family.   

    No one wants our stuff either, so I am ruthlessly giving it away, one carload at a time.   If someone can flip a few things and make some money, good for them.  I am deliberately including things I DO know could sell for some money.   I imagine someone finding the thing, and lighting up with excitement at their luck.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 23, 2019, 09:33:32 PM
    Week 13 report:


    Nearing the end and I’m getting rid of some things I don’t really want to but know I won’t miss once they’re gone, so not feeling too bad about it.  The only thing I really regret getting rid of in my two plus years of decluttering is a vintage clothes hamper.  Still kick myself over that one.  Nothing else has cost me any sleep.

    I don't know if you are mourning the monetary loss or something else, SUnnyDays

    Definitely not the monetary loss.  It was just a very pretty hamper - likely hand painted and uncommon.  I miss it still.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 24, 2019, 05:32:50 AM
    Broke down some empty boxes in the basement, some huge, some normal size, and put them out on curb for recycling. Gone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 25, 2019, 08:35:52 AM
    Does anyone know how the state tax situation works on ebay? Does the seller collect the sales tax money and submit it to the State they live in or does ebay do it and the seller has nothing to do? I used to sell on ebay and my state says an occasional seller (not running a business) is not required to register for sales tax. I want to sell on ebay again but am kind of nervous/wondering what a seller is supposed to do now. I am so confused!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GermanStache on September 26, 2019, 11:10:38 PM
    Over the summer I participated in 4 car boot sales (Fleamarket in Germany) and sold quite some stuff. However I only made around 200 EUR altogether which is not bad but if you figure in 4 sundays spent there instead of enjoying my only day off it is not worth it. It has encouraged me to NOT BRING MORE STUFF IN. Also I will post some more on ebay and donate the rest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 27, 2019, 10:23:40 PM
    Three more books out of the house. It's funny because it's council clean up today and we have nothing to put out for collection.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on September 30, 2019, 12:55:14 PM
    It's little, but it's something.  Filled 2 paper grocery bags with plastic toys from our big upstairs room and brought them to the plastics bin at the recycling center along with all the cardboard we had accumulated.  Little bites out of the mess.....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on September 30, 2019, 02:50:09 PM
    We just finished a large move -- six people leaving a 3000 square foot Victorian that was originally populated by students and was full of leftover furniture and other things not actually owned by any of us.

    We got rid of something like 20+ pieces of furniture through the curbside economy.

    I did something like five or six separate Goodwill runs.

    We took two 10' U-haul loads (relatively but not entirely full each time) to the dump.

    We have recycled and thrown away I don't know how many bags of things.

    IT IS DONE.

    I can go back to my regularly scheduled "took a book to donate" and "used up some old aloe gel" ways.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 01, 2019, 11:11:52 AM
    @diapasoun  wow.  Impressive
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on October 01, 2019, 11:20:12 AM
    Cleaned out my toiletries and wiped down their storage area. Ended up getting rid of 5-10 half empty bottles of things that are really old and/or I didn't like using. I felt guilty about the waste, but there's no point in them sitting there getting older while I procrastinate using them up because they didn't really work for me. It feels great, and now it's easier to get to the stuff I actually like. Plus, the products I threw away taught me about what not to buy in the future.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on October 01, 2019, 11:32:29 AM
    @Frugal Lizard It was a great workout, at least. ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on October 01, 2019, 12:40:19 PM
    Sunday had a friend help me out.

    2 bags of trash into the dumpster.

    1 full back seat to donation. I have 2 large open areas in my living room and second bedroom.

    It gives me a nice motivative bump to start working on my kitchen. Hopefully this week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 01, 2019, 02:27:10 PM
    In the end we found 5 things to put out for the council, once of which - a letterpress box- has now been claimed by a stranger. I also put another 3 books in a street library. There are still more waiting to be taken to the next one with room in it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on October 01, 2019, 02:34:28 PM
    Does anyone know how the state tax situation works on ebay? Does the seller collect the sales tax money and submit it to the State they live in or does ebay do it and the seller has nothing to do? I used to sell on ebay and my state says an occasional seller (not running a business) is not required to register for sales tax. I want to sell on ebay again but am kind of nervous/wondering what a seller is supposed to do now. I am so confused!

    I just got this email from eBay.  It sounds like they will be taking care of it so the seller doesn't need to do anything.

    Quote
    As you may be aware, 11 new states have adopted Internet Sales Tax policies as of October 1, bringing the total to 34 states that now require the collection of sales tax. As the impact of this tax law becomes more apparent, PayPal and eBay are making changes that will make Internet Sales Tax collection less complex for buyers and for you.

    Starting in November 2019, the way taxable transactions are processed and how taxes are collected for remittance will change, as follows:
    In states where eBay is required to collect Internet Sales Tax from buyers, order totals sent for processing will reflect the gross order amount inclusive of tax.
    Once settled, the tax amount will be automatically deducted for remittance to the applicable taxing authority.
    A record of the sales tax portion of the order will be available on the Seller Hub Order details page and through our Download order report.
    Please note the applicable tax will continue to be paid by the buyer and you do not need to take any action.

    We understand that the holiday selling season is nearly upon us and we are working to make this transition as smooth as possible.

    Learn more about Internet Sales Tax in the eBay Seller Center. If you have questions about how Internet Sales Tax may affect you, we recommend consulting with your tax advisor, or our partners Avalara and TaxJar.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 01, 2019, 02:46:40 PM
    Thanks horsepoor, that is very helpful! I printed it out for my reference!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 01, 2019, 06:29:22 PM
    @diapasoun , that is epic, wow!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 01, 2019, 06:37:52 PM
    Over the summer I participated in 4 car boot sales (Fleamarket in Germany) and sold quite some stuff. However I only made around 200 EUR altogether which is not bad but if you figure in 4 sundays spent there instead of enjoying my only day off it is not worth it. It has encouraged me to NOT BRING MORE STUFF IN. Also I will post some more on ebay and donate the rest.

    Yes, that's a pretty good sales revenue for a carboot sale, GermanSTache.

    I tried out a new carboot location recently. It had many more customers looking at my stuff than the other place, but I ended up getting the usual amount of profit for the day ($20).  But these guys bought different items so maybe I'll toggle between the 2 carboot locations and gradually sell all my stuff that way.

    It's barely worth it monetarily for me to do the carboot thing, but it gets me out of the house, and it's fun, lol!       

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on October 02, 2019, 09:29:46 AM
    I had my son pick out about which half of his playsets (I should own stock in Imaginext) he wanted to keep and which half needed to "go into storage."  He now has plenty of room to play in the awesome (if I do say so myself...because I designed it) playroom.


    I've decided that even after purging my kitchen cabinets, that I still have too many spoons/spatulas/etc.  I keep them in a cookie jar next to the stove.  I think I'm going to find a second, similarly shaped container and spend a month or two where I only put the ones I actually use in the new container.  After that, the contents of the old container can be donated somewhere since those are the things that I don't regularly use. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GermanStache on October 03, 2019, 10:21:00 AM
    I am "moving" my home working space to another room. While I was making space in the cupboard there I found myself trying to consolidate all my greeting cards and blank cards into one container. Now.... I am thinking why I have all these cards in the first place? I need maybe one card each year..... it would be much easier to just buy one when i need one instead of keeping the shitload of cards... however there are some nice ones in there.

    Why does this have to be so difficult?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on October 03, 2019, 01:43:59 PM
    Well, I have just encountered a huge decluttering fail. I borrowed a skirt over the summer from someone I do a hobby with, and it's now time to give it back. I cannot find this skirt anywhere!!! I got it drycleaned right after I used it in July, and I'm pretty sure I put it in a bag ready to return to her. But there is no bag to be found. It's not anywhere else I could conceivably put it, either. Not in my closet, not in my storage room, not in my hobby corner, not at the drycleaners. I'm really worried it accidentally got added to some goodwill bags I dropped off back in August. I turned my apartment totally upside down looking for it last night, and I don't know where else it could be.

    I feel awful. If it were just a skirt of mine, I wouldn't care so much. But I can't believe I was so careless to accidentally declutter someone else's belonging. I will of course offer to buy her a replacement skirt and/or give equivalent cash, but I am so ashamed I lost something entrusted to me in the first place. How irresponsible.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 04, 2019, 06:58:30 AM
    Well, I have just encountered a huge decluttering fail. I borrowed a skirt over the summer from someone I do a hobby with, and it's now time to give it back. I cannot find this skirt anywhere!!! I got it drycleaned right after I used it in July, and I'm pretty sure I put it in a bag ready to return to her. But there is no bag to be found. It's not anywhere else I could conceivably put it, either. Not in my closet, not in my storage room, not in my hobby corner, not at the drycleaners. I'm really worried it accidentally got added to some goodwill bags I dropped off back in August. I turned my apartment totally upside down looking for it last night, and I don't know where else it could be.

    I feel awful. If it were just a skirt of mine, I wouldn't care so much. But I can't believe I was so careless to accidentally declutter someone else's belonging. I will of course offer to buy her a replacement skirt and/or give equivalent cash, but I am so ashamed I lost something entrusted to me in the first place. How irresponsible.

    zygote, don't beat yourself up but since you have borrowed this skirt and kept it so long, it is about time to admit you have misplaced it and figure out what the person wants to do. Maybe they want a gift card to a store or cash. Or maybe they don't care and will say forget it. I filled a prescription, brought it home and it mysteriously disappeared. It is only my husband and myself in the house with two dogs. I searched high and low and my husband even went thru a bag of garbage to try to see if it got thrown out by mistake. I never found it and every so often I think it will mysteriously reappear when I least expect it. It wasn't a drug like opioids but a high blood pressure prescription. It still drives me crazy because I am not disorganized typically! I had no visitors or repair people in my house either. Where are those damn pills! LOL! I have misplaced other things by putting them 'away'. Just so happens I forgot where I stored them and drove myself nuts looking for them. I have always found the things over time but the pills are a complete mystery.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on October 04, 2019, 08:30:44 AM
    @zygote and @Roadrunner53  I have a gold, diamond and Ruby necklace somewhere in this house.  It is literally the only nice.piece of jewelry I've ever bought for myself (vintage).  I put it on a safe place while we went to Peru in 2015 and never saw it again.  I'm convinced there is a black hole some thing just get swallowed up by.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on October 04, 2019, 08:44:11 AM
    @zygote and @Roadrunner53  I have a gold, diamond and Ruby necklace somewhere in this house.  It is literally the only nice.piece of jewelry I've ever bought for myself (vintage).  I put it on a safe place while we went to Peru in 2015 and never saw it again.  I'm convinced there is a black hole some thing just get swallowed up by.
    A gold bracelet I inherited went missing for a couple of years: it had fallen behind the drawer in my bedside table, inside the carcass.  It was only a serious deep clean of the bedroom that discovered it.  I should probably clean more thoroughly more often.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on October 04, 2019, 08:48:18 AM
    A gold bracelet I inherited went missing for a couple of years: it had fallen behind the drawer in my bedside table, inside the carcass.  It was only a serious deep clean of the bedroom that discovered it.  I should probably clean more thoroughly more often.

    That type of thing used to happen to me a lot.  But now it doesn't.  Here's what I have noticed about being fairly minimal nowadays.  I have so little stuff (including furniture), that it's just as easy to do a deep clean as it is to do a light clean. 

    Now that you mention this, it makes me realize that all my cleanings have become deep cleanings.  It's so much easier to get behind/under things if you only have a few things to move around. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on October 04, 2019, 08:53:42 AM
    A gold bracelet I inherited went missing for a couple of years: it had fallen behind the drawer in my bedside table, inside the carcass.  It was only a serious deep clean of the bedroom that discovered it.  I should probably clean more thoroughly more often.

    That type of thing used to happen to me a lot.  But now it doesn't.  Here's what I have noticed about being fairly minimal nowadays.  I have so little stuff (including furniture), that it's just as easy to do a deep clean as it is to do a light clean. 

    Now that you mention this, it makes me realize that all my cleanings have become deep cleanings.  It's so much easier to get behind/under things if you only have a few things to move around.
    I've noticed the same thing myself.  Sadly the only two pieces of furniture in my bedroom are the bed and the bedside cabinet. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 04, 2019, 08:54:33 AM
    @zygote and @Roadrunner53  I have a gold, diamond and Ruby necklace somewhere in this house.  It is literally the only nice.piece of jewelry I've ever bought for myself (vintage).  I put it on a safe place while we went to Peru in 2015 and never saw it again.  I'm convinced there is a black hole some thing just get swallowed up by.

    horsepoor, I have that same black hole in my house at times. I will stick something in a cabinet, a drawer, a desk and a week or two later I don't remember where I put it. Sometimes I just put it out of my mind and then all of a sudden it comes back to me where I put it. DUH, DUH, DUH!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on October 04, 2019, 08:55:51 AM
    I would love a good deep clean. It's been a year or two since the last one. Maybe I will do that in the next week or two when I have more time. @Tyson I would love to have less stuff and do a better deep clean more regularly, but alas, I have a wife who likes all her stuff and I love my wife. (She also checked through her closet and various storage areas, and couldn't find anything either.)

    As for the skirt, I was always intending to keep it this long because our shared hobby is seasonal and she said she didn't need it back in the meantime, and honestly that's part of why it has disappeared. If I had seen her right after I used and cleaned the skirt, I don't think I would have misplaced it. Hindsight.

    I've already sent her a message to come clean, apologized profusely, and offered to replace it or give her cash. We'll see what she says.

    @horsepoor I hope you find the necklace one day! And your pills, too, @Roadrunner53, if only for the peace of mind of knowing where they ended up (I assume they aren't good anymore).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 04, 2019, 09:36:30 AM
    zygote, thanks for the good luck on finding the pills. They are probably expired but I would like to have that ah ha moment when/if I ever find them!

    Good luck with your friend. Keep us posted!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on October 04, 2019, 11:30:37 AM
    Started to clear out clutter - in our case, it's mostly books that will likely never be read, and we made very solid progress on the DVD box sets because pretty much all of those can now be streamed or bought digitally if we do feel the pressing need to watch them again. I'm also converting some paper books into e-books to help clear space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on October 05, 2019, 09:53:24 AM
    I would love a good deep clean. It's been a year or two since the last one. Maybe I will do that in the next week or two when I have more time. @Tyson I would love to have less stuff and do a better deep clean more regularly, but alas, I have a wife who likes all her stuff and I love my wife. (She also checked through her closet and various storage areas, and couldn't find anything either.)

    As for the skirt, I was always intending to keep it this long because our shared hobby is seasonal and she said she didn't need it back in the meantime, and honestly that's part of why it has disappeared. If I had seen her right after I used and cleaned the skirt, I don't think I would have misplaced it. Hindsight.

    I've already sent her a message to come clean, apologized profusely, and offered to replace it or give her cash. We'll see what she says.

    @horsepoor I hope you find the necklace one day! And your pills, too, @Roadrunner53, if only for the peace of mind of knowing where they ended up (I assume they aren't good anymore).
    Maybe she would want something of yours, too.... helping in the decluttering and keeping a friend at the same time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 07, 2019, 11:14:07 AM
    Spent about an hour each Sat and Sun in my home office/gym.  The results were a grocery bag of random items tossed, a box of paperwork to burn, 3 small items relocated, and started a small box of Harley items to gift to a friend.  I also finally put a rather large box of stuffed animals in my truck to take to the PD tomorrow and stored the oscillating fan for winter.  The office closet is now organized, and the file drawer purged and labeled correctly, just need to work on the desk top.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 07, 2019, 09:51:22 PM
    I am "moving" my home working space to another room. While I was making space in the cupboard there I found myself trying to consolidate all my greeting cards and blank cards into one container. Now.... I am thinking why I have all these cards in the first place? I need maybe one card each year..... it would be much easier to just buy one when i need one instead of keeping the shitload of cards... however there are some nice ones in there.

    Why does this have to be so difficult?


    GermanStache, I feel you, bro.  I have inherited about 1,000 greeting cards of all sorts from my girlfriend who no longer lives here. I have given away about 50, but I am keeping the rest. I will use them up for relatives' birthdays, graduations, etc.  Nobody wants to buy them at the car boot sales, even for 10 cents each. Unbelievable. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on October 08, 2019, 08:45:59 PM
    Today I sold 3 horse blankets, one of which was a 3-part set, and also gave the buyer a set of bulky horse shipping boots that I've had for about 10 years and never used.  It's dropping into the 20's tonight, so I predict that someone will come along and buy the others I have for sale soon too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on October 09, 2019, 05:47:38 AM
    I am "moving" my home working space to another room. While I was making space in the cupboard there I found myself trying to consolidate all my greeting cards and blank cards into one container. Now.... I am thinking why I have all these cards in the first place? I need maybe one card each year..... it would be much easier to just buy one when i need one instead of keeping the shitload of cards... however there are some nice ones in there.

    Why does this have to be so difficult?


    GermanStache, I feel you, bro.  I have inherited about 1,000 greeting cards of all sorts from my girlfriend who no longer lives here. I have given away about 50, but I am keeping the rest. I will use them up for relatives' birthdays, graduations, etc.  Nobody wants to buy them at the car boot sales, even for 10 cents each. Unbelievable.


    My mother-in-law and her dad used to send the same card back and forth to each other.  Occasionally, they'd have to scratch out "Happy Birthday" and write in the appropriate salutation.  He was frugal (okay, he was a cheap ass) and she just thought it was hilarious.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on October 09, 2019, 08:39:18 AM
    First results: I have a taker for the massage table and they’ll pick it up on Saturday. Yay, space!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 09, 2019, 02:47:55 PM
    ~Took the box of still in good shape stuffed animals to the police department yesterday so first responders can give them to children in time of need.
    ~Gave a stack of egg cartons to a friend.
    ~Spent another 20 minutes or so in my home office Monday evening resulting in tossing several more pieces of paper to the burn pile box and a few items to the garbage bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 09, 2019, 06:54:23 PM
    Sold 4 DVD's for $11 at the resale shop. Now I'm questioning why I didn't sell more!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 10, 2019, 07:39:10 AM
    Sold 4 DVD's for $11 at the resale shop. Now I'm questioning why I didn't sell more!

    Nice price for the DVD's. They must have been pretty recent. The going price around here for used DVD's is $1 apiece (garage sale). 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 10, 2019, 07:44:17 AM
    Sold 4 DVD's for $11 at the resale shop. Now I'm questioning why I didn't sell more!

    Nice price for the DVD's. They must have been pretty recent. The going price around here for used DVD's is $1 apiece (garage sale).

    And you pretty much can't GIVE them away around here!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 10, 2019, 09:48:36 AM
    Ok, I need encouragement and possibly a facepunch to just get this done.

    I have 2 sets of work clothes: winter and summer. ALL of my work pants are worn out. Winter and summer. I can't limp them through another season - they look bad now, and I can't repair them. The fabric is getting threadbare.

    Which means, I need to go shopping to get all new work pants. For both winter and summer (assuming I can find them). And then donate/toss all of the current set. But I really don't want to go shopping. Help.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on October 10, 2019, 10:15:34 AM
    Ok, I need encouragement and possibly a facepunch to just get this done.

    I have 2 sets of work clothes: winter and summer. ALL of my work pants are worn out. Winter and summer. I can't limp them through another season - they look bad now, and I can't repair them. The fabric is getting threadbare.

    Which means, I need to go shopping to get all new work pants. For both winter and summer (assuming I can find them). And then donate/toss all of the current set. But I really don't want to go shopping. Help.
    WWMMMD?

    [What Would Mr Money Mustache Do?]
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 10, 2019, 10:41:34 AM
    Ok, I need encouragement and possibly a facepunch to just get this done.

    I have 2 sets of work clothes: winter and summer. ALL of my work pants are worn out. Winter and summer. I can't limp them through another season - they look bad now, and I can't repair them. The fabric is getting threadbare.

    Which means, I need to go shopping to get all new work pants. For both winter and summer (assuming I can find them). And then donate/toss all of the current set. But I really don't want to go shopping. Help.

    My sympathies, I hate clothes shopping.  Can you find pants you like and then just buy multiples?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on October 10, 2019, 10:44:47 AM
    Definitely buy multiples of pants you like.

    Whatever it is that makes you not want to go shopping -- can you counteract that mentally? If it's about spending money, well, you're investing in your career/means of achieving FI. If it's about the time and energy, well, you have BOUNDLESS energy, dammit. Etc etc -- whatever works for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 10, 2019, 12:34:31 PM
    Ok, I need encouragement and possibly a facepunch to just get this done.

    I have 2 sets of work clothes: winter and summer. ALL of my work pants are worn out. Winter and summer. I can't limp them through another season - they look bad now, and I can't repair them. The fabric is getting threadbare.

    Which means, I need to go shopping to get all new work pants. For both winter and summer (assuming I can find them). And then donate/toss all of the current set. But I really don't want to go shopping. Help.

    I went through this very thing earlier this year-at least one pair of my work pants were um....15+ years old?  I alleviated some of the spending money guilt by buying things on sale.  Donating 6+ bags, a garment bag, and several pairs of shoes last fall also helped...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 10, 2019, 08:29:52 PM
    Thanks all. Encouragement is appreciated. I have about 15 pairs of pants that need to go, but do not need to replace with 15 pairs! Absolutely will get multiples of one type, and once I figure out what, I'll look for used/clearance/coupons, etc. Realistically, need 4 pairs for each season (based on # of wears between washes and my wash schedule).

    I have Monday off and will be driving home from parent's, going past an outlet mall. Will probably force myself to stop and at least look. Maybe I'll get lucky and there will be deep discounts at the stores.

    In decluttering actually completed - went through the sock drawer and sorted out the threadbare/badly stained/holey socks. Added to the bucket-o-rags for nasty cleaning, and given that I need to clean the oven, I'll probably be tossing a bunch when that happens.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nancy33 on October 10, 2019, 08:47:33 PM
    I’ve been planning our dinner meals following another thread on here. This has led to significant decluttering of my fridge, freezer, and pantry after only a few weeks! Family of 4 at home, with  two teenage boys. I’ve noticed we are generating a lot less trash lately. There has been extra room in the garbage cans. I’m going to make a goal to fill up those garbage cans every Tuesday by getting rid of more junk. We have 3 boys and as the youngest outgrows clothes and shoes at a rapid pace I need to stay on top of donating and / or trashing them as well
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bracken_Joy on October 11, 2019, 07:47:59 AM
    If you don't want to go out and shop at all, an option is to find brand and style and size of your current ones and just go on ebay and order the same again. Usually this is a very affordable approach, and no real shopping involved.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 11, 2019, 12:49:50 PM
    Thanks all. Encouragement is appreciated. I have about 15 pairs of pants that need to go, but do not need to replace with 15 pairs! Absolutely will get multiples of one type, and once I figure out what, I'll look for used/clearance/coupons, etc. Realistically, need 4 pairs for each season (based on # of wears between washes and my wash schedule).


    Agreed!  I have 4 pairs in rotation:  Grey, grey subtle-striped, black wide leg, and black narrow-legged.  A 5th pair is a little too snug for now.  I balance the pants stock with skirts in various lengths and textures.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 11, 2019, 02:49:47 PM
    Well, I'm back among the living.  Missed a couple of weeks' posts because I was sick sick sick.  Get your flu shots everyone!

    Here are a few more things I'm getting rid of, though not quite done yet:

    92. Flavoured oil and vinegar - given to relative.
    93. Toaster roommate left behind - going to animal rescue garage sale.
    94. 2 wall plaques - same.
    95. Over-the-door hanger - same.
    96 Vintage cereal bowl - same.

    4 more items to go; once I get a little more energy, I'm sure I'll find them.  Looking forward to getting to # 100!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 11, 2019, 03:29:34 PM
    Did some environmentally friendly toxic waste disposal (well, actually not toxic, but a chemical nonetheless) today at my car boot sale.   :)


    I noticed my ancient can of frost remover spray, which no one wants to buy,  was leaking at the bottom. It had rusted through at the seam. Gradually it started leaking more and more. I put in on the blacktop and let it soak into the asphalt, and evaporate, so no pollution into the groundwater. 

    I was actually happy it self-destructed. One less thing to get rid of! I tossed the empty can into the garbage. Woo hoo!   

         
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Chraurelius on October 13, 2019, 07:18:51 AM
    Sibley -- you're just giving yourself excuses not to shop with this 'sale/clearence/coupon' stuff. How about going to a reliable store and buying some pants NOW. Full price, sure, but so what?  Or find a store you like and shop online.  I do that with Land's End, since the quality and style suit me and the sizing is consistent.  Some people like Old Navy or H&M.
    Since you hate shopping, make it easy for yourself!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 13, 2019, 11:29:31 AM
    Opened up about 8 square feet of space on the bedroom wall by going through 10 plastic bags of clothes. Tossed about 20 items of clothing due to them being ripped, worn, or stained (they went to the textiles bin at  recycling). Saved about half of the clothing in a big bag to *try* to sell for $1 each !  If they don't sell, I'll donate them. Kept about 5 of them to wear myself.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on October 13, 2019, 11:40:18 AM
    Massage table was finally picked up by a lady from Freecycle - she also took the covering and books related to massage (that cleared some space on the bookshelf). Threw away boxing kit that Mr Vashy hasn't used in five years. There's still a lot of stuff to deal with, but I'm happy with the progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 13, 2019, 01:38:04 PM
    Ok, I need encouragement and possibly a facepunch to just get this done.

    I have 2 sets of work clothes: winter and summer. ALL of my work pants are worn out. Winter and summer. I can't limp them through another season - they look bad now, and I can't repair them. The fabric is getting threadbare.

    Which means, I need to go shopping to get all new work pants. For both winter and summer (assuming I can find them). And then donate/toss all of the current set. But I really don't want to go shopping. Help.
    WWMMMD?



    [What Would Mr Money Mustache Do?]


    If you know a certain brand that fits you good, go to ebay and look for the identical pants. You may find some good bargains and if you like what you have now and get the exact name brand, style and size, you should get just what you want. I shop all the time on ebay for upscale tunic tops. I love velour tops in the winter and have had really good luck. But, it is best to know the designer and how their clothes fit. Size varies tremendously from one designer to another. One size 12 in one brand will be equivalent to a size 16 in another brand. I have no fear buying gently used items. As soon as they arrive to my house they go into the washer and dryer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on October 13, 2019, 03:20:01 PM
    Yesterday was a good day for decluttering!  I took a walk down to the park that has a Little Free Library and dropped off two books I've been meaning to get out of the house.  I also did my seasonal wardrobe change-over, and pulled out two long-sleeved shirts, a sweater, a dress, and a bra to go in the donate box.  The donate box has not left the house yet because DH noticed me packing the box and thought he would go through some things as well, but hasn't gotten to it yet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 13, 2019, 04:55:48 PM
    Sometimes it feels like we have made no progress but last night I looked up and the bookshelf that used to be double-stacked, now has gaps in it. Ofpym sorted through a big box of papers yesterday and today put all the personal info docs in the shredder at work. We are getting the odd clear corner.

    I also tried out my new hiking shoes in Tasmania and they worked really well and didn't hurt my busted toe in the way my hiking boots do, so now I am thinking about getting rid of the boots.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on October 13, 2019, 06:09:30 PM
    Got 2 boxes off to donate yesterday, and another 2 bags almost ready for next week.  Thankfully we have a garage to sort and pile things.  We're in the midst of moving my Mom to a retirement home - 1000 sq. ft. has to somehow squeeze into 300 sq. ft.   So many things to get rid of, and she's not able to do it herself.  We are getting ready to list our house in the spring, so have our own things to purge.  AND DS and DIL finally bought a house, so all their things that have been stored here can be rehomed a bit at a time.  There are 3 piles going at all times and it's a mess in the garage.   I expect it will stay a mess for months to come yet.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 13, 2019, 11:56:49 PM
    @Sibley I hope you have good luck at the outlet store finding pants.

    Today's thrift shop drop off took one of my previous for-sale items that wasn't moving (a cheap ugly desk).  Plus a small box of assorted things.  They rejected the pillows, though!

    And I decided to keep the vacuum cleaner, since now I have upholstered furniture.  If a cheap stick vac comes my way, I'll donate the larger one, but room mate doesn't need the outdoor storage closet, so there is suddenly room for the regular vacuum.

    For anyone counting along at home (yeah right lol), that leaves me with only 2 items to sell.  Goal is to get one listed by next weekend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on October 14, 2019, 05:37:59 AM
    A dear friend of mine is a master seller. Whereas some people say their kids cost so much, she swears she's making a profit. Buys everything cheap on (our version of) craigslist, as soon as the kid is done with the clothes, toys, furniture, she takes good photos, makes a detailed listing and offers shipping. She has a system where she sells so much, she can tell buyers up front she does shipping on Wednesdays. In short, she gets more back on these products than she paid for.
     
    Now, I have a box in my living room, where I toss any items I want to sell or donate. But I'm also massively burned out and I can't find the energy to do it. I've offered the box to my friend, she'll sell it all and she can keep the proceeds. I just care that it's out of my house and not in a landfill. Thank god for good friends!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 14, 2019, 06:59:44 AM
    @Sibley I hope you have good luck at the outlet store finding pants.

    Today's thrift shop drop off took one of my previous for-sale items that wasn't moving (a cheap ugly desk).  Plus a small box of assorted things.  They rejected the pillows, though!

    And I decided to keep the vacuum cleaner, since now I have upholstered furniture.  If a cheap stick vac comes my way, I'll donate the larger one, but room mate doesn't need the outdoor storage closet, so there is suddenly room for the regular vacuum.

    For anyone counting along at home (yeah right lol), that leaves me with only 2 items to sell.  Goal is to get one listed by next weekend.

    I have 4 used, working  vacuum cleaners I am hoarding. They don't take up much space. Only when one breaks and is unfixable will I take it to metal recycling, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 14, 2019, 07:20:06 AM
    The big de-cluttering of the basement is well underway. 
    There were a number of low hanging fruits - a faux leather gift box from CP Hotels containing three potato shaped rocks and a small drawing of a banana, a fire extinguisher that was made in England, empty shoe polish tins, a children's hockey helmut that expired 11 years ago and some paint from our old house.  (Risking personal embarrassment for your amusement or encouragement)
    I am totally ready to ditch all the old Hallowe'en costumes from before I was a trick or treater - my mom's neighbour gave them to her to use with us kids.  She gave them to me. I sent my brothers an email and heard crickets so they are going.
    Hubs is ready to ditch a rotor table that he bought 9 years ago and has never used (in fact he has never finished assembling it) and the very small bbq that needs a new burner.  We bought a new larger one instead of replacing the burner. 
    I need to make a consolidated pile in the garage so when we make our trip to the donation place nothing stays behind.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on October 14, 2019, 11:22:11 AM
    Got 1 box ready for donation with kitchen items from the upper shelves. I will be working on the lower section and the fridge during the week. 1 bag of trash taken out and 1 bag in the works. I figure there will be a 2nd box for donation after I finish the kitchen.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on October 14, 2019, 08:38:17 PM
    Craigslist buyer came through today and bought the last horse blanket I really wanted gone.  Since I bought it deeply discounted, I actually got my money back re-selling it.  I sent her off with one of the "free with purchase" clear plastic blanket bags that always fall apart just when you need them.

    Off work this week and need to get some junk cleaned out of the driveway behind the fence, and also clean out the shop yet again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 15, 2019, 07:22:51 AM
    Going through the plastic bags full of clothes in the bedroom. Recycled about 10 pieces due to wear, but have a huge plastic bag full of perfectly good shirts, hoodies, etc. 

    Wondering if anyone will buy them, even for $1 apiece at my car boot sales. I've had women's shirts there twice, at 50 cents each. Some people look at the labels, then just move on. Wow, 50 cents each and not selling!

    I've sold one clothing item so far, which was a Cat-in-the-hat long Tshirt / night shirt, for $2.     

    I've had the shirts lying on a table, and also hanging from a rack. Still no sales.

    Rant over. Thanks for listening.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 15, 2019, 08:37:51 AM
    In case you're curious, update on the outlet mall trip. Yes, I went. I was a bit of a zombie (due to the lengthy hospital time on Sunday when mom had an emergency appendectomy and I'd only slept for 2 hours before I got to the place), but I went shopping. Mom's fine, still loopy on pain meds.

    Found pants, everything was on sale, so I got one of each type that I liked and will look online for additional pairs that I need. Combo of Ann Taylor and Loft.

    Also got a new jacket to replace 2 older ones that are wearing out, and the new jacket also can function in that in-between temperature before you need the big winter coat. Which was a hole in the jacket space. So, went from 2 + needing a 3rd, down to just one jacket.

    None of the wardrobe shuffling has taken place yet, but it will. I need to catch up on sleep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on October 16, 2019, 07:10:54 PM
    Useful tip for US based people decluttering clothing.  I haven't tried it, but thought it looked worth sharing.

    Pact brand (one of those organic feel good brands) provides free shipping labels so customers can reuse their box (or another box) and fill it full of gently used clothing to donate to a charity organization. Info is here. https://wearpact.com/campaign/givebackbox

    It appears that you don't actually have to make a purchase in order to print a label. 

    It seems like a really inefficient way to move goods and donations, but I can imagine some situations when it might be really useful, such as when I didn't have a car, or when it allows you to get rid of things promptly, within normal routine, without a trip across town. 

    --

    On further reading I see that it is a partnership with givebackbox.org and there may be some availability in UK and Canada. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 18, 2019, 05:27:11 PM
    @slackmax If you need permission to donate the shirts, you have it from me. You've made a good faith effort to sell them, no one is buying, you can just let them go now if you want.
    @Sibley good work with the wardrobe replacement!

    Today I pulled out the bags that I just never use and they are all ready for donation. Now the six that I regularly rotate between can actually sit and be visible and not get squashed in their container in my wardrobe. I patted all the ones that are going goodbye and showed them to Ofpym and E which feels like a nice goodbye to them. I also accepted I am not a Statement Belt over Shirt person, so that is going, as is a *lovely* and flattering red merino dress that I never wear because if it's cold enough to justify a WOOL DRESS I don't want short cap sleeves and a plunging v-neck. The first rounds were all easy because it was stuff I didn't love. We're getting into the stuff that I love but never use now. I tell myself they all gave me joy at one point and now it's someone else's turn to score.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 18, 2019, 06:06:07 PM
    It took over 2 weeks, but I finally recycled another 1-page work task list, this one for May.  Feels good, but unfortunately this is not an unfettered happy dance post.  Because I just printed out this month's task list, so I still have 3 pages.  As of now, I'm only 2 months behind on 10 tasks and 1 month behind on 6 additional tasks.  The game plan is to complete prior month's tasks as this month's deadline arrives, but that's been the game plan since I fell behind.  And see how well that worked :-/

    Still, happy to be more caught up than I was on Friday.

    One week update: I'm only 2 months behind on 10 3 tasks and 1 month behind on 6 4 additional tasks.

    No physical clutter gone, but the mental burden is lifting.  Next goal is to get 2 of the 3 done before vacation next week, and the last one done before current month end.  This is lofty, as being on vacation really causes a backup in my workload.  Even if I make this goal, I'll still only be treading water with regards to behind-ness.  Hopefully I can keep even rather than falling farther behind, then make progress in October.

    Over one month later update:
    Finally recycled June's job to-do list.  Those last two tasks were not as bad as I was dreading.  Still, I am again 3 months behind on some of my tasks.  This will be A Subject in my one on one meeting with the boss next week.

    Current status:
    2 months behind on 6 tasks and 1 month behind on 10 additional tasks.  lol, nearly the same as early Sept.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on October 18, 2019, 08:07:49 PM
    Finally someone bought the saddle I've been trying to sell for a year!  Took a substantial loss on it, but the used saddle market is terrible right now, so the upside is I got a bargain on the one I bought earlier this year, making it kind of a wash.

    Also did a dump run today and got rid of old cans of solidified paint, some railroad ties that were rotted out, and some other random things.  Our side driveway is almost free of clutter and looking neat and tidy.  I have a bunch of outdoor planters that I am thinking of giving away.

    As I wrote this, I finally Googled how to get rid of old propane canisters.  Turns out they can be left next to any Blue Rhino exchange and they will take and recycle for free.  So two old 5-gallon canisters will be going away this weekend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on October 19, 2019, 03:34:45 PM
    I'm going through my clothes again after a significant declutter last year.  Today I tacked my bedroom closet and culled about 6 tank tops that don't fit my chest right, 2 sports bras that are too small, and several like-new pairs of slipper socks (I don't like the ones with little rubber bits on the bottom and these were a gift).

    I'd like to go through my entire apartment again, including the sections I didn't get to the last round.  It's a good winter project!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 21, 2019, 06:07:24 PM
    Finally ready to complete my list!

    97.  Wrecked corn broom - garbage
    98.  Empty cassette box - garbage
    99.  Worn out tee-shirt (another one) - fabric recycling
    100. Dog book - animal rescue garage sale

    And, because I've decided to keep the vintage cereal bowl, I'll add item 101 - another plastic plant pot.

    So, 21 days late, but got her done!  Some things still need to leave the house, which I hope to get done by Nov. 1, since I'll be out of town soon.  I'm going to try for another 25 items by Christmas.  I'm not sure I can find that many things; if I do, I likely won't have anything left that I don't really want.  I still have quite a few books left, which I'll read down and donate any I don't want to read a second time.  Given that I'm 58, I'm starting to get more realistic about this!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on October 21, 2019, 06:20:22 PM
    Went through my shoebox-sized memento box and got rid of some cards and random papers (went into compost bin). I have another small box of personal papers/journals which I have labelled 'on the event of my death please burn'. I am only 52 but it's always good to be prepared, according to  'The Swedish Art of Death Cleaning'. I really don't want anyone reading my private thoughts after I am dead!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 21, 2019, 07:41:55 PM
    Most of the old work pants are in the donation box! Got a couple still going through the wash.

    Also pulled out more of the winter stuff, and went through summer stuff before putting it away. Various items added to the box. The box is overflowing. I'll get to it - if nothing else, I want to paint that room this year, so I will have to clear it all out!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on October 21, 2019, 07:55:56 PM
    My church is sponsoring a refugee family from Afghanistan, and some time ago we set up an industrial sewing machine for the mom. I don't know what she sews, but today I got it together to go through my bins and picked out some nice yards of fabric that I acquired ages ago but will never get around to making into anything.  She went through it and indicated that she wanted all of it, so we were both psyched.  She doesn't speak much English at all and I think she is bored and isolated.

    I also passed on a Halloween costume for her youngest daughter.  I tried to explain the concept of Halloween and there was a lot of smiling and nodding but I don't think it went through. I can't imagine what she thought of my charade of pulling on a mask (grimace, motions near face) and dropping candy (sprinkling motion) in a pumpkin-shaped bucket (rounded shape with hands, than motion of hoisting something). Hopefully the older kids will translate, and nobody will be the only child in the parade without a costume.

    The big de-cluttering of the basement is well underway. 
    There were a number of low hanging fruits - a faux leather gift box from CP Hotels containing three potato shaped rocks and a small drawing of a banana.
    That made me laugh!!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 21, 2019, 07:57:51 PM
    Two more books moved to the share library at work. maybe Accidental Declutter Fail - I've lost my headphone case with my old reliable mp3 player in it. It's not at work, in any of my bags, in any of the regular spots where I temporarily put it down. Mystery!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on October 22, 2019, 07:58:55 AM
    I installed an HD antenna outside.  To run the wire, I had to go into our knee wall attic space and move a bunch of junk to get to the hole where the wire goes through.  While I was at it, some mats we bought in Hawaii and brought home (don't even know why) in 1986 and haven't been used since went into the wood furnace along with a pile of empty boxes.  Took a pile of junk (old kids toys and such) and put the plastic in recycling and other in the trash.  Went through random stuff in the room and pulled a couple paper grocery bags worth of plastic (again, mostly kids toys) into recycling.  Most of these toys are for kids age zero to maybe 5.  My youngest is 19.  I gotta start burning lego boxes.  My older son sold off legos a couple summers ago while looking for a job and made several thousand dollars.  But we're down to maybe a grocery bag full of legos mixed with megablox and a ton of boxes.  Time to get rid of them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 22, 2019, 01:05:20 PM
    @Poundwise glad my personal humiliation was not in vain.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 25, 2019, 07:35:43 AM
    Car Jack, congratulations on getting some $$$ for the Legos. I tried to sell a bag of them, but no interest on Craigslist, even at dirt cheap prices. Must have been the wrong kind. They were the blocks with round pegs for connecting to other blocks. Donated them all to Salvation Army.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 25, 2019, 07:42:35 AM
    Patting myself on the back, remembering all the stuff I have donated or sold over the last year.  Not going to the car boot sale today since there is a social gathering I want to attend.

    I am doing some microdecluttering, though. Found an old bag of English Breakfast tea, and am brewing it now. One less teabag in the place!

    Also found about one bag full of junk to toss, and 2 bags of knicknacks that didn't sell, that are going to Salvation Army donation place.

    May rearrange some boxes to expose more space today. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 25, 2019, 07:57:17 AM
    Yesterday I cleaned out a wicker basket that is square and kind of bigger than a milk crate. Once I started digging in it was like uh oh...what have I gotten myself into. A lot of stuff in the basket were ebay supplies such as envelopes cardboard squares. That was only the tip of the iceberg I dug out catalogs, magazines, plastic bags, crappy cardboard that was bent. I found an envelope with some software a friend sent me years ago. There was a shoe polish kit that has about 4 different bottles of who knows what in it brand new and unopened. Too many mailing envelopes that were relocated elsewhere. A hat, an old glue package I guess I kept to put the tube back into but never did. It was overflowing and no idea how that one basket held it all. When I got done, I had a huge bag of crap for recycle. I put a bunch of stuff back in the basket but no where near what I had! This must be some kind of a magic magician's basket to have held so much stuff. What I have in there now fills it completely so how did I manage to jam it so full?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 25, 2019, 08:42:00 AM
    In the great freezer relocate, I de-cluttered a number of frozen lumps that I have no idea what they are.  And reloaded the shelves with like items next to each other.  Hopefully the Hubs can find stuff in there now. 

    And the major break through- Hubs announced how much he is liking the spacious look of the basement.  He wants to get rid of all the rest of the crap in the rest of the house - "it feels so good!"  FREAKING MAJOR BREAK THROUGH

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 25, 2019, 09:35:30 AM
    In the great freezer relocate, I de-cluttered a number of frozen lumps that I have no idea what they are.  And reloaded the shelves with like items next to each other.  Hopefully the Hubs can find stuff in there now. 

    And the major break through- Hubs announced how much he is liking the spacious look of the basement.  He wants to get rid of all the rest of the crap in the rest of the house - "it feels so good!"  FREAKING MAJOR BREAK THROUGH

    WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on October 25, 2019, 03:45:51 PM
    Put some origami paper in the give-away pile.

    Threw out some old underwear that was in decent condition but just doesn't fit anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 25, 2019, 06:32:59 PM
    @Sibley I hope you have good luck at the outlet store finding pants.

    Today's thrift shop drop off took one of my previous for-sale items that wasn't moving (a cheap ugly desk).  Plus a small box of assorted things.  They rejected the pillows, though!

    And I decided to keep the vacuum cleaner, since now I have upholstered furniture.  If a cheap stick vac comes my way, I'll donate the larger one, but room mate doesn't need the outdoor storage closet, so there is suddenly room for the regular vacuum.

    For anyone counting along at home (yeah right lol), that leaves me with only 2 items to sell.  Goal is to get one listed by next weekend.

    I have 4 used, working  vacuum cleaners I am hoarding. They don't take up much space. Only when one breaks and is unfixable will I take it to metal recycling, lol.

    @slackmax that is a lot of vacuums! If you're able to repair them, do you really need all 4? I was able to buy my current vacuum for less than $100 about 15 years ago. So a cheap, reliable replacement is easy to come by. I also regularly see them at the thrift shop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 25, 2019, 06:41:49 PM
    In the great freezer relocate, I de-cluttered a number of frozen lumps that I have no idea what they are.  And reloaded the shelves with like items next to each other.  Hopefully the Hubs can find stuff in there now. 

    And the major break through- Hubs announced how much he is liking the spacious look of the basement.  He wants to get rid of all the rest of the crap in the rest of the house - "it feels so good!"  FREAKING MAJOR BREAK THROUGH

    Woot!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on October 25, 2019, 06:55:33 PM
    Got rid of 2 lamps that were still functional and nice if you like colonial/country style.  We bought those decades ago for our first house, and it was time to let them find a new home.   Also 2 ginormous decorative pillows that came with a couch we no longer have.   I have no idea why I was so reluctant to let the pillows go for so long - everything looks so much better without them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 26, 2019, 06:59:25 AM
    @Sibley I hope you have good luck at the outlet store finding pants.

    Today's thrift shop drop off took one of my previous for-sale items that wasn't moving (a cheap ugly desk).  Plus a small box of assorted things.  They rejected the pillows, though!

    And I decided to keep the vacuum cleaner, since now I have upholstered furniture.  If a cheap stick vac comes my way, I'll donate the larger one, but room mate doesn't need the outdoor storage closet, so there is suddenly room for the regular vacuum.

    For anyone counting along at home (yeah right lol), that leaves me with only 2 items to sell.  Goal is to get one listed by next weekend.

    I have 4 used, working  vacuum cleaners I am hoarding. They don't take up much space. Only when one breaks and is unfixable will I take it to metal recycling, lol.

    @slackmax that is a lot of vacuums! If you're able to repair them, do you really need all 4? I was able to buy my current vacuum for less than $100 about 15 years ago. So a cheap, reliable replacement is easy to come by. I also regularly see them at the thrift shop.

    Oneday,  They don't take up much space, and I have a lifetime supply of vacuum cleaners this way, lol. Usually I can fix them. If the motor breaks, I recycle them or just give then away to the used vacuum store. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 26, 2019, 07:14:16 AM
    I didn't feel like going to the car boot sale today, so I am spending this morning going through more plastic bags full of clothes, in the bedroom.  Getting a bag of donatable clothes together. I don't feel bad about donating these clothes, for some reason.

    Also picked out some empty cardboard boxes to take out of the basement, and recycle. The latest thing at the recycling center is that they are now refusing any cardboard that has any mold on it! So one of the boxes is going into the garb.

    The living room is getting more and more floor space visible as I move stuff into the basement or donate it.   Just gotta keep at it.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 27, 2019, 04:56:55 AM
    Three loads gone. We have a leaf so not the largest hauler but not shabby.  We still can't park two cars in the garage but we are getting closer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on October 30, 2019, 07:43:12 PM
    Once again I am thinking about downsizing to a condo, so that has motivated me to start de-cluttering again. Gone in the last few days. Two counter height stools, 2 little end tables, a bag of clothes, 2 frames, a "Family" photo holder thing and a few small décor items. Thought I had a buyer for a living chair that has been in the basement for the past couple of years, but she was a no show. Hate it when people do that. I may just end up donating it. If I really do end up moving to a condo I will have to get a lot more serious about getting rid of stuff. Oh, I almost forgot DS is home and he got rid of a weight bench and a small desk from the basement also.

    Next on the hit list:
     - antique foot stool
     - bench thing that is in the laundry room
     - more frames and misc décor items

    This is all stuff that I should be able to get a few dollars for, and I am putting all of it in my vacation fund.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 31, 2019, 07:06:58 AM
    Went through a 3 foot tall plastic set of storage drawers and threw out some of the contents and recycled the rest. Mostly old bank statements, glossy newspaper inserts, etc.

    Still have the 3 foot tall unit sitting there, but now I can, in theory, store some useful and needed stuff there, lol.

    Having a hard time donating clothes lately. Congratulations to those folks who can do it easily. I have a bunch of bags of 'perfectly good clothes' sitting around the place, waiting to be 'abandoned' to the Salvation Army, lol.   One of these days. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 31, 2019, 07:59:52 AM
    Last weekend was epic for decluttering.  We have to get the area around the electrical panel cleared out so I was ruthless on the bankers boxes stashed in there.  There were four and now there is one - and it is full of extension cords and power bars.  I ditched the other random cords into the new e-waste disposal that re-started in the garage.

    I ventured into the cedar closet and to my glee - three giant bins are completely empty.  We are so much closer to being able to return SIL's bins to her than I thought.  Hubs borrowed a number of them when we started the basement reno and just filled them with random junk or so I thought.  Three never got filled.  I am hoping this weekend means they can all go back to her place and this will be a noticeable spaciousness.

    The garage is coming along.  Hubs is getting almost ruthless.  He finally opened the box with a stand for his chop saw.  He has been working all summer and fall with the chop saw on the floor even though he had purchased a stand in the spring and it was sitting in the garage awaiting assembly. He bought the chop saw about 20 years ago and has been using it on the floor ever since.  His back told him he needed a stand a while ago and he saw one on sale at Rona in the spring.  But for some reason he has been kneeling on the floor for five more months.  I don't understand him some days.

    He made a shelf to store his and Son's hockey stick collection - but first he got rid of all the broken ones and the ones that fit five year olds. 

    He went through the shelf full of chemicals and took all the bottles that he hasn't touched in four years to the toxic waste disposal.

    There is a pile of old copper pipes in another corner. 

    He relocated hooks so I can hang up the lawn mower and the giant snow bucket.  Both can be accessed now without moving bikes or cars. 

    I have gotten a system for my mason jars.  I had run out in September of empty jars or so I thought.  But through this de-cluttering, I have found about four dozen jars of various sizes. And family members are returning my jars to me since I mentioned that I was done canning because I was out of jars.  I now have one area to consolidate all the empty jars now that we are starting to eat the canned goods. 

    The squirrels have been helping me purge clay pots.  I have no trouble disposing of broken pots and they have been pulling them down of the shelf I thought looked like a good display option. 

    Our screen porch is now a joy to look at and when warm weather returns it will be nice to sit in again.  We couldn't use it once this summer because Hubs had filled it with large bins of stuff from the rest of the basement.  When he saw my handiwork this past weekend he noted that it would be nice to sit in there if it was warm enough.  And then he realized that he had made that impossible for the entire summer this year.  He promised he would try to keep it nice for next summer.

    I have to put the clothesline in the shed today.  Snow is in the forecast for tonight.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 31, 2019, 08:20:39 PM
    I'm on vacation this week, and have been knocking out house projects. The living room and dining room are DONE.

    -3 cans of paint used up and in the garage to dry
    -Got carpet finally, and installed the toe molding (quarter round). So then I put all the furniture back where it belongs, and am putting the stuff I took out of the desk, cabinet, etc back in. In the process, am collecting random stuff that needs a home/needs to go/something into a box so I can then sort and deal with it.
    -It's Halloween, so handed out candy. It looks more like Christmas though, so I have a ton left over, and have made arrangements to donate it to a local veteran's group that does goodie bags for older vets in the area. Leaves tomorrow afternoon.
    -Various other supplies used for the utility room project, which means a bag of stuff is no longer sitting around.
    -Returned various unneeded supplies to the store, so another bag of stuff is no longer sitting around.
    -Found a stash of boxes that I have no memory of, and do not need, so into recycling they went.

    The house is looking presentable!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on November 01, 2019, 10:48:19 AM
    Donated a book to the library resale shop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 03, 2019, 04:21:38 PM
    Things that left the house this week:

     - brown living room chair ($100 for the vacation fund. Yay!)
     - single bed that I don't need anymore - gave to a single mother in need
     - table and chairs that DS made in shop years ago - gave to the same single mother
     - recycled a bunch of old newspaper clippings, souvenir programs, etc. Took pictures of some to keep as memories.
     - some barn boards
     - a couple of jackets. need to go through my jackets again, still way too many.
     - some miscellaneous décor items
     - breadmaker is out on the counter. I just need to wipe it down and find the manual and then it will get donated.
     - recycled a bunch of Christmas tins

    Seems like there was more, but I can't think of what it was.

    Listed the vintage foot stool, but so far no takers.

    Hit list this week:
     - Finish the laundry room so that at least one room feels "done"
     - Ensuite bathroom

    I went and looked at a condo, and it was actually really cute, but OMG, a major purge would need to happen before I could move into something that small. It does have a single car garage that could store some seasonal stuff like Christmas tree & decorations. etc.



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 03, 2019, 04:30:04 PM
    I went and looked at a condo, and it was actually really cute, but OMG, a major purge would need to happen before I could move into something that small. It does have a single car garage that could store some seasonal stuff like Christmas tree & decorations. etc.

    I went from a 1200 sq. ft. house with a big garage and a fully furnished basement.  I thought a 900 sq. ft. apartment with parking and a small locker would be ample, there was so much of the house I wasn't using.  Wrong!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 03, 2019, 07:04:56 PM
    Well, I go back to work tomorrow after my week off. I got even more projects done, so even more stuff used.

    Reassembled the drop ceiling in the utility room and put the new ceiling tiles in, which removed a bunch of pieces of the frame from the garage and the 2 boxes of tiles. I have one tile left over, which I will save for now in case we destroy a tile in the rest of the project. Also had a couple shorter pieces of frame that I didn't need as I simplified a few sections. My neighbor keeps a scrap metal pile and periodically takes it to the junk yard, so donated those to him.

    I dropped off a load of stuff at Goodwill, then came home and put another box together.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 04, 2019, 08:04:07 AM
    A few more items left the house - but only made it to the garage. Still my office, the kids bedrooms, our bedroom and the living room get better and better.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 04, 2019, 09:37:37 AM
    Went through a 3 foot tall plastic set of storage drawers and threw out some of the contents and recycled the rest. Mostly old bank statements, glossy newspaper inserts, etc.

    Still have the 3 foot tall unit sitting there, but now I can, in theory, store some useful and needed stuff there, lol.

    Having a hard time donating clothes lately. Congratulations to those folks who can do it easily. I have a bunch of bags of 'perfectly good clothes' sitting around the place, waiting to be 'abandoned' to the Salvation Army, lol.   One of these days. 

    Good going.  How are you finding the conditions once you move stacks of stuff?  I keep envisioning some of those Hoarders homes that are rotting away under them. Shudder.

    If you're having a hard time with the clothes, are there any women you could ask to help you?  They might have a more objective opinion on the worth of various items.  Usually, run of the mill clothes have no second hand value and you're wasting your time and energy trying to sell them.  High end, relatively new clothes in good condition might be sellable, so maybe just go through it all and look at labels.  If you don't know what is "good stuff" you could ask someone at a consignment shop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 04, 2019, 10:58:02 AM
    Most of the stuff is on top of carpet, and all you see when the stack is removed is a clean carpet, maybe with a temporary ridge left where a box was placed.   

    However..... there are eighth-of-an-inch thick layers of dust on * top * of some stuff, which I just vacuum off, or wipe off.   

    About the clothes:  I see the same types of clothes for sale at flea markets for $1 each. Women's shirts, blouses, skirts, tops of all sorts, on display on long, long rows of hangers.  Maybe they sell very slowly, or not at all, who knows? Not me.

    Maybe it's a regional thing. I've read websites saying that clothes sell well at garage sales. Not around  here!  Maybe they need to be high end. Oh well. 
    When I get sick enough of them, off they'll go to donation.   

    Yesterday I got luck in my decluttering of the bedroom. I found a lot of actual junk that I could toss into the garbage can, and not worry about the value of. Empty deodorant sticks, half-used cosmetics, empty plastic bags, etc. Yay!     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 04, 2019, 03:33:27 PM
    Most of the stuff is on top of carpet, and all you see when the stack is removed is a clean carpet, maybe with a temporary ridge left where a box was placed.   

    However..... there are eighth-of-an-inch thick layers of dust on * top * of some stuff, which I just vacuum off, or wipe off.   

    About the clothes:  I see the same types of clothes for sale at flea markets for $1 each. Women's shirts, blouses, skirts, tops of all sorts, on display on long, long rows of hangers.  Maybe they sell very slowly, or not at all, who knows? Not me.

    Maybe it's a regional thing. I've read websites saying that clothes sell well at garage sales. Not around  here!  Maybe they need to be high end. Oh well. 
    When I get sick enough of them, off they'll go to donation.   

    Yesterday I got luck in my decluttering of the bedroom. I found a lot of actual junk that I could toss into the garbage can, and not worry about the value of. Empty deodorant sticks, half-used cosmetics, empty plastic bags, etc. Yay!     

    Yay is right!  No thought required for that stuff.

    You're a patient man - how long do you think it will take you to get sick of the clothes?  You've been at this a couple of years, no?  LOL.  Around here no one even looks at clothes at garage sales, etc. so I don't even try.  Off to the thrift store they go, even brand new condition items.  Just not worth the effort to try to sell them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 05, 2019, 07:34:21 AM
    Most of the stuff is on top of carpet, and all you see when the stack is removed is a clean carpet, maybe with a temporary ridge left where a box was placed.   

    However..... there are eighth-of-an-inch thick layers of dust on * top * of some stuff, which I just vacuum off, or wipe off.   

    About the clothes:  I see the same types of clothes for sale at flea markets for $1 each. Women's shirts, blouses, skirts, tops of all sorts, on display on long, long rows of hangers.  Maybe they sell very slowly, or not at all, who knows? Not me.

    Maybe it's a regional thing. I've read websites saying that clothes sell well at garage sales. Not around  here!  Maybe they need to be high end. Oh well. 
    When I get sick enough of them, off they'll go to donation.   

    Yesterday I got luck in my decluttering of the bedroom. I found a lot of actual junk that I could toss into the garbage can, and not worry about the value of. Empty deodorant sticks, half-used cosmetics, empty plastic bags, etc. Yay!     

    Yay is right!  No thought required for that stuff.

    You're a patient man - how long do you think it will take you to get sick of the clothes?  You've been at this a couple of years, no?  LOL.  Around here no one even looks at clothes at garage sales, etc. so I don't even try.  Off to the thrift store they go, even brand new condition items.  Just not worth the effort to try to sell them.

    Thanks! Every time I hear someone say they can't sell clothes, even brand new condition  clothes, it makes it easier for me to donate them. I have 2 large plastic garbage bags full of newish clothes I was saving to attempt to sell.  Now I'm thinking of dropping one of them off at Salvation Army.    Yes, I'm doing it incrementally. Slow but sure. 

    In order to make myself sick of them, I put the bags in a place where I'll see them, and after seeing them just sitting there long enough, I get sick of them, and off they go! Endorphin rush!  And a less cluttered house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 05, 2019, 07:52:00 AM
    I buy some clothes from ebay. Typically, name brand and a size that I know is tried and true. I have bought some things that are an off brand and the size is off typically either too big or too small. So, I am trying to limit my purchases to what I know should fit. Jeans are typically a good seller on ebay. Name brands like LL Bean and men's workwear sell good. I see a guy on ebay that sells mostly sport jackets and suits. He seems to be making a decent business of it. I do believe he has access to upscale thrift stores.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on November 05, 2019, 10:29:10 AM
    I also don't try to sell clothes, even pretty decent things. It's just not worth my time. To the thrift store it goes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on November 05, 2019, 05:43:24 PM
    I don't try to sell clothes either.  By the time I stop wearing them as "painting clothes" no-one wants them, so they become my car repair rags.

    I also try to make sure I don't buy any more clothes than I need, so there is nothing to give away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on November 06, 2019, 05:05:30 AM
    I've never really tried to sell my clothes, though I kind of wish Poshmark had been around right after I divorced my first husband.  His mother had expensive taste and didn't think I dressed well enough, so she bought me tons of Ann Taylor and J Crew stuff.  I probably could have paid for an hour or two of my attorney's time.


    I send my kid's stuff to consignment sales a couple of times a year.  I designate almost everything that doesn't sell to be donated, so I make a few bucks and get it out of the house at the same time.  I can't believe how much stuff some people schlep back home after it's over. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 07, 2019, 11:40:14 AM
    I also don't try to sell clothes, even pretty decent things. It's just not worth my time. To the thrift store it goes.

    I worked my plan. I got tired of looking at the 2 big bags of 'perfectly good, new-looking clothes'. (All T shirts and lightweight sweaters) and put them in the car and drove them off and plopped them down in the covered outdoor donation place. 

     edit to add:   I had a quart Ball jar full of sedimentary layers of oatmeal-raisin cookie making ingredients, and instructions glued to it,  on my kitchen table forever. Putting off what to do with it. Today I finally used it all, except for the raisins, which I threw out, to make oatmeal cookies. Eating them now. Now have empty Ball jar which I can sell at car boot sales, or use for whatever.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 07, 2019, 11:50:44 AM
    I did my drawer in the bathroom.  Have of the stuff in there was really old junk - polysporin that expired in 2016, nail files with no grit, nearly empty hotel shampoo bottles..... and why do I have two hair brushes when I may brush my hair once every couple of days?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on November 07, 2019, 12:06:56 PM
    I worked my plan. I got tired of looking at the 2 big bags of 'perfectly good, new-looking clothes'. (All T shirts and lightweight sweaters) and put them in the car and drove them off and plopped them down in the covered outdoor donation place.

    GOOD JOB!!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 07, 2019, 12:14:43 PM
    Woot woot @slackmax you are getting it done!

    My recent victories include taking my shorts to the tailor to get the waist taken in instead of having to find and buy new shorts. I also cleared some space in our bookshelf headboard (spilled water boo) and am rather liking the look of the uncluttered shelf so it might be time to move the books to the main shelves and keep the bedroom clearer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 09, 2019, 10:36:38 AM
    I worked my plan. I got tired of looking at the 2 big bags of 'perfectly good, new-looking clothes'. (All T shirts and lightweight sweaters) and put them in the car and drove them off and plopped them down in the covered outdoor donation place.

    GOOD JOB!!!!

    Way to go, Slackmax!  Isn't it a relief?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on November 09, 2019, 10:56:13 AM
    I worked my plan. I got tired of looking at the 2 big bags of 'perfectly good, new-looking clothes'. (All T shirts and lightweight sweaters) and put them in the car and drove them off and plopped them down in the covered outdoor donation place. 

    Here's something to consider - the people receiving the clothes from your donation.  Think about how much happier someone will be to get almost new clothes.  When you donate nice things, the people that get them are much happier than if you donated crap.  Something to consider when you're looking at your piles of 'perfectly good' clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 10, 2019, 11:13:38 AM
    I worked my plan. I got tired of looking at the 2 big bags of 'perfectly good, new-looking clothes'. (All T shirts and lightweight sweaters) and put them in the car and drove them off and plopped them down in the covered outdoor donation place.

    GOOD JOB!!!!

    Way to go, Slackmax!  Isn't it a relief?

    It's not the perfect solution, which would be to sell them all, even for 50 cents  each. But yes, it is a relief not having them around anymore!   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 10, 2019, 01:14:07 PM
    I've been diligently working away to continue decluttering and here is my new list.  Aiming for 25 items by Christmas, but ore would be better.  I think I was a bit delusional in thinking I was close to my click point!

    1. Paperback - going to animal rescue garage sale.
    2. Plastic water bottle - same.
    3. Glass canister - same.
    4. Plastic Sieve - same.
    5. Unopened bag of latex gloves - same.
    6. 3 VHS tapes - same.
    7. 2 cans of expired drink powder - garbage.
    8. Mother lode of plastic bags - garbage.  (Hate to throw out plastic, but I won't live long enough to use them all!)
    9. Broken dog tie out cable - garbage.
    10. Odd sock found behind dryer - thrift store for fabric recycling.
    11. Screen remnants - thrift store.
    12. Unopened face lotion - same.
    13. 2 rubber grips for opening jars - same.
    14. Length of wire cable - same.
    15. Food Saver bags - same.
    16. Yet another plastic plant pot (hopefully the last) - same.
    17. Cat toys my cats don't play with - drop off at old work place for cat-owners.
    18. Surplus vegetable seeds - same.
    19. Unopened can of peppermint tea - dropped off at food bank bin.

    Since it's getting more difficult to just stumble across thing in the course of the day, I've taken to picking an area and emptying it, cleaning it thoroughly, then putting back whatever I want to keep.  It's nice to see some cupboards half empty and motivates me to get more ruthless in my efforts.  I'm realizing I have a drinking glass and cup fetish though - soooooo many!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on November 10, 2019, 04:59:18 PM
    I've been diligently working away to continue decluttering and here is my new list.  Aiming for 25 items by Christmas, but ore would be better.  I think I was a bit delusional in thinking I was close to my click point!

    1. Paperback - going to animal rescue garage sale.
    2. Plastic water bottle - same.
    3. Glass canister - same.
    4. Plastic Sieve - same.
    5. Unopened bag of latex gloves - same.
    6. 3 VHS tapes - same.
    7. 2 cans of expired drink powder - garbage.
    8. Mother lode of plastic bags - garbage.  (Hate to throw out plastic, but I won't live long enough to use them all!)
    9. Broken dog tie out cable - garbage.
    10. Odd sock found behind dryer - thrift store for fabric recycling.
    11. Screen remnants - thrift store.
    12. Unopened face lotion - same.
    13. 2 rubber grips for opening jars - same.
    14. Length of wire cable - same.
    15. Food Saver bags - same.
    16. Yet another plastic plant pot (hopefully the last) - same.
    17. Cat toys my cats don't play with - drop off at old work place for cat-owners.
    18. Surplus vegetable seeds - same.
    19. Unopened can of peppermint tea - dropped off at food bank bin.

    Since it's getting more difficult to just stumble across thing in the course of the day, I've taken to picking an area and emptying it, cleaning it thoroughly, then putting back whatever I want to keep.  It's nice to see some cupboards half empty and motivates me to get more ruthless in my efforts.  I'm realizing I have a drinking glass and cup fetish though - soooooo many!

    Do you not think thrift stores and food banks use plastic bags?!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 10, 2019, 07:10:50 PM
    I've been diligently working away to continue decluttering and here is my new list.  Aiming for 25 items by Christmas, but ore would be better.  I think I was a bit delusional in thinking I was close to my click point!

    1. Paperback - going to animal rescue garage sale.
    2. Plastic water bottle - same.
    3. Glass canister - same.
    4. Plastic Sieve - same.
    5. Unopened bag of latex gloves - same.
    6. 3 VHS tapes - same.
    7. 2 cans of expired drink powder - garbage.
    8. Mother lode of plastic bags - garbage.  (Hate to throw out plastic, but I won't live long enough to use them all!)
    9. Broken dog tie out cable - garbage.
    10. Odd sock found behind dryer - thrift store for fabric recycling.
    11. Screen remnants - thrift store.
    12. Unopened face lotion - same.
    13. 2 rubber grips for opening jars - same.
    14. Length of wire cable - same.
    15. Food Saver bags - same.
    16. Yet another plastic plant pot (hopefully the last) - same.
    17. Cat toys my cats don't play with - drop off at old work place for cat-owners.
    18. Surplus vegetable seeds - same.
    19. Unopened can of peppermint tea - dropped off at food bank bin.

    Since it's getting more difficult to just stumble across thing in the course of the day, I've taken to picking an area and emptying it, cleaning it thoroughly, then putting back whatever I want to keep.  It's nice to see some cupboards half empty and motivates me to get more ruthless in my efforts.  I'm realizing I have a drinking glass and cup fetish though - soooooo many!

    Do you not think thrift stores and food banks use plastic bags?!

    Yes sure and I do donate grocery type bags, but these are just odd bags like from dog and cat food, water softener salt bags etc.  I use what I can for yard waste and such, but can’t keep up with the supply.  I hate sending them to the land fill, especially empty, because they must take centuries to break down, but they aren’t recyclable here.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 11, 2019, 07:49:38 AM
    -Sold another couple of items on eBay
    -Gave my dad all of my read mystery books. He brings them home & shares them with friends, as they don't have a local library
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 11, 2019, 10:36:40 AM
    Only a small thing - but big psychologically - I decluttered tubes of watercolour paint.  Don't use them (they are not professional quality pigments) so finally got brave enough to admit I am a paint snob and someone who is less experienced or snobby than I could get some enjoyment from these.  Bye bye.

    One too small raincoat and two winter coats made it to the donation pile. 
    A too small big disappeared from the sidewalk.
    The large useless metal storage cabinet is now at the metal recyclers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on November 12, 2019, 08:06:47 AM
    This weekend I cleared off two areas that have been piling up detritus over the busy spring and summer seasons:  my desk and the workbench in the garage.  Went through the pile of papers on my desk and burned most of it last night (along with a couple pieces of scrap wood too small to use for anything). 

    I gave a hay net to the stable where my horses live.

    Used some old bedsheets  to make tail wraps for the horses.

    Last week I sold a pair of boots on eBay.

    Project for this week will be getting the shop cleaned out an organized, which it desperately needs.

    Going to box up some extra canning jars and give them to a co-worker whose son is raising bees and selling honey.

    Have several outdoor plant pots I need to give away.  Might just curb them with a free sign.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on November 12, 2019, 10:01:01 AM
    I'm clearing out the spare bedroom in expectation of guests after Christmas, so -

    5 boxes/bags of books now in the car ready to go to the charity shop.

    4 paintings waiting to go to the next local art auction.

    Fabric remnants and old sheets with holes to go to fabric recycling, along with a few metal bits and pieces.

    Still work to do on clothes and various oddments.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 13, 2019, 08:37:54 AM
    Was going to take about 100 huge CVS plastic bags to recycling, but decided just to take the ripped ones (about 15) and just stuff all the rest into one of the bags, and keep them for who-knows-what. They really do compress a lot!  I may use them somehow in my car boot sales next year. Don't want to ever be short on huge CVS bags, lol. 

    Donated a book to the senior center. Dropped off a 3 feet by 3 feet book case at salvation army.

    Currently eying some old technical IBM work manuals full of 'invaluable nostalgic interest' to someone on EBay, perhaps. (Not).... Every so often I take a few more down to recycling, dump the paper contents, and keep the binders. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on November 13, 2019, 08:55:34 AM
    Tidied up the basement yesterday.  My telework space is there, but it had turned into a bit of a dumping ground over summer, so I've been avoiding telework due to the mess.  Got rid of:

    Old mattress pad
    Bag of batting

    To go to H4H Re-Store:
    Fireplace screen/door thing
    Several pendant light covers

    To go to the Youth Ranch thrift shop:
    An old saddle
    A food mill I haven't used in several years
    Excess canning jars

    Considering selling: 
    My weight set and 50# kettlebell
    Large coffee table
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on November 13, 2019, 11:31:30 AM
    3 boxes of kitchen things and shoes donated on Monday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 14, 2019, 07:08:22 AM
    Another 3 boxes of books gone, 2 moving boxes worth of stuff, and my ancient desktop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on November 14, 2019, 08:27:07 AM
    ….   Currently eying some old technical IBM work manuals full of 'invaluable nostalgic interest' to someone on EBay, perhaps. (Not).... Every so often I take a few more down to recycling, dump the paper contents, and keep the binders.

    slackmax, I would definitely consider posting that technical material on eBay.  Besides nostalgic retirees, there are archivists and also law firms who are always looking for that material.
    I've heard of at least one person who fished some of that type of documentation out of a dumpster from a car manufacturer.  It included blueprints for making car parts from discontinued models. He used that info to make reproduction parts for serious car restorers and ended up with a very successful business. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on November 14, 2019, 09:01:43 AM
    Two boxes of books, a box of glassware and cookie sheets, and a bag of odds and ends out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 14, 2019, 01:39:23 PM
    ….   Currently eying some old technical IBM work manuals full of 'invaluable nostalgic interest' to someone on EBay, perhaps. (Not).... Every so often I take a few more down to recycling, dump the paper contents, and keep the binders.

    slackmax, I would definitely consider posting that technical material on eBay.  Besides nostalgic retirees, there are archivists and also law firms who are always looking for that material.
    I've heard of at least one person who fished some of that type of documentation out of a dumpster from a car manufacturer.  It included blueprints for making car parts from discontinued models. He used that info to make reproduction parts for serious car restorers and ended up with a very successful business.

    Thanks! I guess it wouldn't hurt to try putting it online.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on November 15, 2019, 12:19:20 PM
    I'm experimenting with the number of dishes a family of three actually needs.  I have packed up all but a small handful.  Once I find the right number, everything else goes away.  I have nice China for guests.


      Truth be told this is in response to my becoming overwhelmed with the amount of dirty dishes that my family generates.  It seems that no one in my house likes to unload the dishwasher.  Not only that, they will take a clean dish out of the cabinet instead of taking a clean one out of the dishwasher, creating more work.  I feel like if we only have a single dishwasher load of dishes I'll be able to get a better handle on them.  And it might even force people to wash a dish by hand if they really need it...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 15, 2019, 02:47:27 PM
    Still plugging away at de-cluttering my laundry/storage room. There was a lot more crap stuff in there than I imagined. By the end of this weekend I vow to have it ship shape, and all the piles of stuff that came out of there dispatched to either the thrift store or the garbage.

    Tidied up the hall closet where the brooms, mop, etc live. Need to buy a couple of new hooks to hang things. Went through all the cleaning products in there and threw out some old ones that I don't use.

     - One giant bag of clothes (mostly coats) ready to donate. Clothes are hard for me too.
     - Sold a vintage foot stool for $40. I think it cost me $30, so that was a win. I always re-list a bit higher because most people will try to dicker you down.
     - Listed some ladder back chairs that I was going to fix up, but never did. Story of my life.
     - Gave away my Mom's old bread maker. *sniff*
     - Managed to accidentally break the glass in a frame, so threw that out.

    ETA: Someone just came and picked up a mudroom bench that I gave away. Amazing how fast you can get rid of stuff when you give it for free. lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on November 15, 2019, 03:17:56 PM
    We move house from about 100sqm to 60sqm in less than two months!

    I need to motivate myself to do another decluttering push. Any ideas for gaming the declutter that starts on 17 November? Otherwise I'll be waiting til Dec to do one on 1 Dec, 2 on 2 Dec etc. Any games that don't involve calendar days?

    Husband is away next weekend so maybe I could do a massive Kondo then. Or I could do the calendar thing but start with digital files to get the numbers (I've got two computers that I want to move on).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on November 15, 2019, 03:35:41 PM
    You guys:  I can't believe how much storage space I've opened up by reshuffling and getting rid of just a few things this week.  I have a glorious amount of open shelf space in the laundry room, and even extra space in the kitchen cabinets.  Small items in the closets are corraled into baskets.  It's so nice.  I'm headed out now to start tackling the shop and load the truck up with things to donate tomorrow.

    One of the most valuable things I took from Marie Kondo's book was the idea to not buy any more storage pieces.  In the past, when I'd undertake an organization project, I'd often buy new storage tubs and things.  Now (given I have lots of that stuff), I pretty much always find a storage solution by cleaning, reorganizing and repurposing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 15, 2019, 05:14:31 PM
    We move house from about 100sqm to 60sqm in less than two months!

    I need to motivate myself to do another decluttering push. Any ideas for gaming the declutter that starts on 17 November? Otherwise I'll be waiting til Dec to do one on 1 Dec, 2 on 2 Dec etc. Any games that don't involve calendar days?

    Husband is away next weekend so maybe I could do a massive Kondo then. Or I could do the calendar thing but start with digital files to get the numbers (I've got two computers that I want to move on).

    Why not start with 17 items on the 17th, 18 on the 18th etc, if you have enough stuff to get you through the month?  Otherwise, just pick a set number of items per day and work toward that.  Amazing how it all adds up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 15, 2019, 05:36:28 PM
    We move house from about 100sqm to 60sqm in less than two months!

    I need to motivate myself to do another decluttering push. Any ideas for gaming the declutter that starts on 17 November? Otherwise I'll be waiting til Dec to do one on 1 Dec, 2 on 2 Dec etc. Any games that don't involve calendar days?

    Husband is away next weekend so maybe I could do a massive Kondo then. Or I could do the calendar thing but start with digital files to get the numbers (I've got two computers that I want to move on).
    How many rooms or zones do you have in your current place? Can you pick a corner a day and find at least 5 things to declutter?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 15, 2019, 06:09:09 PM
    For some reason I was keeping about 100 big brown paper grocery bags in my kitchen closet, with about 25 smaller sizes tucked in there too. They were taking up a lot of space.

    I finally just took them all out, stuffed them all into just 2 of the big bags, and put them all down in the basement. I Thought about recycling half of them, but big paper grocery bags are hard to come by these days, so I kept them (just in case, of course, lol).

    So now I have much more room for stuff in the kitchen closet.

    Also, actually digging items out of the closet, and looking at them, instead of avoiding them forever, and sometimes finding easy stuff to throw out, recycle, donate, or eat.    Found about 100 plastic utensils, already in baggies, that I will happily donate.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 15, 2019, 06:57:54 PM
    @slackmax put some of the paper bags by the door/bike/car so they are there for the next time you buy groceries?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on November 15, 2019, 11:27:25 PM
    We move house from about 100sqm to 60sqm in less than two months!

    I need to motivate myself to do another decluttering push. Any ideas for gaming the declutter that starts on 17 November? Otherwise I'll be waiting til Dec to do one on 1 Dec, 2 on 2 Dec etc. Any games that don't involve calendar days?

    Husband is away next weekend so maybe I could do a massive Kondo then. Or I could do the calendar thing but start with digital files to get the numbers (I've got two computers that I want to move on).
    How many rooms or zones do you have in your current place? Can you pick a corner a day and find at least 5 things to declutter?

    Yes, this could work. I could pick a wall every day. I count 22 zones this way, so if I tackle 13 before end November then I can switch in December. Getting 65 items out will be great. I'll combine that with the calendar method for digital clutter, plus my goal of making something every day to clear the garage and yard materials.

    It sounds like a lot but I could do the five things in the early morning, the making a thing in late arvo, and the digital after dinner.

    At some point I'll have to declutter the garden - it needs reorganisation!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on November 15, 2019, 11:29:22 PM
    We move house from about 100sqm to 60sqm in less than two months!

    I need to motivate myself to do another decluttering push. Any ideas for gaming the declutter that starts on 17 November? Otherwise I'll be waiting til Dec to do one on 1 Dec, 2 on 2 Dec etc. Any games that don't involve calendar days?

    Husband is away next weekend so maybe I could do a massive Kondo then. Or I could do the calendar thing but start with digital files to get the numbers (I've got two computers that I want to move on).

    Why not start with 17 items on the 17th, 18 on the 18th etc, if you have enough stuff to get you through the month?  Otherwise, just pick a set number of items per day and work toward that.  Amazing how it all adds up.

    I'm going to start with 17 digital items or it's too big a leap! And go with mspym's suggestion of five physical things a day as that sounds achievable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 16, 2019, 05:07:59 PM
    I really love this thread and seeing everyone's journey.


    For anyone counting along at home (yeah right lol), that leaves me with only 2 items to sell.  Goal is to get one listed by next weekend.

    Well one of the two things is an old tablet and I found a place that refurbishes old tech & redistributes it to lower income families, especially to help kids in school, which are increasingly using computers in the curriculum. Plus, it's just a boon to anyone in general to be able to access online resources.  So the tablet will go there.

    I found this place when I was looking for how to recycle my old computer, which I *finally* gave some attention, got the files I needed from it, and it's ready to go.  This was hanging around far too long. 

    So next week I'll drop those off; posting here for accountability.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 17, 2019, 09:39:37 AM
    @slackmax put some of the paper bags by the door/bike/car so they are there for the next time you buy groceries?

    Hey, that's a good idea. Thanks, mspym.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on November 17, 2019, 03:50:55 PM
    I have just about finished clearing out the rubbish from the upper backyard that we "inherited" when we took over control of the property.  An old rabbit hutch was broken down and the wood burnt.  The wire mesh went into the bin.  Some basic gardening like mowing and trimming, and the upper back yard is almost presentable.  Now I need to get onto the lower back yard where the wood that is usable as firewood got dumped and the stones from the yard were put in a pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 17, 2019, 04:02:13 PM
    The world's smallest victory - throwing out two teatowels that resolutely refuse to dry anything or absorb any form of liquid. We have said rude things about them for 3 years now. No more! Out you go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 17, 2019, 07:47:37 PM
    I donated four boxes of random Christmas stuff to our local church Christmas sale.  Yippee!

    I also binned the remaining junk from my bathroom drawer. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: trashtalk on November 19, 2019, 08:28:01 PM
    * Made the decision to declutter a set of china which has been in the family, unused and impractical, for 100+ years; I hope someone else can use it with joy
    * Put two boxes of ewaste and two bags of returnable packaging in the trunk to drop off elsewhere
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 21, 2019, 01:50:43 PM
    I made the decision yesterday to paint and get new carpet in preparation for eventually moving. I have actually been meaning to do this for a few years. We did some renovations about five years ago, but never finished the rest of the house. Gah! Just getting everything off the floors and walls seems like a huge task. My freshly decluttered and spiffed up laundry room is about to become the dumping ground for stuff that needs to get moved for painters and carpet layers. I guess I know how I will be spending my time off over Christmas.

    So, back on topic, I have a bunch more stuff ready at the door to go to the thrift store. I already took one load this week. Need to find out where my city recycles old computers, too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 22, 2019, 08:43:23 AM
    Opening more plastic bags in the bedroom. Luckily found a lot of torn clothing which was easy mentally  to take (one large plastic bag worth)  to the recycling center. Also found some donatable clothing, a small plastic bag worth. Both gone! 

    Lots remaining, though, lol. Bit by bit.  Slow but steady, the race is won, lol.   

       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on November 22, 2019, 08:49:21 AM
    slackmax, I think you are doing a great job, and am cheering you on from across the internet with every success you post.

    I've started to "turn out" my spare bedroom.  I've got two bags of clothes and shoes for the charity shop, a bag of fabric for recycling and a bag of waste.  More work still to do, but after that room all that is left is the excess paperwork in the study.

    I had inherited a drawerful of silk scarves which I never wear but some of which I've managed to sell at the W.I. and the rest of which, along with the proceeds of sale, will go to the local women's refuge for Christmas.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 23, 2019, 06:59:35 AM
    My spare bedroom has been the same for years. The bedspread, sheets, pillows, etc. I was just sick of looking at the same old thing so I found a nice comforter set on sale and a set of sheets, plus two matching throw pillows. Got some new curtains too. I am in the process of washing up the old stuff, folding it up and putting it all in the zip bags the comforter and sheets came in. Then I will donate it to Vietnam Vets. I plan to include an explanation of what is inside the bag and bed size. The stuff is in perfect condition so it will make for a nice set for someone. There is also a blanket and the curtains I plan to donate too.

    My new purchases totaled about $99. Not bad for what I bought and I don't feel bad to buy new considering that set has been in use probably 10 years!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on November 24, 2019, 07:47:49 PM
    I'm hitting the road (onebagging it) so I'm getting rid of pretty much all of my possessions. Here we go!

    Today, I gave away three cooking implements. I also sold a piece of furniture. Good day!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 25, 2019, 08:49:47 AM
    Yesterday afternoon we worked on the garage and found a number of items of too small sports equipment, toys that our kids have grown out of and just plain old junk.  Hopefully by next weekend both cars will finally fit in the garage.  Before that can happen - a full trailer of junk will have to leave the garage.  But at least it is all in one pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 26, 2019, 08:04:18 AM
    I've made a bit of progress lately. Put 4 puzzles in the donation pile, sold two pillows, a ring & a pair of pants. Listed another couple of items on eBay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on November 26, 2019, 08:13:21 AM
    I sold our old bike trailer yesterday on FB marketplace for $20. The cool thing was that I got it originally two years ago for free on FB marketplace. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on November 26, 2019, 01:06:09 PM
    Good luck to you @Nancy !!!

    ~Discontinuing the downstairs unused "bar".  I'll wash kept items and incorporate them into the upstairs bar, and donate glassware we will no longer use.
    ~Magazines (I've begun the process of non-renewing subscriptions) and egg cartons will go to my sister this Thursday
    ~Empty Amazon boxes will be put into the recycle bin tomorrow
    ~4 Halloween themed silicone molds I haven't used in several years went into the Goodwill box
    ~Two duplicate Christmas items joined the above
    ~An almost full bag of cheese crisps I don't care for went with DH to share with his coworkers
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 26, 2019, 03:34:38 PM
    I have been working on a photo book of my Dad's life - well actually I have been stalled on this project since the memorial service in January.  All the materials have been sitting there waiting for the start of scanning in suspended animation. Albums and picture frames have been sitting in piles all over my office.  The big easels with photos and clippings from the memorial display panels are also sitting in the corner. 

    This week I started scanning and returning the pictures to the albums they came from and reframing the old images.  I have my counter top back- with several albums now full again and back on the shelf or ready for my siblings to take home.  All the envelopes from the printers are purged.  And the bonus is that I keep needing a bit or a bob to repair something or put something away and I am finding all this stuff that I need to say goodbye to. So while the scanner is chugging away at high resolution speed, I am sorting.  And then when I need acid free paper or adhesive, I find it so easily in a clean cupboard.  It is so calming.

    Today my fabric bin got folded and is now half full with a bunch of scraps gone (an entire laundry basket of scraps) 
    My son's curtains got re-hung in his bedroom.
    I have no idea how I accumulated so much ribbon - half left last Friday for the church sale and there is another entire bin that should go to the thrift store for those crafters. Some of it is still in the original packaging.  (I am no longer interested in doing wedding flowers so why was I hanging on to this stuff?)

    I also went through all my watercolour paintings ruthlessly.  Any paintings that I don't love will get recycled - either immediately if both sides of the paper are used or when I need that size again.  I have one magazine holder of paintings that I am going to keep because they have something that I really like about them.  And they are somewhat chronologically ordered.  It shows my development from not being able to use watercolour at all to now, much better and on my way to getting good at this medium.

    It has been getting easier and easier to say good bye to stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on November 26, 2019, 06:19:27 PM
    Thanks, @MountainGal and nice work! Your husband's coworkers are probably stoked. There's nothing like free snack food.

    Today, I filled two bags full of clothes and shoes to go to Goodwill, and I dropped them off same day! I also gave away hiking boots on Freecycle and posted four other items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on November 27, 2019, 06:24:14 AM
    If anyone is needing motivation:  a friend who is downsizing to move into a senior apt. has been purging items all month.  She's been pleased with her progress but is a little sad that she didn't get this done much earlier.  She would have enjoyed her living space much more.
    Moral of the story:  de-clutter now for its own sake, don't wait until circumstances force you to do it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 27, 2019, 06:43:13 AM
    If anyone is needing motivation:  a friend who is downsizing to move into a senior apt. has been purging items all month.  She's been pleased with her progress but is a little sad that she didn't get this done much earlier.  She would have enjoyed her living space much more.
    Moral of the story:  de-clutter now for its own sake, don't wait until circumstances for you to do it.

    Speaking of motivation, yesterday as I was hanging around the house, full of anxiety, waiting to go to my afternoon dentist appt, I decided to distract myself by hitting the bedroom again.

    Got a decent size bag of clothes to donate, and threw out a small bag of junk and old papers.   

    The dentist visit went well. No pain. Got 2 old fillings redone and one tooth built up with resin. Anxiety over.  Insurance pays 50%, woohoo!           
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on November 28, 2019, 08:46:21 AM
    @LaineyAZ A friend of mine had a similar experience when getting her house ready to sell. She wished she had cleared things out and lived differently in her house while she was there. I hope I can remember this.

    Update: 4/5 Freecycle items are gone. I opened a box of packed items I thought I wanted to keep and pulled out 9 things to give away. I had sentimental attachments to these, so I feel relieved to be able to let them go. Keep it going!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on November 28, 2019, 09:02:15 AM
    I will also jump into this discussion. My wife and i are planning on making a move from the US to Europe mid to late next year. We have a 3 bedroom 1800sq ft house for the two of us. our garage fits 1 car but is pretty packed otherwise so we have a ton to get rid of. There is little chance I get a relocation package and we have agreed that we would be moving with suitcases not shipping containers.

    My wife has a ton of stuff that hold sentimental value for her, from the first Halloween costume she hand made for her kids to little paintings she bought off street artists in various places around the world. We have had some really good conversations about getting rid of stuff or regifting to those that will appreciate it. I look at everything donated that otherwise would be stored as a win, even if we don't get any money for it. The cost of storage in our state is probably lower than elsewhere but it's simply stupid to store a bunch of stuff for a potential return to the states in 10 years or whatever. Right now the biggest sticking point is her 2008 sports car. It's a pain in the neck and will probably end up getting stored somewhere and die on us while we could get $5-7k for it now. My wife has had trust issues as it relates to being able to replace things she gets rid of and this is another scenario although she does absolutely love this car. We will cross that bridge when we get to it, as they say.

    T-250 days let's say before we list our house for sale and by then I hope most of our stuff will be gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on November 28, 2019, 10:30:14 AM
    Welcome, @ItsALongStory ! I'm also getting rid of my possessions to move abroad. A friend gave me some advice that has worked for me: pack your storage boxes as you go. Later, you can go back and take a second look through the boxes to get rid of more stuff. I paired this with focusing on pieces of furniture that contain other things. For example, if I decide my goal is to get the bookshelf out of my house by the end of the week, then I first have to store or donate everything the bookshelf contains. Once I can actually see the boxes of stuff piling up to store, it makes it easier to go through and remove items rather than add more boxes. Maybe I'm just weird. In any case, good luck and keep us posted!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on November 28, 2019, 12:54:47 PM
    I look at everything donated that otherwise would be stored as a win, even if we don't get any money for it.

    Welcome!
    I agree so much with the words I quoted from you. For me the win is absolutely to get the things donated or put in trash/recycle.
    I will also be moving some time next year, from a house to an apartment due to divorce. It will be me and two boys, 9 & 7 years old. I am planning to get something smaller and to be somewhat non-traditional when it comes to furniture etc. Focus will be on open space and easy to keep in order & clean without too much effort. I really want us to have space for play and exercise. This means I need to consider almost everything I own and see if it should be allowed to take up space in my new home. I have been decluttering a long time and have made progress over the years, but I feel this new situation has made me more focused and more willing to let stuff go, and it feels wonderful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on November 28, 2019, 01:03:45 PM
    Also, today I took 12 books out of my shelf and offered them for free on local Facebook group. No takers yet, if no-one wants them by Monday I will drop them off at the charity place. And I have made decision on a four inch stack of various papers, a lot of it should be scanned (I have a scanner app that puts them into Evernote) and some I could trash immediately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 28, 2019, 03:41:31 PM
    I thought this was a great idea: a decluttering party where you ask the guests to take anything they want!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on November 28, 2019, 05:03:00 PM
    I thought this was a great idea: a decluttering party where you ask the guests to take anything they want!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html)

    A similar idea:  a co-worker had an aunt who collected angel items for many years.  She was single, no children, and so when she died the family had the idea of putting these angel items on a table at her memorial service.  They announced that anyone who wanted a memento of this aunt could take one of these items.  It was a neat idea, and coincidentally, cleared out some items that would have otherwise have to be wrapped and donated to a charity.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on November 28, 2019, 10:52:59 PM
    Thank you @nancy and @LinneaH for the warm welcome!

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 28, 2019, 11:34:00 PM
    4 books off to the street library, 2 picked up but both will go back into rotation. Also I stopped myself from buying anything today, which stopped new things entering my life for me to own and eventually have to dispose of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 29, 2019, 02:30:01 AM
    I thought this was a great idea: a decluttering party where you ask the guests to take anything they want!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html)

    A similar idea:  a co-worker had an aunt who collected angel items for many years.  She was single, no children, and so when she died the family had the idea of putting these angel items on a table at her memorial service.  They announced that anyone who wanted a memento of this aunt could take one of these items.  It was a neat idea, and coincidentally, cleared out some items that would have otherwise have to be wrapped and donated to a charity.

    Great idea! I wish I'd thought of that when mum died...but then she didn't collect angels. Other items might be a bit weird. I have a friend who once collected pigs...wonder how that would go down.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on November 29, 2019, 05:26:51 AM
    Five weeks to go! I can't believe it. The challenge comes from needing to use some items until T-1 week. Then I look at my spreadsheet and remember that everything has its final destination and that it's all just stuff so NBD. The great thing is that we acquired most of our furnishings through Freecycle or second-hand through family members, so I'm really happy to release the items back into the community.

    Success: Posted two items of furniture on Freecycle/Nextdoor and already have one response. Family members are taking three others. My husband gave away a trunk load of items and has 3 people interested in test driving the car.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 29, 2019, 06:25:07 AM
    I thought this was a great idea: a decluttering party where you ask the guests to take anything they want!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html)

    A similar idea:  a co-worker had an aunt who collected angel items for many years.  She was single, no children, and so when she died the family had the idea of putting these angel items on a table at her memorial service.  They announced that anyone who wanted a memento of this aunt could take one of these items.  It was a neat idea, and coincidentally, cleared out some items that would have otherwise have to be wrapped and donated to a charity.

    Great idea! I wish I'd thought of that when mum died...but then she didn't collect angels. Other items might be a bit weird. I have a friend who once collected pigs...wonder how that would go down.

    Pigs made me laugh but if it gave the friend joy, then I am sure someone would realize that and take a pig!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 29, 2019, 06:49:57 AM
    I can not say how calming it is to go looking for a random item - such as the camera tripod - and open a cupboard, see it and pull it out and take a picture and then put it back.  No having to look in several places.  No stuff falling out when the door is opened.  No unloading a bunch of stuff to extract wanted item.  And then just slip it back into the place it came out of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on November 29, 2019, 07:40:30 AM
    I thought this was a great idea: a decluttering party where you ask the guests to take anything they want!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anything-you-want-take-it-a-downsizing-party-after-45-years-in-the-same-house/2019/11/13/02147fde-064e-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html)

    A similar idea:  a co-worker had an aunt who collected angel items for many years.  She was single, no children, and so when she died the family had the idea of putting these angel items on a table at her memorial service.  They announced that anyone who wanted a memento of this aunt could take one of these items.  It was a neat idea, and coincidentally, cleared out some items that would have otherwise have to be wrapped and donated to a charity.

    Great idea! I wish I'd thought of that when mum died...but then she didn't collect angels. Other items might be a bit weird. I have a friend who once collected pigs...wonder how that would go down.
    My wife collects wine glasses from all wineries she visits. She might be up for having a going away/liqour cabinet elimination party where everyone keeps a glass.

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on November 29, 2019, 08:05:06 AM
    Finally got the donation boxes out of my living room!  I always keep a box going, but I had just about filled one, and then pulled a bunch of books from my Dad's house.  Got them loaded into the car and DH dropped them at the Salvation Army before Thanksgiving.

    Time to start a new box!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on November 29, 2019, 10:13:29 AM
    8 bags and boxes out of the house today, all from turning out the spare bedroom.  Clothes, linens and books mainly, and to the charity shop or fabric recycling as appropriate.

    3 more bags with bedding and linens waiting to go to the women's refuge, then it's done, with space in the wardrobe and chest of drawers for visitors to put their stuff away.  Feels much better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 29, 2019, 08:59:39 PM
    Stuff has left the house!

    -The hospice foster kitty passed away this week, and I was able to return the unopened cans of food to the pet store. One large bag of it.
    -Washed and returned the pill crusher (from the foster kitty's meds) to the shelter, plus gave them the meat baby food I had left over. Pro tip: if you have a cat that's not eating, try meat baby food. It's called kitty crack for a reason. If they don't eat it though, the chances that you're euthanizing just went up because it's a big deal if they refuse kitty crack.
    -Box of various stuff to the thrift store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on November 30, 2019, 02:03:31 PM
    Nice job, everyone!

    A side table and shelving unit were picked up today. Posted seven more items. Added a bunch of things to the Goodwill bags.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 30, 2019, 02:49:56 PM

    -meat baby food. It's called kitty crack for a reason.

    I always thought Temptations were cat crack!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 30, 2019, 03:44:56 PM
    Two more boxes of miscellaneous stuff out the door this week. My oldest DS and his wife just bought their first house and have almost nothing in terms of housewares and furniture. Just too bad that they live on the other side of the country. Otherwise I could start funnelling things to them.

    A bag of extra wire hangers is still sitting on my doorstep waiting to be picked up. So annoying when people don't show up, especially for free stuff!

    Took down all the pictures, etc. from my office and bedroom in preparation for the painters. Once they are done I will have to decide which pieces to put back up for staging. I also need to decided what to do with a small extra desk in my office. I used it a lot when I was working from home. Probably time to let it go. I'm sure it will make the room look bigger too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 30, 2019, 04:07:18 PM

    -meat baby food. It's called kitty crack for a reason.

    I always thought Temptations were cat crack!

    For a healthy cat, treats are of course high value. I've never given a healthy cat meat baby food, so it would be an interesting comparison. But Auburn wouldn't eat treats at all, only a little baby food. Sick cats have a very different set of rules.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on December 01, 2019, 02:53:35 AM
    Visited relatives yesterday from early morning to late evening so no progress. I went to bed immediately we came home which was very clever bc today I feel I have more energy and willpower. Right now I am at soccer practice for DS2, not allowed to watch though so I brought five old magazines to look through. Done already and not a single page I want to keep. We park just next to a paper recycling bin so I can drop them there before I get into the car.
    Also dropping off a small package for return (bought something wrong size).

    Small wins are also wins.

    And be reading I managed to opt out of discussion other parents had regarding Black Friday findings and new cell phones. Total win. (other times we talk of more interesting stuff and then I am happy to join)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 01, 2019, 07:38:07 AM
    I replaced a black cardigan & navy cardigan, both of which are work staples for me. In return, I went through my closet & pulled out four sweaters that have been more than worn. Down a total of two!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on December 01, 2019, 08:04:11 PM

    -meat baby food. It's called kitty crack for a reason.

    I always thought Temptations were cat crack!

    For a healthy cat, treats are of course high value. I've never given a healthy cat meat baby food, so it would be an interesting comparison. But Auburn wouldn't eat treats at all, only a little baby food. Sick cats have a very different set of rules.

    Can confirm this. Healthy cat is a fierce and stroppy ex feral who doesn't like being touched. Same cat sick asks for mummy cuddles and likes being tucked in his blankie.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 02, 2019, 08:24:52 AM
    Several years ago, I bought a bathroom storage cabinet. Then decided I didn't want that style, but managed to lose the receipt, etc. Couldn't return it. But, I did finally manage to list it for sale and sold it last night! It's out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 02, 2019, 10:47:04 AM

    -meat baby food. It's called kitty crack for a reason.

    I always thought Temptations were cat crack!

    For a healthy cat, treats are of course high value. I've never given a healthy cat meat baby food, so it would be an interesting comparison. But Auburn wouldn't eat treats at all, only a little baby food. Sick cats have a very different set of rules.

    Can confirm this. Healthy cat is a fierce and stroppy ex feral who doesn't like being touched. Same cat sick asks for mummy cuddles and likes being tucked in his blankie.

    LOL!  Whenever my bold he-man asks for cuddles, I'm suspicious, because then he bites me.  I still fall for it though, because I so rarely get to cuddle him.

    3 more items out the door:

    20. Ragged pair of jeans - fabric recycling
    21. Torn runners - garbage
    22. Mismatched fork - thrift store

    3 more to go to meet my 25 items by Christmas goal.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 02, 2019, 10:55:01 AM
    Two cars are in the garage!  Which means a whole hell of a lot of stuff went out with the garbage and an entire car load went to the thrift store.  Scrap wood is all gone.  It is a beautiful site.  Especially since we had freezing rain and ice pellets during the night.  It is so nice to pull out of the garage with a clean car.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on December 02, 2019, 11:30:54 AM
    Two cars are in the garage!

    That's a major achievement! Good job!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 02, 2019, 02:40:58 PM
    Two cars are in the garage!

    That's a major achievement! Good job!
    Thanks. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 03, 2019, 07:56:37 AM
    My office / studio is so clean with all the de-cluttering that has occurred in the last few days.  Yesterday I packed up all the photos that I had borrowed for my Dad's memorial and that left three tables bare.  So I washed them.  Now it feels so calming in this room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on December 03, 2019, 06:27:06 PM
    I'm listening to Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying up on audiobook to inspire me as I declutter before my move. I read the book and Kondo-d my place years ago, and I have to say that it actually worked.

    Anyone else Kondo and like it or dislike it?

    Freecycled a bike carrying rack for the car, made a gift bag of bike-related items for a friend who was keen, and donated the microwave. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MoneyQuirk on December 03, 2019, 08:32:08 PM
    I'm a huge fan of keeping low on clutter!

    Recently I found that I could move all my stuff in three suitcases (yes, I don't own much stuff).

    While friends sometimes find it disconcerting, I really love the flexibility this offers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 03, 2019, 09:04:35 PM
    I bought a rain coat for my son back in the summer, and it didn't fit. He didn't mention it until it was out of the return window. I saw it hanging in the closet (with tags) this weekend, & got it listed on eBay. It just sold tonight for $5 more than I paid for it. I'll take it! Junk out (not really, it's very nice, but useless to us) & money in!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 03, 2019, 11:53:06 PM
    I'm listening to Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying up on audiobook to inspire me as I declutter before my move. I read the book and Kondo-d my place years ago, and I have to say that it actually worked.

    Anyone else Kondo and like it or dislike it?

    Freecycled a bike carrying rack for the car, made a gift bag of bike-related items for a friend who was keen, and donated the microwave.

    I Kondo and I like it. :) Got stuck on Papers, though.  My nemesis.  I went through a second time and got stuck on Papers again.  But some progress was made each time none the less.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 04, 2019, 05:42:46 AM
    I had to get under the kitchen sink to unclog the drain (gross) and found a few useless things there to toss out. Seven plastic mesh bags and one old plastic clamshell which had contained a water filter. God there is so much other junk there, too! But I can't bring myself to throw it out since it can be used sometime. CLeaning fluids, stain removers, etc, etc.  Maybe I'll donate it sometime.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 04, 2019, 05:53:15 AM
    An outdoor arrangement I made for a family member got delivered yesterday.  It was being protected by the large ladder.  Ladder is now folded up and hanging on the wall.  More space in the garage!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 04, 2019, 08:40:50 AM
    I had to get under the kitchen sink to unclog the drain (gross) and found a few useless things there to toss out. Seven plastic mesh bags and one old plastic clamshell which had contained a water filter. God there is so much other junk there, too! But I can't bring myself to throw it out since it can be used sometime. CLeaning fluids, stain removers, etc, etc.  Maybe I'll donate it sometime.   

    Are these things you do use? If not, get rid of them now. Cleaning products don't last forever. If you hang on to them for too long thinking you may donate them later, then you may find when you actually try to donate them that instead you're throwing them out.

    I threw out a bottle of Murphy's oil soap this week. I used to use it, but switched to something else and forgot I had the bottle. It had very obviously degraded. I saw it, pulled it out to donate, and then swore and threw it in the trash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on December 04, 2019, 12:48:14 PM
    I'm listening to Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying up on audiobook to inspire me as I declutter before my move. I read the book and Kondo-d my place years ago, and I have to say that it actually worked.

    Anyone else Kondo and like it or dislike it?

    I found Marie Kondo very helpful, more for the mindset than the actual method. I get emotionally attached to items very easily, and I like that they bring back memories (good and bad). But thinking through how I want to use my space right now was the turning point. Do I really need to be surrounded by my memories when what I want is to just walk across my (empty!) living room rug and sit down on a (cleared off!) couch at end of the day? When I want to live in a space with less dust to aggravate my allergies? When I want to easily get out/put away the pots and pans I use on a weekly basis? When I want to get dressed quickly in the morning and get out the door? Taking a picture of items that are no longer serving me, thanking them, and getting them out was indeed life-changing for me. I can keep the memories without the items.

    My parents are slowly downsizing, and I spent the weekend organizing childhood pictures and mementos and throwing away or donating many of the less meaningful ones. I honestly don't think I could have done it two years ago before I went through the Marie Kondo process. Though my parents are still willing to keep some boxes for me (and themselves) for now, I kept thinking: "Is this something I care enough about to ship to my current city one day and stuff into my small apartment? No? Thank you and good bye."

    It's actually made me want to do a refresh of my current apartment, which is currently a mess after being neglected since I got back from the trip and went straight back to work.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 04, 2019, 10:04:59 PM
    Well one of the two things is an old tablet and I found a place that refurbishes old tech & redistributes it to lower income families, especially to help kids in school, which are increasingly using computers in the curriculum. Plus, it's just a boon to anyone in general to be able to access online resources.  So the tablet will go there.

    I found this place when I was looking for how to recycle my old computer, which I *finally* gave some attention, got the files I needed from it, and it's ready to go.  This was hanging around far too long. 

    So next week I'll drop those off; posting here for accountability.

    So, it took until today, but these things are donated!  The delay was a bit of self-care.  I've been super busy recently, so consciously chose to put off donating these things for a week when things were a bit less hectic.  ANd it's done.  Yay!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 05, 2019, 05:24:37 AM
    Some bulky craft stuff donated.  A box of household stuff for a friend's son who is setting up his own place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on December 05, 2019, 06:46:22 AM
    Four bags of bedding etc. gone to the Women's Refuge this morning.  I also sold a lot of my (inherited, I am not a silk scarf person) silk scarves at the WI and donated the proceeds and leftover scarves to them as well.

    One young collie and all his stuff imported into the house from the RSPCA.  Still a net gain.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on December 05, 2019, 07:15:49 AM
    @zygote I totally agree about the mentality change. For me, it was getting over the "this is still useful" mentality and guilt over being wasteful. Fact is, things are wasted if I'm not using them.
    @oneday Nice progress! I also keep way more papers than are necessary.

    Major success: We gave away our couch yesterday. It went to a couple of young guys, who seemed super nice and appreciative. We were both sentimentally attached to the couch (it has it's own funny origin story that is part of our story), but I'm glad it's moving on to a new home!

    Small success: Our microwave had blocked a kitchen cabinet. With the microwave gone, I opened the cabinet, wondering what was in there and what I'd have to sort to give away/store. Found the cabinet completely empty. Nice!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 05, 2019, 07:58:42 AM
    The weather has definitely changed for winter (rain, cooler temperatures, etc), so I've been going through my fall/winter wardrobe & taking the time to identify things I don't think I'll wear. If I'm not prepared to wear it today, I put it in the donation pile right away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: haypug16 on December 05, 2019, 08:05:52 AM
    I have made a goal to purge 75% of my belongings. Mr Pug says theres no way I can do this which just motivates me even more to get rid of the majority of my belongings. I have started a journal to inventory what I have donated and what I am keeping so that I can calculate the percentage of what I am purging.

    So far I have filled one giant thread up bag to send off and hopefully make a few dollars selling some clothes that I don't wear and 3 other boxes for the thrift store donation.

    I recently read the book "the year of less" which has helped me to let go of somethings that I was holding on to just so I could be the type of person that for example has bookshelfs full of books even if I don't plan on reading those books again or ever and even if I did want to ready them I could just go to the library and borrow them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 05, 2019, 09:59:43 AM
    Marie Kondo helped me with the guilt...this was your great aunt's *thing*.  Well it is ugly or means absolutely nothing to me or whatever...And I could part with all the stuff that I inherited but wouldn't chose to own for any other reason than it once belonged to someone I love.  I had no idea how much I resented some of the items that I inherited because I had to move them every time I moved, or dust them or just even find the space to store them.  It was a release of a stress-or that I didn't know was a stressors.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: haypug16 on December 05, 2019, 10:48:45 AM
    Mr Pug has this "guilt", he refuses to get rid of anything that once belong to a family member. Most of the stuff is fine, it's nice solid furniture but somethings I don't see any reason to kept other than it once was in his grandmother's house and is now in ours.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on December 05, 2019, 03:09:40 PM
    My office / studio is so clean with all the de-cluttering that has occurred in the last few days.  Yesterday I packed up all the photos that I had borrowed for my Dad's memorial and that left three tables bare.  So I washed them.  Now it feels so calming in this room.

    Frugal, your sense of calm in this post, and the one prior, on this subject radiates through the screen.   So glad for you.   :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 05, 2019, 04:50:31 PM
    @Nancy - progress, always progress.

    I kept the box I carried the computer & tablet in yesterday, now it's full of my old ski jacket, a second robe I don't use, some chair pads given to my god knows why and a few smaller items.  Won't have time to get that to the thrift shop or the electrical stuff to the ReStore or the haz mat to the haz mat place this week or maybe next.  I shall pout, for being too busy to have time to get the discarded items to their proper homes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 06, 2019, 09:35:18 AM
    Mr Pug has this "guilt", he refuses to get rid of anything that once belong to a family member. Most of the stuff is fine, it's nice solid furniture but somethings I don't see any reason to kept other than it once was in his grandmother's house and is now in ours.

    My mom has a similar problem, but very different cause. Her father divorced her mother when she was in college, and he also basically dropped her. Mom had to drop out of college due to lack of money. We suspect that her father's functional abandonment, combined with her mother's early death when I was a baby, resulted in some emotional hangups.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on December 06, 2019, 05:18:25 PM
    Frugal Lizard, I hear you! I've had a bone china cup and saucer since I was 9 because it was given as a gift after my elderly neighbor passed away. She was a totally rockin' woman and I loved her, but the cup! I feel relieved to be finally giving it away.

    Today, I dropped items at the Homeless Coalition and donated fabric/sewing stuff to a local crafter. I also went through all of my important papers and tossed a bunch. Onward!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: aloevera on December 07, 2019, 04:26:02 PM
    A neighbor put a lovely filing box - like a basket weave milk crate - out on the street. It now lives in a corner of my LR and whenever I come across an item I don't need anymore, in it goes. When full, I take it out to the car and donate.

    This is working well because I have done several major clean-outs over the past few years and now it is truly down to maybe a box every couple of months.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 08, 2019, 05:53:07 AM
    What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

    I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

    I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

    Guilt trip!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LetItGrow on December 08, 2019, 06:05:51 AM
    What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

    I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

    I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

    Guilt trip!

    Recycling bin. No question. No guilt.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on December 08, 2019, 07:26:14 AM
    What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

    I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

    I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

    Guilt trip!

    Do you have any friend or family that
    a) speaks/reads this language
    b) have not received these books
    c) would have any interest in reading these books

    If yes to all questions, ask this person if they one or more of the books.

    If no to any of above: I fully agree with LetItGrow - recycle/trash in a way no-one can pick them up. I normally try to give away as much as possible but in this case, you may not want the person find out you have decluttered the books - personal and may be sensitive
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 08, 2019, 09:24:29 AM
    What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

    I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

    I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

    Guilt trip!

    Do you have any friend or family that
    a) speaks/reads this language
    b) have not received these books
    c) would have any interest in reading these books

    If yes to all questions, ask this person if they one or more of the books.

    If no to any of above: I fully agree with LetItGrow - recycle/trash in a way no-one can pick them up. I normally try to give away as much as possible but in this case, you may not want the person find out you have decluttered the books - personal and may be sensitive

    No, I know no one who speaks this language

    Do libraries take self published books?

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on December 08, 2019, 10:21:58 AM
    What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

    I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

    I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

    Guilt trip!

    Do you have any friend or family that
    a) speaks/reads this language
    b) have not received these books
    c) would have any interest in reading these books

    If yes to all questions, ask this person if they one or more of the books.

    If no to any of above: I fully agree with LetItGrow - recycle/trash in a way no-one can pick them up. I normally try to give away as much as possible but in this case, you may not want the person find out you have decluttered the books - personal and may be sensitive

    No, I know no one who speaks this language

    Do libraries take self published books?
    You could try a university which teaches the language, either the main library or the language faculty.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 08, 2019, 10:46:59 AM
    Take a black marker to the names and donate if possible or recycle.  Then let the "friend" know that while you appreciate the thought, you cannot read the books and don't want him to waste the money of the copy and the mail cost sending you one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 08, 2019, 11:04:37 AM
    Looking it at it from a practical, volume of clutter perspective, could you not just keep the books together somewhere and know you will recycle them  someday? Seems he/she is only sending you one book per year, no??? 

    Or... maybe it would be fun to just toss them all into the municipal recycling bin and yell "I'm  mad as hell and I'm not taking it anymore!!!" to the astonished crowd. 

    OK, I may be projecting a bit here, lol.......   

    And what would you say if the acquaintance popped in and you didn't have the books around ???   OMG....

    Easier just to keep them for now, no ????
     

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on December 08, 2019, 05:21:25 PM
    Recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 08, 2019, 05:31:47 PM
    I will keep the books. It is really annoying and until I decide to sell my house and leave I guess I am stuck with them. This person is so kind and even though I have not seen the person in years I could ask for a ride two hours away to an airport and person would do it. I really just can't stomach this person though. It is a love hate situation. Totally weird. There is so much more about this person that I cannot stomach but I will spare you! Nothing perverted!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 08, 2019, 05:45:19 PM
    I will keep the books. It is really annoying and until I decide to sell my house and leave I guess I am stuck with them. This person is so kind and even though I have not seen the person in years I could ask for a ride two hours away to an airport and person would do it. I really just can't stomach this person though. It is a love hate situation. Totally weird. There is so much more about this person that I cannot stomach but I will spare you! Nothing perverted!

    I don't get that reasoning.  What does moving have to do with it?  You haven't seen the person in years, so they're not likely to show up at your house and wonder where the books are.  AND, you don't even like the person!  Seems to me that you're keeping them out of some sort of guilt/obligation because they're nice (too nice)?  What would Marie Kondo say?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 08, 2019, 05:56:41 PM
    I will keep the books. It is really annoying and until I decide to sell my house and leave I guess I am stuck with them. This person is so kind and even though I have not seen the person in years I could ask for a ride two hours away to an airport and person would do it. I really just can't stomach this person though. It is a love hate situation. Totally weird. There is so much more about this person that I cannot stomach but I will spare you! Nothing perverted!
    Why? If you can't stomach the person and haven't seen them in years, then all the books are doing is make you think of that person, how  you don't like them and that you *should* like them more "because they are so kind" even though you are very unlikely to ask a favour of them. Why keep this energy around?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 08, 2019, 11:12:12 PM
    I will keep the books. It is really annoying and until I decide to sell my house and leave I guess I am stuck with them. This person is so kind and even though I have not seen the person in years I could ask for a ride two hours away to an airport and person would do it. I really just can't stomach this person though. It is a love hate situation. Totally weird. There is so much more about this person that I cannot stomach but I will spare you! Nothing perverted!
    Why? If you can't stomach the person and haven't seen them in years, then all the books are doing is make you think of that person, how  you don't like them and that you *should* like them more "because they are so kind" even though you are very unlikely to ask a favour of them. Why keep this energy around?

    +1

    And...never as this person for a ride to the airport.  Even if you are desperate.  Cab or rideshare instead.  Don't ask this person for any favors!

    I no longer have any tolerance for love/hate relationships.  It's love/love...or begone with ye!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 09, 2019, 08:13:22 AM
    I know, I am WEIRD about getting rid of the books! The person is around 83 years old and I know the person won't be banging on my door demanding where they are! LOL!  The books are in another room on a bookshelf so they really aren't in the way. But do annoy me!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 09, 2019, 10:53:17 AM
    This is more of a promise than a I've done it (yet). At my parent's house this week while my mom has surgery/hospital stay. I noticed a box of beef broth in the fridge that expired in 2017. I'm cleaning out the fridge this week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on December 09, 2019, 12:13:44 PM
    I am older and used to love decorating for Xmas but I don’t anymore. I got rid of most of the stuff and kept one small box with a few things to put out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 09, 2019, 12:42:48 PM
    Joining this thread - planning to ramp up getting rid of stuff now that I've quit my job.

    Today I dropped off a box at FedEx with 2 textbooks for a reseller.  If it works out, I'll get $95.  If it doesn't, I got 2 books out of my house.

    I'm also going to try to list some 'lots' of popular fiction books on eBay today.  I'm not expecting individual titles to be worth selling/shipping, but might be worth it to try.  I've had some success selling my old DVDs.

    Any advice for where to donate books that I can't get any money out of?  (I tried searching, but couldn't find a way to see if that's been discussed in this thread.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on December 10, 2019, 07:35:13 AM
    What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

    I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

    I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

    Guilt trip!

    What I do (and yes, I really do this)?  I throw them into our wood furnace.  Now it's gone and made some heat for me.



    I've ventured into some storage containers in the basement.  First container, a number of books nobody will ever read.  You can guess where they went.  Next were bags and bags of plastic parts for some kind of building game for maybe a 9 year old.  My youngest is 19.  Into the recycling bin minus the plastic bags.  2 cubic feet cleared.  Many, many to go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on December 10, 2019, 07:46:37 AM
    I know, I am WEIRD about getting rid of the books! The person is around 83 years old and I know the person won't be banging on my door demanding where they are! LOL!  The books are in another room on a bookshelf so they really aren't in the way. But do annoy me!

    I understand this is not an easy declutter. Let me make a prediction :-) :
    You will keep the books for now, but the conversation in this thread will be in you subconscious mind. Some time during the next three months, you will have a moment of clarity and willpower and throw them in the trash. After you have done that, you will feel so much better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 10, 2019, 07:48:18 AM
    What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

    I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

    I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

    Guilt trip!

    What I do (and yes, I really do this)?  I throw them into our wood furnace.  Now it's gone and made some heat for me.



    I've ventured into some storage containers in the basement.  First container, a number of books nobody will ever read.  You can guess where they went.  Next were bags and bags of plastic parts for some kind of building game for maybe a 9 year old.  My youngest is 19.  Into the recycling bin minus the plastic bags.  2 cubic feet cleared.  Many, many to go.

    Those plastic things weren't Lego's, were they? Lego's are supposedly sellable these days.  At least on EBay.  About 10 cents per Lego.

    I tried on Craigslist and had no responses for 3 weeks, so I donated them all, about 200, to salvation army.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on December 10, 2019, 07:58:50 AM
    I have easier decluttering going on (i.e. not so much willpower needed) but I am currently lacking energy. Kids are not sleeping well, which affects me. Job searching is taking a lot of time and even more mental energy.
    But tomorrow I may have to have all day at home, I hope I can really make some impact. We will meet with a real estate agent next week, and even though this is just a first meeting, where he will give suggestions on what do we need to fix before showing, how do we present the house and approximate selling price, I want to have the house somewhat in order. We are not selling until Feb-March at the earliest though.

    I have told my husband (soon to be ex) that we must both do our best to declutter our own stuff before selling and moving and he absolutely agrees but I still think he will have a hard time doing this. We will probably have to rent a storage unit for the showing & selling period, but I hope we can get just a small one.

    I have also told him that we need to go through everything "shared" (example: kitchen stuff) before showing the house in spring to see what no-one of us wants to keep/bring to our new places, so we get rid of that as soon as possible. We had a quick conversation about this already but I don't think he is ready to remove anything yet. I will push him.

    So tomorrow, either another interview at a job a really want or hopefully a lot of decluttering.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 10, 2019, 09:23:29 AM
    Joining this thread - planning to ramp up getting rid of stuff now that I've quit my job.

    Today I dropped off a box at FedEx with 2 textbooks for a reseller.  If it works out, I'll get $95.  If it doesn't, I got 2 books out of my house.

    I'm also going to try to list some 'lots' of popular fiction books on eBay today.  I'm not expecting individual titles to be worth selling/shipping, but might be worth it to try.  I've had some success selling my old DVDs.

    Any advice for where to donate books that I can't get any money out of?  (I tried searching, but couldn't find a way to see if that's been discussed in this thread.)

    You could try second hand bookstores if you want to trade or sell - they may be interested, depending on what you have.  Or just give to any thrift store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: haypug16 on December 10, 2019, 01:58:37 PM
    Dropped off 3 boxes of books, shoes, and clothes to the thrift store over the weekend. Close to 100 items and still more to go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on December 10, 2019, 02:37:23 PM
    Wrapping up the year's totals:

    4 boxes of random household items to Goodwill
    1 box of gently used stuffed animals to the PD for children involved first responder situations
    A bag of 3 barely worn shirts, toiletries and stuffed animal for the woman's shelter
    A bag of sheets and a pillow to the animal shelter
    $35+ from my coin bank to the PD for a Shop with a Cop fundraiser
    Several carefully selected household items to various local friends
    Ink and toner cartridges to Office Depot for recycling
    50+ pounds paper to the burn pile
    A few bags of things thrown out
    Dozens of egg cartons to chicken owning friends
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 10, 2019, 02:37:53 PM
    The six large now empty bins borrowed for our renovation are now gone back to the lender.
    Some of the roll of armoured wire that we were saving for some purpose got used for a new outlet in the garage and the remaining part was gifted to the electricians. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on December 10, 2019, 03:06:28 PM
    I've noticed that it's really easy living without a microwave or a car. I didn't use the car in my everyday life, so that isn't such a surprise, but the microwave was a big one. It's interesting to remove items that I think are integral to my life and realize that I like life without them. Whenever I settle again, I'm really going to wait to acquire things until I'm sure they are absolutely necessary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SweetTPi on December 10, 2019, 03:10:07 PM
    Joining this thread - planning to ramp up getting rid of stuff now that I've quit my job.

    Today I dropped off a box at FedEx with 2 textbooks for a reseller.  If it works out, I'll get $95.  If it doesn't, I got 2 books out of my house.

    I'm also going to try to list some 'lots' of popular fiction books on eBay today.  I'm not expecting individual titles to be worth selling/shipping, but might be worth it to try.  I've had some success selling my old DVDs.

    Any advice for where to donate books that I can't get any money out of?  (I tried searching, but couldn't find a way to see if that's been discussed in this thread.)

    You could try second hand bookstores if you want to trade or sell - they may be interested, depending on what you have.  Or just give to any thrift store.

    Where I've lived, the local libraries have had "Friends of the Library" groups that put on annual used book sales, and accepted book donations for that year-round.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on December 10, 2019, 03:12:34 PM
    I've noticed that it's really easy living without a microwave or a car. I didn't use the car in my everyday life, so that isn't such a surprise, but the microwave was a big one. It's interesting to remove items that I think are integral to my life and realize that I like life without them. Whenever I settle again, I'm really going to wait to acquire things until I'm sure they are absolutely necessary.

    We've not had a microwave for about four months now and it has been absolutely a-okay. Every once in a while we miss it, but for the most part I'm just soooo happy to not have all that counterspace clutter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 10, 2019, 03:50:21 PM
    I've noticed that it's really easy living without a microwave or a car. I didn't use the car in my everyday life, so that isn't such a surprise, but the microwave was a big one. It's interesting to remove items that I think are integral to my life and realize that I like life without them. Whenever I settle again, I'm really going to wait to acquire things until I'm sure they are absolutely necessary.

    We've not had a microwave for about four months now and it has been absolutely a-okay. Every once in a while we miss it, but for the most part I'm just soooo happy to not have all that counterspace clutter!
    We moved to a place without a microwave 7 years ago and haven't missed it. The boys occasionally complain and we tell them to appreciate the one at their mum's more. 
    : D
    Besides, we need the benchspace for the espresso machine.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 10, 2019, 07:15:05 PM
    This is more of a promise than a I've done it (yet). At my parent's house this week while my mom has surgery/hospital stay. I noticed a box of beef broth in the fridge that expired in 2017. I'm cleaning out the fridge this week.

    Cleaned out the fridge. Dozen or so bottles tossed, one of which expired in 2011. Haven't wiped it out yet, but I will. And noticed that mom seems to have a pillow case from a set of sheets that I had in middle school. So I might be going through their sheets.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 10, 2019, 11:07:42 PM
    @LinneaH good luck to you, either way it goes tomorrow!

    @Sibley way to go on that fridge!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on December 11, 2019, 06:53:00 AM
    Those plastic things weren't Lego's, were they? Lego's are supposedly sellable these days.  At least on EBay.  About 10 cents per Lego.

    I tried on Craigslist and had no responses for 3 weeks, so I donated them all, about 200, to salvation army.

    No, not legos.  My older son had a summer where he couldn't find a job and went onto a lego selling site (block something) and made a few thousand dollars selling off the legos.  Did you know that each and every lego piece is numbered and from that number, you can find out what set(s) it goes to?  There are seemingly random pieces that'll bring $20 because a collector somewhere needs it to recreate a kit from parts.  There can be seemingly identical parts that are the same color that have different numbers.  Makes a difference when you're completing your first run Millennial Falcon and need a few correct pieces.

    So look up the block sites.  I also have found that any of the larger sized Legos are of zero value as well.  We have kids consignment shops near us and they won't take any of this unless it's a full set with the instructions and box.  I have boys.  They've destroyed all that long ago.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 11, 2019, 11:49:28 AM
    Woo hoo!  One book lot I posted on eBay sold already - that's 9 paperbacks out of the house today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Rimu05 on December 11, 2019, 12:00:07 PM
    I am already a pretty decluttered person but sold my 13 year old PS3 to game stop with all the games and accessories for $52. For store credit, that would have been $62 but I no longer play games and while the PS3 worked well, I hadn't touched it in a very long time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on December 12, 2019, 08:39:01 AM
    Tiny accomplishment but I was going to bring the trash bag out to the bin, so grabbed 2 tiny (like 1" tall) stuffed bears from the pile of toys and threw them in.  Little bite by little bite, I'll get there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 12, 2019, 03:16:23 PM
    I've noticed that it's really easy living without a microwave or a car. I didn't use the car in my everyday life, so that isn't such a surprise, but the microwave was a big one. It's interesting to remove items that I think are integral to my life and realize that I like life without them. Whenever I settle again, I'm really going to wait to acquire things until I'm sure they are absolutely necessary.
     
    +1 on the microwave. I recycled my huge microwave when it died and wasn't easily fixable. Reheated food tastes better done on a stovetop. I only miss it for warming up cold coffee. Won't be replacing it. Lots more counter space with it gone.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 12, 2019, 03:27:21 PM
    I am already a pretty decluttered person but sold my 13 year old PS3 to game stop with all the games and accessories for $52. For store credit, that would have been $62 but I no longer play games and while the PS3 worked well, I hadn't touched it in a very long time.

    On the subject of retro gaming stuff, I found an old (in new shape) super nintendo box, with instructions inside, and I think some controller gizmo, maybe. I'm too lazy to set up an EBay account, but I looked it up anyway, on EBay, and the empty box with the instructions is going for $50! (Yes, one empty box sold for $50). Unbelievable. I'm hanging onto the box, eventually will possibly sell it on EBay. (I better get it sold before the retro gamer  market tanks, right, lol ???)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 13, 2019, 06:35:31 AM
    Don't hang onto it! Sell it now! Get it out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 13, 2019, 07:20:24 AM
    7 old but decent coats donated.  Now there is room for visitor's coats in the entry closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 13, 2019, 07:34:13 AM
    7 old but decent coats donated.  Now there is room for visitor's coats in the entry closet.

    In my continuing foray into the bedroom clutter, I'm opening up plastic bins and finding 'perfectly good clothing' which is hard for me to donate. I can bring myself to get one bag together at a time, of the low end stuff ( I just have to keep the good stuff to attempt to sell in the Spring/Summer/Fall at the car boot sales)  and take it to Salvation Army.  Argghhh. I was hoping to find more stuff like old papers, magazines, or worn out clothes, which are easy to get rid of, lol.   

    Anyhoo, the bedroom is a lot roomier than it was when I started decluttering it. So good to be able to see the results of one's work, no?       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 13, 2019, 09:58:01 AM
    7 old but decent coats donated.  Now there is room for visitor's coats in the entry closet.

    In my continuing foray into the bedroom clutter, I'm opening up plastic bins and finding 'perfectly good clothing' which is hard for me to donate. I can bring myself to get one bag together at a time, of the low end stuff ( I just have to keep the good stuff to attempt to sell in the Spring/Summer/Fall at the car boot sales)  and take it to Salvation Army.  Argghhh. I was hoping to find more stuff like old papers, magazines, or worn out clothes, which are easy to get rid of, lol.   

    Anyhoo, the bedroom is a lot roomier than it was when I started decluttering it. So good to be able to see the results of one's work, no?     

    I did a garage sale many years ago (decades, actually). The money I made was definitely not worth the time and effort I put into it. After that I told myself that I would never do that again. I donate almost everything, mostly to a dog rescue group that has the resources to do both yard sales and online auctions.
    I do sell really valuable stuff, I sold my old curtain rods ($200 new) to the new occupants of my last apartment, and I will sell my table loom if I decide I want the space more than the loom. I'm not donating something that is worth about $500. But generally, donation just works so much better. Figure out your true return on time invested (money made/hours wasted) - is it worth it? Just find a good place to donate clothing and give it all to them. Except things that should really go to the garbage. I'm loving my new place more and more as I get rid of the excess stuff (downsizing is a pain, don't wait until you are to old to cope).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on December 13, 2019, 11:23:20 AM
    Slackmax, do you enjoy the car boot sales?  If that's not a fun hobby for you, I'm with RetiredAt63 to quit trying to monetize every last penny out of your gf's stuff, particularly clothing which has such low resale value.  If you just can't bring yourself to do that, consider at the very least if thredup will accept it.  Then at least it's easy and done - you just bag it up and ship to them.

    I just seeing you posting over and over with negative tones about how long it's taking you to recover your home and life, and it seems it's taking so much life energy and time away from you for so little monetary return.  I suspect you'd make a better return by throwing everything away and spending that free time at a second job.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 13, 2019, 01:03:54 PM
    Today I dropped off a box at FedEx with 2 textbooks for a reseller.  If it works out, I'll get $95.  If it doesn't, I got 2 books out of my house.

    It worked!  They just paid out my $95!  I was nervous because of mixed reviews (TextbookRush), but the books were in really good shape.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on December 13, 2019, 01:56:33 PM
    7 old but decent coats donated.  Now there is room for visitor's coats in the entry closet.

    In my continuing foray into the bedroom clutter, I'm opening up plastic bins and finding 'perfectly good clothing' which is hard for me to donate. I can bring myself to get one bag together at a time, of the low end stuff ( I just have to keep the good stuff to attempt to sell in the Spring/Summer/Fall at the car boot sales)  and take it to Salvation Army.  Argghhh. I was hoping to find more stuff like old papers, magazines, or worn out clothes, which are easy to get rid of, lol.   

    Anyhoo, the bedroom is a lot roomier than it was when I started decluttering it. So good to be able to see the results of one's work, no?     

    I did a garage sale many years ago (decades, actually). The money I made was definitely not worth the time and effort I put into it. After that I told myself that I would never do that again.

    +1  About a decade ago DH and I had a yard sale along with another couple.  We made $180 in 8+ hours work that day, sitting in the sun, getting up at 5:30 or whatever it was, never mind the prep beforehand.  He said never again, and I agreed, LOL.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 13, 2019, 06:44:32 PM
    I kept the box I carried the computer & tablet in yesterday, now it's full of my old ski jacket, a second robe I don't use, some chair pads given to my god knows why and a few smaller items.  Won't have time to get that to the thrift shop or the electrical stuff to the ReStore or the haz mat to the haz mat place this week or maybe next.  I shall pout, for being too busy to have time to get the discarded items to their proper homes.

    So, that box I kept.  I wanted so much to find a good use for it.  It was a double thick cardboard banker box with attached lid and cutout handles in the sides.  So handy! So much potential!  In the end, it was too small for the other things that were going to thrift, so I recycled it.  There was much agonizing, but I survived, lol

    Today I dropped off the ReStore and the thrift stuff!  Woo!

    I think I'll be able to find a day next week, before next Saturday in fact, to drop the haz mat, so that will feel good!  Trying to make the place look nice for the holiday decorations that are going up!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 14, 2019, 04:10:58 PM
    Slackmax, do you enjoy the car boot sales?  If that's not a fun hobby for you, I'm with RetiredAt63 to quit trying to monetize every last penny out of your gf's stuff, particularly clothing which has such low resale value.  If you just can't bring yourself to do that, consider at the very least if thredup will accept it.  Then at least it's easy and done - you just bag it up and ship to them.

    I just seeing you posting over and over with negative tones about how long it's taking you to recover your home and life, and it seems it's taking so much life energy and time away from you for so little monetary return.  I suspect you'd make a better return by throwing everything away and spending that free time at a second job.

    Captain Fire, Thanks for the constructive suggestion about thredup.com as a possible solution to my problem. I will check them out.

    And yes, I do enjoy the carboot sales, so no worries, mate. 

             
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on December 14, 2019, 10:30:52 PM
    I have also sold to swap.com
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 16, 2019, 07:33:28 AM
    We decorated the Christmas tree last weekend and could only fit half the decorations on it.  I think it is time to look really hard at the rest of them - and say adios instead of putting them back into the cupboard.  Many of the ones that are too heavy to use on our real Christmas tree, are from my stepmom who likes to give us each an ornament every year.  And we had a full tree before each of the kids came along.  Add to it, all the ornaments they have made since daycare, preschool and school - we have way too much.  I shall have a careful look again this January.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on December 16, 2019, 07:55:23 AM
    We are picking up our Christmas tree tomorrow. I will think long and hard about which Christmas decorations we will hang and place in the rooms. We don't have a lot but we also don't have a lot of space so maybe we don't need to keep everything.

    Today I gave away a kid's Santa dress that will fit a four-year-old. My youngest is seven... A really small thing leaving the house but good anyway.
    I am happy to give away these type of things (don't want to make the effort to sell, will probably get $1-2), but it annoys me a bit that the woman who got it picks up a lot of the free stuff in our local Facebook group (buying/selling/giving away in the neighbourhood-type of group).  She does not live here, she does not have kids. I think she sells the stuff, and that is fine, she may need the money and want to go through the effort - fine. But I'd rather want to give away to parents who are our neighbours. Is this bad of me?
    I am really clueless when it comes to Facebook. Can I block her so she doesn't see my postings in this group? (Or anywhere on Facebook).
    I have more stuff I just want to give away for pick-up so I don't have to take it to charity.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 16, 2019, 08:28:14 AM
    Slackmax, do you enjoy the car boot sales?  If that's not a fun hobby for you, I'm with RetiredAt63 to quit trying to monetize every last penny out of your gf's stuff, particularly clothing which has such low resale value.  If you just can't bring yourself to do that, consider at the very least if thredup will accept it.  Then at least it's easy and done - you just bag it up and ship to them.

    I just seeing you posting over and over with negative tones about how long it's taking you to recover your home and life, and it seems it's taking so much life energy and time away from you for so little monetary return.  I suspect you'd make a better return by throwing everything away and spending that free time at a second job.

    Captain Fire, Thanks for the constructive suggestion about thredup.com as a possible solution to my problem. I will check them out.

    And yes, I do enjoy the carboot sales, so no worries, mate. 

             

    Just in the interests of optimizing your life, you may enjoy the carboy sales, but is there something else you could do at those times that would improve your life/bring joy even more?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Rimu05 on December 16, 2019, 09:00:17 AM
    I am already a pretty decluttered person but sold my 13 year old PS3 to game stop with all the games and accessories for $52. For store credit, that would have been $62 but I no longer play games and while the PS3 worked well, I hadn't touched it in a very long time.

    On the subject of retro gaming stuff, I found an old (in new shape) super nintendo box, with instructions inside, and I think some controller gizmo, maybe. I'm too lazy to set up an EBay account, but I looked it up anyway, on EBay, and the empty box with the instructions is going for $50! (Yes, one empty box sold for $50). Unbelievable. I'm hanging onto the box, eventually will possibly sell it on EBay. (I better get it sold before the retro gamer  market tanks, right, lol ???)

    I was surprised how my controller was worth the most. I got about $25 for it even though it was about 11 years old. Apparently, people mod these controllers for PC. The retro gaming market can definitely get you money back.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 16, 2019, 11:15:56 AM
    5 more paperbacks sold and out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on December 16, 2019, 01:03:06 PM
    Electric wok and George Foreman Grill donated last week, both of which have not seen the light of day in many years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 17, 2019, 07:10:11 AM
    Electric wok and George Foreman Grill donated last week, both of which have not seen the light of day in many years.

    Good on the donations!  I just tried to fix an old countertop oven I have. The temp adjuster broke and it only heated up to 300 degrees. It was OK for making lasagna and roasts, but no good for things at 450 degrees, obviously. It is unfixable, since the screws won't even come out, for me to look inside.

    So...... I will recycle it (metal) if possible, or throw it out. More space! I am planning to buy a brand new countertop oven, so it's a neutral declutter situation, I guess.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 17, 2019, 07:29:55 AM
    RetiredAt63 wrote:

    ----------------------------

    Just in the interests of optimizing your life, you may enjoy the carboy sales, but is there something else you could do at those times that would improve your life/bring joy even more?
    ------------------------------

    Thanks for asking, RetiredAt63.  My answer is, probably not.  I am male, age 65. I do think that finding a woman I click with, for a relationship, would make my life better. And I am working on that. Going to various groups to meet people. But it takes a lot of time.  I'm even looking for a good male friend.   

    Even if If I were to find a 'good' relationship,  I would still want to do the car boot sales, I think.

    And here's the kicker.... I meet interesting people at the car boot sales, so who knows, right?         

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 17, 2019, 11:27:53 PM
    RetiredAt63 wrote:

    ----------------------------

    Just in the interests of optimizing your life, you may enjoy the carboy sales, but is there something else you could do at those times that would improve your life/bring joy even more?
    ------------------------------

    Thanks for asking, RetiredAt63.  My answer is, probably not.  I am male, age 65. I do think that finding a woman I click with, for a relationship, would make my life better. And I am working on that. Going to various groups to meet people. But it takes a lot of time.  I'm even looking for a good male friend.   

    Even if If I were to find a 'good' relationship,  I would still want to do the car boot sales, I think.

    And here's the kicker.... I meet interesting people at the car boot sales, so who knows, right?         

    If you are enjoying them, great.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 18, 2019, 03:48:30 AM
    A carload of guinea pig equipment has  left my building...donated to RSPCA who were pleased to have them.  It was nice to be thanked cheerfully instead of being interrogated about whether my donations were good enough. ( this seems to happen all my local op shops ).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on December 18, 2019, 10:35:49 AM
    Woke up this morning with a slight fever and a partially flooded basement. It is only clean water, but there will be damages to some inner walls and baseboards. So we have to move everything and throw away some stuff.
    It is not too bad w/the stuff, I think the only furniture we have to throw away is an old IKEA Billy book shelf and this was in pretty bad shape anyway (so this makes me slightly happy to get rid of).
    For stuff it is mainly paper - I had my paper piles in that area... Some of it is good - it will give me a push to just throw away the papers I have been indecisive for such a long time. Some of it not so good, it will give me some extra job. But I don't think anything is really really bad yet. Will know nore after the continued 'going through everything'-process later today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on December 18, 2019, 11:44:37 AM
    I got new lamps for the bedroom and over the weekend I donated the old ones along with some clothing and a large humidifier. I felt good to get those gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 19, 2019, 06:06:57 AM
    Donated 2 books to the senior center.

    Bought myself a brand new countertop oven. Tried it out. Works great! A little bit larger than the old one, but that's good, imo.

    Will keep the enormous box it came in, in case I have to send it back somewhere under warrantee. Enormous box going into basement. Maybe I'll toss a few smaller boxes, to compensate.

    Old countertop oven going to recycling (metal) if they accept it.   

    Can't wait to make lasagna in it, at the right temp.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 19, 2019, 06:27:27 PM
    My last 3 items:

    23. Semi-truck mattress - given to friend of friend for foster dogs.
    24. Paperback - going to animal rescue garage sale.
    25. Portable phone charger that doesn’t fit my phone - garage sale also.

    So that’s my list of 125 items in total (well, since I started keeping track - there were hundreds before that too.). Now that I’ve gotten rid of the surplus, my 2020 goal is to finish all the decor projects I have, like picture framing, rearranging furniture and refinishing and reupholstering some furniture.  Time to create the home ambiance I really want.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on December 19, 2019, 07:11:44 PM
    My last 3 items:

    23. Semi-truck mattress - given to friend of friend for foster dogs.
    24. Paperback - going to animal rescue garage sale.
    25. Portable phone charger that doesn’t fit my phone - garage sale also.

    So that’s my list of 125 items in total (well, since I started keeping track - there were hundreds before that too.). Now that I’ve gotten rid of the surplus, my 2020 goal is to finish all the decor projects I have, like picture framing, rearranging furniture and refinishing and reupholstering some furniture.  Time to create the home ambiance I really want.

    That's an awesome  place to be.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 20, 2019, 10:18:46 AM
    Took old broken countertop oven to metal recycling. They took it, yay!  Threw out the detachable glass door. Kept the trays and the power cord. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 20, 2019, 03:09:05 PM
    Thanks Tyson, I think it’s awesome too!  I’ve been wanting to do this for quite a while, but didn’t have the time when I was still working and then had too much junk laying around when I retired.  Not to say I didn’t enjoy my home before, but it just wasn’t what it could be.  Looking forward to a revamped space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 20, 2019, 03:40:08 PM
    That is awesome (and inspirational) @SunnyDays !

    -I was able to finally get ahold of someone for a return/drop off for a school item that's been in my closet for 3 months. So happy.
    -Put a pair of too small kid jeans in the donation pile

    I need to go through the kids drawers & start making piles of keep & donate. A good project for a rainy day in January.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on December 21, 2019, 05:16:46 PM

    So that’s my list of 125 items in total (well, since I started keeping track - there were hundreds before that too.). Now that I’ve gotten rid of the surplus, my 2020 goal is to finish all the decor projects I have, like picture framing, rearranging furniture and refinishing and reupholstering some furniture.  Time to create the home ambiance I really want.

    This is awesome. I love that creating the home ambiance includes limiting what is in there. Great inspiration!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 21, 2019, 06:22:50 PM
    Thank you, Sailing!  At one point, my thinking was that there was always something more/better that I could buy to improve my home (hence all the excess stuff), but after years of this and getting increasingly frustrated, because I couldn’t seem to arrive at “finished,” I decided to take the opposite approach and pare down.  I already have enough stuff and some nice stuff too, but I couldn’t appreciate it because all the clutter was detracting from it.  So now I can see the things I love and actually enjoy living with them.  It’s liberating!  I’m sure that as I continue to redecorate, I’ll find even more to get rid of and I’m looking forward to that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 21, 2019, 06:31:57 PM
    Another large green garbage bag full of clothes/linens is resting in my car awaiting disposal.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 22, 2019, 11:28:31 AM
    Going through my kitchen cupboards some more. Finding multiple bins I can combine into one, finding some empty containers that I can put in the recycling. Using up some stuff when I cook.

    My cupboards finally have some open space in them!   I can now get something out without causing an avalanche, lol!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 22, 2019, 11:13:33 PM
    Finally made it to the haz mat place! No suspicious chemicals hanging around the house anymore!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 23, 2019, 01:40:41 AM
    Finally made it to the haz mat place! No suspicious chemicals hanging around the house anymore!

    Good on you! We need to make another trip. The previous owner left states of "useful" NOT paint in various locations around the property. We've made 2 trips so far...but there is probably enough for 2 more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on December 23, 2019, 01:42:18 AM
    Going through my kitchen cupboards some more. Finding multiple bins I can combine into one, finding some empty containers that I can put in the recycling. Using up some stuff when I cook.

    My cupboards finally have some open space in them!   I can now get something out without causing an avalanche, lol!   

    I think you are officially reaching the "light at the end of the tunnel" stage.  Nicely done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on December 23, 2019, 04:14:18 AM
    I was on here a while ago for decluttering strategies. I did nothing! I was so busy painting ceilings and working.

    So now we are slowly moving house. New place is in our garden so I can do it literally box by box and be ruthless. Once the wardrobe shelving is in I will take a picture of the tiny space I want to fit my stuff into. It's a big challenge! At the level of tiny house living I'd say. The risk is the large double garage with storage areas - I keep thinking "oh well I could put it in the garage" but of course only so much can go in there and two vehicles must must must get parked in there.

    What I have done so far is get rid of quite a lot of unneeded building materials and some storage. The stumbling block might be wedding gift kitchen items. If we entertain two people have wine, everyone else drinks beer from a bottle, yet we have white, red & champagne glasses!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 23, 2019, 04:59:28 AM
    Good luck everyone through the next couple of weeks of accumulation season!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on December 23, 2019, 08:19:01 AM
    Decluttering before moving has shown me that I was wasting so much space keeping items that I rarely used. It's so nice to have just what I need now and for everything to have a home. I hope I don't forget this when I settle somewhere someday.

    Donated a big box worth o' stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AerynLee on December 23, 2019, 08:32:50 AM
    I had a weird moment of gratitude for my decluttered home recently. We were visiting family and at my mom's house there were toys laying out from my niece and nephew. Not a ridiculous amount by any means, I'm not making fun of my mom or my sister for what was there. Buy my 12 year old dog kept tripping over toys and I realized 1) he's old :( and 2) he's not used to having to navigate around things on the floor. We don't even have a coffee table in the living room, it's just wide open floor.

    My garage though, has gotten a little bit ridiculous. Last weekend I took some supplies we didn't end up using for our remodel to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and a few things to Goodwill but I still need to clear out some more room to fit a tiny (5cuft) chest freezer I want to buy. We can park a car in there easily, but the rest of it is a mess
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 23, 2019, 08:34:08 AM
    Have any of you moved to another state and just sold off most of your possessions and planned to buy all new stuff at your new location?

    I have considered that.

    If I were to move, I would get one of those companies that drop off a container to fill with the rest of my possessions and have them ship it to my new location.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on December 25, 2019, 10:20:56 AM
    Have any of you moved to another state and just sold off most of your possessions and planned to buy all new stuff at your new location?

    I have considered that.

    If I were to move, I would get one of those companies that drop off a container to fill with the rest of my possessions and have them ship it to my new location.

    When I have moved to another city I have normally sold my sofa because it cost more to transport then to buy a new one. Everytimed I have moved my stuff I have started the decluttering a couple of weeks before the move and considered If I am prepared to pay for transportation. I have also  disassembled a lot of furnitures to save space. Bookshelves is also one thing that has been cheaper to buy new ones then to transport.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 26, 2019, 01:39:49 PM
    Checking my credit report, I see that the last two addresses on the report, since the time I shared an address with my ex, are HIS last two addresses, grrrrrrr.

    But making lemons out of lemonade.  I have a USB drive that belongs to our former neighbor, who the ex remained friends with.  I'm taking advantage of the address snafu to address an envelope & send this USB drive out of my life!  I'd just chuck it, but it has photos of the former neighbor & his daughter that he'd be delighted to have.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on December 28, 2019, 07:00:47 PM
    After nearly 14 years, the plates we received as a wedding gift are getting rather worn and chipped.  We actually received like 15 plates and have been using 8 of them, so I'm rotating new ones in.  I'm posting here for accountability that I'm getting rid of the old ones.  I also bought new pasta bowls today, and solemnly swear that I will get rid of the old ones ASAP.  Cupboard freed up in the China hutch now where the unused plates have been living.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 29, 2019, 07:10:13 AM
    Stupid me. This summer I saw this little kitchen appliance and thought it was a good idea to pick it up. It was only about $22. I used it one time since I had it. DUH to me! I am going to donate it to Vietnam Vets. It is taking up space, not a lot, but space is precious around here!

    Oh, and I had a huge 7 quart slow cooker for quite a few years. I loved it. It was stainless steel on the outside and a ceramic crock on the inside. I just finished making beef broth out of prime rib bones and when I went to clean the crock I noticed a large hairline crack in the bottom of ceramic crock. I did see some other small cracks too. So, I tossed the slow cooker and am donating the lid to Vietnam Vets. Nice oval glass lid.

    I was going to purchase another slow cooker but didn't find what I wanted and then it dawned on me that my Instant Pot has a slow cooking feature so I will use that now. If I don't like it compared to my slow cooker, I will purchase a new slow cooker. The one good thing is that I now have an empty spot in my hall closet where I stored my slow cooker. An actual empty space! Very rare in my house!

    Does anyone use the slow cooker feature on your Instant Pot?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: brooklynmoney on December 29, 2019, 07:36:12 AM
    This year I have been purging my wardrobe as well as purging and reorganizing my pantry however I am most excited about the stealth purging I’ve been doing of my mother’s place. Her closets are packed with stuff she doesn’t use from candles to personal care products to canned food etc. she’s not a hoarder as the house is clear and immaculate but every space has Knick knacks on it and every closet is packed. With her permission I have been removing things that she doesn’t use but I can use. I also say I will use some things but then take them to Goodwill ha.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 29, 2019, 10:41:05 AM
    I have not yet tried the slow cooking feature on my instant pot.

    We have been ruthless with Christmas gifts - if we don't like it/didn't fit/don't need - they got returned.  The house has still got the calm and spaciousness that it had before Christmas.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on December 29, 2019, 11:07:27 AM
    I bought a 10" glass lid at a thrift store to use while sauteing and slow cooking with my instapot.  The site sells one to use but any glass lid the right size will work.  I haven't used it as a slow cooker as most of what I would slow cook I pressure cook now instead.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 29, 2019, 11:29:03 AM
    Christmas was a success, with minimal "things". The kids got two items they needed from my parents (pajamas & slippers), plus a gift card & money for college.

    We are at our vacation house this week, and I created a bag for donations, which I try to do every time we're here.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on December 29, 2019, 01:49:22 PM
    Just went to grassroots books and wife is all gung ho to drop off books, CDs and DVDs. We are picking up a bunch of them and heading back to the store.

    Unfortunately the 1 item I did purchase was a new book so probably about the most expensive item they had @8.99 + tax.

    We also dropped off a box at goodwill earlier.

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on December 29, 2019, 02:55:36 PM
    Cleared out so. many. boxes from our storage room. We've been saving them the past few months in case we need to ship Christmas presents, returns, etc. Took down two full boxes of broken down boxes to the recycling and it feels so nice to have the space.

    We also have three bags to go to Goodwill and one to go to electronic recycling.

    The new year has put me in the mood to do another deep declutter. I can generally clear off most surfaces pretty quickly nowadways (used to not be the case), but I still feel like I'm drowning in clutter. Much of it is my wife's and I just need to live with that, but I'm sure there are some things of my own I can get rid of.

    I'm still waffling about some of my Christmas gifts. My parents downsized this year, and they gave each kid a few small things from the house for Christmas. I thought I had taken everything I wanted, but it's much harder to make the decision to get rid of it when it's my responsibility now. I can see why Marie Kondo is such an advocate about just getting rid of the stuff you don't want instead of passing the burden onto others...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on December 29, 2019, 02:56:46 PM
    After my false start a month ago, my decluttering is going great guns! Nothing like seeing the new space you have to fit into, and trying to make it look like an Airbnb worthy pad, to make you think about what you need.

    So far the wine glasses have survived and a decanter but a couple of other wedding gifts that I felt bad about parting with (unused!) are up for sale. Managed to get dollars for a couple of other things and I've got a whole cupboard full of kitchen freebies listed.

    We are just constructing the flat pack wardrobe inserts and once that's done I will take a pic. I don't know if it's possible but I'm going to try to fit all my clothes into a space that's about 0.5 x 2.3m. Including shoes but excluding outdoor coats (rain jacket, leather jacket and ski jacket - I don't actually own a coat) and wellie boots/ mucky shoes.

    It's 36 degrees Celsius here tomorrow but I am going to have to list a winter gilet and gloves that are just don't need...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on December 29, 2019, 02:58:49 PM
    I can see why Marie Kondo is such an advocate about just getting rid of the stuff you don't want instead of passing the burden onto others...

    I listened to an audiobook called Let It Go by that declutter that was on Oprah. He said the same thing. It makes it hard for your descendants to know what to treasure. They could end up holding on to something you hated in your memory!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 29, 2019, 06:19:05 PM
    I was rummaging through my kitchen drawers looking for the **** corkscrew to open a gift bottle of cabernet sauv. Rummage, rummage, rummage, omg what are all these **** plastic knives and forks doing here? Tossed  about 40 plastic knives, forks, spoons into the recycling. Good riddance. Woot!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 29, 2019, 08:38:06 PM
    @horsepoor that's some A+ one-in-one out right there :)

    @Roadrunner53 the appliance story seems more like a good learning lesson that something stupid!

    @brooklynmoney you worried me with your stealth decluttering, but I'm glad you're able to help your mom that way :)

    @Frugal Lizard I have also been ruthless with gifts this year!

    @MaybeBabyMustache keep chipping away at that vacation house, you'll have it where you want it oneday :)

    @ItsALongStory sounds like more going out than coming in, a net win!

    @zygote I'm rooting for your new year's declutter!

    @Fresh Bread please report back on your wardrobe progress.

    @slackmax way to go



    Saturday, mailed off the USB drive I'd addressed on Thursday, and also on Saturday dropped off a few things at the thrift store.  Shoes/clothing that I no longer wear and a Christmas gift I had no use for!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on December 29, 2019, 11:59:11 PM
    Here's a pic of my wardrobe space.

    There is one drawer missing as I need to go buy it (I changed things up since designing it). It's 50cm wide but a generous 58cm deep. I'm gaining a drawer but losing a lot of hanging space over what I have how.

    The plan is to fold my summer dresses (4?) and I'm tentatively thinking about selling two wedding/formal dresses. I suspect one is too small anyway. I'm into the idea of renting a formal dress if the need arises, although the dresses I've seen for rent is all a bit short/young.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nancy on December 31, 2019, 09:09:33 AM
    I've given away five plastic storage containers. All the contents are gone. I'm going to make it my mission to acquire the bare minimum in furniture when I settle again. It's too easy to put something in a drawer and justify its existence.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 31, 2019, 10:16:49 AM
    the large sheet of linoleum flooring that has been rolled up in our basement is now glued to the floor so the big tube it came on can also now leave the house.  But I might play with it being a cat tunnel. 
    A bunch of transitions that were gathering dust are mostly attached to the joints between the linoleum and cork or cork and hardwood flooring- it is looking amazing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on December 31, 2019, 02:28:18 PM
    Purged a ton of card board boxes and old papers this week.  Finally starting to make some progress on the dining room.  Still have the extra table in there that needed to go, like yesterday.  DH keeps saying that he knows someone that wants it, but "we were using it."  No, it was a flat sir face and flat surfaces attract stuff.  Someone is supposed to be here today to get it (I'll believe it when I see it...he has hoarder tendancies, so it's a constant battle to keep all of his stuff from taking over everywhere). 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireLane on December 31, 2019, 04:10:29 PM
    I should have found this thread earlier! I made a new year's resolution to purge all the old junk in my attic, and I'm finally getting around to it this week.

    I have boxes and boxes full of old books. Powell's has a book buyback program, so I got a barcode scanner app on my phone, captured the ISBNs and uploaded them to the Powell's website. They wanted about ten of them. They e-mailed me a prepaid shipping label, plus I get a few bucks in store credit. I'll ship those later this week.

    Of the fifty or sixty books they didn't want, some were out-of-date college textbooks or paperbacks that are too old and battered to resell. I filled up a big box with those and carried it out to the recycling bin today. The books that are in good condition and that someone might want, I'll donate to the library or thrift store.

    I have at least one or two more rounds of book purging to go. Next, I have to tackle all our boxes of baby stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on December 31, 2019, 04:18:19 PM
    Despite having a moratorium on coffee mugs, I bought one yesterday that is very meaninful to me. BUT I took it as an opportunity to go through the glassware and found 6 or 7 cups/glasses/etc. to get rid of (no mugs though, whoops). It's so pleasant to open that cupboard now that it's organized a little better, and there is more room to breathe. We even have space for one or two more cups if the moment arises.......

    Now at 4 bags of stuff to donate, we made the trip to Goodwill this afternoon. Feels great! Said goodbye to the crockpot I never use to make room for the instant pot I got for Christmas and have already used multiple times. Also got rid of some sheets that don't fit the bed anymore, a puzzle we did once but won't do again, and some other random items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 04, 2020, 09:20:59 PM
    Wow, did everyone run out of stuff? No posts long enough to fall off the first page.

    Anyway, I didn't necessarily get a bunch of stuff out of the house, but I did massively declutter. FINALLY after months, progress has been made on the utility room remodel. 4 cabinets are installed (instead of sitting in the garage), the 6ft countertop is at least sitting on top of the cabinets (vs the garage). Garage has been rearranged so I can get my car in there. Happy me!!!

    Additionally, 3 bags of supplies for the utility room have either been used in the utility room, or determined that they were unnecessary and returned to the store. An additional bag of supplies is now ready to be used, I just have to install the cabinet doors and drawers, then install the knobs. Once that's done, then I can consolidate all the tools and working on the house stuff which is currently all over the house into the new cabinets in an organized fashion.

    As part of the work done, we removed the janky old gas line which was flopping all around the utility room (yes, literally) and replaced it with a nice new, SAFE one neatly against the wall. Old gas line is in the alley for the scrap pickers in 2 pieces, it'll be gone within 24 hours.

    I also painted the downstairs bedroom, trim and closet door. Didn't get to throw out any paint cans this time, but used lots of paint regardless. Also installed the new vent covers (old ones go to neighbor's scrap pile), and was able to patch the wall rather than putting a blank cover plate on it so returned that to the store. That's a full bag off of stuff gone. Additional work in this room will result in installing 2 curtain rods (which are stashed upstairs), hanging 2 pictures (currently in the closet upstairs), and getting the rolled up rug out of the living room.

    I am slowly imposing order to my house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: brooklynmoney on January 04, 2020, 10:02:30 PM
    In New Years Day I purged and shredded two bags of papers from my files. It was fun and I felt so accomplished for a lazy day
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 04, 2020, 10:07:55 PM
    Ah Sibley, congrats on the painting. I sit here typing as I wait for paint to dry.

    Big news here. First, husband has been decluttering huge amounts of paper and has also thrown some old tees for rags. Whoop! Second, he showed me how to use the paper feeder on the scanner and various old bills needed for tax are now being scanned and shredded. Have dropped a few files worth! I wish we'd done this sooner, but I am still over the moon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 04, 2020, 10:38:21 PM
    Good work Sibley, brooklynmoney and Fresh Bread!

    I have been decluttering, I just haven't been around here for a couple of weeks.
    - Another bag of gorgeous frocks donated with the acknowledgement that while they remain lovely, I am less *girly* than I used to be and I will genuinely never wear them again.
    - About 15 more books donated to the street libraries, and there is about 10 more ready to go as soon as I find a library with space for donations.
    - I had the realisation that I am finally ready to drastically re-cut my manga collection, which is the THIRD major purge I have done in the last 5 years. Each time, the keeper pile gets smaller.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on January 05, 2020, 06:17:40 AM
    The universe imposed the one-in, one-out rule on my recently - the week before Christmas, I dropped and broke a drinking glass my mom gave me last Christmas.  Then, I received another drinking glass (different one) from her this Christmas.  Since the first one was gone, I didn't have to figure out where in the cupboard it would fit!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 05, 2020, 08:47:59 AM
    We have been moving back into our basement room now that it is finished with the renovating.  I have been militant about what finds its way into the room.  It looks so lovely now - I used to spend as little time as possible in there - now I am folding laundry there - right beside the washing machine and drying rack.  So convenient.

    Yesterday I cut up an old holey flannel sheet.  The thickest parts for dusting and cleaning clothes.  The thread bare sections I tore into 3 inch strips for tomato ties. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 05, 2020, 11:46:26 AM
    Stupid me. This summer I saw this little kitchen appliance and thought it was a good idea to pick it up. It was only about $22. I used it one time since I had it. DUH to me! I am going to donate it to Vietnam Vets. It is taking up space, not a lot, but space is precious around here!

    Oh, and I had a huge 7 quart slow cooker for quite a few years. I loved it. It was stainless steel on the outside and a ceramic crock on the inside. I just finished making beef broth out of prime rib bones and when I went to clean the crock I noticed a large hairline crack in the bottom of ceramic crock. I did see some other small cracks too. So, I tossed the slow cooker and am donating the lid to Vietnam Vets. Nice oval glass lid.

    I was going to purchase another slow cooker but didn't find what I wanted and then it dawned on me that my Instant Pot has a slow cooking feature so I will use that now. If I don't like it compared to my slow cooker, I will purchase a new slow cooker. The one good thing is that I now have an empty spot in my hall closet where I stored my slow cooker. An actual empty space! Very rare in my house!

    Does anyone use the slow cooker feature on your Instant Pot?

    RR,   I have 3 slow cookers (crock pots) I inherited  from my gf !  I use one of them often. I was curious about the instantPots, but am resisting the urge to take in another item. I should probably donate one of crock pots, but it's too much fun keeping them as spares, lol.     
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on January 05, 2020, 12:00:11 PM
    I think the spare is the enemy of the minimalist. @slackmax
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 05, 2020, 12:12:39 PM
    I think the spare is the enemy of the minimalist. @slackmax
    Maybe, but having a spare prevents the primary one from breaking (lol). And if you only have your primary, once it breaks, you have to buy anew one and use up extra resources, waste money, etc.   (Sort of just kidding, IALS, I do get your point!)   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 05, 2020, 01:47:22 PM
    We have been moving back into our basement room now that it is finished with the renovating.  I have been militant about what finds its way into the room.  It looks so lovely now - I used to spend as little time as possible in there - now I am folding laundry there - right beside the washing machine and drying rack.  So convenient.

    Yesterday I cut up an old holey flannel sheet.  The thickest parts for dusting and cleaning clothes.  The thread bare sections I tore into 3 inch strips for tomato ties.

    The basement room sounds great.

    Your tomato ties are an argument for 100% cotton sheets.  My parents always used old sheets (and threadbare towels) for tomato ties.  When they were too weak for that, into the compost they went.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on January 05, 2020, 05:01:30 PM
    Today I tackled the cupboard under the basement stairs.  So many things I had forgotten we even had.  So many cans of paint.   So I've pitched the dried up stuff, sorted out the almost full cans that were testers (to be posted on freecycle), and bagged up a ton of craft supplies for the charity pick up tomorrow.   Also have 3 large garbage bags full of clothing and books for the charity pick up too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 05, 2020, 06:08:45 PM
    Did a little bit more today. Installed the curtain rods in the bedroom, and hung the 2 pictures. Also found a 3rd framed picture which I honestly don't know why I have it. I don't like it, don't want to hang it. Into the donation box it went.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LWYRUP on January 05, 2020, 07:07:37 PM
    I am happy to give away these type of things (don't want to make the effort to sell, will probably get $1-2), but it annoys me a bit that the woman who got it picks up a lot of the free stuff in our local Facebook group (buying/selling/giving away in the neighbourhood-type of group).  She does not live here, she does not have kids. I think she sells the stuff, and that is fine, she may need the money and want to go through the effort - fine. But I'd rather want to give away to parents who are our neighbours. Is this bad of me?
    I am really clueless when it comes to Facebook. Can I block her so she doesn't see my postings in this group? (Or anywhere on Facebook).
    I have more stuff I just want to give away for pick-up so I don't have to take it to charity.

    I would just let it go.  If she's surfing the internet for used junk, she needs it more than you and that's enough.

    Unless you think she's a hoarder, I would feel bad encouraging that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 06, 2020, 10:36:09 AM
    I'm going to repost my Craigslist ad for about 3,000 sheets of cardstock (thick paper you can make into cards, or do whatever with). I have already sold about 3,000 sheets of this stuff, but the buyers are few and far between.

    3,000 sheets translates into 2 big paper grocery bags full.  I charge 1 cent per sheet. Not gonna donate them, not yet anyway, lol.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 06, 2020, 01:52:39 PM
    As I took down holiday decorations over the weekend, I was mindful of storing unwanted things for another year.  Our very old tree top angel finally bit the dust, so into the garbage it went.  Four gifts I received and won't use or re-gift went into the newly started donation box along with a few other small items.  This year I want to finish purging my home office desk and finalize the closet organization, and tackle the coat closet shelves.

    Something fun:  We're invited to a white elephant party this coming weekend.  I gathered unused and never used key rings (DH donated an additional 3) and put them into a recycled lidded jar.  I'll wrap it up to look like a bottle of wine.  ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on January 06, 2020, 02:06:33 PM
    My husband loves an uncluttered house, so we've decided to try to be net negative on non-consumables into our house this year, if we can.  He started a spreadsheet and everything already :)  We're including outgrown baby clothes that we get rid of, so I think it's going to be simpler than I initially thought, but we're also keeping track per person.  I'm pretty excited.

    So far I've gotten rid of a few "I don't like them, but keep them just in case I run out of all of my other clothes" shirts, some skinny jeans that ABSOLUTELY do not fit, a lot of baby things (she's outgrown her baby tub, her swing, her bassinet, a lot of clothes, the bumbo, etc), and some Christmas decorations.  It's a good start to the year, and I'm interested to see if we can keep it up.  DH has discarded some threadbare shirts and a pair of socks, but he's already down to just basics for clothes, so we'll have to move on to the rest of the house if he wants to purchase any things this year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on January 06, 2020, 04:31:57 PM
    Made a sweeping decision and got rid of all my old body lotions. The only time I picked those up were to wipe the dust off. The newest one was already nearly 2 years old... clearly wasn't using it. Gave some hair products to my sister (who tried to talk me into buying a hair straightener). Also been selling some boardgames that we've finished and won't be replaying. Gave back a set of borrowed books - I just couldn't get through them, didn't hold my attention.
     
    All in all, pretty good start to the year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 06, 2020, 06:45:44 PM
    I'm going to repost my Craigslist ad for about 3,000 sheets of cardstock (thick paper you can make into cards, or do whatever with). I have already sold about 3,000 sheets of this stuff, but the buyers are few and far between.

    3,000 sheets translates into 2 big paper grocery bags full.  I charge 1 cent per sheet. Not gonna donate them, not yet anyway, lol.   

    Would you consider an alternative to donating...would you give them to a teacher?  Folks like that often need craft supplies, and work with a tight budget.  And you know they aren't trying to resell them, they will definitely use them (if they take them).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 06, 2020, 07:55:18 PM
    I've made some progress:
    -Put 2 fleeces into the donation bag (15+ years old, too small)
    -Put 20+ DVDs into the donation bag

    Decided to return two items I received as gifts. I'll drop them off at UPS this weekend. Clutter blocked from coming in!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on January 07, 2020, 04:17:23 AM
    Someone gave me a desktop computer while ago, it was surplus to their requirements. Looks awesome in my office area, but has only been on ONE time because I have a laptop. It's time to go so I'm returning it to the person who gave it to me, and it will possibly go to one of their family members instead. Anyone want to bet that the laptop will die within days of the desktop return???
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on January 07, 2020, 12:21:31 PM
    Ok, does anyone here know of a good, reliable way to pass on baby gear? 

    I have a baby swing, a floor play mat, and a baby bathtub, all in good condition, but I can't get rid of them!  Once Upon a Child didn't want them (they don't take bath items, the play mat was missing a hanging toy, and I'm not sure why they didn't want the swing), but none of the thrift stores around here accept items "like that".  I don't know anyone currently pregnant who doesn't already have kids and all the gear they want already.

    I really really don't want everything to go to the dump, as they're all in perfect working condition, but other than listing them for like $1 on FB marketplace (which is flooded with baby gear) or on Freecycle, I don't know how to get them out of my house. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 07, 2020, 04:25:09 PM
    Stupid me. This summer I saw this little kitchen appliance and thought it was a good idea to pick it up. It was only about $22. I used it one time since I had it. DUH to me! I am going to donate it to Vietnam Vets. It is taking up space, not a lot, but space is precious around here!

    Oh, and I had a huge 7 quart slow cooker for quite a few years. I loved it. It was stainless steel on the outside and a ceramic crock on the inside. I just finished making beef broth out of prime rib bones and when I went to clean the crock I noticed a large hairline crack in the bottom of ceramic crock. I did see some other small cracks too. So, I tossed the slow cooker and am donating the lid to Vietnam Vets. Nice oval glass lid.

    I was going to purchase another slow cooker but didn't find what I wanted and then it dawned on me that my Instant Pot has a slow cooking feature so I will use that now. If I don't like it compared to my slow cooker, I will purchase a new slow cooker. The one good thing is that I now have an empty spot in my hall closet where I stored my slow cooker. An actual empty space! Very rare in my house!

    Does anyone use the slow cooker feature on your Instant Pot?

    RR,   I have 3 slow cookers (crock pots) I inherited  from my gf !  I use one of them often. I was curious about the instantPots, but am resisting the urge to take in another item. I should probably donate one of crock pots, but it's too much fun keeping them as spares, lol.   

    My 7 quart slow cooker cracked so I tossed it out. I have an Instant Pot and thought I could do without a slow cooker replacement. I used the IP to cook a soup slow cooker mode and just didn't like it. I previously had an oval slow cooker and the IP is round. After cooking my soup, I decided I wanted a new slow cooker (7 Quart) and I am getting rid of my IP. I don't really find the IP to be that great. I like using my oven, air fryer, microwave and slow cooker. I just don't use the IP much. I have made yogurt and that is a good feature, but I end up tossing out yogurt because I can't use up as much as I make. So, the IP is out the door! Strange how some people love the IP but I love the slow cooker!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 07, 2020, 05:47:02 PM
    Ok, does anyone here know of a good, reliable way to pass on baby gear? 

    I have a baby swing, a floor play mat, and a baby bathtub, all in good condition, but I can't get rid of them!  Once Upon a Child didn't want them (they don't take bath items, the play mat was missing a hanging toy, and I'm not sure why they didn't want the swing), but none of the thrift stores around here accept items "like that".  I don't know anyone currently pregnant who doesn't already have kids and all the gear they want already.

    I really really don't want everything to go to the dump, as they're all in perfect working condition, but other than listing them for like $1 on FB marketplace (which is flooded with baby gear) or on Freecycle, I don't know how to get them out of my house.

    I  can relate, Chaskavitch.

    I think everyone wants brand new stuff for their kids (OK, understandable).

    I tried to give away for free, a used stroller, and a used crib mattress. No one responded to my Craigslist ad!  I was trying to drop them off at Goodwill in the back, and a clerk ran and out and sternly  barked "No, we don't take those!!'

    I finally found out the Salvation Army near me takes baby stuff, and I dropped them off there.

    Good luck!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 07, 2020, 05:57:39 PM
    I'm going to repost my Craigslist ad for about 3,000 sheets of cardstock (thick paper you can make into cards, or do whatever with). I have already sold about 3,000 sheets of this stuff, but the buyers are few and far between.

    3,000 sheets translates into 2 big paper grocery bags full.  I charge 1 cent per sheet. Not gonna donate them, not yet anyway, lol.   

    Would you consider an alternative to donating...would you give them to a teacher?  Folks like that often need craft supplies, and work with a tight budget.  And you know they aren't trying to resell them, they will definitely use them (if they take them).

    I may end up doing just that, oneday. One of my two buyers so far was a teacher. She bought about 1,000 or so. 

    The other person was a crafter, and bought 2 big bags of it. She paid me my full price, which I think was $22, ( 2 cents a sheet back then) and at first only took one bag. I had to  talk her into taking the other bag, which was included as part of the deal!   So glad I wasn't stuck with that second bag.   

    But, yes, getting back to your idea, thanks, I may end up doing that. It's more satisfying to meet the person you're giving the stuff away to, than making an anonymous store donation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 07, 2020, 07:12:26 PM
    Ok, does anyone here know of a good, reliable way to pass on baby gear? 

    I have a baby swing, a floor play mat, and a baby bathtub, all in good condition, but I can't get rid of them!  Once Upon a Child didn't want them (they don't take bath items, the play mat was missing a hanging toy, and I'm not sure why they didn't want the swing), but none of the thrift stores around here accept items "like that".  I don't know anyone currently pregnant who doesn't already have kids and all the gear they want already.

    I really really don't want everything to go to the dump, as they're all in perfect working condition, but other than listing them for like $1 on FB marketplace (which is flooded with baby gear) or on Freecycle, I don't know how to get them out of my house.
    Womens shelters or church groups might be a place to start.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 08, 2020, 08:18:49 AM
    Ok, does anyone here know of a good, reliable way to pass on baby gear? 

    I have a baby swing, a floor play mat, and a baby bathtub, all in good condition, but I can't get rid of them!  Once Upon a Child didn't want them (they don't take bath items, the play mat was missing a hanging toy, and I'm not sure why they didn't want the swing), but none of the thrift stores around here accept items "like that".  I don't know anyone currently pregnant who doesn't already have kids and all the gear they want already.

    I really really don't want everything to go to the dump, as they're all in perfect working condition, but other than listing them for like $1 on FB marketplace (which is flooded with baby gear) or on Freecycle, I don't know how to get them out of my house.
    Womens shelters or church groups might be a place to start.

    Ditto.  And our local Kiwanis started an annual "Community baby shower" which accepts new and gently used baby and toddler items which has been very popular.  Donations are given to new moms as well as foster care moms and grandparents who are suddenly taking care of young grandchildren.  They're grateful to get it.

    Is there a "211" info service in your area?  They would know of an appropriate recipient.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on January 08, 2020, 08:52:32 AM
    Ok, does anyone here know of a good, reliable way to pass on baby gear? 

    I have a baby swing, a floor play mat, and a baby bathtub, all in good condition, but I can't get rid of them!  Once Upon a Child didn't want them (they don't take bath items, the play mat was missing a hanging toy, and I'm not sure why they didn't want the swing), but none of the thrift stores around here accept items "like that".  I don't know anyone currently pregnant who doesn't already have kids and all the gear they want already.

    I really really don't want everything to go to the dump, as they're all in perfect working condition, but other than listing them for like $1 on FB marketplace (which is flooded with baby gear) or on Freecycle, I don't know how to get them out of my house.
    Womens shelters or church groups might be a place to start.

    Ditto.  And our local Kiwanis started an annual "Community baby shower" which accepts new and gently used baby and toddler items which has been very popular.  Donations are given to new moms as well as foster care moms and grandparents who are suddenly taking care of young grandchildren.  They're grateful to get it.

    Is there a "211" info service in your area?  They would know of an appropriate recipient.

    Thanks for all the good ideas!  I'll look into more local stuff, but when I was searching the internet, I did find Kind Connect with Realities for Children, which aggregates needs from a few different local organizations that help children in need and their families or foster care - things like living room lamps, beds, bedding, kitchen items, etc.  They don't need baby stuff right now, but I'm donating a bed frame, and they're even picking it up!  One giant thing out of my garage to someone who actually needs it, hooray :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on January 08, 2020, 09:27:06 AM
    Yesterday and today were big wins for digital decluttering: I filed or deleted more than 400 emails in my personal account.  Only about 130 to go to have an empty inbox!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on January 08, 2020, 12:10:35 PM
    Ok, does anyone here know of a good, reliable way to pass on baby gear? 

    I have a baby swing, a floor play mat, and a baby bathtub, all in good condition, but I can't get rid of them!  Once Upon a Child didn't want them (they don't take bath items, the play mat was missing a hanging toy, and I'm not sure why they didn't want the swing), but none of the thrift stores around here accept items "like that".  I don't know anyone currently pregnant who doesn't already have kids and all the gear they want already.

    I really really don't want everything to go to the dump, as they're all in perfect working condition, but other than listing them for like $1 on FB marketplace (which is flooded with baby gear) or on Freecycle, I don't know how to get them out of my house.

    I  can relate, Chaskavitch.

    I think everyone wants brand new stuff for their kids (OK, understandable).

    I tried to give away for free, a used stroller, and a used crib mattress. No one responded to my Craigslist ad!  I was trying to drop them off at Goodwill in the back, and a clerk ran and out and sternly  barked "No, we don't take those!!'

    I finally found out the Salvation Army near me takes baby stuff, and I dropped them off there.

    Good luck!

    I never really understood the having to have all new stuff for the kid.  The only thing I really insisted on being new was the crib and the carseat.  And in both cases, we bought the version that would transition from infant to toddler to big kid (and beyond in the case of the crib).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on January 08, 2020, 02:55:32 PM
    I think everyone wants brand new stuff for their kids (OK, understandable).

    I tried to give away for free, a used stroller, and a used crib mattress. No one responded to my Craigslist ad!  I was trying to drop them off at Goodwill in the back, and a clerk ran and out and sternly  barked "No, we don't take those!!'

    I think it depends on the item as to whether people* want new or used.  For example, can it be properly cleaned (plastic great, cloth that can't go in the washing machine is bad)?  Was it likely to see a lot of poop or other mess?  I can appreciate that certain items people want new (e.g. a mattress), but I've seen a lot other named items described here go fast on my local facebook group, particularly strollers.  Just may not have found the right medium for it?  For what it's worth, it's illegal to sell a used mattress in my state for hygienic reasons, so I can see that sketching people out, just like people worry about used car seats of unknown provenance.  Try yard sales/church sales/online groups in your area/coworkers.

    I haven't been posting here because my progress has been so hopscotch around the house, but I am trying to send items out to make up for the kid inflow (have a baby on the way so I can't get rid of the baby stuff).  I've regorganized and gone through part of the guest closet with crafting, wrapping paper and other odds and ends.  I've gone through half of the dining room cupboard.  I've gone through part of the office.  I've given away random kitchen items.  Conclusion: I really need to pick one area and finish it!  My trouble is that I see something and start, but with limited time (^toddler), I only get partway through.  And then it's a bit before i can get back to it, and by the time I do I spot another area that bugs me with extraneous stuff that I dive into instead.  So when I was wrapping Christmas presents I went through the wrapping paper and then started in on the rest of the stuff in the guest closet.  But then a while later when putting away the empty cookie tin for Christmas I spotted some things to get rid of so did that shelf, etc.

    *Personally accepted two used mattresses (and 2 cribs & sheets...) from a friend, a used stroller from a neighbor, used infant car seat & associated stroller from a different friend, floor play from yet another friend, many more items from those friends, and bought a used bathtub at a church sale for a few bucks, which I think covers all of the rejected items described above!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on January 08, 2020, 05:15:17 PM
    I borrowed Marie Kondo's book yesterday.  My wife (who is a bit of a hoarder) asked if it was for her.  I suggested we read it together.

    I'm still alive.

    And she seemed interested!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on January 09, 2020, 04:51:26 AM
    Next week will work out well for a trip to drop off donations, and it's supposed to be rainy this weekend, so as long as I don't have to go into work, I'm planning to do at least a quick decluttering pass through the house.  I especially think I have some clothes and some cookbooks that I wasn't ready to part with last time but could probably say goodbye to now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 09, 2020, 09:50:34 AM
    Recycled a stack of 8 'vintage' magazines from 70's and 80's  I was thinking of selling on Ebay 'some day'.  Just tired of looking at them. Glad they are gone, yay!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on January 09, 2020, 09:16:36 PM
    The people who came to pick up our bed frame also took our mattress, foam topper, AND a changing table that I wasn't sure anyone would want.  Win for us, and for the family who needs beds.  I'm really glad I found this organization, I hope I'll have some useful things for them in the future too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 09, 2020, 09:33:14 PM
    The people who came to pick up our bed frame also took our mattress, mattress pad, AND a changing table that I wasn't sure anyone would want.  Win for us, and for the family who needs beds.  I'm really glad I found this organization, I hope I'll have some useful things for them in the future too.
    *\o/*
    woo hoo! that is excellent!

    - 4 art magazines from the 80s recycled
    - a top that is very nice but just looks *weird* on me into the donation pile
    - prevented myself from bringing More Things into the house by deciding that I have to use up X before I buy a replacement, regardless of how "low plastic" and "eco-friendly" the replacement is. Use the old one up FIRST!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 10, 2020, 07:30:49 AM
    I pulled out one small box from the deep storage shelves.  This area of the basement has all the "don't have any idea of what to do with this stuff" boxes.  It is like entering the hardest of the hardest stuff to think about.  Our college jackets - hell my late fathers college jacket or my grandfathers curling sweater - made by my dearest grandmothers own hands, quilts and rugs and all baby stuff I can't part with.  There is also some hidden failures in there (a special kettle wedding present sent from Italy that I overboiled)  A vintage red leather sony transistor radio my grandpa used to have with him everywhere.  It takes great big D-cell batteries and at some point in time they leaked into the body of the radio.  He died 40 years ago and I liked him. And one box of music. Not too big.  Maybe half a realm of paper big. Some of it mine, some of it from my Aunt's musical lessons and some of it bought at auction by my mother trying to inexpensively provide a music library for her children.  I am not ready to throw it all out.  That would be too easy.

    It is now strew into various piles on the piano and throughout the living room.  Not sure what to do...Some of it smells mouldy.  First time I have opened the box in about 25 years.  I am thinking I will see how mouldy it smells.  Do some research into if it would be restorable.  I shall make some piles and ponder this one little box from a very large cupboard.  If I can do this one little box.  Maybe the rest of the cupboard is possible too.

    DEADLINE:  cupboard needs to be emptied and gutted and then all exterior walls insulated and then re-built.  And it will be smaller so I should not just put all the stuff back in because it won't all fit back.  I should only put a little of it back.  This renovation will likely happen in July this year.  So I have some time to get started.  And started I am, with old music.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on January 10, 2020, 08:59:08 AM
    If it makes you feel better, I finally got rid of the ring pillow and fancy cake cutting knife from my wedding in a Flylady
    inspired purge around 2000.  We got married in 1980.  And divorced in 1982.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 10, 2020, 09:08:54 AM
    This area of the basement has all the "don't have any idea of what to do with this stuff" boxes.  It is like entering the hardest of the hardest stuff to think about.

    This is where I am right now, only it's my "computer" room that's full of stuff I don't really know what to do with.  Papers from high school and college, paper that is "filed" in piles, photos, old greeting cards, gifts that I hope to regift, old electronics I don't use, craft supplies - all the craft supplies, random crap I'll never use.  I need to get rid of roughly 99% of it!  I started working on the room this week, and it's going so slowly! But I'm determined to work through all the stuff, no matter how long it takes.  I've got the time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 10, 2020, 10:00:13 AM
    If it makes you feel better, I finally got rid of the ring pillow and fancy cake cutting knife from my wedding in a Flylady
    inspired purge around 2000.  We got married in 1980.  And divorced in 1982.
    To me, it kind of feels like unpacking failures and wastefulness for all to see. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on January 10, 2020, 10:15:05 AM
    Exactly.  Or holding on to the dream that I'm the kind of person who will someday do something worthy of these things.  Whatever that could possibly be.  And by not doing it yet it is some kind of admission of some kind of failure.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 10, 2020, 08:56:41 PM
    Frugal Lizard, I'm thinking that transistor radio could have the insides taken out, cleaned up and then used to store things. And anything fabric could be framed possibly?

    I don't have much sentimental stuff but I've just uncovered my keepsakes box that was trapped behind a bookcase. It's a trunk and it belongs to my husband really so I'm going to empty the contents into a smaller box and let him decide what to store in the trunk. I'll do the 'take a photo' approach. I'm scanning old hardcopy photos (soon...). Caveat - I don't know what's in there!!!!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on January 11, 2020, 06:53:01 PM
    Christmas stuff came down today- I made a pass through on ornaments when decorating and gave to my daughter. Unpacked boxes from my old office- just before vacation took two boxes to thrift shop.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 11, 2020, 07:09:42 PM
    I've put a reminder on my phone for mid-November 2020 - give away Xmas decorations!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on January 11, 2020, 10:33:03 PM
    Sold a suitcase. Now I have space on our shelves in the storage room for Christmas decorations. Woohoo!

    We still have an ikea bag of broken toys from the previous tenant in our storage room. We should probably throw that away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 12, 2020, 08:55:13 AM
    Pulled 2 serving spoons out of the drawer and put them in the box. These don't match the rest of my silverware, they're flimsier than everything else and since they're lighter they're always on top. Out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 12, 2020, 09:44:13 AM
    Paused on the "computer" room to clean out the cabinets in my master bathroom yesterday - I think that probably hasn't been done in the 13 years I've lived here, so it was great to finally do.  Got one bag of trash out of the house this week, and listed a few things on eBay.

    Started the next bag of trash with 2 pairs of worn-out running shoes.  I have a rotation where I use them exclusively for running, then for the gym, then for whatever, but I keep old pairs for way too long because they aren't completely worn out.  But really they aren't useful, and it feels good to get rid of the clutter.  I probably have 1 or 2 more that could go in the bag...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 13, 2020, 07:02:18 AM
    Sold our old bike rack, my 18+ year old ski jacket, a top that didn't fit, & a piece of luggage we've never used. All out of the house, & money in. I've also put a few items in the donation pile.

    I filed a few documents this weekend. Of course, I couldn't find the document I was actually looking for, but better luck next time, I suppose.

    The kids are due for a major clothing overhaul. The have outgrown a bunch of stuff, and I need to prep a large back for donation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 13, 2020, 11:57:44 AM
    Cleared out about half a billion dust mites from our bedroom, my home office, and breakfast nook area.  ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: innkeeper77 on January 13, 2020, 01:16:12 PM
    ....
    Does anyone use the slow cooker feature on your Instant Pot?

    Yes! However, we discovered that the pressure lid isn't ideal, and messes up cooking times. We ended up purchasing the special instant pot glass lid, as it has that hole like most slow cooker lids do, to easily let out steam. That way, the cooking times match regular slow cookers, moisture content is similar, etc. The cost of the lid was well worth it in order to get rid of the old slow cooker!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on January 13, 2020, 02:29:27 PM
    Got rid of several cardboard boxes that DH was keeping “just in case he wanted to build a cardboard house for DD”. After a week and no house, I threw out the boxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on January 13, 2020, 03:13:44 PM
    I realized I have 5 largeish cardboard boxes in my storage unit, empty and waiting.  I should just get rid of them.  Ok, next time I'm up there...  If I need more storage containers later I can pick some up then.  They will be in better shape as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 13, 2020, 03:33:21 PM
    I wasted all morning trying to get an old small photo printer to work.  It *looks* like it’s in great shape, and I was hopeful I could either use all the consumables by printing some photos, or test it enough to sell on eBay, but it just flat won’t work.  There are no drivers that work with modern OS’s or cameras, so it is going in the trash the next time I walk upstairs.  I have assuaged all guilt around tossing it.

    I’m a cardboard box hoarder.  It’s been a real help for selling things on eBay since I’ve only had to buy one box so far (I even made the most amazing frankenbox for a large odd-shaped item - that was fun).  I’m hoping the excess “stuff” and the boxes run out at the same time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: aloevera on January 13, 2020, 07:36:21 PM
    Lots of furniture has been going out via FB selling walls/marketplace. I'm moving out at the end of the month to travel for awhile so This Is It - I'm moving my bedroom furniture and a few boxes to a family member's house and that's it.

    So far it's been kitchen table and chairs, silverware, a few dressers, a single bed, dehumidifier, rocking chair, some kitchen stuff, other misc furniture. I'm holding onto what I want to use for the next couple of weeks but some of it is spoken for already. I find it is not hard to get rid of furniture if I price it like a garage sale.

    I don't much like messing with clothing online but I might list a few things that aren't too size-sensitive.

    I'll wind up donating a lot of books, clothes and kitchen stuff, or put it out on the street a few days before trash pickup. People very often take stuff left at the curb. Got a grill and a couple of old bikes I'll probably do that with too.

    Hardest things to throw out so far were my kids' artwork and papers from school - I took a few photos of the sweetest art and kept a few things. But threw out a giant box. It was sad, but they were here for Christmas and they themselves didn't want the stuff so....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 14, 2020, 06:51:57 AM
    I have some 'attrition' decluttering going on. Used up an ancient vial of Nioxin scalp bionutient shampoo. It actually cracked apart when I squeezed it!

     Also about to throw out a ripped and ripping shower curtain, to be replaced by an existing shower curtain I just found tucked way in a closet a week ago. Perfect timing.  No need to buy a new one.   

    Trying to convince myself no one wants my old Hewlett Packard Deskjet printer, and to take it to Salvation Army.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chicklets123 on January 14, 2020, 09:13:02 PM
    What do you all do with boxes for items you can possibly resell?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on January 14, 2020, 10:18:22 PM
    I have some 'attrition' decluttering going on. Used up an ancient vial of Nioxin scalp bionutient shampoo. It actually cracked apart when I squeezed it!

     Also about to throw out a ripped and ripping shower curtain, to be replaced by an existing shower curtain I just found tucked way in a closet a week ago. Perfect timing.  No need to buy a new one.   

    Trying to convince myself no one wants my old Hewlett Packard Deskjet printer, and to take it to Salvation Army.

    Even the thrift store won't want your old printer. Sometimes there are electronic recycling places that strip out the copper etc, but it's basically landfill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 15, 2020, 04:28:21 AM
    What do you all do with boxes for items you can possibly resell?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    You mean the box it came in? I might keep a box for a year but after a few months I doubt someone buying it would expect you to have it. They take up so much space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 15, 2020, 04:31:10 AM
    You should see our place! We are mid-sort, mid-clean and mid-move and it looks like a hoarder house, I can't find anything! In less than 2 weeks we should be done...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 15, 2020, 11:57:46 PM
    I finally tackled my memories / keepsakes box. It never got done in two KonMarie purges. Wow, should have done this earlier. Looks like I kept every letter I ever received... They are now all in the bin.

    I had school reports that were glowing in primary school and not so great in senior school, ha ha. One of them said I had more ability than anyone else in the class but failed to follow instructions. One said my potential remains untapped. In the bin!

    I had a copy of Black Beauty that my dad used to read to me and used to teach me to read but it's in such bad shape from humidity that I've had to chuck it out. Feel bad as it was my mum's but nothing lasts here in this climate.

    I have three journals to read from when I was a late teen. If they are embarrasing and shallow then in the bin they will go too! If not maybe I can scan them as they too are mildewed.

    I have a bunch of awesome photos to scan including from my first camera aged 7 or so.  And after the scan they will be perhaps boxed up, I'm undecided. Other than that I have no physical items that I'm keeping.

    UPDATE: The journals are in the bin, too embarrassing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 16, 2020, 09:53:08 AM
    Took the old Hewlett Packard Deskjet printer to Salvation Army dropoff place. A fairly big, heavy item gone from my cluttered house. Good.

    Took down the old torn shower curtain. Fortunately, I had a replacement brand new shower curtain available that I found in the hoard soon after I started thinking about replacing the old one.  New shower curtain is up and looks beautiful. Old one has been thrown out.

    Recycled a few empty bottles from my kitchen cabinets.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 16, 2020, 10:02:20 AM
    Another trash bag filled with "computer" room junk and taken to the curb!  It included some college course notes and old phone books.  Still more college notes to go through. [I graduated 17 years ago, quit my job in my field in December, and don't intend to go back - it's still hard to throw these out, even though they've NEVER been useful past school!]

    What do you all do with boxes for items you can possibly resell?

    I was apparently a hoarder of product boxes, too, which turns out to be nice for reselling things on eBay.  I have tons of extra space in my home, so storing them wasn't/isn't an issue.  I kept them in closets and cabinets, usually near where the item is used.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on January 16, 2020, 11:08:24 AM
    I just lost another friend to cancer, 3 months from having a bit of pain from "a pulled muscle" he got checked before heading down here as a snowbird to when he died.  I am 65 and have no kids.  My 20'x10' storage unit seems really unnecessarily full of stuff as I have no kids to dump, err leave it to.  Extra desire now to get rid of the past lives it represents and be free to get on with enjoying the now.  I'm a cancer survivor already, but it seems like my family and friends are dropping like flies.  I don't want someone else pulling a dumpster up and and just trashing my stuff.  Better to handle it myself.   Onward.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 16, 2020, 12:07:06 PM
    I just lost another friend to cancer, 3 months from having a bit of pain from "a pulled muscle" he got checked before heading down here as a snowbird to when he died.  I am 65 and have no kids.  My 20'x10' storage unit seems really unnecessarily full of stuff as I have no kids to dump, err leave it to.  Extra desire now to get rid of the past lives it represents and be free to get on with enjoying the now.  I'm a cancer survivor already, but it seems like my family and friends are dropping like flies.  I don't want someone else pulling a dumpster up and and just trashing my stuff.  Better to handle it myself.   Onward.

    I haven't read the book "Swedish Death Cleaning" yet but what I was doing yesterday was what I imagine it's like. I threw out a bunch of my stuff that woukd seem to have sentimental value but really only a tiny fraction did. It would have been a shit job for someone else.

    I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Good luck on the storage unit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 16, 2020, 09:38:04 PM
    These are all my hardcopy photos. They are so compact when out of the albums! So much so that I might keep them once they are scanned... It took hours to get them out of the albums though, did not expect that to be such a mission!

    Now to count them, check they are all the right way up and possibly remove some of people from school / uni / backpacking days that I can't even remember. I must also convince husband to send his off too. I have picked a mid-priced place where it will cost about $150 to scan 400 pictures and they put them on a USB.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 17, 2020, 08:37:51 AM
    15 more giant black garbage bags filled with donations awaiting for Vietnam Veterans to pick up today. Decided I do not like my Instant Pot so loaded it into a box with a big cookbook. I am probably one of the odd balls of the world that isn't a fan of the IP. Oh well, someone else might enjoy it! I considered selling it on ebay but it was the largest one, 8 quarts, very heavy to ship.

    The house is still full to the brim with stuff.

    Anyone know how to get rid of a gigantic older flat screen tv? The tv is about 12 years old so not worth anything at all. I know I can pay for someone to get rid of it but looking for a free option.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on January 17, 2020, 09:10:25 AM

    Anyone know how to get rid of a gigantic older flat screen tv? The tv is about 12 years old so not worth anything at all. I know I can pay for someone to get rid of it but looking for a free option.

    We posted an old TUBE tv for free on Craigslist and it was gone within a day (this is within the last 3 years too). There might be someone who wants a tv and is happy to have it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on January 17, 2020, 06:56:21 PM

    Anyone know how to get rid of a gigantic older flat screen tv? The tv is about 12 years old so not worth anything at all. I know I can pay for someone to get rid of it but looking for a free option.

    We posted an old TUBE tv for free on Craigslist and it was gone within a day (this is within the last 3 years too). There might be someone who wants a tv and is happy to have it.

    Yes.  We put a 9 year old lcd up on freecycle last month, and it was gone in 2 hours.  It had some wrinkling of the screen, and we made sure to note that in the post.  Person that wanted it said he didn't care about that.   He sent us a lovely thank you email a day later, saying he thought the screen was fine, and how happy he was to get it for free.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 17, 2020, 07:34:27 PM
    Have scanned postcards from my Dad and newspaper clippings of various family achievements so now the originals are in the recycling, yay. Depending on what happens to my photos, my keepsakes may be reduced from a trunk-full down to one card, one postcard, a few gig tickets and my old passports :) 

    I've also listed a few more bits for sale and for free. Getting there, place still looks like a tip though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on January 18, 2020, 08:02:58 AM
    DD’s teacher just sent a note that the school wants boxes, cartons, yarn, fabric, and broken toys for an art project. Woohoo! One giant ikea bag of broken toys and old blankets will be brought to school on Monday, freeing yet another shelf in our storage closet. I wish she had sent us the note a month earlier. I threw out another giant bag of toys earlier that were all bits and pieces from various toy sets.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 18, 2020, 09:44:21 AM
    DD’s teacher just sent a note that the school wants boxes, cartons, yarn, fabric, and broken toys for an art project. Woohoo! One giant ikea bag of broken toys and old blankets will be brought to school on Monday, freeing yet another shelf in our storage closet. I wish she had sent us the note a month earlier. I threw out another giant bag of toys earlier that were all bits and pieces from various toy sets.

    You'll be getting some of that back in the form of your child's finished "project!"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 18, 2020, 12:38:23 PM
    15 more giant black garbage bags filled with donations awaiting for Vietnam Veterans to pick up today. Decided I do not like my Instant Pot so loaded it into a box with a big cookbook. I am probably one of the odd balls of the world that isn't a fan of the IP. Oh well, someone else might enjoy it! I considered selling it on ebay but it was the largest one, 8 quarts, very heavy to ship.

    The house is still full to the brim with stuff.

    Anyone know how to get rid of a gigantic older flat screen tv? The tv is about 12 years old so not worth anything at all. I know I can pay for someone to get rid of it but looking for a free option.


    Years ago, we put ours out on the curb with a FREE sign taped to it.  The neighbors across the street snagged it up within the hour, LOL.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 18, 2020, 12:47:53 PM
    One clay pot gone to a neighbour.  Not a big deal but it is the first of my clay pot collection to leave the house.
    One book added to the free library.
    Some catalogue...gone
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on January 18, 2020, 12:55:08 PM
    15 more giant black garbage bags filled with donations awaiting for Vietnam Veterans to pick up today. Decided I do not like my Instant Pot so loaded it into a box with a big cookbook. I am probably one of the odd balls of the world that isn't a fan of the IP. Oh well, someone else might enjoy it! I considered selling it on ebay but it was the largest one, 8 quarts, very heavy to ship.

    The house is still full to the brim with stuff.

    Anyone know how to get rid of a gigantic older flat screen tv? The tv is about 12 years old so not worth anything at all. I know I can pay for someone to get rid of it but looking for a free option.


    Years ago, we put ours out on the curb with a FREE sign taped to it.  The neighbors across the street snagged it up within the hour, LOL.

    I love the "put it on the curb" option. We can't do it here in our neighborhood, but a friend locally has what she calls "The Awesome Table" where anyone can put anything and anyone can take anything.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LWYRUP on January 18, 2020, 06:11:38 PM
    15 more giant black garbage bags filled with donations awaiting for Vietnam Veterans to pick up today. Decided I do not like my Instant Pot so loaded it into a box with a big cookbook. I am probably one of the odd balls of the world that isn't a fan of the IP. Oh well, someone else might enjoy it! I considered selling it on ebay but it was the largest one, 8 quarts, very heavy to ship.

    The house is still full to the brim with stuff.

    Anyone know how to get rid of a gigantic older flat screen tv? The tv is about 12 years old so not worth anything at all. I know I can pay for someone to get rid of it but looking for a free option.


    Years ago, we put ours out on the curb with a FREE sign taped to it.  The neighbors across the street snagged it up within the hour, LOL.

    I love the "put it on the curb" option. We can't do it here in our neighborhood, but a friend locally has what she calls "The Awesome Table" where anyone can put anything and anyone can take anything.

    Craigslist is better, for the simple fact that it goes quicker and there's less chance of the thing not getting taken and getting rained on.

    Also if you use craigslist it might be more likely to go to someone that's hard up and has no money rather than someone who just likes to fill their house with junk.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 19, 2020, 07:52:38 PM
    The music has been sorted and half the box is ready to be donated.   A quarter of the box is in the recycling and the remaining quarter fits on the music shelf.  I played some of it and may play it some more.  We shall see.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on January 20, 2020, 06:23:46 AM
    DD’s teacher just sent a note that the school wants boxes, cartons, yarn, fabric, and broken toys for an art project. Woohoo! One giant ikea bag of broken toys and old blankets will be brought to school on Monday, freeing yet another shelf in our storage closet. I wish she had sent us the note a month earlier. I threw out another giant bag of toys earlier that were all bits and pieces from various toy sets.

    You'll be getting some of that back in the form of your child's finished "project!"

    Nope! They’re using it to build playground models as part of a group project. I’ll get pictures of her work and maybe a video clip of them designing and building the model, and then the school either keeps it or throws it out! :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 20, 2020, 06:47:03 AM
    Full bag of college notes are now in the trash - that should be all of them!  I know that I still have some limited items from high school in a filing cabinet in a closet, but I'm not there yet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 20, 2020, 11:15:21 AM
    15 more giant black garbage bags filled with donations awaiting for Vietnam Veterans to pick up today. Decided I do not like my Instant Pot so loaded it into a box with a big cookbook. I am probably one of the odd balls of the world that isn't a fan of the IP. Oh well, someone else might enjoy it! I considered selling it on ebay but it was the largest one, 8 quarts, very heavy to ship.

    The house is still full to the brim with stuff.

    Anyone know how to get rid of a gigantic older flat screen tv? The tv is about 12 years old so not worth anything at all. I know I can pay for someone to get rid of it but looking for a free option.


    Years ago, we put ours out on the curb with a FREE sign taped to it.  The neighbors across the street snagged it up within the hour, LOL.

    I love the "put it on the curb" option. We can't do it here in our neighborhood, but a friend locally has what she calls "The Awesome Table" where anyone can put anything and anyone can take anything.

    What a great idea!  Is it in her garage or....?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 20, 2020, 11:16:14 AM
    Have scanned postcards from my Dad and newspaper clippings of various family achievements so now the originals are in the recycling, yay. Depending on what happens to my photos, my keepsakes may be reduced from a trunk-full down to one card, one postcard, a few gig tickets and my old passports :) 

    I've also listed a few more bits for sale and for free. Getting there, place still looks like a tip though.

    This is badass!  :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 20, 2020, 12:27:52 PM
    Have scanned postcards from my Dad and newspaper clippings of various family achievements so now the originals are in the recycling, yay. Depending on what happens to my photos, my keepsakes may be reduced from a trunk-full down to one card, one postcard, a few gig tickets and my old passports :) 

    I've also listed a few more bits for sale and for free. Getting there, place still looks like a tip though.

    This is badass!  :D

    The mildew helped! And also I had kept letters from people I briefly knew and now can't even remember. And finally Peter Walsh's advice that keepsakes with negative memories are 'malignant' was helpful. If I keep the photos the keepsakes might amount a shoebox and two albums of Polaroids.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on January 20, 2020, 12:39:41 PM
    Went through the kitchen utensils and culled a handful before re-organizing the drawer.  Then I went through my sweaters and pulled the three most worn or least flattering.  Now all my sweaters fit in the drawer with a little space to spare, in case I'm gifted another (very common, my mom loves buying clothes for people, though she's not excessive about it any more.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on January 20, 2020, 10:08:48 PM
    Just sold a set of chrome retro table legs that I've been hanging onto for years. $55 woohoo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 20, 2020, 10:40:26 PM
    I'm close to having all of the clutter out--now it's just maintenance. I've had several things hanging around that I wanted to dispose of responsibly.

    I can do pickup orders through Instacart at my Aldi (saving money!), and they put the items in paper and plastic bags (adding clutter). Today I put the order in my trunk and switched everything over to my reusable bags. Then I took the stack of bags from this order and previous orders into the store and put them on the bagging shelf. Next, I took a large bag of other plastic bags to Target's recycling bin.

    Then I found recycling homes for a baggie full of dead batteries, a broken CFL bulb, and some ink cartridges. All stuff that had been hanging around for months!

    While I was out, I returned some useless Christmas presents and exchanged them for things I actually needed. Another reason to be frustrated by family gift-giving practices [eyeroll].

    Had to throw out a large living room rug after a pet illness that resulted in several accidents while I was out. So plus one for decluttering, minus one for the household budget :/

    Threw away some old craft fabric that was past any use.

    So many things gone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on January 21, 2020, 12:55:12 PM

    I love the "put it on the curb" option. We can't do it here in our neighborhood, but a friend locally has what she calls "The Awesome Table" where anyone can put anything and anyone can take anything.

    What a great idea!  Is it in her garage or....?

    The Awesome Table is in her front yard. She did have an issue when someone took the table itself, but someone offered up another one and it's back in business.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 21, 2020, 03:56:17 PM

    I love the "put it on the curb" option. We can't do it here in our neighborhood, but a friend locally has what she calls "The Awesome Table" where anyone can put anything and anyone can take anything.

    What a great idea!  Is it in her garage or....?

    The Awesome Table is in her front yard. She did have an issue when someone took the table itself, but someone offered up another one and it's back in business.

    Kind of her to do this for the neighborhood.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on January 21, 2020, 07:45:07 PM
    I got the inside of my house painted a couple of weeks ago, so everything is down off the walls. I am kind of liking the minimalist look. I have to decide now what goes back up, and what goes out the door. I also have a little dresser that usually lives in my bedroom, but so far I haven't put it back. It's an antique, and I really like it, but the uncluttered space looks really nice without it. I wish I had another place to put it, but it might go.

    Anyway, on the To Do list for this weekend is to go through my kitchen cupboards. I have too many cups and a bunch of champagne glasses that I never use. Will box those up to donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: iamthepinky on January 22, 2020, 04:26:14 PM
    Joining in. SO, pup and I currently live in a 580 sq ft apartment and we are bursting at the seams. I have several projects to undertake:

    * Clothes/shoes purge (I seem to do this yearly. Despite donating a few things whenever I get something new, I always feel like I keep accumulating)
    * Electronics purge
    * Pantry purge and re-org
    * Fridge cleanout
    * Freezer re-org

    This is going to take a while but we will get it done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 23, 2020, 12:37:59 AM
    Yeah I can probably throw out the dried rosemary and dried thyme that hasn't been touched in ten years because we've got it growing in the garden... Likewise the instant coffee sample pack and the camomile tea.

    It seems like everything we do want fits in the new kitchen.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on January 23, 2020, 08:12:11 AM
    I wasted all morning trying to get an old small photo printer to work.  It *looks* like it’s in great shape, and I was hopeful I could either use all the consumables by printing some photos, or test it enough to sell on eBay, but it just flat won’t work.  There are no drivers that work with modern OS’s or cameras, so it is going in the trash the next time I walk upstairs.  I have assuaged all guilt around tossing it.

    I’m a cardboard box hoarder.  It’s been a real help for selling things on eBay since I’ve only had to buy one box so far (I even made the most amazing frankenbox for a large odd-shaped item - that was fun).  I’m hoping the excess “stuff” and the boxes run out at the same time.


    So the good news on the printer......it's worth zero.  I collect and disassemble electronics for a hobby and sell escrap.  Being able to sell a "thing" brings far more money in than selling the scrap.  I've tried various "things" that I get on a regular basis.  Printers are one of these.  So what would you think 100 working printers would bring in?  If I were to tell you that $10 for the entire lot went with zero bids, would you feel better that your printer didn't start working again?  Note that even flat screen monitors bring nothing anymore.  I've tried with those as well.  I once put up a lot with about 8 working flat screen monitors, an old graphics card and an aftermarket tower.  Every inquiry I got was whether I wanted to sell just the tower.....and not the entire lot for $10. 

    I haven't had much time to clean up and throw out lately.  Lots of car work in the garage.  Maybe start up again.  I did go through some boxes and found lamp shades.  Why I had lamp shades is beyond me.  Broke them down into metal (into the scrap bin) and not metal (into the trash) with the boxes going into my wood furnace starting pile.  I have some other "fancy" lamps that are brass fixtures.  More work but I'll separate into the brass parts for scrap and ferrous parts for the metal bin and of course the wire into the wire box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 23, 2020, 09:07:48 AM
    If I were to tell you that $10 for the entire lot went with zero bids, would you feel better that your printer didn't start working again?

    I was already completely fine with trashing it after determining it wouldn't work.  It wasn't about making money (that's a bonus), it was avoiding going to the landfill if someone else could actually use it.  My process is determine if in usable condition -> post on eBay -> donate/offer for free -> trash.  Or that's my process as long as I have the luxury of time!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on January 23, 2020, 08:39:20 PM
    I wasted all morning trying to get an old small photo printer to work.  It *looks* like it’s in great shape, and I was hopeful I could either use all the consumables by printing some photos, or test it enough to sell on eBay, but it just flat won’t work.  There are no drivers that work with modern OS’s or cameras, so it is going in the trash the next time I walk upstairs.  I have assuaged all guilt around tossing it.

    I’m a cardboard box hoarder.  It’s been a real help for selling things on eBay since I’ve only had to buy one box so far (I even made the most amazing frankenbox for a large odd-shaped item - that was fun).  I’m hoping the excess “stuff” and the boxes run out at the same time.


    So the good news on the printer......it's worth zero.  I collect and disassemble electronics for a hobby and sell escrap.  Being able to sell a "thing" brings far more money in than selling the scrap.  I've tried various "things" that I get on a regular basis.  Printers are one of these.  So what would you think 100 working printers would bring in?  If I were to tell you that $10 for the entire lot went with zero bids, would you feel better that your printer didn't start working again?  Note that even flat screen monitors bring nothing anymore.  I've tried with those as well.  I once put up a lot with about 8 working flat screen monitors, an old graphics card and an aftermarket tower.  Every inquiry I got was whether I wanted to sell just the tower.....and not the entire lot for $10. 

    I haven't had much time to clean up and throw out lately.  Lots of car work in the garage.  Maybe start up again.  I did go through some boxes and found lamp shades.  Why I had lamp shades is beyond me.  Broke them down into metal (into the scrap bin) and not metal (into the trash) with the boxes going into my wood furnace starting pile.  I have some other "fancy" lamps that are brass fixtures.  More work but I'll separate into the brass parts for scrap and ferrous parts for the metal bin and of course the wire into the wire box.

    When you say that you sell escrap, what do you mean exactly? I know there's an organisation here that has intellectually handicapped people employed to break down old electronics into bits able to be recycled. I assume this means stripping copper wiring and stuff. I know that the people employed are on minimum wage and that the organisation runs at a loss and is topped up by fund raising and the small amount paid to drop electronics off there. How does your escrap venture differ?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on January 25, 2020, 08:35:54 AM
    One more large boxful off to Goodwill.  Keeping a box in the garage for donations is working out really well.  I just toss in things as I'm sorting or cleaning, and when it's full we drop it off.

    The house goes up for sale in April, and my goal was to reduce the number of boxes needed to pack everything by half.  I don't think I'm there yet, but I think we've maybe hit a one third reduction so far.   Lots more needs to go though, so I have to keep at it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on January 25, 2020, 01:13:14 PM
    I emptied my bookcase yesterday and only kept 10 books. I decided to display family pictures and the 8 dog urns in it. I keep a continuous box in my closet for things I don’t want.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 25, 2020, 06:20:09 PM
    I emptied my bookcase yesterday and only kept 10 books. I decided to display family pictures and the 8 dog urns in it. I keep a continuous box in my closet for things I don’t want.

    I’m envious of you!  I took all the books out of my bookcase to give it a good cleaning and after agonizing over them, put almost all of them back.  Books are so hard for me.  The one I’m currently reading is not a keeper though, so that’s something.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on January 25, 2020, 07:26:40 PM
    I emptied my bookcase yesterday and only kept 10 books. I decided to display family pictures and the 8 dog urns in it. I keep a continuous box in my closet for things I don’t want.

    8 dog urns?

    I don't want to sound rude, but why are you keeping these?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on January 25, 2020, 09:40:00 PM
    I emptied my bookcase yesterday and only kept 10 books. I decided to display family pictures and the 8 dog urns in it. I keep a continuous box in my closet for things I don’t want.

    8 dog urns?

    I don't want to sound rude, but why are you keeping these?

    I imagine for the same reason your would keep the urn of your grandma or someone else you loved. What do you think?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on January 25, 2020, 10:19:00 PM
    I emptied my bookcase yesterday and only kept 10 books. I decided to display family pictures and the 8 dog urns in it. I keep a continuous box in my closet for things I don’t want.

    8 dog urns?

    I don't want to sound rude, but why are you keeping these?

    I imagine for the same reason your would keep the urn of your grandma or someone else you loved. What do you think?

    But why would you keep an urn of your Grandma either? The memories are not contained in the urn.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 25, 2020, 10:40:37 PM
    I emptied my bookcase yesterday and only kept 10 books. I decided to display family pictures and the 8 dog urns in it. I keep a continuous box in my closet for things I don’t want.

    8 dog urns?

    I don't want to sound rude, but why are you keeping these?

    I imagine for the same reason your would keep the urn of your grandma or someone else you loved. What do you think?

    But why would you keep an urn of your Grandma either? The memories are not contained in the urn.

    I've got my dogs ashes on display with his picture. I thought everyone did! It's not an urn exactly, it's a wooden box.

    Updated to ask Middo - do you bury your loved ones or do you just not ask for the ashes back. I know with pets you have the option for the bulk cremation & non-return but surely humans you have to take them?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 25, 2020, 11:08:31 PM
    Today I decided I'm definitely keeping three photo albums of polaroids but threw out one broken and one annoying umbrella. Scanned some other pictures and binned them. Can't remember what else I threw out but our bin has been full the last few weeks and normally it's empty! Also I have a car boot full of donations, e-waste, fabric recycling and empty jars for the co-op.

    I'm going to splash out on a new dining table that folds down and has drawers under because we don't have anywhere for remotes and keys and earphones and I don't want them lying about.

    I've got people coming tomorrow for two bookshelves and a bedframe. Love downsizing! Fewer surfaces to clean! After those go, there's just a cabinet to sell or donate. By the end of tomorrow the old house needs to be empty so the painter can start. Then I start putting things away properly in the new place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on January 25, 2020, 11:50:56 PM
    I emptied my bookcase yesterday and only kept 10 books. I decided to display family pictures and the 8 dog urns in it. I keep a continuous box in my closet for things I don’t want.

    8 dog urns?

    I don't want to sound rude, but why are you keeping these?

    I imagine for the same reason your would keep the urn of your grandma or someone else you loved. What do you think?

    But why would you keep an urn of your Grandma either? The memories are not contained in the urn.

    I've got my dogs ashes on display with his picture. I thought everyone did! It's not an urn exactly, it's a wooden box.

    Updated to ask Middo - do you bury your loved ones or do you just not ask for the ashes back. I know with pets you have the option for the bulk cremation & non-return but surely humans you have to take them?

    Thanks for the reply.  It's not something I have ever seen.  The differences in culture around world are fascinating to me.  Our dogs and cats we buried.  We lived in a farm at the time they died, one cat and one dog overnight peacefully.  One cat was badly mauled and since we lived an hour from the nearest vet I had to shoot it.  Many tears after that one as I found it so hard to do, but I couldn't let it suffer.

    My grandparents are probably buried somewhere.  I know some of their plots have been re-used as they died over 25 years ago.  My mum and my wifes parents are all cremayed and then buried.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Polaria on January 26, 2020, 02:15:09 AM
    I also got the urns of my two cats, presented in a little “shrine” (pictures plus their fav toy).

    I currently have the ashes of my mother, she passed away unexpectedly last year and frankly me and the siblings weren’t quite sure what to do with them, so until now we have decided not to decide. Let me tell you, people get weird around human urns...
    Personally I like the concept of keeping the dead among the living.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on January 26, 2020, 05:16:48 AM
    I know with pets you have the option for the bulk cremation & non-return but surely humans you have to take them?
    No.  Back in my home town, when the local undertaker died his children spent some time trying to work out what to do with the pile of ashes they found behind the garden shed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on January 26, 2020, 07:36:33 AM
    I know with pets you have the option for the bulk cremation & non-return but surely humans you have to take them?
    No.  Back in my home town, when the local undertaker died his children spent some time trying to work out what to do with the pile of ashes they found behind the garden shed.

    In my area, it is common to take the ashes and spread them somewhere, often the ocean or a garden.  I think we spread my grandma's ashes in the ocean, and for pets we always put them in the garden and planted flowers in the area.  Some people do this on the person's birthday, or anniversary of death, as a remembrance, but I think we just did it quickly after receiving the urn.  We don't keep the ashes in our house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on January 26, 2020, 12:50:54 PM
    I know with pets you have the option for the bulk cremation & non-return but surely humans you have to take them?
    No.  Back in my home town, when the local undertaker died his children spent some time trying to work out what to do with the pile of ashes they found behind the garden shed.

    In my area, it is common to take the ashes and spread them somewhere, often the ocean or a garden.  I think we spread my grandma's ashes in the ocean, and for pets we always put them in the garden and planted flowers in the area.  Some people do this on the person's birthday, or anniversary of death, as a remembrance, but I think we just did it quickly after receiving the urn.  We don't keep the ashes in our house.

    In my country you are not allowed to have the ashes of people at home. You have to bury or spread them at a burial site. If you want to spread them anywhere else you have to have a special permit. You can’t spread them within 500 meters of a house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on January 26, 2020, 02:30:20 PM
    Several people have brought up cultural difference in handling remains, but I think some of it is practical.

    We live in an apartment in a big city, and have kept the ashes of our pets. If we owned our place and/or had a yard, we would probably have buried them instead. Then we could go visit the site easily. But it felt sad to have them scattered in a different state or disposed of as medical waste. It's comforting to look over on the shelf and see their urns and their paw prints in ceramic. It's an area by a window with a memorial plant and it feels very light and sunny. I enjoy having them around, even if they're only with us in memory now.

    As for decluttering, I did a quick sweep yesterday and got rid of 4 books and a few items of clothing that have worn out. Now I have a full grocery bag to take to goodwill. At least two of the clothing pieces will be replaced because I love them and they were worn out for a reason, but it feels good to be at a point where I only have clothes like that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on January 26, 2020, 03:59:34 PM
    Middo, when either I or my husband die the dog’s ashes will be put in our urn and then interred with us.   We didn’t bury them because we move too often and want them with us. Technically they are in little cedar boxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on January 26, 2020, 08:22:52 PM
    When my cat goes, his ashes will be in a wee earthenware pot I found at a thrift store. There's a matching large one, so that will be my urn. Then I'll get us interred together.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 26, 2020, 08:31:11 PM
    Well who'd have guessed this thread would have given me so many ideas for ashes! I'm thinking of updating my will to include my dog's ashes being put with mine. But then what? Maybe we can be scattered at the dog park, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 28, 2020, 09:53:40 AM
    And here I am thinking that there's an awful lot of people who have some very strange customs. But I'm sure many of you would find mine equally strange, so to each their own. My family, and now I, do not bury our deceased pets. We take them to the vet, who has the body cremated and we do not get ashes back.

    On topic - it is surprisingly difficult to find used furniture when you want it. I want a twin size bed, a desk, and a small dresser/bedside table. Pickings are slim in my area currently. Must be due to winter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: savedandsaving on January 28, 2020, 11:03:43 AM
    Breaking the current ashes discussion for a sec to announce proudly that we finally got rid of the two identical ancient tan loveseats cluttering up our entire guest room! I even got $30 for one of them. (What's funny is that they were unwanted hand-me-downs that had traveled from DH's parents to all of his siblings and their spouses at one time or another. When he announced proudly on the family group chat that they were gone and I had actually made money off one of them, everyone was genuinely shocked and impressed. Hooray for Facebook Marketplace!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 28, 2020, 12:09:46 PM
    Was looking for some old paper work - and kept finding really old papers that can be tossed such as my EI stubbs from my first mat leave or my 2003 employee onboarding manual....or best yet - some blood work requisitions from 1996. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 28, 2020, 12:28:20 PM
    Two small victories - first we took a game that has moved house 4 times in the last 8 years without ever being played to a family reunion, actually played it and successfully gave it away to a sibling whose family is the right age/interests to play it. Yay! (qwirkle)
    Secondly, we went for a walk last night, saw a rather nice old school desk out on the kerb for claiming, checked it out as a replacement sewing table/mini rehab project and decided not to take it.
    So that's one thing out and one thing not brought in to the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 28, 2020, 12:53:24 PM
    Got another textbook out of the house, and potentially will make $30 once the reseller checks it out.  It's in perfect condition - clear that I got nothing out of that class!

    I listed several old Apple products on eBay last week.  It was super freeing to get rid of the computer - I only fired it up a couple of times a year because it had one application that I needed to do a thing for work (it was not related to my job, but support I provided to my small company for free).  Now that I quit that job, I can get rid of the computer!  I listed 2 old iPhones - one sold immediately and the other is not getting as many views as I expected.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on January 30, 2020, 03:11:00 PM
    Two lamps and a large piece of artwork we no longer care for donated today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on January 30, 2020, 08:49:39 PM
    Donated some household goods and recycled an old threadbare comforter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 31, 2020, 10:51:52 AM
    Two heat mats I have been storing  for ages don't actually work.  Bye bye
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 01, 2020, 08:58:30 AM
    One big heavy hardcover book donated to the senior center.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on February 01, 2020, 06:53:38 PM
    I finally did it.

    I FIRED in spring 2017.   Today I finally got rid of the last of my work / office clothes.
    These are the "nice" ones that survived a large purge 1 a year ago, moving to the "what if" pile.

    I got rid of my nice (very expensive) "interview" suit.  I was holding onto to it "just in case" I needed to find a job.

    I got rid of all button ups that were not appropriate for dinner with friends.   I got rid of the expensive heeled knee high boots that cost be $250 that I could not run in.  I got rid of the only pair of dressy warm boots for winter / snow that still worked with business attire (but please ignore the square toes).  I no longer own any white blouses.   I no longer own "nice" chinos for business casual fridays. I got rid of my only cocktail dress that could be used for business related charity events.  WHEE!

    Still need to trim the "semi casual" blazer and cardigan horde, but that is a different mountain to climb as I still wear them, love them, but only 1x a week now so I don't need 6 cardi's and 8 blazers, right...?.

    Whew. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 01, 2020, 08:14:23 PM
    @Goldielocks wheeeee! that is *splendid* No! More! White! Shirts!
    And if you regularly wear and love all the cardigans/blazers, keep them and reassess in another 6 months.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on February 01, 2020, 11:35:23 PM
    Bought a new pair of gym shoes on Friday but also got rid of 3 other pairs in the process so a net win. And also purged several pairs of shorts and wife has given through her Christmas decorations and is able to part with most of it.

    This has been a point of contention for a while as my wife had 20 plastic tubs full of Christmas decorations. That seems to go down to 4-5.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 01, 2020, 11:58:02 PM
    A small thing, but I used some of stationery hoard by writing letters, and some art supplies for small projects that will go out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on February 02, 2020, 03:30:02 AM
    I convinced my daughter to clear up her stuff before she heads off to uni.  We took a large bag of unworn clothes to the recycle place, and the recycle bin is full of paperwork she no longer needs.  There will be more to do, but she is on board with this.

    My wife also spent a few hours cleaning up her emails.  Thousands were deleted, a few folders created, and now she can find stuff. She is determined to unsubscribe from lots of different sites so it stays manageable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 02, 2020, 12:37:26 PM
    Used the 'spend 10 minutes in one room, finding, or at least looking for, disposable clutter' method.

    I was in the guest bedroom. I thought I had already gone through the stuff here, but I found some huge plastic tubs I had not apparently opened. Cleaned the dust off first, then pried one open. Eureka! Full of clean used slacks from the girl friend. The size was pretty big so they would be a hard sell at the rummage sale. Also a few big plastic bags of slacks.

    All told, I took off three big plastic bags of slacks to the Salvation Army this morning.

    I have so many different parts of the house full of clutter, I have to force myself to pick one place, and just 'be there' amidst it all, no escape, just do something, no procrastinating, even if if all you do is identify what's there. I actually look at the clock before starting.

    Feeling good about getting rid of the three big bags!      Taking a break now, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 02, 2020, 12:46:52 PM
    Some more papers hit the shredder.
    More linens in the rag pile.
    Some of the rags that were lacy - in the garbage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 03, 2020, 12:35:58 PM
    Task cleanup/supplies used:
    Got some work done in the utility room, which means got the 2 doors out of the bedroom, put the knobs on them, then managed to get the tools and laundry supplies into the cabinets. So, that's stuff from the bedroom and hall closet been cleaned out, which greatly improves the appearance and functionality of those spaces. Also got 3 of the 5 cabinet end panels installed. I will need to figure out organization in the cabinets, but for right now this is a huge win.

    Stuff going away:
    A work top that I just don't like in the box.
    4 boxes that had been storing all the stuff that got put in the utility room are broken down and in the recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on February 03, 2020, 04:38:58 PM
    Dropped off a box at the thrift store this afternoon.  The stuff had been marked 'gone' in my brain for a while, but now it is actually physically gone as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on February 03, 2020, 04:59:58 PM
    A few more boxes to donation today, plus a huge canvas painting DS had done as a student.  He didn't want it, so either someone will like it as is, or paint over it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 04, 2020, 05:51:36 PM
    Took some advice from this thread and starting wearing the 'meh' clothes. Already one cardigan in the donate pile.

    Got one shirt mended, and supplies ordered to fix a sweater that I love but is unwearable right now.

    Youngest decided she was too big for the car seat and the state guidelines back her up. Woot--one less thing in the car! Also got out a container of wipes that only had one left. Used it to wipe down the seats and got rid of it.

    Have a stack of hardback books to donate and a bag of clothes in the car. Now I just have to actually get them to the donate center :)

    Edited to add: A pyrex baking dish that got dropped :/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on February 05, 2020, 05:31:34 PM
    One thing that is helping me -- I created an empty cupboard in my kitchen to hold things that I decide I don't use often enough anymore.   It is so much easier to toss as soon as I have that thought, if I have a place centrally to put it.  I then clear out the cupboard every 2 months to goodwill.

    Do any of you do this?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on February 06, 2020, 05:05:07 AM
    One thing that is helping me -- I created an empty cupboard in my kitchen to hold things that I decide I don't use often enough anymore.   It is so much easier to toss as soon as I have that thought, if I have a place centrally to put it.  I then clear out the cupboard every 2 months to goodwill.

    Do any of you do this?

    I have a basket in my laundry room where I put things I want to donate.  I agree that it helps to be able to "get rid" of something as soon as it occurs to you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 06, 2020, 01:00:26 PM
    Another bag of trash out of the house and some scrapbooking supplies given to a friend.

    I have been collecting clothing to donate for over a year.  And recently started a bag for miscellaneous items.  Goal for tomorrow is to actually take them to be donated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on February 07, 2020, 01:31:00 PM
    This morning I mailed off a saddle I was very reluctant to sell.  The new owner gets a one-week trial, so it could come back, but we'll see.  It doesn't fit my horses and is made for much more aggressive galloping and jumping than I will ever do, so it needed to go, but I loved it!

    This weekend I need to do a sweep through my closet and see if I can add anything to the small pile of Clothes I Don't Love, then donate them, along with some old dishes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 07, 2020, 02:45:55 PM
    Goal for tomorrow is to actually take them to be donated.

    Did it!  2 bags of clothes and half a bag of shoes/purses that I collected during a closet clean-out Thanksgiving weekend 2018.  Plus a bag of more recently collected random home things.

    I've already set out my next donation bag so that I can add to it as I continue to clear things out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 07, 2020, 04:25:22 PM
    I have too many cups / mugs. They don't fit in the cupboard in the new place. It's so hard to throw out functional things. Some are too scratched inside for rehoming. The worst most scratched I guess will just go in the bin. We've had moments in the past where we've gone through loads but now we have a double dishdrawer so there's always a clean one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 07, 2020, 06:01:11 PM
    I have so many pots, pans, baking dishes, etc in the drawer under my stove that the drawer got stuck today! Scary. But I jostled it and it opened. To make more room, I zeroed in on an small old pot that had burned black on the inside bottom. White porcelain(?) otherwise. Tossed it into the big metal recycling bin.

    Also took one big bag of clothes to Salvation Army, and one big bag of ripped, worn out clothes to the textile recycling bin.

    Gave away a hard back copy of a Harry Potter book to a lady at the senior center, which she appreciated.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 07, 2020, 06:06:06 PM
    @Goldielocks I do a variation.  Sometimes lately I don't have anything outgoing, but when I do, I grab a box or a bag to hold the things.  When the container is full I take them to the donation center.  I keep the container in a somewhat handy but mostly out of the way place in the mean time.


    Today I donated 8 scarves & a pair of fingerless gloves.  They were intended for a charity that distributes them in December, but my contact fell off the face of the planet.  I'm happy to have found an alternate charity!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: iamthepinky on February 08, 2020, 02:51:27 PM
    last weekend i finally tackled my massive pile of clean, unfolded laundry *and* did all of my dirty laundry, folded it, and put it all away. I got rid of a few garments but this was just a win to get rid of a major nuisance.

    this week, I ordered some mason jars of varying sizes and completely revamped the food-containing shelves of my pantry (there's still one non-food shelf that I haven't touched). I put all of my unopened animal-based foods into a bag for donation (went vegan several months ago). Got rid of a bunch of empty coffee cans I was saving for storing something because they looked cool. But years had gone by without using them, so...off they went to the recycling. Also moved some tools to their appropriate home (they were misshelved).

    The end result is amazing. Clean, organized, and spacious instead of cluttered. Huge diffference. Glad to learn that the only thing I overbought due to previous clutter was a can of cornstarch.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 08, 2020, 07:31:56 PM
    I finished purging and reorganizing the computer room!  I still have a table full of things to put up on eBay (or throw in the donation bag), but I'm slowly adding them (I'm up against the 50 free listings limit, so I have to be strategic about it).

    I started posting some larger items on Facebook Marketplace.  Wow.  I listed 4 things so far, and I'm going to possibly get rid of 3 of them tomorrow.  I hope every shows/pays!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on February 08, 2020, 10:35:48 PM
    We sold a car.   
    Feels great even though we ended up selling it about 10% less than I think we could have gotten, but private sales in winter are not the best way to go, and I won't need to reinsure it next month.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 09, 2020, 01:24:26 PM
    ...

    My decluttering got an unexpected boost in the form of a huge new dog who likes to jump on tables and chew on everything. I've cleared all of my tabletops, organized my basement tools, corralled my computer and AV cables, and am keeping my kitchen counters clearer than ever! It's like having a really cute live-in junk auditor who destroys excess. Although I'm happy for Goldielocks for getting rid of her car now, I've kept my table lamps in a basement cupboard in the faint hope that I'll be able to train my dog out of jumping on end tables.

    Yeah, I think I'll be doing some of that later. New kitty Jill has given some indications that she likes to watch things fall. We will see, she's not comfortable enough yet for these types of behaviors to come out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 09, 2020, 02:04:16 PM
    Sent two mattresses for recycling. One was replaced but the other was from the spare room and we are no longer keeping a spare bed made up. I'm so pleased as it was such a waste of space, people so rarely stay and if they do it's usually just a someone passing through and we can borrow a fold out. We can keep less linen now too. I don't have to declutter any because it's wearing out on its own all of a sudden.

    Tonight we put out our bulky rubbish for collection. Just need to make sure we don't forget anything!  And also put it out late enough so our neighbours don't start dumping stuff, we are only allowed 3 cubic metres and there are strict rules about what can go. We have been left to deal with other people's rubbish before!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on February 09, 2020, 04:54:27 PM
    Got rid of half the stuff in my office closet and a ton of big serving dishes. I filled my small car.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 09, 2020, 06:22:53 PM
    I keep finding odd papers when I am looking for something else and bam - into the recycling. 
    I am also using up a lot of watercolour paper -using the back of paintings I am no longer attached to do back to basics exercises.
    I used some left over materials to make up a seedling starting table.  And pitched the remainder. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on February 10, 2020, 08:57:39 AM
    Just listed all my unopened (!!!) exercise dvds on Ebay. Any that don't sell will go right to the local library book sale. Clear clutter and get a little money back in the pocket.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on February 10, 2020, 02:36:02 PM
    Thursday I finally did more work in my home office.  It was nice because DH wasn't home, so there were no interruptions, making a huge difference!  I filed a stack of paper, tossed a few things, put a box of Crayons and colored pencils into the donate box, and relocated several items.  I stashed trinkets and whatnot's into a small box until I decide what to do with them all.  (Magnets, other travel souvenirs, etc.)  The inside of my roll top desk is now cleared off, and the interior cubbies contain purposeful items.  The top drawer now contains only office supply related items.  I straightened up the bookshelves inside the closet, and hung a few more items including a small mirror.  I'll see if my friend who owns a skate shop wants the unused novelty buttons I never wore. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on February 10, 2020, 08:20:01 PM
    Going through the sewing/project/alteration pile and actually fixing or doing said alteration.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 13, 2020, 08:19:13 AM
    Got rid of half the stuff in my office closet and a ton of big serving dishes. I filled my small car.

    I'm going to add the small stack of saucers that has been sitting under my kitchen table for a year, to the next donation bag I take over to Salvation Army. I should add some other dishes from the cupboards too. Way too many for one house, lol. 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 13, 2020, 08:51:18 AM
    Successfully sold 5 things on FB Marketplace and made $140!

    These all came from my guest room - either were stored in the closet or were furnishing the room.  I haven’t had a guest in 9 years (and don’t intend to have a guest room in the future), so everything but the bed is targeted to go!  The larger furniture went fast, and now I just hope someone will be interested in the smaller things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 13, 2020, 10:39:23 AM
    Got rid of half the stuff in my office closet and a ton of big serving dishes. I filled my small car.

    At first, I thought you said you got rid of half the stuff in your closet, as in clothes.  That would really be impressive!  (Not that your declutter wasn't.)

    Some fashion guy on TV once said "Get rid of half the clothes in your closet and you'll look twice as stylish."  Assuming you get rid of the rattier half, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 13, 2020, 01:31:43 PM
    Today I donated 8 scarves & a pair of fingerless gloves.  They were intended for a charity that distributes them in December, but my contact fell off the face of the planet.  I'm happy to have found an alternate charity!

    I'm on a roll.  Was able to store a small TV I use as a second computer monitor in the bookshelf where the scarves had lived, so it's no longer blocking up my dresser top!

    And then yesterday I finally made it to the charity shop to donate another bag of miscellany.

    And then yesterday, room mate gave me an organizer for our shared hobby, which was delightful and I proceeded to fill with hobby tools.  But then that left the organizer I was supposedly going to make empty.  It wasn't actually an organizer, just a pile of parts to make an organizer.  Some was trashed, some was repurposed, but one piece is slated for donation.  I will offer it at a group meeting of hobby friends tomorrow.

    @Goldielocks this is the real reason I keep a perpetual box for the outgoing items.  As soon as I donate one batch, another one starts acumulating.  I sometimes feel like I am just churning stuff rather than decluttering. 🤦‍♀️  I'd like to be done one day...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on February 14, 2020, 06:33:07 AM
    My plan is to get new flooring in my house this summer, so everything will need to be up off the floor in order for that to happen. I might as well get a head start. We have a long weekend this weekend, so one of my projects is to declutter the walk in closet in my bedroom. I know there is a lot of stuff in there that can go. Posting here for accountability.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 14, 2020, 06:57:28 AM
    Got rid of half the stuff in my office closet and a ton of big serving dishes. I filled my small car.

    At first, I thought you said you got rid of half the stuff in your closet, as in clothes.  That would really be impressive!  (Not that your declutter wasn't.)

    Some fashion guy on TV once said "Get rid of half the clothes in your closet and you'll look twice as stylish."  Assuming you get rid of the rattier half, lol.
    .....heeeheee type giggles......
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 14, 2020, 11:09:18 PM
    Got rid of a cake icing bag and parts that was cheap and flimsy. I rarely..ok, never decorate cookies anymore anyway.
    A pair of too-large gloves that are brand-new.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 15, 2020, 11:51:36 AM
    Gave the hobby item to a hobby friend. Yay, no perpetual donation box (at the moment)! 🥳
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on February 16, 2020, 07:44:32 AM
    My plan is to get new flooring in my house this summer, so everything will need to be up off the floor in order for that to happen. I might as well get a head start. We have a long weekend this weekend, so one of my projects is to declutter the walk in closet in my bedroom. I know there is a lot of stuff in there that can go. Posting here for accountability.

    Update: One large bin of "wishful thinking" pants has been transferred to the car for donation. One bookshelf gone through, about half the books donated, the rest boxed up and taken down to the basement for now, until the flooring project is done. Bookshelf folded down and stored in another room. Miscellaneous donation box started and is about half full.

    Hopefully I can finish this project today so that I can do some fun stuff tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on February 16, 2020, 03:24:28 PM
    Sunny, when I retired I did get rid of half of my clothes 8 years ago.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 16, 2020, 08:21:29 PM
    Assuming he turns up - I have agreed to sell a table base to a guy for $80 today. It was a re-furb project I never got round to and I got it for free originally, so what a score.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 16, 2020, 09:46:42 PM
    Assuming he turns up - I have agreed to sell a table base to a guy for $80 today. It was a re-furb project I never got round to and I got it for free originally, so what a score.
    Sa-weeeeeet!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 16, 2020, 11:01:55 PM
    Assuming he turns up - I have agreed to sell a table base to a guy for $80 today. It was a re-furb project I never got round to and I got it for free originally, so what a score.
    Sa-weeeeeet!

    He's not here yet....

    Broke a glass today, and it was even one of the older ones.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 16, 2020, 11:06:39 PM
    One of our amber glass plates had an edge peel away, promising shattered pyrex next time it went through the dishwasher so out that goes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: 1967mama on February 17, 2020, 01:21:42 AM
    We let our son sell our 20 year old universal gym and keep the proceeds. He made $200! It needed to go and was just taking up space and collecting dust in the garage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on February 17, 2020, 01:24:36 PM
    $200!  Score.  On trash day, I literally see several of these every week.  If I had a trailer all the time, I could open a store with these things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 22, 2020, 09:20:32 AM
    Finally getting rid of those 3 cans of Avon SLimwell Milkshake powder, just cuz they are so old, and therefore questionable.

    Shame, really, but they are now in the kitchen garbage bag. Just a matter of taking  it to the curb. Sad, but I'll get over it, ha ha.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 22, 2020, 10:00:06 AM
    Finally getting rid of those 3 cans of Avon SLimwell Milkshake powder, just cuz they are so old, and therefore questionable.

    Shame, really, but they are now in the kitchen garbage bag. Just a matter of taking  it to the curb. Sad, but I'll get over it, ha ha.       

    Yay!  I knew you could do it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on February 22, 2020, 10:55:04 AM
    We decluttered by selling our motor home yesterday. It was 27 ft and took up one of our parking spaces.  We got 5500 and the driveway looks much better without it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 22, 2020, 02:42:20 PM
    My DH went through some of his stuff - we are needing some boxes for the kids to pack up their rooms for some reno work.  The grey bin and blue bin each got a bunch of stuff added to them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 22, 2020, 10:35:16 PM
    My husband is losing weight (10kg so far) so I've pulled half a dozen things out of his wardrobe that he's shrunk out of. Some I will cut up for sewing projects, some will go in the Vinnies bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on February 23, 2020, 07:15:08 AM
    Had our first big yardsale in anticipation of our move abroad. Sold some tools, two kayaks, a fire pit, hammock, bunch of random crap and made $1500 or so. Can barely tell anything is gone from the garage but the money will come in handy for added suitcases this summer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 23, 2020, 04:57:50 PM
    Not so much decluttered as politely declined a useless item a colleague tried to give me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 23, 2020, 06:11:34 PM
    Three books to the street library, 2 magazines to work library, 4 magazines into recycling.

    Big rubbish is about to start and I am trying to think of anything that should go out
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 23, 2020, 08:13:46 PM
    There is a Marie Kondo consultants course in London in May. I'm in the UK in May so actually toying with the idea! It's very expensive though and I don't look the part tbh.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on February 23, 2020, 08:59:13 PM
    We did our last Goodwill run of "crap that was left at our old place." FREEDOM.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 24, 2020, 03:53:09 PM
    Watched the recycling truck take away a bunch of cardboard shoeboxes and shirt boxes and old greeting cards I dug out of a closet last week.

    The interesting thing was, for some reason they are now putting the glass, plastic and cardboard all into the same compartment in the recycling truck!  Hope they are still recycling it, and not landfilling it!  Oh well, not my problem, right? lol.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on February 24, 2020, 04:47:51 PM
    Took a bookcase, quilt stand, several picture frames and an art project DS did years ago but didn't want now to Goodwill today.  I don't think the art project will make it out of the stock room - the guy that helped us unload stuff was very taken with it.  (metal wolf's head).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on February 25, 2020, 08:33:22 PM
    Dropped off a big bag of towels at the animal clinic down the road. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 26, 2020, 06:39:49 PM
    Put everything on the 'might be worth something' list on FB Marketplace today. Total is under $75 for all the items, so I'll give it a week and then donate the items. They've all been hanging about for almost 5 months. I even added a few extra things while I was at it!

    I've been procrastinating this for weeks and it took less than half an hour. So I'll make about $50/hour between posting and meeting, if all goes well. If not, I'll donate knowing I tried.

    I planted some green onion cuttings in a pot I already had. Free green onions, fresh all the time! No more plastic bags to throw away (Aldi, why must you wrap all of your frugal produce in plastic??)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on February 26, 2020, 08:32:46 PM
    Donated a carload of stuff that has been sitting in the storage room for over 10 years. Sadly, the thrift store did not want our baby stuff - umbrella stroller, Fisher Price rocker, booster seat, etc. Those things are currently sitting in my mom's garage. She doesn't want strangers coming to the house and doesn't want the hassle of waiting for a potential person who may or may not show up at an agreed upon location, so they will either be donated at a drop-off donation box or thrown away.

    Today, I cleared the pantry and have another box of donations ready to go to the thrift store. My mom found out that she has five rice cookers and four clay pots for boiling Chinese medicines. We convinced her to donate one rice cooker and three clay pots.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 27, 2020, 10:58:46 AM
    Donated a carload of stuff that has been sitting in the storage room for over 10 years. Sadly, the thrift store did not want our baby stuff - umbrella stroller, Fisher Price rocker, booster seat, etc. Those things are currently sitting in my mom's garage. She doesn't want strangers coming to the house and doesn't want the hassle of waiting for a potential person who may or may not show up at an agreed upon location, so they will either be donated at a drop-off donation box or thrown away.

    Today, I cleared the pantry and have another box of donations ready to go to the thrift store. My mom found out that she has five rice cookers and four clay pots for boiling Chinese medicines. We convinced her to donate one rice cooker and three clay pots.

    Just put the stuff at the end of the driveway with a free sign.  Easy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on February 27, 2020, 01:43:34 PM
    Donated a carload of stuff that has been sitting in the storage room for over 10 years. Sadly, the thrift store did not want our baby stuff - umbrella stroller, Fisher Price rocker, booster seat, etc. Those things are currently sitting in my mom's garage. She doesn't want strangers coming to the house and doesn't want the hassle of waiting for a potential person who may or may not show up at an agreed upon location, so they will either be donated at a drop-off donation box or thrown away.

    Today, I cleared the pantry and have another box of donations ready to go to the thrift store. My mom found out that she has five rice cookers and four clay pots for boiling Chinese medicines. We convinced her to donate one rice cooker and three clay pots.

    Just put the stuff at the end of the driveway with a free sign.  Easy.

    I wish it were that easy. We live deep within the bowels of a gated community on a dead end street in the boonies. Except for the snowplows, not a single vehicle has driven by over the past few days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on February 27, 2020, 03:39:31 PM
    Gave $150 worth of gorgeous travel accessories to a girl at work. I don't need them, she was excited to have them. (No, I couldn't sell them - they were monogrammed.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 27, 2020, 08:00:11 PM
    Put everything on the 'might be worth something' list on FB Marketplace today. Total is under $75 for all the items, so I'll give it a week and then donate the items. They've all been hanging about for almost 5 months. I even added a few extra things while I was at it!

    I've been procrastinating this for weeks and it took less than half an hour. So I'll make about $50/hour between posting and meeting, if all goes well. If not, I'll donate knowing I tried.


    Two items sold and one in the mail! I'll be all of $25 richer when all is said and done :) Three more things gone, though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 27, 2020, 09:04:45 PM
    I'm just going to slip the broken automatic tap timer (that husband said he wanted to open up and look at 7 years ago) into the bin. It's never going to happen.

    I looked into getting a second bin as we are a two dwelling lot now. It's $220 a year which is a bit of an incentive to go super low waste.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on February 28, 2020, 03:23:55 AM
    I have one giant bag and half a box of random household stuff ready to donate. I am going to find a few more things to top up the box, and then that will be it for the de-cluttering until after busy season at work, which lasts until the end of June.

    ETA: Found an old Tupperware devilled egg container and a Decosonic bag sealer deep in the back corner of my kitchen cabinets. Plus, I recycled a few plastic lids, etc. and found a few more pairs of pants to add to the clothing bag. I must say, it is pretty satisfying seeing space opening up in my cupboards and closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 01, 2020, 06:53:46 PM
    All kinds of stuff left our house today - much of it was just garbage.  I tried on all the bathing suits I have.  Many of them were disintegrating.  My son worked on his bedroom.  Our recycling and garbage bins are full.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 01, 2020, 07:22:50 PM
    Put the awesome cleaver I haven't used in years into the donation pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 02, 2020, 09:54:30 PM
    Ragged a couple of t-shirts and put a pair of shoes in the donation bag.

    I had gotten into the bad habit of taking older clothes to my parents' house to wear on weekend visits. It's always handy to have an old pair of jeans and a couple of hoodies to dag around in.

    Unfortunately, I've taken so many things that my wardrobe there is almost full. I need to be strict with myself and sort out what I will actually wear again and what I'm dumping there as a way of delaying the inevitable.

    My environmental conscience is having a tough time with clothes that can't be sold, donated or ragged.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 03, 2020, 09:28:30 AM
    May be decluttering the fridge somewhat in the near future. Might finally use the 5 gallon jug of malt extract syrup in there  to make another batch of homebrew beer. Two birds with one stone, ha ha. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 03, 2020, 10:06:47 AM
    Finished a puzzle, took it apart and put it back in the box. Then put it in the donation box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 03, 2020, 10:35:21 AM
    Lots of random stuff is leaving the house.

    The kids have to pack up their bedrooms and move out of them for a month while they get new flooring and exterior walls with lots of insulation.  I have been begging them not to just dump everything into boxes but only the stuff that they really want.  We have lived here for ten years now and that is a lot of age and stage of childhood accumulating.  And unfortunately I am also having to make a bunch of decisions because their closets have also been my dumping ground for years.  The biggest thing though are all those school projects and science experiments.  They are getting disassembled and the component parts are finding their way to the garbage or recycling or spare parts box.

    Needless to say - our house is going to be a mess of clutter and disruption while two rooms become completely empty and then perhaps very slowly get re-furnished.  (We didn't hire the painting of the new walls - this is something we can do easily and we figured it was time for the kids to learn how to paint. My DH and I are very good painters.  And just MMM enough that we are going to re-use the existing trim but too frugal to pay someone else to fiddle with re-installing it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 03, 2020, 05:29:45 PM
    Actually took the donation bag to Goodwill this weekend, didn't let it sit around gathering dust for several months after I filled it! I did a real deep dig for this round. Like new gardening gloves, a small power tool I got a nicer replacement for at Christmas, gifted accessories, brand new office supplies, framed art, the second DVD/Blue Ray player. 
    Sold one more FB item this weekend, and am meeting up with the fifth item's owner-to-be here in a bit. That'll be over $100 I've made from this little decluttering. Almost what I paid for one of the items I'm selling...(sigh).
    My home is starting to feel really good. My closet is a tiny, old-fashioned one, but everything fits neatly inside. The hangers move freely and all of the shoes are neatly lined up and easy to find. The movies are neatly stored in plastic sleeves in a basket. The books all fit on the shelf. I'm getting more and more ruthless!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 04, 2020, 08:09:20 AM
    Two boxes of kitchen stuff and books, and a garbage bag full of clothes and miscellaneous heading out the door in a few minutes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 04, 2020, 08:23:56 AM
    I pitched some glasses that I have had three different prescriptions in.  Both arms have been replaced when they broke - and I have been coping with the misshaped arm hinge for a couple years after I accidentally crushed them between the bed and the nightstand shortly after getting the reading lenses.  They were completely irreparable so not worth donating to charity.  I first bought them 19 years ago.  They served well.

    The kids great room clear out continues.  A dozen books went to the little library.  The recycle bin was completely filled with papers and boxes yesterday when the city picked it up.  It is huge and we normally only put it out once every two months or so when it is actually full.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 05, 2020, 06:13:15 PM
    Not so much decluttered as politely declined a useless item a colleague tried to give me.

    Went to a conference today and remembered this. I only left with the small booklet of information and a silly doodad. No tote bag full of ultimately useless stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 05, 2020, 07:37:00 PM
    Not so much decluttered as politely declined a useless item a colleague tried to give me.

    Went to a conference today and remembered this. I only left with the small booklet of information and a silly doodad. No tote bag full of ultimately useless stuff!

    Love hearing this!

    Stopping it coming in is easier than letting it go down the track.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireLane on March 07, 2020, 06:42:35 PM
    I should have found this thread earlier! I made a new year's resolution to purge all the old junk in my attic, and I'm finally getting around to it this week.

    I have boxes and boxes full of old books. Powell's has a book buyback program, so I got a barcode scanner app on my phone, captured the ISBNs and uploaded them to the Powell's website. They wanted about ten of them. They e-mailed me a prepaid shipping label, plus I get a few bucks in store credit. I'll ship those later this week.

    Of the fifty or sixty books they didn't want, some were out-of-date college textbooks or paperbacks that are too old and battered to resell. I filled up a big box with those and carried it out to the recycling bin today. The books that are in good condition and that someone might want, I'll donate to the library or thrift store.

    I have at least one or two more rounds of book purging to go. Next, I have to tackle all our boxes of baby stuff.

    I haven't made a lot of progress with the books, but I'm doing well with everything else. I've consolidated several boxes of old papers and photos, and sorted through some boxes of old clothes. I threw out some that had stains or holes and made a collection of others to give away.

    There's a swap meet in my neighborhood next week and I'm hoping I can give away a lot of these, especially the kids' clothes that my son has outgrown. Whatever doesn't get taken, I'll drop off at the thrift store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 07, 2020, 08:15:52 PM
    We now have two cars parked in our garage* and everything stored more or less where it will be stored. I have a few things waiting to be given away, and it still needs properly organising but I'll say we've successfully moved and now have a space that suits us. We even have a little table tennis area.

    * No more washing the bushfire ash off, panicking in hail storms and burning yourself on the seat & gearstick in summer. Life-changing!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on March 07, 2020, 08:47:31 PM
    I'm sadly parting ways with my 20 year old Haflinger slippers.  The tops are actually still in good shape, but the soles are shot.  I guess college to middle-age is a pretty good run for a pair of slips.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 08, 2020, 03:43:05 PM
    I'm sadly parting ways with my 20 year old Haflinger slippers.  The tops are actually still in good shape, but the soles are shot.  I guess college to middle-age is a pretty good run for a pair of slips.

    Never heard of this brand of slippers, so I was confused, thinking they were horse slippers!  (By the way, what breed do you have?  I used to have Arabians.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 08, 2020, 06:01:50 PM
    Donated two old pairs of glasses and a case to back to my optom.

    Ragged five holey t-shorts and donated a pair of too-big shorts.

    Sold a dress on eBay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 08, 2020, 06:56:07 PM
    - Uno deck put into the street library by the kindergarten. (I did take a book on investing so current belongings are static but that's temporary)
    - Helped my friends who are moving back to NZ by taking 3 bags of misc condiments and ingredients. Some we will use, others we bin with no hesitation. (it's 3yr old lemon chicken sauce. It can go) it made me start thinking of our eventual move and how using things up now will make it easier for us.
    - put the donations into a bag, once the bag is full, it'll going into the car boot for donation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on March 08, 2020, 07:29:22 PM
    I'm sadly parting ways with my 20 year old Haflinger slippers.  The tops are actually still in good shape, but the soles are shot.  I guess college to middle-age is a pretty good run for a pair of slips.

    Never heard of this brand of slippers, so I was confused, thinking they were horse slippers!  (By the way, what breed do you have?  I used to have Arabians.)
    My first thought was that the slippers were made from Haflinger horses  - very pretty colours.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on March 08, 2020, 07:34:51 PM
    I'm sadly parting ways with my 20 year old Haflinger slippers.  The tops are actually still in good shape, but the soles are shot.  I guess college to middle-age is a pretty good run for a pair of slips.

    Never heard of this brand of slippers, so I was confused, thinking they were horse slippers!  (By the way, what breed do you have?  I used to have Arabians.)

    Haha!

    I have two quarter horses and a warmblood.  My retired quarter horse lives with a farm full of Arabians. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 08, 2020, 08:10:33 PM
    Finally, finally returned a dish that I brought home Christmas leftovers in!  Woo!  It's such a drag to have other people's stuff hanging around that long.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 08, 2020, 08:27:30 PM
    I'm sadly parting ways with my 20 year old Haflinger slippers.  The tops are actually still in good shape, but the soles are shot.  I guess college to middle-age is a pretty good run for a pair of slips.

    Never heard of this brand of slippers, so I was confused, thinking they were horse slippers!  (By the way, what breed do you have?  I used to have Arabians.)

    Haha!

    I have two quarter horses and a warmblood.  My retired quarter horse lives with a farm full of Arabians. :)

    My Arabians lived in a barn full of quarter horses!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 08, 2020, 08:31:05 PM
    -Removed two garbage bags full of kid clothes from their closets this weekend. Many free camp & soccer club shirts. They both wear athletic clothes 95% of the time, which is very forgiving. So, the fact that they've both outgrown the majority of their wardrobe snuck up on me. Everything to the donation bin.
    -One pair of good condition but outgrown kid shoes to the donation bin.
    -Several pair of pants I don't wear to the donation bin

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mustachepungoeshere on March 09, 2020, 02:28:16 AM
    Finally, finally returned a dish that I brought home Christmas leftovers in!  Woo!  It's such a drag to have other people's stuff hanging around that long.

    One friend and I have an unspoken agreement that we never return containers empty, always with a dozen biscuits or a cake or something. It's one of my favourite little traditions. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 09, 2020, 09:18:18 AM
    Have a ferret cage going out the door this afternoon.   We used it when my son visited with his ferret, but unfortunately* Loki is no longer with us, so the cage is off to a new home.

    *In a million years I would never have predicted I would get attached to a ferret, but I did.   I really miss his visits and antics.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 09, 2020, 09:33:51 AM
    An amazing amount of stuff got cleared out of the kids bedrooms.  Most of it is now stacked in our living room while they get new exterior walls with insulation and hardwood flooring.  Both of them are loving how wonderful it feels to have really empty closets.  I even found some of my junk in their closets that is now in a donate pile.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 09, 2020, 06:35:09 PM
    Not so much decluttered as politely declined a useless item a colleague tried to give me.

    Went to a conference today and remembered this. I only left with the small booklet of information and a silly doodad. No tote bag full of ultimately useless stuff!

    Love hearing this!

    Stopping it coming in is easier than letting it go down the track.

    Too right! I actually put the silly item to a useful purpose at work yesterday, when a need arose. No more clutter in my house and a problem solved.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 09, 2020, 08:51:46 PM
    A few weeks ago, I took some half-empty bottles of coffee flavoring to the work kitchen. I liked them, but in very small quantities. They were going to expire before I got through them.
    They were such a hit that the receptionist ordered more in other flavors! Not a declutter win for the office, but a major one for me. They're still there if I want them, but others have access to them. I try to think of this whenever I want to hang on to something that I don't really need. Someone else might love it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 09, 2020, 11:21:43 PM
    Finally, finally returned a dish that I brought home Christmas leftovers in!  Woo!  It's such a drag to have other people's stuff hanging around that long.

    One friend and I have an unspoken agreement that we never return containers empty, always with a dozen biscuits or a cake or something. It's one of my favourite little traditions. :)

    That's a sweet tradition! Maybe next time I'll time it differently and deliver some goodies in return.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 09, 2020, 11:24:33 PM
    A few weeks ago, I took some half-empty bottles of coffee flavoring to the work kitchen. I liked them, but in very small quantities. They were going to expire before I got through them.
    They were such a hit that the receptionist ordered more in other flavors! Not a declutter win for the office, but a major one for me. They're still there if I want them, but others have access to them. I try to think of this whenever I want to hang on to something that I don't really need. Someone else might love it!

    Love this strategy! Especially when I was living alone, I couldn't always eat the whole package of something before it went bad. Sharing with others is a great way to get a bit of the food and also brighten someone's else's day!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on March 10, 2020, 04:31:12 AM
    Dropped off 125 items at the consignment sale for this season.  I still have like 4 boxes for the fall, but I'm thinking that unless some boxes of baby clothes shows up (it's very possible) that the fall will be the last sale I participate in, at least as a seller.

    Donated 3 boxes of random household stuff to the thrift store.  Figured out that...someone...in my house has been removing items from the donate box.  You know, things that no one has touched in years that are suddenly super interesting.  Le sigh.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 10, 2020, 05:48:52 AM
    Couple of empty glass jars, that have been in the kitchen cabinets forever,  into the recycling.

    Two grocery size plastic bags of old clothes to donation.

    A few old letters and cards from the 1980's into the recycling.



     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 10, 2020, 06:21:52 AM
    Fancy work clothes that are not me.....gone
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on March 10, 2020, 06:27:53 AM
    2 cars, sold. 1 trailer, sold. 1 pull up bar (over the door) sold. 1 generator, sold. Pile of exercise equipment, given away.

    Full dump load taken to the dump.

    Much boat stuff moved out of the garage to the storage unit (yes, I know - temporary stashing spot closer by 3 hours to the boat).

    Garage starting to look less like an overstuffed burrito and more like a place someone could actually put (gasp) cars.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: DrinkCoffeeStackMoney on March 10, 2020, 11:58:40 AM
    I've been a collector since childhood but I'm at a point (mid-40's) where I no longer have a desire to own everything and I'm finally letting things go.
    Since Christmas 2019 I've sold about $3k worth of stuff, with tons more to go.
    I also just dumped a big stack of old auction catalogs in the recycle bin at work this morning.

    Although I'm in the early stages, the purge has been far easier than I imagined.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ZsaZsa on March 12, 2020, 06:14:43 PM
    Have been lurking for some time...and recently started trying to clear out the hidden hoard of clutter behind every door. Have recycled a truckload of glass bottles and cardboard, recycled cans for $5 (small deposit in vacay fund), sold doll on ebay for $40 (bigger deposit!), sent large bag of clothes to Thred Up (many with tags still on...color me embarrassed), took 2 boxes of assorted  Christmas decorations to Goodwill, picked up a storms worth of sticks for kindling, and rounded up some pretty jars with lids that I'm using to prepare overnight oats for myself and Mr. ZZ.
    On the other hand...I bought a copy of the Complete Tightwad Gazette (which I read and loved many, many moons ago) for $7! Mustachian inspiration...priceless.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 13, 2020, 09:50:29 AM
    Another melamine bookcase gone, plus some paint and a pile of books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 14, 2020, 07:31:13 PM
    It's getting lighter outside. I am getting antsy. But it's too cold/early still for outdoor work. Solution? My bedroom! I'm going to paint it (a long, painful process to undo bad DIY paint jobs and do it properly).

    Moved the litterbox from the back bedroom into the book room. Cleaned the back bedroom. Moved all the furniture from my bedroom to the back bedroom. Can now start work on the bedroom whenever.

    In the process, a box of stuff was gathered to go away. Said items have been bagged and are sitting by the front door to go to the thrift store. I will put them in the car. They may sit there for a month due to the virus, but they will at least be out of my way.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 16, 2020, 10:57:33 AM
    Fastidiously poring over a bag of old letters. Putting 95% of them into the recycle bag, saving 5% for sentimental reasons. Will waste gas driving to the recycle place later today to toss the bagful. Have to get out of the house! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 16, 2020, 11:04:15 AM
    Dropped off an area rug, more books, odds and ends for donation this morning.  An entire back seat of a car's worth.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 17, 2020, 02:12:38 PM
    I am going to be in 14 days of quarantine when I get home from vacation.  I am going to town on the kids' and my closets.  Right now I am burning through watercolour paper and my sketch book - vacation perfection.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 21, 2020, 11:19:44 AM
    Since we are being urged to stay home if possible, I am home a lot and bored! Therefore decluttering seems more interesting than usual.

    I'm currently attacking another bag of old letters, cards, receipts, etc that was in a closet.  Putting most of it in a recycling bag, saving some stuff that *might* be a collectors item somewhere, to someone, for some price, ha ha.   

    I hope the curbside recycling folks come by, as usual, this Monday. If they cancel it due to the CV19 thing, I guess I can just stuff the bag-o-papers somewhere until later.       

    Also, with all this time on my hands, I looked over my records of last year's rummage sales. Man, I got rid of a LOT of stuff! And, made a modest amount of cash doing so.    That's uplifting.  I'm already looking forward to another season of rummage sales. I've encountered a LOT of stuff in my decluttering this winter that I have set aside, to sell this Spring, Summer, and Fall.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 21, 2020, 08:31:48 PM
    @slackmax my area is under a Shelter in Place order...trash pickup is considered essential and will continue throughout the lockdown period.

    Also considered essential: haz mat drop off center.  The folks there were really good at keeping the 6' distance.  So I got rid of a gallon of paint.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 21, 2020, 09:02:48 PM
    We used the shelter in place timing to also clean our kids rooms. We got rid of a tremendous amount of garbage, recycling, & donations. I'd say 4-5 garbage bags in all.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 22, 2020, 08:01:42 PM
    Not me, but heard my aunt and uncle cleaned out their attic while stuck inside. 30+ years in the house. Filled up their trash & recycling several times over, plus a hefty load of stuff for donation.  Hehe. Now, if only my parents would get some similar inspiration!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 23, 2020, 08:27:59 AM
    @slackmax my area is under a Shelter in Place order...trash pickup is considered essential and will continue throughout the lockdown period.

    Also considered essential: haz mat drop off center.  The folks there were really good at keeping the 6' distance.  So I got rid of a gallon of paint.

    Oneday,  the recycling folks did indeed come by today and picked up, so I got rid of another 10 pounds or so of  old paper statements, receipts, etc.  The recycling folks were not wearing masks. Interesting. They had gloves on, but they always do.

     OK, I'll bask in the accomplishment for a half a day, then look back into the tightly packed closet-o-clutter again, ha ha.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 23, 2020, 11:01:43 AM
    A large construction bag is getting fuller.  Right now my house is a complete disaster but it is going to get better.

    BTW does removing 50 year old carpet and underlay count for decluttering?  What about if there are a bunch of cigarette buts in the corners? In both rooms? Disgusting.  I am sure the house smells better. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mm1970 on March 23, 2020, 02:32:18 PM
    We are also decluttering/ spring cleaning.  Were going to do that anyway.  In any event, there's no place to donate the stuff, so we need to stash it for awhile.  (Right now it's kid's clothing in good condition, books, toys). So far no trash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 24, 2020, 01:13:45 AM
    We have been spurred into doing a pantry clean-up and re-org, with secondary supplies being moved to the basement shelves. Suddenly it's much easier to find things. Next step - the spice drawer!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 24, 2020, 07:52:42 AM
    We are digging deep into the freezer.

    Last night I made strawberry sauce for vanilla ice cream with frozen berries from probably 2018.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 25, 2020, 08:13:49 AM
    No one is accepting donations, but I'm considering this decluttering, given we've moved everything to our donation bin in in our house. When things are back up & running, we'll move them out of the house:

    -Got rid of three bags we don't need
    -Donating N95 masks we found (from the wildfires) to the local hospital. These will actually be picked up today
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 25, 2020, 10:17:50 AM
    Cooked some egg noodles from the Precambrian or Mesozoic epoch. Not bad. More space in cupboard now.

    Edit to add:  Accidentally broke a wine glass recently. No sadness. More space in cupboard!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 25, 2020, 10:41:13 AM
    I'm getting some interest from FB Marketplace again.  So far I have sold 6 items through no-interaction porch pickup (with $ bills quarantined).  Feels good to continue getting things out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on March 25, 2020, 02:01:40 PM
    Recently:

    ~Dropped a small box of misc items and a portable mini bar off at Goodwill a few Saturday's ago.
    ~Gave my sister a few magazines.  The subscriptions have been whittled down to very few.  Yay!
    ~Tossed a few more (clean) pairs of holey socks into the rag pile.
    ~Per my request, I received a wall mounted clothes air dryer for my birthday, and DH broke down my very old, wooden one to reuse in his various hobbies.  I am very proud of him!
    ~Dropping off the novelty buttons I never wore to a friend tonight after work.  Hope she can sell them at her store, or at the very least, given them to her teenage daughter.
    ~Going to re-gift several items to a neighbor's teenager next month for her birthday.  I won't use the unicorn slippers given to me last month for mine.  ;)
    ~Working on another stack of egg cartons to forward to someone.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on March 26, 2020, 12:02:37 AM
    Husband decluttered the little cupboard above the rangehood so he could store all his delicious home made tomato relish. So a bag of dead batteries will go to recycling, a leaky torch was binned and 2 more torches will be donated. We have a lot of torches, it seems!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on March 26, 2020, 11:46:05 AM
    Re-arranged cabinets this morning to allow for better visibility (the more we can eat down our pantry, the fewer trips to the market during this time of social distancing). Three nut mixes long-expired tossed (biting into a rancid nut mix is one experience I don't want to relive). Itemized one-off items (seminola flour!) to try and use up during this period of WFH.

    We have a pile of books, both adult and child, for the Little Free Library at our park. The organization has posted guidelines for best practices in sharing here: https://littlefreelibrary.org/best-practices-at-little-free-libraries-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/ but as ours is in a park, we're just going to hold our items until the pandemic dies down and we feel comfortable sharing materials again.

    We bought a giant box of #2 diapers, and a week later daycare requested #3s. Since we've had the kids a home, we're able to use up those #2s!

    Slowly moving through our amassed art supplies & construction paper (keeping that toddler busy while we both try to WFH).

    Not bringing anything new in (except groceries, cleaning supplies as necessary, and dog food).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 26, 2020, 11:48:58 AM
    My 14 y.o. son's bedroom is my current office. When I'm in a listening (vs talking) call & my camera is off, have been decluttering. Found two team jerseys that need to be returned to the school (sports are cancelled) post shelter in place. Discovered a two small pair of shorts, and a tshirt he doesn't wear. Plus a long missing sock. All are returned to their rightful spot.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 29, 2020, 12:45:22 PM
    Spent a good hour and a half with DH going through boxes in the library/office.  Most of the stuff stayed, but we did trash a good amount of stuff, pulled some more to donate, and found homes for most of the remainder.  Two full boxes removed from the library and we know what's in the remaining boxes and where it is meant to go once we have the shelves built.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 02, 2020, 07:10:44 PM
    Both of the rummage sale (car boot sale) places I use are NOT OPENING this year until May at the earliest, due to this virus scenario. Arggghhh! I don't even know if the Salvation Army store is currently accepting anything.   Who'dathunk it, eh?   

    I'm gonna have to content myself with finding stuff I can throw out, or put in the curbside recycling.           
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meghan88 on April 06, 2020, 03:38:50 PM
    I cleaned and organized all our closets yesterday.  I'd been meaning to do it since we moved here last July, when we threw things in just to get them out of way.  Next up:  kitchen cabinets.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 06, 2020, 06:00:33 PM
    I went through the linen closet and gathered a garbage bag of stuff.  Kids are being ruthless about the stuff they are moving back into their bedrooms. 
    When we can donate this stuff - it is going to be huge.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 07, 2020, 08:07:45 AM
    Got about 10 pounds of old letters, cards, receipts, photos of  people I don't know,
    work records, etc into the curbside recycling. Watched with satisfaction and relief as they took those worries away.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 07, 2020, 09:44:12 AM
    Went through a built in dresser in our bedroom, and got rid of a bunch of old orders & papers. Put them into the recycle pile & organized what was left that we need to keep
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on April 07, 2020, 01:41:25 PM
    Both of the rummage sale (car boot sale) places I use are NOT OPENING this year until May at the earliest, due to this virus scenario. Arggghhh! I don't even know if the Salvation Army store is currently accepting anything.   Who'dathunk it, eh?   

    I'm gonna have to content myself with finding stuff I can throw out, or put in the curbside recycling.           

    Do you have clothing donation bins around your town?  If they aren’t full, you could still get rid of some clothes, since they’re not really worth selling anyway.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on April 08, 2020, 02:09:31 PM
    The family has been getting a bit bored, so we play a boardgame together a few times a week.
    Last night I created a matching game, got all of the pieces out on the dining room, called them to grab a drink and come play.

    I had the whole family matching socks.  Yep.  For over 30 minutes.

     Every sock I could find from every sofa, under furniture, hidey hole, drawer, laundry basket, gym bag was washed (if needed) and added to the the dining table pile.   My son has a habit of taking off his socks at random rooms, and the dog will steal them, and some get mixed up into another person's drawer or lost at sleepovers.  I went back for the "expansion pack" from the dryer. There were even quite a few single socks that were never ours to begin with. (!!)

    Family did not like my calling it a new game that I had invented, though.

    Threw out a giant grocery bag's worth of worn out and single socks today.   Haven't done that in three years, so much nicer to have everyone involved.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on April 08, 2020, 02:38:54 PM
    The family has been getting a bit bored, so we play a boardgame together a few times a week.
    Last night I created a matching game, got all of the pieces out on the dining room, called them to grab a drink and come play.

    I had the whole family matching socks.  Yep.  For over 30 minutes.

     Every sock I could find from every sofa, under furniture, hidey hole, drawer, laundry basket, gym bag was washed (if needed) and added to the the dining table pile.   My son has a habit of taking off his socks at random rooms, and the dog will steal them, and some get mixed up into another person's drawer or lost at sleepovers.  I went back for the "expansion pack" from the dryer. There were even quite a few single socks that were never ours to begin with. (!!)

    Family did not like my calling it a new game that I had invented, though.

    Threw out a giant grocery bag's worth of worn out and single socks today.   Haven't done that in three years, so much nicer to have everyone involved.

    It is kind of hard to imagine the amount of socks it can take a family over 30 minutes to sort out. I started to buy only black socks a couple of years ago so when one sock gets a hole I can pair it with another single one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 08, 2020, 02:43:05 PM
    @Goldielocks - Your family are good sports that you had them for 30 minutes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 08, 2020, 02:49:03 PM
    @Goldielocks - Your family are good sports that you had them for 30 minutes.

    Goldilocks is a good sport for putting up with everyone's unmatched socks for so long.

    It sounds like everyone should be doing their own laundry and being responsible for their own socks.  Think of the free time Goldielocks would have !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 08, 2020, 03:03:52 PM
    My kids have stopped wearing matching socks.  It's a trend in the neighbourhood.  Saves a lot of time
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on April 08, 2020, 08:50:41 PM
    The family has been getting a bit bored, so we play a boardgame together a few times a week.
    Last night I created a matching game, got all of the pieces out on the dining room, called them to grab a drink and come play.

    I had the whole family matching socks.  Yep.  For over 30 minutes.

     Every sock I could find from every sofa, under furniture, hidey hole, drawer, laundry basket, gym bag was washed (if needed) and added to the the dining table pile.   My son has a habit of taking off his socks at random rooms, and the dog will steal them, and some get mixed up into another person's drawer or lost at sleepovers.  I went back for the "expansion pack" from the dryer. There were even quite a few single socks that were never ours to begin with. (!!)

    Family did not like my calling it a new game that I had invented, though.

    Threw out a giant grocery bag's worth of worn out and single socks today.   Haven't done that in three years, so much nicer to have everyone involved.

    I have a feeling the sock matching game may become part of your family lore - coming up at thanksgiving and other holidays as a “remember when...”
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireLane on April 09, 2020, 10:56:31 AM
    I should have found this thread earlier! I made a new year's resolution to purge all the old junk in my attic, and I'm finally getting around to it this week.

    I have boxes and boxes full of old books. Powell's has a book buyback program, so I got a barcode scanner app on my phone, captured the ISBNs and uploaded them to the Powell's website. They wanted about ten of them. They e-mailed me a prepaid shipping label, plus I get a few bucks in store credit. I'll ship those later this week.

    Of the fifty or sixty books they didn't want, some were out-of-date college textbooks or paperbacks that are too old and battered to resell. I filled up a big box with those and carried it out to the recycling bin today. The books that are in good condition and that someone might want, I'll donate to the library or thrift store.

    I have at least one or two more rounds of book purging to go. Next, I have to tackle all our boxes of baby stuff.

    I haven't made a lot of progress with the books, but I'm doing well with everything else. I've consolidated several boxes of old papers and photos, and sorted through some boxes of old clothes. I threw out some that had stains or holes and made a collection of others to give away.

    There's a swap meet in my neighborhood next week and I'm hoping I can give away a lot of these, especially the kids' clothes that my son has outgrown. Whatever doesn't get taken, I'll drop off at the thrift store.

    Well, obviously the swap meet was canceled because of COVID-19, so I have some boxes stuffed with old clothes that still need a new home.

    But other than that, I've been making progress. Thanks to working from home, I've had more time to tackle the attic cleanout. I've done a pretty thorough reorganization of my books and made a box of the ones to sell, trade or give away. I've also gone through most of my old financial records and recycled the ones I no longer have any reason to hold onto.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 09, 2020, 11:28:12 AM
    I've been doing one non-standard chore a day, and listing one item on eBay per day. As you can imagine, those things go well together, as many of the chores are really organizing a cupboard or a drawer. I also am then decluttering, tossing, recycling anything we don't need.

    The eBay sales are super slow, but like a little drip. Plus, they force me to walk to the corner mailbox, so guaranteed steps on days when I really need that!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 09, 2020, 11:59:42 PM
    The family has been getting a bit bored, so we play a boardgame together a few times a week.
    Last night I created a matching game, got all of the pieces out on the dining room, called them to grab a drink and come play.

    I had the whole family matching socks.  Yep.  For over 30 minutes.

     Every sock I could find from every sofa, under furniture, hidey hole, drawer, laundry basket, gym bag was washed (if needed) and added to the the dining table pile.   My son has a habit of taking off his socks at random rooms, and the dog will steal them, and some get mixed up into another person's drawer or lost at sleepovers.  I went back for the "expansion pack" from the dryer. There were even quite a few single socks that were never ours to begin with. (!!)

    Family did not like my calling it a new game that I had invented, though.

    Threw out a giant grocery bag's worth of worn out and single socks today.   Haven't done that in three years, so much nicer to have everyone involved.

    *Love* this family bonding!  Might even be a family story for years to come.  Or you could institute an annual game day!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 10, 2020, 04:39:59 PM
    We are a family of de-cluttering machines for little blitzes throughout the day.  I pronounced that I wanted the living room free of all the stuff for Easter.  A pile is accumulating in the basement and garage, but order is returning to the living room - and the front hall and the dining room.

    It is so nice to start to get my house back.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marbles4 on April 10, 2020, 06:02:24 PM
    The family has been getting a bit bored, so we play a boardgame together a few times a week.
    Last night I created a matching game, got all of the pieces out on the dining room, called them to grab a drink and come play.

    I had the whole family matching socks.  Yep.  For over 30 minutes.

     Every sock I could find from every sofa, under furniture, hidey hole, drawer, laundry basket, gym bag was washed (if needed) and added to the the dining table pile.   My son has a habit of taking off his socks at random rooms, and the dog will steal them, and some get mixed up into another person's drawer or lost at sleepovers.  I went back for the "expansion pack" from the dryer. There were even quite a few single socks that were never ours to begin with. (!!)

    Family did not like my calling it a new game that I had invented, though.

    Threw out a giant grocery bag's worth of worn out and single socks today.   Haven't done that in three years, so much nicer to have everyone involved.

    I'm totally stealing this!

    What is it with these socks in random rooms? Every! DAY!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 11, 2020, 06:24:11 PM
    Used up some art supplies and put the scraps in the recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 13, 2020, 05:52:15 PM
    I've been doing one non-standard chore a day, and listing one item on eBay per day. As you can imagine, those things go well together, as many of the chores are really organizing a cupboard or a drawer. I also am then decluttering, tossing, recycling anything we don't need.

    The eBay sales are super slow, but like a little drip. Plus, they force me to walk to the corner mailbox, so guaranteed steps on days when I really need that!

    Keeping this up. Went through my coat closet, and found two items to list. Sold another two items over the past few weeks, including a Christmas ornament?!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBCB on April 14, 2020, 06:07:58 AM
    Decluttered seed packets today.  About 10 I won't use will go to the office tomorrow, used up all the seed in about 5 more and tossed a couple that were too old to have good viability.

    About how old are seeds when they are no longer viable?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on April 14, 2020, 06:25:34 AM
    Today I gave away the smallest item ever, a small envelope with flower seeds that I will never use, to a friend. I didn't buy, I received it as an unwanted gift.

    We have been cleaning up after the flooding in the basement, and during Easter we made some extra effort. I looked through my books, found one to let go, and the ones I am sure I will keep, I put in a small box. Then I put about 10 that I may not want to bring if I move on a bookshelf next to my bed, so I can look through them and decide.

    The book to let go ended up in another small box, with two over-the-door hangers made of fabric 8the ones w/many small compartments/pockets. They are very practical but I don't use them and they are ugly colours in my opinion. So why do I keep them??? :-)

    There is a chance that we will move during 2nd half of 2020 (DH probably wants a divorce but he also is not communicating). I am looking at my things with this in mind "do I want to bring it to my new home when I move?". I will move from a house to an apartment, so it will be a different type of living, and of course, much smaller. I really don't want to leave the house for other reasons, but I do feel absolutely ok about the downsizing. I will probably go for good location, and well enough space for my kids, but not too expensive, meaning I will have little space for myself and my things, but I see that as a fun challenge. I know I will be able to keep things in order much better (DH is a packrat but absolutely refuses to admit this, he is in for a rude awakening).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on April 14, 2020, 08:00:59 AM
    Good for you, Linnea, for having a positive attitude.  I think that will go a long way in what may be a big transition for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on April 14, 2020, 08:18:30 AM
    1. Took a batch of books to our free library down the street.
    2. Moved some of our youngest's small clothes to a box for my sister (she's due with her first in October). I'll hand that over when I see her next, along with some other baby items the littlest will have outgrown.
    3. Somehow I've ended up with 3-4 large candles that are generally too pungent for us (I'm *super* particular about candles and cadle scents, not least of which is because the hubs doesn't like 'smelly' things; we generally ask for 1-2 locally made in a specific scent for Christmas, which last the year, but my MIL reads this as "CANDLES! ANY CANDLES!"). Instead of glaring at them every time I open our desk, I'm posting the burned-only-once candles on my parents group (for free--just take them) and I'm begrudgingly using a halfway-gone one up while we're sheltering in place.
    4. Oldest is continuing to use up art supplies. We're planning a "gallery showing" with family this weekend via FaceTime. We'll dress up and eat some finger foods (including pizza rolls because my hubs is a 12 year old and I let him grocery shop unsupervised through this...)
    5. Finally hung art that has been sitting on the floor for 5+ years (and through at least one move!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 14, 2020, 01:31:01 PM
    Decluttered seed packets today.  About 10 I won't use will go to the office tomorrow, used up all the seed in about 5 more and tossed a couple that were too old to have good viability.

    About how old are seeds when they are no longer viable?
    It really varies by type.  And how they are stored.  I don't bother saving onion seeds from a previous year, while peas are quite long lasting in my experience.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 14, 2020, 07:26:08 PM
    Decluttered seed packets today.  About 10 I won't use will go to the office tomorrow, used up all the seed in about 5 more and tossed a couple that were too old to have good viability.

    About how old are seeds when they are no longer viable?
    It really varies by type.  And how they are stored.  I don't bother saving onion seeds from a previous year, while peas are quite long lasting in my experience.

    Tomatoes 5 years, peppers barely a year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 15, 2020, 06:09:48 AM
    Decluttered seed packets today.  About 10 I won't use will go to the office tomorrow, used up all the seed in about 5 more and tossed a couple that were too old to have good viability.

    About how old are seeds when they are no longer viable?
    It really varies by type.  And how they are stored.  I don't bother saving onion seeds from a previous year, while peas are quite long lasting in my experience.

    Tomatoes 5 years, peppers barely a year.

    I just got decent germination from some 6 year old pole beans.  The bush beans were dead, though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 15, 2020, 05:09:21 PM
    With seeds, I like to do a germination test before I toss them. Put a few in a wet paper towel and wait to see if they sprout. Then you can determine if they're worth keeping.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on April 16, 2020, 12:43:08 PM
    With the stay at home orders from my work, I've moved into my old home office that had pretty much become a storage area for junk.  I did a cursory cleaning to be able to set up, take conference calls and Webex's and print stuff out.  Every time I leave, I quickly find something to throw in the paper recycle bag or into the trash.  OMG the crayons!  We must have single handedly paid out dividends to Crayola investors Paperwork from flex spending accounts from 1997?  No, I don't think I need those anymore.  Anyone want a case of 3 1/2 inch floppies?  I've got 2.  Repair manual for first generation Dodge Neon?  Uh.....  Lots and lots of tiny plastic toys (my youngest is 19).  Matchbox/hot wheel cars by the pound.  I'll have to ask my wife before tossing old records her dad gave her.  We haven't had a turntable in at least 15 years and I gave all my albums to a guy at work whose brother makes a living going to flea markets. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on April 16, 2020, 01:05:54 PM
    With the stay at home orders from my work, I've moved into my old home office that had pretty much become a storage area for junk.  I did a cursory cleaning to be able to set up, take conference calls and Webex's and print stuff out.  Every time I leave, I quickly find something to throw in the paper recycle bag or into the trash.  OMG the crayons!  We must have single handedly paid out dividends to Crayola investors Paperwork from flex spending accounts from 1997?  No, I don't think I need those anymore.  Anyone want a case of 3 1/2 inch floppies?  I've got 2.  Repair manual for first generation Dodge Neon?  Uh.....  Lots and lots of tiny plastic toys (my youngest is 19).  Matchbox/hot wheel cars by the pound.  I'll have to ask my wife before tossing old records her dad gave her.  We haven't had a turntable in at least 15 years and I gave all my albums to a guy at work whose brother makes a living going to flea markets.

    It is interesting to see how much decluttering the pandemic have resulted in. Two of my colleagues have mentioned doing decluttering. The older of them said that he was surprised of all the junk that they had in their home and the stuff that they found. The recycling centers are getting a lot more carloads of stuff these days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on April 16, 2020, 01:12:37 PM
    With the stay at home orders from my work, I've moved into my old home office that had pretty much become a storage area for junk.  I did a cursory cleaning to be able to set up, take conference calls and Webex's and print stuff out.  Every time I leave, I quickly find something to throw in the paper recycle bag or into the trash.  OMG the crayons!  We must have single handedly paid out dividends to Crayola investors Paperwork from flex spending accounts from 1997?  No, I don't think I need those anymore.  Anyone want a case of 3 1/2 inch floppies?  I've got 2.  Repair manual for first generation Dodge Neon?  Uh.....  Lots and lots of tiny plastic toys (my youngest is 19).  Matchbox/hot wheel cars by the pound.  I'll have to ask my wife before tossing old records her dad gave her.  We haven't had a turntable in at least 15 years and I gave all my albums to a guy at work whose brother makes a living going to flea markets.

    It is interesting to see how much decluttering the pandemic have resulted in. Two of my colleagues have mentioned doing decluttering. The older of them said that he was surprised of all the junk that they had in their home and the stuff that they found. The recycling centers are getting a lot more carloads of stuff these days.
    Our recycling centres are closed during lockdown.  They will be very busy when they re-open, I expect.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on April 16, 2020, 04:56:56 PM
    With the stay at home orders from my work, I've moved into my old home office that had pretty much become a storage area for junk.  I did a cursory cleaning to be able to set up, take conference calls and Webex's and print stuff out.  Every time I leave, I quickly find something to throw in the paper recycle bag or into the trash.  OMG the crayons!  We must have single handedly paid out dividends to Crayola investors Paperwork from flex spending accounts from 1997?  No, I don't think I need those anymore.  Anyone want a case of 3 1/2 inch floppies?  I've got 2.  Repair manual for first generation Dodge Neon?  Uh.....  Lots and lots of tiny plastic toys (my youngest is 19).  Matchbox/hot wheel cars by the pound.  I'll have to ask my wife before tossing old records her dad gave her.  We haven't had a turntable in at least 15 years and I gave all my albums to a guy at work whose brother makes a living going to flea markets.
    Our recycling centres are closed during lockdown.  They will be very busy when they re-open, I expect.
    It is interesting to see how much decluttering the pandemic have resulted in. Two of my colleagues have mentioned doing decluttering. The older of them said that he was surprised of all the junk that they had in their home and the stuff that they found. The recycling centers are getting a lot more carloads of stuff these days.

    We found a bag under a bed when we moved it to make up an office space for my wife.  The bag contained cooking equipment, plastics bowls and measuring cups and so on, that my daughter was given by her step-grandmother two Christmas' ago.  My daughter lives a long way interstate, and had travelled with only hand luggage for Christmas, so it stayed with us until she needed it.  I found it and posted it to her yesterday.  $15 for the postage, but it should make an interesting surprise for her when it turns up.  A very late Christmas present.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on April 17, 2020, 01:22:06 PM
    @Goldielocks - Your family are good sports that you had them for 30 minutes.
    There was lots of teasing, joking and throwing socks around.  And then the dog started to steal socks that fell to the floor.

    Imagine an 8 person dining room table filled with unmatched socks 2-3 deep.
    ------------------
    Funny thing is that everyone does their own laundry, separately.

    What happens is that if someone is out of socks, they will steal some from another person's drawer.  After laundry comes out of the dryer, it is usually put on the counter unfolded so the next person can use the dryer, then it gets a bit mixed up between persons, and the socks get put into the wrong person's room when they take their things away to fold (or not fold).  Unclaimed single socks left behind (if not just tossed in a heap of clean laundry back into their room) will be put into a basket in the laundry room by me, after a week or two.   I try not to care about their laundry habits as long as they are clean.

    Two of them have zero cares about wearing mismatched socks, or actively think that it looks good (!), and the third likes the matching sock look, but not enough to be bothered to match.  One person actively throws out single socks  as soon as a hole develops, without looking for a match to toss, too, because socks are usually bought in quantities greater than 1 pair. Apparently sleep overs are the originator of many missing socks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on April 20, 2020, 04:27:49 AM
    Disinfectant wipes from overseas are very popular. I posted and sold two unopened packages, making enough to cover the packages that I kept for myself. Also sold a bed railing that DD had outgrown.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 20, 2020, 06:11:18 AM
    I keep finding things to put into the give away pile downstairs.  As soon as May rolls around, I will relocate the pile into neat boxes in the garage under a tarp until I can donate them.  Local charities were overwhelmed at Christmas with Marie Kondo de-cluttering.  When they re-open around here it is going to be double that - everyone I know is tidying right now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 20, 2020, 08:12:02 AM
    I've been doing one non-standard chore a day, and listing one item on eBay per day. As you can imagine, those things go well together, as many of the chores are really organizing a cupboard or a drawer. I also am then decluttering, tossing, recycling anything we don't need.

    The eBay sales are super slow, but like a little drip. Plus, they force me to walk to the corner mailbox, so guaranteed steps on days when I really need that!

    Still keeping this up. We've sold so many random things. (We've put 10x that in the donation, garbage or recycle piles.) Every day I try to organize or clean something. A few days a week I'm working outside, which needs significantly more help than the inside. We bought our house 3 years ago, and the previous owners had tons of high maintenance plants. We cancelled the yard service (weekly) & have been attempting to keep up on our own. Clearly, we've failed. I could spend daily quarantine time on the yard & never catch up. Similar to the house, we actually need a full yard reboot. We need to rip out the majority of the plants, put in zero maintenance drought resistant plants, & save ourselves a bunch of time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 20, 2020, 08:35:29 AM
    I've been doing one non-standard chore a day, and listing one item on eBay per day. As you can imagine, those things go well together, as many of the chores are really organizing a cupboard or a drawer. I also am then decluttering, tossing, recycling anything we don't need.

    The eBay sales are super slow, but like a little drip. Plus, they force me to walk to the corner mailbox, so guaranteed steps on days when I really need that!

    Still keeping this up. We've sold so many random things. (We've put 10x that in the donation, garbage or recycle piles.) Every day I try to organize or clean something. A few days a week I'm working outside, which needs significantly more help than the inside. We bought our house 3 years ago, and the previous owners had tons of high maintenance plants. We cancelled the yard service (weekly) & have been attempting to keep up on our own. Clearly, we've failed. I could spend daily quarantine time on the yard & never catch up. Similar to the house, we actually need a full yard reboot. We need to rip out the majority of the plants, put in zero maintenance drought resistant plants, & save ourselves a bunch of time.

    Just be aware that nothing is zero maintenance. You can get low maintenance, but no matter what you get there will be some work needed. Recommend that you talk to a local nursery, a good one will be able to help you choose low maintenance plants appropriate for your area.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 20, 2020, 08:56:36 AM
    @Sibley - we are looking for something that can easily be handled by a 2x/year yard service (or, us getting out there for a day once a quarter or whatever.) But yes, fair enough. Nothing is truly zero maintenance!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 20, 2020, 11:07:08 AM
    @Sibley - we are looking for something that can easily be handled by a 2x/year yard service (or, us getting out there for a day once a quarter or whatever.) But yes, fair enough. Nothing is truly zero maintenance!

    Weeds?  Weeds take more than 2x/year care. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 20, 2020, 06:37:32 PM
    @RetiredAt63 - as you can gather, we're not super picky about the state of the yard and want the lowest maintenance possible. Understood that weeds grow year round ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 20, 2020, 07:28:52 PM
    @RetiredAt63 - as you can gather, we're not super picky about the state of the yard and want the lowest maintenance possible. Understood that weeds grow year round ;-)

    That is what winter is for - to give gardeners a break from weeding.  But seriously, unless you live in a desert there will be weeds.  Uh, do you live in a desert?  That would make things much easier.   ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on April 21, 2020, 02:24:20 AM
    @RetiredAt63 - as you can gather, we're not super picky about the state of the yard and want the lowest maintenance possible. Understood that weeds grow year round ;-)
    You may never have to weed again if you hoe.  Sharpen your hoe like a knife, keep it sharp like a knife, and anytime anything green shows up that you don't like the look of cut it off with your hoe.  No bending, no pulling.  Just walking around the garden every few days with a hoe in your hand and scraping over any patches of bare earth where weeds can appear.  Before cocktail hour is ideal.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 21, 2020, 10:15:33 AM
    @RetiredAt63 - as you can gather, we're not super picky about the state of the yard and want the lowest maintenance possible. Understood that weeds grow year round ;-)
    You may never have to weed again if you hoe.  Sharpen your hoe like a knife, keep it sharp like a knife, and anytime anything green shows up that you don't like the look of cut it off with your hoe.  No bending, no pulling.  Just walking around the garden every few days with a hoe in your hand and scraping over any patches of bare earth where weeds can appear.  Before cocktail hour is ideal.

    When I answered above I was including hoeing in with other kinds of weeding.  But you are totally right, hoeing does an amazing job, except close to the stems of desired plants.  It is still doing something though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 21, 2020, 10:37:11 AM
    @RetiredAt63 - as you can gather, we're not super picky about the state of the yard and want the lowest maintenance possible. Understood that weeds grow year round ;-)
    You may never have to weed again if you hoe.  Sharpen your hoe like a knife, keep it sharp like a knife, and anytime anything green shows up that you don't like the look of cut it off with your hoe.  No bending, no pulling.  Just walking around the garden every few days with a hoe in your hand and scraping over any patches of bare earth where weeds can appear.  Before cocktail hour is ideal.

    When I answered above I was including hoeing in with other kinds of weeding.  But you are totally right, hoeing does an amazing job, except close to the stems of desired plants.  It is still doing something though.

    No desert, but in a drought area. Many of our neighbors have replaced (most) of their front yards with rockery & things like shrubs. I believe there's actually a financial incentive in doing this, thanks to the drought.

    We have fruits & veggies in pots, and love taking care of that. Weeding just feels like such a waste of time. (Can you tell how I feel about yard work that doesn't yield food? ;-)) I'll definitely look into hoeing!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 21, 2020, 10:40:21 AM
    Weeding aside, I went through & organized all of my jewelry, tossed non matching earrings, etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 21, 2020, 10:23:53 PM
    Got my new eyeglasses in the mail, and promptly used the packaging to ship the old pair off to charity. I checked their website, and they aren't accepting donations. So the package is labeled and ready to go in the mail as soon as they are again. Two items in and two items out...eventually!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on April 24, 2020, 10:27:01 AM
    Sorted out three pair of kids shoes that were too small. One pair is obvious trash, one is give away on local buy nothing, one pair I am unsure of. White sneakers, not perfecly white, but I think they are ok function wise. It's kids shoes so maybe ok.
    One pair of kids snow pants, they will need to go to trash. (I hate throwing away warm clothing, as we have cold winters and I know there are kids that may not have perfectly warm clothing. However, these have small holes on a couple of spots so I can't give them away (my kids had them as extras at pre-school and they were perfectly warm for that).

    I really don't like trashing "still-usable" kids stuff but it needs to look nice, otherwise I can't give it away. I will trash it as fabric recycling though, and hopre it doesn't end up as landfill.

    This quarantine... - everyone is sorting out and decluttering stuff I think. And charities are not open for donations so it is difficult to get rid of stuff. I am trying to get the give-away stuff out of the house though. Need to put up a few give-away ads tonight or tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on April 24, 2020, 01:39:58 PM
    If you clearly show and talk about the holes in the pants or the dirt on the shoes I think that’s ok to give away. If no one wants it in a couple days then you know to recycle. But especially with children’s clothing, it shows wear quickly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 27, 2020, 11:59:48 AM
    Organized a drawer in our kitchen. Found three items to donate, a few items to sell & cleaned everything else.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on April 27, 2020, 01:12:56 PM
    To the Goodwill box:  A small, wire wine rack and tabletop movie theater style popcorn machine, both bought second hand.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Jim Fiction on May 03, 2020, 06:28:03 PM
    Tackled clothing today to kick off spring cleaning/de-cluttering season. DW's car is now filled to the gills with bags to go to goodwill. I strongly considered keeping a bunch of clothes that no longer fit, but that I still liked. I thought I could use them as motivation to shed some pounds. But to be honest I've tried that previously and it hasn't worked, so I decided to cut bait and try something different.

    Plus, I realized that I had way too much anyways and several items hadn't been worn in years so it was time to go. When I do shed the weight, I can be more thoughtful about my clothing purchases and maintain a smaller, better curated wardrobe.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on May 03, 2020, 08:12:09 PM
    We’re not doing any major purging, but I’m doing quite a bit of sewing and making using up supplies. I’ve been able to empty and consolidate a couple boxes. Tonight I got several shipments ready to mail, gifts and items sold. Very satisfying.

    I’m still working full time from home so no extra time on my hands but this mental exercise of limiting in person shopping has sparked my creative energy and motivated me to recreate things. What we have can be what we need.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 04, 2020, 03:09:03 PM
    Got rid of a bra on Buy Nothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on May 04, 2020, 03:10:03 PM
    Got rid of a bra on Buy Nothing.

    That's impressive, lol, good job!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 04, 2020, 04:08:14 PM
    It's very new but was too small (it had the wrong tag sewn into it, UGH, so when I tried on a bra of the same type and the right size I grabbed a bunch more and didn't try them all on... my bad). So hopefully it will now do its thing for someone else!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 04, 2020, 04:15:42 PM
    Still doing the daily task of one chore I normally wouldn't do (typically an organization, decluttering chore) & listing one item a day on eBay. We've gotten a ton of junk out of the house, made huge stacks for donation (when open again) & recycling/shredding.

    I continue my battle against the yard, which is its own "clutter". We have ivy everywhere, and in our neighborhood, giant ivy patches hide rats. So, it must go. It also spreads & kills other plants.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on May 05, 2020, 01:17:36 AM
    Got rid of a child bike seat and a bag of clothes. Next project is to clean up DD’s toys.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 05, 2020, 06:55:06 AM
    I have been working on the garden/garage clutter.  Garage loft is looking better.  If it is broken - it needs to be gone.  Garden is looking better. Our grey bin (landfill) is filled to the brim and there is a bag in the garage for next collection.  The recycling bin keeps getting filled - and by filled - tetris packed.  Nothing goes in there without being flattened. 

    We continue to empty the freezer with creative meal combinations.  This lockdown has forced this on us and it is a good thing. Some things are delicious, others, such as freezer burnt kale, is less good.  I tend to put things in a container in the freezer to throw out much later than just except that I will never eat this ever at the moment.

    I did a big run through the fridge this morning.  The chili oil I made last fall and used a couple of times before Christmas was a disgusting mess.  I have learned that I don't make that much salad dressing so I don't need 9 cups of flavoured vinegar.  It will probably be better to just make 5 cups in one cup jars and freeze them so that I only have a one cup container open in the fridge at a time.  I can always use some of the pickle juice in a pinch.

    The pantry still contains a lot of really old food so I am trying to be creative in using it up or just accepting that those really old candied chesnuts that came in food basket three Christmases ago are just a scary thing that no one in this household is brave enough to open.  (except to empty into the compost bin, grey bin the plastic wrapping and blue bin the oversized cardboard box that failed to make us wanna eat those things three Christmases ago)

    I am working on using up my seeds - so I am sharing them with friends.  This is making people very happy.  I am also starting a lot of them early either in the greenhouse or in my basement under grow lights. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 05, 2020, 06:58:30 AM

    I am working on using up my seeds - so I am sharing them with friends.  This is making people very happy.  I am also starting a lot of them early either in the greenhouse or in my basement under grow lights.

    Like me!  So many seeds.  I need to share them too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 05, 2020, 07:52:56 AM

    I am working on using up my seeds - so I am sharing them with friends.  This is making people very happy.  I am also starting a lot of them early either in the greenhouse or in my basement under grow lights.

    Like me!  So many seeds.  I need to share them too.
    Excellent.  I hope you get a good germination rate.  A couple of the slicers were really hit and miss. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 05, 2020, 08:32:06 AM

    I am working on using up my seeds - so I am sharing them with friends.  This is making people very happy.  I am also starting a lot of them early either in the greenhouse or in my basement under grow lights.

    Like me!  So many seeds.  I need to share them too.
    Excellent.  I hope you get a good germination rate.  A couple of the slicers were really hit and miss.

    I'll do my standard "seeds in damp paper towel in the oven" germination. I don't like wasting pot space on seeds that won't come up or come up much later than the others.  You gave me so many different varieties I won't have space for them all, so it will be only the strongest plant for each variety I do grow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on May 06, 2020, 09:56:25 AM
    Need to post to follow this thread. I am finding my MMM forum experience to be kind of blah and I need to start to make some things happen in life and this is the perfect conversation to find some motivation and hustle in.

    Today I matched some socks. This is my least favorite chore of all time. I have a big bag of unmatched boys' socks (I have three sons). I worked through most of them, bagged up the unmatched to go live in the laundry room and that's about it.

    Meanwhile I have several enormous paper monsters that NEED slaying. And I must conquer them once and for all, they have lived in the house for a very long time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on May 06, 2020, 11:16:26 AM
    Solidarity.  I'm shredding house and car insurance paperwork from 2007 as I go through old folders.  No longer have that house, car, or insurance company.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 06, 2020, 12:29:23 PM
    Found an old pair of jeans that I'll never wear again (junior size 6 - I wish) & listed them on eBay. My daily "decluttering" chore continues to be outside, getting rid of ivy.

    Our house is is reasonably decluttered shape. Or, I always think that, right before I discover another cupboard or area that needs another round.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 06, 2020, 12:58:25 PM
    Oh man, if digging up vines counts as decluttering, I am all over my decluttering right now. Freaking morning glory.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 06, 2020, 03:30:59 PM
    @diapasoun - I officially give you permission to include yard decluttering. ;-) With all of my authority as another internet stranger.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 06, 2020, 05:29:48 PM
    @diapasoun - I officially give you permission to include yard decluttering. ;-) With all of my authority as another internet stranger.

    Weeding is definitely decluttering.  We may joke about hangers and socks multiplying while our backs are turned, but the weeds really do!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 06, 2020, 07:04:03 PM
    We continue to work through our ridiculous condiment shelf in the fridge, working out new ways to use up 8 different types of chili pastes and sauces.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 06, 2020, 07:07:44 PM
    Yard decluttering counts! As does attic, garage, basement, and workplace decluttering. (Says an internet stranger)

    I finally put the outgrown booster seat on the curb. I'd been debating donating versus selling, and finally just put it out there. Someone might need it and we definitely don't with two teenagers and a tween.

    I finally gave up on a puzzle that wasn't bringing me joy and boxed it up to return to the friend I borrowed it from. Our library is opening back up on a curbside basis, so I'll finally return all my books. Fines were waived during the lockdown so I've held onto them.

    Need to investigate if local charities are accepting donations so that I can get rid of the bag in the closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 07, 2020, 09:23:16 AM
    Well, if yard decluttering counts, then I am taking credit for the 2 full trash bins of weeds over the past couple weeks. And these are the big residential bins, 95 gallon capacity.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on May 09, 2020, 12:52:07 AM
    The house and sheds are almost completely decluttered and organised, but I have repurposed a 4 drawer white wire shelving unit (destined for the op shop) for my harvested fruit storage. It is perfect as I can put all my apples, quinces and other autumn fruit from my garden and the air will circulate through the holes in the baskets. It is ugly as sin but no one is going to be visiting us to see it in the foreseeable future!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on May 09, 2020, 01:32:59 AM
    Got rid of a child bike seat and a bag of clothes. Next project is to clean up DD’s toys.

    Read the first part of that sentence and thought you'd gone really hard-core on the decluttering!

    Here, I'm working on the out-of-doors.  Like everyone else, things aren't really leaving the property right now, but I am going through them.  Pulled my horse jumps out of the greenhouse today and will take them to the stable tomorrow.  My curmudgeonly side doesn't want to share them with people who will probably abuse them, but they aren't doing any good sitting in the back yard, so I will be more generous and share with my fellow equestrians.  This lead to general clean-up of the greenhouse, moving some things around and decluttering.  The next step is to figure out what to do with the riding mower that the small engine place couldn't seem to figure out how to fix.  Clearly, if it doesn't run it needs to get out of the shop where it's taking up space.  Now to broach the subject with DH.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on May 09, 2020, 03:21:36 AM
    Starting painting of walls and ceiling in the basement on Tuesday (redecorating after a water damage). Need to move some smaller furniture into the laundry room, therefore I need to clear that out to have as much floor space available as possible.
    Some items need to be put away properly, other items need to leave the house for good (thrash or give away). I have sorted out a lot already, just need to put them in two piles in paper bags and boxes and label properly, then put them in the garage.

    Ooh, this means I have to sort out the garage a bit as well... It's not too bad, just need a bit of straightening.

    I'll go start now and report back later today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 11, 2020, 07:00:23 AM
    De cluttered: 

     - I sold a set of Seinfeld Dvd's and a puzzle (for cheap).
     - Gave away a whack of unused flat sheets to people making masks. Got three masks in exchange, so that was great.
     - Sold four kitchen chairs that I had been meaning to fix up, but never got around to. That was a win since they have been listed forever.

    Cluttered:

     - I needed a couple of big pots for my tomato plants, but the only ones I could find used on FB Marketplace came in a lot with a bunch of smaller ones I don't need, so now I have to get rid of those.

    I haven't really felt too motivated to de-clutter lately. Probably covid quarantine fatigue. But now that things are slowly starting to get back to normal, and Spring is springing, hopefully I will feel more motivated.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 11, 2020, 08:32:11 AM
    I had a big de-clutter in my office/studio. 
    I am trying to make it easy to switch between work and play.  Mostly it was debris that had to go. But it freed up a couple of shelves and an entire bin. 
    Some empty bins got pressed into service as containers of "everything needed for X".  That way I can quickly set up to paint or sew and then tidy up to that task.

    The closet is a place of beauty.
    All the printing supplies are in the cupboard under the printers.
    All the sewing supplies are in one place.
    Setting up for a video meeting is super quick.
    I can now paint to online courses.
    I have a number of options for doing virtual meet ups and the background is way less cluttered.

    It feels amazing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on May 11, 2020, 02:08:18 PM
    Of course I forgot to report back...
    Garage turned into a bigger task than expected, there were lots and lots of empty boxes that needed to be cut down, but now the garage looks very neat. I decluttered some chocolate during this task as well :-)

    Today someone from the neighbourhood picked up a large broken toy. I think it is mendable but my kids are too old for it so I haven't bothered to try. I put it up as giveaway on local Facebook group and described the issue clearly. The dad who picked it up was delighted and he was absolutely sure he could mend it easily - just some duct tape and a small piece of pipe. I hope it works as it is almost as new otherwise. So happy to have it out of the house.


    Starting painting of walls and ceiling in the basement on Tuesday (redecorating after a water damage). Need to move some smaller furniture into the laundry room, therefore I need to clear that out to have as much floor space available as possible.
    Some items need to be put away properly, other items need to leave the house for good (thrash or give away). I have sorted out a lot already, just need to put them in two piles in paper bags and boxes and label properly, then put them in the garage.

    Ooh, this means I have to sort out the garage a bit as well... It's not too bad, just need a bit of straightening.

    I'll go start now and report back later today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on May 11, 2020, 02:41:30 PM
    My dresser drawers were back to being difficult to close, and I was tossing items onto the floor to find specific pairs of socks.  My cup runneth over indeed!  I had a specific goal in mind for the drawers.

    ~30 items or so tossed
    ~10-ish items folded neatly into a shopping bag to donate online.  Received an interested party response within two hours.  I'll meet with them later this week.
    ~6 or so pairs of hardly/never worn socks into a separate bag to give to a friend with daughters in need
    ~3 items into the rag pile

    Goal accomplished:  Socks and skivvies in one drawer, bras into the second, and PJs, etc. into the third.  Much better.

    I'll put sweaters and other clothes not worn for yet another winter into the donate box when I have time.

    Mailed off a stack of empty egg cartons and 3 magazines to a friend.  Our Goodwill opened back up, so I'll take the no longer needed small wire wine rack and a few other items later on this week.  More items out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lately on May 11, 2020, 05:28:19 PM

    ~30 items or so tossed

    Goodwill take textile donations in any condition (except wet or contaminated). They recycle textiles that cannot be sold.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 12, 2020, 01:07:46 AM
    I had a big de-clutter in my office/studio. 
    I am trying to make it easy to switch between work and play.  Mostly it was debris that had to go. But it freed up a couple of shelves and an entire bin. 
    Some empty bins got pressed into service as containers of "everything needed for X".  That way I can quickly set up to paint or sew and then tidy up to that task.

    The closet is a place of beauty.
    All the printing supplies are in the cupboard under the printers.
    All the sewing supplies are in one place.
    Setting up for a video meeting is super quick.
    I can now paint to online courses.
    I have a number of options for doing virtual meet ups and the background is way less cluttered.

    It feels amazing.

    Excellent work.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 12, 2020, 01:20:53 AM
    Before Covid closed them, I tried to take some donations to our local place but they officially won't accept books & DVDs now. I understand why, they can't move them anymore, but there were some near new books by decent authors. Maybe they should recycle the Dan Browns and the cookbooks that gather dust. Anyway, there is another charity that does a twice-yearly book sale so I will take them there. It's a pain as the drop off point is not nearby and it's not clear if it's open and these books are just sitting there.

    I got rid of a bedside storage thingo, some spare timber and a window blind in the giveaway groups. I've just got to sell a couple of spare things from our build that we changed our mind about and take the e-waste to the drop off point and I think I'm done again for a little while. I still haven't got my garage set up as I want it but the good news is that there is definitely space to store everything and the vehicles. It's so cool to have the right amount of indoor/outdoor space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 12, 2020, 01:52:54 AM
    We put books and DVDs in street libraries now and they seem to go pretty quick. We had hard rubbish recently but didn't really have anything to put out this time. We've been playing a pretty good forward defense game of not really bringing new things into the house, which I am really enjoying.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 12, 2020, 02:51:01 AM
    Oh yes, of course, the street library. I was going to build one but don't know when that will happen! Until then I will find someone else's for the good ones. And secretly recycle ones that I know noone wants eg guide books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 12, 2020, 08:34:42 AM
    I have been using up scraps of paper for an art course I am doing.  It is lovely have all the materials sorted and the ones I will never use have been passed along.

    I was able to set up in 90 seconds, paint for 20 and tidy up in three minutes. 

    I continue to work on my seed box.  It is now very sorted and I have the next three planting sessions set out.  I am hoping a kid will help me do that tonight.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 12, 2020, 01:18:14 PM
    Oh yes, of course, the street library. I was going to build one but don't know when that will happen! Until then I will find someone else's for the good ones. And secretly recycle ones that I know noone wants eg guide books.

    I work for a library resale shop when things are open. If you ask, they explicitly suggest recycling e.g. guide books over two years old -- basically cut out the binding and then toss in the recycle -- because no one ever ever wants them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Luz on May 12, 2020, 08:27:02 PM
    I converted to minimalism with baby #1 and it was life-changing. I find that decluttering is an on-going process. There's always something to hack away at.

    My June 2020 project will mostly dealing with my digital clutter and papers. I also have a few boxes of hand-me-downs to go through and need to figure out better storage for pandemic bulk items before baby #2 shows up in July. The car could also use a little help (the trunk especially). We're staying in our 1 bedroom apartment through the end of the year, and I'd like things to be as streamlined as possible.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 15, 2020, 08:53:42 PM
    Yesterday:
    -Organized my makeup area. I wear very little makeup (well, none during COVID), but still had a few things that needt to be tossed, and others that could just be better organized
    -Cleaned out our bench area in the garage. Their are shoe cubbies for each of us. Found nearly soccer cleats (x3) that are now outgrown, thanks to the lack of a season this year. Put them aside for a potential resale, if soccer ever happens again. Put hiking boots & water shoes in the closet with other hiking gear. Found another almost near pair of kid shoes that can be resold. They've been worn once, and now outgrown
    -Discovered a convertible skateboard/scooter set that had been used once (it was a birthday gift, I think?) when organizing the sports gear. Cleaned it up, got it listed on our neighborhood swap. A few hours later, it was picked up off our porch, and a neighbor Venmo'd me $30. Win/win!

    I also swept the garage, and it looks so much better. It's funny, I've done at least a pass over most of the house (save for my husband's stuff in the garage), but I still feel like there's always WAY more that can be done!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Luz on May 16, 2020, 05:43:22 PM
    Decluttering feels so very good! My toddler and I went through our entire apartment yesterday and got rid of the excess (to the trunk of the car). Even though things accumulate quickly, it's much easier to declutter after having set up minimalist systems last year. It's been 6 months since I've gone through things. I'll try to do it a little more frequently now that I know it doesn't take much.

    We also found better storage for the food and toiletry items we bought in bulk to last us 6 months. Everything but 1 bag of rice found a home. I'm picking up a box of hand-me-downs for the new baby from the PO today and will go through them all and set up a space for his stuff in the closet. I also need to order some gear for him and my toddler.

    I started going through papers this morning. I have a file folder with current records for the following categories: Finances, Employment/School, House, Medical, and Important Papers. I have an archive file folder with the same categories, but for previous years. I also jot down ideas and lists on paper and have an inbox for those. I use another folder for bills, leaflets, and other paper items that I need to deal with. The plan is to be ruthless about clearing out unnecessary paperwork and put a system in place for keeping it minimal. It tends to pile up and I get overwhelmed.

    I'm on a roll, so I hope to spend this week and the next going through papers and my digital life. The biggest issue is the random notes I jot down on my desktop. Better to jot notes on paper and keep my computer files for more permanent things. After I've done my papers and desktop, I'm going to tackle the car.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on May 16, 2020, 06:36:55 PM
    I decluttered my spice cabinet today while organizing it and putting in my new rack so I can actually see everything.  I got rid of some very old spice blends and a few duplicates where one was much older than the other.  I also had a few mystery spices I had bought in bulk that I no longer knew what they were, haha.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 17, 2020, 09:59:04 AM
    I'm going to count these things as decluttering, which is a stretch. It's just that I am so frustrated lately since all the places I sell the stuff are closed now, as well as the donation sites!

    I replaced 2 wiper blades on my car , and instead of keeping the packaging they came in, and keeping the old wipers (for future reference) I threw it all out!  How daring, right?   lol.

    Also, I have found the occasional paper item I can recycle and into the recycling it goes. Thank God they are still picking up recycling.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on May 17, 2020, 10:03:03 AM
    It counts Slackmax. If you’re like me there was the possibility that you would let the new blades sit unopened and uninstalled for 6 months.  You accomplished. Checked it off the list. And tossed the remains. Satisfying.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 17, 2020, 05:19:01 PM
    In the last couple of days I have gathered up one garbage bag of clothes, and a box of odds & ends.

    I have nice clock that I bought second hand that doesn't work, I was planning to replace the mechanism, but I think I will just toss it. Don't really feel good about donating something that doesn't work.

    Sold a blouse on FB Marketplace for $20. I probably have some other things that I could try to sell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 18, 2020, 10:28:20 AM
    Over the past few days:
    -Massive amount of yard work
    -Went through both boys dressers again. A few things to donate, a few things to sell
    -Organized a drawer in my bathroom. Cleaned out the containers I use to hold various backup supplies (lotion, eye makeup remover, etc) & consolidated a few items
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on May 20, 2020, 03:55:09 PM
    Feeling good that I did something productive today.

    I took a stack of photographs I had set aside during initial decluttering, and went through them today.  Put everything in albums, and even threw away a few more odds and ends from the stack.

    Maybe some accountability will help:  I still have 2 "stacks" left to deal with - some knitting/craft patterns, and a bunch of stuff I want to sell or donate.  Making a goal to address one pile each on Thursday and Friday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on May 21, 2020, 02:17:12 PM
    Feeling good that I did something productive today.

    I took a stack of photographs I had set aside during initial decluttering, and went through them today.  Put everything in albums, and even threw away a few more odds and ends from the stack.

    Maybe some accountability will help:  I still have 2 "stacks" left to deal with - some knitting/craft patterns, and a bunch of stuff I want to sell or donate.  Making a goal to address one pile each on Thursday and Friday.

    Dealt with the knitting/craft pattern pile!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 21, 2020, 06:20:30 PM
    @NotJen you reminded me: I gave some fabric to a friend who is making masks! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 21, 2020, 06:53:02 PM
    @NotJen -- you get all the internet awards for sorting pictures and *actually* putting them in albums!!

    I sold three desks on FB marketplace for only 10% less than I paid for them. Quarantine is the perfect time to sell desks, as they were all snapped up within 24 hours. Saves me returning them to the germy store :) I'll take the loss as a 'not exposing myself to Covid' tax. They had been sitting in my garage still in the boxes since (gulp) October. I decided in November they wouldn't work for what I had planned, then I procrastinated.

    Went through that last drawer of craft supplies and cleaned it OUT. Some of it got neatly organized into its proper places in my craft storage, some of it is bagged for a friend that requested it. Some of it went to trash/recycling, and some of it got used for project pieces that will gradually leave the house. Now that drawer is housing the bedding that was thrown across The Chair. So many wins!

    Now to actually take bag of donations to Goodwill and local charity.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 22, 2020, 05:37:36 AM
    Watched an episode of hoarders, and I am so glad I don't have the emotional disorder they have about junk.

    Anyway, I got some minor decluttering done yesterday.  Read all the old documents, writings, essays, from college days, and Europe backpacking days that I had on the stairway for about 6 months, waiting for a good time to go through it all. I didn't throw anything away, but I did put it all in its own box, and put the box away. 

    Found a few things around to house to throw out.

    Put a ripped T shirt, newly washed, into the rag bag. 

    Still have a lot of stuff I want to sell or donate. Waiting patiently for donation sites and 'car boot' places to open up.   



     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 22, 2020, 10:58:06 AM
    Moved a child sized desk chair to the garage...it is too small for all of us.

    A seat for using in a shower that I had lent my late friend went back to my brother's place where they will store it until another family member can't have a shower standing up.  We now have access to the man door on the side of the garage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on May 22, 2020, 01:23:44 PM
    Donation drop off centre has reopened.  Whoo Hoo.

    DH has taken 3 trailer loads of "stuff" out of his shop and to the dump.

    Things are looking up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 22, 2020, 04:26:32 PM
    Moved a child sized desk chair to the garage...it is too small for all of us.

    A seat for using in a shower that I had lent my late friend went back to my brother's place where they will store it until another family member can't have a shower standing up.  We now have access to the man door on the side of the garage.

    Excellent way to gauge progress!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 23, 2020, 08:23:10 AM
    Filed under 'things you ignore since they've been there forever' :  an old wooden collapsible clothes drying rack fell over during the night. I noticed something was different. Ah, the old clothes rack fell over (a glued joint broke).

    I took the clothes off the top of it (all of it can be donated or maybe sold) and put them somewhere else that takes up less room.

    I thought about throwing out the old rack, but I got it to fold up neatly, and I kept it.

    Now I have a lot more room in that room. Seems way less cluttered. Also found an old dented cardboard box that was propping up the rack. Will recycle it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 23, 2020, 10:04:50 PM
    Dropped off the Goodwill bag, and have the other two donation containers in the car. One isn't accepting clothing items, but the other is just waiting to be on that side of town.

    Tossed five cotton washcloths in the compost bin. They were stained and worn out beyond redemption.

    Returned a borrowed puzzle and am reading a borrowed book to get it back to its owner soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on May 24, 2020, 09:14:26 PM
    Finally returned a borrowed item I had for the last 7 months, and gave them 3 other items to go with it as I did the socially distant drop-off. They had said it was no rush to return, but I was itching to get items out and they did appreciate the bonus items as well.

    Then I bought a little daisy bouquet at the grocery and displayed half in my kitchen and cut the rest of the flowers to fit one each in a dozen mini vases we had for no reason. I left them out for the neighbours with a sign to please take one. They were all gone within about an hour.

    We had internet issues the last few days, so while I waited for the repair person I decided on my analog project - I cut up 4 pieces of clothing (not nice enough to donate, and actually from a goodwill by-the-pound fabric purchase more than a year ago) into strips and crocheted a floor mat for an area where we would have had to buy one this season. The few fabric edges left will get stuffed into a floor cushion in progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on May 25, 2020, 07:59:32 PM
    Our donation centers are still closed, but I've had luck just putting things at the end of the driveway.  This weekend we got rid of an extra office chair that had seen better days, and a bookcase that I had repaired and used in the garage.   I'm trying to pick nice days to put things out so there's a better chance that someone will take them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Jim Fiction on May 26, 2020, 06:38:05 AM
    Pared down my DVD collection this weekend. Have a box ready to be sent to decluttr which will result in $25 coming my way. Another big box is ready to go to Goodwill (ones that decluttr wouldn't take).  Several more boxes were filled that are destined for ebay. Only planning to keep a handful out of hundreds.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 26, 2020, 08:50:59 AM
    Our waste drop off opened today.  The line up is huge. The city is tweeting not to come today. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Luz on May 26, 2020, 01:34:50 PM
    Last week I cleared out the car and found a place for the new baby's things. My toddler climbed out of the crib a couple times over the weekend, so we moved her to a floor bed. I stored quite a few things under her crib and had to get creative about shuffling things around to find them a home. I also found a spot for the crib since the new baby will be in a bassinet the first few months.

    I finished going through my papers. My computer is next. Those two areas are hardest for me to keep under control because I tend to jot down or type my ideas/thoughts to help clarify them. I don't like to throw away the notes because sometimes I need to reference them a few months later when new inspiration strikes.

    The system I came up with is to keep an inbox for my paper notes and use Google Keep for typed notes and just let both be chaotic. I think my problem before was in trying to organize them or integrate them into some type of system. They're a bit too fluid for that. So I'm embracing the messiness and giving them a space of their own.

    Tonight I will tackle Google Docs (by diverting the random notes I have there to Google Keep). I'll also try to come up with a better system for Gmail and Google Photos.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 26, 2020, 05:36:57 PM
    Filed under 'things you ignore since they've been there forever' :  an old wooden collapsible clothes drying rack fell over during the night. I noticed something was different. Ah, the old clothes rack fell over (a glued joint broke).

    I took the clothes off the top of it (all of it can be donated or maybe sold) and put them somewhere else that takes up less room.

    I thought about throwing out the old rack, but I got it to fold up neatly, and I kept it.

    Now I have a lot more room in that room. Seems way less cluttered. Also found an old dented cardboard box that was propping up the rack. Will recycle it. 

    Oh my.  Not noticing things in an overstuffed house is called Clutter Blindness.  Your brain just doesn’t see it after a while.

    So I have to ask - why are you keeping a clothes rack that has already been repaired, but clearly didn’t “take” because it needed a box to hold it up?  Do you actually think you’ll fix it again?  This is hoarder thinking I’m afraid.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 27, 2020, 08:12:30 AM
    Filled another box last night with extra items I had in my kitchen cupboards. Dusted off some decorative knick knacks that I am planning to list on FB Marketplace to see if I can get a few dollars out of them.

    Donation centers are re-opening here. I've had a bad back, but it is nearly better, so perfect timing. This weekend I am planning to drop off a bunch of stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 27, 2020, 01:50:07 PM
    I've been going through areas of the house, which has the double win of decluttering & generating things to list on eBay or donate/toss. I've finally gone through my crystal. Why I even have it is a mystery. I'm a low maintenance entertainer, and the crystal (which, I've never used in 20 years) requires hand washing. Listed it on eBay. Sold a crystal pitcher & a super fancy cheeseboard. Made $165.

    I've been finding that it takes a few rounds in each area to get down to finding everything that needs to go. Just when I think I'm done... I find new things to toss, donate or sell. It's glorious!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 27, 2020, 06:26:22 PM
    Filed under 'things you ignore since they've been there forever' :  an old wooden collapsible clothes drying rack fell over during the night. I noticed something was different. Ah, the old clothes rack fell over (a glued joint broke).

    I took the clothes off the top of it (all of it can be donated or maybe sold) and put them somewhere else that takes up less room.

    I thought about throwing out the old rack, but I got it to fold up neatly, and I kept it.

    Now I have a lot more room in that room. Seems way less cluttered. Also found an old dented cardboard box that was propping up the rack. Will recycle it. 

    Oh my.  Not noticing things in an overstuffed house is called Clutter Blindness.  Your brain just doesn’t see it after a while.

    So I have to ask - why are you keeping a clothes rack that has already been repaired, but clearly didn’t “take” because it needed a box to hold it up?  Do you actually think you’ll fix it again?  This is hoarder thinking I’m afraid.


    A gentle second on the hoarder thinking. If the clothes rack was covered with clothes that can be discarded, and it was broken with a cardboard box propping it up, that's a useless item holding more useless items. Let them go and enjoy that empty space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 28, 2020, 12:06:11 AM
    Gathered the gumption to go through my paper pile again.  Discarded a handful; stored some things in more logical places and have a small stack to go through in the coming days as gumption returns.

    Also finally decided to let go of a bag I haven't used more than a handful of times in the last two years (maybe more).  It's not going to the donation center until the Covid restrictions are loosened, however.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 28, 2020, 07:22:12 AM
    Gave away two old computers to a guy that uses them for parts.

    I've been going through areas of the house, which has the double win of decluttering & generating things to list on eBay or donate/toss. I've finally gone through my crystal. Why I even have it is a mystery. I'm a low maintenance entertainer, and the crystal (which, I've never used in 20 years) requires hand washing. Listed it on eBay. Sold a crystal pitcher & a super fancy cheeseboard. Made $165.

    I've been finding that it takes a few rounds in each area to get down to finding everything that needs to go. Just when I think I'm done... I find new things to toss, donate or sell. It's glorious!

    That's awesome! Found money!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 28, 2020, 09:08:23 AM
    Filed under 'things you ignore since they've been there forever' :  an old wooden collapsible clothes drying rack fell over during the night. I noticed something was different. Ah, the old clothes rack fell over (a glued joint broke).

    I took the clothes off the top of it (all of it can be donated or maybe sold) and put them somewhere else that takes up less room.

    I thought about throwing out the old rack, but I got it to fold up neatly, and I kept it.

    Now I have a lot more room in that room. Seems way less cluttered. Also found an old dented cardboard box that was propping up the rack. Will recycle it. 

    Oh my.  Not noticing things in an overstuffed house is called Clutter Blindness.  Your brain just doesn’t see it after a while.

    So I have to ask - why are you keeping a clothes rack that has already been repaired, but clearly didn’t “take” because it needed a box to hold it up?  Do you actually think you’ll fix it again?  This is hoarder thinking I’m afraid.

    Thanks for the concern,  SunnyDays.  Actually, I noticed after my post that I can repair the rack by tying up the affected joint. Or by regluing. And I can reuse the wood  dowels, maybe in the garden, maybe for some other repair. 

    Yeah, I don't NEED to keep the old rack, but it's not taking up much space folded up.

    Onward to bigger items, lol.   
       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on May 28, 2020, 11:39:46 AM
    Filed under 'things you ignore since they've been there forever' :  an old wooden collapsible clothes drying rack fell over during the night. I noticed something was different. Ah, the old clothes rack fell over (a glued joint broke).

    I took the clothes off the top of it (all of it can be donated or maybe sold) and put them somewhere else that takes up less room.

    I thought about throwing out the old rack, but I got it to fold up neatly, and I kept it.

    Now I have a lot more room in that room. Seems way less cluttered. Also found an old dented cardboard box that was propping up the rack. Will recycle it. 

    Oh my.  Not noticing things in an overstuffed house is called Clutter Blindness.  Your brain just doesn’t see it after a while.

    So I have to ask - why are you keeping a clothes rack that has already been repaired, but clearly didn’t “take” because it needed a box to hold it up?  Do you actually think you’ll fix it again?  This is hoarder thinking I’m afraid.

    Thanks for the concern,  SunnyDays.  Actually, I noticed after my post that I can repair the rack by tying up the affected joint. Or by regluing. And I can reuse the wood  dowels, maybe in the garden, maybe for some other repair. 

    Yeah, I don't NEED to keep the old rack, but it's not taking up much space folded up.

    Onward to bigger items, lol.   
       

    I thought the same thing when I read it.  SM, it may not only be your old girlfriend that had trouble letting things go.  I've noticed you have a pattern of holding for various reasons (to get top dollar, it "might" be useful, it doesn't take up that much space, etc.)  The little things do all add up.

    I challenge you to set a deadline to use it such as by the end of this weekend, or let it go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on May 28, 2020, 11:54:04 AM
    Filed under 'things you ignore since they've been there forever' :  an old wooden collapsible clothes drying rack fell over during the night. I noticed something was different. Ah, the old clothes rack fell over (a glued joint broke).

    I took the clothes off the top of it (all of it can be donated or maybe sold) and put them somewhere else that takes up less room.

    I thought about throwing out the old rack, but I got it to fold up neatly, and I kept it.

    Now I have a lot more room in that room. Seems way less cluttered. Also found an old dented cardboard box that was propping up the rack. Will recycle it. 

    Oh my.  Not noticing things in an overstuffed house is called Clutter Blindness.  Your brain just doesn’t see it after a while.

    So I have to ask - why are you keeping a clothes rack that has already been repaired, but clearly didn’t “take” because it needed a box to hold it up?  Do you actually think you’ll fix it again?  This is hoarder thinking I’m afraid.

    Thanks for the concern,  SunnyDays.  Actually, I noticed after my post that I can repair the rack by tying up the affected joint. Or by regluing. And I can reuse the wood  dowels, maybe in the garden, maybe for some other repair. 

    Yeah, I don't NEED to keep the old rack, but it's not taking up much space folded up.

    Onward to bigger items, lol.   
       

    Along these lines, I received a wall mounted drying rack earlier this year for my birthday, and asked DH to toss the old, wooden one we had for decades.  He didn't, and instead has been using pieces for his various hobbies.  Recycle, reuse, repurpose.  I love it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 28, 2020, 01:34:33 PM
    Oh for sure, reuse when possible, as long as you do reuse items and don’t just keep them “in case” or for “someday.”  Hoarders tend to have big plans for 1001 projects as an excuse to keep things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on May 28, 2020, 04:13:13 PM
    Oh for sure, reuse when possible, as long as you do reuse items and don’t just keep them “in case” or for “someday.”  Hoarders tend to have big plans for 1001 projects as an excuse to keep things.

    Agreed.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on May 30, 2020, 01:36:26 PM
    My husband has finally decided that we will divorce. Not my choice, but I will make the best of it. I have decluttered a lot already, but a lot more needs to be done. I will not bring a lot of crap into my coming apartment.

    Also, I am by choice not taking a lot of "stuff" from our current home. If there are things I don't absolutely need (but want/would be nice to have) and I don't love what we have now, I will not take it with me, but take time to look for something I really like instead. Examples are cheapo Ikea book shelves, I will not take them, I will put the few books I own in a box until I find the right solution. Could be new-to-me lovely old book shelves, could be in a unused kitchen cupboard, who knows? :-)

    This will also help with ex-DH letting my have the few items I really want. Today I asked if I could take a really lovely pot stand that I believe originally comes from his grandma, and he was absolutely fine with that. There are a few things that I really want to keep (big and small, a linen cupboard is another thing) and I will really try to get them, but not much more except for what I really need.

    As you maybe can tell, besides the sadness, I am also really excited to recreate my life. I am so looking forward to this.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 30, 2020, 02:52:50 PM
    @LinneaH - I'm so sorry to hear about the divorce. It sounds like you have a very positive outlook for the future
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 30, 2020, 03:33:12 PM
    @LinneaH  - divorce sucks but sometimes really good things happen after divorce that couldn't happen before.

    The donation center openned - DH loaded up the car and so many bags left the house.  A huge section of the basement and the garage is now empty and spacious again.
    Whoot whoot.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on May 30, 2020, 06:28:54 PM
    I'm sorry to hear about the divorce but hope that you get to remake your life into exactly what you need and desire.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 31, 2020, 01:51:12 AM
    LinneaH, sorry about your divorce. I think the attitude you have towards possessions will serve you well. I spent a lot of time churning through items that reminded me of my ex after my divorce, would have preferred a cleaner break from those memories.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 31, 2020, 07:38:02 AM
    Yesterday i tried on every pair of jeans in my closet. Found one to get rid of. Also found a few more items to sell/donate that the kids have outgrown.

    My son cleaned out his school backpack (we've been in shelter in place since March) & ... that was a gross adventure. It's all cleaned out, and I tossed it into the washing machine. Fingers crossed it can be salvaged. There was food in it that never got tossed. *gag*
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 31, 2020, 09:29:59 AM
    I have almost filled the entire garbage bin.  Old broken hoses that split under pressure, old wires, plant tags, rope, brooms and rotted garden implements.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on May 31, 2020, 10:00:06 AM
    Thank you everyone! I am past most of the sadness, now I am really looking forward and enjoying the planning. I'm choosing to see this as an opportunity. I will not compare my future life with my current life in the house I really love (and would have loved to stay in), as this is no longer possible. Instead I am choosing to make the best of the future; the two options I have is either being miserable and not sort out my life/living conditions in a nice way, or trying my best to make it as good as possible, and I believe this can be a really good life.


    My son cleaned out his school backpack (we've been in shelter in place since March) & ... that was a gross adventure. It's all cleaned out, and I tossed it into the washing machine. Fingers crossed it can be salvaged. There was food in it that never got tossed. *gag*

    Ooh - I feel so sorry for you, sounds rather nasty, yuck!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on June 01, 2020, 03:50:00 AM
    After spending all of quarantine thinking I was going to get all sorts of decluttering done, I finally have something to report!  I went through all the storage areas in my guest room (where I mostly store craft supplies) and found quite a bit to let go - mostly things that have been sitting in bins in the closet since I moved here 5 years ago.  I'm donating some old music books I got secondhand awhile back, a little unused sewing kit, a craft kit where you make a Santa decoration, and some antique metal drinking glasses.  I'm giving away a coloring book to a friend who's a teacher (for her classroom), all my beading supplies to a friend's 12 year old daughter who has an earring-making business, and almost all of my knitting and crocheting supplies and yarn to a friend who wants to learn to knit and crochet and a friend who already does.  I only saved the knitting needles my grandmother gave me and am letting the rest go.  I now have an empty bin and hatbox I can use for other things (TBD as I continue to declutter other rooms).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 01, 2020, 04:58:49 AM
    My goal for this week is to sort through my garden trolley.   The trolley was a gift from my DH on a long ago Mother's day when he would take the kids shopping.   Chipmunks claimed it but I should reclaim it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bogart99 on June 01, 2020, 08:37:50 AM
    Sold my golf clubs this weekend. They were just taking up space and depreciating more every day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 01, 2020, 08:54:19 AM
    The garage is my husband's domain, so not much progress has been made there. I did go through & organize all of the batteries that were scattered across, putting like sizes together. I also threw away 5-6 items that he approved & deemed unnecessary. We mutually agree that we need some sort of shelving solution for the garage. A huge part of the problem is the lack of storage, which leads to chaos.

    Sold a table runner, an old jewelry cleaner, and an unused curtain on eBay over the last two days. Grateful to get them out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on June 01, 2020, 10:17:43 AM
    Sold my car and some old bike shoes/pedals this weekend. Car will be a wash between what I'm getting for it and what we owe but still good to see expenses drop about $500 a month.

    Should decide if i wanna give away my old ski's and boots, nobody is in the market for those currently but I'd rather just have them gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on June 01, 2020, 12:20:56 PM
    Focused on the coat closet over the weekend:
    ~5 pairs of sunglasses are going to a friend
    ~2 shirts went to a neighbor
    ~A pair of never worn shoes is going into the Goodwill box
    ~Put small camping items into a newly emptied basket
    ~I briefly skimmed through other shoes.  Could probably rid of 4 or more pair.  We'll see.

    Also, been purging music cassette tapes:
    ~30 were mailed to a friend Friday
    ~40 or so more will go to a neighbor

    Only a few hundred more to go.  I'll probably end up trying to sell them at a music store which buys second hand music media.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on June 01, 2020, 03:07:57 PM
    Decluttered more paint over the weekend. I got the ceiling completely done and just need to start working on the remaining walls. 1 gallon used up and out in the garbage today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 01, 2020, 04:34:48 PM
    -Found old mismatched socks & reunited them
    -Listed shin guard sleeves on eBay, as my son has never worn them, yet they somehow keep accumulating at our house

    We are almost at the end of the school year, where I will gleefully return all textbooks (via some sort of COVID friendly drop off option from the school), recycle all school papers, and clean up all of the "remote learning" crap that's all over m house. I'm giddy about this
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 01, 2020, 05:22:19 PM
     - Sold a few things ($45 for the travel fund), gave away a few things, it's slow going. Still have way too many clothes, but I am making progress. I am listing a few more things to try to sell. Might as well try to get a few dollars out of them.

    Decided to declutter some electronic bank accounts.
     - Closed a TFSA and there was about $250 more in there than I thought!
     - Another bank that I don't use has a GIC that is maturing in July. I called them today and told them not to automatically renew it. When I get that money I will close that account too, and put the money in Questrade. I used to use it as a business bank account for my side gig, but I don't have any clients any more, so I don't need it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 02, 2020, 11:01:47 AM
    Entire garbage bin got emptied with pick up.  I squeezed in three small bags from the various bins around the house very early this morning before pick up.  It feels so good to get things out of the house.  The bins around the house are filling up faster as I am being decisive when I go to use a pen or marker that doesn't work or a glue stick that is all used up.  I don't know why I just let that garbage pile up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 02, 2020, 11:04:05 AM
    I don't know why I just let that garbage pile up.

    Inertia.  Desire to just complete the task, not get "sidetracked" into dealing with a small problem.  Ask me how I know.   ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 02, 2020, 12:54:23 PM
    I don't know why I just let that garbage pile up.

    Inertia.  Desire to just complete the task, not get "sidetracked" into dealing with a small problem.  Ask me how I know.   ;-)
    aaahhhh
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 02, 2020, 01:45:42 PM
    -Magically sold six items in a day on eBay, which never happens. Got them all packaged & dropped off.
    -Went through my "fitness" tub, which holds a variety of random things. Some got tossed, some were marked for donation, others for selling. A few things were organized back into the areas of the house where they belonged.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on June 05, 2020, 05:49:14 PM
    Gave away two too-small saddle pads to a friend who was very happy to get them.

    Used an extra board to finally give my monitor stand real legs instead of propping it up on mini milk crates.

    Turned a framed print that was destined to be donated, some random cork sheets and a piece of fabric into an attractive cork board for my work from home space.

    Loaded up the junk that's been accumulating on the side of the house and took it all to the dump this afternoon. 

    On Monday I made some progress with burning yard waste in the burn barrel.  I might break down and have a landscaper haul off the rest of the pile though, since it's hard to catch a good weather window to do enough burning.  Or I'll haul it off in a couple batches myself.  After that, our yard will be quite clutter-free.

    I have a few things to put on the curb, but it's supposed to be raining all weekend, so I'll wait until the weather is more hospitable for walkers.  The yard is looking markedly less cluttered.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 05, 2020, 06:24:27 PM
    DH chopped up a rotting play structure that we moved from a neighbours 10 years ago.  They had gotten it from another neighbour.  The ladder was unsafe. The slide might have some life left in it if it was placed on the ground.  There is this huge open space in the now  - it was sitting on the only flat ground in our backyard.

    We are being up the stuff for a dump run - once you need a trailer - you might as well load that trailer full. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on June 06, 2020, 10:22:58 AM
    I hope to donate some things at Goodwillor SVDP today. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 06, 2020, 06:26:52 PM
    Got rid of another handfull of papers, woo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 06, 2020, 06:53:06 PM
    -Listed 12 books on eBay, while I was on a help chat with our internet provider
    -Put three pair of outgrown shorts in the donation bin
    -Recycled a few papers no longer needed, as school is almost over!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 06, 2020, 08:16:57 PM
    Heavens, I should have been on this thread for the past few weeks. We have been sorting and tossing and selling and gifting and donating like mad in preparation for our upcoming move. Clothes, baby bathtub and bath seat, shoes, bookcase, bunk bed, changing table, books...

    There is nothing like a move to make you realize how much stuff you have and how little you value some of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 06, 2020, 09:48:43 PM
    Heavens, I should have been on this thread for the past few weeks. We have been sorting and tossing and selling and gifting and donating like mad in preparation for our upcoming move. Clothes, baby bathtub and bath seat, shoes, bookcase, bunk bed, changing table, books...

    There is nothing like a move to make you realize how much stuff you have and how little you value some of it.

    Our first big move (Seattle to Bay Area), we got rid of more than 25% of our belongings. It was insane. We got rid of about 10% of our stuff when we moved between houses here. I keep decluttering & cleaning. It's addictive, and I hope I have very little stuff to ditch, but it's a never ending cycle, so I'm sure there will be more!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on June 07, 2020, 01:22:27 AM
    Heavens, I should have been on this thread for the past few weeks. We have been sorting and tossing and selling and gifting and donating like mad in preparation for our upcoming move. Clothes, baby bathtub and bath seat, shoes, bookcase, bunk bed, changing table, books...

    There is nothing like a move to make you realize how much stuff you have and how little you value some of it.

    Our first big move (Seattle to Bay Area), we got rid of more than 25% of our belongings. It was insane. We got rid of about 10% of our stuff when we moved between houses here. I keep decluttering & cleaning. It's addictive, and I hope I have very little stuff to ditch, but it's a never ending cycle, so I'm sure there will be more!

    I have moved a lot and every time there is something that can be decluttered. The question I am asking is if I use this and do I want to pay to have it moved. It has resulted in that I alwAys spend some some weeks decluttering before the move and then pack. During the packing process you find even more to get rid of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 07, 2020, 06:10:48 AM
    Went to the tip with a car full of cardboard and got rid of some books noone will want at the same time. Have kept four for a street library but they are in the garage not clogging up inside. Also returned some things to IKEA - AND DID NOT BUY ANYTHING!! Mainly because too many people. Unfortunately husband bought yet another backpack from marketplace but he says it will replace others!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 07, 2020, 09:13:30 PM
    Heavens, I should have been on this thread for the past few weeks. We have been sorting and tossing and selling and gifting and donating like mad in preparation for our upcoming move. Clothes, baby bathtub and bath seat, shoes, bookcase, bunk bed, changing table, books...

    There is nothing like a move to make you realize how much stuff you have and how little you value some of it.

    Our first big move (Seattle to Bay Area), we got rid of more than 25% of our belongings. It was insane. We got rid of about 10% of our stuff when we moved between houses here. I keep decluttering & cleaning. It's addictive, and I hope I have very little stuff to ditch, but it's a never ending cycle, so I'm sure there will be more!

    I have moved a lot and every time there is something that can be decluttered. The question I am asking is if I use this and do I want to pay to have it moved. It has resulted in that I alwAys spend some some weeks decluttering before the move and then pack. During the packing process you find even more to get rid of.
    We did a good amount of decluttering before and after our previous move, only three years ago. Somehow we have managed to accumulate a bunch more crap in the interim. Babies do that somehow.

    I was talking to my husband about this a couple of days ago. The problem is that stuff comes in as a regular course of life. As much as I try to push back, the kids get junky toys, random things show up in our house, gifts we are too polite to reject but then don’t ever quite get around to regifting. On the flip side we don’t have any regular mechanism for going through and getting rid of things.

    So putting my chemical engineering education to work here to do a mass balance equation, when the rate of input > rate of output then you end up with mass accumulation. I proposed we should institute a 2-3x yearly purge so we don’t end up feeling like we are buried in stuff each time we move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 07, 2020, 10:35:54 PM
    This counts as decluttering: I hung two pictures. One was resting on the floor and I had to lift it to vacuum every time and the other was permanently lying on a desk since it came back from the framers. It's a oil painting of my late dog that my SIL commissioned.

    Now I'm going to put the hinge dampeners on the kitchen cupboard doors. It's a job that's only been waiting 6 months! Then I can use the cupboard space they were taking up as official aircon & ceiling fan remote storage. Which means I can put off buying a new dining table that includes drawers, because that was the only reason I had to get them. Saving: $300.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 08, 2020, 04:22:26 AM
    I finally went through my garden shelves and culled back tons of what was mostly garbage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 08, 2020, 04:48:28 AM
    Took a carload of stuff to the first 'car boot', flea market weekend of the year. Got rid of some stuff, made a modest profit, and had a nice day out of the house. And I feel productive.

    Another benefit of the trip was that it will be easy for me to now donate the stuff that didn't sell, and that no one even expressed an interest in, like the cute little suitcase. No one uses or needs suitcases any more , I guess, ha ha. And the wicker baskets. You can't pay people to take wicker baskets these days, lol.  Out they go, you deal with them, Salvation Army. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 08, 2020, 04:58:45 AM
    I finally went through my garden shelves and culled back tons of what was mostly garbage.

    Good for you!  I ought to go through a bunch of garden-related plastic and ceramic containers that I have stashed away under a big bush. Probably don't need a quarter of it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 08, 2020, 07:43:33 AM
    @ysette9 - I find at the younger kid age, their needs & sizes are changing so frequently, you really do have to stay on top of it. Our kids are too old for "toys", so while we have plenty of Magic cards, and sports equipment, fewer toys/gifts/clothes that we are rotating through, which helps.

    This weekend, I went through the kids books, and listed 20 or so on eBay. Apparently, now is the time to sell books, due to man libraries being closed. I also donated another 5 or so. Their bookshelves look amazing!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 08, 2020, 12:15:11 PM
    @ysette9 - I find at the younger kid age, their needs & sizes are changing so frequently, you really do have to stay on top of it. Our kids are too old for "toys", so while we have plenty of Magic cards, and sports equipment, fewer toys/gifts/clothes that we are rotating through, which helps.

    This weekend, I went through the kids books, and listed 20 or so on eBay. Apparently, now is the time to sell books, due to man libraries being closed. I also donated another 5 or so. Their bookshelves look amazing!
    Nicely done!

    I am completely incapable of shipping things so I stick with FB marketplace and Buy Nothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LetItGrow on June 09, 2020, 01:08:23 PM
    Not trying to brag, but rather hoping this will give confidence that you won’t miss it...

    From the home office I can see the trash and recycling trucks come by on Mondays. This week I had taken a bunch of old school reports from a bin, a ton of newspaper clippings of my sporting efforts, and an actual scrapbook my mom had put together for one high school football season, and tossed them in the bin. The truck pulled up, dumped the whole thing in, and drove off. No feelings of regret, nothing. Had not read through any of it in a long time, and it’s ancient history.

    Plus, with the facts now gone, I can now rewrite history as needed...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 11, 2020, 05:27:30 PM
    I donated a bag of clothes to a friend of a friend that has lost weight, and is on disability so can't afford new clothes. That was a good feels donation, for sure.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on June 11, 2020, 06:07:23 PM
    Donation centres have reopened here, so I finally got rid of a bunch of stuff that's been in the garage waiting to go since March.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 12, 2020, 07:03:54 AM
    Donation centres have reopened here, so I finally got rid of a bunch of stuff that's been in the garage waiting to go since March.

    I bet that was satisfying, Shinplaster.

    Here the donation places are still closed, but there is a big pile of donated stuff sitting out in the open behind one of them. People must be desperate top get rid of the stuff.  It's going to get rained on. 

    I'm still waiting patiently.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on June 12, 2020, 08:32:53 AM
    Donation centres have reopened here, so I finally got rid of a bunch of stuff that's been in the garage waiting to go since March.

    I bet that was satisfying, Shinplaster.

    Here the donation places are still closed, but there is a big pile of donated stuff sitting out in the open behind one of them. People must be desperate top get rid of the stuff.  It's going to get rained on. 

    I'm still waiting patiently.

    I hate when people pile stuff outside when the centres are closed - it's just going to get ruined anyway, so they may as well have put it in the garbage.    It was particularly satisfying for me to get this stuff donated because we've just put our house up for sale.  The inside looks great, if I do say so myself.  The garage however...that's where the horrors are.       

    Lady in front of me yesterday was awful - she was yelling at the employees because they wouldn't unload her car.  They still have strict procedures, which are clearly posted.   Unload your car, put the stuff in the rolling cart.  As you are leaving, staff will come and wheel your donations into the shop, and put out a new cart.  Rinse and repeat.     Employee thanked me for doing as asked, and I just told him not all old ladies are asshats.  (I'm probably the same age as she was - late 60s).    We both got a laugh and smile - I don't know how they remain so cheerful!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 12, 2020, 08:48:53 AM
    I have been able to clear out a number of random items this week by accidentally breaking them beyond repair.

    The waste depot has re-opened but we now have so much we decided to do a bunch of additional reno-demolition and get enough waste to warrant a full trailer drop-off.  We had exceeded what would fit in the car, so we might as well just fill up the entire trailer.

    This meant that the decaying play structure is now a pile of rotting lumber waiting for the trailer at the back of the house. 
    Two huge construction waste bags are at the front corner of the garage as well as a huge tarp hides carpet, underlay, dry wall board and old trim at the side of the driveway. I can't see any of these piles from the primary living spaces, so it seems like the waste is already gone.  I am particularly happy with the new view from my desk that is all trees hiding the pile of the play structure and no longer is a ratty tarp and pinkish plastic slide. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on June 12, 2020, 01:44:41 PM
    I am taking a break from going through our crawlspace -- our donation center opened, but it is busy.  I hope to take things over in small trips.  What I take out today will be donated today. I am NOT going on the weekend, but will load up the van to take a load on Monday. 

    Part of my motivation is that I cannot find my stored summer clothes, and I have some nice clothes and shoes stored. Where did they go? We had a very unusual leak in the crawlspace during a storm and everything got shuffled and it's a mess.  Pain in the bottom.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on June 12, 2020, 02:20:12 PM
    I donated a bag of clothes to a friend of a friend that has lost weight, and is on disability so can't afford new clothes. That was a good feels donation, for sure.

    @Prairie Gal, this was very kind of you.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on June 12, 2020, 02:24:55 PM
    Our Goodwill is now open here, though I've yet to visit.


    ~I shredded 5 grocery bags full of paper here at the office over the past week.  Last month I had someone come in and file for 4 hours.  It's really starting to feel lighter here.
    ~I took 7 never used shipping envelopes and boxes back to the post office today.
    ~I rid of DH and my ballots by dropping them off for the primary.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 14, 2020, 08:38:15 AM
    Got some modest bucks for 4 hubcaps, by selling them to a local hubcap retailer store. After trying to sell them for about 10 years, on and off, it was good to get rid of the clumsy, noisy things.  Felt like a milestone of sorts.

    Made a trip out Saturday to the flea market to sell whatever I could. They are only charging $5 a day per table now (was $10 last year)  due to low vendor turnout once they reopened. Maybe the vendors are afraid of the virus.     

    Sold a lot of stuff, made a modest profit. The biggest things were a camera tripod, and a big 6 by 3  foot erasable whiteboard I've been trying to get rid of for a while.

    I could be out there again today, Sunday, but I chose to stay home pick out some good stuff for next weekend's market.

    I just found out my library is now accepting returns (outside) so tomorrow I will hop over there with those 5 dvd's I've had lying around. No late fees. Can't check anything out yet, though.


     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 14, 2020, 10:45:20 AM
    Good going Slackmax.

    Can you stuff enough stuff in your car to fill up two tables, since they're "on sale?"  That will speed things up!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 14, 2020, 01:52:36 PM
    We are at our vacation house, so a whole new space to organize & declutter.
    -Tried on all clothes in my dresser, made a pile of things to donate.
    -Went through all of the kids clothes, and made stacks of: keep, donate, sell. Put all of the sell items in our "go home" bag
    -Went through our pantry, and organized a few things. It's a big project (people leave things behind, so there is often random stuff, and I need to check all the dates, etc) & I'm only on the first of five shelves. Lots more to come.

    I also found four glass jars (originally contained shells?) that we've had since we bought the house 10+ years ago. Donation pile. Found wall letters from Pottery Barn with the kids names in the garage in one of my husband's tools containers. Never been used. Will take home & list on eBay.

    I do love a good declutter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 14, 2020, 04:22:13 PM
    Good going Slackmax.

    Can you stuff enough stuff in your car to fill up two tables, since they're "on sale?"  That will speed things up!

    I could, but I won't.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 14, 2020, 05:07:22 PM
    Good going Slackmax.

    Can you stuff enough stuff in your car to fill up two tables, since they're "on sale?"  That will speed things up!

    I could, but I won't.   

    I’m curious why not?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 14, 2020, 05:56:18 PM
    Have a bag to be dropped off at a friends house. Some baking supplies that I won't use in any reasonable time frame to store them, and returning some containers.

    Also added a pair of jeans to the donation box. They're not comfy, I'm not going to wear them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 14, 2020, 08:04:33 PM
    I just found out my library is now accepting returns (outside) so tomorrow I will hop over there with those 5 dvd's I've had lying around. No late fees. Can't check anything out yet, though.

    So funny! Libraries here are doing the opposite: you can check out (curbside pickup) but not return.  I'm imagining the libraries empty before the pandemic is over!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 15, 2020, 07:18:24 AM
    Salvation Army donation kiosk is open again! Rushed over this morning with an old suitcase,  a box of knicknacks, and a bag of clothes.   No one else there! Unexpected. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 15, 2020, 07:42:50 AM
    I just found out my library is now accepting returns (outside) so tomorrow I will hop over there with those 5 dvd's I've had lying around. No late fees. Can't check anything out yet, though.

    So funny! Libraries here are doing the opposite: you can check out (curbside pickup) but not return.  I'm imagining the libraries empty before the pandemic is over!

    My library is doing both, though they're staggering the returns so they can keep up. I have a book that I expect will be sitting on the table for another month or so. They're letting all returns sit on carts for 3 days before they check them in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on June 15, 2020, 02:30:07 PM
    Ahem.  Decluttered my side of the master bathroom vanity sink drain.  SO gross.  The good news is because I had to clear out the cupboard beneath it, I purged a few items to both the garbage can and Goodwill box.  This is something I'd been wanting to do for quite some time.  Looks much better and is more functional for busy work day mornings.

    With DH's help, I "decluttered" some old fencing into fire pit size logs.  My first time using a sawzall and am very proud of myself!

    Was poking around my home office looking for pictures for a few projects.  I really need to address the two photo storage boxes and other items in that room.  Oh, well.  Goals!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 15, 2020, 06:46:47 PM
    I just found out my library is now accepting returns (outside) so tomorrow I will hop over there with those 5 dvd's I've had lying around. No late fees. Can't check anything out yet, though.

    So funny! Libraries here are doing the opposite: you can check out (curbside pickup) but not return.  I'm imagining the libraries empty before the pandemic is over!

    My library is doing both, though they're staggering the returns so they can keep up. I have a book that I expect will be sitting on the table for another month or so. They're letting all returns sit on carts for 3 days before they check them in.

    They're saying that returns will not be accepted until some future date. I'm almost tempted to volunteer to help re-shelve, I'm sure they will be deluged.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 16, 2020, 05:29:11 AM
    Our library is doing curbside pickups with appointment windows.  Returned books are quarantined for 48 hours before re-shelving them.  No overdue fines though!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 16, 2020, 07:15:51 AM
    We just moved and before leaving we had to give our library books to our neighbor to return for us at some future unspecified date.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 16, 2020, 10:28:54 AM
    Re-organized spice pantry area, & consolidated a bunch of coffee/hot drink items. Because it's a vacation house, people leave a lot of things behind. Every time I come, there are new "surprises" to sort out. I now have everything on one shelf, which is a big improvement.

    Also found a waffle maker (unused) & a coffee canister that can either be donated, or I will see if someone else in my family wants them. It's always nice to get rid of bulky things that linger but don't get used.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 16, 2020, 01:01:35 PM
    Our library is doing curbside pickups with appointment windows.  Returned books are quarantined for 48 hours before re-shelving them.  No overdue fines though!

    I hope they start doing that here!

    Learned yesterday of a thrift shop in town that is taking donations again! I would have been there at 9 this morning, but Reasons. Maybe Saturday. Got my fingers crossed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 16, 2020, 01:13:36 PM
    Re-organized spice pantry area, & consolidated a bunch of coffee/hot drink items. Because it's a vacation house, people leave a lot of things behind. Every time I come, there are new "surprises" to sort out. I now have everything on one shelf, which is a big improvement.

    Also found a waffle maker (unused) & a coffee canister that can either be donated, or I will see if someone else in my family wants them. It's always nice to get rid of bulky things that linger but don't get used.
    I wish we were closer because I’ve wanted a waffle maker for a long time!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 17, 2020, 07:19:03 AM
    Returned 5 dvd's to the outdoor library clerks, and had a nice chat with them. They had a bunch of cardboard boxes and said just put them in any one.

    Then went over to the recycling place, which reopened a week ago, and finally got rid of a very old burned pot that has been cluttering my front door area for months.  Yay! 

     But they would not accept my 'textiles' (old rags and cloth stuff) so I tossed those in the next garbage can I saw.

    Textiles is one of the things they normally accept, but they said they are waiting until later to accept them again.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 17, 2020, 05:23:55 PM
    Re-organized spice pantry area, & consolidated a bunch of coffee/hot drink items. Because it's a vacation house, people leave a lot of things behind. Every time I come, there are new "surprises" to sort out. I now have everything on one shelf, which is a big improvement.

    Also found a waffle maker (unused) & a coffee canister that can either be donated, or I will see if someone else in my family wants them. It's always nice to get rid of bulky things that linger but don't get used.
    I wish we were closer because I’ve wanted a waffle maker for a long time!

    Likewise. Would love a socially distanced beach visit!

    I've continued to go through our vacation house:
    -Found two games to donate, two to take home
    -Organized our toiletry area (moved from garage in an area no one could see into). Think TP, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc. It's amazing to be able to actually be able to see what we have, what we're running short on, etc.
    -Listed four items on the local Craigslist
    -Have a huge pile of things to take home & sell on eBay, and a pile for donation
    -Organized our food pantry. Tossed expired stuff, grouped like items, and found about 8 items (pitchers, wine chillers, etc) that we've never/rarely used in 10+ years, so will go to another home (donate, eBay, our other house)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 18, 2020, 09:47:30 AM
    Have three packages of printer cartridges ready for drop off and three were picked up yesterday. 
    The old PVR is packed up with return shipping label.

    The recycling bin is nearly full of old pots and trays that I haven't used in three years.  Two whole bins are now empty in the garage. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 18, 2020, 09:59:26 AM
    Went through our utensil drawer, and found a few items for donation. Reorganized & cleaned everything, & it looks so much better. Next up, organizing & cleaning under our bathroom sink. Tons of random things people have left behind.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 18, 2020, 10:15:14 AM
    Unpacking now at the new place and I am overwhelmed by how much stuff we have. I had really enjoyed the minimalist lifestyle there for a week.

    Played a small toddler bike in buy nothing and our crappy vacuum for sake on FB Marketplace. Next up is my unused second bike (who wants to ride a normal bike when I have my electric bike?!).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on June 19, 2020, 11:41:30 AM
    Have a back seat loaded for donation tonight. So happy to get these items out of my space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 19, 2020, 02:11:49 PM
    Got rid of a bunch of small things at a flea market sale today, but also 2 bulky things:  a collapsible outdoor pool, and a backpack.

    I'm happiest about the backpack.

    I had the backpack for sale for so long I was about to donate it just to get rid of it, when someone came out of nowhere and bought it!  Yay.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 19, 2020, 03:17:28 PM
    I sold my extra unused bike, and our vacuum cleaner. Gave away some small items and have more listed on Buy Nothing. Listed a jacket and kid’s table & chair for sale.

    Slowly opening more boxes and putting things away as well as setting stuff aside to put in storage or get rid of. It is a lot of work to move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 19, 2020, 04:21:22 PM
    @ysette9 - truth. Moving is a tremendous amount of work. Nice progress!

    I cleaned under the bathroom sink, got rid of a bunch of stuff, put the six containers of lotion in the toiletry cabinet, and now the space is usable & looks great.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on June 19, 2020, 05:56:31 PM
    Our house has been under contract since last Saturday with a tentative close date of July 14th. My wife has made over 2k selling decorations, kitchenware and some smaller appliances. It's amazing what people buy through Facebook marketplace. We might actually be able to move out early at this rate.

    We might also have to sit and sleep on the floor pretty soon. :-)

    Our move will be international and we plan to start over rather than ship a ton of stuff
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 20, 2020, 02:28:25 PM
    Decluttered a huge pile of rocks! This is in preparation for decluttering the garage of termites. A neighbor wanted rocks, so worked out great.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on June 20, 2020, 02:50:03 PM
    My husband has finally decided that we will divorce. Not my choice, but I will make the best of it. I have decluttered a lot already, but a lot more needs to be done. I will not bring a lot of crap into my coming apartment.

    Also, I am by choice not taking a lot of "stuff" from our current home. If there are things I don't absolutely need (but want/would be nice to have) and I don't love what we have now, I will not take it with me, but take time to look for something I really like instead. Examples are cheapo Ikea book shelves, I will not take them, I will put the few books I own in a box until I find the right solution. Could be new-to-me lovely old book shelves, could be in a unused kitchen cupboard, who knows? :-)

    This will also help with ex-DH letting my have the few items I really want. Today I asked if I could take a really lovely pot stand that I believe originally comes from his grandma, and he was absolutely fine with that. There are a few things that I really want to keep (big and small, a linen cupboard is another thing) and I will really try to get them, but not much more except for what I really need.

    As you maybe can tell, besides the sadness, I am also really excited to recreate my life. I am so looking forward to this.

    Moving on with packing up stuff we need to remove before viewings of the house. We need to finish this part during this weekend/early next week. I am not packing nearly as much as ex-DH, partly bc he has more private stuff and partly bc I really don't want /need a lot of the shared stuff. I am just saying "don't want, don't need, you take it if you want it". I don't think he has realised yet that he was more of the reason for that we never got the house really in order with regards to stuff.

    I do hope the house will sell pretty easily, but the house market is really shaky here from the Corona situation. Also, we have done a lot with the house, but there are still things to do, which may scare a potential buyer. We just want a pretty good price, and for it to be done.
    But first, packing away a lot of stuff and getting the house in order.

    I get access to my new apartment in October, and I am really planning to not have a lot of unnecessary stuff, but to have open space.

    Oh, and on the waffle maker theme: someone is coming to pick up our double waffle maker tomorrow, I listed it for free on Facebook since no-one of us want it, and at least threee people interested so it should move away pretty easily.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on June 20, 2020, 02:51:45 PM
    Decluttered a huge pile of rocks! This is in preparation for decluttering the garage of termites. A neighbor wanted rocks, so worked out great.

    Ha! I thought my sons (ages 9 and 7) were the only ones with piles of rocks:-)
    (also piles of sticks)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 20, 2020, 03:00:45 PM
    Decluttered a huge pile of rocks! This is in preparation for decluttering the garage of termites. A neighbor wanted rocks, so worked out great.

    Ha! I thought my sons (ages 9 and 7) were the only ones with piles of rocks:-)
    (also piles of sticks)

    This pile of rocks was I believe 10 wheelbarrow loads. Probably bigger than your kid's piles :)

    Worst part is, it was an average size pile by my standards of digging out rock.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 20, 2020, 03:54:53 PM
    Took stuff to storage today. That makes two carloads so far. We still have a good amount of work to but there is hope. I am slowly giving away things on Buy Nothing also. It is slower going with that but at least people come pick it up!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 21, 2020, 12:51:03 AM
    Our library is doing curbside pickups with appointment windows.  Returned books are quarantined for 48 hours before re-shelving them.  No overdue fines though!

    I hope they start doing that here!

    Learned yesterday of a thrift shop in town that is taking donations again! I would have been there at 9 this morning, but Reasons. Maybe Saturday. Got my fingers crossed!

    The shop was overwhelmed with donations this week, so when I showed up today they were not taking anything.

    Took a different route home because it was more efficient), so didn't realize that it passed right by another thrift shop.  I happened to notice it was taking donations, so finally able to get rid of the 4 dining chairs and the shower squeegee that's been hanging around since before our Shelter in Place order went into effect.  The living room feels so nice without the extra chair! The other chairs were stowed in my patio storage closet, so I got to reorganize that a bit, too.

    Not sure if this counts, but I finally installed the clips that hold up my hatchback's cargo cover, so the clips are no longer rolling around loose in the cargo area, and the cover works properly.  Felt like a declutter :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 21, 2020, 02:02:02 AM
    Three books off to a friend's daughter, I've worked out which of my duplicate jerseys I like most and will keep, others are going in the donation pile, along with the hiking boots that hurt my feet (but only after 2 hours which isn't something you can spot in the store). I'm slowly working through my TBR pile and now there are two more books to lend to friends or put in the street libraries.

    My latest thing has been thinking over my (objectively beautiful) kitchen aid standmixer. I love it, I don't use it very much so its cost per use is hovering around $70, and it's half a cm too tall to fit in any of the cupboards in the kitchen so instead it takes up an ungodly amount of bench space.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 21, 2020, 02:10:46 AM
    Don't your cupboard shelves move, @mspym ? Ours just sit on those bracket pins, so I can adjust as needed. Eg I've got a mini shelf specifically for glass jars that's about the height of a pataks tall curry sauce jar.

    Got rid of a box of paints today at the chemical clear out day. Super well organised, only queued for two minutes. And we weren't allowed out of the car because of Covid so they just opened the boot and took it all while we sat there like royals.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 21, 2020, 02:32:01 AM
    @Fresh Bread one more thing the builders of this place got wrong. Only two sets of shelves in this kitchen are height-adjustable and they are shallow - deep enough for cups, not for anything sizable, not particularly sturdy (mmmm particle board), and also above the counters so I would need to get on a step stool to lug a 10kg stand mixer in and out, assuming it could fix and didn't break the shelves... Right now I am thinking about clearing off the top of the Billy 2x4 bookshelve in the corner and putting it on top of there. Also .5cm too high to fit inside *that*.

    Huzzah for clearing out paints!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 21, 2020, 03:03:47 AM
    Yes true, I wouldn't put a stand mixer on our shelves either, it would need to be at the bottom. I've got the breadmaker and slow cooker on one shelf and I bet it will sag in time. We were able to design our own kitchen but due to space/services/window constraints everything is still in the wrong place. Whaddya do.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on June 21, 2020, 06:02:11 AM
    My stand mixer has pride-of-place on the countertop, but then I use it about every 2-3 days minimum - I bake a lot of bread, and it goes soooo much faster with a dough hook.  And our cost-per-use is 0, since it was a wedding gift.  I think they come in different sizes, if you enjoy having one but this one is too big you might be able to sell it and put the proceeds toward a smaller model.

    I switched over my drawers to my summer wardrobe, and put a few things in the donate pile as I went.  Not really a declutter as nothing left the house, but DH finished building some extra shelving in the office/library, and I was able to unpack three more boxes of books.  The library looks great!  Today we plan to buy a curtain rod and hang the curtains my mom gave us for that room, and that'll be another bag gone.  DH has also been working on his pile of papers to scan and discard.  I did some decluttering of old computer files - not very exciting, but necessary.  I wanted to do it before my next back-up.  I burned a candle to use it up.

    I still feel like there's stuff everywhere - time to start another pass through the house I guess.  It's a neverending cycle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 21, 2020, 06:31:50 PM
    We have been machines at filling up our recycle and waste bins.  A neighbour offered some extra capacity in his bin so in went another old soaker hose.  Our water is so hard that the holes become clogged within a couple of years. And I worked in the garden picking rocks.  The homeowner is using the rocks in a crawl space under their kitchen.  Garden is looking so much tidier.

    I can't wait until the end of June - that is when we are borrowing a car and trailer and clearing out all the debris.  In the mean time, the debris piles just get bigger.  But the house is feeling so much better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 22, 2020, 12:10:32 PM
    I'm loving the decluttering at our vacation house. I've listed a few things on a local swap site, and have already made $60. Logistically, I won't be able to get to a donation site more than once, so I'll plan to take a car load, but it's awesome to have people pick up some larger items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on June 22, 2020, 04:15:27 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache, you do such a good job at online sales!  Well done.

    And, count me in with the rock crowd.  Vice versa, though:  The neighbor kiddos find the most interesting of rocks on our property which they in turn give to me.  ;)

    DH and I had a party over the weekend on our lower deck.  The weekend before I cleaned out the deck cupboard, tossed several things including a broken solar light, and relocated a few more.  I also helped DH "unclutter" an old fence by turning it into firewood.  My first time using a reciprocating saw and was very proud of myself.  He's out on medical leave so I'm picking up some of the physical slack.  I used a staple hammer for the first time, too, to put up a sunshade for the party.  Whacking that thing was very satisfying.  :)

    Tomorrow:
    ~A small box to the Goodwill containing a small wine rack, pair of shoes, and a few free toiletry items given to me with a purchase.  I might add a few more things this evening.
    ~A toner cartridge to the office supply store to be recycled.

    ~The free with purchase bag mentioned above included a few laundry detergent pods, which I gave to a neighbor since we don't use them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 22, 2020, 05:00:42 PM
    I got rid of five extra dining chairs today, since I got new ones.

    Weirdly, I sold another chair a few days ago, and the lady was supposed to pick it up on Saturday, but still has not showed up or responded to my messages. Not sure what to do about it. I guess since she already sent me an e transfer I will hang on to it for a while, but I sure would like it out of here.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 23, 2020, 01:27:52 AM
    I'm putting a vehicle into a car sharing club to make a bit of easy money (hopefully). Whole nother decluttering area discovered. I didn't know I was storing so much stuff in there! Rags, bags, pens. 3 travel dog bowls.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 24, 2020, 04:59:25 PM
    I'm so frustrated with decluttering at the moment. Yesterday I decided to take the big pile of items, all carefully cleaned and  piled up in the corner of a room into the family store, about 25 mons drive away. On the internet it said open.  so I loaded up the boot and managed to park in the crowded parking zone. Open, yes, but not taking donations at that entrance. Go around the other side of the building. De-parked, went to find the contactless bins on the other side. Nope, no bins and another sign saying not accepting donations at this time.

    Now I have a boot load of stuff in the car. I need to find another solution because its not coming back out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on June 24, 2020, 06:14:26 PM
    We just sold our house, and there are a lot of big furniture items that we are not paying to move.  We'll be downsizing to about half the space we have now, so no need to take it.  I was dreading trying to find new homes for it all - donation centers here are not accepting any large items.   On the off chance the new buyer might want a piece or two, I did up a list and left it for her to think about during the home inspection.   She's taking it all!  Four couches, large wall unit, end tables, bookcases, old CRT TV, and other odds and ends.   Turns out she is not bringing a lot with her either, and is thrilled that several areas will be pretty much furnished for her on possession date.

    Although the things will still be in this house, after the end of August they won't be in our house.   : )
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 25, 2020, 05:35:52 AM
    We just sold our house, and there are a lot of big furniture items that we are not paying to move.  We'll be downsizing to about half the space we have now, so no need to take it.  I was dreading trying to find new homes for it all - donation centers here are not accepting any large items.   On the off chance the new buyer might want a piece or two, I did up a list and left it for her to think about during the home inspection.   She's taking it all!  Four couches, large wall unit, end tables, bookcases, old CRT TV, and other odds and ends.   Turns out she is not bringing a lot with her either, and is thrilled that several areas will be pretty much furnished for her on possession date.

    Although the things will still be in this house, after the end of August they won't be in our house.   : )

    That worked out really well for you!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 25, 2020, 06:33:15 AM
    We just sold our house, and there are a lot of big furniture items that we are not paying to move.  We'll be downsizing to about half the space we have now, so no need to take it.  I was dreading trying to find new homes for it all - donation centers here are not accepting any large items.   On the off chance the new buyer might want a piece or two, I did up a list and left it for her to think about during the home inspection.   She's taking it all!  Four couches, large wall unit, end tables, bookcases, old CRT TV, and other odds and ends.   Turns out she is not bringing a lot with her either, and is thrilled that several areas will be pretty much furnished for her on possession date.

    Although the things will still be in this house, after the end of August they won't be in our house.   : )


    That worked out really well for you!
    way to go
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 25, 2020, 10:55:43 AM
    Yesterday I sold a little kiddie table and chair on FB marketplace. Today I am giving away a plastic training potty. Both of them gone frees up precious floor space. Onward and upward!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 27, 2020, 06:35:05 AM
    Three big suitcases and some other stuff that I could not sell at the flea market I took over to  the Salvation Army dropoff.  Check those off the list! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 27, 2020, 08:19:56 AM
    Sold a mattress that was used a couple of times & has been stored (wrapped in original packaging) in our garage. So happy to have it gone
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on June 27, 2020, 10:47:41 AM
    Gave away a kiddies room rug (the type with roads, houses etc). It was a bit worn on the back and deemed way to childish by the boys so off on local Facebook buy and sell group it went. A nice lady came to pick it up, I was clear that is was a bit worn (will not show when in place) but she was very happy nonetheless. Also, gave away an Ikea Benno shelf (tall very narrow book shelf, for smaller books, cd, dvds). This was also on local Facebook, which is very reliable, people will come pick up, on time, and be very thankful. Sometimes you get a small piece of chocolate as a nice "thank you", or they will say thanks again when you meet in the local grocery store. I am just happy that someone will pick up what I want to get rid of. Ihave one more Benno up for graps, hoping someone wants it.

    I am also waiting for someone to come pick up a larger book shelf, with glass doors. They should be here in 20 minutes, but this is from Facebook Marketplace, where people are much more unreliable. I do hope they will pick up though, this needs to go away for the staging of the house. I do have a back up person, so I am someone optimistic. We'll see.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 27, 2020, 03:09:06 PM
    I have been trying to give away this diaper pail with no success. Buy Nothing didn’t want to touch it and no bites yet on FB Marketplace. I would hate to throw it away but it may come to that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on June 28, 2020, 02:10:12 AM
    Update: The person came (much later than he said) and picked up the big shelf w/glass doors. No problem once he had arrived, he had a truck, I had to help him carry,  but no issues. (Don't you just hate when people come to pick up something large and have a small car...)

    And my lovely neighbour, which I will miss dearly when I move, realised we wanted to get rid of the small book shelf, and she was in need of one exactly like that, so I just carried it across the street to her. I also confirmed w/her that I can pick some flowers from her garden for the photographing of the house.

    That's two small and one big book shelf out of the house!

    Gave away a kiddies room rug (the type with roads, houses etc). It was a bit worn on the back and deemed way to childish by the boys so off on local Facebook buy and sell group it went. A nice lady came to pick it up, I was clear that is was a bit worn (will not show when in place) but she was very happy nonetheless. Also, gave away an Ikea Benno shelf (tall very narrow book shelf, for smaller books, cd, dvds). This was also on local Facebook, which is very reliable, people will come pick up, on time, and be very thankful. Sometimes you get a small piece of chocolate as a nice "thank you", or they will say thanks again when you meet in the local grocery store. I am just happy that someone will pick up what I want to get rid of. Ihave one more Benno up for graps, hoping someone wants it.

    I am also waiting for someone to come pick up a larger book shelf, with glass doors. They should be here in 20 minutes, but this is from Facebook Marketplace, where people are much more unreliable. I do hope they will pick up though, this needs to go away for the staging of the house. I do have a back up person, so I am someone optimistic. We'll see.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ItsALongStory on June 28, 2020, 07:42:28 AM
    Finally got rid of my skis and boots. We're moving overseas and they didn't make the cut since we're only taking suitcases and aren't moving to a ski area.

    Wife had made well over $7500 selling all of our belongings with over $2k still to come our way from beds etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 28, 2020, 10:24:28 AM
    Some awesome progress by others! Nice work. @ItsALongStory - wow! Super impressive.

    We're at our vacation house, and I don't list things on eBay from here (no printer, hassle to mail, etc), but I've accumulated a ton of stuff for when we get back to the house.

    Also listed a chair on the local Facebook site. Fingers crossed, as I don't want to figure out the logistics of getting rid of it on my own.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 28, 2020, 10:38:55 AM
    Finally got rid of my skis and boots. We're moving overseas and they didn't make the cut since we're only taking suitcases and aren't moving to a ski area.

    Wife had made well over $7500 selling all of our belongings with over $2k still to come our way from beds etc.

    Good for her.  I wasn't able to sell much when I downsized, ended up donating about half a moving van of furniture to charity, plus several car load of stuff to another charity. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on June 29, 2020, 02:38:51 AM
    I have given away a lot of stuff, but yesterday I managed to sell a special item, hobby related, expensive to buy new, difficult to find second hand, and not losing much value when being used. I knew it would keep it's value, but pretty difficult to find a buyer.. So happy I found, not one, but two all of a sudden. This meant I did not have to lower the price, but received the $200 I wanted. Also, it is huge, so we could not bring it easily when we move, so double whammy :-)

    I asked the buyer if he wanted a couple of items for free, one related to the hobby, the other two outdoor toys in good condition. My kids have are way too old for these and he had two small very nicely behaving kids in the car, so I asked him without his kids noticing, if he wanted them. He was delighted and so were his kids when he told them. And so was I :-)

    (if I ask a parent if they want to take some toys for free, I always make sure their kids do not hear, so the parent can say no w/o the kids noticing) 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 29, 2020, 08:10:01 AM

    (if I ask a parent if they want to take some toys for free, I always make sure their kids do not hear, so the parent can say no w/o the kids noticing)
    100% this. Thank you for being considerate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on June 29, 2020, 08:50:44 AM

    (if I ask a parent if they want to take some toys for free, I always make sure their kids do not hear, so the parent can say no w/o the kids noticing)
    100% this. Thank you for being considerate.

    :-) I have two boys of my own, so I'm trying to help out fellow parents when I can :-D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on June 29, 2020, 01:52:15 PM
    Cleaned out our bathroom cart and threw away some toiletries that we were never going to use that were unlikely to be taken on our Buy Nothing group (old and opened).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on June 29, 2020, 03:22:33 PM
    Finally tended to the plants here at the office which used up the rest of the bagged potting soil, food spikes, and more of the liquid plant food.  This freed up more room in the storage area, and DH got his two garden tools back.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on June 29, 2020, 03:28:17 PM
    I’d like to take a moment to honor Buy Nothing groups everywhere. They are such a godsend. That is how we are getting most of the stuff we identify for decluttering. I also picked up a bag of clothes of the next size up for my baby last night so now he has a whole new wardrobe of too-big stuff instead of his former too-small stuff. I love it.

    I have four paper bags lined up neatly outside my front door, all labeled with names of people who will be stopping by to pick up books or unused household things. A+
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 29, 2020, 05:24:22 PM
    Cleaned under the guest bathroom sink. Found the following:
    -Handy Manny bandaids (our kids are 13 & 14). Saved for a rainy day
    -9 empty travel toothpaste tubes (?!)
    -2 used toothbrushes (not ours)
    -4 containers of Kids Tylenol, all wildly expired
    -A lovely Restoration Hardware soap dispenser, never used. Possibly damaged from sitting forever under the sink, and likely getting occasionally damp
    -An empty container of cleaning spray

    All gone, minus the soap dispenser, which I'll see if I can bring back to life. The challenge with having others in & out of the house is that no one ever wants to throw anything away, in case it belongs to us or someone else. Therefore, things accumulate!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 30, 2020, 01:21:40 PM
    -Got rid of a chair & two decorative pillows we never use (too "fancy" & light in color, which is not ideal with kids around).
    -Found two Japanese fishing floats in the closet. They were my grandparents & no one in the family is attached to them/wants them. I'll take them home & list them on eBay.

    I'm in the home stretch of having the majority of the house decluttered & organized!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 30, 2020, 04:44:35 PM
    I'm in the home stretch of having the majority of the house decluttered & organized!

    Well Done! That's such an achievement!

    Meanwhile I'm plodding along.  DD visited and took home with her the spare lawn mower, a set of flannelette sheets and a small bookshelf. I found a home for a few of the things that were on the bookshelf. I decided to donate a couple of cushions and a matching picture and started to pack up Nanna's tea and coffee set. Got one box done. Sorted and unpacked another box of her possessions, but most of these were keepers.

    I actually have plenty of cupboard space and still quite a few  boxes to be sorted and unpacked, but instead of just dumping stuff in the wardrobes and cupboards I am trying to sort and cull as I go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 01, 2020, 12:15:20 AM
    I’d like to take a moment to honor Buy Nothing groups everywhere. They are such a godsend. That is how we are getting most of the stuff we identify for decluttering. I also picked up a bag of clothes of the next size up for my baby last night so now he has a whole new wardrobe of too-big stuff instead of his former too-small stuff. I love it.

    I have four paper bags lined up neatly outside my front door, all labeled with names of people who will be stopping by to pick up books or unused household things. A+

    Thanks for the endorsement. I'm thinking of starting a BN in my neighborhood. Not sure how well that will go, since we are not supposed to be visiting outside our social bubbles, but maybe I can do the groundwork now and launch it in the future.

    What do you think are some of the factors that make your group such a success?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 01, 2020, 07:54:06 AM
    First, all of the handoffs are contactless. People mostly leave things in front of their front doors and then neighbors stop by to pick up. I have found it awesome in this weird time because if anything it can save people a trip to t he store.

    As for the momentum... I joined established groups each time so didn’t have to get it started from zero. In my former group I saw that the admin also encouraged us to do a lending library of items, which was cool. Big garden tools and machines, folding tables and chairs for outdoor parties, and the like. That drive more traffic and interest in the group.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 01, 2020, 04:58:42 PM
    @ysette9  thanks for the feedback! Good info, I'm taking notes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 01, 2020, 05:07:57 PM
    I’m selling the baby’s jumperoo tonight! He mostly wasn’t interested in it for the last month so I decided to get the floor space in the living room back. Naturally, after listing it he took and interest in that toy unlike anything we had seen in a while. Oh well...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 02, 2020, 01:07:56 PM
    All the piles of junk around the house - including four heavy duty construction bags, the carpet and underpad from two bedrooms and an old play structure are now completely gone.  They are not in the garage, or the back or the side.  Enough to fill the back seat of the car, the trunk, and a 14 foot trailer.  Yippee!

    And we did it the mustachian way - borrowed a car and trailer and hauled it all ourselves.  And the metal parts all got separated and sold to the scrap guy so we got some money back.  As the dump is a flat fee we made sure the trailer was full. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 02, 2020, 03:50:40 PM
    All the piles of junk around the house - including four heavy duty construction bags, the carpet and underpad from two bedrooms and an old play structure are now completely gone.  They are not in the garage, or the back or the side.  Enough to fill the back seat of the car, the trunk, and a 14 foot trailer.  Yippee!

    And we did it the mustachian way - borrowed a car and trailer and hauled it all ourselves.  And the metal parts all got separated and sold to the scrap guy so we got some money back.  As the dump is a flat fee we made sure the trailer was full.

    That is super progress!   Congratulations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 02, 2020, 05:37:57 PM
    Poking around a bookshelf corner identified 4 cardboard sleeves, 2 plastic envelopes and about 10 misc bits of paper that can all go. Now that corner looks slightly neater. I have 3 books and a magazine to go to the street library. I should properly be more ruthless with my books. I have a pile of 30 manga and 10 books that I need to shed but I don't *quite* feel ready yet to just put them in a street library. I also recently bought some shirts and now (protests from Ofpym regardless) I will throw out the worn out shirts they are replacing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 02, 2020, 09:23:25 PM
    Today I put a bunch more small household items in the donate box. Threw out a bunch of old nail polish, lotions and whatnot. Yesterday I listed a wall decor thing for sale on FB, but no interest so far, so I might just throw it in with the donations.

    Tomorrow I am planning to take about three boxes full of stuff that are in my car to the thrift store. I just have to phone them and make sure they are accepting donations.

    Do you ever feel like you just keep de-cluttering and de-cluttering and it doesn't really seem to make much difference?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 02, 2020, 10:14:48 PM
    The problem we have identified is that things come into the house regularly through all sorts of natural processes (shopping, gifts) but there is almost no regular exit process. So mass accumulates (pitting my chemical engineering education to work there!). So decluttering might just be a constant process simply to keep up with the constant inflow.

    Personally I think decluttering on a regular rhythm has to be paired with really strict thoughtfulness on what is allowed in to begin with. Easier said than done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 02, 2020, 11:50:59 PM
    Do you ever feel like you just keep de-cluttering and de-cluttering and it doesn't really seem to make much difference?

    At a certain point, you'll start to really see & feel the difference, I bet. 

    Plus what ysette9 said.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 03, 2020, 07:39:25 AM

    Do you ever feel like you just keep de-cluttering and de-cluttering and it doesn't really seem to make much difference?

    Yes!  But I can see how much more floor space and shelf space and closet space  I have now compared to before I began the decluttering long ago.  I took pictures. 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 03, 2020, 05:29:07 PM
    I pulled three dresses out of the closet to take to the consignment shop.
    Have a doodad to take back to the hardware store.
    Have a desk to put on FB.
    I'll hold myself accountable by posting here!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 04, 2020, 07:39:48 AM
    My husband did another run of stuff to the storage unit and the living room looks so much better! One more box of electronic crap to sort and one box to go to storage. Then we have to work on some random scattered crap in various rooms, but this gives me hope that we will get there sometime before the point when we will move out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 05, 2020, 01:44:53 AM
    I started off this weekend with just a small pile of clothes to donate and now it's two reasonable size bags full. I think I'm also going to pull out a few more books AND actually take them out to the street library. Heck there are 4 *on my block* so that should be easy enough to do.

    also going - a whisk head for our immersion blender - we have a whisk and a whisk head for the stand mixer. Two "non slip" bases/lids for the immersion blender jugs that we have never used in 4 years. And a bottle of bitters that have surprisingly little flavour. It might also be time to discard the makeup that I don't /can't wear (mmmm eyelid dermatitis). Some of these things have somehow survived multiple rounds of purges!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on July 05, 2020, 07:27:25 AM
    Continuing the "packing for moving-declutter".
    Several give-away items up on local Facebook-group now: toys & puzzles that the kids were both really clear the do not want any longer, a largish piece of furniture. In total 8 items, and I have already requests for four of them (including the large furnirture). 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 05, 2020, 01:10:58 PM
    Do you ever feel like you just keep de-cluttering and de-cluttering and it doesn't really seem to make much difference?

    At a certain point, you'll start to really see & feel the difference, I bet. 

    Plus what ysette9 said.

    True. I guess when it's stuff that is in cupboards, drawers, or put away somewhere it is not going to really show much. A couple of times recently I have stopped myself from buying stuff. I have a hobby of buying old furniture and fixing it up, but I don't really need any more projects right now. I actually threw out a little table that I decided I didn't like enough to re-finish. But, dang, those chairs were cute.

    In the past week I took three boxes of household goods, a couple of baskets, and a bag of clothes to the thrift store. So, not only are they out of the house, they are actually out of the car.

    I also have two bags of pants/jeans for a friend to go through. Sold a little bike décor thing for $20. Pared down a bunch of empty frames and will list them today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 05, 2020, 01:20:36 PM
    I have seen on neighborhood groups online that the local thrift shop has lines upwards of 90min to drop off stuff. It appears decluttering is in style here at the moment.

    We haven’t donated anything yet and are sticking with FB marketplace and Buy Nothing
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on July 05, 2020, 08:06:18 PM
    Need some inspiration here... I had a great all in one Canon color printer/flatbed scanner/fax machine, had it running beautifully with an aftermarket continuous flow ink system, but gradually it died on me. 

    What's the best way to get rid of it? I hate to see it go to the landfill, but you'd have to be pretty handy and have lots of time to fix this one.  I'm pretty good at fixing things, and tried a lot of things including replacing the printhead... it would take some radical disassembly and possibly more parts replacement. But it needs to go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on July 06, 2020, 08:32:36 AM
    I have a printer...
    What's the best way to get rid of it?

    Poundwise,  the best way is to an electronics recycler, where environmentally hazardous parts and anything of residual value is stripped before disposal.  We have them here, check your directory or call the landfill to ask where to find them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on July 06, 2020, 09:19:02 AM
    Thank you @Goldielocks, I just googled and found that Best Buy will recycle it. That will do!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 06, 2020, 01:00:03 PM
    Getting a box together to put on the curb:
    -two small parts still in the package that weren't needed for a project
    -two notebooks
    -brooch
    -three drawstring bags
    -metal recipe box with cards
    -stand mixer
    -two pillows
    -plastic storage bin
    -pencil sharpener



    Some items are from a work cleanout. I brought them home thinking they might be useful but it's been a month, so out they go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 06, 2020, 01:11:32 PM
    ^^^ This was written Saturday afternoon, but I neglected to actually hit 'Post'.

    All of the items were gone by 8PM!! Even the cardboard box holding it all. It probably helps that there are several houses for sale in my neighborhood, and a holiday celebration in the nearby park this weekend. Wish I'd done it sooner! My closet is so much more spacious now! The next morning my immediate neighbors put some items on the curb, and several of them are gone. I started something!

    Went to the consignment shop this morning and got $10 for two items. They didn't take one, so I'll probably donate it. Then I returned a piece of a project that was the wrong size--I even managed to find the receipt for a cash refund.

    Had to wait about 20 minutes for my turn at the consignment shop. Looked at the whole place and didn't find a single item that tempted me out of my 'no new clothes in 2020' challenge from another thread.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on July 07, 2020, 07:04:45 AM
    Does it ever feel not right when things are clean?  Yesterday was my son's birthday and I took all my paper piles and put them in the bedroom.  Now my dining room table, kitchen table and kitchen counters are almost empty, and it feels weird.

    I'm going to go through the papers at least 20 minutes a day.  I realize that my problem is that I hate filing. Hate it.

    I also need to get rid of stuff that I think I 'might read or use' much quicker.

    Also my spouse piles up junk mail for me rather than pitching it himself.

    I need to get the filing cabinet in better shape so it is more nice to use.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 07, 2020, 08:16:04 AM
    Does it ever feel not right when things are clean?  Yesterday was my son's birthday and I took all my paper piles and put them in the bedroom.  Now my dining room table, kitchen table and kitchen counters are almost empty, and it feels weird.

    I'm going to go through the papers at least 20 minutes a day.  I realize that my problem is that I hate filing. Hate it.

    I also need to get rid of stuff that I think I 'might read or use' much quicker.

    Also my spouse piles up junk mail for me rather than pitching it himself.

    I need to get the filing cabinet in better shape so it is more nice to use.

    Tells me that your "normal" is set to "cluttered".

    Can you reduce the paper coming in? Don't need to file the water bill if it's online. As for the junk mail that your spouse won't throw out, have a conversation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 07, 2020, 08:38:52 AM
    We weren't able to bring all of our decluttered items from our vacation house home (ran out of space in the car), so a few things are left in the garage. Feeling sad about that, because it just leaves junk in the garage. Ah, well. It's out & ready for next time we're there.

    I spent yesterday unpacking from our trip, and didn't declutter anything new. Just unpacking, opening & tossing mail (trying to prevent clutter, to an earlier point) & sold three items on eBay. Junk out, money in.

    I received three giant bags of clothes from my sister, so I need to go through all of that & decide what to keep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 07, 2020, 09:20:22 AM
    Does it ever feel not right when things are clean?  Yesterday was my son's birthday and I took all my paper piles and put them in the bedroom.  Now my dining room table, kitchen table and kitchen counters are almost empty, and it feels weird.

    You have "surfacitis".  It is a recoverable affliction.    ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 07, 2020, 09:42:21 AM
    I have been working on the clutter for a long time and all of a sudden it becomes noticeable.  At a certain point you hit a critical threshold and closets and cupboards are no longer packed to the gills and there is a place to put things away.

    @RetiredAt63 - nice one.  Is there a corollary condition when there is too much paper on every surface and you want to burn down the house?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 07, 2020, 10:53:47 AM
    I have been working on the clutter for a long time and all of a sudden it becomes noticeable.  At a certain point you hit a critical threshold and closets and cupboards are no longer packed to the gills and there is a place to put things away.

    @RetiredAt63 - nice one.  Is there a corollary condition when there is too much paper on every surface and you want to burn down the house?

    Same thing.  My neighbour and I joked, when we were decluttering in preparation for selling our houses, that it would be so much easier if they would just burn down.

    I got 6 stuffed file drawers plus a box of paperwork down to 4 half full drawers.  Getting as much paperwork as possible in electronic format helps a lot.  No more paper bank statements, Hydro bills, etc.  Makes a huge difference in the long run.  Unfortunately I have 10 years worth of car maintenance work orders in the file cabinet, they get kept until the car goes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 07, 2020, 11:23:36 PM
    I returned a book borrowed from a friend the very day I finished it! That's some kind of record. I had so much momentum built up from my other declutters.

    The buyer for the desk I put on FB is supposed to pick it up tomorrow. That's the last of the 'for sale' items. I just really hope they pick it up when they say they will.

    Now I'm down to two work items I need to return to a worksite and the dress the consignment store wouldn't take.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on July 08, 2020, 12:27:52 AM
    When I picked up my reservation from the library, I dropped off my old batteries and light globes at the recycling station there. So satisfying!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 08, 2020, 12:35:26 AM
    Dress I am returning taken to the post office. I was thinking about donating my first edition of Microserfs to a street library and Ofpym was 🤔 how muhh is this worth? (answer: $5) so off it will go.

    I have also been half-heartedly pottering in the cupboards, including the dreaded Cable Drawer. Like, leaving aside the do we have the cable/will it start up/be recognised by our modern laptops, if we have never looked on this hard drive for NINE YEARS does it really contain any info at all that we will ever need?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on July 08, 2020, 05:06:09 AM
    re: reducing paper - the other thing that is cluttered is my email inbox - I should not say how many emails I have kept -- 10,000?  I clear out a little bit every now and then because a relative will send me huge files and I am out of space.

    Also, my phone memory.  My phone is 7 years old but I often do not have memory to take new photos, so it is becoming un-functional.  I am thinking of getting a new phone anyway.  Part of me wants to resist.

    I need to sell a pair of outgrown hockey skates before they sit around too long.  Maybe I will try FB marketplace?

    I also need to return a pair of shorts.

    And I need to finish the taxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on July 08, 2020, 05:59:05 AM
    re: reducing paper - the other thing that is cluttered is my email inbox - I should not say how many emails I have kept -- 10,000?  I clear out a little bit every now and then because a relative will send me huge files and I am out of space.

    Also, my phone memory.  My phone is 7 years old but I often do not have memory to take new photos, so it is becoming un-functional.  I am thinking of getting a new phone anyway.  Part of me wants to resist.

    I need to sell a pair of outgrown hockey skates before they sit around too long.  Maybe I will try FB marketplace?

    I also need to return a pair of shorts.

    EBay is also a fabulous place to sell stuff like that.


    And I need to finish the taxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 08, 2020, 09:57:59 AM

    The buyer for the desk I put on FB is supposed to pick it up tomorrow. That's the last of the 'for sale' items. I just really hope they pick it up when they say they will.


    He showed up early and paid promptly! That's the last big item to go, and the last item that was worth selling. It's such a weight off my mind. That box loomed a lot bigger in my psyche than the actual space it took up in the garage. Now it's not a failure to plan properly, or daily reminder that I misread the return policy from the store, or a reminder of my procrastination in selling. It's off to its new home to be properly put together and used as intended.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 08, 2020, 11:55:15 AM
    re: reducing paper - the other thing that is cluttered is my email inbox - I should not say how many emails I have kept -- 10,000?  I clear out a little bit every now and then because a relative will send me huge files and I am out of space.

    Also, my phone memory.  My phone is 7 years old but I often do not have memory to take new photos, so it is becoming un-functional.  I am thinking of getting a new phone anyway.  Part of me wants to resist.

    I need to sell a pair of outgrown hockey skates before they sit around too long.  Maybe I will try FB marketplace?

    I also need to return a pair of shorts.

    And I need to finish the taxes.

    You're a digital hoarder. The first step to recovery is acceptance.

    As for the phone - move all the pictures to the computer, then delete them off the phone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 08, 2020, 02:46:23 PM
    I agree that digital bills are great. However, I do print my credit card statements and keep a copy. Flyers and other junk mail go directly in the recycling bin without hitting the counter.

    My friend is supposed to be coming over today to pick up some pants, and then I might take a break for a while. Until the next wave of motivation hits.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 08, 2020, 05:15:19 PM

    The buyer for the desk I put on FB is supposed to pick it up tomorrow. That's the last of the 'for sale' items. I just really hope they pick it up when they say they will.


    He showed up early and paid promptly! That's the last big item to go, and the last item that was worth selling. It's such a weight off my mind. That box loomed a lot bigger in my psyche than the actual space it took up in the garage. Now it's not a failure to plan properly, or daily reminder that I misread the return policy from the store, or a reminder of my procrastination in selling. It's off to its new home to be properly put together and used as intended.

    Excellent news. Now you're free!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 08, 2020, 05:30:58 PM
    I had a donation breakthrough this week. I found a drop off spot much closer to home, that accepts a range of items and donated a couple of bulky items that were cluttering up my car boot.   A lot of our charity stores only take books and clothing as these are the most marketable.  I still have more to go sitting in the donate corner of the room.

    I still have a few items sitting outside under the eaves that I was going to clean up and donate. However at the moment, I'm finding that the hardest part is physically getting rid of things, not the decision to let said items go. I'm gathering up things that are basically rubbish for a free council cleanup and have decided these items can go when this happens. Once the pile is on the street people will go through it and take all sorts of things, so I'm just going to hope these things find a home without me wasting more time cleaning them up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 08, 2020, 06:32:29 PM
    @happy council clean up time is the best! We have used it to get rid of so much stuff - people take it away before the truck comes! And we have got so much awesome stuff from it. My bike wheels have gatorskin tyres on it that came off clean up pile wheels.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 08, 2020, 07:10:48 PM
    Me too! I've had some good finds over the years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 08, 2020, 09:40:31 PM
    You can stop flyer delivery by either contacting your postal service or any private company that delivers them.  Keeping them out of the house entirely is the easiest solution to that added clutter, plus if you don’t see the ads you miraculously don’t “need “ those items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 09, 2020, 07:55:19 AM
    I sold a bike on Facebook marketplace yesterday. It was great to get it out of the house, and into the hands of someone who will use it. As a side note, bikes are in incredibly high demand right now, due to bike shops not being able to get much inventory (COVID) & people wanting to get exercise for themselves/family. If you have old bikes, now is the time to sell them!

    I clearly should have listed the bike for more, as the listing received 1200 views in 4 hours, and I had 36 people reach out before the buyer could swing by. Nuts!

    I listed another 20 items on eBay yesterday. For today, I plan to clean the steamer we found in an old shed we're tearing down. It needs some love, but then I'm hoping to retake photos of a few items that were very wrinkly when I posted them on eBay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on July 09, 2020, 10:39:42 AM
    Good tip on the bikes, I think we may have an extra kids' bike around. 

    I will list the hockey skates today and get some tax prep done.

    I am keeping the kitchen counter, kitchen table, and dining table mostly cleared.  It's been 3 days!

    Also, I am unsubscribing to the marketing emails that seem to collect very easily.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 09, 2020, 12:56:34 PM
    I sold a bike on Facebook marketplace yesterday. It was great to get it out of the house, and into the hands of someone who will use it. As a side note, bikes are in incredibly high demand right now, due to bike shops not being able to get much inventory (COVID) & people wanting to get exercise for themselves/family. If you have old bikes, now is the time to sell them!

    I clearly should have listed the bike for more, as the listing received 1200 views in 4 hours, and I had 36 people reach out before the buyer could swing by. Nuts!

    I listed another 20 items on eBay yesterday. For today, I plan to clean the steamer we found in an old shed we're tearing down. It needs some love, but then I'm hoping to retake photos of a few items that were very wrinkly when I posted them on eBay.
    I did something similar as I had an old u used bike I decided to get rid of. I had no idea of the demand so I underpriced it and was inundated with messages within minutes. I sold it to a lady who offered me over asking price and picked it up immediately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 09, 2020, 01:30:05 PM
    @ysette9 - it's wild how in demand they are! Good work getting a good price, & out of your hair quickly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on July 09, 2020, 02:08:20 PM
    Listing things on Ebay is a PITA.  I listed the hockey skates  ($100 obo) and am listing some shoulder pads ($4.99 start bid) but maybe I'm better off just donating the shoulder pads? But WTH, they are getting listed, and I will package their awkward shape and ship them off if they sell.

    The point is to get this stuff out of the house. I hope the time put in feels worthwhile.

    In other news I have been staring at our FUGLY built in china cabinet that I have hated for 20 years.  I am going to take the sliding glass doors out, paint it, put in new shelves and I think I am motivated.  I sketched up some ideas for divided shelves, and then I looked at these little easel displays you can put your fancy china on and dang, they are expensive for little pieces of plexiglass.

    My husband just took the sliding glass doors out.  I think I will donate them to a  REStore.  The glass shelves, too once I get the new shelves figured out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 09, 2020, 02:39:16 PM
    I’ve sold things like laptops on eBay in the past, but I am almost incapable of shipping anything unless under duress, so I much prefer Buy Nothing and FB market place/Craigslist.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 09, 2020, 02:45:30 PM
    @ysette9 - it's wild how in demand they are! Good work getting a good price, & out of your hair quickly.

    Thanks for the tip on the bikes.  I have 2 adult bikes that might go for $200 each, according to the Craigslist ads I am seeing. Wow.

    I was really kind of stuck, grinding away at the other decluttering chores, and now I think I will check out the bikes, maybe even ride one of them, and get some exercise. Maybe sell one!       Woohoo! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 09, 2020, 05:19:34 PM
    Reading everyone's posts is so motivating!

    I cleaned up the kitchen cupboards again, and found another set of items to sell. They are on FB right now! I'm hoping with all the COVID cooking going on right now that it will be quick sales.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 09, 2020, 06:12:28 PM
    This morning I didn't let myself get side tracked (promising myself I Will Get To It only to fail) and put one book in the street library and bananagrams, an uno deck and the unopened Articulate that the boys gave us 4?5? Christmases ago which we forgot we owned into the street library by the play centre. Toys, games, art supplies go super quickly from there.

    Next step, I am gathering up all the scissors in the house and putting them on the kitchen table to choose which ones to keep. Everywhere I look - more! scissors!

    UPDATE: SIX PAIRS OF BAD NO GOOD SCISSORS, BEGONE!
    also about 20 non-working pens/sharpies and the backup coffee thermometer that we have used in 4 years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on July 10, 2020, 04:04:31 AM


    UPDATE: SIX PAIRS OF BAD NO GOOD SCISSORS, BEGONE!
    also about 20 non-working pens/sharpies and the backup coffee thermometer that we have used in 4 years.

    I have to admit, I had to Google what a coffee thermometer was used for because I didn’t even know they existed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on July 10, 2020, 08:36:35 AM
    Hope to get some motivation from this group.
    I'm quite good in getting clutter out, unfortunately my SO is a "just-in-case" type of person. We try to make it work!
    Today I already got rid of a sewing project that I will never finish (oops), a child toy that was used as a prop for the school play and some old paperwork.
    Want to get more done during the coming weekend. Next week, kids will have their final school week before summer holiday starts, so I just hope they do not come home with loads of paper workbooks and art-work that they want to keep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 10, 2020, 12:21:20 PM
    Hope to get some motivation from this group.
    I'm quite good in getting clutter out, unfortunately my SO is a "just-in-case" type of person. We try to make it work!
    Today I already got rid of a sewing project that I will never finish (oops), a child toy that was used as a prop for the school play and some old paperwork.
    Want to get more done during the coming weekend. Next week, kids will have their final school week before summer holiday starts, so I just hope they do not come home with loads of paper workbooks and art-work that they want to keep.
    My husband grew up with "just in case" tendencies due to his parents, father especially, being what I consider to be hoarders. Well, to be fair not actual hoarders, just breathtaking amounts of duplicate, usually inexpensive stuff. Lots of stuff.

    My husband has slowly been moving closer on the spectrum of having less stuff. Part of it is us working on developing a more critical eye on deciding if we really need things or not before acquiring them. Two big factors also are FB marketplace/Buy Nothing/Craigslist and moving. Moving is a clear motivator because it you want to sort and purge before to not end up wasting time and money moving things you don't need. With FB Marketplace and the like it makes us realize that we can easily get rid of things AND easily get things back if we ever realize we need item X again in the future. So that greatly reduces the urge to keep things "just in case" because you can, in a sense, use FB marketplace/Buy Nothing as storage for those items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LetItGrow on July 10, 2020, 04:34:59 PM
    re: reducing paper - the other thing that is cluttered is my email inbox - I should not say how many emails I have kept -- 10,000?  I clear out a little bit every now and then because a relative will send me huge files and I am out of space.

    Also, my phone memory.  My phone is 7 years old but I often do not have memory to take new photos, so it is becoming un-functional.  I am thinking of getting a new phone anyway.  Part of me wants to resist.

    I need to sell a pair of outgrown hockey skates before they sit around too long.  Maybe I will try FB marketplace?

    I also need to return a pair of shorts.

    And I need to finish the taxes.

    You're a digital hoarder. The first step to recovery is acceptance.

    As for the phone - move all the pictures to the computer, then delete them off the phone.

    Then find the twenty you actually would look at ever and delete the rest off the computer....

    I have made a big push unsubscribes the past couple weeks. While it is nice to get mail, it is also nice to not get mail.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Need2Save on July 11, 2020, 05:13:04 AM
    Next step, I am gathering up all the scissors in the house and putting them on the kitchen table to choose which ones to keep. Everywhere I look - more! scissors!

    UPDATE: SIX PAIRS OF BAD NO GOOD SCISSORS, BEGONE!

    I had to laugh at this. We have the opposite problem.  I can never find scissors when I need them even though I feel like a buy a few new ones every year.  Our home is not very cluttered either. They just seem to sprout legs and walk away on their own.  Totally agree though to not keep bad ones around. That's frustrating unless you have the ability to sharpen them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Need2Save on July 11, 2020, 05:13:54 AM


    UPDATE: SIX PAIRS OF BAD NO GOOD SCISSORS, BEGONE!
    also about 20 non-working pens/sharpies and the backup coffee thermometer that we have used in 4 years.

    I have to admit, I had to Google what a coffee thermometer was used for because I didn’t even know they existed.

    me too!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on July 11, 2020, 05:40:49 AM
    re: reducing paper - the other thing that is cluttered is my email inbox - I should not say how many emails I have kept -- 10,000?  I clear out a little bit every now and then because a relative will send me huge files and I am out of space.

    Also, my phone memory.  My phone is 7 years old but I often do not have memory to take new photos, so it is becoming un-functional.  I am thinking of getting a new phone anyway.  Part of me wants to resist.

    I need to sell a pair of outgrown hockey skates before they sit around too long.  Maybe I will try FB marketplace?

    I also need to return a pair of shorts.

    And I need to finish the taxes.

    You're a digital hoarder. The first step to recovery is acceptance.

    As for the phone - move all the pictures to the computer, then delete them off the phone.

    Then find the twenty you actually would look at ever and delete the rest off the computer....

    I have made a big push unsubscribes the past couple weeks. While it is nice to get mail, it is also nice to not get mail.

    I have also unsubscribed from most of the newletters or offers. For those that I chose to keep I made a special folder and made a rule that sends the email directly into the folder. So when I am going to book airline tickets I look into the folder and see if there is an offer that I can use. Actually, I have folders and rules to all my common emails or order confirmations so they end up in the right place immediately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on July 11, 2020, 07:14:04 AM
    Sold a saddle yesterday!  Packed it up and shipped in a box that was also cluttering the basement.  I don't mind the extra $1,000 that is now cluttering my bank account instead.

    I made a big pile of horse stuff I am not currently using, and could potentially sell.  It's going to be hot today, so this afternoon I'm going to get it all cleaned and photographed and posted to a couple local FB groups.  I'm sure at least a few items will sell so I can consolidate the rest of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 11, 2020, 10:43:41 AM
    Used up a gifted tube of lotion. Didn't love the smell, but it moisturized and it's gone.

    Bagged up and located a drop-off for contact lens recycling. The site won't be open until Monday, but I was able to put the container I was gathering them in into the recycling bin and out of my bathroom.

    Gathered up a bag of shipping materials to drop off at the store recycling site.

    Dropped off items from a job site I won't be visiting any more, in the other job site's interoffice mail area at our central location. Way simpler than doing a separate trip just for those two things.

    Finally finished the garden project I'd had materials for for over a month. They were just lying in the garden, reproaching me every time I was out there. Today I dug in and finished it. In the way of most procrastinated projects, it took much less time than I was expecting. I pulled out some sickly plants and now the garden is cleaned up.

    Now to figure out where to donate my old eyeglasses. The charity I usually mail them to isn't accepting donations right now, and the public libraries where there are Lions Club donation boxes are closed. Any ideas?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on July 11, 2020, 10:53:02 AM

    Now to figure out where to donate my old eyeglasses. The charity I usually mail them to isn't accepting donations right now, and the public libraries where there are Lions Club donation boxes are closed. Any ideas?

    Here some stores that sells eyeglasses also accept donations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 11, 2020, 11:18:07 AM

    Now to figure out where to donate my old eyeglasses. The charity I usually mail them to isn't accepting donations right now, and the public libraries where there are Lions Club donation boxes are closed. Any ideas?

    Here some stores that sells eyeglasses also accept donations.


    Yes, same here.  Any optical store should take them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 11, 2020, 03:14:34 PM
    4 DVDs out to the street library and while walking last night I found several more that had spaces for books in them. I have been making a pile of manga that I am ready to let go of and I accept that I am very unlikely to try sell them so maybe I just put them all out for donation?

    Also, collecting up random things from cupboards for discarding - a metal jug, two fancy glass oil/vinegar bottles, a preserving jar with a latch I hate. So close to getting rid of all the wine glasses buuuuut once a year I host book club. We are getting into the various book shelves and drawers at this point, since most of the obvious surface stuff is done. Less visually satisfying until you open a drawer and it's not a mess and you can put things away in it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 11, 2020, 04:16:30 PM
    Next step, I am gathering up all the scissors in the house and putting them on the kitchen table to choose which ones to keep. Everywhere I look - more! scissors!

    UPDATE: SIX PAIRS OF BAD NO GOOD SCISSORS, BEGONE!

    I had to laugh at this. We have the opposite problem.  I can never find scissors when I need them even though I feel like a buy a few new ones every year.  Our home is not very cluttered either. They just seem to sprout legs and walk away on their own.  Totally agree though to not keep bad ones around. That's frustrating unless you have the ability to sharpen them.
    So how do you sharpen scissors? Our kitchen scissors are pathetic and can barely cut a plastic bag now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 11, 2020, 04:30:06 PM
    I have also unsubscribed from most of the newletters or offers. For those that I chose to keep I made a special folder and made a rule that sends the email directly into the folder. So when I am going to book airline tickets I look into the folder and see if there is an offer that I can use. Actually, I have folders and rules to all my common emails or order confirmations so they end up in the right place immediately.

    Excellent idea, I might do this.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 11, 2020, 08:28:48 PM
    Next step, I am gathering up all the scissors in the house and putting them on the kitchen table to choose which ones to keep. Everywhere I look - more! scissors!

    UPDATE: SIX PAIRS OF BAD NO GOOD SCISSORS, BEGONE!

    I had to laugh at this. We have the opposite problem.  I can never find scissors when I need them even though I feel like a buy a few new ones every year.  Our home is not very cluttered either. They just seem to sprout legs and walk away on their own.  Totally agree though to not keep bad ones around. That's frustrating unless you have the ability to sharpen them.
    So how do you sharpen scissors? Our kitchen scissors are pathetic and can barely cut a plastic bag now.

    If they're good quality scissors that you want a proper job done on, take them to a knife sharpener.  Otherwise, anything like a sharpening stone or a Wilkinson knife sheath can be used at home.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 11, 2020, 08:48:53 PM
    If they are outgrown children's safety scissors with poorly designed flimsy handles, you just throw them out...
    I'll save sharpening for my sewing scissors.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Need2Save on July 12, 2020, 05:55:29 AM
    We sold a hitch mounted bike rack that we replaced about 3/4 years ago but hadn't found a buyer yet. Admittedly, we only tried a few times to sell it, but this time it worked. The guy who bought it was so thrilled about the quality of it (really heavy metal base).  He got a great deal at $75. It was a great rack, but the one we bought to replace it is easier to use to get bikes in and out of.  It was such a huge thing in our garage. I'm particularly excited to get rid of the old one and place it in a good new home.

    In other recent wins:
    - Reduced about 10 folders we had for various accounts into one and shredded all the unnecessary paperwork in those files
    - Sorted through our 'important papers'/fire retardant pouch and got rid of about 1/3 of the papers. Not sure whey some of it was saved or deemed 'important'
    - Used scrap wood in our garage to make a bird house for the garden (reducing said 'scrap' pile a little)
    - Earlier this summer we used other scraps to make a new raised garden bed instead of buying new boards

    I'm challenging myself to use up all the little travel size/samples that I have in my toiletry stash.
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 12, 2020, 07:48:05 AM

    Now to figure out where to donate my old eyeglasses. The charity I usually mail them to isn't accepting donations right now, and the public libraries where there are Lions Club donation boxes are closed. Any ideas?

    Here some stores that sells eyeglasses also accept donations.


    Yes, same here.  Any optical store should take them.

    I'll check with my optometrist when i have an appointment next week!

    As to scissor sharpeners, I have a handheld version of this guy that I bought at a craft store. I've had it for over a decade.
    https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Universal-Scissors-Sharpener-198620/dp/B00UY11D0Q/ref=sr_1_7?crid=7DVC0QNCVA6N&dchild=1&keywords=scissor+sharpener&qid=1594561605&sprefix=scissor+sharp%2Caps%2C241&sr=8-7

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 12, 2020, 09:16:28 AM

    Now to figure out where to donate my old eyeglasses. The charity I usually mail them to isn't accepting donations right now, and the public libraries where there are Lions Club donation boxes are closed. Any ideas?

    Here some stores that sells eyeglasses also accept donations.


    Yes, same here.  Any optical store should take them.

    I'll check with my optometrist when i have an appointment next week!

    As to scissor sharpeners, I have a handheld version of this guy that I bought at a craft store. I've had it for over a decade.
    https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Universal-Scissors-Sharpener-198620/dp/B00UY11D0Q/ref=sr_1_7?crid=7DVC0QNCVA6N&dchild=1&keywords=scissor+sharpener&qid=1594561605&sprefix=scissor+sharp%2Caps%2C241&sr=8-7
    Thanks for the recommendation
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 12, 2020, 11:49:04 AM
    We had to pack our kitchen (remodel), & it reminded me that we have a bunch of stuff that we don't regularly use. I'd decluttered most of the house during the quarantine, but some items were pushed to the back of the cupboards. Rather than toss them in boxes, I made piles: garbage, donate, sell. I've listed most of the sell items.

    Today I need to go through a few items that were in our sheds (also being torn down/rebuilt) & see if they can be salvaged. One item was destroyed when I tried to clean it, so that was a major fail.

    We're living in part of our house with a bunch of remodeling work happening around us. We're all masked up, and the room being re-done is completely closed to all of us. The rest of the work is happening outside. Lots of time for us to figure out what we should be decluttering! It's not a move, but it's enough of packing & shuffling to raise the same questions.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 12, 2020, 12:11:51 PM
    I have about 10 things listed for free on Nextdoor and my local Buy Nothing Group.  This morning someone came to pick up a magazine.  I'm off this week and decluttering/reorganizing/re-decorating is at the top of my agenda.  I'm starting with things I inherited or was gifted.  I think at this moment if I were to Kondo the joint, it'd just be me and my cats in my recliner in an empty condo. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on July 12, 2020, 03:02:23 PM
    The kids cleaned out their art-drawers today..... lots of junk came out of that and I’m proud that they could do this quite easily.
    Found a play tent and put it up on FB marketplace and put some art-stuff from the kids on the Buy Nothing group.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 12, 2020, 03:52:18 PM
    I have about 10 things listed for free on Nextdoor and my local Buy Nothing Group.  This morning someone came to pick up a magazine.  I'm off this week and decluttering/reorganizing/re-decorating is at the top of my agenda.  I'm starting with things I inherited or was gifted.  I think at this moment if I were to Kondo the joint, it'd just be me and my cats in my recliner in an empty condo.
    I like how you used Kondo and condo in the same sentence :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 12, 2020, 03:53:14 PM
    We had to pack our kitchen (remodel), & it reminded me that we have a bunch of stuff that we don't regularly use. I'd decluttered most of the house during the quarantine, but some items were pushed to the back of the cupboards. Rather than toss them in boxes, I made piles: garbage, donate, sell. I've listed most of the sell items.

    Today I need to go through a few items that were in our sheds (also being torn down/rebuilt) & see if they can be salvaged. One item was destroyed when I tried to clean it, so that was a major fail.

    We're living in part of our house with a bunch of remodeling work happening around us. We're all masked up, and the room being re-done is completely closed to all of us. The rest of the work is happening outside. Lots of time for us to figure out what we should be decluttering! It's not a move, but it's enough of packing & shuffling to raise the same questions.
    Good luck with the remodel! That is a big deal. I still have vivid memories of my parents remodeling the kitchen when I was in HS. What will you do for meals in the interim?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on July 12, 2020, 07:56:44 PM
    Small thing, but I remembered that my Talavera flying pig is really a piggy bank, so I put all the change from our change jar in it, and did away with the jar.  We haven't been collecting or using much change the last few years, and it's really ground to a halt since Covid.  I should probably just cash in the change, but that would require going somewhere.  I also repurposed a garlic keeper for holding rubber bands since I wasn't using it for garlic and just kept stashing it in different places around the kitchen.

    I also put the broiler pan that came with my toaster oven into the donate box.  Haven't used it in over a year, doubt I ever will.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 12, 2020, 09:14:34 PM
    We had to pack our kitchen (remodel), & it reminded me that we have a bunch of stuff that we don't regularly use. I'd decluttered most of the house during the quarantine, but some items were pushed to the back of the cupboards. Rather than toss them in boxes, I made piles: garbage, donate, sell. I've listed most of the sell items.

    Today I need to go through a few items that were in our sheds (also being torn down/rebuilt) & see if they can be salvaged. One item was destroyed when I tried to clean it, so that was a major fail.

    We're living in part of our house with a bunch of remodeling work happening around us. We're all masked up, and the room being re-done is completely closed to all of us. The rest of the work is happening outside. Lots of time for us to figure out what we should be decluttering! It's not a move, but it's enough of packing & shuffling to raise the same questions.
    Good luck with the remodel! That is a big deal. I still have vivid memories of my parents remodeling the kitchen when I was in HS. What will you do for meals in the interim?

    It's quite an adventure. So far, we've made do with the microwave, pannini maker, & a toaster oven. We bought the toaster oven, but had the other items. My husband convinced the contractor to help set up the stove top in another area of the house, while everything is torn apart. There have been dishes washed in the tub, and a lot of creativity. It was fine over the weekend. I have a crazy work week next week, and a full remodel, plus the kids at home with no camp. Should be the true test of our limits.

    In decluttering news, sold our old cooler that was taking up space. Happy to give it a new home. Also have a pile of clothes ready to go to our neighbor, who donates at the homeless shelter. She gave us some outgrown swimsuits, one of which has already been called into service when our 14 year old discovered his swim trunks were too small. Love it when things come together.

    I also have someone (supposedly) coming by to pick up file folders I've had listed for a month on Nextdoor. Fingers crossed, because I'd love to get them out of my closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 12, 2020, 09:24:01 PM
    Small thing, but I remembered that my Talavera flying pig is really a piggy bank, so I put all the change from our change jar in it, and did away with the jar.  We haven't been collecting or using much change the last few years, and it's really ground to a halt since Covid.  I should probably just cash in the change, but that would require going somewhere.  I also repurposed a garlic keeper for holding rubber bands since I wasn't using it for garlic and just kept stashing it in different places around the kitchen.

    I also put the broiler pan that came with my toaster oven into the donate box.  Haven't used it in over a year, doubt I ever will.

    You might want to keep the broiler pan.  If you ever decide to give away or sell the oven, most people would want it.  It’s not something one can buy on its own.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 12, 2020, 10:07:10 PM
    Small thing, but I remembered that my Talavera flying pig is really a piggy bank, so I put all the change from our change jar in it, and did away with the jar.  We haven't been collecting or using much change the last few years, and it's really ground to a halt since Covid.  I should probably just cash in the change, but that would require going somewhere.  I also repurposed a garlic keeper for holding rubber bands since I wasn't using it for garlic and just kept stashing it in different places around the kitchen.

    I also put the broiler pan that came with my toaster oven into the donate box.  Haven't used it in over a year, doubt I ever will.


    You might want to keep the broiler pan.  If you ever decide to give away or sell the oven, most people would want it.  It’s not something one can buy on its own.


    Nah, they can look at a thirft shop to find one that fits OK! 😃

    If it had a high resale value, I'd agree with you.



    Posting for accountability: Room Mate and I share a hobby.  Today we jointly decluttered our hobby accessories. Not a lot volume wise, but nice to clear out unused bits. I also got to reorganize my hobby cupboard; it is pleasing and more functional.

    I have volunteered to advertise the items to the hobby group and handle the distribution.  Tomorrow!

    Also tomorrow: finish seasoning the cast iron so it can be put away rather than cluttering up the countertop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 12, 2020, 10:10:22 PM
    On a whim i posted on our neighborhood FB group about my growing collection of single-use grocery bags. I suppose I used to just toss them? I can’t even remember; it feels like I have been doing being-your-own-bags now for so long.

    In any case it spurred a conversation and a few people are collecting them to give to food banks that are now using a bunch for home deliveries. That feels good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on July 13, 2020, 05:34:29 AM
    Oh man, I collect plastic bags too.  I've seen people make plarn (plastic yarn) and then knit or crochet with them. Goodness knows I can't take on a project right now though.

    My clean surfaces started falling apart over the weekend. I still have shorts to return and I still need to finish the taxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 13, 2020, 07:51:14 AM
    I use plastic grocery bags to clean the litterboxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on July 13, 2020, 08:36:00 AM
    On a whim i posted on our neighborhood FB group about my growing collection of single-use grocery bags. I suppose I used to just toss them? I can’t even remember; it feels like I have been doing being-your-own-bags now for so long.

    In any case it spurred a conversation and a few people are collecting them to give to food banks that are now using a bunch for home deliveries. That feels good.

    Here we got a tax on single use plastic grocery bags so that you now have to pay about 60 cents per bag, prEvioulsy it was about half of that. I read that the sales of plastic bags had dropped with 50 % in two months.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on July 13, 2020, 08:54:06 AM
    On a whim i posted on our neighborhood FB group about my growing collection of single-use grocery bags. I suppose I used to just toss them? I can’t even remember; it feels like I have been doing being-your-own-bags now for so long.

    In any case it spurred a conversation and a few people are collecting them to give to food banks that are now using a bunch for home deliveries. That feels good.

    Here we got a tax on single use plastic grocery bags so that you now have to pay about 60 cents per bag, prEvioulsy it was about half of that. I read that the sales of plastic bags had dropped with 50 % in two months.

    Most places will no longer allow you to use reusable bags due to covid-19 concerns.
    I think use had dropped off quite a bit.

    What's also interesting, is due to the decrease in oil cost, and some pull back of regulations requiring bags be made of post consumer waste, currently, most bags in the US are being made of completely new plastics.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 13, 2020, 09:02:30 AM
    On a whim i posted on our neighborhood FB group about my growing collection of single-use grocery bags. I suppose I used to just toss them? I can’t even remember; it feels like I have been doing being-your-own-bags now for so long.

    In any case it spurred a conversation and a few people are collecting them to give to food banks that are now using a bunch for home deliveries. That feels good.

    Here we got a tax on single use plastic grocery bags so that you now have to pay about 60 cents per bag, prEvioulsy it was about half of that. I read that the sales of plastic bags had dropped with 50 % in two months.
    In normal times plastic bags are banned and reusable bags can be purchased if you forgot to bring your own. Early in the covid crisis though most grocery stores banned you from bringing in your own bags, so the stores I shop at (mostly TJ’s) give you paper bags for free. I did one non-TJ’s run and got a bunch of plastic bags. It felt very retro.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on July 13, 2020, 09:13:59 AM
    On a whim i posted on our neighborhood FB group about my growing collection of single-use grocery bags. I suppose I used to just toss them? I can’t even remember; it feels like I have been doing being-your-own-bags now for so long.

    In any case it spurred a conversation and a few people are collecting them to give to food banks that are now using a bunch for home deliveries. That feels good.

    Here we got a tax on single use plastic grocery bags so that you now have to pay about 60 cents per bag, prEvioulsy it was about half of that. I read that the sales of plastic bags had dropped with 50 % in two months.

    Most places will no longer allow you to use reusable bags due to covid-19 concerns.
    I think use had dropped off quite a bit.

    What's also interesting, is due to the decrease in oil cost, and some pull back of regulations requiring bags be made of post consumer waste, currently, most bags in the US are being made of completely new plastics.

    We implementerar the tax during the pandemic. Here one of the arguments towards the tax was that the bags were made of recycled plastic or biobased materials and that they don’t end up in the ocean but rather as garbagebags. They sell more paper bags but I have also seen more reusable bags.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 13, 2020, 12:19:59 PM
    I donated 3 bags of varying sizes and a box of household stuffs to my favorite charity thrift shop at 1201.  They closed at noon but kindly let me pass.  Their donation area was literally overflowing.  I hope they treat my antique items carefully and they wind up in good hands. 

    Tonight I stand to make $ when I sell some extremely unmustachian exercise equipment I purchased in 2019.  Here’s hoping the other party shows up. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 13, 2020, 10:08:28 PM
    Posting for accountability: Room Mate and I share a hobby.  Today we jointly decluttered our hobby accessories. Not a lot volume wise, but nice to clear out unused bits. I also got to reorganize my hobby cupboard; it is pleasing and more functional.

    I have volunteered to advertise the items to the hobby group and handle the distribution.  Tomorrow!

    Also tomorrow: finish seasoning the cast iron so it can be put away rather than cluttering up the countertop.

    Done! The items are listed and the pan is more or less seasoned.  Woo! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 14, 2020, 05:48:48 AM
    The whole family is finding stuff they no longer want and sorting it into donate, recycle or trash. The completely full garbage bin was just collected by the City.    The number of items that is picked up curbside is great.  I am being ruthless about not collecting pots. People have been dropping them off because I used to need them but now I have such a huge collection I will never need another.  I got rid a any that were even a little damaged.

    I am also using up watercolour paper that I had previously used one side of.  I am taking online courses and doing a lot of exercises.  No need to do the entire exercise on a single sheet if I have a bunch of small pieces.  And then I take a photo of the work, do a reflection/review in my notebook and then into the recycling.  I was wondering about composting them but I am not sure about the chemicals in the pigments.  I don't think there is cadmium in paint still but I don't want to take the chance.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 14, 2020, 09:08:38 AM
    Speaking of paper (paper shopping bags, and using the other side of watercolor paper) I still have tons of this paper called 'card stock', which is usual sized 8.5  x  11 inch paper, but is thicker than usual. It can be used to make greeting cards, by folding it in half. It comes in multiple colors.

    I was actually able to sell about 10 pounds of this stuff, for 1 cent per sheet, on Craigslist 2 years ago, but no one wants it these days. 

    I  made myself donate some of it to my church, and the lady reluctantly accepted it.

    I'm greedily hanging onto about 30 pounds of it, waiting for the resurgence of Craigslist demand!       



     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 14, 2020, 09:27:56 AM
    Speaking of paper (paper shopping bags, and using the other side of watercolor paper) I still have tons of this paper called 'card stock', which is usual sized 8.5  x  11 inch paper, but is thicker than usual. It can be used to make greeting cards, by folding it in half. It comes in multiple colors.

    I was actually able to sell about 10 pounds of this stuff, for 1 cent per sheet, on Craigslist 2 years ago, but no one wants it these days. 

    I  made myself donate some of it to my church, and the lady reluctantly accepted it.

    I'm greedily hanging onto about 30 pounds of it, waiting for the resurgence of Craigslist demand!       
     
    It sounds as though it might be useful for home schooling, for which there is probably going to be considerable demand. You may have other things that could be advertised as "home school supplies" too!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on July 14, 2020, 09:42:08 AM
    Re: grocery bags.  The stores are instructing staff not to handle bags.  If I have a small order, I just chuck it back in the cart and then put it in my bags after checkout.  For a larger order, if you have some totes that you can put in the bottom of your cart, you can just chuck your groceries straight into the totes as they ring things up.  Or shop at a bag your own type place. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on July 14, 2020, 02:18:28 PM
    @horsepoor, those are excellent ideas.  Thank you.

    Finally made the Goodwill drop off time frame, so a small box and a bag of clothing were donated.

    Rounding up another stack of egg cartons to mail off to an out-of-state chicken and duck egg laying friend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 14, 2020, 02:22:25 PM
    Re: bags, we typically don't take one & load items in the cart. Wheel the cart out to our car, and unload from there. This wouldn't work if you were hauling groceries from your car over a distance, or had a large purchase. We shop at Costco (no bags) & then fill in with smaller orders at the local store.

    For us, I've listed an item on eBay I'm hoping to save from the landfill. My husband's motorcycle jacket was damaged in our shed, but the armor inside the jacket is in great shape. I don't think it's recyclable, so hoping it serves a need to someone else. If not, I'll have to get more creative about disposing of it.

    I also sold another eBay item (son's shirt he grew out of & wore 1x), & packaged it in a repurposed Amazon pkg.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on July 14, 2020, 02:39:30 PM
    Yesterday I did a big grocery trip, did not take bags in due to covid concern, but I ended up doing self check out so I probably could have. Doing self check out did allow me to skip plastic bags when a clerk might use them.  I used a couple for small items but just stacked the rest in the cart.  The key is that I had put the laundry basket in the car, so I just loaded up all the cold things in the laundry basket and we were able to haul them all inside quickly and come bag for the other loose items once the fragile stuff was put away.

    As for getting rid of stuff.  We’ve got another bag of odds and ends started and I am still working my way through sewing supplies. We moved in to this house in February and we’re finally settled enough that things are starting to fit in place and we’re more able to identify what we will use and what we won’t. I got hangers that fit our closet and promptly took the old ones to goodwill, and now the closet doors shut!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LWYRUP on July 14, 2020, 04:12:16 PM
    Have some baby stuff to my sister.


    Because my sister is having a baby!!!! :):)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 14, 2020, 07:12:36 PM
    Have some baby stuff to my sister.


    Because my sister is having a baby!!!! :):)
    WOO HOO! BEST REASON!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on July 14, 2020, 07:12:48 PM
    Rather than taking items to Goodwill, I contacted a friend of mine who volunteers at the local homeless shelter. Not only do they feed their guests (so need plates and silverware and such), but when people are ready to be in a house/apartment, they put together "welcome kits" that include the things many of us have in abundance - dishes, glasses, mugs, even table linens. A car load went with her to go to the shelter. Goodwill is a fabulous place to rehome items; this felt even better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on July 14, 2020, 07:22:19 PM
    Put a plastic patio table, some pieces of shelving, a small wooden shelving unit, and an old WorkMate workshop table at the end of the drive today.  All gone within an hour.   We're moving (finally!!!), and there won't be room or need for these where we're going.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 15, 2020, 12:05:16 AM
    I got so much stuff taken care of yesterday, because I really wanted to write this post:

    -Two old pairs of glasses, two opened boxes of contacts, and a bag of empty contact lens blister packs (for recycling) to a local optometrist

    -Dead batteries, old A/V cords, and empty computer ink cartridges to a battery store for recycling

    -Took a pile of items to be mailed to the post office

    -Dropped off a bag of packaging at Target for recycling

    -Emptied three containers from the bathroom cabinet and put them in the recycling bin

    -Two old credit cards shredded

    So much stuff gone! All those niggling little items rolling around in the trunk and in my mental to do list are outta there :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 15, 2020, 07:04:54 AM
    I have been getting so many plastic bags since covid. I get curbside grocery delivery, and honestly, sometimes they will put one small item in a bag. I use them for garbage, and I also supply them to my Dad for the same, but I probably have enough for the next year. And just when I was getting into a good routine with re-useable bags.

    Started a new donation box and it is half full already.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on July 15, 2020, 07:53:14 AM
    I love FB neighborhood groups. In the last two weeks we've given away or recycled:
    - a floor lamp we never use
    - a children's wagon we haven't used in 3+ years (given to us, so we passed along for free)
    - a variety of clothing I don't wear now and won't when I'm back in-office
    - two knit blankets (cheapie Target purchases) from college that have giant holes in them

    My sister is expecting her first, who will be about a year younger than our littlest one, so the timing is perfect for moving out a fairly steady stream of baby supplies. (Though I might have cried a little when I gave her our K'tan - no more babies to kangaroo carry!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 15, 2020, 12:10:35 PM
    Re: bags, we typically don't take one & load items in the cart. Wheel the cart out to our car, and unload from there. This wouldn't work if you were hauling groceries from your car over a distance, or had a large purchase. We shop at Costco (no bags) & then fill in with smaller orders at the local store.

    For us, I've listed an item on eBay I'm hoping to save from the landfill. My husband's motorcycle jacket was damaged in our shed, but the armor inside the jacket is in great shape. I don't think it's recyclable, so hoping it serves a need to someone else. If not, I'll have to get more creative about disposing of it.

    I also sold another eBay item (son's shirt he grew out of & wore 1x), & packaged it in a repurposed Amazon pkg.

    So happy to say that the motorcycle armor sold in a day! It's packaged & ready to go for tomorrow's post office pickup. Saved from the garbage, and in the hands of someone who will be able to use it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 15, 2020, 01:30:08 PM
    Just saw a new HGTV show last night called Hot Mess House.  The host, Cas Aarssen, puts people into 1 of 4 "clutterbug" categories, then designs a system that works best with whatever category they fall into.  All done virtually, of course.  There's some amazing changes made.  It just might inspire me to do another round myself.  Off to take the quiz ........
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 15, 2020, 02:08:42 PM
    Using up stash yarn on gifts for others. It feels so nice to get the extra space back!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on July 16, 2020, 03:58:32 AM
    Not exactly decluttering, but I finished the taxes yesterday. Woo.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 16, 2020, 07:51:27 AM
    -Have someone coming this afternoon to look at an old motorcycle jacket found when we were cleaning our sheds. Fingers crossed it gets out of the house
    -Sold a book on eBay, and already mailed it
    -My sister is less familiar with eBay, so I took a few items from her, and sold one yesterday. Frugal win for her, and now fewer things for me to store

    Our house is an absolute wreck right now, thanks to the remodel & kitchen items being spread everywhere. It's not in a great state for decluttering. That said, when we're putting things back, I'll take yet another pass through all of our kitchen items. Once they are put away, I'll continue to work my way through the rest of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 16, 2020, 05:55:08 PM
    I found an old 8 by 3 foot mattress, only 2 inches thick, moved it out of the closet I was decluttering, into the living room so I would keep seeing it every day, as I was sure I'd think of a use for it now or in future. Well, after 2 weeks of not coming up with anything, I finally felt OK with taking it to Salvation Army. Gone. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on July 17, 2020, 08:29:39 AM
    I'm helping my mother empty her house. She spent 50 years shopping.  Right now my puzzle is what to do with her furs.  She has four coats (mink, silver fox, etc.) that were hardly worn, but I hear that they dry out over time if not stored in a special way.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 17, 2020, 09:00:13 AM
    I'm helping my mother empty her house. She spent 50 years shopping.  Right now my puzzle is what to do with her furs.  She has four coats (mink, silver fox, etc.) that were hardly worn, but I hear that they dry out over time if not stored in a special way.
    Hmmm I wonder if there would be a market for that on eBay or vintage clothing stores? I know I bought this cool fur-lined wool coat at a vintage store when I was a teenager that I had for a long time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 17, 2020, 09:22:41 AM
    I found an old 8 by 3 foot mattress, only 2 inches thick, moved it out of the closet I was decluttering, into the living room so I would keep seeing it every day, as I was sure I'd think of a use for it now or in future. Well, after 2 weeks of not coming up with anything, I finally felt OK with taking it to Salvation Army. Gone.

    Slackmax, I encourage you to talk to someone about this. Because that sounds awfully like how a hoarder thinks. I know your girlfriend was a hoarder, but I've been reading your posts for some time and I'm worried that you're struggling with the same problems.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 17, 2020, 09:23:44 AM
    I'm helping my mother empty her house. She spent 50 years shopping.  Right now my puzzle is what to do with her furs.  She has four coats (mink, silver fox, etc.) that were hardly worn, but I hear that they dry out over time if not stored in a special way.

    I've heard of animal rehab places that use furs to help with orphaned baby animals.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 17, 2020, 09:52:39 AM
    I found an old 8 by 3 foot mattress, only 2 inches thick, moved it out of the closet I was decluttering, into the living room so I would keep seeing it every day, as I was sure I'd think of a use for it now or in future. Well, after 2 weeks of not coming up with anything, I finally felt OK with taking it to Salvation Army. Gone.

    Slackmax, I encourage you to talk to someone about this. Because that sounds awfully like how a hoarder thinks. I know your girlfriend was a hoarder, but I've been reading your posts for some time and I'm worried that you're struggling with the same problems.
    Nah, a hoarder wouldn't have got rid of it after only two weeks.  And things are leaving the house at a regular rate, either by sale or donation., entirely of the poster's own volition, and space is being created, and appreciated, in their house.  I think they are doing fine.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 17, 2020, 09:57:16 AM
    -Saved old motorcycle jacket from the landfill. Someone stopped by & bought it yesterday
    -Sold two clothing items & a book on eBay
    -Listing at least one item/day for sale
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 17, 2020, 10:49:00 AM
    More old pots went into the bin. 

    I am also using up a lot of seeds.  I have been regularly doing succession planting of herbs and greens and have had very poor germination rates of a lot of the seed so I just keep planting it heavily and getting it out of the seed box. 

    I was rooting around in the basement and found a whole area that is going to need some attention when I have time.  Right now I am so focussed on gardening and trying to clear out the freezer, cold cellar and pantry because this season's harvest is coming along.  I am also calibrating how much I put away.  Tomato sauce is just about all used up but some canning will last until next year. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 17, 2020, 11:06:33 AM
    I found an old 8 by 3 foot mattress, only 2 inches thick, moved it out of the closet I was decluttering, into the living room so I would keep seeing it every day, as I was sure I'd think of a use for it now or in future. Well, after 2 weeks of not coming up with anything, I finally felt OK with taking it to Salvation Army. Gone.

    Slackmax, I encourage you to talk to someone about this. Because that sounds awfully like how a hoarder thinks. I know your girlfriend was a hoarder, but I've been reading your posts for some time and I'm worried that you're struggling with the same problems.
    Nah, a hoarder wouldn't have got rid of it after only two weeks.  And things are leaving the house at a regular rate, either by sale or donation., entirely of the poster's own volition, and space is being created, and appreciated, in their house.  I think they are doing fine.

    Oh agreed! But there's a spectrum, and if slackmax is feeling discomfort at times, that is something that they could get some assistance with. If someone was suffering and a bit of gentle encouragement would help, I'd feel badly if I didn't try to provide it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on July 17, 2020, 11:12:39 AM
    We put some random leftover building stuff (bricks, fencing, rebar, tiles, bamboo flooring) on the local buy nothing group and people snapped it up for really cool projects (building a treehouse was one!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on July 17, 2020, 01:58:36 PM
    I found an old 8 by 3 foot mattress, only 2 inches thick, moved it out of the closet I was decluttering, into the living room so I would keep seeing it every day, as I was sure I'd think of a use for it now or in future. Well, after 2 weeks of not coming up with anything, I finally felt OK with taking it to Salvation Army. Gone.

    Slackmax, I encourage you to talk to someone about this. Because that sounds awfully like how a hoarder thinks. I know your girlfriend was a hoarder, but I've been reading your posts for some time and I'm worried that you're struggling with the same problems.
    Nah, a hoarder wouldn't have got rid of it after only two weeks.  And things are leaving the house at a regular rate, either by sale or donation., entirely of the poster's own volition, and space is being created, and appreciated, in their house.  I think they are doing fine.

    Oh agreed! But there's a spectrum, and if slackmax is feeling discomfort at times, that is something that they could get some assistance with. If someone was suffering and a bit of gentle encouragement would help, I'd feel badly if I didn't try to provide it.

    +1, I've expressed concern about Slackmax's need to maximize "value" when the stuff is taking over so much control of slackmax's life. 

    Slackmax, if it makes you feel better re the decision to give away the mattress, in my state, resale of mattresses is prohibited (to the extent that if you return a new mattress during the return period, you still pay a hefty fee because they can't resell it). 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 17, 2020, 03:09:33 PM
    I'm helping my mother empty her house. She spent 50 years shopping.  Right now my puzzle is what to do with her furs.  She has four coats (mink, silver fox, etc.) that were hardly worn, but I hear that they dry out over time if not stored in a special way.

    I've heard of animal rehab places that use furs to help with orphaned baby animals.
    What a lovely use for old furs!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 17, 2020, 04:33:19 PM
    This morning I sorted out some of my bedroom miscellania. I need to rearrange some furniture next.

    This afternoon I donated a smallish handful of miscellaneous housewares to my second-favorite thrift store today.  I also threw a bag of recyclable trash into my condo building’s recycling bins.  I’m not confident it gets recycled wherever it goes next, but I did my part I guess. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 19, 2020, 01:55:17 PM
    Had a pretty good day yesterday selling stuff at the flea market.  Got rid of some bulky items. 

    Donated 4 big wicker baskets to salvation army, since they didn't sell at the flea market. Nobody wants wicker!

    The removing of the wicker has opened a nice 8 cubic foot area in the living room.

    While rooting through the living room (lots of clutter) I came across a bunch of neat record albums I had been  ignoring due to 'clutter blindness' and now I have a bunch of new music to listen to on my stereo.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on July 19, 2020, 01:55:43 PM
    Finally got to the point to discard my old sewing patterns. There were baby clothes patterns in there for my niece, who will turn 18 in 3 months........ so glad I finally got rid of these!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 19, 2020, 02:30:50 PM
    Finally someone came through from my Facebook Buy Nothing Group and took away a mirror I had hanging in my bathroom.  It was too cheaply made and too fanciful for my taste and I replaced it with a round mirror from Amazon that looks so much better over the bathroom sink.  There is a lesson here:  cheap stuff often works poorly. 

    I am also returning 2 boxes to Amazon today.  They contain shite I cannot assemble with my current level of patience.   

    The goal for this week will be to use up more random stuff.  Toiletries and supplements are a weakness for me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on July 19, 2020, 03:25:21 PM
    I'm helping my mother empty her house. She spent 50 years shopping.  Right now my puzzle is what to do with her furs.  She has four coats (mink, silver fox, etc.) that were hardly worn, but I hear that they dry out over time if not stored in a special way.

    I've heard of animal rehab places that use furs to help with orphaned baby animals.
    What a lovely use for old furs!

    Thank you-- I will look into this!  Found this link.
    https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/092415/how-get-most-money-your-fur-coat.asp
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on July 19, 2020, 05:17:59 PM
    I am making a little bit of progress on some home improvement projects. Not quite decluttering but it will make our space so much nicer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on July 19, 2020, 05:35:33 PM
    Dropped off a small bag of items to the local Goodwill, including a sheet with corner pockets that were not deep enough for my mattress and mattress pad. 
    Browsed briefly and bought a slender crystal vase for $1.49 on sale.  So, one item in but 4 items donated.

    (and good news:  Goodwill requires all staff and customers to wear a mask and observe the 6' distance, and while I was there everyone did so.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on July 19, 2020, 06:53:31 PM
    I sold a bridle today.  30 minutes after listing it on FB it was sold, so maybe I should have priced it higher, but meh, I got a good price and didn't have to spend a bunch of time dealing with people.  That lit a fire under me to clean up all my other extra horse stuff and post a long list of sale items in a couple places.  Three other small items are sale pending now.  If I can sell half of it, that will cut way down on my clutter and cover the cost of the new riding boots I'm planning to purchase.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on July 19, 2020, 07:20:15 PM
    Husband and son cleaned out one of the sheds to make room for their home gym. So 2 big wooden bins will be cut down for firewood, and a heap of random junk went to the tip (stuff that no one could reuse or repurpose, I *hate* chucking stuff into landfill, sigh). Soooo happy about this as I have been wanting a clear out for years. And bonus: they trash-picked a glass light attachment for our oven which would have cost more to buy than the $15 cost of the tip! Just wish the tip had a shop attached where the useable stuff could be resold, like in some other regions.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 19, 2020, 07:42:44 PM
    Sold an antique window on FB Marketplace for $10. The lady is supposed to come pick it up on Wednesday. I have another one, so hopefully I can find a home for it too. Some of this stuff I would just give away, but I find charging a few dollars cuts down on the no-shows.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 19, 2020, 07:49:07 PM
    @Prairie Gal - same thing. If you are giving something away for free, for whatever reason, I get a ton of no shows & 20 people interested, no one coming buy. When buying, I suppose people feel like it's a more valuable item?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 19, 2020, 08:36:08 PM
    @Prairie Gal - same thing. If you are giving something away for free, for whatever reason, I get a ton of no shows & 20 people interested, no one coming buy. When buying, I suppose people feel like it's a more valuable item?

    That, and I usually ask them to send me an e transfer so I can just leave it on the doorstep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 20, 2020, 05:52:34 PM
    Sold some kitchenware on FB marketplace. I was given the kitchen stuff, but I realized shortly after accepting that I didn't need it, as what I already had worked just fine. Sold it for cash that I ended up needing for some dental work.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 20, 2020, 06:11:34 PM
    That's great, @okcisok

    When we are back in our kitchen, I'll be much more thoughtful of what I put into the cupboard. I found a few things to sell & donate, but have a feeling that living without the majority of our stuff for a month+ will also remind us of other things we don't need & use.

    For me today, I've cleaned up kids soccer cleats (x4 pair) that weren't used much, due to COVID. Teen boys have rapidly growing feet, so they no longer fit. A COVID friendly soccer practice is supposed to start in a few weeks, so I've ordered new cleats & will sell the old ones. I also found a couple to donate.

    I need to organize my "selling" closet, where I keep all of my mailing supplies, random boxes, & envelopes. It's exploded a bit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on July 21, 2020, 11:36:19 AM
    2 bags full of decorative cushions, odds and ends and an old monitor off to Goodwill this morning.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 22, 2020, 05:27:42 AM
    The council cleanup is supposed to come tomorrow. I put a big pile of stuff out on the weekend, and as, usual, some of it got collected by passersby. So I was able to add more 2 days in a row ( there's a limit on the volume that can be put out). Some of the stuff is my mothers, some of the stuff is left by the previous owner, and some of the stuff is mine. I'm looking forward to seeing the back of it. 

    I haven't packed it all up yet, but I have items for the next car-load of donate already in mind. A box of misc, some of mother's china, and several boxes of books.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 22, 2020, 06:39:06 PM
    Finally able to clean up my entryway a bit. Library returns are now possible, so that got done today (4 books). Two other items were returned to the car. Not a big declutter; just what I could squeeze into a small amount of spare time today. The entryway looks better even though there are still items out of place there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 22, 2020, 09:00:17 PM
    I am diligently working at decluttering these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies I have piled up in the kitchen right now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 22, 2020, 09:10:10 PM
    I am diligently working at decluttering these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies I have piled up in the kitchen right now.
    Keep on soldiering on, I believe in you. 🤣
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 23, 2020, 08:33:26 AM
    I started canning this season's harvest and have been de-cluttering the supplies at the same time.  Any jar ring that is just too rusty to tighten on lickety split goes in the recycling.  I used to leave the rings on the jars until I opened them.  However, they rusted in the cold cellar and became next to impossible to use.  Now I just use them to get them processed so I don't need one for every single jar I fill - just for the batch of whatever I am making at the time.  And canning takes long enough without having to wrestle a ring onto a very hot jar and make sure the snap lid is perfectly in place.  It is just a small thing...but it makes life a little easier.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on July 23, 2020, 09:17:37 AM
    I started canning this season's harvest and have been de-cluttering the supplies at the same time.  Any jar ring that is just too rusty to tighten on lickety split goes in the recycling.  I used to leave the rings on the jars until I opened them.  However, they rusted in the cold cellar and became next to impossible to use.  Now I just use them to get them processed so I don't need one for every single jar I fill - just for the batch of whatever I am making at the time.  And canning takes long enough without having to wrestle a ring onto a very hot jar and make sure the snap lid is perfectly in place.  It is just a small thing...but it makes life a little easier.

    +1

    Now that I store the jars without the ring on, I only need enough rings for a single batch, or two batches at most.  I can't fit more than 8-9 jars in my canner at a time anyway, fewer for wide mouth.  No reason to keep rings with even a spot of rust.  Each time I can, I check the rings and toss any blemished ones in the recycling.

    Made a beautiful batch of peach butter yesterday :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 23, 2020, 10:07:54 AM
    I started canning this season's harvest and have been de-cluttering the supplies at the same time.  Any jar ring that is just too rusty to tighten on lickety split goes in the recycling.  I used to leave the rings on the jars until I opened them.  However, they rusted in the cold cellar and became next to impossible to use.  Now I just use them to get them processed so I don't need one for every single jar I fill - just for the batch of whatever I am making at the time.  And canning takes long enough without having to wrestle a ring onto a very hot jar and make sure the snap lid is perfectly in place.  It is just a small thing...but it makes life a little easier.

    +1

    Now that I store the jars without the ring on, I only need enough rings for a single batch, or two batches at most.  I can't fit more than 8-9 jars in my canner at a time anyway, fewer for wide mouth.  No reason to keep rings with even a spot of rust.  Each time I can, I check the rings and toss any blemished ones in the recycling.

    Made a beautiful batch of peach butter yesterday :)
     
    When I do tomato sauce, I go big and may do six full loads, so I like to have enough for at least four loads so I am not touching them until they are super cooled down.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on July 23, 2020, 01:47:22 PM
    Made room on the office back counter today!  A friend finally picked up the 5 pairs of sunglasses she said she wanted on a social media post at least a month ago, and I packaged up for mailing purposes a graduation gift I bought for a friend's daughter.  It will go out this evening.  I should mention the gift includes a picture frame collage of a few pictures of her over the years, as well as her graduation announcement.  Recycle, reuse, repurposed things I either would have tossed immediately, or saved in the past, only to end up tossing decades later.

    Last Saturday at the house, I "decluttered" about a billion dust mites via vacuum and dust rag.  ;)  And, only I could get excited about the new Swiffer delivered yesterday, LOL.  Going to buy new vacuum bags from a mom and pop store to try to keep it as local as possible.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on July 24, 2020, 10:33:45 AM
    More suggestions needed: what to do with outdated designer clothing? My mother has a number of coats, blazers, etc. with massive shoulder pads. Including a suede coat from Italy... They are in great shape, I just hate the style, which I feel is over the top.  Just donate to thrift shop and let them sort out if somebody wants it?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on July 24, 2020, 12:07:11 PM
    More suggestions needed: what to do with outdated designer clothing? My mother has a number of coats, blazers, etc. with massive shoulder pads. Including a suede coat from Italy... They are in great shape, I just hate the style, which I feel is over the top.  Just donate to thrift shop and let them sort out if somebody wants it?

    Maybe something like ThredUp might take them?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MissPeach on July 24, 2020, 12:11:13 PM


    Here we got a tax on single use plastic grocery bags so that you now have to pay about 60 cents per bag, prEvioulsy it was about half of that. I read that the sales of plastic bags had dropped with 50 % in two months.
    [/quote]
    In normal times plastic bags are banned and reusable bags can be purchased if you forgot to bring your own. Early in the covid crisis though most grocery stores banned you from bringing in your own bags, so the stores I shop at (mostly TJ’s) give you paper bags for free. I did one non-TJ’s run and got a bunch of plastic bags. It felt very retro.
    [/quote]

    Same thing here. But Covid numbers are up and they rolled back the things that have opened.

    The frustrating part is they went back to charging for bags but you aren't allowed to bring them. So I have to have them scan them, put them back in the cart, and then bag it myself from the cart to avoid the fee.

    If the state doesn't want us to use reusable bags and initially suspended the charge, I think they should have extended this period when they rolled back the reopening.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ysette9 on July 24, 2020, 03:37:51 PM
    More suggestions needed: what to do with outdated designer clothing? My mother has a number of coats, blazers, etc. with massive shoulder pads. Including a suede coat from Italy... They are in great shape, I just hate the style, which I feel is over the top.  Just donate to thrift shop and let them sort out if somebody wants it?

    Maybe something like ThredUp might take them?
    I’m pretty sure ThredUP only wants current stuff, as in the past five years or otherwise timeless styles.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 24, 2020, 05:02:56 PM
    More suggestions needed: what to do with outdated designer clothing? My mother has a number of coats, blazers, etc. with massive shoulder pads. Including a suede coat from Italy... They are in great shape, I just hate the style, which I feel is over the top.  Just donate to thrift shop and let them sort out if somebody wants it?

    They may be able to be remade into a different style if the quality is worth the effort and expense.  If you don’t want them for yourself, then donate them to a thrift store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 24, 2020, 05:45:44 PM
    More suggestions needed: what to do with outdated designer clothing? My mother has a number of coats, blazers, etc. with massive shoulder pads. Including a suede coat from Italy... They are in great shape, I just hate the style, which I feel is over the top.  Just donate to thrift shop and let them sort out if somebody wants it?
    Have them remade or try a vintage consignment shop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on July 24, 2020, 07:27:25 PM
    More suggestions needed: what to do with outdated designer clothing? My mother has a number of coats, blazers, etc. with massive shoulder pads. Including a suede coat from Italy... They are in great shape, I just hate the style, which I feel is over the top.  Just donate to thrift shop and let them sort out if somebody wants it?

    They may be able to be remade into a different style if the quality is worth the effort and expense.  If you don’t want them for yourself, then donate them to a thrift store.

    Quote
    Have them remade or try a vintage consignment shop.

    Thank you for the suggestions! I'm afraid it's probably a thrift store then.  I haven't the room to save them till I get them remade, nor the time to get it done.  The idea of a vintage consignment shop is intriguing... I suppose I could send a few photos to local shops to see if there is interest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 25, 2020, 01:20:37 AM
    Finished up with some medications and medical aids from a recent surgery. Promptly put the empty containers in the recycling bin and tossed the non-recyclables. No hanging onto them just in case.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 25, 2020, 01:41:15 AM
    Two of our many many hot sauce bottles used up! We will get through them ALL.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on July 25, 2020, 04:13:40 AM
    Continuing the "packing for moving-declutter".
    Several give-away items up on local Facebook-group now: toys & puzzles that the kids were both really clear the do not want any longer, a largish piece of furniture. In total 8 items, and I have already requests for four of them (including the large furnirture).

    I have had some really busy days with other things, so not much done, but I did manage to give away several items, including all pieces of furntiture that needed to go before the open house, which will most likely be in two weeks.
    We have also hauled some more items to the storage we are renting about 10 min drive from where we live.

    This weekend needs to see some real progress on what's left. We need to remove a lot of things from storage in the house, so it looks neater, and we need to decrease our things in kitchen cupboards etc, so it looks as nice as possible when people come to the open house. I fully expect people to open every single cupboard in kitchen and bathroom, as well as wardrobes and drawers, built-in or not. I have told exDH that he needs to be aware that he can have no private or valuable stuff around the house during the viewings.

    At the moment I am really procrastrinating, but I will start in about 15 minutes - promise!.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: comicguy on July 25, 2020, 06:52:32 AM
    My decluttering efforts are going to take a big hit this upcomming week. We have been ordered to move all of our personal items out of our classroom to make way for 6ft social distance for students. Our classroooms have no built in storage so we have rolling cabinets and assorted bookshelfs. I teach a variety of subjects for both reg ed and spec ed so you can imagine what I have built up over the last 12 years in that classroom. The only things staying is teacher desk/chair, student desk/chair and computers. (if it does not fit in my teacher desk then it has to be put into storage or brought home. The school is leasing off site storage so if there is something we want out of our cabinets then we e-mail maintance 2 weeks ahead of time and "they will try and find the item needed" Like that is going to work well for 100 teachers! Anyway will bring home all items that I have puchased or sourced and sort them out, good excuse to cull some items that I no longer use or need.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 25, 2020, 03:34:13 PM
    Have a shirt, six comics, a collapsible vase, and a few other sundries added to the donate pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on July 25, 2020, 04:50:36 PM
    We donated a van full of stuff today.  Good to get some things out of here!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on July 25, 2020, 06:02:02 PM
    toy box and push mower were picked up at the end of our driveway by neighbours today.   Those are big items I'm glad we won't have to move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 26, 2020, 01:42:52 AM
    Its raining, quite a lot. So I finally made myself declutter a bit of paper stuff. Not huge progress but usually once I've started I can keep at it for a few days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 26, 2020, 06:24:41 AM
    I have 2 bags of random household miscellany in my car trunk to go to the thrift store Monday.  I have some big wood furniture listed on Craigslist and Marketplace at the moment that I am hoping someone will take away in the next week.  I am going to attempt to unscrew some broken, malfunctioning shite apart today and take it down to the trash bin.  In pandemic times my building has had a big trash bin for residents decluttering :)  My HOA fees at work for good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 29, 2020, 04:49:19 PM
    We emptied the contents of the cupboards in the dining room so that DH could install the bench top that he made for it.  I am being very careful at what gets put back into the cupboards.  I now only the cookbooks I like looking through and the 'candles' cupboard - OMG that is so boogie a fricking cupboard of candles and candle holders and poofers?  Not ready to tackle all of that.  I like having candles.  We got married in the era of candle holders for wedding presents.  I have completely stopped buying candles as I know I have enough for the rest of my life.  But it all now fits in one smallish cupboard with all the matches and accessories so when the kids ask Where is the candles? - I can say in the candle cupboard.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on July 29, 2020, 05:10:06 PM
    Some super frugal friends of our (two brothers who literally buy all their socks on Black Friday, and all of their camping gear is SO beat up.  I love it) are taking all of our old baby stuff!  One of them has a new baby girl who is a few months old, and the other's wife is due in Dec.

    My baby girl is 16 months now, and I have SO MUCH stuff for little babies - bottles, portable pump, bumbo, boppy, nursing clothes, cloth diapers (can't use them because she immediately gets a rash, sad day) - and they want ALL OF IT!!!!!!!  Woo!

    So after Saturday it isn't all going to be sitting in my house waiting for me to list it on Craigslist/FB/buy nothing or bring it piecemeal to the baby consignment store.  Yes, maybe I won't get my money back, but I'll help some friends that I know and like, and pass on some stuff, some of which I got for free from other awesome people.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 29, 2020, 05:13:47 PM
    What a win, @chaskavitch !

    I went through my closet again, now that I'm 4+ months into COVID, and know I'll be working from home for the foreseeable future. Found 9 items of clothing to list on eBay, plus a workout DVD.

    I sold a nightgown I bought in Paris in 1999. No idea what brand it is, but listed it in the photos & made my money back from the original purchase. Crazy. Plus, it's now out of my house, as I *ahem* look different than I did 20+ years ago. But that Paris trip... memories!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 30, 2020, 10:12:58 AM
    I cleared out the bag/wrap drawer in the kitchen.  We are pretty much completely done with plastic film wrap.  But would you believe I had four rolls of the stuff in that drawer along with two rolls of aluminum foil?  One of them wasn't even opened.  I kept the smallest one and donated the others to family that still uses film wrap. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 30, 2020, 11:31:45 AM
    I just sold a TV console Ikea dealio on Craigslist to a delightful lady who showed up on time with exact, sterilized change—yay!!!  I attempted to donate a smallupholstered travel  bag of clothing to a thrift shop on my way to lunch but they are only doing appointment donations so the bag of clothes will stay in my car trunk awhile. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on July 30, 2020, 02:23:07 PM
    11 egg cartons and 2 magazines mailed off to an out of state friend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 30, 2020, 10:55:31 PM
    Finally able to clean up my entryway a bit. Library returns are now possible, so that got done today (4 books). Two other items were returned to the car. Not a big declutter; just what I could squeeze into a small amount of spare time today. The entryway looks better even though there are still items out of place there.

    Finally took the book that was waiting in the entryway to the little free library today.  Another bit closer to done, yay!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 31, 2020, 07:30:53 AM
    Saw a neatly rolled up orange electric extension cord on the curb, as I was bike riding a few days ago.  Was tempted to pick it up, but I really don't need another extension cord.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 31, 2020, 04:58:06 PM
    Finally able to clean up my entryway a bit. Library returns are now possible, so that got done today (4 books). Two other items were returned to the car. Not a big declutter; just what I could squeeze into a small amount of spare time today. The entryway looks better even though there are still items out of place there.

    Finally took the book that was waiting in the entryway to the little free library today.  Another bit closer to done, yay!

    And oh gosh.  I forgot that on Tuesday I took a few things to a friend's house.  We had agreed they would like two of the things, then I brought them a box of their favorite tea, too.  I just don't drink tea at home much.  What's left is an item to be returned (next week) and some papers. I detest paperwork.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 31, 2020, 05:57:57 PM
    Gave a bottle of mineral oil to a neighbor. I don't need it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 01, 2020, 06:26:57 AM
    did the garbage/recycling/compost collection zones in the house.  Our blue bin is full again and no collection until Wednesday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on August 01, 2020, 07:28:17 AM
    I cleared out the bag/wrap drawer in the kitchen.  We are pretty much completely done with plastic film wrap.  But would you believe I had four rolls of the stuff in that drawer along with two rolls of aluminum foil?  One of them wasn't even opened.  I kept the smallest one and donated the others to family that still uses film wrap.

    Have you started using reusable covers or something?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: brooklynmoney on August 01, 2020, 04:37:15 PM
    Ok so I confess I am a book hoarder I have 200 left. I have already later down 300. I want to get down to 50 or less. I’ve dropped them at Salvation Army and Goodwill before any other suggestions for places to donate that take them?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on August 01, 2020, 06:09:00 PM
    Today I broke down and recycled a pile of boxes that we had been 'saving' for our next visit to my dad's house.  Realistically, we can always find more boxes if we need them.  There is no need to keep a stash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 01, 2020, 06:15:49 PM
    I'm (slowly) emptying out my book room so I can paint it. Moved the first bookcase into the back bedroom a few days ago and finally got around to putting the books back on the shelves. Moved the 2nd bookcase today. Culled a couple of books that I don't want anymore. Also decided that since I haven't worn the darn boots in 2 winters, I should just get rid of them.

    All in the box for the thrift store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 01, 2020, 06:58:15 PM
    I cleared out the bag/wrap drawer in the kitchen.  We are pretty much completely done with plastic film wrap.  But would you believe I had four rolls of the stuff in that drawer along with two rolls of aluminum foil?  One of them wasn't even opened.  I kept the smallest one and donated the others to family that still uses film wrap.

    Have you started using reusable covers or something?
    I have been trying to stop using it for about ten years.  First the kids school started litterless lunches and so I got plastic containers...The our CSA went re-usable containers. Now I mostly use a glass bowl with a lid.  Or mason jars.  I have some beeswax wraps but the rigid containers are easier and I can stack them.  At the same time we also went down to one fridge so I have to be very efficient with space allocation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 02, 2020, 01:32:24 AM
    Finally took care of the donation pile that's been building in the hallway- I thought there were only 2 bags but found a third one we had started hiding underneath our bike panniers. And we took everything to the donation bin via our bikes! I also returned 2 DVDs and a book to the library on the trip so it was a good lil mission all round.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KBecks on August 02, 2020, 06:44:49 AM
    I'm (slowly) emptying out my book room so I can paint it. Moved the first bookcase into the back bedroom a few days ago and finally got around to putting the books back on the shelves. Moved the 2nd bookcase today. Culled a couple of books that I don't want anymore. Also decided that since I haven't worn the darn boots in 2 winters, I should just get rid of them.

    All in the box for the thrift store.

    I am painting our living room / dining room before we get new carpeting.  This will push me to take care of a toy pile in the corner that needs to be addressed.  I will also cull our china cabinet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 03, 2020, 10:22:59 AM
    -Sold another few items on eBay
    -Listed items on eBay (and donated some that won't be worth selling) from my closet, with an eye towards what's getting limited use during COVID
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on August 03, 2020, 11:10:57 AM
    Gave away an older Bissell carpet cleaner.  Person that picked it up seemed pretty happy to get it.   I have a trunk full of things to donate to Goodwill when I go out on Wednesday - clothes, books, picture frames, etc.  Moving is a great motivator for getting rid of your clutter. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 03, 2020, 07:37:54 PM
    Got rid of two Corningware baking dishes that I received as a gift 20+ years ago & have used 1x. Totally unclear why I've moved them 3x. But now, they are moved on to someone who will hopefully enjoy them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 04, 2020, 06:53:18 AM
    Games cupboards are sorted.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on August 04, 2020, 09:28:19 AM
    Decluttering/straightening inside kitchen cupboards before open house viewing Sunday. We have a pretty small kitchen/not that much cupboard space, and it needs to look larger/roomier than it is. Same for fridge.

    Currently working really hard on decreasing candy supply as rest of family is away all day and cannot help me.


    Gave away an older Bissell carpet cleaner.  Person that picked it up seemed pretty happy to get it.   I have a trunk full of things to donate to Goodwill when I go out on Wednesday - clothes, books, picture frames, etc.  Moving is a great motivator for getting rid of your clutter. 

    Totally agree on moving as motivator, at least for me. ExDH not so much, but that will be his problem later on (I can write a lot about this, will probably do later in my journal to let off steam).
    I am doing a lot of give-away on local Facebook page, putting stuff outside for easy pick up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on August 05, 2020, 05:12:08 AM

    Currently working really hard on decreasing candy supply as rest of family is away all day and cannot help me.


    some decluttering projects are tastier than others

    They sure are! To be honest, this is where I made most progress. But I also decluttered some old pasta, some was trashed as it was a type we are not eating, and it was expired so I couldn't give it away. Note to self  - give away this stuff immediately if we happen to receive for any reason.
    I also put some random pantry stuff out on the kitchen counter to be eaten in nearest few days. Pleased to have two opened less than half full bags of pasta decluttered for lunch.

    I have also requested help from rest of family with decluttering more candy/ice cream tonight, as I cannot be responsible for everything :-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 06, 2020, 02:42:51 PM
    A magazine went to my sister, and an unopened bottle of diet soda to mom.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 06, 2020, 05:00:19 PM
    My son rebuilt an old bike that we weren't using, and it sold in an hour. Junk out, cash in. We split the proceeds, and he's thrilled. He loves working on bikes & invested his money in additional bike repair tools.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on August 06, 2020, 05:36:32 PM
    Got rid of a lamp, some random pieces of wood, and a power washer that always leaks at the base of the wand.  Everything at the end of the driveway, and gone within an hour.   I did put a note on the power washer about the leak, but the person that grabbed it didn't care.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on August 06, 2020, 07:57:55 PM
    Donated a bag of clothes and shoes that DD had outgrown. Happy that it is no longer on the floor in DD’s bedroom.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on August 06, 2020, 08:25:48 PM
    I'm happy with my progress lately. I put some small items in the community free table in my building (coupons, coloring pages, books) and they were all claimed. I took photos of some nicer items and made a 'swap list' presentation in google drive and shared the link to friends who claimed a few jackets, a closet organizer. I'm surprised that the Fitbit and Team Jersey haven't been claimed yet. I think the free price is a bit of a detriment actually, no one knows who else I sent the list to and assumes that someone else is more in 'need' than they are, and they don't want to take away things from someone in need. A nice group of people.

    In a different clear out - I took a 20 year old duvet and stuffed it into a half filled foot cushion, and bought some fleece on sale to back a queen sized quilt that had been backless for many, many years. My mother made the quilt, and it was loved and used until the old backing/filling wore out. It was just too special to toss, so I slowly figured it out and now have a beautifully finished project and I can't believe I didn't do this before it just feels so satisfying to have it finished and useable!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 08, 2020, 09:42:35 PM
    Dang, this is one motivated group!!

    I put my wobbly coffee table out on the curb and it was gone in no time. Thought about selling it, but I found it in the giveaway room (officially known as the trash room!) in my old apartment complex. Figured it was good karma to let it go for free.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 09, 2020, 10:34:40 AM
    I have a car load of stuff to go to the animal shelter. Culled various beds and toys that my cats ignore and I'm tired of junking up the closet. Will swing by and drop them off today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 09, 2020, 11:48:06 AM
    I have a car load of stuff to go to the animal shelter. Culled various beds and toys that my cats ignore and I'm tired of junking up the closet. Will swing by and drop them off today.

    None of my dogs and cats were ever interested in pet beds.  Why would they be?  Sleeping on our beds and furniture is much nicer.   ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 10, 2020, 10:16:09 AM
    Received a referral prize for a race I'm running. It's not something I had a clear use for, so already listed on eBay. I want to ensure I'm not taking more "stuff" into the house.

    Continuing a closet clean out, and ensuring everything left is something I love, and have a good understanding of where I'll wear it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 11, 2020, 10:57:39 AM
    -Went through kids closet & noticed he'd dumped his bag of ski stuff (to use the bag elsewhere). Re-organized everything, found a backpack to donate.
    -Continued going through my closet, & found a shirt to list on eBay.
    -Kids haven't played soccer in six months, & socially distanced practices are supposedly starting next week. 13 year old tried on his practice outfit, and it's basically shorty shorts & a crop top. He's grown quite a bit. All to the donation pile, save for a few pair of shorts in good enough condition to try & sell. However, had to order a couple of new pair on Amazon. Hopefully this size will fit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 11, 2020, 02:20:43 PM
    I have a car load of stuff to go to the animal shelter. Culled various beds and toys that my cats ignore and I'm tired of junking up the closet. Will swing by and drop them off today.

    None of my dogs and cats were ever interested in pet beds.  Why would they be?  Sleeping on our beds and furniture is much nicer.   ;-)

    Oh, the cats will happily sleep in cat beds. Just not those ones. But the furniture is fair game too. I've had something of a revolving cast of cats in the past year, so had accumulated some new/replacement beds. The rejects are then donated after appropriate cleaning. I do need to get a cat tree or similar, but not yet. Am also refreshing/expanding the cat toy selection for similar reasons. And hopefully the cats will be sticking around :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 11, 2020, 04:03:49 PM
    I have a car load of stuff to go to the animal shelter. Culled various beds and toys that my cats ignore and I'm tired of junking up the closet. Will swing by and drop them off today.

    None of my dogs and cats were ever interested in pet beds.  Why would they be?  Sleeping on our beds and furniture is much nicer.   ;-)

    Oh, the cats will happily sleep in cat beds. Just not those ones. But the furniture is fair game too. I've had something of a revolving cast of cats in the past year, so had accumulated some new/replacement beds. The rejects are then donated after appropriate cleaning. I do need to get a cat tree or similar, but not yet. Am also refreshing/expanding the cat toy selection for similar reasons. And hopefully the cats will be sticking around :)

    Yours are good kitties.  Mine always figured the best place for a nap was where it would be least convenient.  One loved paper, especially if the paper was student assignments being marked.  Cats are opaque.  And shed.   It made life interesting.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on August 11, 2020, 04:22:02 PM
    Our council held a free chemical cleanout last weekend so we jettisoned 4 huge boxes of paint, random unused cleaning and garden chemicals, empty gas cartridges and an ancient gas cylinder. Not much was my stuff, it was mostly left behind by the previous property owner and stuff from my parent's house. It feels good to see the back of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on August 11, 2020, 04:37:14 PM
    Finally threw out a pile of things we'd been trying to find homes for via Buy Nothing to no avail. YESSSSSSSSS good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 11, 2020, 06:08:57 PM
    Some of my clutter, some the neighbors'. They moved out over the weekend and filled up the communal trash bins with recyclables and some items in good shape. I sorted through it and put the still-good items in my car with my stuff I need to donate. Put the recyclable items into the appropriate bin. Now I just need to drop off the trunkful tomorrow on my way to work.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireLane on August 11, 2020, 08:23:12 PM
    Getting back on track with the decluttering that had to be put on hold for the pandemic.

    I took down over a dozen boxes of baby and toddler clothes that had been taking up space in our attic. Mrs. Fl posted them on Buy Nothing, and they were snapped up immediately. It was super-convenient, the people who wanted them came and took them right off our stoop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 12, 2020, 10:42:28 AM
    Need some common sense applied please...

    I have 2 beach/pool towels. I don't go to the beach. I don't have access to a pool, and when I do, it's either hotel or a friend's so they do have pool towels. Trying to figure out if I want to keep these towels. The most use they've gotten honestly is I used them to pack framed pictures.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 12, 2020, 12:32:09 PM
    Depends on your usual towel situation. We started using beach towels as bath towels because I got too lazy to put them away with the beach stuff, and it feels great to wrap up in the huge towel. But if you have enough towels, get rid of them!

    I just finished emptying my mother's giant, stuffed house. Drove an hour back to my own (now overstuffed) house.  Then realized I had forgotten the shed. There isn't much there, so I posted the stuff on Craigslist and a guy says he's on his way to pick up now. Crossing my fingers that he takes it all.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on August 12, 2020, 12:32:35 PM
    How is your regular towel supply?  How about your cleaning rags supply? 

    We often run out of both.  If someone gifted me two beach towels I would keep one intact for towel use and cut the other up into rags. 

    it sounds like you likely don’t need either of them and that you definitely don’t need two.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 12, 2020, 03:25:31 PM
    Received a referral prize for a race I'm running. It's not something I had a clear use for, so already listed on eBay. I want to ensure I'm not taking more "stuff" into the house.

    Continuing a closet clean out, and ensuring everything left is something I love, and have a good understanding of where I'll wear it.

    -Already sold referral prize on eBay, so that's packaged up & getting dropped off at the mailbox.
    -Had the kids try on all of their swim trunks, and made a stack of what we need to donate or sell, as 4 pair were too small. (We have a pool, so have quite a few pair.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 12, 2020, 04:11:29 PM
    Re: towels, usually the local animal shelter will happily take them along with used sheets, blankets, and pillows.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on August 12, 2020, 08:50:27 PM
    DS is home for a while and has been going to town decluttering stuff in the garage and the basement. I listed a box of misc. gardening stuff for free on FB Marketplace.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 13, 2020, 07:02:32 AM
    Found 2 white dress shirts with obvious wear, in a big rubber tub. Since my local textile recycling is not accepting anything lately, I threw them out. Stress-free.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shrimpwd on August 13, 2020, 10:53:27 AM
    I finally got around to listing a few things on marketplace and another site. We'll see if people are interested.

    I'm notorious for finding things of value in my house, decide to sell them, and let the piles grow without listing them. Trying to get better at that. At least trash leaves in short order.

    Hoping to have the 3 season porch cleared out in the next few weeks - I let family store things there for a while... (Going on four years)

    I still have a decent pile of books I want to bring to the local store. They offer trade value and I'm looking for a few specific books they may have. Work and social distancing, with a bit of procrastination, are holding up that pile.

    I always find the piles to hold me back from finding more things to let go of. My critical mass doesn't usually look horrible, but it drives me nuts (and yet I don't take action... Heh)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on August 13, 2020, 01:50:13 PM
    I re-read the Feng Shui book Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life this week and overhauled my condo.  This afternoon I sent my 96-99 yearbooks down the trash chute and I must say it felt pretty damn good.  I kept the senior yearbook.  I also kept my dad’s senior yearbook. 

    I threw away some defunct string lights and will eat some random fridge contents for dinner. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 13, 2020, 02:26:42 PM
    I think I will keep the beach towels. At least for now. I'm not shy about purging stuff in general, so if I'm having this much trouble deciding to keep or get rid of these I'm going to just go with the easy option.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 13, 2020, 06:50:04 PM
    Back in Lockdown so no op shops open for me to donate 2 bags of random stuff, mainly clothes and books at the moment.
    Am down to the tech clutter: checked my Olympus digital camera and uploaded the few photos from 2013 (!) The actual camera no longer works so will take it and charger to ewaste recycling when it opens again. Am trying to revive an old laptop whose keyboard doesn't work but thst will also go if I am not successful.
    Emailed myself all the photos off our old ipad so I can finally edit and print the best ones. I like to have a wall of photos rather than look at them online. The kids like it too. In the process, I have deleted 100's of blurry and almost duplicates. I haven't done this since getting a smart phone several years ago and it feels good!
    I want to start relearning the piano and I need to have a clean house and clear brain with nothing nagging at me and the photos were the last project. I bought at full weighted keyboard and donated the mini one I started with to a friend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on August 14, 2020, 01:24:20 AM
    I'm not shy about purging stuff in general, so if I'm having this much trouble deciding to keep or get rid of these I'm going to just go with the easy option.

    @Sibley, I think this sounds really reasonable. I will use this as well.
    Possibly you are like me and many others, if you let them sit for a while, now that you have been thinking "actively" about them, you may end up either letting them go or find you will use them in a meaningful way, so they will not be idle any more. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 14, 2020, 09:00:02 AM

    I want to start relearning the piano and I need to have a clean house and clear brain with nothing nagging at me and the photos were the last project. I bought at full weighted keyboard and donated the mini one I started with to a friend.

    I have been procrastinating about learning to play my Casio piano keyboard. I even have a book of popular piano music I can reference. I must get to it soon. I think my problem is that, in my 'real' feelings, I consider it a waste of time (even though it isn't).   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on August 14, 2020, 12:39:13 PM
    Got rid of some stuff sitting in a corner.

    I need to tackle some papers that have been piling up and need to be filed. I think I need to make myself a fancy coffee and put on some music for this.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ZsaZsa on August 14, 2020, 01:20:23 PM
    I finally got around to listing some things on Ebay...some of it was my Mom's, so there was some grieving, angsty stuff contributing to the delay. I finally feel good about it, so now is the time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 14, 2020, 02:48:49 PM
    @ZsaZsa - that sounds like a really positive step in the grieving process.

    I've come to the realization that it's so much easier to live in a house, clean a house & just generally feel "in control" & "organized" when your house is tidy & decluttered. We are in the midst of numerous home projects, so nothing is where it belongs, and stuff is strewn about everywhere you move. It's both stressful, as well as really hard to clean & tidy. I am pretty clean, but have found myself throwing my hands in the air, because getting on top of it is such a giant project. I'll be very happy when this phase is complete.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 14, 2020, 09:36:06 PM
    I’ve been in that “the house is a disaster” phase too due to lots of outdoor work getting done and no time for the inside.  It was making me so stressed.  Not being able to find things, shuffling things around to make room to move around and just looking at all the stuff laying around drove me nuts.  Made me realize that, in spite of getting rid of a lot of things last year, there’s still too much stuff.  So once all the outside work is done and the weather turns, I need to get back at it again.  Plus, Covid cases are starting to increase, so I won’t be eager to go out much.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on August 15, 2020, 06:37:54 AM
    @ZsaZsa - that sounds like a really positive step in the grieving process.

    I've come to the realization that it's so much easier to live in a house, clean a house & just generally feel "in control" & "organized" when your house is tidy & decluttered. We are in the midst of numerous home projects, so nothing is where it belongs, and stuff is strewn about everywhere you move. It's both stressful, as well as really hard to clean & tidy. I am pretty clean, but have found myself throwing my hands in the air, because getting on top of it is such a giant project. I'll be very happy when this phase is complete.

    We're there too.  Feels like half the house is unusable - either a war zone of demo and construction, or stuffed full of furniture that belongs in the first category rooms.  We're sleeping in the smallest bedroom, the office and dining room are full of furniture that doesn't belong there.  The living room has been turned into a work-from-home space for DH.  Basically the only room functioning as intended is the kitchen (and bathroom).  Cannot wait for this project to be done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on August 15, 2020, 12:33:08 PM
    Banner de-cluttering week here.

     - Returned three paintings and a large piece of glass to my sister that she asked me to store for her while she moved - 9 years ago!
     - Sold a little side table that I painted and fixed up quite a while ago. Never got around to putting the top coat on, but it still sold in 20 minutes.
     - Put a crapton of stuff out on the lawn for free, and listed on FB buy/sell sites. About half is gone already.
     - DS listed an old monitor that I had.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 15, 2020, 02:57:09 PM
    Oh yes, I totally get the mid-project mess. I've got 4 house projects in process, in 4 rooms. One of these projects involved moving everything out of a room into another room. Plus, we had a bad storm and I moved a bunch of stuff out of the storm shelter closet to make more room just in case. And the sewing machine cabinet is laying down in the living room because I'm treating each leg for cat urine, then it needs to dry. It's just a mess. The handyman is coming this week to work on a bunch of things that I don't have the skill to do. But basically, my house is a mess.

    To add insult to injury there - there's a box of stuff that is to go away, but the thrift store I want to take it to isn't taking donations yet.

    Edit with an update:
    Got the prep work I had to do for the handyman done (saving money!). Now I have oil primer all over me. Yuck. I've never found an effective, non-skin damaging way to get oils off, so I'll be spotted for a week or so while it wears off. I also have 3/4 of a quart of oil primer still. I will need to prime the repair with it, then will probably give the rest to my neighbor who will be doing significant work on his garage soon.

    Also managed to declutter my to-do list. No significant improvement in the overall mess in the house, but that's not really going to happen for a few weeks. The cats are NOT helping. I've got toys everywhere, and Rosie redistributes them regularly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on August 15, 2020, 09:48:24 PM
    I live in a small apartment in a big city. Pre-covid I would go to the grocery store 2-3 times a week, and just get what I needed for the next few meals. When covid hit, I started shopping weekly instead. I also started getting back ups of a few things to be able to stretch out the shopping or make up for availability issues. The one cabinet for pantry items quickly got out of control, and my "pantry" was basically 5 grocery bags sitting on the kitchen floor.

    I got fed up and took everything out of the cabinet and the bags, got rid of a few things that were out of date, and reorganized everything. I still have 2 grocery bags on the floor, but I can deal with that. The ones that were most in the way are gone now, and everything is much easier to find.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 16, 2020, 01:36:27 AM

    I want to start relearning the piano and I need to have a clean house and clear brain with nothing nagging at me and the photos were the last project. I bought at full weighted keyboard and donated the mini one I started with to a friend.

    I have been procrastinating about learning to play my Casio piano keyboard. I even have a book of popular piano music I can reference. I must get to it soon. I think my problem is that, in my 'real' feelings, I consider it a waste of time (even though it isn't).

    Why do we feel like that slackmax? Music is such a wonderful gift to ourselves. I am going to make it my September goal to allow 30 minutes a day to practice (time - let's face it - that would otherwise be spent scrolling through my phone).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 16, 2020, 08:58:01 AM

    I want to start relearning the piano and I need to have a clean house and clear brain with nothing nagging at me and the photos were the last project. I bought at full weighted keyboard and donated the mini one I started with to a friend.

    I have been procrastinating about learning to play my Casio piano keyboard. I even have a book of popular piano music I can reference. I must get to it soon. I think my problem is that, in my 'real' feelings, I consider it a waste of time (even though it isn't).

    Why do we feel like that slackmax? Music is such a wonderful gift to ourselves. I am going to make it my September goal to allow 30 minutes a day to practice (time - let's face it - that would otherwise be spent scrolling through my phone).

    I think, with me, it's leftover from the days of having only x amount of energy, all of which had to be used for working and saving money and any 'luxury' was a waste of energy.

    I just have to get out of that mentality. I'm retired now.

    Even before I read your latest post, I was planning to plug in the casio and play for at least 15 minutes, using the book of music I found. 

    OK, right after I get offline, I'll plug in the casio.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on August 16, 2020, 11:53:20 AM
    Well, this has been a hell of a weekend for decluttering.
     - Moved a pile of items from the repair/projects bag to the donate bag - including the bag I was using to store them :P
     - Got DH to finally go through his clothes, he added a few things to the pile
     - DH agreed to get rid of an end table that was waiting for a repair - we have plenty of end tables, and it was a complicated fix\
     - Disassembled a desk to salvage the nicest pieces of wood, chucked the rest

    Not really decluttering, but we had contractors out to do mold remediation - stripping the walls, floor, and ceiling down to studs, treating everything for mold and dry rot.  Once that's done, we can seal up some holes, add insulation, and rehang drywall and put in the new floors that we've been planning for a year now.  It'll be such a relief to 'declutter' tasks that have been waiting months.

    Downside, one of the contractors put his foot through the ceiling of our bedroom, so we're now sleeping on an inflatable mattress in the living room (which is also DH's work-from-home office) until further notice.  And I don't dare cook anything until they're done and we can clean up all the contaminated dust.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on August 16, 2020, 01:53:23 PM
    Before I donate some more sheets to Goodwill, does anyone have any tricks to make pilled up microfiber sheets less annoying?  Or a trick to make the silicone-y feel of microfiber sheets go away in the wash?  I think I have washed these things in every detergent at my disposal this year to no real avail.  I washed them in Oxiclean and white vinegar Saturday and have them backwards-side-up so the slightly pilled up part is away from my skin. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on August 16, 2020, 02:01:52 PM
    Goodwill is the only solution for microfiber sheets.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shrimpwd on August 17, 2020, 07:14:30 AM
    Sold one item I listed last week. Haven't gotten much traffic on the others. I'll give it another week or so and then drop the prices 10%. I'm not going to let them sit beyond the end of the year.

    Still waiting for the porch to get cleared - a bit annoying, having to wait for others before I can do my own organization...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 17, 2020, 09:28:10 AM
    Goodwill is the only solution for microfiber sheets.
    I agree.  I hate anything that pills.  I can barely tolerate flannel but my partner loves it so I cope.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 17, 2020, 11:17:51 AM
    Closet cleanout continues. I am forcing myself to wear all summer clothes. If they don't fit properly, don't fit my COVID life & I can't imagine wearing them in the next two years, are too young for me (I'm 44, and have a bunch of stuff that's 15+ years old, etc)... it's all getting donated or sold.

    -Another tank top to the donation pile
    -A dress to the sell pile, and already listed on eBay
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 17, 2020, 11:43:51 AM
    This weekend:

    ~Moved 2 boxes and 3 grocery bags of tax documents into my home office closet where they make more sense
    ~Put the grocery bag tax documents into a box for neater storage
    ~Tossed 2012 tax documents into the burn bin
    ~Neatened up my documents in the fireproof safe
    ~Ordered a soda can and one other bin for the fridge
    ~Made room for the above bins
    ~Tossed the old bottle cleaning brush
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 17, 2020, 12:23:30 PM
    This weekend we started a list of household items my son is going to need for his apartment at university.  He is moving into off campus housing on the labour day weekend and is going to need to cook and clean for himself.  Or should I say eat and live in something less than squalor with his four room mates.  I am going to go through the cupboards and outfit him as much as I can from our stockpile.  YEAH!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: catlady on August 17, 2020, 12:51:38 PM
    I am slowly putting babe's old clothes for sale. We have no friends with babies so nobody to pass them on. On one hand I love decluttering on the other this is end of a chapter. I now have a toddler :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 17, 2020, 01:54:22 PM
    Gave 2 partial gallons of primer to a neighbor. These are specialized primers, and are left over from specific projects. I don't foresee any other projects requiring or tolerating these specialized primers. Neighbor is starting a project which will use these. Out of my house.

    Same neighbor was also kind enough to help me with a small project, I don't have the skill to cut the material and he does. Cut, installed, done.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 18, 2020, 07:38:08 AM
    After spending a couple of hours Googling how to fix my inoperable laptop keyboard (it *is* 8 years old, so possibly expecting too much from it?) I threw in the towel and consigned it to be donated to my local e-waste recyclers, along with the above-mentioned digital camera. I performed a very satisfying smashing of the hard drive first. So now I have 1 Android phone and 1 laptop, and that is all I need.

    The next project will be to ferret out the VCR player my husband has stashed in the shed, along with our 28 year-old wedding video and see if it will still play. If not, they are both for recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on August 18, 2020, 08:07:42 AM
    @lazycow I’m gonna make a suggestion, but obviously it’s an internet stranger suggestion, so likely irrelevant.

    A cheap Bluetooth keyboard might pair with the laptop and make it useful again? If not for you, then for someone doing homeschool this year? I’m guessing it’s less crazy in Australia than here in the states, but laptops are in demand right now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on August 18, 2020, 09:40:11 AM
    3 bags of books gone with a friend for sale at the next church coffee morning, whenever that is.  Given that the friend is storing them and they are out of my spare bedroom, it's still a win for decluttering.

    I've also decluttered some of my fabric stash into two new facemasks for a total of 4.  I needed the extra as we now have to wear them in shops here in the UK: if I ever do the sort of shopping trip that involves more than two shops at a time I will be properly prepared.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 19, 2020, 07:27:13 AM
    Lazycow,

    I found some 20 year old VHS videos of relatives, and they played beautifully on my VCR. Amazing how long the tapes last if stored properly.

    And I used to see VCR's at Goodwill for $10. Haven't seen any lately, though. And, lastly, around here in eastern Pa you can even get your VCR repaired, probably for $50, if it's just belts being replaced.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on August 20, 2020, 12:37:53 PM
    We moved a receive almost four years ago, intending to hook it up to our "new" place's surround sound.

    That never happened. I have someone coming by to pick it up later today. HALLELUJAH!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 20, 2020, 01:54:02 PM
    Found a pair of shoes to donate, & two tops to sell. The pandemic is definitely making me re-evaluate all of my clothing, & realize how much less I actually need.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 20, 2020, 10:32:06 PM
    Dumped out all of my dog's toys to see which ones she actually likes to play with. Washed and dried to whole batch, then sorted the keepers. Put the discards in a bag to donate, as they're all in great shape but just not loved any more. Now her toys all fit in the basket instead of spilling out all over.

    Continuing the stationery declutter by sending out postcards and cards to friends. It's so nice to get mail that isn't junk or bills.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on August 22, 2020, 08:39:55 PM
    I'm trying to ride the momentum of big council cleanup late July, and then the chemical cleanout in early August. After that a big pile of boxes/bags with items to donate quickly accumulated in the place reserved for such things. This is good, but I didn't get long to enjoy the clean space I'd created.  Instead of filling me with glee every time I looked at it, I just felt depressed at the thought of yet another ginormous load of stuff to remove. I sulked for a week or so, but now have pulled myself together. I have decided to declutter an hour a day, capped at 5 hours a week. Time spent removing the rubbish/decluttered items will be included: hopefully this will help as I often find actually getting stuff of the premises is what is slowing me down.  I'm gunning to go room by room, section by section if necessary and not stop until I've done a complete sweep of the house. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on August 23, 2020, 08:38:17 AM
    I'm trying to ride the momentum of big council cleanup late July, and then the chemical cleanout in early August. After that a big pile of boxes/bags with items to donate quickly accumulated in the place reserved for such things. This is good, but I didn't get long to enjoy the clean space I'd created.  Instead of filling me with glee every time I looked at it, I just felt depressed at the thought of yet another ginormous load of stuff to remove. I sulked for a week or so, but now have pulled myself together. I have decided to declutter an hour a day, capped at 5 hours a week. Time spent removing the rubbish/decluttered items will be included: hopefully this will help as I often find actually getting stuff of the premises is what is slowing me down.  I'm gunning to go room by room, section by section if necessary and not stop until I've done a complete sweep of the house.

    I think that you've got a good plan, happy.  Good luck with everything, and come back here in a few months to post progress so we can congratulate you!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 23, 2020, 12:14:56 PM
    Happy, good luck. It sounds like you are getting a lot of big stuff off the premises.

     

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 23, 2020, 07:37:26 PM
    I'm trying to ride the momentum of big council cleanup late July, and then the chemical cleanout in early August. After that a big pile of boxes/bags with items to donate quickly accumulated in the place reserved for such things. This is good, but I didn't get long to enjoy the clean space I'd created.  Instead of filling me with glee every time I looked at it, I just felt depressed at the thought of yet another ginormous load of stuff to remove. I sulked for a week or so, but now have pulled myself together. I have decided to declutter an hour a day, capped at 5 hours a week. Time spent removing the rubbish/decluttered items will be included: hopefully this will help as I often find actually getting stuff of the premises is what is slowing me down.  I'm gunning to go room by room, section by section if necessary and not stop until I've done a complete sweep of the house.

    Keep fighting the good fight!  The goal is in sight! Or is it more correct to say the goal is to get stuff out of sight?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 24, 2020, 05:00:12 AM
    Time spent removing the rubbish/decluttered items will be included: hopefully this will help as I often find actually getting stuff of the premises is what is slowing me down.  I'm gunning to go room by room, section by section if necessary and not stop until I've done a complete sweep of the house.
    So true, I have lots of stuff that psychologically I said goodbye to, eons ago... yet they still linger in the house! We must just set our jaws and give items the old heave ho. Good luck!!

    In addition to my own unbanished clutter, the aftermath of emptying my mother's house last month continues to disrupt my own home... while we upgraded a lot of our own items, three rooms in my house are still cluttered almost unusably with items that I couldn't bring myself to toss or donate, like family memorabilia and expensive items like two sterling silver flatware sets, one of them completely unused (value probably $3000).  I actually ended up giving away her fur coats to a friend of her house cleaner, to give an idea of the type of things I did let go. 

    Our garage is still half full to the ceiling with boxes and furniture as well, though this is an improvement from where we were last week. I got poor Mr. Poundwise to deliver our old hutch to one of our refugee families... delighting the wife but I'm afraid many bad words were said by my husband and her husband as they wrestled the furniture into her home. Mr. P thinks he now knows Syrian for, "WTF??" Welcome to America!

    Over the weekend, I gave a box full of my mom's everyday dishes and glasses to a friend who is a neighbor... this way, I get to visit with them on occasion, without having to actually own them myself. This morning I woke at dawn and decided that if I wanted space again on my kitchen counters, I could start by giving away my slow cooker (just learned that the Instant Pot will slow cook if I use a different lid).

    I spontaneously gave away our family tricycle and scooter to the neighbors across the street. Have been trying to find more refugees to take housewares as well.  I have been just spewing stuff at people!

    So I slog on.   The only way I can really tolerate it is to pick one end of the mess, and try to progress as a moving front from one end of a room to the other.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shrimpwd on August 24, 2020, 07:12:19 AM
    I managed to sell another item. Wish the rest would sell faster. I have a few different piles that keep moving around... It's really the only (noticable) clutter in the main house.

    Helped set up some shelves at mom's place. This should help get my porch cleared off faster. Found out I have a small leak in the acrylic roof (I think it is where the nails go through, but I can't check until the stuff is gone)... Nothing should get ruined, but I definitely want to fix the problem before it gets worse.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on August 24, 2020, 11:55:32 AM
    If you have lots of stuff to get rid of thrift stores will send a truck. I have done that. Filled my car and garbage can today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on August 24, 2020, 04:02:14 PM
    @LaineyAZ , @slackmax@One Day, @Poundwise ...thanks for the encouragement- I hope to post updates.


    @Poundwise - I know about emptying the family home...I was going quite well on my own house, until my mother died nearly 2 years ago and We had 60 years worth of clutter to deal with. We tossed and recycled and donated huge amounts ( like over 500kg of paper into recycling), but  it got to the point where I got cleanout grief...so many of those items my brother and I would say "Oh, I remember this"- childhood memories etc...but neither of us wanted it. So the more precious items came home to my house. I've since donated a lot of them. I too had a carport full of stuff, as well as boxes lining any free wall in my house. Its taken that amount of time, but I've nearly cleared most of it now.

    Keep going, you can do it. Little by little, or in massive lots, it doesn't matter.

    .
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on August 24, 2020, 04:15:22 PM
    Today I’m returning some miscellaneous Amazon purchases that didn’t pan out.  I didn’t really buy any unnecessary stuff today, just more masks and some cat meds online. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 24, 2020, 07:25:09 PM
    Today I recycled an old journal, in which I recorded the antics (not the fun kind of antics) of my ex.  It was started a few years before my divorce, for the purpose of reminding myself of said antics.  I did not think antics were forgettable, but apparently I was capable of forgetting.  Maybe it was a defense mechanism so I didn't go wack-a-doodle while we lived together?

    Example:
    me: I programed Certain Station into my car radio so I can keep up with new music.
    him: You're a weirdo.

    Anyway, I no longer need to remember the crap he dished out.

    So I can say that chapter of my life is closed, almost literally!  It felt surprisingly anti-climactic.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 24, 2020, 09:30:06 PM
    Woohoo @oneday! You don't need to hold any space for him at all!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 24, 2020, 11:47:28 PM
    So much encouragement here! I was really looking forward to posting:

    -Cleaned out the garage today. Tidied all the holiday decoration boxes and tools in the small storage closet. (Will probably go through the boxes again, but I'm very good about winnowing the holiday stuff when I'm putting away at the end of said holiday.) Swept out the leaves and dirt. Put hiking boots in bike basket to keep them up off the floor.

    -Put two insulated coolers, an outdoor throw pillow, and some reusable shopping bags on the curb. Half was gone when I got home from work. I'll take the rest to a donation center if they aren't gone in the next few days.

    -Organized the gardening stuff and composted old items. Opened a bag of topsoil and dumped it in the flowerbed unceremoniously. That bag had been leaning against the garage for three months...four? Every time I pulled in I saw it and felt guilty. Feelings into action today! Dead vines pulled out of garden.

    -Cleaned out my car and tossed all the collected detritus. Took work items back to work. Washed the liner I use to (theoretically) keep the dog debris off the seats. Organized the trunk area, finally utilizing the cargo net to hold the two reusable bags I kept (ruthless!!). Even replaced the dead batteries in the emergency trunk flashlight. Washed the floor mats and cargo liner.

    -Mended a work outfit so that it is back in rotation and not cluttering up my sewing table. Wore it today. Felt very virtuous.

    -Tomorrow is trash/recycling day, so containers are on the curb. Have done a sweep to make sure that every single item that needs to be tossed is in the appropriate container.

    To Do-return a borrowed book and give that friend a couple of books I've finished with.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 25, 2020, 09:02:57 AM
    Went through my cookbook, which is a three-ring binder with clear plastic pages to tuck recipes into. Got rid of 1/3 of them, straight into the recycling. Added the new recipes that had been stacked on the kitchen countertop. Only kept ones I've actually made, enjoyed, and will most likely make again. No aspirational recipes.

    ETA:  found my old Apple TV, still helpfully Command-taped to the back of the TV. Apple has a mail-in recycling program, so I've requested a pre-paid address label and asked SO if he has a bubble mailer in his stash. More OUT!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 25, 2020, 09:57:54 AM
    Awesome job, @Sun Hat  and @okcisok ! Lots of great progress. My goal during the WFH/shelter in place is to list one item for sale every day. It's been quite fun to see what I can come up with. As things slowly move to the "sale" bin, out of the house, or eventually to the donation, I've loved to see us slowly whittle down our belongings. I've also done major clear outs to make quicker progress, but the slow & steady kind gives me a daily goal that i enjoy
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 25, 2020, 11:28:57 AM
    Keep going, you can do it. Little by little, or in massive lots, it doesn't matter.

    Thank you so much for the encouragement, @happy! I am managing resentment that I have worked so hard to manage my own junk, then get drowned in this wave of my family's clutter.  We plucked all the low hanging fruit, so the items that made it to our house are the hardest to get rid of.  But it does feel good to make space, especially when I manage to give it away to somebody who appreciates the items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 25, 2020, 02:07:54 PM
    Everyone is doing a fantastic job!  Very nice.

    Over the weekend I decluttered 3 expired condiments and apple cider into the trash, donated unopened bottles of mayo and OJ to a neighbor, used free samples for an at home facial, used up a large bottle of white vinegar, and huge tub of pork rinds.  The latter two freed up significant space in the pantry.  Oh, and DH "decluttered" the wildfire ash from the two AC unit filters.  Yuck.

    I love this thread.  :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 25, 2020, 03:57:33 PM
    Thanks, @mspym I *though* I was holding on to that notebook for myself, to not forget.  But I don't need that kind of garbage in my life, even in compact form hidden in the back of a closet.

    Wow, @okcisok you've had a decluttering extravaganza! I love that you even decluttered the old flashlight batteries.

    @Sun Hat awesome breakthrough!  I've gone up & down in size significantly over the years. What to buy & where to find it is trial and error...it will take some time but you'll eventually figure out some rules of thumb.  My best advice is to try on anything that has even 1 thing about it that you like.  Then note how it makes you feel, if it looks better or worse on you than a piece you already own, see if you can figure out exactly why.  I once tried on a top I didn't like the fabric or cut, but the pattern was nice.  Turned out, the cut actually looked nice when worn, but didn't appeal while it was on the hanger. Later I found several more tops with a similar cut and they all looked nice.

    @MaybeBabyMustache have you kept a count of items out of the house? 

    @MountainGal I did a double take.  First read your post as "3 expired condoms" hahaha!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 25, 2020, 04:12:24 PM
    @oneday - hello, fellow bay area mustachian.

    I've sold 150+ items, and probably donated a similar amount.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on August 25, 2020, 04:44:43 PM
    Keep going, you can do it. Little by little, or in massive lots, it doesn't matter.

    Thank you so much for the encouragement, @happy! I am managing resentment that I have worked so hard to manage my own junk, then get drowned in this wave of my family's clutter.  We plucked all the low hanging fruit, so the items that made it to our house are the hardest to get rid of.  But it does feel good to make space, especially when I manage to give it away to somebody who appreciates the items.
    @Poundwise - I am over it now, but I too had a lot of resentment about being landed with all my folks clutter, that they had stubbornly refused to deal with over the years in spite of offers of help. Ironically a good deal of their "precious" things stored under the house were mouldy or bug infested or just plain falling apart with age. If they had let go of them decades ago someone could have gotten some use from them and the old photos wouldn't have been in such poor condition.  I am nearly done with their stuff except for old papers and photos. Its definitely been a life lesson for my brother and I...their full house was a major reason why I started reducing my stuff some 15 years ago. My brother has always accrued more stuff than I, as he is gregarious and likes to host big parties and so on, but now even he is weeding stuff out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: familyandfarming on August 25, 2020, 05:59:27 PM
    I highly recommend painting all of your walls in your house! Start with a room if you wish. This forces you to move everything out of the room, scrutinize each item and perhaps get rid of it! We just finished our basement. Not only did we paint ceilings and walls, we scrubbed floors and cleaned carpets. The contractor who finished the basement for us 20+ years ago stopped by last night. He asked if we did some additional work. Nope, just got it to clean and essential.

    Always ask yourself, “Do my kids really want this crap?” I’ll save you time. They don’t!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 25, 2020, 06:15:26 PM
    To make it less boring, I allowed myself to play a record or two while I slowly and deliberately looked at the stuff in the 'archipelago of stuff' in the living room.  I am so used to it being there, it seems like one big blob, not a collection of many different things.

    What I identified in the archipelago, once I forced myself to stare into it for a while,  was a big ugly upholstered chair, well worn, and taking up tons of space. It would feel good to give it the old heave ho, and have some *noticeable* new  space in the living room.     

    I plan to donate it tomorrow.  Means I have to unload tons of stuff from my car, to get the chair in, but that's OK.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 25, 2020, 08:17:22 PM
    @slackmax, before you do that, try putting the couch on the curb first.  Might save you a lot of trouble.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 25, 2020, 08:43:41 PM
    @oneday - hello, fellow bay area mustachian.

    I've sold 150+ items, and probably donated a similar amount.

    Hello! I did not realize you were close!  Hope you are safe & breathing freely these days.

    That's quite a load out the door.  Were you successful in selling items in the early days of the pandemic? 


    @slackmax I am saddened that you have an archipelago of stuff in your living space.  But amused by the name.  Good going, finding a HUGE thing to move out the door!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 25, 2020, 09:17:22 PM
    @slackmax it's a weird feeling as things that have been in plain sight become visible. Now to get it out of the house before it fades back into the background!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 25, 2020, 10:20:37 PM
    @lazycow I’m gonna make a suggestion, but obviously it’s an internet stranger suggestion, so likely irrelevant.

    A cheap Bluetooth keyboard might pair with the laptop and make it useful again? If not for you, then for someone doing homeschool this year? I’m guessing it’s less crazy in Australia than here in the states, but laptops are in demand right now.
    Rats @PMG ! Read your very helpful comment too late! I hadn't thought of that solution, but will keep it in mind for the future. And no, it isn't less crazy in Victoria, especially Melbourne. Almost all students are remote learning (though the majority of the schools where I am use Macs, which are rented to the students through the schools). But thanks so much for the comment; always willing to learn new things about repurposing and keeping items out of waste systems.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 25, 2020, 10:35:17 PM
    @slackmax +1 to putting it on the curb first, BUT only if it isn't going to rain! Our next door neighbour put out an old couch weeks ago and no one took it due to bad weather. It is still sitting there, ruined. Good for you on getting big stuff out. And thanks for the tip re: VCRs. I really don't want such a bulky tech item in the house, and videocassettes are hard to store. I really would prefer digitising.

    Cleaned and organised my spice drawer and it is now a thing of beauty. I lay all the little glass bottles in their sides in alphabetical order, with the labels facing up. Took all the duplicates (why so many sachets of cayenne pepper and smoked paprika?) and put them in a container with strict instructions to my husband to check there before buying more! I  only needed to compost a couple of very old packs, so we are using up most items, yay.

    And to everyone who is dealing with family clutter: I feel your pain, having done it for my parents a few years ago. it is hard, and time-consuming, but 10 years later, so very worth it. It certainly made me question why I choose to keep what is in the house, and freely give away whatever no longer serves us. Hopefully I have taught the almost-adult kids to do this; my husband is naturally a declutterer, apart from what lives in his shed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on August 25, 2020, 11:32:20 PM
    No aspirational recipes.

    Great tip, I have three skinny binder things with recipes and I don't look at them. I'll cull soon!

    Ugh to the stories of parents leaving clutter. My dad is a minimalist *buffs nails*. My sister however...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 26, 2020, 07:39:08 AM
    @oneday - we were on the "warning" evacuation list on Sunday due to potential lightning strikes, but are now off the list. Our house is next to a very dry preserve, and the preserve itself is at high risk due to no barriers/structures & dry landscape. It's been a roller coaster for sure. Feels like we've turned the corner a bit with cooperating weather. Fingers crossed. Hope you are also in a safe area.

    I've had a lot of success selling, but things have slowed down quite a bit in the past two weeks. I consider the selling part of my pandemic plans. 1) declutters. 2) small amount of money in 3) I get exercise. I take everything to the nearest post office drop box, which is about a mile & a half round trip from my house. I've gotten so many more steps, just by ensuring I'm mailing the packages. It's been a bunch of small sales that are adding up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 26, 2020, 09:14:41 AM
    @oneday, ha ha re: your double take.  :)  And I hope @MaybeBabyMustache and you stay safe.  I'm in the Rocky Mountains and we are currently surrounded by four wildfires.

    I ordered two fridge bins, one for cans and one for bottled beverages, and cleaned, filled, and put them in the fridge last night.  It looks much neater!

    This morning I "decluttered" about 100 calories on the treadmill.  ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 26, 2020, 10:33:38 AM
    Thanks for the encouragement, everyone!

    @slackmax--very descriptive image of the 'clutter archipelago', and a good solution to break it up. If you have curb space, I +1 on just putting it out there for pickup.

    I returned a friend's book and gave her one more. SO brought me some supplies that I repurposed into packaging for two more books to mail to an out-of-town friend.

    Added three baskets and two throw pillows to the curb pile.

    Added a damaged phone charging cord to the pile awaiting the Apple mailing label for recycling.

    Threw away a couple of old items from the fridge and wiped out all the shelves. I'd been putting it off because I thought it was a huge chore. It took less than ten minutes...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 26, 2020, 04:36:13 PM
    @slackmax it's a weird feeling as things that have been in plain sight become visible. Now to get it out of the house before it fades back into the background!

    I didn't put it on the curb, since things like that don't get taken around here, for some reason, plus it's 50/50 chance of rain tomorrow.  And the garbage plan I have won't take it, either.

    I barely got it into my car, but I did, without scratching anything! Dropped it off at the donation center, went home and saw a big old footstool in the archipelago, and decided to donate it too! Took it over.   

    I vacuumed up the rug that got exposed in the archipelago, and moved some other stuff together, and now have pushed the archipelago a good 5 or 6 feet back towards the wall.   More open space!


     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 26, 2020, 06:08:16 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache ah, the weather is being so cooperative!  Good to hear your area is less threatened. I was never less than 10 miles from any fire, but that is still pretty close!

    That's some pretty good synergy the selling is bringing you!


    @MountainGal hope you are safe as well!  Air quality has gotten a bit better here; hope the same for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 26, 2020, 06:40:41 PM
    @slackmax bonus points for the footstool! That's awesome stuff

    My minor declutter today was using up a small carton of almond milk we had been given on our breakfasts. Now I have to work out what to do with a bottle of pomegranate molasses. I wonder if it makes a nice spritzer
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 26, 2020, 07:14:31 PM
    @slackmax yay for you! I am such a sticky beak: I'd love to see your before and after photos:-)

    @mspym can you use the molasses for salad dressing or on rice? I am sure it is one of Ottolenghi's top 10 ingredients! Yes, here is a link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2016/jul/12/yotam-ottolenghis-top-pomegranate-tips

    I decluttered many, many raspberry canes that magically sprung up over the years from just 3 canes. Gave them to a guy who has started a market garden and he gave me a heap of perpetual spinach plants, with the promise of whatever vege plants I want over the coming months, plus some giant sunflowers. I also pulled out a rogue tree that is basically a weed. It was huge, but brittle so easy to do.

    I have 5 small mailing boxes waiting for someone to pick up. They are perfect for mailing care packages. I know it would be much easier just to break them down and use in the compost bin but it is nice for them to be reused at least once.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on August 26, 2020, 10:48:48 PM
    Lots of tiny decluttering wins lately. I offered some hobby supplies to a friend who was very excited, so I added a few more items when we did our masked trade off. I also was able to gift a number of small items to little family members, and put more things on the local free trade table. Decluttering lots of food this week as well.

    @mspym I'm jealous of the pomegranate molasses, I have been trying to find it locally for years since I had it in a fantastic salmon recipe (on each salmon piece - 1/4 cup of onions and carrots cut into matchsticks and cooked in the oven in foil packets with a drizzle of oil, and balsamic mixed with pomegranate molasses or juice)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 27, 2020, 07:09:39 AM
    @mspym I've seen (and eaten) pomegranate molasses in a lot of Afghani and Syrian recipes, though not cooked with it myself.
    https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/muhammara-10982
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 27, 2020, 08:21:43 AM
    I have been putting household goods that my son needs for his first apartment into a bin for him to take to university. I have also been more rigorous on the garden accessories - if it is really not in good shape:  out it goes. 

    We also started a family challenge around menu planning to prevent food waste as part of living lighter on the planet group with our congregation.  That will also involve going through the freezer and the pantry. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 27, 2020, 11:51:56 PM
    @slackmax-congrats on your newly available 5' or 6' feet!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on August 28, 2020, 01:04:40 AM
    I vacuumed up the rug that got exposed in the archipelago, and moved some other stuff together, and now have pushed the archipelago a good 5 or 6 feet back towards the wall.   More open space!

    Sounds great @slackmax!

    I should do similar, the living room is a mess. But in our case, partly due to moving in October. However, this could be much better and we do need to live her for over a month still. We have some moving boxes and we can easily get more. We also have a "storage room", quite big and nearly empty, where we have started to put things in two piles (his and mine, so easy too keep separate when moving).

    I am working from home today, until approximately noon, and I hope to get to clear ut a couple of mini categories today and during the weekend. Will taget plant pot and other smaller garden stuff. Also two overhead cupboards in the laundry room (those are already partly dealt with before open house so not too bad). And of course the living room. I believe 2 * 15 minutes in there will result in a smaller miracle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on August 28, 2020, 09:22:49 AM
    Decluttering the refrigerator :) I'm kinda bad at hiding perishable items, which then go bad, so had an omelette for breakfast with the dregs of my egg white carton, some hidden mushrooms, and mini peppers. Leftovers planned for lunch and dinner to help clear out the fridge before this weekend's grocery run.

    Did another once-over on our books - our shelves now look manageable! (Trying to find a place ini reasonable distant to donate niche academic books with graduate student notes throughout.)

    Went through the boys' clothes, and made another bag of hand-me-downs for my sister's impending little one. Got rid of what she didn't want through a local Buy Nothing group.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 28, 2020, 01:19:30 PM
    Cleaned up the last of the soccer cleats that were used for 2 games last season, but outgrown due to COVID. Listed for sale, and will donate if that doesn't pan out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 29, 2020, 08:42:01 PM
    Went through the kitchen drawers and found a large, sharp fork that's a companion to a carving knife. I don't know why I have this. I don't cook large joints of meat, and I never host holiday gatherings. Why do I have this, and why have I moved it several times??

    Also a shot glass and a fitted sheet that used to go over the loveseat I sold.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 30, 2020, 02:03:34 AM
    Got rid of a single bed doona cover. It was on the spare bed and I was lying underneath it, having a rest and it felt gross and slippery with too much wear. The op shops here take this stuff and cut it into rags to sell in large bags, to tradesmen.

    This one is more pantry-related, but I am attempting to use up a jar of hemp powder I bought for my son's protein shakes. He hates it, so I am adding a small spoonful each day to my morning porridge and it is quite pleasant, in little doses.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 30, 2020, 03:37:41 AM
    It's been a weekend of 5-minutes declutter tasks.
    - Another quick whisk through the drawers and there's a small pile for donation again. Not sure how this lot escaped previous purges but that's common.
    - I moved all the cables from various locations to the cable drawer
    - Two minor clothing repairs complete and I am one found storage container lid away from completely clearing the sewing table. It looks so clear right now!
    - My embroidery threads are now too many for the old casserole dish I have been keeping them in so that's next - sorting through them, finding a new place to keep them and donating the pyrex. It's beautiful but I am never going to the effort of making a two-serving casserole.
    - I'm pulling off all the files from my old Galaxy s6 - gorgeous electric blue colour!- in anticipation of donating or recycling it. First I need to wipe it and also investigate if donation is an option.

    Just overall, there's a LOT more clear surfaces in the house, without it feeling like an onerous weekend of chores.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on August 30, 2020, 07:44:33 AM
    Finally got my pandemic decluttering pile out of the house yesterday - we loaded up the car and did a run to the Salvation Army, which is finally accepting donations again.  Such a relief to have those boxes out of the house!  I might even be able to vacuum the laundry room now - they were taking up so much floor space I couldn't clean properly.

    Time to keep an eye out for a new box to start again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 30, 2020, 02:13:28 PM
    @mspym, women's shelter's will often accept old cell phones.  Even if the recipient can't afford a plan, they will all allow 911 calls as long as it's charged, and sometimes that's all someone needs to stay safe.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on August 30, 2020, 07:09:15 PM
    An upright lamp which has a too-wide, and rather ugly shade. I bought it 2nd hand so no great financial loss. Will send it back to the op shop from whence it came, when said op shop reopens.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 31, 2020, 10:12:34 AM
    Calling up one more reselling shop to see if they will buy my old electronic typewriter. Sort of hoping they will say no, like the other places, so I can just donate the thing to the salvation army, and be rid of it.

    On Sunday I went by the S.A. dropoff place, and it was packed to the gills with stuff! I hope they continue to accept stuff well into the future, since I have a lot.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on September 01, 2020, 11:27:03 AM
    Quote
    I have been prioritizing the largest items since we need the floor space!  Some people have expressed a wish to buy the giant armoire that ended up in our garage. They may have it at a deep, deep, discount, and they will get my blessings with it.  They claim to be coming to pick it up this afternoon and I have my fingers crossed.

    The giant armoire is gone!! Sold it to a Craigslist guy for only $130 (probably was $2K originally, but it's been for sale for almost two months.  I feel like we can breathe again!  So he's happy and I'm happy.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 01, 2020, 11:36:57 AM
    I've made a few eBay sales, after a quiet period. Sold a sports bra, dress, pair of workout pants, fishing float, & wine chiller. Also sold our old fridge. Our microwave/convection oven is the only kitchen remodel still outstanding.

    I need to get back to my "trying everything on" from summer stuff, & putting things I won't use or wear in the donation pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: brooklynmoney on September 01, 2020, 01:47:36 PM
    I moved to a new town and there are little libraries all around and I am driving around dropping off my books. Also there’s a bigger donation bin at the library I’m going tk check out. Goal is to reduce from 200 to 20.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on September 01, 2020, 02:04:36 PM
    Calling up one more reselling shop to see if they will buy my old electronic typewriter. Sort of hoping they will say no, like the other places, so I can just donate the thing to the salvation army, and be rid of it.

    On Sunday I went by the S.A. dropoff place, and it was packed to the gills with stuff! I hope they continue to accept stuff well into the future, since I have a lot.

    Maybe, you can put it in the electrical recycling. I doubt it is sellable, which is also verified by your efforts with the reselling shops. By donating it to salvation army you are giving them en expense or something to get rid of instead of a gift.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on September 02, 2020, 06:40:46 AM
    Gave away 2 lunchboxes and 2 matching cups which my daughter did not want anymore (pink is no longer fashionable when you're a 12yo). Have to restart the decluttering efforts after the holidays. Will start with clearing out the kids' winter clothes to see what they have grown out, so I can start reselling / donating these (and buy some "new" clothes for them from Marketplace/E-bay).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 02, 2020, 02:42:36 PM
    Calling up one more reselling shop to see if they will buy my old electronic typewriter. Sort of hoping they will say no, like the other places, so I can just donate the thing to the salvation army, and be rid of it.

    On Sunday I went by the S.A. dropoff place, and it was packed to the gills with stuff! I hope they continue to accept stuff well into the future, since I have a lot.

    Maybe, you can put it in the electrical recycling. I doubt it is sellable, which is also verified by your efforts with the reselling shops. By donating it to salvation army you are giving them en expense or something to get rid of instead of a gift.

    Oh, don't be such a Debby Downer. I bet they could get $5 or $10 for it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 02, 2020, 02:50:38 PM
    Continue to search daily for an item to: toss, donate or sell. I listed a running jacket that doesn't fit properly on eBay, added two pair of kid pants to the donation pile, and found one pair of NWT kid pants that I'll list tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 02, 2020, 02:53:28 PM
    I've made a few eBay sales, after a quiet period. Sold a sports bra, dress, pair of workout pants, fishing float, & wine chiller. Also sold our old fridge. Our microwave/convection oven is the only kitchen remodel still outstanding.

    I need to get back to my "trying everything on" from summer stuff, & putting things I won't use or wear in the donation pile.

    Congratulations on the eBay sales. 

    Craigslist has suddenly come to life for me. I just sold a big gas powered weed whacker and a box of ancillary stuff, that my Dad gave me.  Good to have that gone!  It was too big, overkill for the landscaping I have. All I need is my handy electric weed whacker.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on September 03, 2020, 06:43:55 AM
    I forgot to mention I was finally able to return the huge stack of library books that's been waiting on my hall table!  I have access to three different library systems (courtesy of DH being a university employee) and the last holdout finally opened the book drop to accept returns.  Now there's only one book that was borrowed from a family member, that I need to see if she wants back or I should donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on September 03, 2020, 11:45:58 AM
    Calling up one more reselling shop to see if they will buy my old electronic typewriter. Sort of hoping they will say no, like the other places, so I can just donate the thing to the salvation army, and be rid of it.

    On Sunday I went by the S.A. dropoff place, and it was packed to the gills with stuff! I hope they continue to accept stuff well into the future, since I have a lot.

    Maybe, you can put it in the electrical recycling. I doubt it is sellable, which is also verified by your efforts with the reselling shops. By donating it to salvation army you are giving them en expense or something to get rid of instead of a gift.

    Oh, don't be such a Debby Downer. I bet they could get $5 or $10 for it.

    I prefer to called it realistic. I haven’t seen anybody use a typewriter in 25 years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 04, 2020, 11:45:25 AM
    Quote
    I have been prioritizing the largest items since we need the floor space!  Some people have expressed a wish to buy the giant armoire that ended up in our garage. They may have it at a deep, deep, discount, and they will get my blessings with it.  They claim to be coming to pick it up this afternoon and I have my fingers crossed.

    The giant armoire is gone!! Sold it to a Craigslist guy for only $130 (probably was $2K originally, but it's been for sale for almost two months.  I feel like we can breathe again!  So he's happy and I'm happy.

    Way to go, Poundwise! You got some real money for it, and it is out of your house.  Very tough market for used furniture lately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on September 04, 2020, 12:18:12 PM
    Thanks, slackmax!! A secret is that I probably would have been willing to PAY $130 to get it out! It was indeed a lovely piece of furniture, solid light hardwood, nice clean lines.

    Calling up one more reselling shop to see if they will buy my old electronic typewriter. Sort of hoping they will say no, like the other places, so I can just donate the thing to the salvation army, and be rid of it.

    On Sunday I went by the S.A. dropoff place, and it was packed to the gills with stuff! I hope they continue to accept stuff well into the future, since I have a lot.

    Maybe, you can put it in the electrical recycling. I doubt it is sellable, which is also verified by your efforts with the reselling shops. By donating it to salvation army you are giving them en expense or something to get rid of instead of a gift.

    Oh, don't be such a Debby Downer. I bet they could get $5 or $10 for it.

    I prefer to called it realistic. I haven’t seen anybody use a typewriter in 25 years.

    Coincidentally, my husband just said he'll take my dad's old Selectric off to his office because he finds it more convenient for typing addresses on envelopes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 04, 2020, 03:33:49 PM
    Thanks, slackmax!! A secret is that I probably would have been willing to PAY $130 to get it out! It was indeed a lovely piece of furniture, solid light hardwood, nice clean lines.

    Calling up one more reselling shop to see if they will buy my old electronic typewriter. Sort of hoping they will say no, like the other places, so I can just donate the thing to the salvation army, and be rid of it.

    On Sunday I went by the S.A. dropoff place, and it was packed to the gills with stuff! I hope they continue to accept stuff well into the future, since I have a lot.

    Maybe, you can put it in the electrical recycling. I doubt it is sellable, which is also verified by your efforts with the reselling shops. By donating it to salvation army you are giving them en expense or something to get rid of instead of a gift.

    Oh, don't be such a Debby Downer. I bet they could get $5 or $10 for it.

    I prefer to called it realistic. I haven’t seen anybody use a typewriter in 25 years.

    Coincidentally, my husband just said he'll take my dad's old Selectric off to his office because he finds it more convenient for typing addresses on envelopes.

    In my last office, the Payroll department had an electric typewriter for cutting checks to terminated employees.  In California, whether the employee quits on the spot, gives notice or is terminated by the company, they are to be given all their salary, vacation or any other pay they are owed by the end of that business day.  Payroll could fulfil that obligation without disrupting the normal Payables process, and also without revealing salary or other sensitive info.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on September 04, 2020, 10:16:36 PM
    Thanks, slackmax!! A secret is that I probably would have been willing to PAY $130 to get it out! It was indeed a lovely piece of furniture, solid light hardwood, nice clean lines.

    Calling up one more reselling shop to see if they will buy my old electronic typewriter. Sort of hoping they will say no, like the other places, so I can just donate the thing to the salvation army, and be rid of it.

    On Sunday I went by the S.A. dropoff place, and it was packed to the gills with stuff! I hope they continue to accept stuff well into the future, since I have a lot.

    Maybe, you can put it in the electrical recycling. I doubt it is sellable, which is also verified by your efforts with the reselling shops. By donating it to salvation army you are giving them en expense or something to get rid of instead of a gift.

    Oh, don't be such a Debby Downer. I bet they could get $5 or $10 for it.

    I prefer to called it realistic. I haven’t seen anybody use a typewriter in 25 years.

    Coincidentally, my husband just said he'll take my dad's old Selectric off to his office because he finds it more convenient for typing addresses on envelopes.

    In my last office, the Payroll department had an electric typewriter for cutting checks to terminated employees.  In California, whether the employee quits on the spot, gives notice or is terminated by the company, they are to be given all their salary, vacation or any other pay they are owed by the end of that business day.  Payroll could fulfil that obligation without disrupting the normal Payables process, and also without revealing salary or other sensitive info.

    Did you get your salary by check? I haven’t seen anybody using checks in 20 years. I find it fascinating that US has some of the world largest tech companies but still use checks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 05, 2020, 01:17:47 AM
    In my last office, the Payroll department had an electric typewriter for cutting checks to terminated employees.  In California, whether the employee quits on the spot, gives notice or is terminated by the company, they are to be given all their salary, vacation or any other pay they are owed by the end of that business day.  Payroll could fulfil that obligation without disrupting the normal Payables process, and also without revealing salary or other sensitive info.

    Did you get your salary by check? I haven’t seen anybody using checks in 20 years. I find it fascinating that US has some of the world largest tech companies but still use checks.

    No, but it was an option. I'm pretty sure it's legally required to offer paper checks...not everybody in the USA has a bank account.  I'm sure some employees did opt to get checks.  Those employees would have their checks handed to them by their manager on payday (like in the olden days), so those checks would be prepared ahead of time by the outsourced payroll company.

    But the requirement to pay an employee out on their last day necessitated a paper check cut by the internal payroll department.  The direct deposit system was either too expensive or too inflexible to handle a same-day transfer.

    The company I worked for was 80 years old.  I guarantee that typewriter had been purchased new by the payroll department back when it was current tech.  It's still in service because it's not been heavily used. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on September 05, 2020, 08:50:18 AM
    I was up early this morning and procured a prescription through the CVS drive-through and then I was the UPS Store's first customer to return some poorly fitting masks and a poorly fitting dress to Amazon.  I have now removed my card info from the website and I AM OFFICIALLY BREAKING UP WITH AMAZON. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 05, 2020, 08:05:25 PM
    Way to go, @MoolahLula !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on September 05, 2020, 09:44:03 PM
    I was up early this morning and procured a prescription through the CVS drive-through and then I was the UPS Store's first customer to return some poorly fitting masks and a poorly fitting dress to Amazon.  I have now removed my card info from the website and I AM OFFICIALLY BREAKING UP WITH AMAZON.

    You are living the dream.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 05, 2020, 10:47:26 PM
    Just recycled a piece of paper from the Pile of Doom (hat tip to @happy ).  There are 3 papers left! It's not my only cache of papers, but other stuff just needs scanning. I may have a victory post of my own soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on September 06, 2020, 03:07:15 AM
    Good work @oneday, only 3 to go! I look forward to your victory dance post. I burnt all the confidential papers from the Box of Doom this evening, and put the rest of the discards into the recycle bin. There's about 2 inches of pile left inside the box and I have a plan for those which I hope to execute tonight.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 06, 2020, 05:38:22 AM
    My son moved out yesterday.  He took two car loads of stuff.  I have stockpiling stuff for him since May.  After he was off I spent the afternoon collecting the garbage piles he left in his bedroom.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 06, 2020, 08:30:51 AM
    Awesome wins, @MoolahLula @Frugal Lizard @oneday ! Progress everywhere.

    I've recently:
    -was on an incredibly terrible call recently, & spent the time organizing my son's dresser (I work out of his bedroom). Found a few things to donate, & a few to sell. Found dirty laundry under the bed (now in laundry). Also, gross
    -Promptly returned two items that didn't work out (running shoes that were too big)
    -Donated extra toiletries (including quite a few travel sizes, which were a request) to a neighbor collecting for a homeless shelter
    -Got rid of our old microwave/convection oven that didn't fit after our remodel. I'd wanted to donate that + the fridge to a good charity, but it was quite hard to get that together. Instead, sold on FB & then made a donation to the wildfire fund. Done, and done!
    -Continued to unpack kitchen (post remodel) & getting rid of things we no longer need. It's been a useful process to pack (dumped a bunch of stuff at that time) & then unpack. Why do we have six colanders, of various sizes, for example? I did stop my husband from buying a second package of cutting boards. We already have 8. He wanted to buy another 3 pack...

    Speaking of my husband & progress, he grew up without a lot & immigrated alone to Canada at 16. So, he has some clutter/accumulation issues from a time when he truly had no belongings & lived in poverty. We hit a delicate balance at home, with me being driven nuts by clutter, and trying to be respectful of him.
    Last night, he asked me to get rid of his old suits! He has a bunch of very, very nice suits from his role in sales (8+ years ago). We are both now in tech, and will never wear them again. I'm going to find a nice charity. I also suggested selling our old digital camera, and he agreed to that as well! Woop!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 06, 2020, 12:37:14 PM
    Thanks @happy, right back atcha!  I have a feeling the last 2 inches will feel soooo satisfying to dispose of.

    @Frugal Lizard no more garbage piles, yay!

    @Sun Hat sounds like your trash was their treasure. Score!

    @MaybeBabyMustache I can feel the triumph for you both when your husband agreed to sell the camera. Yay!


    lol, forgot my update.  Two of three papers gone! One dealt with, the other in my calendar for later this week.  The last page has info I need to make a phone call on Tuesday.  That is also in my calendar.  In two days time, the pile of doom should be gone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shrimpwd on September 06, 2020, 12:54:11 PM
    I've managed to get a good number of loads over to my mom's shed from the back porch/room over the past week.
    I even cleared up some of my temporary piles that needed to move out to that room.

    However, until that last bit of stuff goes to her place, I can't set the room up to do as I'd like. Been nearly 4 years, you'd think I could wait until Thursday. (If it actually happens then...)

    Part of this move is to get space so that I can go through my things again. I needed more space to lay it all out to sort. Some of my stuff has been shoved on shelves for years without me using it. Hopefully soon!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on September 06, 2020, 01:42:25 PM
    Sold our old dining room table and its 6 chairs! That really was a relief to see it leaving the house.
    Cleaned out our son’s closet and made 3 piles: junk / give away / sell. Already sold a few items (will be picked  up tomorrow)and will donate the give away pile tomorrow (Spare sets for kindergarten, the teachers there love to have a few spare sets of clothes in case of accidents.....)!
    Now my daughter’s closet......... (12yo tween with her own style......😜)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on September 07, 2020, 10:02:20 PM
    I took a weeklong break from the internet, so I had a bunch of time to declutter:

    -last bits of elastic to a friend to fix a facemask. Mailed them off in some of the stationery stash.

    -took apart an old photo album. Mailed some shots to my nephew that had his family in them. Put the rest in an existing memory box. Cover went into trash. Paper pages are being turned into a sketch book. Beaded decoration turned into a doll necklace.

    -doll necklace and mended doll's clothes to SO's daughter and out of mending pile.

    -reorganized kitchen cabinets and put plastic packeted items into glass jars. Tossed or recycled packaging. Pared down the glass jars to just the Mason or Kerr jars, rest in recycling.

    -more stationery out in notes and letters. There's room in that cubby now!

    -repurposed a yoga mat strap into a hairclip holder

    -put a box on the curb with previously mentioned carving fork, shot glass, sheet, plus added a paper towel holder, sunhat, and bath pillow. SO took the sun hat and the rest was gone in 24 hours

    -turned an unfinished sewing project and its scraps into a usable project, down to small scraps. Too-small scraps and threads went into the compost pile (100% cotton).

    -came home from a family visit with a trunk load of stuff. Most of it went straight to the recycling bin (old magazines, catalogues, etc). They live in a rural area with very few recycling options, so I'm happy to bring them back and put them in my recycling bin to keep them out of the dump. The trick is to get them out immediately and not leave them in my car or mudroom for days, weeks....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 08, 2020, 05:27:35 PM
    Once again, a three hour "listening" training (e.g. no face time) resulted in me cleaning out my son's dresser. (His room is my "office.) Found a few things to donate, a few to sell. Also found a bunch of dirty clothes in his soccer bag... he last had a soccer game in February (pre COVID). Sweet lord. Tossed everything in the laundry, hope to salvage stuff.

    Sold a few items on eBay - items out of the house, money in.

    In non household items, I picked a bunch of jalapenos, and put them out with a free sign to share with neighbors. While I was at it, added giant packages of disposable cups/plates & silverware, leftover from our kitchen remodel. They were gone to other neighbors who are also remodeling or hosting a few socially distanced family meets. Win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 08, 2020, 06:11:28 PM
    @shrimpwd sounds like there's a tangle of Family Stuff at your place.  Best wishes for getting that sorted out ASAP!

    @Dutch Comfort well done with all the selling!

    @okcisok I do the same thing with a family member's recycling 😁

    @MaybeBabyMustache I am fascinated and repulsed by what you find in your "office"

    The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳 In its place is today's mail, which will sit for a few days for decontamination.  This will be an easy pile to get through, so I'm happy to declare No Doom Pile even though there is still a stack rather than a clear spot on the counter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 08, 2020, 08:40:53 PM
    @oneday - nice work getting rid of the pile of doom!!! Awesome progress.

    What I really need to do is move my "office" to another child's room during long call days & start working through his stuff. Because, that guy is a real clutter bug!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 09, 2020, 08:08:42 AM
    The handyman is here today to work on the utility room. Which means that:

    -all the lumber for the new window trim will be installed and not in the way
    -the countertop will be installed and not in the way
    -the shelving will be cut to length and ready for installation (the brackets are MIA so there will be a hunt later for those)
    -the old dryer vent will be gone, hole closed up and the supplies for that used
    -leftover drywall can be offered to people
    -leftover lumber can be offered to neighbor for his garage work
    -unused items purchased for the project can be returned to the store for a refund
    -finally, I'll be ready to call the plumber to get the plumbing stuff finished up.

    Once I find the shelf brackets, then I can get all the stuff that should be stored in the utility room out of my hall closet and bedroom and kitchen and dining room and properly stored where it belongs.

    I'm really excited. :)

    Edit:
    Handyman is done!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on September 09, 2020, 09:24:02 AM
    @Sibley  The decluttering that comes with finishing a project is very very satisfying!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 09, 2020, 11:16:55 AM
    The garbage bin was emptied this morning and DH half filled it with more garbage. 
    The recycle bin is completely full and won't be emptied for a week.  I am wondering if I can stalk the garbage truck and have a box of recycling ready for a second dump?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 10, 2020, 04:57:31 AM
    @Sibley that sounds wonderful! So much stuff on the way out or to it's proper place!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on September 10, 2020, 12:38:03 PM
    Cleared up a few more items, and posted some things for sale and finished a few tiny projects that have been staged for months. Very happy to have any small progress.

    Now, this may be a topic for a new thread but has anyone else noticed how nice it is to have an empty space in a cupboard or closet so that you have a designated place for things when they are in use and not in use? For example we have a place on the kitchen counter where the electric griddle can plug in, but we also have a spot in the hall closet that is exactly griddle sized so it can easily be put away for the weeks when we won't use it at all. So that our counters can be completely cleared quickly and stay that way as long as we like. Same for the blender and a cake tray - they both fit just under the counter so they are always hidden from view except for when they are actively in use or being cleaned.

    I'm also getting our out of season blankets and clothes into a similar set up: winter clothes and blankets need more storage space but they have a designated shelf that is easy to access, and when we put summer things there I do not fill the empty space left over during that season.

    I do not like 'deep' storage - so I have a deep kitchen cupboard that is only used in the front half with nothing in the space behind the flour and sugar. Same in the bathroom, the back section is completely empty except for an empty electric toothbrush box in case of warranty concerns later. And one awkward part of the hall closet that goes behind a wall only has the empty box for the humidifier there so we won't need it unless we move.  The hardest to reach high shelves are also empty boxes for DVD player and similar - so if we ever pack up our stuff actually compresses into less space (humidifier and jewellery box and DVD player, etc which normally have their own designated places get put into their placeholder boxes and our closets become 25% less full).

    Does anyone have a similar organization hack or tip along these lines?  For example, maybe if I see a sale on a larger package of flour, I'll put it in the empty space behind those dry goods or just leave that empty.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 10, 2020, 02:02:48 PM
    -Sold two workout shirts I didn't like, mailed & out of the house
    -Listed another item on eBay (kids shorts, no longer fit)
    -Added a few other shirts to the donation pile

    I'm really, really digging my much more thoughtful (and smaller wardrobe). I know have more work to do, but it's so much closer to a curated list of all things I enjoy wearing, but for various situations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on September 10, 2020, 03:49:41 PM
    I do not like 'deep' storage - so I have a deep kitchen cupboard that is only used in the front half with nothing in the space behind the flour and sugar. Same in the bathroom, the back section is completely empty except for an empty electric toothbrush box in case of warranty concerns later. And one awkward part of the hall closet that goes behind a wall only has the empty box for the humidifier there so we won't need it unless we move.  The hardest to reach high shelves are also empty boxes for DVD player and similar - so if we ever pack up our stuff actually compresses into less space (humidifier and jewellery box and DVD player, etc which normally have their own designated places get put into their placeholder boxes and our closets become 25% less full).

    Does anyone have a similar organization hack or tip along these lines?  For example, maybe if I see a sale on a larger package of flour, I'll put it in the empty space behind those dry goods or just leave that empty.

    I'm vertically challenged and previously I put items not used frequently up on the top shelves so I didn't have to get a stool to get them down. Now my goal is to have all the top shelves empty, so I never have to do this.


    I'm really, really digging my much more thoughtful (and smaller wardrobe). I know have more work to do, but it's so much closer to a curated list of all things I enjoy wearing, but for various situations.

    That's great! I'm really reducing my clothes as well. I don't seem to be able to toss a lot in one go, but with persistence and not buying any more, its on the improve. Since I retired I find I am wearing different types of clothes...so I devised a list of  roles that I need my clothes to fulfil eg daily chores in the yard, gym and so on. I hardly wear dressed up clothes at all now. At first I found this liberating, but now after 2 years, and maybe exacerbed even more by covid, I kind of miss this just a bit. I'm sticking to my plan though, and am gradually whittling down those dressy clothes keeping only my absolute favourites. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 10, 2020, 09:26:11 PM
    Now, this may be a topic for a new thread but has anyone else noticed how nice it is to have an empty space in a cupboard or closet so that you have a designated place for things when they are in use and not in use? For example we have a place on the kitchen counter where the electric griddle can plug in, but we also have a spot in the hall closet that is exactly griddle sized so it can easily be put away for the weeks when we won't use it at all.

    This is my dream! A place for everything, even when everything is not in it's place.

    I am fine without having the "extra" space like you have behind your flour, but I would be sure to put only very rarely-accessed things there.  When I lived alone, I was mostly able to achieve this.  Now that I have a room mate, no dice. She has a different philosophy and a different roster of stuff, especially for the kitchen.  I miss it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on September 10, 2020, 09:40:31 PM
    ....
    I do not like 'deep' storage - so I have a deep kitchen cupboard that is only used in the front half with nothing in the space behind the flour and sugar. Same in the bathroom, the back section is completely empty except for an empty electric toothbrush box in case of warranty concerns later. And one awkward part of the hall closet that goes behind a wall only has the empty box for the humidifier there so we won't need it unless we move.  The hardest to reach high shelves are also empty boxes for DVD player and similar - so if we ever pack up our stuff actually compresses into less space (humidifier and jewellery box and DVD player, etc which normally have their own designated places get put into their placeholder boxes and our closets become 25% less full).

    Does anyone have a similar organization hack or tip along these lines?  For example, maybe if I see a sale on a larger package of flour, I'll put it in the empty space behind those dry goods or just leave that empty.

    My Friend (who is the most organized person I’ve ever known) has thin, plastic “lazy Susan’s” in her pantry. She is able to store a good amount while being able to see everything in one turn. It makes good use of the space (especially towards the corner where items can get lost) without anything feeling crammed in there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 10, 2020, 10:47:22 PM
    Today we threw out 6 different sauces/pastes that we will never use, clearing out just a little more of the fridge. Now we just have things we use regularly taking up the real estate
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MyAlterEgoIsTaller on September 11, 2020, 05:13:53 PM

    My Friend (who is the most organized person I’ve ever known) has thin, plastic “lazy Susan’s” in her pantry. She is able to store a good amount while being able to see everything in one turn. It makes good use of the space (especially towards the corner where items can get lost) without anything feeling crammed in there.

    A few months ago I first made a small lazy susan in my spices and condiments cabinet, by putting a handful of marbles between 2 cake pans, and it was so miraculously useful that more recently I did the same thing with 2 big round metal serving trays with lips, and I put all my baking ingredients on it, in my previously-stupid-awkward corner cabinet.  It has transformed a previously inconvenient space into something so much better.


    I have a new organizing/decluttering problem lately:  it seems that decluttering has become the trendiest stay-home hobby, and all my local thrift stores are overwhelmed to the point of some not accepting new donations at all, and the others having half-hour long waits of mile-long lines of cars to drop stuff off. The animal shelter says no more linens, the little food pantry says absolutely, positively nothing but food. A lot of people around here were making Free piles at the ends of their driveways or roads - but I'm afraid to try that because some people have had other people stealthily dump even more stuff in their free piles!  Anybody else having trouble finding anywhere for their decluttering to go?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 11, 2020, 08:17:36 PM
    If it's not worth selling, and the donation places won't take it, and you can't give it away - it hurts, but trash it. Try to recycle if you can of course. By product of too much mindless consumption.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on September 11, 2020, 10:20:02 PM


    I have a new organizing/decluttering problem lately:  it seems that decluttering has become the trendiest stay-home hobby, and all my local thrift stores are overwhelmed to the point of some not accepting new donations at all, and the others having half-hour long waits of mile-long lines of cars to drop stuff off. The animal shelter says no more linens, the little food pantry says absolutely, positively nothing but food. A lot of people around here were making Free piles at the ends of their driveways or roads - but I'm afraid to try that because some people have had other people stealthily dump even more stuff in their free piles!  Anybody else having trouble finding anywhere for their decluttering to go?

    Sometimes you have to take the hit and bin things (with a promise to yourself to be more a mindful consumer in the future). We have probably all had to do it at some point. No one is perfect!!
    Alternatively, you could post on your local Buy nothing/Pay it forward FB group if there is one? There are lots of clever people out there who will look at each item with fresh eyes and repurpose or reuse things in some way. Good luck.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 11, 2020, 11:32:21 PM
    Recently combed through 5 boxes of photos looking for baby pics of Sis at her request.  Pulled out a stack of non-photos, mostly postcards.  Today I finished sorting toss, keep (for scanning before tossing) and give to the ex.

    Now to get the things for the ex back to the photo boxes...I will be giving him at least 2 boxes of photos once I scan the ones I want.  That will be a beautiful day. I keep thinking we are totally disentangled, but there's always one more thing.  I *think* this is really, really the last thing!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on September 12, 2020, 03:06:08 PM
    Now, this may be a topic for a new thread but has anyone else noticed how nice it is to have an empty space in a cupboard or closet so that you have a designated place for things when they are in use and not in use? For example we have a place on the kitchen counter where the electric griddle can plug in, but we also have a spot in the hall closet that is exactly griddle sized so it can easily be put away for the weeks when we won't use it at all.

    This is my dream! A place for everything, even when everything is not in it's place.

    I am fine without having the "extra" space like you have behind your flour, but I would be sure to put only very rarely-accessed things there.  When I lived alone, I was mostly able to achieve this.  Now that I have a room mate, no dice. She has a different philosophy and a different roster of stuff, especially for the kitchen.  I miss it.

    I'm living the dream! Haha, I guess not quite still I'm still trying to optimize. I definitely agree that rarely-accessed things should go in the awkward places. I just want less awkward places to begin with and I'm trying to create that situation without any renos by pretending they don't exist or putting only 1 well fitted item in any given black hole.

    My Friend (who is the most organized person I’ve ever known) has thin, plastic “lazy Susan’s” in her pantry. She is able to store a good amount while being able to see everything in one turn. It makes good use of the space (especially towards the corner where items can get lost) without anything feeling crammed in there.

    Great idea for custom lazy Susans - I may have to try that out. I don't have any marbles, but may have a necklace in the house that can be sacrificed for that purpose.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 12, 2020, 03:55:29 PM
    Yesterday I took the bag of clothes to the donation bin after one last sweep of my accessories drawer, I added a tie, a big scarf, a necklace and a very nice Pelikan fountain pen that I haven't used in over 7 years. Whatever they get for it will do more good than the space it takes up.

     I also used a nice square scarf and a ribbon that have been floating around my house to wrap up a present (of small delicious consumables) for my friend's birthday.

    Oh, and the boys' mum collects vintage pyrex so I could offer her this really great duckegg blue casserole dish that used to be just the right size for me but is way to small for a house of teen boys.

    It feels good to let things go to good homes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MyAlterEgoIsTaller on September 12, 2020, 05:42:51 PM


    Great idea for custom lazy Susans - I may have to try that out. I don't have any marbles, but may have a necklace in the house that can be sacrificed for that purpose.

    It doesn't work as well with beads as with marbles.  I had that same idea, but the weirdest thing happens where it works on the first couple turns, but then the beads all orient themselves so that their holes are exactly vertical, and the top pan gets stuck on all the tiny "flat sides" of the beads where the holes are, and then it doesn't turn well.  I got some marbles from the dollar store - a little bag of 30 marbles or so is enough to make 2 or 3 lazy Susans.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 12, 2020, 06:34:50 PM
    My mom took all the old computers up to Best Buy for recycling. 8 of them.

    At least they're out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on September 12, 2020, 08:12:07 PM
    I used up another part can of fence stain that had been cluttering the workshop for a couple of years.  You know, by applying it to the fence.

    It takes longer that I would have thought.  and ugh.  One more nearly full can left to go.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on September 14, 2020, 04:22:23 PM
    An old, stained cutting board, a spoon rest, and a pair of shoes were tossed yesterday.  However, the first two items were replaced with new ones.  ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: brooklynmoney on September 14, 2020, 08:28:18 PM
    Donated a bunch of jewelry to the friends of library for a sale. It’s so hard to get rid of jewelry so I was so happy to find a good use for my semi precious and costume stuff that I don’t want
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 15, 2020, 07:43:12 AM
    Went through "closet of doom" where i keep boxes & mailing supplies. Determined I had way too much of everything. Broke down all of the boxes. Recycled the majority of them, organized the closet, bagged up all of the packaging/wrapping. Closet looks so much better! Boxes no longer fall on top of me when I open it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shrimpwd on September 15, 2020, 09:39:22 AM
    The 3-season room is down to only my things!

    Now that I have space, I plan on going through every item out there and decide keep/sell/give/toss. I hope to end up with half of what is out there. Some of those items have been stored out there for nearly 4 years, so I shouldn't have trouble with not keeping them.

    I also have other piles in the house that can now be stored out there (after doing the same process). I think my house is going to look much better once I complete these next few steps.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on September 15, 2020, 10:54:56 AM
    It's not really a tossing-out so much as a "not acquiring specialized items that might not work at my next rental," but I managed to organize some things that were kind of just in piles in the kitchen (ah, boxes of tea!) by using cardboard boxes as organizing bins. It's not as pretty as a real organizing bin, but it's functional and I can just recycle it when we move out of here instead of trying to fit it into a new setup.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 16, 2020, 06:24:51 AM
    Donated a bunch of jewelry to the friends of library for a sale. It’s so hard to get rid of jewelry so I was so happy to find a good use for my semi precious and costume stuff that I don’t want

    I have tons of jewelry I want to get rid of. I have decided to take a lot of it down to a retail store that advertises for people to bring in their unwanted jewelry. I am getting about 20 pieces together for a test run.

    I have selected a few nice pieces, some of it Avon, some of it other name brand stuff, whose prices I have estimated by looking at eBay,  to try to sell at a flea market.   Not expecting to get high prices. We'll see.       

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 17, 2020, 03:32:02 PM
    I took the 'test run' bag of jewelry down to the store, to sell. They gave me $15 for about 20 pieces of costume jewelry. I took the $15. Seemed  fair. They also weighed 4 pieces of Sterling and offered me $5 for that, but I decided to keep the sterling to sell myself.

    They also tested a ring to make sure it was not gold, and identified one of the pieces I thought was 'costume' as sterling.   Good to know.

    Tons more jewelry to go. Off to a good start.

    Anyone know any tricks to untangling thin silver necklace chains, let me know, please, ha ha. I have 2 chains tangled up together.  Can barely see them, even with reading glasses, magnifying glass, and lots of light.   
       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on September 17, 2020, 05:45:00 PM
    I took the 'test run' bag of jewelry down to the store, to sell. They gave me $15 for about 20 pieces of costume jewelry. I took the $15. Seemed  fair. They also weighed 4 pieces of Sterling and offered me $5 for that, but I decided to keep the sterling to sell myself.

    They also tested a ring to make sure it was not gold, and identified one of the pieces I thought was 'costume' as sterling.   Good to know.

    Tons more jewelry to go. Off to a good start.

    Anyone know any tricks to untangling thin silver necklace chains, let me know, please, ha ha. I have 2 chains tangled up together.  Can barely see them, even with reading glasses, magnifying glass, and lots of light.   
     

    For the chains, long nails or a sewing pin.  Grab a spot, jiggle to see if anything works loose, pick at it.  Should kerp you occupied for several hours.   ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 17, 2020, 08:18:01 PM
    I took the 'test run' bag of jewelry down to the store, to sell. They gave me $15 for about 20 pieces of costume jewelry. I took the $15. Seemed  fair. They also weighed 4 pieces of Sterling and offered me $5 for that, but I decided to keep the sterling to sell myself.

    They also tested a ring to make sure it was not gold, and identified one of the pieces I thought was 'costume' as sterling.   Good to know.

    Tons more jewelry to go. Off to a good start.

    Anyone know any tricks to untangling thin silver necklace chains, let me know, please, ha ha. I have 2 chains tangled up together.  Can barely see them, even with reading glasses, magnifying glass, and lots of light.   
     

    For the chains, long nails or a sewing pin.  Grab a spot, jiggle to see if anything works loose, pick at it.  Should kerp you occupied for several hours.   ;-)

    I’ve done exactly this, but I put the chains on a flat surface and use 2 pins to pull them apart a bit at a time.  It takes a while, but it works.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on September 19, 2020, 10:47:43 PM
    Got everything out of our storage unit to Goodwill and consignment. I can hardly believe it’s finally empty and gone from our life (and from our bill-pay). Oh Happy Dance!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on September 20, 2020, 03:02:15 PM
    Very impressive! Good for you
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on September 20, 2020, 10:27:59 PM
    Thanks okcisok and Sun Hat. I am embarrassed at how much we spent on storage facility fees. so very easy to put the stuff in there and so very hard to get it all out and disposed of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 21, 2020, 01:23:16 AM
    Got everything out of our storage unit to Goodwill and consignment. I can hardly believe it’s finally empty and gone from our life (and from our bill-pay). Oh Happy Dance!!

    Good job! And good for the finances as well.

    And also thank you, thank you, thank you for the reminder, I need to cancel my storage unit before month end. This is a small one, needed for house sale. I have used it for the period from when we showed the house until I move (four months) and will be totally emptied by movers on moving day mid-October, so it's not a mentally tough process (which I assume yours was more of). But I absolutely don't want to pay for another month, when it's already empty. Calling them now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 21, 2020, 01:19:19 PM
    Progress on projects again...

    Gallon of ceiling paint is used up and gone.
    Did the spray painting of the gas line (outside), since it was all rusty and ugly. Still ugly, but at least it's protected.
    Did the texture stuff in the book room upstairs. That stuff is annoying, makes a huge mess, and it doesn't really match the old texture. So I might just sand it down and live with the difference.

    More projects have been progressed, but they haven't resulted in declutter yet. I'll get there.

    And gave the baggie of batteries to my mom to take home. Her town accepts batteries in the recycle bin, and I've been forgetting for months to take mine somewhere.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 21, 2020, 03:44:27 PM
    Let's see, I've done the following:
    -Bought books at the friends of library sale, but immediately made a pile of keep/sell/donate (it was a genre based grab bag). I'm absolutely ecstatic to have some paper books back, but a few are not my jam. I'll keep the rest & then donate most. Have a few worth selling
    -Gave my sister her birthday gift (reusable face scrubs, which I love & wanted to share), so those are now out of the house
    -Found a few toys in our garage. Donated a bunch, listed a couple for sale
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 22, 2020, 05:27:16 AM
    Looked around the edges of the garage, and the shelves  ( I have a big open space in the middle for a car) and took out 10 things to sell, and threw out 5.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 22, 2020, 06:42:05 AM
    We have been puttering around the house for the last two weeks of our away from the office vacation.  A number of repairs got done and a huge number of items got tossed to more appropriate locations.  Our elderly neighbours have massive garbage bins.  This week we filled our small one and their giant one.  One fully loaded Leaf trunk of stuff went to the restore and another to Goodwill.  There are three huge bags of yard waste.  The giant recycling bin is nearly full as well. 

    I am trying to be rigorous about the pantry.  As I do canning recipes and come across multiples of spices (I forgot to cross pickling spice off a grocery list and DH bought it twice) I am consolidating them or tossing something that looks like it moved to this house with us in 2010.  Or survived the 2016 kitchen restoration.

    DD started to go through her bins of stuff she left in the basement after we painted her room.  One is empty now.  The other is full of empty binders. 
    DH worked on the garage for two days.  We are both guilty of being pack rats there.  And now we are accumulating bicycles. 

    Stuff keeps coming out of our house! Occasionally I will look at a closet and think...gee that is a little less packed.  Or I will put something away in its spot.  Or I will find the item I am looking for without having to excavate or dodge an avalanche.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 22, 2020, 11:38:31 PM
    This weekend I saw a lady who moved her horse out of my boarding stable about six months ago.  When she left, she said I could use her tack locker, because she probably wasn't sure if the move would be permanent, or if she might want to come back.  Her horse is doing well in their new place, with no room for the locker, so I've been meaning to ask if I can buy it from her.  She said I could just have it, but I know she is always short of funds and didn't feel good about that.  The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.  After nagging her a bit, we negotiated a trade for a saddle pad I didn't need and a fly sheet my horse recently outgrew.  Win, win, and two less things in the heap of horse gear I've been sorting through in the basement.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 23, 2020, 07:20:26 AM


    Stuff keeps coming out of our house! Occasionally I will look at a closet and think...gee that is a little less packed.  Or I will put something away in its spot.  Or I will find the item I am looking for without having to excavate or dodge an avalanche.

    Ha Ha, isn't it true?   I am continually surprised what I find when going through an area I have already gone through, thinking there was nothing left there to declutter. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 23, 2020, 07:34:02 AM
    Awesome trade, @horsepoor

    -I went through the "closet of doom" (we stashed a bunch of random kitchen & junk drawer items there, post kitchen remodel & unpacking) yesterday. Found three cutlery organizers that we no longer need & put them in the donate pile.
    -Sold three items on eBay. Junk out, cash in.
    -Sold an old pogo stick that I discovered in the garage
    -Have someone interested in picking up a bike bag
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on September 24, 2020, 02:02:07 PM
    Checking back in after a too long absence.  Sold a chair on Facebook Marketplace, and got rid of a bunch of kids clothes on Buy Nothing.

    I'm really struggling with how much clutter we have, and how to get my family to make any effort to clean up after themselves.  My kids are 3 and 5, so definitely old enough to pick up after themselves, but it is always such a struggle.  Same with my spouse, who is okay at actually CLEANING things, but not so great at tidying and keeping tidy.  So I just feel overwhelmed and alone in my desire for a clean house.  Pep talks and tips for getting the family involved appreciated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 24, 2020, 03:27:56 PM
    Checking back in after a too long absence.  Sold a chair on Facebook Marketplace, and got rid of a bunch of kids clothes on Buy Nothing.

    I'm really struggling with how much clutter we have, and how to get my family to make any effort to clean up after themselves.  My kids are 3 and 5, so definitely old enough to pick up after themselves, but it is always such a struggle.  Same with my spouse, who is okay at actually CLEANING things, but not so great at tidying and keeping tidy.  So I just feel overwhelmed and alone in my desire for a clean house.  Pep talks and tips for getting the family involved appreciated.

    If it's left out, try putting it in a box in the closet or something, see what actually is requested/looked for. If it never is, then chances are you can get rid of it. Especially toys, just make them disappear after a while. The less stuff you have the easier it is to keep it neat. My house looks like a disaster because of the cat toys all over. I spend 5 minutes picking them up and it looks 10x better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 25, 2020, 04:12:30 AM
    The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.

    So I had to google photos of 'tack locker' and now I want one. I don't have a horse, nor do I have any saddles etc. It just looks so neat!
    Thank you for letting me expand my vocabulary!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 25, 2020, 06:28:35 AM
    The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.

    So I had to google photos of 'tack locker' and now I want one. I don't have a horse, nor do I have any saddles etc. It just looks so neat!
    Thank you for letting me expand my vocabulary!
    this made me chuckle...
    one has to be careful on this page that the opposite of the intended purpose doesn't occur.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 25, 2020, 07:18:51 AM
    Back story: divorce, house is sold, we are moving to separate places. He is not a hoarder, but a "let's not throw away/donate anything because we might need it some day". I understand that this is a new situation, and that we will both need to individually add some practical items to our separate households but I am also an aspiring minimalist, and I want to try to get rid of a lot of "Just in cases".

    Question to this thread: can  I count every thing I say to him "you take it, I don't want it" to my general karma in this Gettting rid of stuff in the move?
    I do need some good karma as he is moving out in 7 days, and at least in my opinion, is very late/behind with packing for his move. I am stressed by this.

    I will move in 3.5 weeks, and I feel further along, this is also bc I have less stuff to move, but I am also aware that I have a finite amount of time to pack...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 25, 2020, 07:22:26 AM
    The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.

    So I had to google photos of 'tack locker' and now I want one. I don't have a horse, nor do I have any saddles etc. It just looks so neat!
    Thank you for letting me expand my vocabulary!
    this made me chuckle...
    one has to be careful on this page that the opposite of the intended purpose doesn't occur.

    Oh, don't worry, I am not getting one :-), admiring the neatness in the photos is actually all I need.
    However, it did make me start thinking a bit, I am moving and will have a walk in closet/small storage for me and my two kids, and I will aspire to have the same feeling of functional neatness in there. So in that way it is inspiring, but only to make the best of what I have and will have use and need for.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 25, 2020, 07:48:18 AM
    Back story: divorce, house is sold, we are moving to separate places. He is not a hoarder, but a "let's not throw away/donate anything because we might need it some day". I understand that this is a new situation, and that we will both need to individually add some practical items to our separate households but I am also an aspiring minimalist, and I want to try to get rid of a lot of "Just in cases".

    Question to this thread: can  I count every thing I say to him "you take it, I don't want it" to my general karma in this Gettting rid of stuff in the move?
    I do need some good karma as he is moving out in 7 days, and at least in my opinion, is very late/behind with packing for his move. I am stressed by this.

    I will move in 3.5 weeks, and I feel further along, this is also bc I have less stuff to move, but I am also aware that I have a finite amount of time to pack...

    Sure. And what's the plan for when he moves out and doesn't take all the stuff?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: I'm a red panda on September 25, 2020, 08:43:38 AM
    Back story: divorce, house is sold, we are moving to separate places. He is not a hoarder, but a "let's not throw away/donate anything because we might need it some day". I understand that this is a new situation, and that we will both need to individually add some practical items to our separate households but I am also an aspiring minimalist, and I want to try to get rid of a lot of "Just in cases".

    Question to this thread: can  I count every thing I say to him "you take it, I don't want it" to my general karma in this Gettting rid of stuff in the move?
    I do need some good karma as he is moving out in 7 days, and at least in my opinion, is very late/behind with packing for his move. I am stressed by this.

    I will move in 3.5 weeks, and I feel further along, this is also bc I have less stuff to move, but I am also aware that I have a finite amount of time to pack...

    Sure. And what's the plan for when he moves out and doesn't take all the stuff?

    Front yard with a sign that says "free"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 25, 2020, 09:15:28 AM

    Sure. And what's the plan for when he moves out and doesn't take all the stuff?

    Tbh, not really sure. I see a few possible scenarios:
    1) he will work hard this weekend and get a lot done. I actually assume he will take what is clearly his, it is the "shared, need to be split/assigned" that worries me, but that part is also my responsibility so I will make an effort with this also. This is the best outcome.
    2) He will procrastrinate and have a lot still to pack Thursday evening. Not my problem really but I will probably help out a lot, just to get it done. I think this is the most likely outcome. I will be annoyed but it will pass.
    3) As in no 2, but I will not help him, I am tired of taking care of his problems. He will not have all packed when movers show up Friday morning. This will work as I will stay in the house for a couple of weeks more, as long as he gets them to take all the furniture. Then he will pick up stuff over these weeks, until I move, then house needs to be empty for cleaning and handing over the keys to the buyers. Possible since we are both moving about five minute drive in separate directions, but not good as he needs to borrow my car and I will go crazy if he needs to do that several times (he can borrow the car, but annoying he needs to show up here, I just want peace and quiet to pack my stuff).




    Front yard with a sign that says "free"

    Hehe :-D

    In addition to above, I believe that when he has moved out, when I continue and intensify my packing, I will find several items I will not bring.
    These can be either his, ours jointly but I don't want them and he forgot/missed to take them, or stuff none of us want but we should dispose of jointly but I will have to do it. Here the "free" sign will absolutely come in handy, combined w a very active local Facebook group 'buy and sell and give away'. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 25, 2020, 10:16:00 AM
    After we unpacked our kitchen, I've continued to go through our stuff, and donate/sell what we don't need.

    I'm now left with the "closet of doom". It's where we keep all of the random stuff that doesn't have a natural home. So far, I've:
    -Found a more logical home for all of our jars/lids
    -Rehomed my son's cooking supplies. He likes his own stuff (recipe books, apron, measuring cups, timer, etc). Found a drawer that would work well to hold everything.
    -Determined a good location for coffee supplies we only use when my parents are here. We have an espresso machine, but they prefer brewed coffee. They visit 1x-2x/year, so it doesn't need to be accessible, but I want it all in one place. Done. Tucked away, but all grouped for easy use & pull out when they arrive.

    All that was left was the "junk drawer" items (copious number of pens, pencils, school supplies, and other miscellany). I seriously considered getting some sort of desk to hold all of this, and then was embarrassed by my giant overkill to a tiny problem. I'm instead doing the following:
    -Adding necessary school supplies to the kids rooms, as they are now doing homework & online learning in their rooms
    -Dumping/donating things we don't need. Pretty sure we don't need 100+ pencils
    -Add a few items to our school supply area in a cupboard for things we might need in the future, but don't need right away.

    It's my goal to finish the "junk drawer" items today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shrimpwd on September 25, 2020, 12:22:49 PM
    I just added an amazing shelving unit to my living room. It's going to organize a large portion of the decorative items I've decided to keep.

    Because of this, I'm giving a friend a bookshelf and I'm going through two full totes of random, maybe three. I'll be thrilled if I don't need to keep anything in the totes, but even if I get down to one, it'll be progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 26, 2020, 09:02:49 AM
    -Gave away five organizing units on "Buy Nothing" yesterday (3 came out of our "junk drawer" area, and we've rehomed a few necessary supplies & ditched the rest. 2 were silverware/kitchen tool organizers, and we now have built ins in our kitchen cabinets. The person I gave away to was able to swing by & grab them within an hour, and I left them on my porch. Done, and done.
    -Sold another six items on eBay (books, mostly, plus my son's soccer shorts he outgrew before he could wear, thanks to COVID). Mailed & out of the house.

    For today, have a roasting pan & oven element I will try to give away. Feel like those are the kinds of things that won't do well as a donation at my local place, but maybe I can match people up locally.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 26, 2020, 09:24:27 AM
    The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.

    So I had to google photos of 'tack locker' and now I want one. I don't have a horse, nor do I have any saddles etc. It just looks so neat!
    Thank you for letting me expand my vocabulary!
    this made me chuckle...
    one has to be careful on this page that the opposite of the intended purpose doesn't occur.

    Oh, don't worry, I am not getting one :-), admiring the neatness in the photos is actually all I need.
    However, it did make me start thinking a bit, I am moving and will have a walk in closet/small storage for me and my two kids, and I will aspire to have the same feeling of functional neatness in there. So in that way it is inspiring, but only to make the best of what I have and will have use and need for.

    Haha, mine is not that fancy, it's actually a little outdoor mini-shed and isn't deep enough to fit my saddles.  https://www.homedepot.com/p/Outdoor-Living-Today-4-ft-x-2-ft-Cedar-Garden-Storage-Shed-GC42/100655535?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&mtc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_21_STORAGE_BUILDINGS-MULTI-NA-Feed-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D28I-G-D28I-28_21_STORAGE_BUILDINGS-MULTI-NA-Feed-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP-71700000071528812-58700006277461964-92700056727253507&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzbv7BRDIARIsAM-A6-3W4ATXFd4QaLj5we5JmQVGOg3ghiNbw1SMghxnvGrVoO2kB8ZgqOEaAv0aEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds  But after your post, I went looking at tack lockers on Pinterest, and now I'm inspired to take out the existing shelving in there and re-do the interior to make it even more space-efficient.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on September 27, 2020, 11:23:59 AM
    Getting our home ready to sell.  This means doing a few final touchups and getting trim completed, etc.

    The nice part is that when the last bit of trim goes up, I can throw away all the remaining bits and boards each time.  Paint too, I touch up all the walls in colour X, and then I can get rid of those paint cans.  Feels good.

    I also need to make space in my closets and pantry with the goal that everything remaining should have a bit of space around it.   Lots of donations are happening.   Sad that the big thrift store near me is closing and all the others only take a couple of bags at a time.

    I went with DH to check out a storage locker.  It would end up being $95/mo for a 5ftx5ft locker.  We looked at each other and said "nope", and will find a corner of the house to densely pack things into instead.  This is great because storage out of the home tends to never go away, and we can again deal with the stuff when it is time to move and we know what furniture we want to take as we will know where we are going to.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 27, 2020, 08:23:26 PM
    Gave away a roasting pan/tray from our old oven, and copious amounts of mint & basil that we picked & shared with neighbors. Mailed a book that I sold.

    Spent time breaking apart an old fence, so we could get rid of it. It was hot this weekend, and it was a really unfun project, but is done now. Woop!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on September 27, 2020, 09:58:20 PM
    I replaced the roof on the greenhouse today.  Except instead of clear panels, I made put opaque panels on 3/4 of it, and will begin walling most of it in.  In the process, I pulled out a bunch of smaller plant pots and other things that will be going away.  I'm thinking I'll post them as free on my local FB gardening group.

    Since the greenhouse will now be more of a shed, I have my totes of horse blankets and other equine paraphernalia moved out there.  If I can get my DH to get rid of the non-running riding mower, we'll have ample space in the shop.

    OTOH, after finally getting a handle on the yard waste, he dropped a huge branch that was overhanging the shop, and now have a bunch more tree detritus to deal with.  Boo.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on September 28, 2020, 04:04:28 AM
    Back story: divorce, house is sold, we are moving to separate places. He is not a hoarder, but a "let's not throw away/donate anything because we might need it some day". I understand that this is a new situation, and that we will both need to individually add some practical items to our separate households but I am also an aspiring minimalist, and I want to try to get rid of a lot of "Just in cases".

    Question to this thread: can  I count every thing I say to him "you take it, I don't want it" to my general karma in this Gettting rid of stuff in the move?
    I do need some good karma as he is moving out in 7 days, and at least in my opinion, is very late/behind with packing for his move. I am stressed by this.

    I will move in 3.5 weeks, and I feel further along, this is also bc I have less stuff to move, but I am also aware that I have a finite amount of time to pack...

    Update on this, during the weekend ex finally realised he needs to get serious about packing. So we have been through a lot of shared items, and I would say I have taken about 25%, he 50% and 25% neds to be discarded in different ways. So many things I don't need. Feels great. I have to replace a few kitchen utensils, but really not a lot. For other types of items, I don't see much I have to add back.

    One does not need an ice cream scoop when we eat that type of ice cream maybe twice a year, a regular spoon will do. One does not need many types of wine glasses when only two types are used (other ones are not heirlooms or valuable, just 'we don't get rid of things if we already have them'. One does not need things of which ex said "why have we kept this?" and my answer is "you are the one who wanted to keep it so you take it".

    So I managed to keep most of what I felt I will need, but removed a lot of things from my life that will not be replaced by similar/same category at all. Feels amazing!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 28, 2020, 06:56:31 AM

      Lots of donations are happening.   Sad that the big thrift store near me is closing and all the others only take a couple of bags at a time.


    The one near me now has a sign in front of the driveway leading to the donation shed that says 'we are not accepting donations between the hours of 4 PM and 8 AM.' 

    Makes me think they are having stuff stolen at night. I've seen some nice  electronics in there at times.   

    At least they are still accepting stuff, lol. 

    I was donating stuff, from decluttering, years ago, so I was donating and cluttering before it was 'cool'.         
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on September 28, 2020, 07:39:01 AM
    Back story: divorce, house is sold, we are moving to separate places. He is not a hoarder, but a "let's not throw away/donate anything because we might need it some day". I understand that this is a new situation, and that we will both need to individually add some practical items to our separate households but I am also an aspiring minimalist, and I want to try to get rid of a lot of "Just in cases".

    Question to this thread: can  I count every thing I say to him "you take it, I don't want it" to my general karma in this Gettting rid of stuff in the move?
    I do need some good karma as he is moving out in 7 days, and at least in my opinion, is very late/behind with packing for his move. I am stressed by this.

    I will move in 3.5 weeks, and I feel further along, this is also bc I have less stuff to move, but I am also aware that I have a finite amount of time to pack...

    Update on this, during the weekend ex finally realised he needs to get serious about packing. So we have been through a lot of shared items, and I would say I have taken about 25%, he 50% and 25% neds to be discarded in different ways. So many things I don't need. Feels great. I have to replace a few kitchen utensils, but really not a lot. For other types of items, I don't see much I have to add back.

    One does not need an ice cream scoop when we eat that type of ice cream maybe twice a year, a regular spoon will do. One does not need many types of wine glasses when only two types are used (other ones are not heirlooms or valuable, just 'we don't get rid of things if we already have them'. One does not need things of which ex said "why have we kept this?" and my answer is "you are the one who wanted to keep it so you take it".

    So I managed to keep most of what I felt I will need, but removed a lot of things from my life that will not be replaced by similar/same category at all. Feels amazing!

    That's wonderful, LinneaH, that you've been able to do this together.  It will be nice to have a few new items of your own but still keep only what you want and need in your own house.  Sounds like it's all going as smoothly as these things can.  Best wishes for you in your new space!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 29, 2020, 12:50:36 AM
    Late reporting in, but I want "credit" dammit :)

    Before leaving on a road trip, took the haz mat to the haz mat drop off station.  Did not bring home any clutter from the road trip, but I did find a nice sterling silver and amethyst ring to fit one of my fingers perfectly. Also bought some bike parts for repairs after my crash earlier this summer. Local shops are having a hard time keeping things in stock.  I vow to discard the old parts when they are replaced (the old parts are broken beyond repair).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AerynLee on September 29, 2020, 08:05:48 AM
    We're moving next month and even though we're moving to a bigger house (950sqft to 1800sqft) we're being careful to make sure we're not moving stuff we don't actually want or need. We're fairly minimal, fitting into our small house just fine, but there's always things that can go. In the last couple of weeks we have:

    Donated our dog kennel to the woman who runs the local lost/found pet page and works with rescues
    Sold running shoes that never fit right, cleats worn once, and roller skates used twice to Play it Again Sports
    Traded in 6 board games we have no interest in playing (most never played) for one game that we know we like and were planning on buying
    Donated non-mason brand canning jars (that use different sized lids), throw pillows we don't use, and a couple other miscellanous tidbits to Goodwill
    Donated leftover kitchen backsplash tiles to Habitat for Humanity Restore
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 29, 2020, 09:54:57 AM
    Thanks for the Habitat for Humanity Restore reminder, @AerynLee . We have some leftover construction tile I can donate.

    I have sold & mailed an outgrown kids shirt & have someone coming from the local Buy Nothing group to do a porch pickup for an old suitcase. Progress!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 29, 2020, 10:22:11 AM
    DH is getting in on the action - he worked on the garage.  Empty bins are appearing!

    It feels so very good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on September 29, 2020, 01:01:12 PM
    I got rid of some stuff on Buy Nothing.  Decaf coffee ordered by mistake, two pairs of kids shoes, some Kenyan textiles that were a gift from my sister but I have no use for, some acrylic paint, several kids books, some outgrown toys, and some hanging pots I bought that didn't actually fit my railing.  The last one felt so good to let go - I'd been saying I'd return them but the store is 45 minutes away and it's just not worth it.

    Listed some other stuff that I have not gotten replies for, that will either go to the thrift store or the trash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on September 29, 2020, 06:45:31 PM
    Reorganised the shed - again. Moved my son's home gym where there is more light and it looks heaps better. Moved the table tennis table into the centre so we have more room around it. Got rid of a box of glass jars I'd kept for 'just in case'. We already have 2 boxes of jars for the day next January when I hope to make my own tomato sauce for the year. If I don't do it, they will all be donated as well. Nothing like a deadline!

    Broke down the huge cardboard box my son's rack was delivered in, and put it in the garden to suppress weeds. Bagged up all the bubble wrap, and depending on my laziness factor will either offer it on the Good Karma FB page, or take it to a Redcycle drop off bin.

    I have been propagating quite a few indoor plants for a friend and they have been cluttering up the porch, but she will be picking them up today.

    I still have several baskets of craft stuff, mainly material and wool to go through. I do intend to use most of it, but have realised baskets are just too much visual clutter for me and will look in the op shops for a streamlined little cabinet with doors to store it all in. I am not one for buying storage, as I'd rather get rid of things, but this Lockdown has showed me that I need to have all the tools and materials to make things so I don't panic-buy stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 30, 2020, 12:21:57 PM
    I did not put all the books back on the shelving in our bedroom.  We painted two weeks ago and I vowed that I would not just refill the shelves without consideration.  There is a entire bankers box of books that I know I will never ever pull off the shelf again.  Bye Bye.
    A whack of old magazines are going out into the little library!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 30, 2020, 03:34:58 PM
    I sold  about 15 small things at this latest weekend's flea market outing.

    Most fun was 4 or 5 household chemical things, like a 16 ounce bottle of Mop N Glo (floor wax) for $1, half a bottle of turtle wax (automotive wax) for $1,  half a bottle of some automotive paint treatment for 50 cents, and a 2 liter spray bottle of Fabreeze (fabric deodorizer and freshener) for $2.

    I have no desire for these products, which were cluttering up the place under the kitchen sink, and people who want them now have them. I didn't have to donate them, or take them to a hazardous waste recycling event and pay to have them recycled.

    Win, win, win, ad infinitum, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on September 30, 2020, 03:49:39 PM
    We don't have a local Buy Nothing group, and I don't have the desire to start one at this point, but I've decided to foster that attitude locally, on Facebook and specifically reaching out to close neighbors. To that end I recently traded some house plants with a stranger. We both left quite pleased! And I have another little collection of items waiting for a friend to pick up. I don't just want to foist junk off on people, but she gave an enthusiastic yes when I sent her a photo of the items. We also had a chat with new neighbors/friends who also recently bought a house listing out some of the tools and supplies we have that we'd be glad to share and vice versa.  No actual sharing yet, but I expect that will happen eventually. That feels good.

    I also threw out some underwear!  That's a cause for celebration! 
    Cut up a t-shirt for rags, mended a pair of pants, altered a shirt. Put away the big sewing machine and just kept the little one out.
    Used double sided tap to stick down the corner of the carpet.
    Two weeks ago I hung a big arrangement of art over the fireplace.  That was a huge project and has made such a difference.  Now I can actually think about other art and other projects.
    Hung two baskets on the wall in the bathroom for more towel storage.

    I'm writing this up to try to keep myself moving this evening to check a few more little things off the list!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on September 30, 2020, 09:10:02 PM
    I sold  about 15 small things at this latest weekend's flea market outing.

    Most fun was 4 or 5 household chemical things, like a 16 ounce bottle of Mop N Glo (floor wax) for $1, half a bottle of turtle wax (automotive wax) for $1,  half a bottle of some automotive paint treatment for 50 cents, and a 2 liter spray bottle of Fabreeze (fabric deodorizer and freshener) for $2.

    I have no desire for these products, which were cluttering up the place under the kitchen sink, and people who want them now have them. I didn't have to donate them, or take them to a hazardous waste recycling event and pay to have them recycled.

    Win, win, win, ad infinitum, lol.

    Such a good idea! How did it work at your flea market? Did you have to reserve a spot?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on October 01, 2020, 02:24:15 AM
    I'm going to do the big decluttering challenge (1 item on day 1, 2 on day 2 etc). I've got a head start on 5 items (air fryer, old phone, 3 old cat toys). So I'm on 2 items for October 3rd as of now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 01, 2020, 05:02:38 AM
    I sold  about 15 small things at this latest weekend's flea market outing.

    Most fun was 4 or 5 household chemical things, like a 16 ounce bottle of Mop N Glo (floor wax) for $1, half a bottle of turtle wax (automotive wax) for $1,  half a bottle of some automotive paint treatment for 50 cents, and a 2 liter spray bottle of Fabreeze (fabric deodorizer and freshener) for $2.

    I have no desire for these products, which were cluttering up the place under the kitchen sink, and people who want them now have them. I didn't have to donate them, or take them to a hazardous waste recycling event and pay to have them recycled.

    Win, win, win, ad infinitum, lol.

    Such a good idea! How did it work at your flea market? Did you have to reserve a spot?

    Thanks!  You don't have to reserve a spot. There are about 30  tables set up, and it's first come, first serve. The tables cost $5 each to rent for one day.  Fri, Sat, Sun.

    Have to get there early, like 6 or 7 AM, to make sure you get a table.

    I enjoy it. Social interaction, getting out of the house, and of course, decluttering.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 01, 2020, 12:03:31 PM
    5 used only once vases from here at the office were donated to a local flower shop yesterday.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 01, 2020, 10:06:04 PM
    Late reporting in, but I want "credit" dammit :)

    Before leaving on a road trip, took the haz mat to the haz mat drop off station.  Did not bring home any clutter from the road trip, but I did find a nice sterling silver and amethyst ring to fit one of my fingers perfectly. Also bought some bike parts for repairs after my crash earlier this summer. Local shops are having a hard time keeping things in stock.  I vow to discard the old parts when they are replaced (the old parts are broken beyond repair).

    Pedals replaced; old pedals trashed.  One half of handlebar tape removed and discarded; there is no way I'm keeping 1/2 used handlebar tape, so I'm calling this good!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on October 02, 2020, 01:38:16 PM
    Sold two kids jackets.  Got rid of kids shoes, a puppy toy, a diaper pail, and a kids air mattress on Buy Nothing.

    I have some cloth diapers to sell and I'm stressed out about it - they are in great condition but the site I usually sell on people are kind of crazy.  So glad the kids are finally out of diapers though.  I also am going to give away our remaining disposable diapers left over from daycare.

    I pulled two work bags out of our front hall closet and going through them is my next project.  They have...stuff in them.  Like stuffed to the brim.  Deep breath, I can do this.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on October 04, 2020, 08:22:16 AM
    I have pretty much decided that when I retire in (hopefully) two years, I will move across the country to be closer to family. So, I have been going around the house with the thought of "Do I love this enough to move it?" I will probably be using a U Haul truck, and I know from experience that those fill up faster than you think they will. Plus, just the PIA factor of having to pack it all up.

    Son and I did a big swoop through the basement and garage last month and put a bunch of stuff out on the lawn for free. This was a good way to get rid of small items without having to haul them to the thrift store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 04, 2020, 01:14:44 PM
    Box of stuff out of the house and donated yesterday. Whoo!

    Misc cat stuff donated to the animal shelter. I do not need 2 water fountains when the silly cats prefer the water bowl (or the puddles, toilets, and bathtub). Kept one, in storage. Just in case. Also gave them a litterbox, nearly new, which was just too small for my cats.

    Need to  get the new desk and chair upstairs and assembled today. Not sure if I can get the top of the desk upstairs, so might need to get help from a neighbor. Wish me luck.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 04, 2020, 01:58:59 PM
    More books and a too small dress left the house.

    Our basement is looking better and better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: kaposzta on October 05, 2020, 03:42:24 AM
    After months of procrastination, we decided to open the cupboards and collect all the clothes we don't need any more. We managed to fill a huge bag with them :) In addition, I checked my book shelves and I could find 5 books that I don't need anymore, I'll sell them or give them to my friends.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 05, 2020, 04:55:34 AM
    Today was swapping out winter clothes for the hot weather clothes, so I used this to weed out some of the summer tops I already know I won't wear and donated them. Also 3 more books to the street library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shrimpwd on October 05, 2020, 07:14:06 AM
    One half-height bookshelf left the house yesterday, and another will be gone on Saturday.

    Still working on the totes.

    Gathered another small bag of books. Still need to find where my schedule meets the bookstore hours. Maybe I can find another few books before that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on October 05, 2020, 07:32:46 AM
    I'm going to do the big decluttering challenge (1 item on day 1, 2 on day 2 etc). I've got a head start on 5 items (air fryer, old phone, 3 old cat toys). So I'm on 2 items for October 3rd as of now.

    My 3rd item for October 3rd is a ratty old sheet, then 4 random bottles for October 4th. Several cards and an out of date supplement for October 5th. So far so good!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 05, 2020, 08:40:54 AM
    -I've been listing stuff on Buy Nothing. I've given away quite a bit. I have someone coming to pick up five towels this morning (already out on the porch, for a contactless pickup).
    -Sold a toaster oven we bought to get through a kitchen remodel. It had been listed for awhile, so dropped the price & quickly got an offer. Out of the house & in the hands of someone who needs it.
    -I had to empty our hall closet for my husband to install shelving. Double win, in that he will finally be using the shelving, vs having them strewn about the house. I also found a bunch of stuff to donate (7 towels, 2 blankets).

    I need to organize our food pantry. We have two teen boys, and while I don't think we have a crazy amount of snacks, we do have a few. We don't have a ton of space, and the snacks are strewn about, among the green beans, pasta, canned tomatoes, etc. It's driving me a bit batty.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 05, 2020, 01:49:46 PM
    A productive weekend!

    I put under my bathroom sink random items into a shower caddy I never use.  Was tired of polish remover, baby powder, etc. tipping over.  Out from under the laundry sink a few things were tossed, clothespins went into a clean, empty pickle jar and placed on the shelf where the w/d manual was (I've seen a similar cute idea on HGTV, not that I use clothespins, lol). The manual is now stashed under the sink.  Laundry product refills are now under there as well.  My old 80's Caboodle (yes, I know) was removed, emptied and contents dispersed to the garage, the not junk drawer, or garbage can.   It was given a bath and air dried, and will be used to house jewelry.  Again, no new organizers necessary.    I can now honestly say my house has been gone through down to the last screw and nail.  Oh, one of the items was my old, OLD flip phone which was successfully charged and confirmed there are photos on it that need to be transferred elsewhere.  Milestone birthday party pictures?  Yes, please!

    I'm thinking about donating the iron and over-the-door ironing board as I do not iron and haven't in years.

    After several months, I finally remembered to ask DH to use the air hose to blow out the dust from the air intake of my hair dryer.  Works much better.

    About 7 items were tossed from my bathroom top drawer including a few expired unopened contacts and caps from electric toothbrush heads.

    Winterized the lower deck:  Put away chair cushions and arranged the furniture into a pile so DH could place a tarp over everything.  A neighbor's cat left us a present on one of the cushions, so we (read:  DH) tossed that one.  Gross.  :S
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 05, 2020, 03:12:31 PM
    It's exactly two weeks until I move to my new place. I still have lots of stuff to pack, but w/full time work, busy closing the september books and two sick kids, it's proven a bit difficult. However, day after tomorrow they leave to go to their dad, and work will slow down a bit, so I will have more time and energy.

    I do feel I have a pretty good overview of what needs to happen, I have more boxes in the house than I need, + unlimited no of boxes to pick up easily pick up, should I need it. Also, a lot is packed already. And I have a full day w/o kids the day before the move.

    I have continued to
    a) sort out things that are trash (holey socks...) or give away (nothing to sell as I don't think I have time right now).
    b) put all the stuff exH left behind in a pile for him to pick up. Adding to this all the time. He missed a lot when he packed.
    c) finish food items in pantry or fridge (eat or toss). It is starting to empty out :-). It's lovely to not have anything on the top shelves. Not buying any food before the move unless something really needed for the kids, they will be here for a few days more.

    I need to go through and empty the bigger freezer in the basement so I can defrost it as soon as possible. Plan to start on Wednesday, have to make sure exH takes "his" frozen food before that. Have already eaten a lot from the smaller freezer in the kitchen so there is room to put some things in there.

    I also need to pack things I will bring from the garage (some pots etc for the balcony and some tools) and make sure we dispose of trash. We are leaving some items such as lawn mower and snow blower for the buyers, and also some spades etc, but I WILL NOT accept that we leave any trash for them.

    And I need to make sure we divide kids clothing etc, but this should be pretty quick. They already have some at their dads place.

    One worry I have though is that I need to dig out all my veggies (carrots, leek, parsnip, garlic) before the 15th, and I have to prepare this for the freezer as soon as possible so I can transfer it to my new place, but I won't really have time to cook. I think I will just parboil carrots and parsnip and freeze as is. The garlic I will let dry, the leek just cut up and freeze. Oh I think I have some beetroots as well. Should eat them before the move. Love beetroots and the ones I had this year were really good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 05, 2020, 03:19:10 PM
    Oh, I forgot to say what I really wanted to say :-D :

    I believe I will have a tough couple of weeks with emptying out the house, no doubt about that. BUT there is a difference from my/our previous moves - I have way less stuff. I have been decluttering for several years, and it really shows. Some areas are still "to be done" but some are really good.

    I also see that my exH has so much more stuff than me. He had a hard time packing, and now he is complaining of how hard it is to unpack and how many boxes he has still to unpack. I couldn't keep quiet after he had complained a couple of times, I told him 'there are a lot of boxes because there is a lot of stuff'...

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 05, 2020, 04:04:43 PM
    That's exciting @LinneaH, finally almost there after all that work!

    One suggestion about the carrots, etc - if you have room on your balcony, you could just dig them up without disturbing the dirt and put them in pots.  If there's not enough room for that, just leave them dirty and put them in the fridge or even on the balcony until you have time to deal with them.  Root veggies will stay a long time if they remain cold, although not at the peak of their nutrition, but no worse than what you buy in the store.

    Happy moving!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 06, 2020, 02:45:24 AM
    That's exciting @LinneaH, finally almost there after all that work!

    One suggestion about the carrots, etc - if you have room on your balcony, you could just dig them up without disturbing the dirt and put them in pots.  If there's not enough room for that, just leave them dirty and put them in the fridge or even on the balcony until you have time to deal with them.  Root veggies will stay a long time if they remain cold, although not at the peak of their nutrition, but no worse than what you buy in the store.

    Happy moving!

    Thanks @SunnyDays
    I have absurd amounts of carrots this year, and I think many are too big now, so they will be compost, the rest it's a good idea to do as you suggest. Then I can deal w/them the first few days in the new apartment, some will be eaten raw, some will be added to freezer meal, and some will be parboiled for the freezer.

    Kids are going to exH already tonight, so I will have to pack up some things for them. Will do during the day as I am working from home, all laundry is done, folded and put away so this will be quick.

    I will also fill up a movers box with exH stuff so it can leave the house, and I will sort through freezer with a) keep/use up before move, b) ship to exH c) trash. Is it weird that I am really excited over this?! :-D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shrimpwd on October 06, 2020, 07:22:40 AM
    Surprisingly, a third bookcase left the house before the second one. Still expect the third to go this weekend.

    Also managed to empty one of the totes. Only 6-8 more to go?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 06, 2020, 12:21:07 PM
    I will also fill up a movers box with exH stuff so it can leave the house, and I will sort through freezer with a) keep/use up before move, b) ship to exH c) trash. Is it weird that I am really excited over this?! :-D

    It's not weird to me!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 06, 2020, 04:15:49 PM
    I'm trying to ride the momentum of big council cleanup late July, and then the chemical cleanout in early August. After that a big pile of boxes/bags with items to donate quickly accumulated in the place reserved for such things. This is good, but I didn't get long to enjoy the clean space I'd created.  Instead of filling me with glee every time I looked at it, I just felt depressed at the thought of yet another ginormous load of stuff to remove. I sulked for a week or so, but now have pulled myself together. I have decided to declutter an hour a day, capped at 5 hours a week. Time spent removing the rubbish/decluttered items will be included: hopefully this will help as I often find actually getting stuff of the premises is what is slowing me down.  I'm gunning to go room by room, section by section if necessary and not stop until I've done a complete sweep of the house.

    Just checking in to say I'm still at it. I haven't often managed 5 hours a week but I have made progress every week. So far I've decluttered our second living space which is more or less my study, all except my desk, which was done not so long ago. I will have another go at it later on, but wanted to get to worse areas first.  Also have done my bathroom, and my bedroom and made a start on my front hallway. Along the way I've found other items  that can be removed ...eg donated 2 more bags of clothes and started another.

    Anyone know what to do with 2 dead old mobile phones? They weren't repairable and have personal stuff on them, but I can't start them up to delete it. Do I assume no-one else will be able to retrieve it either and send them to a phone recycling place, or, smash them with a hammer and put in trash?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 07, 2020, 10:40:26 AM
    Updates of late:
    -Organized our pantry. Tossed out a few very small amounts of open snacks that the kids tucked away & never finished.
    -Gave away five bath towels through Buy Nothing
    -Reached out to a neighbor who collects items for a shelter, & am hoping to drop off additional towels & blankets
    -Continue to list items on eBay, daily
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 07, 2020, 11:48:49 AM
    Oh, I forgot to say what I really wanted to say :-D :

    I believe I will have a tough couple of weeks with emptying out the house, no doubt about that. BUT there is a difference from my/our previous moves - I have way less stuff. I have been decluttering for several years, and it really shows. Some areas are still "to be done" but some are really good.

    I also see that my exH has so much more stuff than me. He had a hard time packing, and now he is complaining of how hard it is to unpack and how many boxes he has still to unpack. I couldn't keep quiet after he had complained a couple of times, I told him 'there are a lot of boxes because there is a lot of stuff'...


    Sooo - I finally have time for myself and the packing, and then I get sick... horribly sore throat and some fever. Talk to a doctor through the app, and she prescriped some liquid to rinse mouth/throat to get rid of the pain. I  decided to take a really slow day, working from home, had a nap during lunch hour. Somewhat better tonight, but will go to bed soon to rest. Hope I feel even better tomorrow. I asked my boss if I could take Friday off to pack for the move as I am somewhat stressed from being ill, and she strongly encouraged this. She's the best.

    So today no packing, no physical work, but I am creating a mind map for Friday, for prioritization. I hope I am better by then. And I am decluttering some things in the pantry and fridge, so at least mini-progress.

    Yesterday I was in exH apartment for five minutes. I realise he is still unpacking + painting + working full time, but still... it does give me anxiety. However, it is absolutely ok for the kids to be there and that's all I should worry about. The rest is "Not my circus, not my monkeys".

    I will now eat a popsicle, which is all decluttering I will do tonight :-D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 07, 2020, 11:59:27 AM
    Hope you feel better, @LinneaH ! And agree with your perspective, you can't control how your (ex)husband is handling everything - that will be his own stress. Don't borrow from him. :-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 07, 2020, 04:37:00 PM
    Well done @LinneaH . That separation is hard but necessary.

    Two skeins of yarn out of the house today! Tomorrow I shall mail off 2.5 more skeins. There are an additional 2 skeins listed for sale; hoping to have a buyer soon!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on October 08, 2020, 04:29:43 PM
    I posted a few old cross-stitch magazines on Facebook Marketplace, and the 2 lots sold in a few days - who knew the demand would be that good?  I waited until I had stitched the single pattern I found in all the books that I actually wanted to make!  I know it's small, but feels good to have them out of the house and to some people who are happy for some new patterns to peruse.

    Still have a number of items on FB and eBay that aren't getting any interest.  My plan is to keep them out there, just in case, and then I can donate as soon as I start the house-selling process (which will happen, I just don't know when).

    I'm thinking about donating the iron and over-the-door ironing board as I do not iron and haven't in years.

    Considered the same thing.  But I do use my iron for crafts once in a blue moon - so I decided to keep it for now.  I still have a full-size ironing board and a mini one - I can use the kitchen counter and a towel for a lot of my craft-ironing, but I'll probably keep the full-size board for now as well.  I think I'll make it a point to list the mini one soon and see if I can sell it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on October 09, 2020, 03:31:31 AM
    Again a good week for small sales on Craigslist:
    - Set of 5 children's books - sold and sent
    - 2DVD set - sold, will be sent today
    - 3 outgrown jumpers - sold and sent

    Children are happy too, because every penny earned in these sales will go to our "travel" stash for our (hopefully, when the pandemic is over) trip to China! The children started the "travel" stash 2 years ago and they already managed to sell stuff (outgrown clothing, toys, books and home decoration) for over 2000 euro!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 09, 2020, 09:25:50 PM
    Used up some toiletries that I didn't love but did the job. Now I know not to purchase those items again.

    Put a few shirts in the donation bag, which is full again somehow. I'm packing up the summeriest clothes as fall is slowing arriving here. The items that didn't get worn this summer went into the donations.

    Helped SO declutter a ton of stuff at his house. He's a keeper (not technically a hoarder) and finds it hard to part with things. It takes a ton of mental energy to make the decision to get rid of things, so I like to help. But it wears me out to go through every little thing when I would just steamroller through and trash/recycle 99%. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on October 09, 2020, 11:22:34 PM
    Four horse blankets will be sold tomorrow.  I dragged my feet and finally listed them on a local FB page.  They were snapped up within the hour.  I will be buying one replacement blanket in another size, but that is three down, overall.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 10, 2020, 03:48:59 PM
    A few bags of books and a box of miscellaneous bric a brac went to donations this week. I threw out a pair of sox with multiple holes beyond darning. I went though the TV console and recycled a pile of old magazines.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 10, 2020, 04:20:42 PM
    Put plastic down and shovelled the rocks back in around the air conditioner. The remainder of the rock pile can go bye bye. So, I took pictures of the rock pile, the dirt pile, the extra drywall, the extra door panel. Going to put it all up as free, come get it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 11, 2020, 08:03:40 AM
    -Listed two more items on the Buy Nothing site, and have someone coming today to pick up one the 14 Hot Pockets that my husband bought at Costco. I have no idea why he would buy them (he eats Costco, I'm not a fan). I think the kids must have tried a sample? I can't even get the teen boys to eat them. I'm so happy to have someone actually want to pick them up. Frozen foods are impossible to "donate", so this is a good alternative. Now I won't force myself to eat them.
    -My husband is going to continue putting shelves in the "closet of doom" today. When that's done, I can start putting things back & properly arranging. Fingers crossed, because the items that normally go there are spread throughout our house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 11, 2020, 01:51:21 PM
    - Someone is finally coming by to pick up the air con unit that we have been storing in our basement for 6 months now. I mean, we have plenty of space down there but it's just one less thigg to keep track of.
    - Next up is working out what to do with some manga. Maybe I start putting it up on gumtree and see if there are any nibbles.
    - I bought a bag at the Vinnies and realised after I left the shop that I should have given them the bag I was using at the same time. Now I need to donate or sell that one.

    We are looking at moving to the mountains in 3 years or so and then after that change countries and now I am looking at everything I own through the lens of "can I be bothered packing this, twice?"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on October 13, 2020, 11:43:20 AM
    I listed that table-top ironing board Sunday afternoon, and it was picked up yesterday!  Made a whole $5, but worth it since it's gone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 13, 2020, 11:47:24 AM
    @NotJen - I find that even a very low price creates accountability for people to come & pick up the item. Once it's listed as free, I have much less success getting people to reply.

    I went through all of my eBay postal receipts (they print on the bottom half of the postage). They are now organized & ready for scrap paper usage, as I've never had the need to refer back to one. Ever.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 13, 2020, 01:32:18 PM
    One more book out of the house - Ofpym finally finished reading it so it went back to the street library from whence it came.

    My brain is starting to consider selling things on Gumtree - I don't know if I want to get a FB acct again just for marketplace / buy nothing
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 13, 2020, 02:38:53 PM
    Hope you're feeling better, @LinneaH.

    Lately:
    Long story short, but my grandmother's china was finally mailed to my sister for us to share.  We each received 6 sets of plates, salad plates, saucers, bowls, etc.  It is beautiful.  This meant I cleared out the two shelves I originally had 3+ years ago.  A few things were relocated, several things tossed, and a set of 15+ year old cereal sized bowls from Target will go into the donation pile.  They have served us well, and have no chips on them.

    Yesterday a bag of toiletries, a few beverages, and non-perishable snacks was given to a person in need. <3

    I started decorating for Halloween and noticed there are several things way past their prime.  I'll be sure and toss them instead of storing them for yet another year.

    Cleared out another billion dust mites from the basement in preparation for our annual Halloween party.  I am using things leftover from previous years such as paper products, gift wrap for costume contest and other game prizes, etc.

    Two magazines will be upcycled to my sister this evening.

    Oh, and I've decluttered about 15 pounds so far this year.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 13, 2020, 03:58:14 PM
    @MountainGal - that last one is super impressive! Big congrats.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 13, 2020, 08:55:43 PM
    Finally put my piggy bank from college in the donate pile. My mom got it for me when I was waiting tables and had a lot of coins. I'd periodically cash it out and feel rich for a bit :) About a year ago I took KonMari's advice to put coins in your wallet and *use* them instead of hanging on to them. Plus, I haven't waited tables or gotten paid in cash for years, so no more need for a coin collector on my shelf.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 05:44:26 AM
    Well, this was kind of bitter sweet. Since this pandemic, I have not been going to cash in my deposit soda cans/bottles. Now our local store limits the amount you can bring in and they limit the amount of people in the room where you use the machines that crush the cans. You have to wait and wait to get into the room to use the machines. So our pile has grown and grown to the point of insanity. We had 13 garbage bags worth. I always loved cashing in the bottles and saving the money for my 'retirement'. However, I am leery of exposing myself to too much time where I might catch the virus. So, in our town there is a guy who collects cans and uses the money to help people with fuel oil to heat their houses and uses the money for other charitable reasons. He really does many nice things. So we called him and he picked up our giant pile of cans and that cleared up a large area that they had been taking up. So glad they are gone!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on October 14, 2020, 06:04:49 AM
    Congratulations on finding a win/win solution to your can problem.  I find it's one of the big advantages to being settled in one place that one knows about these sorts of local solutions.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 06:19:57 AM
    Congratulations on finding a win/win solution to your can problem.  I find it's one of the big advantages to being settled in one place that one knows about these sorts of local solutions.

    Yes, good to find a solution. This virus isn't going away any time soon so there is no way I would be able to cash in the cans in a reasonable time frame. Maybe if I am diligent I can take a small bag of cans when I go to the store now and then but not let them build up again!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 14, 2020, 08:04:42 AM
    I keep breaking stuff to the point where it is no longer repairable.  And most of it does not need to be replaced.  So I break it up further and separate the recyclable from the garbage and off it goes. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 14, 2020, 10:43:53 AM
    Glad you found a solution, @Roadrunner53, but that's a lot of soda.  Maybe you should cut down?  Also, you can just step on the cans to crush them - no need for a fancy gizmo.  If you do it as soon as you finish the can, you can keep up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on October 14, 2020, 10:49:27 AM
    I love it, Roadrunner! My parents are doing something similar -- they have a bunch of cans because they haven't returned any since the pandemic started. They're donating them to a local hospice that takes can donations.

    ETA: Sunnydays, if you crush the cans you usually can't get the money back (the machines have to scan the barcode and they can't do that on a crushed can). So, they definitely take up a lot of space before you can bring them back!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 12:38:06 PM
    Glad you found a solution, @Roadrunner53, but that's a lot of soda.  Maybe you should cut down?  Also, you can just step on the cans to crush them - no need for a fancy gizmo.  If you do it as soon as you finish the can, you can keep up.

    I have not returned cans since around February. I only drink one can of diet cola a day. There were some seltzer and tonic bottles too. My husband drinks a lot of bottled water so that is part of it too.

    Yes, as diapasoun said, the cans must be in normal condition to go thru the recycle machines to read the bar code. If it can't read the bar code, it rejects it.

    During the summer months there are other youth groups that collect cans too to help with their organizations.

    Please don't throw out your cans. The money can help so many different organizations. Also, I see homeless people searching the trash cans in parks to find cans to cash in. I am sure soup kitchens might take them too. Years ago my Mom worked with this woman who was a single mother. She really had hard times and we all donated our cans to her for extra money. She was very grateful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 14, 2020, 12:44:29 PM
    Note for any who are confused about the can discussion: in the US, some states allow for a cash refund if you turn in empty cans/bottles for recycling. Not all states do this however.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 12:55:41 PM
    Yes, my state charges 5 cent deposit on each beverage can or bottle. To get your money back you have to go to a grocery store typically and insert each can or bottle one at a time. The machine scans the bar code and adds up the amount of money you will get refunded. Usually you have to go inside the store to get the money. It is a pain in the butt for sure. There should be a faster way. The machines are fussy, fill up and an attendant has to come out and put in an empty box and take out the full one. They get jammed up and the older they get they are a nightmare. They need constant attention. Then on top of that, yellow jackets are drawn to the aroma of the cans. Even when they are rinsed out they still have a bit of a smell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Jim Fiction on October 14, 2020, 01:28:20 PM
    Yes, my state charges 5 cent deposit on each beverage can or bottle. To get your money back you have to go to a grocery store typically and insert each can or bottle one at a time. The machine scans the bar code and adds up the amount of money you will get refunded. Usually you have to go inside the store to get the money. It is a pain in the butt for sure. There should be a faster way. The machines are fussy, fill up and an attendant has to come out and put in an empty box and take out the full one. They get jammed up and the older they get they are a nightmare. They need constant attention. Then on top of that, yellow jackets are drawn to the aroma of the cans. Even when they are rinsed out they still have a bit of a smell.

    I believe you are in CT, no? I'm in CT and for beer cans/bottles, many package stores allow you to drop off your empties and just tell them how many. No machines necessary. When I used to live with my folks they used a redemption center for all of their soda cans and bottles, where you would go in and as long as everything was pre-sorted you could dump them on these large sorting platforms (a different platform for plastics, glass and cans) and the workers would count them for you. I'm sure there are others like it around (unsure which part of the state you live). Below is a list maintained by the state, though no indication of whether or not they are machine-based:

    https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Reduce-Reuse-Recycle/Bottles/Connecticut-Redemption-Centers

    When the pandemic started and redemption centers were closed, we started to put our seltzer cans and bottles in clear plastic bags and leave them out by the street (we live in a city), and they're snatched up almost immediately. Despite redemption centers opening we've continued the practice.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 14, 2020, 01:47:58 PM
    Thank you, @MaybeBabyMustache!

    @Roadrunner53, in the future, can you crush the cans at home via a booted foot?  That's what we used to do.  That way it would save time at the recycle center.  Glad to hear about the big-hearted local guy and his service to the community! :)

    ETA:  Disregard my crush suggestion.  I didn't know that they had to be in good condition.  In our area, they reimburse via weight, not scan.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 02:30:24 PM
    Wish they were by weight. It would be so much easier. Yes, I am in CT but no place I know takes bags of cans and bottles. Maybe if you buy a case of beer from a liquor store they will take it. Most places don't have the ability to take in tons of cans due to space issues.

    https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Reduce-Reuse-Recycle/Bottles/Connecticut-Redemption-Centers

    Jim Fiction, These centers are way far away from where I live. But thanks for the link. Good idea on the clear bags too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 14, 2020, 09:08:55 PM
    @Roadrunner53 what a wonderful contribution you have made to your community!


    Two skeins of yarn out of the house today! Tomorrow I shall mail off 2.5 more skeins. There are an additional 2 skeins listed for sale; hoping to have a buyer soon!

    Those other two skeins are still here and the selling site allows re-listing once a week. It's been longer than that, so I've re-listed. This prompted me to re-list a Craigslist item as well. So maybe this week something will sell!

    Maintenance-related decluttering: biked to the library to pick up my books, but forgot to bring the returns. Opted to make a second trip on the bike to turn in the finished books. I could have easily just kept them around, but have been looking for something to get rid of, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on October 15, 2020, 09:03:47 AM
    @NotJen - I find that even a very low price creates accountability for people to come & pick up the item. Once it's listed as free, I have much less success getting people to reply.

    That makes sense - sounds like my plan to just donate any unsold items will work best.

    This morning I cleared out my glassware cabinet and found a bunch of things to sell.  I skipped over it before because I didn't want to bother with glassware on eBay (not worth the shipping cost and worry about breakage), but I'm hoping some of it will sell on FB.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 15, 2020, 10:28:21 AM
    -Sold a pair of my teen's futsal cleats today & have them packaged & ready for pickup tomorrow.
    -Need to go through the kids socks. Laundry is telling me we have a ton with holes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 15, 2020, 03:21:32 PM
    Those other two skeins are still here and the selling site allows re-listing once a week. It's been longer than that, so I've re-listed. This prompted me to re-list a Craigslist item as well. So maybe this week something will sell!

    The Craigslist item is gone! And the person was a pleasure to deal with.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on October 15, 2020, 10:52:45 PM
    I think this counts: We've had this coffee table that never really fit anywhere in the house we bought 10 years ago, so it has just been sitting in the (finished) basement, serving no real purpose. The basement has been my workspace during covid, putting the unused coffee table in my line of sight way more than before.  I got an idea a while back to take it off the base, cut it in half, and mount it on the wall under the TV.  Tonight I finally took action and it turned out really well. Previously I had the upper piece to a China hutch there, and I was able to repurpose that piece for shelving in the garage. Now I need to figure out something useful to do with the base pieces, but haven't come up with a super idea just yet.

    (https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50492562408_5e20688dc2.jpg)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 15, 2020, 11:54:24 PM
    Very creative, horsepoor!

    I dropped off 3 more bags into the donation bin this morning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 16, 2020, 12:03:19 AM
    Excellent creativity @horsepoor

    Ours is a swings and roundabouts one - we're off to IKEA tomorrow to buy replacement end tables that are also shoe racks and a shoerack/hatstand combo that will clear out three distinct deadzone/clutterspots. The tables that we are replacing will go out into hard-rubbish, which is where they originally came from. Mostly I just want to solve the recurring floor storage problem, caused by having no clear and easily accessible place for shoes and bags to go by the entrance, which means they end up being scattered all over. The other IKEA purchase is some lidded containers to put into the chest freezer so it becomes more functional. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 16, 2020, 01:38:16 PM
    Haven't been selling stuff as easily at the flea market lately. I think its because  all the sellable clutter has been sold. I saw a nice little antiquey end table at the curb with a free sign on it yesterday. I had the idea that I 'ought to' take it with me to the flea market next time to have something nice to sell.

    Thought better about it, and let someone else snap up that end table. One less thing for me to worry about, lol.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on October 16, 2020, 02:04:16 PM
    I found a place that does textile recycling, so I was able to recycle a bag full of clothes that had stains or were otherwise un-donatable, and also a cat scratched couch cover.

    I did another round of Buy Nothing giveaways, and will do one more this weekend.

    I also listed a round of books on Paperback Swap, which is a pretty awesome service.  You send out books and that gets you credits to redeem for books listed on the site.  You pay postage when you send (media mail) and the sender pays it when you receive.  I have a referral link if anyone is interested.  90% of the books I have listed were on someone's wish list, and it feels great to send stuff out to people who are looking for that item.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 16, 2020, 02:26:40 PM
    Haven't been selling stuff as easily at the flea market lately. I think its because  all the sellable clutter has been sold. I saw a nice little antiquey end table at the curb with a free sign on it yesterday. I had the idea that I 'ought to' take it with me to the flea market next time to have something nice to sell.

    Thought better about it, and let someone else snap up that end table. One less thing for me to worry about, lol.   

    Well done avoiding that urge!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 16, 2020, 02:59:00 PM
    Thought better about it, and let someone else snap up that end table. One less thing for me to worry about, lol.   

    That's a great choice 👍

    You all are doing great! I love you to read your updates.

    I wish I had more time and energy to write. It is now Friday evening where I am, and I'm in bed. Monday is my moving day. I am a mix between fully stressed out and believing I am OK. Kids are with me until noon tomorrow and we will pull out the last carrots and leeks. It's a good way to say goodbye.
    After that it's full speed again. Sunday I have my sister over. She's the best, very organized and very helpful. A lot is already packed.

    ExH has some small stuff to pick up tomorrow. He also has a couple of bulkier items. NOT my circus, not my monkeys... I need to stay strong on this.


    I think my main scare is that I will completly forget to do something I need to do, but honestly it will be OK. It really will.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 16, 2020, 03:12:50 PM
    Yes, it will be ok. You are a strong, resourceful woman who can handle it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: malachite on October 16, 2020, 04:01:16 PM
    This thread was just the kick I needed to start cleaning up my own clutter.  This week's effort was pretty low-hanging fruit.

    In college I never resold any of my textbooks because as bad as paying $100+/book was, I refused to pay 80% of that to effectively 'rent' them for a semester before selling them back. (Evidently I had not yet learned about sunk cost fallacies.) The net result, 15 years later I still had EVERY SINGLE BOOK sitting in a corner of my crawlspace.

    There are 5-10 that I have actually used in the intervening years.  These I kept, but the rest are now either on there way to the the library booksale or the recyclers (or potentially the recyclers via the library booksale:). 

    Also: @horsepoor, that table idea is genius.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 16, 2020, 04:55:40 PM
    Dropped off an armload of books to a Little Library on my way to work. This one is usually pretty empty. My pile filled it to about halfway!

    Mailed another finished book to a friend, reusing an Amazon mailer, reusing ribbon, and tucking in a card I made from cardboard scraps, a soap wrapper, and the front of another card I cut up. I tucked in a teabag for a little self-care package. I used stamps I was given, so the whole thing only cost the price of the book that I originally bought for myself.

    Mailed a little package of craft materials to SO's daughter who enjoys getting mail and crafting.

    Had to run an errand near the grocery store, but didn't need groceries. Took a bag of recyclable plastic bags to their drop off while I was nearby.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 16, 2020, 09:14:20 PM
    Previous post was from yesterday and got hung up somehow.

    Today, finally dropped off two bags at Goodwill that have been in the trunk for two weeks. Put some art supplies in the little library near by.

    Got the recycling I bring home from work straight into the bin, no stopovers in the garage. The bags get emptied into the bin and put right back in the car to return to work to be filled again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 17, 2020, 04:05:32 AM
    This thread was just the kick I needed to start cleaning up my own clutter.  This week's effort was pretty low-hanging fruit.

    In college I never resold any of my textbooks because as bad as paying $100+/book was, I refused to pay 80% of that to effectively 'rent' them for a semester before selling them back. (Evidently I had not yet learned about sunk cost fallacies.) The net result, 15 years later I still had EVERY SINGLE BOOK sitting in a corner of my crawlspace.

    There are 5-10 that I have actually used in the intervening years.  These I kept, but the rest are now either on there way to the the library booksale or the recyclers (or potentially the recyclers via the library booksale:). 

    Also: @horsepoor, that table idea is genius.

    This might be too late to mention about the books, but there are sellers on Etsy that make womens 'purses' out of book covers. One time I ran across this person doing that and noticed a particular book that I thought was interesting as a purse. I just so happened months later to go to buy some stuff from a Craigslist person and she had a whole set of these books. It was a whole series of adventure books. I had kind of forgotten about the Etsy purse at that point. I had some other intention for the books but after a while, it just didn't pan out so now I was stuck with a whole collection of these old books. My wheels got spinning and I decided to contact the person on Etsy to see if they might be interested in buying the books to make more purses. She had me take some picture and we haggled just a little. She bought all of them for maybe $25 (about 15 books). I had picked up the whole box for about $3. Win, win, win! Made money, got rid of clutter, buyer happy!

    This is not the seller I sold to but here is an example of what I am talking about: https://www.etsy.com/listing/62680810/grays-anatomy-book-purse-medical-field?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=purse+book&ref=sr_gallery-1-17&organic_search_click=1&cns=1&variation1=566744613
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 17, 2020, 04:55:42 AM
    As knock on from replacing the not very functional furniture today, we put out two end tables and a shelf into hard rubbish (oak shelves already taken) along with a box of wine and whisky glasses since I don't drink anymore, a pile of cds, and a couple of backpacks.

    I also used a piece of cotton duck cloth and two bulldog clips from a junk drawer to block the sun that was bleaching our coats. Corners are starting to get clearer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 17, 2020, 07:18:52 AM
    This thread was just the kick I needed to start cleaning up my own clutter.  This week's effort was pretty low-hanging fruit.

    In college I never resold any of my textbooks because as bad as paying $100+/book was, I refused to pay 80% of that to effectively 'rent' them for a semester before selling them back. (Evidently I had not yet learned about sunk cost fallacies.) The net result, 15 years later I still had EVERY SINGLE BOOK sitting in a corner of my crawlspace.

    There are 5-10 that I have actually used in the intervening years.  These I kept, but the rest are now either on there way to the the library booksale or the recyclers (or potentially the recyclers via the library booksale:). 

    Also: @horsepoor, that table idea is genius.

    This might be too late to mention about the books, but there are sellers on Etsy that make womens 'purses' out of book covers. One time I ran across this person doing that and noticed a particular book that I thought was interesting as a purse. I just so happened months later to go to buy some stuff from a Craigslist person and she had a whole set of these books. It was a whole series of adventure books. I had kind of forgotten about the Etsy purse at that point. I had some other intention for the books but after a while, it just didn't pan out so now I was stuck with a whole collection of these old books. My wheels got spinning and I decided to contact the person on Etsy to see if they might be interested in buying the books to make more purses. She had me take some picture and we haggled just a little. She bought all of them for maybe $25 (about 15 books). I had picked up the whole box for about $3. Win, win, win! Made money, got rid of clutter, buyer happy!

    This is not the seller I sold to but here is an example of what I am talking about: https://www.etsy.com/listing/62680810/grays-anatomy-book-purse-medical-field?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=purse+book&ref=sr_gallery-1-17&organic_search_click=1&cns=1&variation1=566744613

    I held onto a bunch of old textbooks and technical manuals, but I just checked, and they are all either soft cover books, or 3 ring binders full of many pages. I would think the purses makers are using hardback books, no?   

    Once in a while I make myself dump the contents of a 3-ring binder full of technical lingo into the recycling bin.  But I keep the rest, hoping for some market for this stuff to appear, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on October 17, 2020, 01:37:52 PM
    I have about 8 things listed on Marketplace and 4 on Craigslist, so we shall see if anyone bites. 

    I've been doing better about not buying toiletries lately.  Or clothes.  Now that I've removed my card from Amazon I'm really not buying much at all. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 17, 2020, 04:50:03 PM
    This thread was just the kick I needed to start cleaning up my own clutter.  This week's effort was pretty low-hanging fruit.

    In college I never resold any of my textbooks because as bad as paying $100+/book was, I refused to pay 80% of that to effectively 'rent' them for a semester before selling them back. (Evidently I had not yet learned about sunk cost fallacies.) The net result, 15 years later I still had EVERY SINGLE BOOK sitting in a corner of my crawlspace.

    There are 5-10 that I have actually used in the intervening years.  These I kept, but the rest are now either on there way to the the library booksale or the recyclers (or potentially the recyclers via the library booksale:). 

    Also: @horsepoor, that table idea is genius.

    This might be too late to mention about the books, but there are sellers on Etsy that make womens 'purses' out of book covers. One time I ran across this person doing that and noticed a particular book that I thought was interesting as a purse. I just so happened months later to go to buy some stuff from a Craigslist person and she had a whole set of these books. It was a whole series of adventure books. I had kind of forgotten about the Etsy purse at that point. I had some other intention for the books but after a while, it just didn't pan out so now I was stuck with a whole collection of these old books. My wheels got spinning and I decided to contact the person on Etsy to see if they might be interested in buying the books to make more purses. She had me take some picture and we haggled just a little. She bought all of them for maybe $25 (about 15 books). I had picked up the whole box for about $3. Win, win, win! Made money, got rid of clutter, buyer happy!

    This is not the seller I sold to but here is an example of what I am talking about: https://www.etsy.com/listing/62680810/grays-anatomy-book-purse-medical-field?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=purse+book&ref=sr_gallery-1-17&organic_search_click=1&cns=1&variation1=566744613

    I held onto a bunch of old textbooks and technical manuals, but I just checked, and they are all either soft cover books, or 3 ring binders full of many pages. I would think the purses makers are using hardback books, no?   

    Once in a while I make myself dump the contents of a 3-ring binder full of technical lingo into the recycling bin.  But I keep the rest, hoping for some market for this stuff to appear, lol.

    Depending on the topic, old textbooks are pretty much useless. Accounting? Nope. Standards have changed. Sciences? Depends, but a lot of those get outdated. Law? The intro ones might be ok, but otherwise they're expensive paperweights. A good indication is if you can sell it back to one of the textbook websites. If they won't take it, recycle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 17, 2020, 05:00:45 PM
    Lots of progress this weekend:
    -Cleaned kids socks & underwear drawers - plenty to toss, & a few things to donate
    -Went through our Halloween tub. Set out outgrown costumes with a free sign, saved a few things to sell
    -Found three unopened items in the dressers (games, shin guard sleeves, etc) to sell or donate
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 18, 2020, 09:00:34 AM
    I have about 8 things listed on Marketplace and 4 on Craigslist, so we shall see if anyone bites. 

    I've been doing better about not buying toiletries lately.  Or clothes.  Now that I've removed my card from Amazon I'm really not buying much at all.
    [/b]

    That's the best kind of decluttering - impressive!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on October 18, 2020, 01:41:24 PM
    So, during the pandemic I found a FB group that focuses on the exact kind of decor style that I love. Good news/bad news is that it did lift my spirits and inspire me to do some things around my house, but it also inspired me to buy a bunch of stuff that I didn't really need. I don't 100% regret it, because I really did need a creative outlet during those dark days, but now I have to buckle down and start getting rid of stuff again. The minimum of one item/day has worked well for me in the past, so I think I will start with that. Today I put a pile of books that I was trying to sell into the give away box. To make it really count I will find one more book to go along with it.

    Two steps forward and one step back. Story of my life.

    I did pass on a few things to my son when he got his own place this summer, but most of it was his anyway.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 18, 2020, 04:09:56 PM
    SO and I decided to go a different way on some holiday gift items, so I immediately took the ones I'd already purchased back to the store for a refund. I still had my receipt and got full price back. One of the items wasn't with me at the time, so I will still need to make time to take it back. Posting here to make myself accountable.

    Took a bag of recyclable plastic packaging with me and dropped it off on my way in. Did not even go to the store proper--recycling bins, customer service, then out.

    Unpacked bins of winter clothing and found a couple of times I was iffy about last year to put in the donate pile. Crazy how I always seem to have one, even a few days after I drop off a load.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 18, 2020, 04:21:23 PM
    -Went through our Halloween tub, and found a bunch of too small costumes. Put a free box out on our driveway, so hopefully neighbors can find something for their kids.
    -Found a few costumes to try & sell

    Now, we'll have just a few favorite decor items to keep for future holidays.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 19, 2020, 09:04:16 AM
    Old office chair with broken wheel that I have tried to fix three times unsuccessfully - now gone.  Only last three minutes on the sidewalk.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 19, 2020, 11:00:01 AM
    I work from my 14 year old's room during the day, so his room gets decluttered often during calls when I"m just listening it. For today, found two shirts to donate or sell, and that organized all content in his dresser. That won't last (he's not exactly tidy while selecting an outfit), but all is well organized & it's easy to see what he has, which is a win.

    Listed another item on eBay, sold a jacket I've never worn (out on the porch, waiting for mail person). Another package of 12 maps (picked up on a freebie table for resale) sold in a few days, & also packaged up, ready for the post person.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 19, 2020, 12:41:05 PM
    So, today was moving day for me. Moving went really well, the guys were very efficient, and also very nice, both polite and funny. Also, I had cleaners from the same company, and they were really good and nice as well. I was a bit late vs my planning, but I made lot of progress yesterday, which meant moving went really quick, 3 hours loading from the house, going to the storage unit and loading, and the unloading at my apartment. Short distances to drive but still. When I was complaining of 'I have too many boxes', movers said I had very little stuff :-) They did not think they could fit all in one go as they had a small truck, but they did.

    Then I had to clean out some things in the garden and the garage and go to the dump, as exH was "having a fever" so he could not do his part... Well, I am not surprised so I am not too angry, I just pushed on to get it done, and I managed. I do believe he has a slight fever BUT as my lovely neighbour said "well, if you had a fever, you'd be here anyway to get it done".

    However, it was aftyer 7 pm before I was in the apartment and I am really tired and sore so I just made the bed (I had prepared so I didn't have to search for sheets etc) and ate a bit. No further unpacking today. Will shower and go to bed at 9pm :-D.

    I am off work tomorrow as well and will start unpacking. Also, I need to get rid of stuff :-D . Guess I am in the right place then in this thread :-D.


    Also, even though my apartment is a total mess, I am very, very happy :-D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 19, 2020, 12:58:32 PM
    Yay, @LinneaH, it’s done!  Now you can take your time in getting properly settled.  Hope you’re happy there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 19, 2020, 01:46:31 PM
    Congrats @LinneaH ! Awesome progress towards your new future
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 19, 2020, 01:48:51 PM
    Excellent stuff @LinneaH and congratulations on the new apartment that you will get to make just right for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on October 19, 2020, 02:15:31 PM
    Yay LinneaH! So much hard work, so much badassity.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 19, 2020, 07:46:38 PM
    Yay, you did it!  Onward!

    Then I had to clean out some things in the garden and the garage and go to the dump, as exH was "having a fever" so he could not do his part... Well, I am not surprised so I am not too angry, I just pushed on to get it done, and I managed. I do believe he has a slight fever BUT as my lovely neighbour said "well, if you had a fever, you'd be here anyway to get it done".

    As your neighbor pointed out, your ex is showing his quality.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on October 20, 2020, 07:06:00 AM
    Quote
    Also, even though my apartment is a total mess, I am very, very happy :-D

    Yay!!

    Got rid of an old pot that has had no handle for a very long time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 21, 2020, 01:43:06 PM
    Those other two skeins are still here and the selling site allows re-listing once a week. It's been longer than that, so I've re-listed. This prompted me to re-list a Craigslist item as well. So maybe this week something will sell!

    The Craigslist item is gone! And the person was a pleasure to deal with.

    Got an inquiry on one of the remaining skeins of yarn, hopefully it will sell soon. The buyer does not seem as motivated as the previous buyer, so we'll see.

    Yesterday took old modem #1 to the shipping store. Had to stand outside in the blazing sun (last heat wave of the year, most likely), felt like the sun was going to ignore my clothing by the end. But it was fine, because that was required to keep the number of customers in the store down, which feels safe in this pandemic. I complimented the clerk when it was my turn on the good job he and his associates were doing to abide by those rules. He said that he's had customers get very upset, including nurses!!! Was glad to be able to let him know that there are those who feel differently.

    Took old modem #2 to the Internet store to switch it out for one that works better. The clerk there told me that his spirit animal is Deadpool, lol!

    After that, I was left with various cables that neither company wanted back, and those are in the donation box. Should be no more mucking about with modems until next Spring, when the lease is up. Yay!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 22, 2020, 10:27:25 AM
    I am unpacking and have given away some "moving boxes" (what's the right wording in English? Those are the proper sturdy ones from a moving company). People are happy to get them for free, I could maybe get a dollar per box, but rather people just take them so they disappear from my apartment. I'm hoping that if I give them away every person will take few more :-).

    Also, I put up a give away ad for a bathroom cupboard and a shelf for hanging clothes in the hallway. I had to take them down before painting the walls, they are not bad, just boring and not at all what I want. So I decided they will not come up again, I can wait to put something until I find what I want.

    And now, I will go back to unpacking some more boxes. I haven't really had much time, but tonight is better so I hope to make some serious progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 22, 2020, 10:28:12 AM
    Also, you all, thanks for the cheering etc!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on October 22, 2020, 11:30:41 AM
    Moving boxes is exactly right.  I'm so excited about your future and enjoy reading your updates.  How are the kids doing in the new space?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on October 22, 2020, 01:17:06 PM
    I am unpacking and have given away some "moving boxes" (what's the right wording in English? Those are the proper sturdy ones from a moving company). People are happy to get them for free, I could maybe get a dollar per box, but rather people just take them so they disappear from my apartment. I'm hoping that if I give them away every person will take few more :-).

    Around here, people just post "must take all" when they want to get rid of a large pile, it's a group of similar items, or some items are highly desirable and others not as much.  Then the person who gets them takes what they want and repost.  You might try that.  :)

    At the risk of being kicked out of this group, might I also suggest that if you have kids, save some of the big ones though for them to play in.  They are great "toys" even up through tween years in my experience.  Also - save any picture frame boxes as those are gold.  We've been resusing the ones from my folks last move for 15-20 years.  And save some of the big brown paper pads, as those are fabulous for re-use as well (draw a city with roads for little kids, wrap item, etc.).  But absolutely, pass on standard boxes as fast as possible to clear out the space and settle in.  Not worth reselling (new they are $1-2) unless you have expensive specialty boxes like wardrobe boxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on October 23, 2020, 01:28:07 PM
    I have a combination craft room/home office.  It has ample storage for craft supplies and yet that area was overflowing.  Crafts are an area of "aspirational clutter" for me - I do some crafts but I aspire to craft more than my actual time and energy constraints allow, and so I tend to pile up craft supplies with good intentions.  I've all but stopped buying craft supplies (the rule is I can only buy it if it completes something I already have most of the materials for), but I hadn't cleared out the backlog of "probably not going to happen" projects.

    So I pulled everything out the other day and sorted.  Kept half a bin of yarn.  Half a bin of fabric.  Made a space for "projects in progress" so I always know where to look when I want to work on something.  Sorted things by type and put them back in the storage space in a more logical order.  Left a few areas empty for kid craft supplies, since those are currently being stored in another overflowing storage area that is less than ideal.

    When I was done, I had a big pile of fabric, yarn, and sewing patterns to give away.  I did so via Buy Nothing even though it was more work than just bringing it to the local craft resale store.  It was nice to give stuff to people who had a right away use for my stashed item that was unlikely to be used.

    One big project that I am proud of is I organized and cataloged my knitting needles using ravelry's online database.  I have more duplicates than I need because I sometimes would buy a new needle if I wasn't sure I had that one at home, or if I couldn't find it.  Now I have a list of everything I have I can pull up on my phone, which should definitely save me money and hassle.

    Anyway, I feel quite accomplished, even though the actual process of reckoning with my past overbuying brought up some shame and frustration with myself.  Decluttering sometimes feels like learning the same lesson lots of different ways - buy less stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on October 24, 2020, 08:17:30 AM
    Did another pass at the entryway closet this morning.  I've previously cleaned/organized/decluttered this closet a couple times before, but I still found 13 items that no longer live in there.  Two got moved to new places and the rest got given away.  I also have a small "ask spouse" pile for her to go through.

    I find decluttering storage spaces to have great "bang for your buck" because then there are places to put other things away!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 24, 2020, 08:53:52 AM
    I went through other child's dresser, and cleaned out & organized a bunch of stuff. Found a few things to sell (new shinguard sleeves, x2)  & a bunch to donate. It's so much easier to see what he has. I also need to remember that they just wear so many fewer items these days. They have a few top shirts & shorts, and rotate through those. Everyone is also growing like a weed, so best not to invest in too much in any one size.

    As for today, we need to re-organize & shuffle around our formal living room (it's really a poorly designed space to start with), as we purchased an elliptical machine. I work out a lot, and need an indoor option sometimes. The furniture needs to be moved around, & I'm hoping to get rid of a giant cabinet. It's my husband's, so let's see what he says about that.

    I sold a sweater I never wear on eBay, so will get that packaged & mailed out today as well. Junk out, money in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 25, 2020, 01:45:37 AM
    Moving boxes is exactly right.  I'm so excited about your future and enjoy reading your updates.  How are the kids doing in the new space?

    Thanks!
    They are absolutely doing well. We have had some very rainy days, so mostly staying indoors, and not everything is unpacked, but they are fine. Today we are getting a large soft rug for their 'play/gaming-room', one they have choosen themselves (and agreed on :-) and it looks nice), and they are also very happy w/having a sofa in there. It does make it more of a 'bigger kids' room, they are 9 and almost 8 and are going from playing w/cars etc to playing Xbox etc with each other and when they have friends over. I think we will be able to reduce the amount of small crap in there pretty soon :-).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 25, 2020, 02:10:44 AM
    I am unpacking and have given away some "moving boxes" (what's the right wording in English? Those are the proper sturdy ones from a moving company). People are happy to get them for free, I could maybe get a dollar per box, but rather people just take them so they disappear from my apartment. I'm hoping that if I give them away every person will take few more :-).

    Around here, people just post "must take all" when they want to get rid of a large pile, it's a group of similar items, or some items are highly desirable and others not as much.  Then the person who gets them takes what they want and repost.  You might try that.  :)

    At the risk of being kicked out of this group, might I also suggest that if you have kids, save some of the big ones though for them to play in.  They are great "toys" even up through tween years in my experience.  Also - save any picture frame boxes as those are gold.  We've been resusing the ones from my folks last move for 15-20 years.  And save some of the big brown paper pads, as those are fabulous for re-use as well (draw a city with roads for little kids, wrap item, etc.).  But absolutely, pass on standard boxes as fast as possible to clear out the space and settle in.  Not worth reselling (new they are $1-2) unless you have expensive specialty boxes like wardrobe boxes.

    I have now given away 25 moving boxes! So happy to have them out, it makes it much easier to continue unpacking.
    Yes 'must take all' is what I normally use w/something like this, I put it up on local Facebook group as give away, with that condition.
    I was contacted by a very young Polish couple who were extremely nice and v. thankful. They were so happy and couldn't believe I didn't want any money (they got 10 boxes as it was all I had that day). I got the impression they did not have that much money so I am very happy I could help them w/this - that is the best payment I could get. And getting the bulky boxes out of course.

    I don't have any non-standard boxes, but I agree with you @Captain FIRE I will keep a couple for the kids to play with, but that will be later on when more stuff is packed away.  I still have some boxes to unpack... And I will keep some of the big sheet wrapping paper, I did not think about it for drawing, but that is really good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on October 25, 2020, 02:21:05 AM
    About moving boxes:
    I had the comment from a colleague: 'Remember to keep boxes to keep stuff in your storage!'. Not sure about other countries, but in Sweden, when you live in an apartment, you normally have a storage unit in the attic or basement of the building, you put your own padlock on it. I have a very nice, clean and light storage unit where I live now, larger than I need, but for now it is good to have and it is messy as I sort out things.

    However, when fully settled, I do not plan to keep boxes of stuff there... I have one box for Christmas and Easter decorations, that one can go there. Then I will have items like a suitcase, some bulkier outdoor items when not in season, a couple of extra chairs, lots of outdoor and seedling pots in the winter and my summer/winter car tires. I expect this will fit w/o any problems, there are also some shelves in there so good for keeping order. But I do not want to have boxes of stuff... Of course I will own things like some bigger size kids clothing, some winter clothing, my sewing machine and fabric, but I fully expect this to fit in the storage inside the apartment. I am lucky enough to have tons of built in storage in the apartment so I will not need a lot of 'storage furniture', I think this type will mainly be needed in the kids room for Lego etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on October 25, 2020, 07:23:23 AM
    About moving boxes:
    I had the comment from a colleague: 'Remember to keep boxes to keep stuff in your storage!'. Not sure about other countries, but in Sweden, when you live in an apartment, you normally have a storage unit in the attic or basement of the building, you put your own padlock on it. I have a very nice, clean and light storage unit where I live now, larger than I need, but for now it is good to have and it is messy as I sort out things.

    However, when fully settled, I do not plan to keep boxes of stuff there... I have one box for Christmas and Easter decorations, that one can go there. Then I will have items like a suitcase, some bulkier outdoor items when not in season, a couple of extra chairs, lots of outdoor and seedling pots in the winter and my summer/winter car tires. I expect this will fit w/o any problems, there are also some shelves in there so good for keeping order. But I do not want to have boxes of stuff... Of course I will own things like some bigger size kids clothing, some winter clothing, my sewing machine and fabric, but I fully expect this to fit in the storage inside the apartment. I am lucky enough to have tons of built in storage in the apartment so I will not need a lot of 'storage furniture', I think this type will mainly be needed in the kids room for Lego etc.

    My storage mostly contains of empty moving boxes as well as boxes for my kitchen ware. I have moved a lot during the years and have never got rid of the boxes as I have space in storage. I also have a suitcase, some carpets, paintcans and sometimes sport equipment there. So while my neighbours always seems to store a lot of crap in their storage my cointains mainly of empty boxes. This allows me to pack my stuff in less than 24 hours when it is time to move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 25, 2020, 07:30:07 AM
    @LinneaH - the storage is a great idea. We similarly keep bulky things in our storage area (it's our attic). We have one box of Christmas stuff, skis for 4 people, etc. Our suitcases fit in our hall closet. We do know plenty of people who have a storage unit, but we don't need/want that.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on October 25, 2020, 09:42:23 AM

    I was contacted by a very young Polish couple who were extremely nice and v. thankful. They were so happy and couldn't believe I didn't want any money (they got 10 boxes as it was all I had that day). I got the impression they did not have that much money so I am very happy I could help them w/this - that is the best payment I could get. And getting the bulky boxes out of course.


    After I moved, I also gave away all my moving boxes.  I don't know for sure, but I got the inkling that the woman I gave them to may have been trying to move very quickly - maybe a domestic violence situation?  No matter what the reason, I was happy to be able to make her move easier and cheaper.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 25, 2020, 11:20:19 AM
    When I moved in 3 years ago, I kept some of the boxes and put them in the back of the closet. My sister was here a few weeks ago, and she just moved yesterday. I sent her home with all those boxes. Still need to rearrange the closet where they were, but honestly, that closet is a mess anyway because of a house project so I'm just leaving it for now.

    Had a woman come by today for the rock pile in the backyard. It will be nice not to have to shovel snow around it this winter. Need to go sweep up the dirt on the concrete. Also had someone take a good chunk of the dirt pile, so that's under control sufficiently for winter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 25, 2020, 08:01:58 PM
    I never keep moving boxes anymore. I used to, but there are so many boxes available out there on Buy Nothing Groups, Next-door, etc, beside the usual liquor store and grocery store options. (Wouldn't work for an emergency move, though.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 26, 2020, 12:20:51 PM
    I never keep moving boxes anymore. I used to, but there are so many boxes available out there on Buy Nothing Groups, Next-door, etc, beside the usual liquor store and grocery store options. (Wouldn't work for an emergency move, though.)

    I just fold them up flat and keep them for future use. I have a bunch of them pushed against a wall in the basement. Very efficient. Doesn't take up much space at all.

    On the other hand, yes, I have recycled a bunch of huge boxes that appliances came in. 
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 26, 2020, 05:13:22 PM
    I never keep moving boxes anymore. I used to, but there are so many boxes available out there on Buy Nothing Groups, Next-door, etc, beside the usual liquor store and grocery store options. (Wouldn't work for an emergency move, though.)

    The Craig giveth and the Craig taketh away :)

    Where I currently live, it's easy to scavenge discarded, clean boxes from the 6 dumpster-sized recycle bins pretty much any weekend. I am grateful for this, as the apartment has very limited storage space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 27, 2020, 08:31:21 PM
    Got a new clothing item in the mail. Once I made sure it fit, I wrapped up the one that didn't but I'd been making work for a while, and mailed it off to a specialized charity. No keeping it for just in case. I have exactly the number I need now and that drawer is just full, not stuffed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 27, 2020, 08:35:38 PM
    I never keep moving boxes anymore. I used to, but there are so many boxes available out there on Buy Nothing Groups, Next-door, etc, beside the usual liquor store and grocery store options. (Wouldn't work for an emergency move, though.)

    The Craig giveth and the Craig taketh away :)

    Where I currently live, it's easy to scavenge discarded, clean boxes from the 6 dumpster-sized recycle bins pretty much any weekend. I am grateful for this, as the apartment has very limited storage space.

    I don't like to have them hanging around. Like you said, when I need them, they're easy to get. Two days ago I got an internet order in two giant boxes with *SIX* smaller boxes inside each one. Then a large Amazon shipping box blew into my driveway on a very windy day. So boxes are literally being delivered to me, I don't need to keep any! :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 28, 2020, 03:30:06 PM
    Some good decluttering work is going on, well done everyone.

    I'm still at it. The last couple of weeks I have been through a couple of rooms, but the volume of discards has decreased: I still have just 2 boxes to donate that I am slowly filling. Previously I have collected a car load in a short space of time.  I think I'm winning :).

    This week I rid myself of a life time collection of buttons. You know, the spare buttons you get when you buy a garment. Mother always said to never through away buttons because its good to have spares. She sewed, I don't. I can't remember when I used one of those spare buttons. I felt naughty but victorious when I let them go!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 28, 2020, 05:07:49 PM
    We have cleared up two corners of our bedroom - I got rid of a clothes rail that wasn't working to control the floordrobe and Ofpym simplified how many basses he had out so now it's feeling so much clearer.

    The new coffee tavle/shoeracks are really helping to prevent the piles of shoes all over the living room so there are two long term irritants resolved.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 28, 2020, 05:13:42 PM
    I've actually been selling a bit more on eBay, so I've gotten a few things out of the house. A couple of makeup samples & an ugly holiday sweater. Junk out, money in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 28, 2020, 06:43:08 PM
    Threw out an old, beat up phone case that I took off the old, beat up phone with the now loose power port.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on October 28, 2020, 06:59:01 PM

    This week I rid myself of a life time collection of buttons. You know, the spare buttons you get when you buy a garment. Mother always said to never through away buttons because its good to have spares. She sewed, I don't. I can't remember when I used one of those spare buttons. I felt naughty but victorious when I let them go!

    I thought if you got rid of those buttons, you didn't get to go to heaven! Lol! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 28, 2020, 07:24:22 PM

    This week I rid myself of a life time collection of buttons. You know, the spare buttons you get when you buy a garment. Mother always said to never through away buttons because its good to have spares. She sewed, I don't. I can't remember when I used one of those spare buttons. I felt naughty but victorious when I let them go!

    I thought if you got rid of those buttons, you didn't get to go to heaven! Lol!

    Bugger.. too late now they're gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 29, 2020, 08:29:50 AM
    Put 5 more items on Craigslist. Hopeful.

    Tidying up here and there, moving stuff around to take up less space.

    Found an unusual piece of furniture under other clutter. A small coffee table with a 2-drawer cabinet mounted to one half of it.  Maybe I'll put it out front with a free sign.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 29, 2020, 08:40:50 AM
    Posting to note an item that you *don't* want to get rid of:  some old towels.  I had a mini-flood in my kitchen this week, and of course the first thing I reached for was 2 old towels I had on hand.  So please learn from my experience.

    I know this thread is about decluttering, but we all have those messy emergencies where a few old towels or rags really comes in handy. 
    Minimalism is good, practicality is better.    Pardon the interruption, please continue decluttering!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 29, 2020, 11:18:44 AM
    Posting to note an item that you *don't* want to get rid of:  some old towels.  I had a mini-flood in my kitchen this week, and of course the first thing I reached for was 2 old towels I had on hand.  So please learn from my experience.

    I know this thread is about decluttering, but we all have those messy emergencies where a few old towels or rags really comes in handy. 
    Minimalism is good, practicality is better.    Pardon the interruption, please continue decluttering!

    So true.  I actually brought home 2 ratty hand towels I found at a relative's place because I'm forever washing floors with 3 pets.  I have 2 kinds of wet mops, but these are just easier.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 29, 2020, 10:57:53 PM
    Posting to note an item that you *don't* want to get rid of:  some old towels.  I had a mini-flood in my kitchen this week, and of course the first thing I reached for was 2 old towels I had on hand.  So please learn from my experience.

    I know this thread is about decluttering, but we all have those messy emergencies where a few old towels or rags really comes in handy. 
    Minimalism is good, practicality is better.    Pardon the interruption, please continue decluttering!

    Agree! I have a stack of old towels and some cloth nappies from my kids ( ie25 years old) in a some open shelving in my hallway. So handy for 3 dogs and general messes. I am NOT decluttering them, but at some point I want them out of the hallway..I'm trying to find a vacant spot somewhere that is equally accessible.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 30, 2020, 05:16:15 AM
    Rainy day here. While looking through all the coats and slickers hanging on the wall by the front
    door, I came across two coats that were dirty but cleanable, then saw that they both had big tears
    in them. Tossed em both!  Coat rack less packed now. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 30, 2020, 03:09:24 PM
    Posting to note an item that you *don't* want to get rid of:  some old towels.  I had a mini-flood in my kitchen this week, and of course the first thing I reached for was 2 old towels I had on hand.  So please learn from my experience.

    I know this thread is about decluttering, but we all have those messy emergencies where a few old towels or rags really comes in handy. 
    Minimalism is good, practicality is better.    Pardon the interruption, please continue decluttering!

    Agree! I have a stack of old towels and some cloth nappies from my kids ( ie25 years old) in a some open shelving in my hallway. So handy for 3 dogs and general messes. I am NOT decluttering them, but at some point I want them out of the hallway..I'm trying to find a vacant spot somewhere that is equally accessible.

    Yep! Though for certain messes, I use paper towels. It's pretty much the only thing I use paper towels for though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 30, 2020, 05:56:53 PM
    Sold a couple of items on FB today. I had gotten them for free to refinish but over a month went by and I didn't, so off they went to their new home. And I made a profit on them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on October 31, 2020, 05:35:55 AM
    Posting to note an item that you *don't* want to get rid of:  some old towels.  I had a mini-flood in my kitchen this week, and of course the first thing I reached for was 2 old towels I had on hand.  So please learn from my experience.

    I know this thread is about decluttering, but we all have those messy emergencies where a few old towels or rags really comes in handy. 
    Minimalism is good, practicality is better.    Pardon the interruption, please continue decluttering!

    Agree! I have a stack of old towels and some cloth nappies from my kids ( ie25 years old) in a some open shelving in my hallway. So handy for 3 dogs and general messes. I am NOT decluttering them, but at some point I want them out of the hallway..I'm trying to find a vacant spot somewhere that is equally accessible.

    Yep! Though for certain messes, I use paper towels. It's pretty much the only thing I use paper towels for though.

    Paper towels FTW.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on October 31, 2020, 03:06:13 PM
    I can't believe I actually have some success to post!  I spent about an hour and a half in the basement.  Most of it was just putting summer things away and rearranging a bit, but I broke down a huge pile of random boxes, some left over from moving, some that have just accumulated.  We have a trip planned tomorrow that will take us past a recycling drop off wagon so it should be gone quickly! I took two grocery bags of trash out.  Pleased that there wasn't a whole lot of trash. 

    I also cleaned and sorted the spice cabinet and put down the shelf liner I bought in the summer. I'm slowly but surely getting it through the whole kitchen.  Not much to throw out there, but now I'm refreshed on what we have and I moved a packet of cider spices to the front so we'll use them up. 

    I installed an extra smoke detector we've had laying around since we moved in. We already have plenty to pass the local fire departments inspection, but I figured if we have it, we might as well use it.  Now it's not laying on the basement steps waiting to trip one of us. 

    Why does my spouse fill the basement steps with stuff!?!  I recycled or found homes for all of it!  Amazing.

    There are so many more little things on my list, but I need to stop for the day.  Hoping I can pick up that momentum again soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 01, 2020, 09:35:07 AM
    Micro decluttering here and there. Throwing out some stuff, donating some. Will make myself pick out at least one cardboard box in the basement stash to add to tomorrow's recycling pickup.   

    edit to add:  while going through the garage shelves I found some preserves from years ago. Took them inside and put them in the fridge and forgot about them.

    Yesterday I finally opened one up. Blueberry jam from 1991. Yes, 1991. Still good!  Had some on toast.  Will sell the empty jar at flea market next year.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on November 01, 2020, 09:53:22 AM
    Spent several hours this weekend deep cleaning my living room and kitchen. Mostly decluttered a ton of dust and grime, but did get rid of a few odds and ends. I also managed to store a few things better, so there is less stuff out for me to look at. The visual change is small, but it's made a big impact in how I feel being in the space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on November 01, 2020, 09:54:21 AM
    Changed over my dresser to winter wardrobe and put away the summer stuff - while doing the transfer, I pulled my three oldest/most worn out sweaters and set them aside.  If I don't miss them within a month or two, they'll go in the donate box.  I like to do this with items I'm not sure about, ever since I donated something that I later realized I didn't have enough of, and had to buy another.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on November 01, 2020, 11:42:56 AM
    I've had a bit of unintentional decluttering, as I discovered a tribe of carpet beetles had been feasting in my linen closet... Most items were fine, as I switch out my sheets often, but an extra blanket and two pillows were thoroughly chewed out. Had to toss those, washed the rest on high.
     
    Carpet beetles suck... you don't see them until you look for them and when you do... they're suddenly everywhere!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 01, 2020, 01:24:27 PM
    Listed a couple kitchen items on Friday, and sold a blender today - putting me over $1000 made on FB Marketplace since February.

    Still disappointed no one is interested in my glassware yet.  But I'm loving the new space in my cabinets while the extras are in the "for sale" room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 02, 2020, 05:03:57 AM
    Micro decluttering here and there. Throwing out some stuff, donating some. Will make myself pick out at least one cardboard box in the basement stash to add to tomorrow's recycling pickup.   

    edit to add:  while going through the garage shelves I found some preserves from years ago. Took them inside and put them in the fridge and forgot about them.

    Yesterday I finally opened one up. Blueberry jam from 1991. Yes, 1991. Still good!  Had some on toast.  Will sell the empty jar at flea market next year.   

    How many boxes do you have stashed, and what for?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 02, 2020, 07:55:06 AM
    Micro decluttering here and there. Throwing out some stuff, donating some. Will make myself pick out at least one cardboard box in the basement stash to add to tomorrow's recycling pickup.   

    edit to add:  while going through the garage shelves I found some preserves from years ago. Took them inside and put them in the fridge and forgot about them.

    Yesterday I finally opened one up. Blueberry jam from 1991. Yes, 1991. Still good!  Had some on toast.  Will sell the empty jar at flea market next year.   

    How many boxes do you have stashed, and what for?

    How many? Oh, about 50, I guess. But many are packed inside other boxes, so as not to take up as much room. I have various sizes, from small to large.  Yeah, too many, perhaps, but way less than I had a while ago. Every once in a while, I have use for one.  I keep them around for 'just in case'. 

    I picked out two big ones this morning for the recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 02, 2020, 08:15:41 AM
    This weekend flew by.  I did so many little tidying jobs and while nothing large left our house, so many little bits and bobs found the right way out (compost, recycling or landfill) including a number of mysterious items from the freezer. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 02, 2020, 08:59:47 AM
    Micro decluttering here and there. Throwing out some stuff, donating some. Will make myself pick out at least one cardboard box in the basement stash to add to tomorrow's recycling pickup.   

    edit to add:  while going through the garage shelves I found some preserves from years ago. Took them inside and put them in the fridge and forgot about them.

    Yesterday I finally opened one up. Blueberry jam from 1991. Yes, 1991. Still good!  Had some on toast.  Will sell the empty jar at flea market next year.   

    How many boxes do you have stashed, and what for?

    How many? Oh, about 50, I guess. But many are packed inside other boxes, so as not to take up as much room. I have various sizes, from small to large.  Yeah, too many, perhaps, but way less than I had a while ago. Every once in a while, I have use for one.  I keep them around for 'just in case'. 

    I picked out two big ones this morning for the recycling.

    At least boxes are harmless, but eating jam that's 30 years old (especially home canned) can be downright dangerous, as in botulism!  Your health is worth more than that.  Throw the rest out!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 02, 2020, 05:11:43 PM
    Mini declutter: two rarely-used kitchen tools and a stained glass leaf (carefully wrapped in bubble wrap) added to Room Mate's donation box. Also chucked two tubes of glue that were dried up.

    Motivation is low right now, as I'll move in early March. February is mentally designated as packing-and-decluttering month. So it was nice to find these few things to clear out. I feel weird when not decluttering.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on November 05, 2020, 10:01:12 AM
    Sent off old college t- shirts to be made into a quilt. I had a bunch of doilies made by my MIL and her mother that I hadn’t done anything with. I contacted all eight of her grandchildren and 7 of them wanted some- I split them up and mailed them off.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 06, 2020, 05:12:34 AM
    I dropped off 3 boxes that are mostly outgrown kids clothes.

    We build a LFL and thought we would be able to get rid of books that way. Instead other people are filling it up with their books! Noooooo! And often they are very out of date books that it is unlikely anyone would want. I will be cleaning it out this weekend and trashing a bunch.

    I also donated two large ugly paintings. They hung in my grandparents house so I have fond memories, but they are awful and I will never hang them so out they go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 06, 2020, 02:44:47 PM
    Closet in my bedroom is out of control! I don't have enough room to squeeze a sheet of paper in there.

    I have to do some serious decluttering. UGH, where do I even begin...

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 06, 2020, 03:59:51 PM
    Closet in my bedroom is out of control! I don't have enough room to squeeze a sheet of paper in there.

    I have to do some serious decluttering. UGH, where do I even begin...



    Use the Konmari method.  It’s really helpful when you’re dealing with large amounts of stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Swish on November 06, 2020, 09:53:12 PM
    So round 2 I cleaned out the garage of a ton of junk. Hope this motivates some of you to get off your butts and free up a parking spot. We can now fit the car in the garage again!

    Chainsaw - $350
    Skill saw - $50
    Spare wrenches - $40
    LEGO phone - $25
    Tonka truck - $5
    Clipboard - $3
    Corelle dishes - $30
    Bike - $20
    Bunk bed - $200
    Bar table - $125
    Memory stick - $4
    Extension cord - $4
    Dora wallet - $2
    Motherboard - $10
    Graphics card - $20
    WeeRide copilot - $40
    Helmets - $8
    Shoe bench - $50
    Baby chair - $3
    Shop vac - $40
    Toy chest - $10
    Pro shop Voucher - $100
    Random lights - $10
    Fridge - $500
    Outlet - $5
    Worklamps - $20
    Axe - $5
    Fan - $5
    Clock - $4
    Art - $35
    Grinder - $15
    Cooler - $30
    Laptop Battery - $8
    Reciprocating saw - $40
    Bouncer - $25
    Bike - $35
    Tv stand - $125
    Skate bar - $5
    Oscillating saw - $50
    Diesel oil - $20
    Chainsaw sharpener - $30
    Chariot stroller - $650

    Total: $2,756
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on November 06, 2020, 10:47:00 PM
    I was able to get rid of our halloween decorations and costume accessories -- two good size boxes, on Nov 1st through a buy nothing group.   I was pleased, it was good stuff but not the kind of thing most people want to store. (me included).


    I cleared through two filing cabinets and tossed (and shredded) approx 2 file boxes worth of materials, while keeping the few good items that were mixed in.  Including old tax records.   I had stayed away from this task for 5 years now.   whoo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 07, 2020, 03:40:46 PM
    So round 2 I cleaned out the garage of a ton of junk. Hope this motivates some of you to get off your butts and free up a parking spot. We can now fit the car in the garage again!

    Chainsaw - $350
    Skill saw - $50
    Spare wrenches - $40
    LEGO phone - $25
    Tonka truck - $5
    Clipboard - $3
    Corelle dishes - $30
    Bike - $20
    Bunk bed - $200
    Bar table - $125
    Memory stick - $4
    Extension cord - $4
    Dora wallet - $2
    Motherboard - $10
    Graphics card - $20
    WeeRide copilot - $40
    Helmets - $8
    Shoe bench - $50
    Baby chair - $3
    Shop vac - $40
    Toy chest - $10
    Pro shop Voucher - $100
    Random lights - $10
    Fridge - $500
    Outlet - $5
    Worklamps - $20
    Axe - $5
    Fan - $5
    Clock - $4
    Art - $35
    Grinder - $15
    Cooler - $30
    Laptop Battery - $8
    Reciprocating saw - $40
    Bouncer - $25
    Bike - $35
    Tv stand - $125
    Skate bar - $5
    Oscillating saw - $50
    Diesel oil - $20
    Chainsaw sharpener - $30
    Chariot stroller - $650

    Total: $2,756

    Wow! High prices. Where do you live? How did you sell the stuff? Yard  sale?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 07, 2020, 04:38:07 PM
    I decluttered the yard of 3 trash cans full of yard waste and 2 huge piles of leaves (plus another 2 piles of leaves that were in my neighbor's front yard). Trash day is Thursday. Yes, they send yard waste to the landfill rather than composting. The leaves are composted I believe. I think the leaf vacuum truck will be around on Wednesday.

    Not all the leaves are down, but the big maple dropped 90% and the oak about half. The other 3 trees are much smaller, and are in varying states of dropping their leaves.

    Also working on consolidating all the Christmas presents to one location, from which I can organize and wrap. Have to ship everything this year, so trying to get stuff sent out by early December.

    Edit: sigh. Overnight, a smallish tree dropped something like 60% of its leaves.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on November 08, 2020, 10:00:30 AM
    We did a lot of cleaning and organizing yesterday - getting to the point where there is less to get rid of when I clean/organize/declutter a space.  I did the kitchen yesterday, and all that I got rid of were some miscellaneous food containers that someone on Buy Nothing wanted.

    We had a bunch of boxes cluttering up the entryway/dining room that we'd never broken down and recycled, so DW did that yesterday and they're in the car waiting to go to cardboard recycling.  We also had some random kid craft supplies that someone gave us early in the pandemic - some were decent so I put them away and the rest were trashed because they weren't really donatable.

    I've been focusing a lot on the things I can control in our house without the cooperation of DW and the kids - it's done wonders for my sanity to let go a little.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 08, 2020, 10:25:14 AM
    Today I cleaned out most of the hall closet. Mostly got rid of packaging and actually put stuff away properly, not TOO much to throw away.

    Right when hand sanitizer started becoming available I'd buy a bottle each week. Now we have 8 bottles and the virus is mostly airborne. Oh well! Will hold onto those until this roller coaster is over.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 08, 2020, 12:20:52 PM
    Not a lot of de-cluttering happening here lately (actually I've been letting too many things in the door, but that is another matter), but I did turf some old pots. Put some books in the donation box, and have an old oil painting out to list for sale. I also have a wok type thing that is meant for the BBQ out, and I will either donate or try to sell it. Probably just donate as it is probably only worth $5 even though it is brand new. I also have a vintage window frame with a wreath on it that I am going to try to sell. Already sold one for $50.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 08, 2020, 02:26:26 PM
    Well, my neighbor is decluttering. He came over and asked if I want a 17 year old new in box track light that's been in his garage. Yes, I took it. I have no need for it so I will discreetly donate it. This guy really needs to do declutter, so I'll give him a hand.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 08, 2020, 03:15:37 PM
    Was given a cute mug yesterday. Fitting this into my cupboard helped me realize I didn't need a tumbler I've been holding on to for two years. Talk about one in, one out! :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 08, 2020, 04:53:46 PM
    Was given a cute mug yesterday. Fitting this into my cupboard helped me realize I didn't need a tumbler I've been holding on to for two years. Talk about one in, one out! :)
    Thanks for the segue. Today at the flea market I sold a beer mug and a coffee mug. It is SO hard to sell glassware! Woohoo ! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 08, 2020, 06:05:50 PM
    Today I made a sweep through and filled up a donation bag. In addition, decided to get rid of a couch cover/pet protector I'd bought that didn't quite fit the couch and a pair of jeans that I never wear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 09, 2020, 08:04:03 AM
    Organized our toiletries yesterday. Didn't get rid of anything, but reacquainted myself with what we have, which will prevent future unnecessary purchases.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on November 09, 2020, 03:38:52 PM
    Organized our toiletries yesterday. Didn't get rid of anything, but reacquainted myself with what we have, which will prevent future unnecessary purchases.

    After buying herbs we already had last weekend, this may be a good idea for me too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 09, 2020, 06:05:10 PM
    Actually dropped the donations off at Goodwill today! I did pull one pair of jeans out of the bag when I realized they would make great shorts as the legs were the part that didn't fit right.

    Found a few items that can go to SO's house that I no longer need but he would use.

    The nine-day power outage decluttered my fridge and freezer for me. :/ Luckily, I'd been participating in the Eat All the Food in Your House challenge in another thread, so it could have been much worse. A couple of pounds each of meat, fruit, and vegetables, and a couple of leftover meals I'd frozen for later meals. I cleaned it out completely and wiped out fridge and freezer with a vinegar solution and aired it out until the power came back on. As Ma Ingalls would say, "There's no big loss without some small gain".
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on November 09, 2020, 06:43:10 PM
    I keep a drawer in my ensuite for Zero Waste stuff like used metal razor blades, old contact lenses and packaging, plastic tubes for shampoo etc that are not recyclable in normal bins, old plastic toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, and (urgh, I know, used biodegradeable silk floss and hair clippings as I regularly trim my hair - head hair I mean!) This drawer of disgustingness is now full and I need to take everything out to: metal recyclers, The Body Shop (plastic and empty makeup containers), and our local council takes old oral hygiene stuff, and my compost bin for hair and floss.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on November 09, 2020, 07:25:29 PM
    @lazycow That is awesome!!  Thank you so much for going to that effort.

    Around here we have small wins:

    While making dinner I found we had two partial containers of curry spice.  Combined them in to one.

    The bulb on the porch blew and when I went to replace it tonight the first bulb I tried was blown as well. It was an old one we'd removed from another fixture that had multiple bulbs and was far too bright. Both are gone now. How long have we been storing a dead lightbulb!? hah!

    Our big win recently was using a pile of lumber that "came with the house" to rebuild the platform for the washer and dryer. Our basement is so much tidier and there is so much space now! 

    We've got the old pieces outside now and will need to get it into the trash a little at a time.  Some of the old wood was non-treated so we'll burn it the next time we have friends over for a bonfire.

    We finally completed some plumbing projects we bought parts for months ago.

    We're inching our way closer to significant closet clean outs, I'm mentally letting go of a few things, but the weather has been fantastic so we've been spending time outdoors and will save that work for a rainy day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on November 09, 2020, 09:10:54 PM
    Decluttered and organized our upstairs hall closet yesterday.  Posted 20 things on Buy Nothing and got takers for 15 of them.  Now I just hope everyone comes and gets stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on November 10, 2020, 12:24:39 AM
    Sold a few outgrown children's clothes and some books. Will be in the mail and out of the house today. Unfortunately, the first holiday presents will be delivered today, which I will need to hide somewhere. Hoping that the other family members will stick to the wishlists I sent them for the kids and not give them junk......
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on November 10, 2020, 11:05:28 AM
    I finally put a list on our fridge door of what vegetables we have in the fridge. I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. Turns out it really helps with the fridge clutter and not letting any veggies go to waste.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 10, 2020, 12:57:39 PM
    I finally put a list on our fridge door of what vegetables we have in the fridge. I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. Turns out it really helps with the fridge clutter and not letting any veggies go to waste.
    I do that and also make a note on my shopping list of what vegetables we have plenty of so I don't accidentally re-buy. [It turns out we eat a lot of frozen peas, but we don't need 5kg in our freezer] The other thing I do is have the rough meal plan on the shopping list which helps me not over-purchase fresh produce that doesn't have an associated meal.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on November 10, 2020, 02:09:57 PM
    I finally put a list on our fridge door of what vegetables we have in the fridge. I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. Turns out it really helps with the fridge clutter and not letting any veggies go to waste.
    I do that and also make a note on my shopping list of what vegetables we have plenty of so I don't accidentally re-buy. [It turns out we eat a lot of frozen peas, but we don't need 5kg in our freezer] The other thing I do is have the rough meal plan on the shopping list which helps me not over-purchase fresh produce that doesn't have an associated meal.

    I actually used to do the rough meal plan thing, but with COVID and the way it's changed our grocery shopping habits, it's definitely fallen to the wayside. I actually like not having much of a meal plan, but there's been an adjustment period in making sure we're not accidentally leaving things in the back of the fridge. I was starting to feel kind of harried about keeping the fridge in order and now... I'm not.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on November 10, 2020, 03:09:05 PM
    I have craigslisted my piano.   Arranged for a truck rental and a couple of helpers to get it out of my home for Friday.   Offering delivery seems to give interest to people, although they have to get it from their driveway into their homes themselves (I just cite Covid but really, less moving I personally do, the better, I am getting too old for that).

    We'll see if I can get it gone before my move at the end of Dec.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 11, 2020, 06:36:07 AM
    I have craigslisted my piano.   Arranged for a truck rental and a couple of helpers to get it out of my home for Friday.   Offering delivery seems to give interest to people, although they have to get it from their driveway into their homes themselves (I just cite Covid but really, less moving I personally do, the better, I am getting too old for that).

    We'll see if I can get it gone before my move at the end of Dec.

    Good luck, Goldielocks.  I was able to get $100 for a nice old piano (Bradford? Bradbury?) that was still in tune. Two college girls bought it, and they paid for a delivery service get it out of the basement into the truck. 

    I saw a few pianos listed for free on Craigslist at the time.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 12, 2020, 08:35:17 AM
    I re-posted all my old FB Marketplace listings yesterday to try to renew interest, and bit the bullet on offering to ship through them (they are offering free shipping on the first 10 items I sell).  Success - I sold 3 things right away!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 12, 2020, 01:24:38 PM
    I have craigslisted my piano.   Arranged for a truck rental and a couple of helpers to get it out of my home for Friday.   Offering delivery seems to give interest to people, although they have to get it from their driveway into their homes themselves (I just cite Covid but really, less moving I personally do, the better, I am getting too old for that).

    We'll see if I can get it gone before my move at the end of Dec.

    I need to sell my piano also: I have been putting that off for a while. In my area  costs at least $300AUD to get a piano moved even a short distance, ...so I can imagine offering delivery would help to get it sold and out. Fingers crossed for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 12, 2020, 01:26:04 PM
    2 small bags of clothing and a small bag of books went into the donation bins yesterday :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 12, 2020, 01:31:32 PM
    Went through our shoe bins in the bench/shelf unit in the garage. Found three pair of shoes the kids have outgrown. Put two in the donation pile, as there is a lot of life left. One needs to be washed first, so they are drying & when ready will add to the donation pile.

    Listed another suit on eBay. They are fancy suits (Hugo Boss) & my husband both no longer is in sales & needs that type of wardrobe, but also has lost 30 lbs. Wish there was a better option for finding someone who could use them. We have 6 of them. I've sold one, so at least that's matched up with a buyer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on November 12, 2020, 04:49:43 PM
    Since Big Brother/Big Sister closed down their collection station in our area, all the local clothing bins benefit scummy for-profit companies masquerading as charities. So I have been accumulating a lot of clothes and housewares. Yesterday a friend organized a collection for earthquake victims in Honduras, so I was more than glad to offload a lot of nice clothing, including several pairs of hardly worn sneakers that I bought from the internet but did not fit my kids well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 13, 2020, 12:38:43 PM
    Today has been a good day.  I took 3 boxes of documents to a local shred-day event (I missed the last two years, otherwise I would have only had 1 box in my "system").  I also dropped off some blankets, a winter coat, and a bunch of scarves for a blanket drive for the homeless.  And sold another item on Marketplace, which will go out in the mail tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 13, 2020, 05:01:02 PM
    Since Big Brother/Big Sister closed down their collection station in our area, all the local clothing bins benefit scummy for-profit companies masquerading as charities. So I have been accumulating a lot of clothes and housewares. Yesterday a friend organized a collection for earthquake victims in Honduras, so I was more than glad to offload a lot of nice clothing, including several pairs of hardly worn sneakers that I bought from the internet but did not fit my kids well.

    Poundwise, have you tried calling Vietnam Vets? Great organization and they will come right to your home to pick up stuff. I have not donated in a long time but I was regularly putting stuff out in garbage bags with a label marked VNA. They come and take anything that is marked VNA. They don't take large furniture because it is just mostly one driver and they can't do heavy stuff by themselves.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on November 13, 2020, 09:07:43 PM
    @Roadrunner53 They are in my area and friends swear by them. However I saw the following article where it's said that not as much of the donations go to programs as they claim (https://www.charitywatch.org/charity-donating-articles/vietnam-veterans-of-america39s-39recycling39-program-debunked).

    If I wanted to just get rid of stuff quickly, I would just post it free on Craigslist or Buy Nothing, and it would be gone in a day.  But if I want to give to charity, I prefer to give as directly to the end user as possible... Just my preference.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on November 14, 2020, 11:29:42 AM
    @Roadrunner53 They are in my area and friends swear by them. However I saw the following article where it's said that not as much of the donations go to programs as they claim (https://www.charitywatch.org/charity-donating-articles/vietnam-veterans-of-america39s-39recycling39-program-debunked).

    If I wanted to just get rid of stuff quickly, I would just post it free on Craigslist or Buy Nothing, and it would be gone in a day.  But if I want to give to charity, I prefer to give as directly to the end user as possible... Just my preference.

    I don’t know how Vietnam Veterans specifically operate but I think many underestimate the cost of running charity stores.  If you add the cost of pickup, wages, rent and disposal  costs of all the unsellable junk that people dump at these kind of stores, because they can’t make themselves throw away the stuff, the expenses add up pretty fast. You see posts in this thread when someone has not been able to sell something for a long time finally decides to give it to charity. What they really are doing is giving the organisation an expense instead of a gift.

    I understand your preference to give directly and maybe there is some organisation that gives to families in need in your area. Many of the donations to the foreign countries ruin the local markets and take away the possibility for people to earn their living. Even if the thought is good, there are often secondary results that we are not always aware off.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 14, 2020, 12:14:22 PM
    ^^

    This is why I try to give things away right away rather than hanging on to them just in case... By the time "just in case" arrives the town is often worthless and goes into a landfill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 14, 2020, 01:58:39 PM
    ^^

    This is why I try to give things away right away rather than hanging on to them just in case... By the time "just in case" arrives the town is often worthless and goes into a landfill.

    This is a big driver in my decluttering quest too. My folks were "keepers" and had huge amounts of stuff stored under and in their house because it was "too good to get rid of" and "just in case" they might need it one day. When they both had died, we had to clear it all out and nearly every item was severely damaged/deteriorated and had to go straight to landfill. Such a waste! So ironic!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 14, 2020, 02:42:28 PM
    You see posts in this thread when someone has not been able to sell something for a long time finally decides to give it to charity. What they really are doing is giving the organisation an expense instead of a gift.

    I'll definitely think about this before I donate any unsold items. 

    My assumption was that different people might want the items who don't use Marketplace or eBay.  But my goal is to get stuff to the people who want/need it - not to contribute money to an organization through a donation of things.

    Sometimes it just takes a while to find a buyer.  Yesterday I sold something that I had listed on eBay 2 years and 2 months ago!  Since I started decluttering with no end-date, I can hang out and wait for that to happen.  Hopefully reducing the amount of trash I have to deal with when I finally move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on November 14, 2020, 03:20:55 PM
    We have our little old IKEA loveseat disassembled and in our tiny little car to drop at goodwill  I guess we’ll reassemble in the parking lot. I was surprised they accept soft furniture but they said yes when I called to check!  I also have a small bag of household odds and ends and a small bag of clothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on November 14, 2020, 04:12:05 PM
    You see posts in this thread when someone has not been able to sell something for a long time finally decides to give it to charity. What they really are doing is giving the organisation an expense instead of a gift.

    I'll definitely think about this before I donate any unsold items. 

    My assumption was that different people might want the items who don't use Marketplace or eBay.  But my goal is to get stuff to the people who want/need it - not to contribute money to an organization through a donation of things.

    Sometimes it just takes a while to find a buyer.  Yesterday I sold something that I had listed on eBay 2 years and 2 months ago!  Since I started decluttering with no end-date, I can hang out and wait for that to happen.  Hopefully reducing the amount of trash I have to deal with when I finally move.

    It is a nice feeling to be able to donate or sell something that is of use to someone else. As a private seller it is possible to hold on to things a lot longer while waiting for it to be sold. The charity shops can not do that because they have limited amount of space and they have to have a turnover of stuff. To hold on to something like you have been able to do would mean that it takes space from stuff that could be sold and make money to whatever their goal is.

     They have a pretty good idea of what is sellable and what is not. All those stuff that are not sellable in one way or another end up at the landfill or energy recycling.

    I am giving to charity shops to not have to deal with the hassle of selling if it is not items of little higher value.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 14, 2020, 06:45:00 PM
    SO and I decided to go a different way on some holiday gift items, so I immediately took the ones I'd already purchased back to the store for a refund. I still had my receipt and got full price back. One of the items wasn't with me at the time, so I will still need to make time to take it back. Posting here to make myself accountable.

    Got this done. Now I have another bag of items to return that we didn't use for a project. Tried to do it last weekend, but I noped right out after I saw all the people streaming into the store. I'll try again.

    Was given a holiday gift early that won't work for me, so I looked up the store where it came from and how much it cost. I have a plan for the gift card I can get for returning it, to replace some clothing items that are wearing out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AerynLee on November 14, 2020, 07:29:57 PM
    This week we moved into our new house. We got rid of a ton of stuff last time we moved, 5 years ago, and have kept things pretty minimal since then. But as always there's more that can go. Even though our new place is bigger (1800sqft vs 950sqft) I'm being very selective as I unpack trying to decide what we actually want to keep.

    Already in the donate bin is ~5 tshirts that are either from events I've done (running/biking) but didn't like the look of, or some I bought 12+ years ago that never fit but that I loved and hoped one day to. Plus two tumblers from we were given from our mortgage company at closing that I know we will never use.

    There's a few things in the basement and a lot of stuff in a couple of outbuildings that were left by the previous owners that we'll need to toss. We figure once we get settled in and have a chance to sort through what could be nice to keep (it's a 100 year old house so original doors and flooring are keepers) and what needs tossed and we'll probably have to rent a small dumpster to get rid of it all. Unless someone wants a pink bathtub :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 15, 2020, 10:08:15 AM
    @AerynLee, funny you should mention a pink bathtub.  When I bought my house in 1993, the original blue bathtub and sink from 1971 were still in the bathroom.  In my desire to have neutral ones instead, I exchanged a heavy, iron (?) tub that held the heat like crazy for a flimsy, tin (?) tub that gets cold in 15 minutes.  I so wish I had just had the blue one repainted.  So if I lived near you, I might just take that pink tub off your hands!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AerynLee on November 15, 2020, 02:06:48 PM
    @AerynLee, funny you should mention a pink bathtub.  When I bought my house in 1993, the original blue bathtub and sink from 1971 were still in the bathroom.  In my desire to have neutral ones instead, I exchanged a heavy, iron (?) tub that held the heat like crazy for a flimsy, tin (?) tub that gets cold in 15 minutes.  I so wish I had just had the blue one repainted.  So if I lived near you, I might just take that pink tub off your hands!
    Haha, I learned from reading Snacky's journal here that for bath lovers, old cast iron ones are great. I'm not a bath person and get board even before the cheap plastic-y tubs get cool, so I may even rip out the newish bath and replace it with a large walk-in shower (eventually....).

    But yeah, if you happen to be in the midwest you're more than welcome to my pink bathtub. And the purple toilet with matching purple laundry sink that are still installed in the basement. And I'm pretty sure there was some other pink fixture in one of the outbuildings :P
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 15, 2020, 02:23:33 PM
    @AerynLee, funny you should mention a pink bathtub.  When I bought my house in 1993, the original blue bathtub and sink from 1971 were still in the bathroom.  In my desire to have neutral ones instead, I exchanged a heavy, iron (?) tub that held the heat like crazy for a flimsy, tin (?) tub that gets cold in 15 minutes.  I so wish I had just had the blue one repainted.  So if I lived near you, I might just take that pink tub off your hands!
    Haha, I learned from reading Snacky's journal here that for bath lovers, old cast iron ones are great. I'm not a bath person and get board even before the cheap plastic-y tubs get cool, so I may even rip out the newish bath and replace it with a large walk-in shower (eventually....).

    But yeah, if you happen to be in the midwest you're more than welcome to my pink bathtub. And the purple toilet with matching purple laundry sink that are still installed in the basement. And I'm pretty sure there was some other pink fixture in one of the outbuildings :P

    Definitely post the sink, toilet, and tub on CL..if you can find local vintage groups, people will probably want them!

    1. We need a mint green toilet, anyone in Mpls have one?
    2. You can't buy a good heavy duty laundry sink anymore, they just don't exist, I'd take a purple one!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 15, 2020, 03:06:24 PM
    @AerynLee, funny you should mention a pink bathtub.  When I bought my house in 1993, the original blue bathtub and sink from 1971 were still in the bathroom.  In my desire to have neutral ones instead, I exchanged a heavy, iron (?) tub that held the heat like crazy for a flimsy, tin (?) tub that gets cold in 15 minutes.  I so wish I had just had the blue one repainted.  So if I lived near you, I might just take that pink tub off your hands!
    Haha, I learned from reading Snacky's journal here that for bath lovers, old cast iron ones are great. I'm not a bath person and get board even before the cheap plastic-y tubs get cool, so I may even rip out the newish bath and replace it with a large walk-in shower (eventually....).

    But yeah, if you happen to be in the midwest you're more than welcome to my pink bathtub. And the purple toilet with matching purple laundry sink that are still installed in the basement. And I'm pretty sure there was some other pink fixture in one of the outbuildings :P

    Alas, I am in Canada.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on November 16, 2020, 08:52:05 PM
    I have craigslisted my piano.   Arranged for a truck rental and a couple of helpers to get it out of my home for Friday.   Offering delivery seems to give interest to people, although they have to get it from their driveway into their homes themselves (I just cite Covid but really, less moving I personally do, the better, I am getting too old for that).

    We'll see if I can get it gone before my move at the end of Dec.

    I need to sell my piano also: I have been putting that off for a while. In my area  costs at least $300AUD to get a piano moved even a short distance, ...so I can imagine offering delivery would help to get it sold and out. Fingers crossed for you.
    Piano is GONE!  Happy dance.  I got $350 for it.. It was in good shape but 1976 vintage.

    We rented a large commercial style cube van with a lift gate for $150.  We used the van to move heavy furniture to a new condo in the day, and the piano at night.  Without the piano, I would have rented a uHaul with a ramp, which would have been harder to load / unload the heavier furniture, so it was a win.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 17, 2020, 06:06:05 AM
    Way to go !!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 17, 2020, 04:00:24 PM
    The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳 In its place is today's mail, which will sit for a few days for decontamination.  This will be an easy pile to get through, so I'm happy to declare No Doom Pile even though there is still a stack rather than a clear spot on the counter.

    The Pile of Doom™ is back. I'm sure none of the mail from Sept 8 is still around, but I just don't process the new stuff as fast as it arrives (postal mail and other sources of paper).  Work on this is resuming: sorting, phone calls and checking things online. It's frustrating that nothing can be tossed yet, but I'm determined to vanquish the Pile of Doom by Nov 30. Posting for accountability.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 17, 2020, 04:24:45 PM
    The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳 In its place is today's mail, which will sit for a few days for decontamination.  This will be an easy pile to get through, so I'm happy to declare No Doom Pile even though there is still a stack rather than a clear spot on the counter.

    The Pile of Doom™ is back. I'm sure none of the mail from Sept 8 is still around, but I just don't process the new stuff as fast as it arrives (postal mail and other sources of paper).  Work on this is resuming: sorting, phone calls and checking things online. It's frustrating that nothing can be tossed yet, but I'm determined to vanquish the Pile of Doom by Nov 30. Posting for accountability.

    What is coming in that you can stop from coming in? That would help slow the accumulation. At the same time, can you change up your routine to help deal with at least some of it faster? If you throw all the mail into a pile, yet 2/3 of it is the junk flyers and can be tossed, set the routine to throw out the junk immediately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on November 17, 2020, 05:28:48 PM
    I dropped a huge box of instant oatmeal packets off at a little food pantry.  They've been hanging around our house for 6 months and we occasionally choke one down. I feel so wasteful getting rid of good food just because we don't like it, but we ought to be giving more back to our community! I might as well at least give this away while it's within date and someone might enjoy it in winter!

    I also took some red beets we had in the pantry to a friend who's been talking about craving beets but not finding them in the shops.  Fun to make her day and chat through the window. 

    Tonight I'm wrapping my spouses birthday gifts in scrapbook paper I've had for... 15 years? I've kept it because I use little bits each year to make greeting cards, but now I've found a website I like to print cards from, so I think it's time to let the other paper go. Such small successes.

    eta: While re-hiding the birthday gifts I pulled out two items I need to return and got them packaged up with mailing labels so I can send them off tomorrow.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 17, 2020, 07:29:25 PM
    Way to go on the piano, @Goldielocks! Impressive efficiency with using the rental truck for multiple tasks.

    Finally threw out an ailing houseplant and repurposed the glazed pot to hold kitchen utensils. Then I was able to put the two glass containers I had been using for utensils in the donate box. Three items out! (The plant went into the compost--it wasn't ill, but got too cold when my power was out.)

    Pulled a pair of pants out of the closet that just don't fit right.

    Taking a surplus wax warmer to work since coworker mentioned they wanted one. 

    Selling some gifted perfume to a FB Marketplace buyer tomorrow, fingers crossed.

    Waffling on putting a couple of decorate items and a large mirror on FB, but they're on the radar.

    Contacted a charity that will pick up my old mattress. It's in great shape but it's not right for me. I really hated to throw it in the landfill. They are supposed to pick up on Thursday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 17, 2020, 07:49:15 PM
    The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳 In its place is today's mail, which will sit for a few days for decontamination.  This will be an easy pile to get through, so I'm happy to declare No Doom Pile even though there is still a stack rather than a clear spot on the counter.

    The Pile of Doom™ is back. I'm sure none of the mail from Sept 8 is still around, but I just don't process the new stuff as fast as it arrives (postal mail and other sources of paper).  Work on this is resuming: sorting, phone calls and checking things online. It's frustrating that nothing can be tossed yet, but I'm determined to vanquish the Pile of Doom by Nov 30. Posting for accountability.

    What is coming in that you can stop from coming in? That would help slow the accumulation. At the same time, can you change up your routine to help deal with at least some of it faster? If you throw all the mail into a pile, yet 2/3 of it is the junk flyers and can be tossed, set the routine to throw out the junk immediately.

    Junk mail is chucked ASAP, thankfully. I am a paper hoarder and give too much significance to anything printed or written on dead tree pulp. In this pile are various "action item" papers:



    It's all random stuff. Even though I called the therapist, I need to keep the paper because she didn't answer and I couldn't resolve the issue that piece of paper represented.

    The problem is I don't want to adult. So the Pile builds until I can't stand the mess.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 18, 2020, 12:38:45 PM
    The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳 In its place is today's mail, which will sit for a few days for decontamination.  This will be an easy pile to get through, so I'm happy to declare No Doom Pile even though there is still a stack rather than a clear spot on the counter.

    The Pile of Doom™ is back. I'm sure none of the mail from Sept 8 is still around, but I just don't process the new stuff as fast as it arrives (postal mail and other sources of paper).  Work on this is resuming: sorting, phone calls and checking things online. It's frustrating that nothing can be tossed yet, but I'm determined to vanquish the Pile of Doom by Nov 30. Posting for accountability.

    What is coming in that you can stop from coming in? That would help slow the accumulation. At the same time, can you change up your routine to help deal with at least some of it faster? If you throw all the mail into a pile, yet 2/3 of it is the junk flyers and can be tossed, set the routine to throw out the junk immediately.

    Junk mail is chucked ASAP, thankfully. I am a paper hoarder and give too much significance to anything printed or written on dead tree pulp. In this pile are various "action item" papers:

    • coupons (need to find a time to go to the drug store to use)
    • statement from therapist - needed a phone call, done today
    • various ID documents needed for RealID, but DMV is not making appointments right now
    • various documents needed to renew passport - will get photo after T-day
    • dunno what else


    It's all random stuff. Even though I called the therapist, I need to keep the paper because she didn't answer and I couldn't resolve the issue that piece of paper represented.

    The problem is I don't want to adult. So the Pile builds until I can't stand the mess.

    Ah. I understand. There are times I also don't want to adult, luckily mine aren't frequent enough to cause this problem. You might find it helpful to designate 30 minutes to tackle the need-to-adult pile on a weekly basis or whatever. That limits the time spent (though you can certainly extend it once you start), yet also keeps the need-to-adult pile under control.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 18, 2020, 02:13:10 PM
    As I declutter, I've discovered that I am really bad at putting things away when I'm done with them. All these years I thought it was my kids! Now faced with incontrovertible evidence I also need to adult up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 18, 2020, 02:22:59 PM
    I'm going to call this decluttering. I combined 2 car trips into one.

    I was initially planning to drive to the cable co to pay my monthly bill in person with cash  (save the stamp and check cost. Don't want to use credit card, they charge you $3.00 extra for that!)

    I was OK with wasting the gas and mileage since I just wanted to get out of the house anyway. But... after paying the bill, I remembered that Aldi's food store  was close by. Hopped over to Aldi's and scored big on cheap good food, in same car trip. For the Win!     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 18, 2020, 09:28:07 PM
    The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳 In its place is today's mail, which will sit for a few days for decontamination.  This will be an easy pile to get through, so I'm happy to declare No Doom Pile even though there is still a stack rather than a clear spot on the counter.

    The Pile of Doom™ is back. I'm sure none of the mail from Sept 8 is still around, but I just don't process the new stuff as fast as it arrives (postal mail and other sources of paper).  Work on this is resuming: sorting, phone calls and checking things online. It's frustrating that nothing can be tossed yet, but I'm determined to vanquish the Pile of Doom by Nov 30. Posting for accountability.

    What is coming in that you can stop from coming in? That would help slow the accumulation. At the same time, can you change up your routine to help deal with at least some of it faster? If you throw all the mail into a pile, yet 2/3 of it is the junk flyers and can be tossed, set the routine to throw out the junk immediately.

    Junk mail is chucked ASAP, thankfully. I am a paper hoarder and give too much significance to anything printed or written on dead tree pulp. In this pile are various "action item" papers:

    • coupons (need to find a time to go to the drug store to use)
    • statement from therapist - needed a phone call, done today
    • various ID documents needed for RealID, but DMV is not making appointments right now
    • various documents needed to renew passport - will get photo after T-day
    • dunno what else


    It's all random stuff. Even though I called the therapist, I need to keep the paper because she didn't answer and I couldn't resolve the issue that piece of paper represented.

    The problem is I don't want to adult. So the Pile builds until I can't stand the mess.

    Ah. I understand. There are times I also don't want to adult, luckily mine aren't frequent enough to cause this problem. You might find it helpful to designate 30 minutes to tackle the need-to-adult pile on a weekly basis or whatever. That limits the time spent (though you can certainly extend it once you start), yet also keeps the need-to-adult pile under control.

    I just discovered the Minimal Mom YouTube channel today. She has a very simple organization system for paper clutter. The thing that stood out to me was the 'Time Will Tell' basket. It's for all those coupons and flyers that you *might* use, but don't have a home. Then once a month you go through and trash/recycle the stuff you didn't use. Might be a solution for the need-to-adult pile until you get the motivation :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 18, 2020, 09:37:37 PM
    Went through the closet AGAIN today and found two more bags of clothes and shoes. If I didn't wear it this summer, out it goes, it's not going back in the tub for next summer. Found a few kitchen items and a dozen hangers that I don't need now that the closet is pared down.

    The old mattress is on the porch for donation pickup tomorrow along with a moving blanket they might be able to use for future pickups.

    Drove across the metro area to meet up for a FB sale for a higher-dollar item. I mapped out all the errands I needed to do (except the Goodwill drop-off since they were already closed). I made a giant loop that involved returns to Target and a department store and stopping in at Aldi for a little grocery shop and gas at Sam's Club. No back-tracking and no wasted mileage.

    I popped into Dollar Tree but they didn't have what I wanted so I popped right back out. Nothing purchased at Target either--just a refund and dropped off the plastic bag recycling. At the department store I returned a gift and was able to get a new clothing item I needed plus some on-sale treats (I didn't want a gift card with like $0.32 hanging out in my wallet, so I was ok with spending $1.29 for *chocolate*. That I will *of course* share and not eat all by myself. Fingers crossed.)

    So I netted over $100 and got rid of several items that were piling up to be returned or recycled. Once I drop off the truckload at Goodwill tomorrow afternoon, I should be good!

    But I've said that several times upthread and keep finding more stuff :P
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 18, 2020, 11:00:48 PM
    The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳

    The Pile of Doom™ is back.

    The problem is I don't want to adult. So the Pile builds until I can't stand the mess.

    Ah. I understand. There are times I also don't want to adult, luckily mine aren't frequent enough to cause this problem. You might find it helpful to designate 30 minutes to tackle the need-to-adult pile on a weekly basis or whatever. That limits the time spent (though you can certainly extend it once you start), yet also keeps the need-to-adult pile under control.

    This would be helpful. Maybe even 30 minutes a month? Hmm....


    I just discovered the Minimal Mom YouTube channel today. She has a very simple organization system for paper clutter. The thing that stood out to me was the 'Time Will Tell' basket. It's for all those coupons and flyers that you *might* use, but don't have a home. Then once a month you go through and trash/recycle the stuff you didn't use. Might be a solution for the need-to-adult pile until you get the motivation :)

    I will keep this in mind as I dig into the pile more. There might be enough to justify a Time Will Tell basket.


    @happy ouch, painful discovery! Let's level up out adulting together, along with all out friends on the declutter thread! :)

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 19, 2020, 07:55:21 AM
    The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳

    The Pile of Doom™ is back.

    The problem is I don't want to adult. So the Pile builds until I can't stand the mess.

    Ah. I understand. There are times I also don't want to adult, luckily mine aren't frequent enough to cause this problem. You might find it helpful to designate 30 minutes to tackle the need-to-adult pile on a weekly basis or whatever. That limits the time spent (though you can certainly extend it once you start), yet also keeps the need-to-adult pile under control.

    This would be helpful. Maybe even 30 minutes a month? Hmm....


    I just discovered the Minimal Mom YouTube channel today. She has a very simple organization system for paper clutter. The thing that stood out to me was the 'Time Will Tell' basket. It's for all those coupons and flyers that you *might* use, but don't have a home. Then once a month you go through and trash/recycle the stuff you didn't use. Might be a solution for the need-to-adult pile until you get the motivation :)

    I will keep this in mind as I dig into the pile more. There might be enough to justify a Time Will Tell basket.


    @happy ouch, painful discovery! Let's level up out adulting together, along with all out friends on the declutter thread! :)

    I have a friend who swears by this system. She previously struggled a lot with paper. I know there are paid options for her whole program but I think all the Sunday basket info is free.

    https://organize365.com/the-sunday-basket
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on November 19, 2020, 10:13:03 AM
    I use a slightly adapted version of Freedom Filer for my paper clutter and it works great.  The trick for me is monthly folders - it gives me a place to put "not sure if I need to keep" items along with "keep for a limited time" items, and they get purged when that month comes around again.  I think Freedom Filer recommends two years worth but I only have one year worth and that's enough.  Having a designated place to keep receipts (the monthly folder) has saved my butt a few times.  This article roughly describes it.  https://www.freedomfiler.com/pages/filing-system-university I set it up without buying any of the special products they offer - just regular hanging files and color coded tabs.  It takes about 2 minutes a month to maintain the system.

    Freedom Filer only takes care of the reference part of the filing system though - I still have two paper trays on my desk, one for action items and one for unopened mail that I know is important but I haven't taken care of yet.  I love the idea of a designated day to attend to those items, will check out the Sunday Basket idea.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 19, 2020, 02:40:31 PM
    I have a friend who swears by this system. She previously struggled a lot with paper. I know there are paid options for her whole program but I think all the Sunday basket info is free.

    https://organize365.com/the-sunday-basket

    This system seems useful. I have good systems for archive and permanent papers. It's the action papers that are the struggle. Between Sibley's suggestion and this system, it may be time to schedule a recurring task (probably not Sunday, tho :)


    I use a slightly adapted version of Freedom Filer for my paper clutter and it works great.  The trick for me is monthly folders - it gives me a place to put "not sure if I need to keep" items along with "keep for a limited time" items, and they get purged when that month comes around again.  I think Freedom Filer recommends two years worth but I only have one year worth and that's enough.  Having a designated place to keep receipts (the monthly folder) has saved my butt a few times.  This article roughly describes it.  https://www.freedomfiler.com/pages/filing-system-university I set it up without buying any of the special products they offer - just regular hanging files and color coded tabs.  It takes about 2 minutes a month to maintain the system.

    Freedom Filer only takes care of the reference part of the filing system though - I still have two paper trays on my desk, one for action items and one for unopened mail that I know is important but I haven't taken care of yet.  I love the idea of a designated day to attend to those items, will check out the Sunday Basket idea.

    This is complicated, but I think I do a version of it for my reference papers.  Fortunately, I do follow this advice for Trash...get rid of ASAP!

    Inspired by this conversation, I've gotten the pile down quite a bit. I think the Time Will Tell basket and scheduling the work should be my next steps.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 20, 2020, 07:46:59 AM
    FWIW, my system is:

    -immediately open all mail. Discard junk. Anything that's just for filing goes into the filing pile. Anything I need to deal with gets put into the desk.
    -Each weekend, I grab my checkbook and anything I need to deal with from the desk, pay bills, balance as needed, etc. If something needs dealing with during business hours, it junks up my little table by the couch so I remember to get to it.
    -I divert a lot of paper from coming in by switching most bills to online only.

    The desk is usually a mess, but it closes so you can't see the mess. The filing pile tends to sit until I feel like dealing with it, I need to get into the files, or am moving the file box for cleaning. Whichever comes first.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 20, 2020, 08:26:06 AM
    You see posts in this thread when someone has not been able to sell something for a long time finally decides to give it to charity. What they really are doing is giving the organisation an expense instead of a gift.

    I'll definitely think about this before I donate any unsold items. 

    My assumption was that different people might want the items who don't use Marketplace or eBay.  But my goal is to get stuff to the people who want/need it - not to contribute money to an organization through a donation of things.

    Sometimes it just takes a while to find a buyer.  Yesterday I sold something that I had listed on eBay 2 years and 2 months ago!  Since I started decluttering with no end-date, I can hang out and wait for that to happen.  Hopefully reducing the amount of trash I have to deal with when I finally move.

    There are plenty of things the Salvation Army would want, and be able to sell, that simply don't sell at flea markets or garage sales.

    One example is 3 ring paper binders. You see them for sale at Walmart for $3 to $5 apiece. I have sold some of these for 50 cents at a flea market last year. This year no one wants them, for some reason.

    But at least I know I can get rid of them by donation to the S.A.  I have actually seen a guy buying one of these binders at a Goodwill store  at the register. It was $1, I think.     

    I don't worry too much about whether the donated item will have to be thrown out. At least it will probably be in a full dumpster, so the diesel fuel burned to hoist the dumpster around will be efficiently used, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 20, 2020, 08:52:23 AM
    There are plenty of things the Salvation Army would want, and be able to sell, that simply don't sell at flea markets or garage sales.

    One example is 3 ring paper binders. You see them for sale at Walmart for $3 to $5 apiece. I have sold some of these for 50 cents at a flea market last year. This year no one wants them, for some reason.

    But at least I know I can get rid of them by donation to the S.A.  I have actually seen a guy buying one of these binders at a Goodwill store  at the register. It was $1, I think.     

    I don't worry too much about whether the donated item will have to be thrown out. At least it will probably be in a full dumpster, so the diesel fuel burned to hoist the dumpster around will be efficiently used, lol.

    I sold a ton of 3-ring binders in February - a garbage bag-full of them through FB Marketplace.  I had them listed as "as many as you want" for $5, and someone wanted them all - I was happy to be rid of them.

    I assume that thrift shops can sell things for less than I'm willing to - the effort for me to sell something for $1 is probably more than it's worth for me and the buyer, but people shopping at a thrift shop would be more willing to purchase these things in combination with others.

    Since my last update, I've sold another 4 things on Marketplace by offering shipping and increasing my "audience".
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on November 20, 2020, 09:04:09 AM
    Locally our thrift stores won’t accept china cabinets, armoires and entertainment centers because they cannot sell them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on November 20, 2020, 01:07:25 PM
    I took the apple box back to the orchard when I was in the area for something else.  Alas. They are out of apples for the season but that means we won’t have any more boxes hanging around the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on November 20, 2020, 01:21:58 PM
    I am now trying to sell our workshop full of wood tools.   At least the tools worth $40-$200 at bargain used prices.  There are a lot, as we are moving to a place without a workshop space.   Normally I would have a tool garage sale, but with Covid, any ideas?  CL will take a long time and they are too heavy to reasonably ship.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 20, 2020, 02:27:24 PM
    Locally our thrift stores won’t accept china cabinets, armoires and entertainment centers because they cannot sell them.

    People don’t want armoires?  Huh.  I love them - they create so much more floor space than a dresser and hold tons of stuff.  China cabinets and entertainment centres I can understand.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 20, 2020, 05:20:01 PM
    I am now trying to sell our workshop full of wood tools.   At least the tools worth $40-$200 at bargain used prices.  There are a lot, as we are moving to a place without a workshop space.   Normally I would have a tool garage sale, but with Covid, any ideas?  CL will take a long time and they are too heavy to reasonably ship.


    Those tools are the sort of thing that would sell quickly at a flea market, if you have any nearby.

    By the way, I don't see why you couldn't have an outdoor yard sale to sell them, with social distancing and masks on. Are yard sales prohibited where you live?

    And you might get lucky with Craigslist, if you give it a try.

    Good luck.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 20, 2020, 08:17:01 PM

    [snip]

    I had been looking for a different paper in the paper stack (only one stack these days, woot!), and felt up to dealing with these & another envelope that arrived not too long ago.

    Ha, ha! Two years ago, I was so excited to have just *one* stack of papers. Now with hedonic adaptation, I'm irritated to have one whole stack of papers.


    FWIW, my system is:

    -immediately open all mail. Discard junk. Anything that's just for filing goes into the filing pile. Anything I need to deal with gets put into the desk.
    -Each weekend, I grab my checkbook and anything I need to deal with from the desk, pay bills, balance as needed, etc. If something needs dealing with during business hours, it junks up my little table by the couch so I remember to get to it.
    -I divert a lot of paper from coming in by switching most bills to online only.

    The desk is usually a mess, but it closes so you can't see the mess. The filing pile tends to sit until I feel like dealing with it, I need to get into the files, or am moving the file box for cleaning. Whichever comes first.

    I definitely get rid of junk ASAP and also have all bills not only delivered online, but paid automatically.

    Made good progress today.


    *adulting delayed
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on November 20, 2020, 11:17:35 PM
    I am now trying to sell our workshop full of wood tools.   At least the tools worth $40-$200 at bargain used prices.  There are a lot, as we are moving to a place without a workshop space.   Normally I would have a tool garage sale, but with Covid, any ideas?  CL will take a long time and they are too heavy to reasonably ship.


    Those tools are the sort of thing that would sell quickly at a flea market, if you have any nearby.

    By the way, I don't see why you couldn't have an outdoor yard sale to sell them, with social distancing and masks on. Are yard sales prohibited where you live?

    And you might get lucky with Craigslist, if you give it a try.

    Good luck.

    Not prohibitted, but people are on stepped up "locked down" - masks in public are mandatory, told not to socialize outside of your household for a few weeks, eliminate non-essential travel.  My guess is to flatten the curve before christmas season is here.  It will be hard to keep people apart for all of the holiday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 21, 2020, 02:02:18 PM
    I went through two dresser drawers today and donated a bunch of tshirts and bras that were still good (ie never worn), and threw out the rest.

    I am counting this as decluttering, since I used something I had instead of buying something new. I needed an impossible skinny (15") side table for my guest bedroom. After scouring used sites and not finding anything suitable, I looked around in my basement and found a crate that will do in a pinch. It's not really tall enough, but it will be better than nothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on November 21, 2020, 02:41:15 PM
    @Prairie Gal I’ve also got a crate for a night stand that is too short. I built a foundation for it out of books and brought it right up to bed height. I like to think it looks creative and not cheap. ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 21, 2020, 11:21:55 PM
    Dropped off the trunkload at Goodwill the next day like I said I would. Major progress there!
    Came home and immediately filled some more bags. I'm getting into the sentimental stuff and gifted items now, which is a harder layer. I continue to watch decluttering and minimalist videos on YouTube, which is helping.
    I've still got the pile of items I'll try to sell on the kitchen table. Need to get motivation to actually post them. I have $164 more dollars to meet my sales goal this year and the tableful will help.
    The mattress was picked up by the charity. They left the moving blanket behind so I trashed it.
    Cleaned out the junk drawer and it only has a handful of items. I only have 4 drawers in my kitchen--I can't afford space for junk!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on November 22, 2020, 11:41:21 AM
    16 things gifted on Buy Nothing - 14 gone and 2 awaiting pickup.

    Have some other donations I'll take care of this week - outgrown diapers and diaper doublers for a food bank and eyeglasses to the Lions Club.

    I also found two LED lightbulbs to return to the home store, so that'll be something out of the house and a little money back.

    Honestly I've made a ton of progress on decluttering - the difficult part is maintenance of neat and organized living spaces.  I've been working on the kids and picking up.  We've got a long way to go, but I'm counting any progress as a win.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 23, 2020, 05:37:42 AM
    16 things gifted on Buy Nothing - 14 gone and 2 awaiting pickup.

    Have some other donations I'll take care of this week - outgrown diapers and diaper doublers for a food bank and eyeglasses to the Lions Club.

    I also found two LED lightbulbs to return to the home store, so that'll be something out of the house and a little money back.

    Honestly I've made a ton of progress on decluttering - the difficult part is maintenance of neat and organized living spaces.  I've been working on the kids and picking up.  We've got a long way to go, but I'm counting any progress as a win.


    Does anyone have advice on how to teach this? I am naturally a picker upper/putter awayer. If I have something in my hand I don't drop it on the nearest horizontal surface, I put it away (or at the very least contain it to a "things I need to put away" pile.

    I was helping my son with his room yesterday, he is 13. He walked his book to his room and dropped it on his bed. The correct "put away" place is 2 feet to the right on the top of his bookshelf. It would take literally 0 more time to set it two feet to the right. Then it would be done! I don't know how to teach this to him, all my attempts have failed. Maybe I just can't because his brain doesn't work like that?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on November 23, 2020, 06:04:31 AM
    16 things gifted on Buy Nothing - 14 gone and 2 awaiting pickup.

    Have some other donations I'll take care of this week - outgrown diapers and diaper doublers for a food bank and eyeglasses to the Lions Club.

    I also found two LED lightbulbs to return to the home store, so that'll be something out of the house and a little money back.

    Honestly I've made a ton of progress on decluttering - the difficult part is maintenance of neat and organized living spaces.  I've been working on the kids and picking up.  We've got a long way to go, but I'm counting any progress as a win.


    Does anyone have advice on how to teach this? I am naturally a picker upper/putter awayer. If I have something in my hand I don't drop it on the nearest horizontal surface, I put it away (or at the very least contain it to a "things I need to put away" pile.

    I was helping my son with his room yesterday, he is 13. He walked his book to his room and dropped it on his bed. The correct "put away" place is 2 feet to the right on the top of his bookshelf. It would take literally 0 more time to set it two feet to the right. Then it would be done! I don't know how to teach this to him, all my attempts have failed. Maybe I just can't because his brain doesn't work like that?
    I think the error here is thinking that "putting away" is a separate task from what has gone before.  What you might try teaching is that the job (whatever it is, and it might just be finishing reading his book for the day) is not complete until everything is ready for you to start the next job, or re-start the same job.  So if you have read a chapter of the book the job of reading is finished not when you finish reading the book but when the book is where it belongs and can be picked up from its proper place to start reading the next chapter.  Similarly, undressing is not completed when the clothes are off, it is completed when the clothes are in the proper place for their next use, either in the laundry hamper or put away ready to be brought out again when needed.  Taking out the trash is only completed when a new trash bag is in the bin.

    I learnt this when reading something about how a tradesman, such as a carpenter or mechanic, works.  If you treat putting tools back where they belong once a job is done then you are always ready for the next job, you never lose or accidentally break or damage your tools.  I found it an enormously useful reframing of how to get things done.  It sounds to me as though its something you do naturally, in fact you do it so naturally you haven't realised its something that needs to be taught to most people.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 23, 2020, 06:10:58 AM
    I was helping my son with his room yesterday, he is 13. He walked his book to his room and dropped it on his bed. The correct "put away" place is 2 feet to the right on the top of his bookshelf. It would take literally 0 more time to set it two feet to the right. Then it would be done! I don't know how to teach this to him, all my attempts have failed. Maybe I just can't because his brain doesn't work like that?

    I don’t have kids, but I remember being one.  My room was always a disaster (part of it might have been having to share with my sister and not having full control).  But I turned into a tidy person as an adult.  We did have to clean our room periodically, but were not harped on to keep it tidy.  We also had lots of chores to help out around the house, so we learned about cleaning even if we weren’t choosing to do it on our own at that point.  I wouldn’t worry about it too much, eventually what you’re teaching will have an impact.

    I’m still mystified about which of my things sell quickly.  Yesterday I listed a coaster set (no box, but never really used), and it sold in an hour!  I’m also setting out a mirror to be picked up - yay for a larger item gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 23, 2020, 07:30:05 AM
    Yesterday we had a huge snowfall.  Perfect snow for making snow sculpting and snow ball fights. All the snow pants got tried on - three pairs don't fit anyone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on November 23, 2020, 01:28:11 PM
    I was helping my son with his room yesterday, he is 13. He walked his book to his room and dropped it on his bed. The correct "put away" place is 2 feet to the right on the top of his bookshelf. It would take literally 0 more time to set it two feet to the right. Then it would be done! I don't know how to teach this to him, all my attempts have failed. Maybe I just can't because his brain doesn't work like that?

    I don’t have kids, but I remember being one.  My room was always a disaster (part of it might have been having to share with my sister and not having full control).  But I turned into a tidy person as an adult.  We did have to clean our room periodically, but were not harped on to keep it tidy.  We also had lots of chores to help out around the house, so we learned about cleaning even if we weren’t choosing to do it on our own at that point.  I wouldn’t worry about it too much, eventually what you’re teaching will have an impact.

    I’m still mystified about which of my things sell quickly.  Yesterday I listed a coaster set (no box, but never really used), and it sold in an hour!  I’m also setting out a mirror to be picked up - yay for a larger item gone.

    Where does he put the book when he goes to bed? I have adopted the strategy to put everything away  before going to bed. It takes me about five minutes every evening to put things in their place if I haven’t immediately put everything away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on November 23, 2020, 02:05:28 PM
    We completed several wood working projects over the weekend using up wood we had stored, improving storage spaces, AND we even put the tools away promptly afterward!  I rebuilt nicer, prettier legs for our dining table.  My spouse moved a shelf on his office bookshelf so that now it is spaced appropriately to hold his tall binders.  I built a not very pretty but perfectly useful bookshelf for my home office space.  All from things we had on hand.

    This lead to a good clean up and putting away of things and the house feels so nice today. I'm still working on organizing my work space, but it's already such an improvement.






    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 23, 2020, 03:11:42 PM
    @MayDay, I use the strategy of “like goes with like,” so all the books are in one place.  To your son, putting away might be completed as long as his things are in his room.  And he is a 13 year old boy, so that might be all you can expect from him.  As long as it’s not creating work for you, maybe it’s good enough?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 24, 2020, 11:55:11 AM
    Found some dusty and grimey areas on kitchen counter while looking for stuff to move or throw out. Cleaned that area with dish deterg and water, then noticed fridge door seal was (and has been) awfully grimey also, so wiped it clean with paper towel and water.

    Rediscovered a 32 ounce tub of frozen peaches, now thawed, in fridge.  Totally brown, yuch, even though seal still intact. Instructions say they are only good for 5 days in fridge after thawing (who knew?) , and they are waaaay past that, so I feel entitled to just toss them out, and will feel mainly good about it.

     Found 2 packets some powdered drink called Postum. Made one up with hot water. Didn't like it, poured it out. Yes! You can do it, Slackmax! Go, Go !  I then tossed out the remaining unopened packet. And recycled the small glass jar they were in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on November 24, 2020, 12:06:51 PM
    @slackmax I grew up with a parent hoarder. Every time you post a success I feel a bit of that struggle and feel like I know a bit about how long and hard your journey is.  You are doing so much. It’s wonderful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 24, 2020, 04:22:19 PM
    Yes! You can do it, Slackmax! Go, Go ! 

    +1

    :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 24, 2020, 07:57:52 PM
    Way to go @slackmax! You deserve to have tasty, healthy food. No sense keeping foodstuffs you don't like.

    Put an end table, storage container, and throw pillow on the curb. Put an air mattress and its storage tub on Buy Nothing. Several asks, we'll see who takes it away.

    Sold a board game on Marketplace today and the buyer is on their way. Listed three more items. I keep telling myself it's perfect timing with gift buying season coming up, so many people will be looking

    Used up four containers of lotions and other toiletries this week.

    Pulled a quart bag of costume jewelry that was nice enough to donate, threw away the worn or broken stuff. Now it's down to what I actually wear, which is very little. I'm eyeing another necklace that may be too far gone to save. Tossed out the weird phone-cord-like ponytail holders that do not work for me. Tossed all the stretched out ponytail elastics and put a new package in my Amazon cart to add to my next order.

    I don't make a grocery list on scratch paper anymore. I open my Instacart app or the Amazon app and immediately add the item to my cart. Then when I'm ready to order, everything is already there and doesn't have to be transferred from paper. Was able to throw all the scrap paper I saved for grocery lists away. Decided to clean out the entire junk drawer and rehome the few items I wanted to keep. Now it's a serving utensils drawer! My kitchen is too small for junk.

    Feeling very motivated from watching The Minimal Mom's YouTube videos!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 25, 2020, 08:21:22 AM
    PMG, oneday, and okcisok,  Thanks for the encouragement!   :) 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on November 25, 2020, 03:02:38 PM
    Towel, blanket, pillow taken from old home and intended as donation... successfully donated. YES.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 25, 2020, 05:34:45 PM
    I’m proud of you Slackmax!  Has my nagging paid off?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 26, 2020, 06:23:28 AM
    Thanks all for the ideas on messy 13 year olds. I have been harping on "the task is not finished until ______" for awhile. In particular for trumpet practice- he has a log that he has to turn in for his band grade. Trumpet practice is not done until you write on your log!. Lol. This doesn't work. Every day I still send him back to his room to write on his log.

    I think the advice to just give up is probably best.

    In decluttering news I cleaned out the kitchen junk drawer. We had 4 highlighters in the kitchen. WHY.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 26, 2020, 07:32:17 AM
    I’m proud of you Slackmax!  Has my nagging paid off?

    I guess so, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 26, 2020, 01:01:57 PM
    I’m proud of you Slackmax!  Has my nagging paid off?

    I guess so, lol. 

    Well then, I consider my job done!  (Dusts off hands.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 26, 2020, 08:44:33 PM
    Decluttered the cupboard of the cornbread mix. Yummy.

    Also gave most of a bag of charcoal to my friend when I went over to say hi today. I have a mini grill, but I don't use it. I have it for other people to grill on it. I don't need to store a bag of charcoal, this is at most a once a year thing. There is another bag in the garage, but it is less readily accessible so I left it for now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 27, 2020, 04:47:36 PM
    Another day... more decluttering! I am working on figuring out digestive problems with the cat. I suspect food intolerance, so am trying different foods. Dropped off a bag of wet food that was rejected/I think are problems to the shelter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 27, 2020, 05:59:29 PM
    I have been harping on "the task is not finished until ______" for awhile.

    This...I never realised that I habitually don't complete the task in terms of putting things away routinely.  I mean I'm not a slob, but a lot of my clutter is because I didn't put x,y or z away when I'm finished using it. Often I'm in a hurry and think I will get that later.  And so forth with a variety of excuses. I'm practicing "finish the task"...eg new item comes into house...needs to be unpacked, packaging disposed of, and a place needs to be found for it to live.  Mail: open, dispose of excess paper/plastic covering/deal with contents. I had a pile of items I decided to declutter sit on my kitchen island for 2 months....doh! I didn't really declutter them, just displayed them!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on November 27, 2020, 11:55:52 PM
    Went op shopping this morning and bought a cornflower blue running top and multicoloured long cardigan, so came home and put 2 grey tops and 2 cardigans in the donation bag. I had been gravitating to grey clothes which wash me out and are so boring so am swapping them for colour. And I get such a rush from doing the '1 thing in, 2 things out' shuffle.

    The school year is over, so I will sort through my son's textbooks and see what I can sell. He has no need for his ridiculously expensive Texas Instruments calculator so I will sell that too. Only 1 more year of school to go!

    Next up is going through the bookselves again as I have bought a few 2nd hand and new books for my birthday. Books are my kryptonite so it will only be 1 for 1.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 28, 2020, 01:06:08 AM
    Posting for accountability: Room Mate and I share a hobby.  Today we jointly decluttered our hobby accessories. Not a lot volume wise, but nice to clear out unused bits. I also got to reorganize my hobby cupboard; it is pleasing and more functional.

    I have volunteered to advertise the items to the hobby group and handle the distribution.  Tomorrow!

    Also tomorrow: finish seasoning the cast iron so it can be put away rather than cluttering up the countertop.

    Done! The items are listed and the pan is more or less seasoned.  Woo!

    Well not all the hobby items were claimed, so I finally posted in another forum and they are claimed! Posting for accountability: will arrange no-contact drop off this weekend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 28, 2020, 02:14:36 AM
    I turned flat beer (didn't quite seal completely) into delicious beer bread, which we ate for dinner.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 28, 2020, 09:01:22 AM
    -Sold car mats for a car we no longer have. $20 in, junk out of the garage.
    -Gave away a puzzle as soon as we finished it, via BuyNothing
    -Listed other car mats on local neighborhood swap. (I'm not in charge of buying car accessories, but it appears we have too many!)
    -Teenager has outgrown pants (it's finally pants season again, after ~8 months), so I listed a pair on eBay. Unfortunately, had to order new pants, so not really clutter out, but at least not storing things we don't need
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on November 28, 2020, 09:46:17 AM
    Went op shopping this morning and bought a cornflower blue running top and multicoloured long cardigan, so came home and put 2 grey tops and 2 cardigans in the donation bag. I had been gravitating to grey clothes which wash me out and are so boring so am swapping them for colour. And I get such a rush from doing the '1 thing in, 2 things out' shuffle.

    The school year is over, so I will sort through my son's textbooks and see what I can sell. He has no need for his ridiculously expensive Texas Instruments calculator so I will sell that too. Only 1 more year of school to go!

    Next up is going through the bookselves again as I have bought a few 2nd hand and new books for my birthday. Books are my kryptonite so it will only be 1 for 1.

    I saved my TI graphing calculator for unknown reasons..... Never would have thought the current models would be exactly the same! Now my 13 year old is using it for Algebra. Not that I am advocating saving them for another 20 years haha.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 28, 2020, 10:19:22 AM
    Went op shopping this morning and bought a cornflower blue running top and multicoloured long cardigan, so came home and put 2 grey tops and 2 cardigans in the donation bag. I had been gravitating to grey clothes which wash me out and are so boring so am swapping them for colour. And I get such a rush from doing the '1 thing in, 2 things out' shuffle.

    The school year is over, so I will sort through my son's textbooks and see what I can sell. He has no need for his ridiculously expensive Texas Instruments calculator so I will sell that too. Only 1 more year of school to go!

    Next up is going through the bookselves again as I have bought a few 2nd hand and new books for my birthday. Books are my kryptonite so it will only be 1 for 1.

    I saved my TI graphing calculator for unknown reasons..... Never would have thought the current models would be exactly the same! Now my 13 year old is using it for Algebra. Not that I am advocating saving them for another 20 years haha.

    Love my TI from ~1994.  I used it through college (engineering) and during my career, though most of the functions were overkill.  Still have it sitting next to me at home, and use it daily, though usually just for simple math that any calculator could do (but I've never had to buy a calculator since I have this one from my parents).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 28, 2020, 11:27:43 AM
    I still have an old calculator.  I don't use it much but can't bear to ditch it.  I have a slide rule, totally sentimental, it was my Dad's  (electrical engineer).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 28, 2020, 12:38:21 PM
    Joining the TI calculator club!  Still have mine from stats classes 30 odd years ago and still use it regularly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 28, 2020, 06:04:11 PM
    Went op shopping this morning and bought a cornflower blue running top and multicoloured long cardigan, so came home and put 2 grey tops and 2 cardigans in the donation bag. I had been gravitating to grey clothes which wash me out and are so boring so am swapping them for colour. And I get such a rush from doing the '1 thing in, 2 things out' shuffle.

    The school year is over, so I will sort through my son's textbooks and see what I can sell. He has no need for his ridiculously expensive Texas Instruments calculator so I will sell that too. Only 1 more year of school to go!

    Next up is going through the bookselves again as I have bought a few 2nd hand and new books for my birthday. Books are my kryptonite so it will only be 1 for 1.

    I saved my TI graphing calculator for unknown reasons..... Never would have thought the current models would be exactly the same! Now my 13 year old is using it for Algebra. Not that I am advocating saving them for another 20 years haha.

    I was able to use this to my advantage! Saved mine for and used during college, which took me over a decade to complete. Was still able to sell it for decent coin, since it was still virtually the same as newer models.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 28, 2020, 06:55:38 PM
    Air mattress was picked up. The very next day, SO mentioned he could use my air mattress for something. I pointed out that I'd saved it for 5 years and we didn't use it, and I had given it away *the day before*. He shrugged and said, ok then, no worries. It wasn't even important enough to go buy one for what he had in mind. Moral of the story--don't keep things just in case!

    Have two more bags of donations by the back door waiting to fill completely before I take them to the donation center.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on November 28, 2020, 08:16:20 PM
    Air mattress was picked up. The very next day, SO mentioned he could use my air mattress for something. I pointed out that I'd saved it for 5 years and we didn't use it, and I had given it away *the day before*. He shrugged and said, ok then, no worries. It wasn't even important enough to go buy one for what he had in mind. Moral of the story--don't keep things just in case!

    Have two more bags of donations by the back door waiting to fill completely before I take them to the donation center.
    Ack.  About 2 months ago, I had a pile of misc. metal "free for pickup".  It included a large amount of house wiring (new), on partial spools from a home reno 10 years ago. Even some heavy stuff for a stove circuit. We are selling the home and don't want to store it anymore.   The day after it was picked up, I opened the wall where I was adding a closet door (for resale) and saw that a mystery wire was in the wall-- that needed rerouting and a new junction box.   

    I had to run out to buy 20 ft of house wire.  At least I still had one junction box left behind.   I am still glad to have gotten it out of the house and the lucky person who got $300 worth of wiring for free was very happy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 28, 2020, 08:34:08 PM
    After I ran all my errands yesterday, a bunch more popped up so I was out again today. Not my plan! But I did deliver the big bag of cat food that I forgot to take to the shelter yesterday. 20lb bag of dry food, out! (accidently ordered the wrong kind, don't want to deal with returning to Chewy.)

    also caulked in the book room, threw out an empty tube of caulk. Will finish up the rest of the caulk in the utility room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 29, 2020, 12:00:28 PM
    Returned an item I bought on Wednesday that I ended up not needing. I *did not* want to drive across town again to return it, but I wanted the money back in my account and the item out of my car. And I wanted to be able to post that it was done, so I did it. It took less than an hour and now the full amount I paid is back in my account. I didn't have to move it repeatedly or take pictures to sell it on the secondary market for less.

    Dropped off another trunk load of donations to Goodwill while I was out.

    Cut up an old pair of felted wool house shoes into insoles for my rubber boots. The boots are great, except in cold weather. I realized I was shying away from wearing them when it was cold and rainy because they felt so cold. Now they are so cozy! I came home after wearing them out and forgot to take them off because my feet were so warm and comfortable. One useless pair out and one less-than-desirable pair fixed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 01, 2020, 10:25:28 AM
    Finally primed the book room last night. 1 can is empty and drying out for the trash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 02, 2020, 12:30:12 PM
    Have identified a hand knit wool multicolored big floppy shirt that I was sure someone would want at the flea market ( but no interest) as destined for donation.
    Just a matter of time now. Next time I'm going that way, it goes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 02, 2020, 04:52:03 PM
    We went through the Christmas lights, if less than 2/3's of the lights were burnt out, off they went.  Now all the strings are up and will fit into a smaller box when they come down.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 02, 2020, 05:11:39 PM
    Ofpym cleared out a whole clutter corner the other day while I was in back-to-back meetings.
    this morning we are intermittently going through the overflowing with paper cube of our Billy bookcase and ripping up things we don't need to keep anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on December 03, 2020, 06:57:20 AM
    I sold a few things on FB marketplace recently and have a few more things going out today.

    I also FINALLY got DH to take the 15 year-old, only-semi-working TV out (the one that his buddy is supposed to fix).

    DH seems to be decluttering some.  One of the medications he takes has the side effect of compulsive behavior disorder, which has turned his packrat tendencies into borderline hoarding.  Now that the med seems to be leveling out, he's getting better.  Sorta.  I keep telling myself that at least it's not compulsive gambling...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 03, 2020, 05:59:33 PM
    I got some more items posted on Marketplace. I'll give it a week, then lower the price, then one more week and it gets donated.

    I've started decluttering tasks as well as things. Instead of dreading and putting off things like making appointments, untangling insurance issues, etc, I just do it as soon as it pops up. In the main, it's taken less time to just do it than mental energy to avoid doing it.

    And for new items coming in, I try to only touch it or decide about it once. No more putting mail aside to look through later, no more putting papers in a pile to look through when I get a minute. I just take the minute to put it away, do the task, or toss it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 03, 2020, 07:15:57 PM
    Spent half an hour sorting through some costume jewelry and low cost sterling jewelry, to get it ready for jewelry store clerks to evaluate. Small stuff, so no big decluttering, but it has to be done anyway. Felt good just knowing I had spent the time on it, toward the final goal of a decluttered house. 

    Finally took the quart tub of old blackened frozen peaches out of the fridge, threw out the peaches, rinsed and recycled the plastic tub. Less 'cold ballast' in fridge now, but one additional quart of open space.

    Took the big floppy knit shirt to salvation army and put it in the bin.

    Identified another book for donating to the library.



     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on December 03, 2020, 07:25:05 PM
    Trying to pass the baby stuff on quickly once we're done with it.  Out:
    - Newborn, 3-6 mo clothes, swaddles
    - Some pump parts I'm not using
    - Mobile we never used
    - Pregnancy books
    - Bassinet
    - And today, the baby swing!  Getting the tree tomorrow to replace it.

    Bassinet and swing are big wins, take up so much space.
    Sadly, we accepted a bunch of bulky toys recently from our neighbors so we're still in arrears on "stuff" in the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on December 04, 2020, 12:51:15 PM
    Identified a pair of pants for donation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 04, 2020, 05:47:57 PM
    Took a bag of lights to a coworker. I am peeling off the last layer of stuff in my house, getting deep into drawers and storage areas. I was going to donate the bag and she mentioned wanting some. She was super happy with them and I got them out of my house. Now I have two more empty plastic storage boxes to get rid of.

    Update on no junk drawer--I'm really enjoying having that drawer back in my kitchen. The big serving spoon and spatula fit perfectly in there, right by the stove and fridge. Why did I ever think I needed to devote an entire drawer to rubber bands and scrap paper?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 04, 2020, 09:13:11 PM
    Update on no junk drawer--I'm really enjoying having that drawer back in my kitchen. The big serving spoon and spatula fit perfectly in there, right by the stove and fridge. Why did I ever think I needed to devote an entire drawer to rubber bands and scrap paper?

    My kitchen is big enough that I have a junk drawer AND a junk cabinet.  When I move, the junk draw goes directly to the trash (saying that for accountability!), until then, it's not space I would otherwise use.  Today I happened to throw away 2 tubes of super glue from the junk drawer that had hardened, as well as some craft glue from the craft closet that's not any good (looking for something to repair a coffee table drawer that fell apart for no discernable reason).

    I went through all my printed-out recipes in the kitchen today - threw out some that I know I didn't like, and the rest I am going to put in a binder for easier use and storage.  It appears I don't have a 3-hole punch, which seems impossible considering how many 3-ring binders I got rid of earlier this year.  Did I never have one, or did my XH take it when he moved out 10 years ago?  I guess I'll never know...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 05, 2020, 06:37:35 AM
    NotJen, if you have (oops, buy?) those plastic sleeves for papers, they have the holes for the binder and the plastic will protect your recipes from splatters.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 05, 2020, 06:56:53 AM
    NotJen, if you have (oops, buy?) those plastic sleeves for papers, they have the holes for the binder and the plastic will protect your recipes from splatters.

    I might have a few of those sleeves.  I do have a 1-hole punch I can use, it will just be a little more work.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: sb510 on December 05, 2020, 08:24:13 AM
    New to this thread! I actually sorted through a lot of old clothing earlier this year but haven't managed to donate/get rid of all of them yet. My remaining clothes fit into two medium-sized wire baskets and my wardrobe is otherwise empty, which is an odd but liberating feeling. I'd also love to use up most/all of my skincare in the next two-three months before repurchasing only the stuff I actually need. Does anyone have any experience with this? Paper clutter is also an issue I'd like to tackle, although I might start with one pile in one part of the house instead of Marie Kondo-ing it like I did with clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 05, 2020, 10:52:53 AM
    NotJen, if you have (oops, buy?) those plastic sleeves for papers, they have the holes for the binder and the plastic will protect your recipes from splatters.

    I might have a few of those sleeves.  I do have a 1-hole punch I can use, it will just be a little more work.

    I used some old photo albums, the kind with the peelable plastic on the cardboard pages for recipes.  The recipes stick to the page and don't slide around and it's still wipeable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 05, 2020, 11:22:29 AM
    But the splatters were what I used to pull my favorite recipes out of the pile!  All are successfully in a binder now - and the cabinet over the microwave holds only that one binder.

    Sold some wineglasses last night and a large planter this morning on FB.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on December 05, 2020, 01:41:16 PM
    Whew, successful day today! In prep of Christmas and because I get sick of looking at stuff on surfaces, I did some decluttering.

    Gone (well in a box by the car to get dropped off):
    -an Aloe plant that did not give me joy because it kept trying to tip over
    -5 crystal glasses that were a wedding present, did not bring me joy
    -1 pair of pants that was too tight/clingy for work but which I will never wear outside of work (too dressy)
    -a couple shirts that I haven't worn in a year
    -a cool toy that a neighbor gave us, but that after the initial novelty we have no use for
    -a few other odds and ends

    Also cleaned out old fully melted candles from.the fireplace.

    But coming in: a dog and all his supplies! We are adopting a 6 lb, 8 year old yorkie!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 05, 2020, 04:19:19 PM
    @MayDay Yay for a dog! and now you have made space for him!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 05, 2020, 06:39:14 PM
    Sold: 4 crystal glasses, a makeup sample, & a book

    Went through my stationery area. Gave away 25+ greeting cards, a few birthday treat bags, St. Patrick's Day treat bags, gift card holders, & a bunch of other stuff through Buy Nothing.

    When I'm feeling better, I'm planning to re-organize the entire cupboard.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 05, 2020, 08:01:16 PM
    Tiny wins
    - I am letting myself abandon a book at the 25% mark and that will be going to the nearest street library when I go for a walk once it cools down a little.
    - I also threw out the jar of semi-dried tomatoes that had gone creepy looking and the well out of date packet of vegan queso that we were never ever going to make up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on December 06, 2020, 10:16:30 AM
    More successful decluttering over here:

    1 large box of clothes that DD outgrew or doesn't like. People need to stop buying her clothes because she has gotten picky! Gone are the days of dressing her up in cute outfits.

    1 tub of misc stuff (toys) that the kids aren't quite ready then part with, but are willing to pack up in the garage "for now".

    Came in: 1 dog sweater, green with a red bow to look like a Christmas package. Lolol I crack myself up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on December 06, 2020, 10:28:20 AM
    Finished decluttering my closet because I lost weight. Someone gave my husband 5 boxes of inside Xmas lights which are going and I need to go through our coffee mugs and then donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 07, 2020, 09:23:21 AM
    DD suggested that we go through all the Christmas decorations and give away anything we don't use.  I did a huge purge last year by myself as I put everything away but amazing to have a kid on board with the decluttering.  (Could it be that she is avoiding doing her own stuff?) 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 07, 2020, 10:29:47 AM
    DD suggested that we go through all the Christmas decorations and give away anything we don't use.  I did a huge purge last year by myself as I put everything away but amazing to have a kid on board with the decluttering.  (Could it be that she is avoiding doing her own stuff?)

    She is getting in practice, exercising her decluttering muscles.

    We hope.   ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on December 07, 2020, 11:01:10 AM
    Accidental decluttering: cracked a champagne flute, tossed it out.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on December 07, 2020, 12:26:32 PM
    Burned old tax, home loan and refinance documents via the burn barrel.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on December 07, 2020, 12:27:27 PM
    I did a big digital declutter because my dropbox was getting full. I also need to send my work computer to IT soon and wanted a nice, clean back up first. I didn't realize how much mental energy was being taken up wading through an old file organization system that wasn't serving me anymore. Much better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 07, 2020, 05:55:08 PM
    NotJen, if you have (oops, buy?) those plastic sleeves for papers, they have the holes for the binder and the plastic will protect your recipes from splatters.

    I might have a few of those sleeves.  I do have a 1-hole punch I can use, it will just be a little more work.

    This is how I store my recipes. They wipe right off, they're easy to clean, and easy to reorganize. When the pages get too gross, I just switch out the page and keep the recipe.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 07, 2020, 06:44:45 PM
    Listed 9 new things to FB Marketplace over the last couple of days.  Most were from the pile I was supposed to deal with a long time ago, and some were things around the house that caught my eye.  One item already went to the post office, and the others are put away in the 'eBay closet'.  There are still a couple of things left in the pile that I either need to list or throw away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 08, 2020, 10:31:41 AM
    Made up the last pouch of powdered pudding mix, so I recycled the box. Not bringing any more pudding mix into the house.

    Similarly, found old package of powdered alfredo mix in fridge. Used some of it yesterday, will eventually use it all up, not replace.   

    Still enjoying, and noticing, the extra space in the fridge since I got rid of the old quart container of peaches.

    Found an old empty jar of kikkoman soy sauce in a cabinet. Keeping it cuz it looks so interesting, and cuz I have been so good at using up, and recycling containers for a lot of the other stuff in there.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 08, 2020, 06:59:44 PM
    -Listed four Papyrus sealed gift card holders this weekend on eBay. Sold, & they are on their way to their new owner.
    -Decluttered & organized stationery drawer, & turned previous large tub into container for school supplies. Entire area is much better organized, easy to use, & tidier.
    -Went through & adjusted eBay listings to group like items, adjust pricing, etc. Made a quick sale this afternoon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on December 09, 2020, 04:04:58 PM
    Partner got some hand-me-down clothes from a friend; he took what he wanted and the rest, plus a vase, went to Goodwill yesterday.

    Turned a tiny bit of clutter into organizational help by using an old stationery pack box to hold some seed packets. Once seeds are planted, it all can get recycled/tossed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 10, 2020, 06:23:00 AM
    An empty scrapbook paper container, a whole box of leftover craft kit paint tubs - all of them empty or dried to a solid rock with the lid adhere on forever and another bin of various paints that I haven't cracked open since 2017.  These are now gone from the craft cupboard and two shelves are empty!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 10, 2020, 08:28:42 AM
    Two empty shelves! Nice.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on December 10, 2020, 09:49:42 AM
    Got rid of two bookshelves which were blocking access to my garage freezer and workbench, and some nursing paraphernalia. I also got rid of our old dishwasher.  Craiglist free section is the bomb!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 10, 2020, 10:44:20 AM
    Well, I had thought I was done with decluttering last year, but since then, I have found the following items to donate:

    - 21 books
    - 2 glass bowls
    - garden stepping stone
    - bag of wax melts
    - phone charger
    - lettuce keeper
    - 3 TV dinner trays
    - sieve
    - 3 tennis balls
    - various greeting cards
    - cookie tin
    - over-door hanger
    - various cat toys
    - 2 vintage tupperware containers
    - candle
    - eye glass case
    - 6 drinking glasses
    - box of straws
    - various sewing supplies
    - 2 huge cardboard boxes

    I managed to just get it all out of the house in the brief window of thrift stores being open between 2 lockdowns, so glad for that.  Now its been decided by the powers that be that they are an essential service, so if I find anything more, it won't be sitting around for months.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 10, 2020, 07:47:08 PM
    Crushing it, @SunnyDays ! Nice work. I've slowed down my progress this week. Work is busy, but I have tomorrow afternoon off & am hoping to find some junk to get out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 11, 2020, 06:13:24 AM
    DD saw the paint in the give away pile and now it is back in the cupboard.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Swish on December 11, 2020, 08:35:21 AM
    So round 2 I cleaned out the garage of a ton of junk. Hope this motivates some of you to get off your butts and free up a parking spot. We can now fit the car in the garage again!

    Chainsaw - $350
    Skill saw - $50
    Spare wrenches - $40
    LEGO phone - $25
    Tonka truck - $5
    Clipboard - $3
    Corelle dishes - $30
    Bike - $20
    Bunk bed - $200
    Bar table - $125
    Memory stick - $4
    Extension cord - $4
    Dora wallet - $2
    Motherboard - $10
    Graphics card - $20
    WeeRide copilot - $40
    Helmets - $8
    Shoe bench - $50
    Baby chair - $3
    Shop vac - $40
    Toy chest - $10
    Pro shop Voucher - $100
    Random lights - $10
    Fridge - $500
    Outlet - $5
    Worklamps - $20
    Axe - $5
    Fan - $5
    Clock - $4
    Art - $35
    Grinder - $15
    Cooler - $30
    Laptop Battery - $8
    Reciprocating saw - $40
    Bouncer - $25
    Bike - $35
    Tv stand - $125
    Skate bar - $5
    Oscillating saw - $50
    Diesel oil - $20
    Chainsaw sharpener - $30
    Chariot stroller - $650

    Total: $2,756

    Wow! High prices. Where do you live? How did you sell the stuff? Yard  sale?

    @slackmax we are in Canada so if in the US adjust for currency. We sold mostly using facebook market place and kijiji. There is a PIA factor but I just piled it all in middle of garage for a few weeks and what ever didn't sell we donated/threw away. Some of the bigger items were pretty high end as well and in very great shape, chainsaw, fridge, chariot. My problem now is my parents found out and dropped a bunch of their crap off to sell so might be best to keep it a secret ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 11, 2020, 09:30:27 AM
    After making some more sales on Marketplace recently, I scouted the kitchen again and listed 4 new items/sets.

    One is a wire basket that I like and could probably use if I got rid of 1 of the other 2 similar containers I have displayed in my kitchen.  But the fact that I haven't used it ever in this house (that I remember) means that it really should go!

    I still need to decide if I want to keep my small-pot drip coffee maker.  I haven't used it in a long time, but it's nice to have a backup in case my primary brewer goes.  I wouldn't go out and buy a backup, but since I have it already...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 11, 2020, 11:18:00 AM
    DD saw the paint in the give away pile and now it is back in the cupboard.

    If I'm reading the right post, those paints were dried out, correct? Toss them. If your DD has a fit, your DD will not die.

    If however I'm misunderstanding and those paints are still good, then your DD had better start using them. Soon. Because if you get through the next month or two and she hasn't touched them, then out they go and she can have all the fits she wants - she had her chance.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on December 11, 2020, 11:22:15 AM
    Excellent job, everyone!

    Recently:
    ~Mailed off a bunch of Harley Davidson items to a friend who still rides.
    ~There are two pairs of eyeglasses ready to be donated to the Lions Club bin.
    ~Will give a stack of cookbooks to a younger neighbor who likes to cook.  (I also have 3-ring binders with plastic sleeves for my old recipes.  Now days I just look up recipes online.)
    ~Focusing on using up last year's gift wrap, cards and bows in order to not buy anything new.
    ~Three gift bags full of Christmas decor, stockings, etc. went to families who might appreciate it a few weeks ago.
    ~Received a gorgeous food arrangement in a reusable basket.  My neighbor mentioned last weekend if I ever wanted to part with it....  So, when I do my annual holiday baking in a few weekends, I'll put what I bake for her family into said basket.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 11, 2020, 11:52:35 AM
    DD saw the paint in the give away pile and now it is back in the cupboard.

    If I'm reading the right post, those paints were dried out, correct? Toss them. If your DD has a fit, your DD will not die.

    If however I'm misunderstanding and those paints are still good, then your DD had better start using them. Soon. Because if you get through the next month or two and she hasn't touched them, then out they go and she can have all the fits she wants - she had her chance.
    The dried out pots were in the garbage.  The ones back in the cupboard still have some juice.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 11, 2020, 01:57:47 PM
    DD saw the paint in the give away pile and now it is back in the cupboard.

    If I'm reading the right post, those paints were dried out, correct? Toss them. If your DD has a fit, your DD will not die.

    If however I'm misunderstanding and those paints are still good, then your DD had better start using them. Soon. Because if you get through the next month or two and she hasn't touched them, then out they go and she can have all the fits she wants - she had her chance.
    The dried out pots were in the garbage.  The ones back in the cupboard still have some juice.

    Cool! Your DD gets to do some painting soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 11, 2020, 07:40:41 PM
    Recycled last year's tax guide! Prompted by getting this year's. Now I know I don't need it after tax season is over, and will recycle the new one sooner.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 11, 2020, 08:01:33 PM
    I used up a bottle of shampoo! [I am working through the backlog of half-bottles]
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on December 11, 2020, 08:35:19 PM
    Sold a bunch of baby stuff in fb, tossed a pile of clothes the kids wore through.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 12, 2020, 03:36:27 PM
    Dropped off a bike with a friend. It's now out of our garage & back to its rightful owner. More space, & less mental energy worrying about getting it back
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 13, 2020, 06:17:16 AM
    I have to laugh, once in a while we turn on QVC and watch some of the products being demonstrated. Everything the hosts talk about is a must have. One of the hosts always says he has a set in a particular color. Seems he has one of everything that QVC has ever sold. Does he live in a warehouse? LOL! Every time I buy something I cringe because I have no more room for anything! I took a rosemary potted plant from outside and brought it in for the winter and it is almost impossible to find a surface to put it on.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on December 13, 2020, 09:36:59 AM
    Going to declutter my Xmas decorations because this is the time of year to donate. Also have another small closet to go through.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 13, 2020, 09:56:01 AM
    I consolidated bins and found some empty ones.  Don't need to store empty bins in the house.  When they are in the garage they naturally lessen in numbers.  They get loaded with stuff to give away or loaned out and never reappear.  They don't do that in the basement.  Four bins and two cardboard boxes left the house empty.  And two bins and one box need to be sorted through by DD.  If she doesn't undertake it be mid week I am going to help her out. 

    @Cassie  - I have put up all the Xmas decor I want and there is one and a half bins still full of stuff.  I think it is time for a major purge for us too.  Three bins left the house last year! 

    Do you all feel a weight being lifted whenever you get a major load out of the house?  I shake my head at myself - so much money spent, so much plastic generated forever.  I have got to do better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 13, 2020, 11:39:44 AM
    Do you all feel a weight being lifted whenever you get a major load out of the house?  I shake my head at myself - so much money spent, so much plastic generated forever.  I have got to do better.

    Yes! Every time something leaves, I imagine the weight of the house lessening.

    Since it's been just me, I've been pretty good at not bringing a lot of stuff in.  I'm starting to get better at getting rid of gifts I won't use, instead of letting them sit for years and years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 13, 2020, 05:58:57 PM
    Accidental decluttering: cracked a champagne flute, tossed it out.

    I did exactly the same thing this week. I couldn't decide if I needed all of the champagne flutes I had, then I broke one. So the universe worked it out for me :)

    Went through all of the Xmas decor and got rid of half of it. A coworker that wanted a certain type of ornament got most of it. The rest went on the curb and were gone within a day. I'm working on using all of my Xmas cards before buying more, no matter how cheap they are on clearance.

    Went through the coat and clothes closets. Have a box and two bags to drop off at Goodwill. I came home from work on Friday irritated with the pants and top I was wearing. I washed them and put them both straight in the donation pile. I'm trying to get rid of everything that doesn't make me feel good when I'm wearing it.  I'm slowly replacing with good quality items that work for me right now, not when I lose weight or change jobs or get a new hobby. I want my whole closet to work for me now.

    I've stripped the bedroom of all the extraneous stuff including a duvet cover, shams, little rugs, and all the junk that accumulates on the nightstands.  Some items are going into a tub in the closet to decide if I still want them in 6 months. If not, I'll donate them. Right now it's warm and calming and simple.

    The items that haven't sold on Marketplace are in the donation pile, too.

    Small project this week has been starting a new habit of taking care of the mail as soon as I get it. The 'only touch it once' philosophy at work. Straight to recycling or pay the bill or read the letter/card. If I don't have time to do that, I don't go to the mailbox until I do. It's taking way less time than putting it aside, knocking over the pile, moving it from the table to eat dinner, moving it to the desk, adding to it, etc. Not letting clutter into the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 13, 2020, 06:21:55 PM
    Since the kitchen sink drain was getting very slow, I was under the kitchen sink today for my every-six-months 'clean the sludge out of the pipes' ritual.  Saw a gallon plastic bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap in the corner, leaking out of the bottom.

    Since it had only about a quarter inch of product left in it, I took it out and put it somewhere I'll see it every day. I'll try to find something to use up that last quarter inch on, then throw out the empty jug. Can't recycle it, since it's got stuff stuck to it inside. 

    One more gallon of free clean dry space under the kitchen sink. Ahhhhhhh......
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 14, 2020, 10:26:07 AM
    Since the kitchen sink drain was getting very slow, I was under the kitchen sink today for my every-six-months 'clean the sludge out of the pipes' ritual.  Saw a gallon plastic bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap in the corner, leaking out of the bottom.

    Since it had only about a quarter inch of product left in it, I took it out and put it somewhere I'll see it every day. I'll try to find something to use up that last quarter inch on, then throw out the empty jug. Can't recycle it, since it's got stuff stuck to it inside. 

    One more gallon of free clean dry space under the kitchen sink. Ahhhhhhh......

    So, you have a mostly empty, leaking container of cleaning products that you don't use on a regular basis. Why are you keeping this again? You freed up the space under the sink. Free up the space wherever you put it and just toss it now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 14, 2020, 11:43:05 AM
    Since the kitchen sink drain was getting very slow, I was under the kitchen sink today for my every-six-months 'clean the sludge out of the pipes' ritual.  Saw a gallon plastic bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap in the corner, leaking out of the bottom.

    Since it had only about a quarter inch of product left in it, I took it out and put it somewhere I'll see it every day. I'll try to find something to use up that last quarter inch on, then throw out the empty jug. Can't recycle it, since it's got stuff stuck to it inside. 

    One more gallon of free clean dry space under the kitchen sink. Ahhhhhhh......

    So, you have a mostly empty, leaking container of cleaning products that you don't use on a regular basis. Why are you keeping this again? You freed up the space under the sink. Free up the space wherever you put it and just toss it now.

    Reread my post, Sib.  I'm going to use it up, then toss it. Don't worry, if I can't find something to use it on, I'll just toss it with the quarter inch inside it too.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 14, 2020, 02:20:19 PM
    Since the kitchen sink drain was getting very slow, I was under the kitchen sink today for my every-six-months 'clean the sludge out of the pipes' ritual.  Saw a gallon plastic bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap in the corner, leaking out of the bottom.

    Since it had only about a quarter inch of product left in it, I took it out and put it somewhere I'll see it every day. I'll try to find something to use up that last quarter inch on, then throw out the empty jug. Can't recycle it, since it's got stuff stuck to it inside. 

    One more gallon of free clean dry space under the kitchen sink. Ahhhhhhh......

    So, you have a mostly empty, leaking container of cleaning products that you don't use on a regular basis. Why are you keeping this again? You freed up the space under the sink. Free up the space wherever you put it and just toss it now.

    Reread my post, Sib.  I'm going to use it up, then toss it. Don't worry, if I can't find something to use it on, I'll just toss it with the quarter inch inside it too.   

    What I would do is put the remaining liquid in a small container and throw out the original one.  Sometimes downsizing is just as satisfying as decluttering.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 15, 2020, 07:12:50 PM
    I'm with Sibley. If the Murphy's oil has been under under the sink since the last cabinet clean out six months ago and you don't need it, just toss it. It's a quarter inch of sludge in a cracked bottle, AKA trash.

    Checked the mail and threw the crap in recycling. Wrote checks immediately for bills, stamped them, and put them in my bag to mail from work tomorrow.

    Sold another item on Marketplace for $20, right before I was going to take the donations to Goodwill. Might wait another day to see if anything else sells, but not much longer. The box in the dining room is getting on my nerves. I could always put it in the trunk and drive it around for a while :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 16, 2020, 07:57:29 AM
    Figured out a Christmas card design using up a bunch of craft supplies and envelopes that I had from my brothers wedding invitations more than 10 years ago. 

    DD went through her two boxes of stuff.  One is totally ready for donation. The other box got stored away in her father's closet space - fine with me.  It can live there for as long as he doesn't need the space. 

    I need to get the accumulating pile in the garage dropped off this week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on December 16, 2020, 08:40:03 AM
    I was looking for family photos that one of my kids could use for a school project.
    I found a cache of 2019 Christmas photo cards sent by friends and extended family. I was delighted to give him some cards to cut up, and to toss the rest. 

    I'm preparing to send a small box of Christmas decorations to my elderly mother.  I am slowly getting over my resentment of her using our home as overflow storage, as I gradually clear the house of the immense crudstorm that engulfed us when I emptied her house.  We just gave away a giant framed print that she made us take last time we visited her... the stupid thing dominated our living room for months because the garage was too damp, it wouldn't fit up the attic hatchway, and the other rooms were too full. 

    In a record fast turnaround, we turned some lumber I bought last month into garden trellises. Usually one could expect this stuff to age a few years in our garage, but Mr. Poundwise took charge and got the job done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 17, 2020, 03:32:53 PM
    I was the recipient of evidence of someone else's decluttering yesterday. My great aunt, who is probably in her 90s, sent me a Christmas card in a very nonstandard envelope. Included was a stack of pictures of me, from babyhood til adulthood, and a note that she found them while cleaning out a closet and thought I might like them.

    I don't know that I needed the evidence of my terrible taste in haircuts over the years, but I guess I have it now and will add to the box of pictures in the desk. Box can stay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 17, 2020, 03:39:16 PM
    Managed to sell 2 DVDs today and made about $7, which is more than I expected to get for DVDs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 19, 2020, 10:53:19 AM
    Filled a pretty zippered bag with travel toiletries and put it in the little food pantry in my neighborhood.
    Sold an item on Marketplace.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 19, 2020, 09:01:44 PM
    Decluttered a sweater that brought bad memories of an old relationship, and a hand mixer which suddenly died.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 19, 2020, 09:03:12 PM
    Two bags and  two shirts donated, 2 books and a magazine in the street library
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on December 20, 2020, 07:16:31 AM
    Cleaned out a junk drawer and found $5.50 worth of first-class stamps.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 20, 2020, 08:58:52 AM
    Finally recycled an old, empty Kikkoman soy sauce container I had been keeping in the cupboard for its interesting shape.

     If I suddenly need an empty  Kikkoman container, that's OK, ha ha.         
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 20, 2020, 08:44:16 PM
    @slackmax, great job on letting go of the container!

    Used up some fabric and notions when a friend needed some clothes for a gift. Sent her home with more items so she could make more. Craft stash is a very reasonable size now.

    More Xmas supplies used for wrapping. I've inventoried current supplies and don't need any gift wrapping stuff on post-holiday clearance, no cards, no tags, no ribbons, no boxes, no matter how deep the discount. It all fits nicely in one container.

    I've cleaned out the closets so much that I have a bag of cheap plastic hangers to donate. I'm only keeping the nice velvety hangers. My clothes will be kept in better shape and it will limit the clothes I bring in. No hangers, no room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on December 21, 2020, 03:16:15 PM
    Finally located a clothing donation box which was not overflowing so I was able to donate a big bag of clothes yesterday! I’ve decided during this pandemic that I won’t hang on to anything I don’t feel good wearing / routinely avoid in my daily clothing rotations. (Work clothes excepted, of course...I may need to go into the office sometime in the future...) So anyway that’s out of the house now!

    I also dropped a big bag of books in the little free library box around the block from us. Eventually I’d like to also purge more of our old textbooks but for now all of our books fit into our bookshelves so it’s a step in the right direction.

    I’ve been trying to declutter my yarn stash by using up the little bits in baby gifts. It’s fun and creative and I don’t have to buy anything, so wins all around. Admittedly my yarn stash is fairly large, so I’ll be knitting for a while :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 21, 2020, 06:48:12 PM
    Took the donations to Goodwill the day after I loaded them in the car! My closet is roomy enough to see everything but I still feel like I have plenty to wear. The kitchen is in a good place with all drawers and cabinets spacious and easy to access. No more items stacked in precarious piles or having to unload the entire drawer to get to the bottom items.

    Cleaned off the desk and recycled some bits and found homes for all the stuff on top. Wrote a thank you for a gift that came in and got a birthday card in the mail. The stationery box is still full but not overflowing.

    Brought home a box from work to wrap a bulky gift. It didn't fit, so the box is back in the car to return to work. I'm not going to hold onto it in case I need it for something else. Worst case scenario I'll just stick a bow on the bulky gift and hand it over that way.

    Going to start a small sewing project to use up some more fabric scraps. Doll clothes are such a satisfying way to use up small fabric pieces and spools of random thread.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on December 21, 2020, 08:07:29 PM
    I bought many boxes of yogurt tubes my children USED to like on clearance for 1$ each. I froze them all as they were near expiration.

    All gone, someone on Buy Nothing has less picky children!

    H came home with a big bag of Christmas bows, ugh. I was feeling quite pleased that we used down everything until we had less than a shoebox full of wrapping supplies.

    So overall we are neutral!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 22, 2020, 04:09:13 AM
    I’m at my mother’s new condo and her fridge is on its last leg so we are trying to postpone grocery shopping as long as possible.  The appliances here are all probably 20 years old and when I used the oven last night it had dust in it.  Her baking powder expired in 2007, 13 years ago so that will also be disappearing. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on December 22, 2020, 04:35:22 AM
    Today while I isolate for my Covid test results I did a konmarie clothing clearout. Big bag of clothes in the boot of the car ready for end of lockdown. So crazy when I've already done this 3 times in the last 2 years.

    Tomorrow is books or paper, or both. And hopefully a test result so I can go walk the dog!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 22, 2020, 05:49:23 AM
    I was doing the Christmas baking and using up as many of the ingredients I had around the house already.  With two celiacs in the house, we have a lot of different types of flours.  I found two empty jars in the baking cupboard.  I adapted some recipes to use up small bags of different nuts I "found" in the freezer.  I discovered three different bags of hazelnuts. 

    There are a lot of random packages in the pantry - I pointed some of them out to the kids.  Hopefully they get consumed or if they aren't tasty, composted.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 22, 2020, 05:38:14 PM
    Tired of the freezer door banging into a box next to it, so I allowed myself to 'just move stuff around' in the kitchen. I would much rather actually get rid of stuff than just move it around, but it made sense here. I put a few things under other things, inserted stuff into empty containers, and now  they take up less space.

    And I can open the freezer door easily now.

    Went though a drawer full of expired medicine and nutritional supplements and tossed some  of it. For some reason, that is difficult for me to do.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on December 22, 2020, 06:21:42 PM
    Some pants I ordered didn't fit as well as I hoped, so I packed them up to send back for exchange and got the package out of the house the next day.  Normally a task like that would sit on my dining table for a week or two before I got around to it.  Fortunately DH had an errand at the UPS store, so I made sure to have my stuff packed up in time to go with him.

    Also moved a shirt I've been iffy on to the donate box.  Two sweaters soon to join it, as soon as they're clean.

    ETA: Almost forgot!  I also wrote several holiday cards with old stationary, that will be mailed out tomorrow.  I think some of these cards have come with me through three moves!  I don't usually send Christmas cards, but this year decided our extended family could use the extra contact.  Also used some (unasked for) return address stickers that were sent to us by a charity.  I prefer to use them rather than just throw away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 22, 2020, 07:16:12 PM
    @slackmax that is all good news - a more usable space AND you got rid of expired things. You keep making slow and steady progress, thank you for sharing it with us. It is very inspiring.

    Today I got rid of a pile of boxes that were cluttering the living room. I also decided to donate a pair of trousers I made a couple of years ago. (I am waiting till Autumn to donate various jerseys)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on December 22, 2020, 10:23:45 PM
    ETA: Almost forgot!  I also wrote several holiday cards with old stationary, that will be mailed out tomorrow.  I think some of these cards have come with me through three moves!  I don't usually send Christmas cards, but this year decided our extended family could use the extra contact.  Also used some (unasked for) return address stickers that were sent to us by a charity.  I prefer to use them rather than just throw away.

    Great work @Raenia!! You inspire me to do the same. I stopped sending cards a while ago and my stationery box is too full to close. I'll write a few cards for New Year's especially to the older folks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on December 23, 2020, 02:37:25 AM
    @slackmax that is all good news - a more usable space AND you got rid of expired things. You keep making slow and steady progress, thank you for sharing it with us. It is very inspiring.

    I agree with this: well done.  Every time you post something like this it tells me that you have been able to take a clear-eyed look at a part of your house which is a problem and put a solution in place, which is a great indicator that you will end up with everything as you want it to be.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on December 23, 2020, 10:39:08 AM
    With a kid on the way I have decided to make some room. Need to clear some space in our 1br apt for the boy and the in-laws. Only way this is going to work is if we can empty some shelves and storage bins.

    Today, heading to the Salvation Army to donate some computer speakers, a web cam, pair of shoes, a pile of clothes, my Yankees hat, some dishes, a coke bottle of colorful sand from childhood, some hot wheels cars, base ball cards, a mirror, a vacuum, a hydro floss machine, empty picture frames, foot bath massager, and a stack of books.

    Some things I couldn’t part with yet but considered: magic cards, Xbox 360 games, book of Norman Rockwell paintings, a book of fish species that reminds me of grandma, some clothes from my in-laws, bag of old headphones, my old iPod, old GoPro.

    Still have more to go through, but was a good first trip. Hoping to make it through the whole house and storage unit in the basement before the new year. Less is more. Going to really struggle with my box sentimental value stuff. Really don’t need any of it, just like to look at it once every couple years when I move. Tough to let go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 23, 2020, 12:27:17 PM
    There was a recent minimal mom video where she talked about the choices being Having Options vs Freedom (from inventory management/cleaning/repairs) and that you can seldom have both. You can trade off where you decide having options is worth it but the price is all the associated loss of freedom.

    It seemed like a good model to keep in mind as I relook at my house these holidays.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 23, 2020, 03:50:52 PM
    Tired of the freezer door banging into a box next to it, so I allowed myself to 'just move stuff around' in the kitchen. I would much rather actually get rid of stuff than just move it around, but it made sense here. I put a few things under other things, inserted stuff into empty containers, and now  they take up less space.

    And I can open the freezer door easily now.

    Went though a drawer full of expired medicine and nutritional supplements and tossed some  of it. For some reason, that is difficult for me to do.   

    I wonder if your difficulty getting rid of old food and food-like items is because they don’t go through the “try to sell it first” process?  You seem able to get rid of things that have passed through the flea market and not sold, maybe because other peoples’ lack of interest confirms in your mind that the items are not valuable?  If so, then remembering that no item is valuable if you’re not getting use out of it or if it’s detracting from enjoying your environment may be helpful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on December 24, 2020, 03:29:50 PM
    Went through 2 kids bedrooms in the last 2 days. Resulted in an overflowing paper container and stuff to be sold on Marketplace. First items were already sold and left the house. But the most important thing is that the kids now really enjoy their clean and decluttered room. They really appreciate the benefit of this exercise, although during the process there were a lot of complaints....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on December 24, 2020, 08:35:40 PM
    Out of the first haul we were able to get rid of most of the items locally before going to Salvation Army.

    Because we are not allowed to set items out in front of our building, DW and I drove to the park and set everything out. Was really cool seeing people get excited about finding certain items in the free box as we observed from the car without them knowing.

    On two occasions kids got really excited about their finds, one for baseball cards and one for a video game. Their reaction alone was worth the extra effort.

    In the end we brought the remaining items to Salvation Army and were happy to see them go. Still have some work to do, but it is nice to let go of some things and watch the clutter disappear a little.

    Also called my mom and asked for a gift receipt for my Christmas present - she had gifted me an item that while thoughtful did not have much utility other than decoration. Was an awkward conversation, but hopefully in the future we can avoid receiving “stuff” - in my defense I have on many occasions stated that I don’t want anymore stuff due to our small apartment.

    Anyhow - has been a nice change in thought pattern in the last few days. Think I’m finally going to be able to let go of some of this stuff. Going from, “I could sell this some day” or “I can use these someday, won’t have to buy in the future” to “I don’t need this”

    Truth is I don’t need 9 flashlights, 50 lighters, two sets of uno cards, 3 slinky’s, 20 umbrellas, or 20 pairs of hotel sandals. I can and should have less things, even if that means rebuying them some day.

    Now I am thinking, “how many items do I actually use and need?” Or “how many items do I need to be happy?”

    There is so much waste in my life - the idea of trying to have as few items in your possession as possible is like a lightbulb turning on. I think it’s why I like ultralight backpacking so much, forces you to get by with nothing. Learning about minimalism for the first time is like learning about FI/RE for the first time. Like, “Oh, of course! It all makes sense!!”

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 26, 2020, 01:59:26 AM
    So for once I think I ended up with less stuff after Xmas than before. We had a $20 and limited gift giving code of practice. I found some things I thought my extended family members might want, and they did! Cleared out a whole shelf of the side-board where these items were stored and also a wrought iron garden seat that they decided they wanted to restore. I also sent home various family members with some of the excess food and grog...happy days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on December 26, 2020, 08:22:14 AM
    We finished Christmas with a fair bit more than we started with, but luckily most is either useful (Dad got me car ramps for DIY oil changes), consumable, or replaces something we already have.  Mom got us a nice set of matching cloth napkins to replace our mismatched IKEA napkins, and our big gift to ourselves was a (full!) set of (matching!) silverware to replace our thrift store mismatch set.  We were tired of running out of spoons.  Old silverware is packed up and in the donate box.  I'm running laundry today, then the old napkins can join them.

    Last night at dinner I decided to light a few novelty candles we were given last year.  They're silly looking, but we might as well use them.  I'll keep them on the table and aim to have a few candlelit dinners until they're used up.

    Brought a spare bookshelf up from the basement to the library to help neaten some clutter.  While tidying up, I culled a few books.  I plan to spend some more time there today and hopefully get the room back in some semblance of usability (it's currently the dumping ground for things that belong in parts of the house that are under construction).  Hoping to find more things to declutter as I work there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on December 26, 2020, 12:34:09 PM
    Continued the effort today!

    DW and I made it through the remaining clothes and are giving away all the things that we don’t use. For her it was a lot of clothes her mom bought her over the years that she didn’t like, for me it was a stack of old t-shirts that I’ve kept around due to sentimental value.

    Also went through the kitchen and packed away all the extra stuff we don’t need to use. We are down to just two sets of dishes and silverware, along with about half the pots and pans. Everything else will go to storage. Also getting rid of some lids and knives we don’t need.

    Things I’m having trouble parting with: Suits & ties my mom bought me when neither of us could afford it. I never ended up needing them, only used them for a couple interviews, and at this point wouldn’t wear them even to an interview. Not sure why I can’t part with them, just feel like I’m wasting my mom’s money? Also, I have at least 6 winter coats. I like them all. Made more sense when I lived in the mountains.

    Things DW is struggling with: old cellphones and lap tops, and (20) umbrellas and dozens of hotel slippers from her Dad. (Why 20?!!?)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on December 26, 2020, 12:38:32 PM
    ...our big gift to ourselves was a (full!) set of (matching!) silverware to replace our thrift store mismatch set.  We were tired of running out of spoons.  Old silverware is packed up and in the donate box.  I'm running laundry today, then the old napkins can join them...

    Nice progress! If you haven't donated the old silverware yet, think about if you ever need to pack lunches and keep 1-2 spoons and/or forks from the mismatched set for this purpose. That way your nice new complete set is always for only at home and your mismatches are for travel/lunches away and potentially picnics
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on December 26, 2020, 12:42:58 PM
    We had a lovely Xmas. Somehow through the years (maybe just as a result of kids getting older) many relatives have either stopped giving our kids gifts or give money instead. And the kids also now prefer a few more expensive items like a new cell phone, vs. many toys.

    I did receive two kitchen items- a kettle and an instant pot. The old kettle has been listed on buy nothing, and instant pot is being debated. H received a new pan, and an old one will be going out.

    I also cleaned out a few other random items: a stack of small plastic jars which are nice for dressing and sauce in lunches,  lightbulbs in a bright white blueish hue, etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on December 26, 2020, 01:18:50 PM
    ...our big gift to ourselves was a (full!) set of (matching!) silverware to replace our thrift store mismatch set.  We were tired of running out of spoons.  Old silverware is packed up and in the donate box.  I'm running laundry today, then the old napkins can join them...

    Nice progress! If you haven't donated the old silverware yet, think about if you ever need to pack lunches and keep 1-2 spoons and/or forks from the mismatched set for this purpose. That way your nice new complete set is always for only at home and your mismatches are for travel/lunches away and potentially picnics

    Good thought, I do always pack my work lunches so I'll stick a set in my lunchbox before we donate the lot.  Thanks!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 26, 2020, 01:28:19 PM
    Three more books out to the street library, three books back to the actual library. Boys did their annual room swap yesterday and now there is a pile of outgrown clothing for donation. [I scored a sweet puffer jacket from G that he could wear 3? years ago?] I did a bit of rearranging in our room and got rid of a bedside table that is barely used. It's feeling clearer in here.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on December 27, 2020, 08:12:39 AM
    More progress!

    I am putting together a big box of maternity clothes / post-partum supplies / baby supplies for a friend of ours who is expecting her first child in May. I had a baby back in February and we were given lots of toys, supplies, etc. which we never got around to using or were duplicates, so I'll be sharing the love. She's also excited to borrow our bassinet which is awesome because it's taking up a disproportionate amount of space in the basement right now, and I'll be throwing in a brand new changing pad & sheets that never worked for us. I'm also pulling together a big bag of used kids books (mostly board books) for their baby shower gift. All of these are from little free library boxes or already handed down from other friends / family members. I get to wrap them in some lovely baby shower wrapping that we had saved from all of our baby shower gifts. I like getting stuff out of my house but it's also really nice to just keep paying it forward. It legitimately gives me the warm fuzzies :)

    I also gifted some gently used items as Christmas gifts (branded college sweatshirt, a few scarves, homemade soap from my mom, cookbooks) and all of the recipients claim to like them, so wins all around! I was pretty careful to only give things which I thought the recipients would genuinely enjoy - not just trying to dump stuff on other people - and it was a lot of fun to figure it out.

    We replaced some of our worn out kitchen pans as a present-to-self this year, so the old pans plus a secondhand blender which we didn't use are all packed up and ready to go to Goodwill once we get around to it. I'm also working on downsizing our towel collection, and planning to save the really worn out ones for cleaning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 27, 2020, 02:11:08 PM
    Tired of the freezer door banging into a box next to it, so I allowed myself to 'just move stuff around' in the kitchen. I would much rather actually get rid of stuff than just move it around, but it made sense here. I put a few things under other things, inserted stuff into empty containers, and now  they take up less space.

    And I can open the freezer door easily now.

    Went though a drawer full of expired medicine and nutritional supplements and tossed some  of it. For some reason, that is difficult for me to do.   

    I wonder if your difficulty getting rid of old food and food-like items is because they don’t go through the “try to sell it first” process?  You seem able to get rid of things that have passed through the flea market and not sold, maybe because other peoples’ lack of interest confirms in your mind that the items are not valuable?  If so, then remembering that no item is valuable if you’re not getting use out of it or if it’s detracting from enjoying your environment may be helpful.

    I don't have (much) difficulty throwing out old food.  I reread my post, and see that I  ambiguously worded it. I was rearranging things * outside * of the fridge, not inside. The box the door was banging against was outside the fridge, too.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 27, 2020, 05:50:34 PM
    Per discussions over Christmas with friends I decided that it was best to do a big stock up grocery trip now, hopefully before all the idiots are contagious from Christmas gatherings. So I did a cleanout of the pantry of items which I haven't eaten over the past 2.5 months and had no desire to eat. Not replacing those items. I've located a food pantry to drop it all off at this week, just need to call tomorrow and ask if they can accept frozen items (I hope yes!). The grocery trip reminded me why I'm trying to avoid people - the number of chin diapers, etc.... Yes, it's a fairly red area.

    Also grabbed some stuff for the animal shelter from around the house, including a blanket which I got for Christmas. Dropped that load off today.

    And my friend came over earlier today and helped me move all the furniture. I got the book room painted!!! The book cases moved back in, the desk and chair went in the book room as well. The sheets/towels dresser moved from one wall to another in the back bedroom, the sewing machine moved from the living room to the upstairs bedroom, and the door to the book room is now in the living room for me to scrape and do wood patching as needed. Goal is to get that done by Tuesday night and move the door, ready for sanding, into the utility room where it will stay until it warms up enough to take it outside for sanding. Then, Wednesday, the carpets and couch are getting cleaned.

    Stuff out of the house, and lots crossed off the to-do list. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on December 27, 2020, 07:55:08 PM
    We painted our living room last week, which meant that we had to pull the books off the shelves. We ended up identifying three bags of books that don't need to continue owning, and I recycled a third, and donated the other 2/3 to the local "little free libraries" near us.  Just in time for the kiddos to get a bunch of new junk for Christmas. phew.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 28, 2020, 03:24:30 AM
    I have a lady from Buy Nothing coming today to pick up a bag of small toiletries. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on December 28, 2020, 08:17:48 AM
    Made it through the box of memorabilia yesterday. Was able to toss the majority of my keepsakes no problem. Got it down from an entire storage tote to just a shoe box.

    In retrospect I should have photographed the letters, cards, report cards, art work, etc. before I tossed it. Oh well. Been carrying around a tote full of artwork for years, most of which was created during times of my life that are better forgotten. Nice to know I do not need to re-live those moments again.

    So far we have reduced the horde from 20 totes to 16, have liberated 2 cabinets and the bottom of 1 closet. The vacuum finally has a home in the closet instead of the corner of the room!!!

    Also, going down to just 2 sets of dishes, silverware, and pots has made doing the dishes a breeze. Sink has been clean for days!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 28, 2020, 01:54:36 PM
    Tired of the freezer door banging into a box next to it, so I allowed myself to 'just move stuff around' in the kitchen. I would much rather actually get rid of stuff than just move it around, but it made sense here. I put a few things under other things, inserted stuff into empty containers, and now  they take up less space.

    And I can open the freezer door easily now.

    Went though a drawer full of expired medicine and nutritional supplements and tossed some  of it. For some reason, that is difficult for me to do.   

    I wonder if your difficulty getting rid of old food and food-like items is because they don’t go through the “try to sell it first” process?  You seem able to get rid of things that have passed through the flea market and not sold, maybe because other peoples’ lack of interest confirms in your mind that the items are not valuable?  If so, then remembering that no item is valuable if you’re not getting use out of it or if it’s detracting from enjoying your environment may be helpful.

    I don't have (much) difficulty throwing out old food.  I reread my post, and see that I  ambiguously worded it. I was rearranging things * outside * of the fridge, not inside. The box the door was banging against was outside the fridge, too.



    I was actually referring to your drawer full of expired medicine and nutritional supplements.  (Not sure if those are expired too.)  Any meds that are more than 6 months past the date should probably be tossed, because chemical composition can change with age and create toxicities, so not wise to take them.  Any pharmacy will safely dispose of them for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: comicguy on December 28, 2020, 05:15:18 PM
    Listed 32 Auctions on ebay today! Hoprfully most of them will sell and earn me a few extra dollars and free up some space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on December 28, 2020, 09:14:44 PM
    The longer I telework, the more I'm putting work clothes in the donate bag. I still like many of my work clothes, but after all these months, I know I won't be able to tolerate wearing anything even mildly uncomfortable, and will likely only be going back 1-2 days a week, so when I see something I don't feel enthusiastic about wearing again at some point, into the box it goes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 29, 2020, 12:00:05 AM
    Decluttered two perfectly serviceable mugs because I got two super-fun mugs for Christmas!

    Also will be tossing a brand new insulated coffee mug because it's leaky.  It's cheap, plastic and not recyclable :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 29, 2020, 09:20:20 AM
    More kitchen decluttering and moving stuff around.

    Moved some dry foodstuffs from floor into already decluttered lazy susan. Had been leaving lazy susan empty for months, thinking putting anything new into it would be   "REcluttering". Maybe I was just enjoying having it empty, ha ha. 



     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on December 30, 2020, 06:12:19 AM
    We have decided to declutter our stored food.

    With Covid we stocked up much more than previous out of concern that cases would be so bad we would choose to stay home completely, or concern that we would all be sick, or concern that we would be unable to get items.

    Now that vaccine rollout is starting and curbside pickup is much more robust, we decided to spend Jan (and maybe longer) intentionally decluttering/eating down the pantry and deep freeze. This will correspondingly clean out some cupboards.

    So far I made a soup with split peas and thawed a pack of frozen sausage.

    I also gave away shoes and two shirts and a bag of small jars on buy nothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on December 30, 2020, 07:09:00 AM
    This thread has inspired me - I just consolidated and reorganized all of my yarn and knitting supplies. Things should be easier to find now and I was able to free up a container to be my son’s toy box.

    I also went through closets and chucked some stuff that's been sitting around from the previous homeowner since we bought the house (wood mostly). We'd done a major garage clean out last year and dumped tons of wood scraps but there was also some inside. Yay for progress!

    I’ve got some new clothes coming and I’m planning to donate at least as many items as I’ll be getting new (I.e. one in, one out). Planning to get everything washed all at once & hit the clothing donation box before returning to work on Monday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 30, 2020, 09:47:44 PM
    I dropped off a box, 2 paper bags, 1 big plastic bag (not a good choice) of pantry foods and a small plastic bag of frozen items to the food pantry. some random personal care items in there as well. All perfectly good, I just don't want to eat it right now, or am perfectly capable of buying replacements. There's a lot of hunger in my community right now, and every little bit helps.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 30, 2020, 10:59:24 PM
    I guess throwing out the umbrella that broke while I was using it counts as a bit of a declutter.
    More positive steps are not going grocery shopping and deciding to use up the produce we have first.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on December 31, 2020, 07:11:06 AM
    Took the opportunity while the house is decorated for the holidays to de clutter Xmas decorations. I went to our basement and looked through the decorations that are not displayed. Bringing a bag to charity today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 31, 2020, 08:39:52 AM
    Took the opportunity while the house is decorated for the holidays to de clutter Xmas decorations. I went to our basement and looked through the decorations that are not displayed. Bringing a bag to charity today.

    How much is left in storage that you didn't use this year?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 31, 2020, 08:56:26 AM
    Donated  4 shirts and 3 knick knacks.   

    Started using up a bag and a half of lentils I found while decluttering kitchen. Made lentils and onion yesterday. Pretty good. Will make more today. Will not buy more lentils ever, probably, even though I like them.  Not tasty enough, I guess.     

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 31, 2020, 10:29:52 AM
    I did not get many Christmas presents this year, so only one new item to get rid of - a themed potholder.  It was cute, but realistically I would never use it.  It went on FB Marketplace on the 26th, and left the house the 29th.

    I listed a couple other things from around the house this week, but no bites yet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on December 31, 2020, 02:26:53 PM
    Took the opportunity while the house is decorated for the holidays to de clutter Xmas decorations. I went to our basement and looked through the decorations that are not displayed. Bringing a bag to charity today.

    How much is left in storage that you didn't use this year?

    About 1/2 as much as was there yesterday :)  which equals out to about 1/2 a large bin. DH is very sentimental about most everything so I could only move along items I knew he wouldn’t care were missing. Baby steps. Also there are a couple of platters that might have been used if we had been able to have friends over and also 4 brand new holiday mugs I think my youngest wants..
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 31, 2020, 06:31:26 PM
    Took the opportunity while the house is decorated for the holidays to de clutter Xmas decorations. I went to our basement and looked through the decorations that are not displayed. Bringing a bag to charity today.

    How much is left in storage that you didn't use this year?

    About 1/2 as much as was there yesterday :)  which equals out to about 1/2 a large bin. DH is very sentimental about most everything so I could only move along items I knew he wouldn’t care were missing. Baby steps. Also there are a couple of platters that might have been used if we had been able to have friends over and also 4 brand new holiday mugs I think my youngest wants..

    not bad. I didn't decorate inside this year, just put some lights up outside. I probably have lights I don't need. However, my parents are moving to the area this year and if they need lights, they can have whatever I don't need.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on December 31, 2020, 07:22:09 PM
    Opened a suitcase which had what I thought was blankets in it, gifts from my in-laws which we never opened, because we don't need any more bedding. Turns out I have an Alpaca hide fur rug. Who knew? Fancier than me though, too scared to ruin it to actually use it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 31, 2020, 08:40:03 PM
    I saw a Facebook meme to flip closet hangers tonight so as to easily see what's in use and what is not being worn. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on December 31, 2020, 10:33:23 PM
    I saw a Facebook meme to flip closet hangers tonight so as to easily see what's in use and what is not being worn.

    I’ve done this in previous years and it is illuminating.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on December 31, 2020, 11:25:13 PM
    Love a New Year's Day declutter!

    Got rid of 2 fabric tote bags. Filled them with all the stuff I
    didn't get a chance to take to the op shop late last year.

    Have a pair of worn out jeans that are even too disgusting for gardening, so they will go to the local textile recycling bin along with a pit-stained, no longer black linen top.

    The Christmas tree gets dismantled this afternoon and will be stored in the attic crawl space along with 1 big plastic box of decorations. Proud to say that is all that is stored in there so access is a breeze.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on January 01, 2021, 05:45:09 AM
    I saw a Facebook meme to flip closet hangers tonight so as to easily see what's in use and what is not being worn.

    I’ve done this in previous years and it is illuminating.

    Maybe I'm a neurotic wierdo... But all my work clothes are hung in order and I wear the one in front, then hang it in the back. If I re-wear something I flip the hanger so I know to wash it the next time.

    I don't do it for most casual clothes because I have a small enough number, but I do for t-shirts- clean t-shirts get put on the bottom of the pile and I always wear the top one. If I find myself skipping a t-shirt, into the bin it goes!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SotI on January 01, 2021, 06:17:29 AM
    PTF as I am planning to de-clutter lots of things this year.
    Just being sick of "stuff" ...
    Maybe I will even start this weekend, once all my yearend accounting is done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 01, 2021, 09:17:31 AM
    Found 4 small plastic baggies of powdered kelp in the kitchen. Researched powdered kelp on the internet. Possible high heavy metal content, which scared me away from it. Also has high iodine content, and can cause problems with thyroid gland.   

    Had thought about using it up slowly by adding it to tea, once a day, but of course don't want heavy metals. So I found an 'excuse' to just throw it away!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 01, 2021, 09:23:22 AM
    I finally have buyers for two items I had listed on Nextdoor - ski boots that my 13 year old outgrew, and a cargo mat we discovered for a car we no longer have.

    I brought a bunch of stuff back from our vacation house that I'll either give away (no Buy Nothing group in that area), sell or find another way to donate. I need to go through it all today & inventory it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on January 02, 2021, 08:43:13 AM
    I went through my closet and drawers last night with the premise of only keeping office clothes I might wear if I go in 2x a week and put several items into the donate pile.

    This still leaves me with plenty of stuff should to wear to week-long meetings or even if I take a detail at some point, but gets rid of all that stuff that is a little worn, never fits right, only goes with that one other thing, etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 03, 2021, 01:11:56 AM
    Diploma case, gift bag and jingle bells into the donation bag today.

    Can I share a bit of frustration? I have 6 boxes of old-school paper photographs and jointly purchased a scanner with Mom. She took the first turn with the scanner because she's semi retired and has more time. However, she finds it to be a boring task and has not made much progress. If I'd had the scanner, maybe I wouldn't need to move 6 boxes of photos (I'll be moving end of February). Again. Thanks for listening.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on January 03, 2021, 07:16:25 AM
    In the fall when I switched over to my winter wardrobe, I had placed a few of my more worn sweaters aside to see if I missed them.  I haven't, even when I was going into work full time before the holidays, so I moved them to the donate box.

    We had a few homemade cordials in the liquor cabinet that we never liked much and don't seem to use.  Decided to dump them - we don't drink much, and if we do want a cocktail, better to reach for something we like rather than trying to use up failed experiments.

    Also "decluttered" an open bottle of wine last night ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 03, 2021, 07:42:59 AM
    Diploma case, gift bag and jingle bells into the donation bag today.

    Can I share a bit of frustration? I have 6 boxes of old-school paper photographs and jointly purchased a scanner with Mom. She took the first turn with the scanner because she's semi retired and has more time. However, she finds it to be a boring task and has not made much progress. If I'd had the scanner, maybe I wouldn't need to move 6 boxes of photos (I'll be moving end of February). Again. Thanks for listening.

    I am with your mom. I tried scanning a ton of pictures and found it to be extremely boring and gave up. Here is another idea to store pictures. I keep thinking about buying this but have not done so yet: https://www.containerstore.com/s/iris-16_case-4%22-x-6%22-photo-and-craft-storage-carrier/d?q=iris&productId=11004246
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on January 03, 2021, 08:23:59 AM
    Diploma case, gift bag and jingle bells into the donation bag today.

    Can I share a bit of frustration? I have 6 boxes of old-school paper photographs and jointly purchased a scanner with Mom. She took the first turn with the scanner because she's semi retired and has more time. However, she finds it to be a boring task and has not made much progress. If I'd had the scanner, maybe I wouldn't need to move 6 boxes of photos (I'll be moving end of February). Again. Thanks for listening.

    Takes some time, but you can do this with the notes app on your iPhone pretty easily if you have one
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on January 03, 2021, 10:51:41 AM
    I decided to do a refresh of my stuff in the Konmari order for the new year. I did the full blown Konmari method two-ish years ago, so this is more of a check-in to make sure that what I chose to keep is still applicable. Got through clothes and books already. I only got rid of a few pairs of worn-out underwear and didn't get rid of any books. I have gotten rid of some clothes throughout the year, though, and I don't keep very many books on hand to begin with.

    Clothes are a little complicated right now because the pandemic has really affected what I wear. Clothes for work meetings and going out have sat unused for the last year. I still like the items I have and am looking forward to wearing them again, but I don't always know how I feel until I actually use them. Trying them on in front of a mirror at home isn't the same as wearing them out in the world for a specific activity. So I'm leaving a few maybes for now, with the caveat that I will donate them if I don't enjoy wearing them when those activities come back.

    Overall, it's nice to feel like I have generally reached the click point of stuff in those categories and am maintaining them okay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunniD on January 03, 2021, 11:34:16 AM
    PTF as I am planning to de-clutter lots of things this year.
    Just being sick of "STUFF" ...

    100% this (the bold and caps are mine).   

    I did some Marie Kondo'ing last year to my kitchen, bathroom and closet and it felt wonderful. But I just stopped before any of those areas were completed and there is SO MUCH MORE to do. I didn't even touch paper. Photos and paperwork is so daunting to me. Hopefully joining/reading this thread will get me moving again. I still like some of my stuff and they do bring me joy but when I look around my place that only represents a very small portion of my masses of stuff. How did I let myself accumulate so much STUFF and why is it so hard for me to get rid of it?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on January 03, 2021, 01:50:24 PM
    Had a video game for PS1 I bought a few years ago just to display as memorabilia.

    Sold on eBay today for $120.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Blissful Biker on January 03, 2021, 02:17:48 PM
    The sporadically do a deep declutter area by area but the linen closet has never made it to the top of the list.  Today I pulled it all out and only put a third back.  Phew!

    Frustratingly I found good clothes for the kids we had purchased on sale and stored in the linen closet for them to grow into.  Now they are too small!  Argh.  An example of clutter and disorganization costing money.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 03, 2021, 02:36:53 PM
    Diploma case, gift bag and jingle bells into the donation bag today.

    Can I share a bit of frustration? I have 6 boxes of old-school paper photographs and jointly purchased a scanner with Mom. She took the first turn with the scanner because she's semi retired and has more time. However, she finds it to be a boring task and has not made much progress. If I'd had the scanner, maybe I wouldn't need to move 6 boxes of photos (I'll be moving end of February). Again. Thanks for listening.

    I am with your mom. I tried scanning a ton of pictures and found it to be extremely boring and gave up. Here is another idea to store pictures. I keep thinking about buying this but have not done so yet: https://www.containerstore.com/s/iris-16_case-4%22-x-6%22-photo-and-craft-storage-carrier/d?q=iris&productId=11004246

    I agree with you, it is *deadly* boring. I didn't mean that to come across judgy, rather simply as the reason that progress has been slow. And I empathize with that!  At the same time,  I feel the frustration of having to move these boxes once again. Deep breath, oneday. This too shall pass.

    Diploma case, gift bag and jingle bells into the donation bag today.

    Can I share a bit of frustration? I have 6 boxes of old-school paper photographs and jointly purchased a scanner with Mom. She took the first turn with the scanner because she's semi retired and has more time. However, she finds it to be a boring task and has not made much progress. If I'd had the scanner, maybe I wouldn't need to move 6 boxes of photos (I'll be moving end of February). Again. Thanks for listening.

    Takes some time, but you can do this with the notes app on your iPhone pretty easily if you have one

    Alas, I am an Android gal.

    @SunniD take heart! My best success has been with paper. Went from 7 boxes at the low point to fewer than 7" today. It can be done! But takes time and focus. You are in the right place. A tip I picked up from Marie Kondo is to start with what is easy for you and build up the decluttering muscle before you ta old the hardest stuff. And remember the tortise: slow and stray wins the race!

    @zygote how wonderful that you've reached that click point! (What a great way to phrase that).

    Zygote makes me wonder: what are everyone's tidying resolutions? One of mine is to deal with the photos, another is to move/merge households with BF and retain both our sanity and good relationship 😊
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 03, 2021, 03:24:54 PM
    Do you actually want to scan all those photos? I have one small box of pictures, but I know there's duplicates in there. If you have multiple boxes - how many duplicates or near duplicates, out of focus, or pictures of random places or people that you don't want are in those boxes? Spending some time to decrease the volume will make the move easier, as well as reducing later scanning time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on January 03, 2021, 03:47:19 PM
    Zygote makes me wonder: what are everyone's tidying resolutions? One of mine is to deal with the photos, another is to move/merge households with BF and retain both our sanity and good relationship 😊

    My main resolution is just to keep at it on a regular basis! I made good progress with the house last year, I think will start off this year with areas outside the house:
    - carport...bigtime dumping ground
    - collection of plants in pots awaiting planting. I have banned myself from buying anymore. They are just maintenance the way they are...need watering and collect fallen leaves etc.
    - cleanup sheds. In particular one that stuff got dumped in when I moved here and hasn't been touched since.

    I'm guessing in the second half of the year I'll have another go through the house.

    There is the issue of photos. I've been avoiding this since I hit a wall very quickly the last time I tried it. ( and in the grand scheme of things photos were just a few boxes) . I now have a lot of my parent's photos to deal with as well.

    These were the issues last time:

    - what sort of scanner to buy
    - whether to keep negatives or not - does one scan those too?

    Finally I never actually look at photos I've taken. The only time I do this is when I am thinking about organising/culling/moving them, or, if on the odd occasion I am looking for something very specific like those occasions when one is requested to produce a baby or embarrassing photo from one's past. I know people agonise over photos, but if I lost them all in a house fire I'm not sure it would bother me that much. So maybe I should do something daring  like an extreme cull?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on January 03, 2021, 06:03:28 PM
    Made a little progress with de-cluttering this weekend:
     - gave away and old, tube style TV.
     - took my old printer out to the garage. I need to find out where I can recycle it.
     - gathered up a bunch of decor items that I am not using and I will try to sell them.
     - gave a few kitchen items to DS when he was here.
     - put a couple of books in the donate bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on January 03, 2021, 08:08:19 PM
    Re: photos

    I set mine to rotate on my background photos on my PC, iPhone, and TV. That way I can enjoy them more frequently. Also, after culling a lot of my keepsakes, it is nice to now see photos of that stuff occasionally instead of it being locked in a box for years at a time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 03, 2021, 08:15:01 PM
    That is an excellent idea @Steeze and one I may yoink.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MoseyingAlong on January 03, 2021, 08:36:27 PM
    Re: photos

    I set mine to rotate on my background photos on my PC, iPhone, and TV. That way I can enjoy them more frequently. Also, after culling a lot of my keepsakes, it is nice to now see photos of that stuff occasionally instead of it being locked in a box for years at a time.

    @Steeze Can you give a quick guide on how you did this?
    I've been talking about it for years but don't know how to get started.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 04, 2021, 12:18:54 AM
    Do you actually want to scan all those photos? I have one small box of pictures, but I know there's duplicates in there. If you have multiple boxes - how many duplicates or near duplicates, out of focus, or pictures of random places or people that you don't want are in those boxes? Spending some time to decrease the volume will make the move easier, as well as reducing later scanning time.

    Oh, it's for sure there are many rolls where duplicates were ordered. It would be silly to scan two of the exact same image, lol! I've done some organization in the past, so know what I'm up against. A good chunk of it is in chronological order, at least. Then there are a lot of the ex's photos (as in, things he photographed that I'm not interested in), and photos from the time period with the ex. I'd rather not open those doors at the moment. It's all tucked safely away until I'm ready to deal with it.

    @Sibley what are your decluttering goals for 2021?




    @happy  modest but achievable goals! You might be interested in a thread I started a while back on the photo scanning topic: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/who-has-advice-on-photo-scanning/msg2694985/#msg2694985

    With your attitude about photos, you might be able to get away with a more radical cull than I would be comfortable with.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 04, 2021, 03:26:39 AM
    Decluttered a gingerbread house cookie cutter kit. It was an impulse buy a couple of years ago and when I went to use it last week I realised I'd have to make about 3 x the usual amount of gingerbread: it makes a HUGE house! I will stick to my own measurements for making 2 small houses for the kids to decorate, and just use a ruler and a knife to cut out the shapes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on January 04, 2021, 03:47:17 AM
    Do you actually want to scan all those photos? I have one small box of pictures, but I know there's duplicates in there. If you have multiple boxes - how many duplicates or near duplicates, out of focus, or pictures of random places or people that you don't want are in those boxes? Spending some time to decrease the volume will make the move easier, as well as reducing later scanning time.

    I did this a couple of years ago with years of worth of paper photos. After spending some time of going through the photos I put a significantly smaller of number of photos into albums. There were a lot of duplicates and photos of people I could not even remember. If I can’t even remember the person in the photo why would I keep it. Now I have ten years of digital photos to sort through and make photo books. I prefer albums and photobooks over digital photos.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on January 04, 2021, 06:22:46 AM
    Re: photos

    I set mine to rotate on my background photos on my PC, iPhone, and TV. That way I can enjoy them more frequently. Also, after culling a lot of my keepsakes, it is nice to now see photos of that stuff occasionally instead of it being locked in a box for years at a time.

    @Steeze Can you give a quick guide on how you did this?
    I've been talking about it for years but don't know how to get started.

    on iPhone, download photos widget (3rd party) in app store. create an album you want to rotate through. set widget to rotate through that album, go to setting, change to 1 minute (lowest) if wanted.

    on PC, Settings > Personalization > Background > Slideshow (in drop down) > Browse > Choose folder > Choose Fit > Change picture every 1 minute
    on PC, Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen > Screen Saver Settings > Photos > Settings... > Browse > Choose folder

    on TV - I have a Google Chrome Cast - Add photos to google photos > add album in Ambient Mode settings
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 04, 2021, 09:33:56 AM

    @Sibley what are your decluttering goals for 2021?


    I don't have huge piles of stuff I don't need in the house. Luckily. However, I do have huge piles of rocks outside to dig out and dispose of. Made almost no progress last year. The big declutter challenge however will be my parents. They are planning on selling their house and moving to my area. My mom thinks they're in good shape. My sister and I think they're in better shape than they were a few years ago, but it's still going to be a huge challenge. Including the fact that while mom has decided to get rid of a ton of stuff, it's all sitting in boxes labeled "sell". Combined with them moving and finding a place, normal life/work, etc.... send luck.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 04, 2021, 10:52:02 AM
    If you just take digital pictures with either your phone/tablet or camera, it's way faster than scanning.  Just spread them out on a table and click on each one individually and you have a digital record.  As you do this, get rid of the  ones you don't want to keep paper copies of.  Simple.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 04, 2021, 10:33:44 PM

    @Sibley what are your decluttering goals for 2021?


    I don't have huge piles of stuff I don't need in the house. Luckily. However, I do have huge piles of rocks outside to dig out and dispose of. Made almost no progress last year. The big declutter challenge however will be my parents. They are planning on selling their house and moving to my area. My mom thinks they're in good shape. My sister and I think they're in better shape than they were a few years ago, but it's still going to be a huge challenge. Including the fact that while mom has decided to get rid of a ton of stuff, it's all sitting in boxes labeled "sell". Combined with them moving and finding a place, normal life/work, etc.... send luck.

    Good luck on both the rocks and your parent's move. My former in-laws, both with hoarding tendencies so they sort of encouraged each other, had a moving truck so big that it wasn't able to fit down the street of their new home. They had to last-minute rent a smaller moving van to actually get their possessions into their new home. Whew! I hope it's not like that for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunniD on January 05, 2021, 10:21:43 AM
    I cleared 2 small piles yesterday. I'm a piler. Got rid of a bunch of CD/DVD cases and some old clothes (half going to donation).

    I have a pair of very expensive and space hogging ski boots I will try to sell. 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 05, 2021, 10:43:45 AM
    I listed an old treadmill on FB Marketplace this morning and immediately got 3 messages - so I obviously priced it too low!  But at least it's out of the house tomorrow.

    I also listed a shelving unit that I'm not sure why I still have.  Hopefully this encourages me to take the broken TV to the curb this week, and then all that will be left in my exercise room will be my elliptical (which I still use, though not as much as when I was working), a stool, and some hand weights.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on January 05, 2021, 11:13:36 AM
    I thought I had thoroughly decluttered in preparation for our move in August.  When I packed up some of our kitchen things, we were still in the process of selling and I didn't know how much room we would have in the new place.    Turns out not so much!   Room for the things I use all the time, no room for things that get used every few years.   The spring pan, bundt pan, double boiler, and multiple cookie sheets are packaged up and waiting for us to come out of lockdown so I can donate them.   

    I'm debating about the small food processor I have too - I liked the idea of being the kind of cook that used one, but found out my usual utensils do just fine, and I hate cleaning the thing.  It's not an expensive one, so I'd have no regrets about donating that either.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 05, 2021, 01:07:10 PM
    I thought I had thoroughly decluttered in preparation for our move in August.  When I packed up some of our kitchen things, we were still in the process of selling and I didn't know how much room we would have in the new place.    Turns out not so much!   Room for the things I use all the time, no room for things that get used every few years.   The spring pan, bundt pan, double boiler, and multiple cookie sheets are packaged up and waiting for us to come out of lockdown so I can donate them.   

    I'm debating about the small food processor I have too - I liked the idea of being the kind of cook that used one, but found out my usual utensils do just fine, and I hate cleaning the thing.  It's not an expensive one, so I'd have no regrets about donating that either.   

    I bought the cheapest large food processor I could find, because I only use it when I am making relish.  The rest of the year it doesn't even live in the kitchen!  A good knife is efficient and a lot easier to clean.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on January 05, 2021, 02:30:11 PM
    A good knife is efficient and a lot easier to clean.

    Amen! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 05, 2021, 06:14:40 PM
    Out of the house so far this week:
    -Crystal cake stand (sold on FB marketplace)
    -Old ski boots, outgrown by teen (sold on FB marketplace)
    -Book (eBay)
    -Face mask Christmas gift thing (eBay)
    -Returned a few gifts that didn't work out

    I need to go through another area & find stuff for my local Buy Nothing group. Things move quickly there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 05, 2021, 07:01:06 PM

    @Sibley what are your decluttering goals for 2021?


    I don't have huge piles of stuff I don't need in the house. Luckily. However, I do have huge piles of rocks outside to dig out and dispose of. Made almost no progress last year. The big declutter challenge however will be my parents. They are planning on selling their house and moving to my area. My mom thinks they're in good shape. My sister and I think they're in better shape than they were a few years ago, but it's still going to be a huge challenge. Including the fact that while mom has decided to get rid of a ton of stuff, it's all sitting in boxes labeled "sell". Combined with them moving and finding a place, normal life/work, etc.... send luck.

    Good luck on both the rocks and your parent's move. My former in-laws, both with hoarding tendencies so they sort of encouraged each other, had a moving truck so big that it wasn't able to fit down the street of their new home. They had to last-minute rent a smaller moving van to actually get their possessions into their new home. Whew! I hope it's not like that for you.

    No, thank goodness. Not that bad. But my parents have not made the wisest of financial choices over the years, and are not necessarily being practical or realistic now. So it imposes limitations on dealing with everything.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 05, 2021, 07:10:24 PM
    Sent a year's worth of personal documents into the shred bin with a satisfying THUMP
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Naomi on January 06, 2021, 01:19:48 AM
    I started the 1 thing on day 1, 2 things on day 2, and etc...challenge last year, but quit. idk that i really even have enough stuff to do the entire 30 days.
    I started on 1 jan this time and feel like i'm kind of cheating already bc on day 2, i threw away a pair of socks (running socks w/holes) and counted that as 2 things instead of 1 pair.
    I'm going to really try tho and see how far i can get.

    days 1-5 complete.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chicklets123 on January 06, 2021, 08:58:46 PM
    Recycled all the take out containers. The good black ones. Anyone keep these?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 06, 2021, 09:13:18 PM
    Apparently the black ones aren’t recyclable where I live, so I have a small stack in the basement waiting for me to have a bright idea on what to do with them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 07, 2021, 02:36:56 PM
    Listed a bunch of things on eBay.

    Listed a few items on my local Buy Nothing, and have interested people for everything. I will hopefully be getting rid of board games & a bread basket we've never used.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on January 08, 2021, 03:36:51 AM
    I am settling in in my new apartment. I had a goal to unpack all the movers boxes in the apartment before New years eve, and I did.

    I got rid of a lot of stuff before moving, but found a big bag of kids clothing. Managed to sell a jacket, snow boots and "over-pants" (wind and waterproof to put over regular pants) for a total of $30. Also some special/attractive kids books for a few $ (someone requested to buy them specifically and the kids decided to sell and get the money). It was extremely easy sales, digital payments similar to Venmo and pick up w/o contact.

    And then I managed a double whammy :-D. Lots of nice/in really good shape kids clothes that would only fetch a dollar or two each  if anything. Asked my new neighbour who is very nice and has several grandkids of she wanted to take a look, thankfully she did. She took almost all, I am very pleased as there were nice things that could be used a lot more, they are out of my place, and I am building community in my new living area. We are already good friends, but it is good to add to that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 08, 2021, 07:17:35 AM
    Nice work, @LinneaH ! I'm glad to hear you are settling into your new place. I try & balance giving things away with selling. I do lots of both, & enjoy both processes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on January 08, 2021, 08:30:01 AM
    I have been decluttering for years but still thought I had too much stuff. My husband is the opposite. I am divorcing him so started packing. I bought plastic tubs to pack in and all my stuff except for clothes and pictures that hang on the walls fit into 20 tubs. All the rest of the junk is his. Luckily he is buying me out of the house because it would be a nightmare to get rid of all his stuff. I was the only thing standing between the house being a hoarders delight. I will never want to see this beautiful home again because it would be so painful to see it trashed. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on January 08, 2021, 09:16:05 AM
    Ah, Cassie, this just sounds very very hard. I'm sorry that you have to deal with any of it, even if it's the right thing for you to do.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 08, 2021, 12:13:45 PM
    Cassie, I'm so sorry to hear that. Sending you strength as you go through this difficult time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dogastrophe on January 08, 2021, 12:30:27 PM
    2-1/2 years ago we decided to sell our house and bought a smaller condo unit. At time we got rid of a lot of stuff but still brought quite a bit to our new place.

    I'm about to go on another mission to reduce a lot of the stuff I have in our storage room that haven't seen the light of day since we moved. For some items I post on Kijiji for up to a week (and ignore all the kijijidiots) and if it hasn't sold I donate; other items go straight to donation.

    I have 4 totes and a medium tool chest to sort and reduce. My goal is to get to get everything into the 1 tote and the tool chest (which also holds some items other than tools)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on January 08, 2021, 01:48:21 PM
    Very sorry to hear your news Cassie. (((hugs)))
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on January 08, 2021, 04:35:35 PM
    My DIL ruined a couple of baking sheets drying out pine cones.  I had 2 extras that won't fit into the designated baking area of our new house.  Baking sheets are now at DIL's, and I don't have to find a place for them or donate to charity.   Both of us are pleased.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 09, 2021, 05:13:26 AM
    Am attempting to stay out of op shops this month so there will definitely be more stuff going out than coming in. Decluttered 2 novels I won't read again, but they won't physically leave the house till Feb as I just don't trust myself to just drop them off and not go in to browse.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on January 09, 2021, 05:18:12 AM
    Am attempting to stay out of op shops this month so there will definitely be more stuff going out than coming in. Decluttered 2 novels I won't read again, but they won't physically leave the house till Feb as I just don't trust myself to just drop them off and not go in to browse.

    Good idea if you will be tempted! If you can get together more items, there may be a charity in your area who will come pick up from your house, so you aren't tempted! Or I'm sure there is a neighbor who wouldn't mind one or two items thrown in their donation box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 09, 2021, 08:44:01 AM
    Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

    Also found 2 unused, blank calendars in the pile and recycled them.

    Having the new counter space and seeing it every day is a nice plus.

    A lot of my decluttering lately is consolidating stuff, but keeping it in the house, and out of sight, and taking up less space. Can't throw everything out, lol.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 09, 2021, 08:52:49 AM
    I sold 5 items yesterday!  3 pickups, and 2 in the mail (though now that I think about it, 3 of those things are video games I sold for my BF, so only actually 2 of my items gone...)  Seems lots of people are enjoying post-holiday shopping this year.

    My elderly cat passed this week, so I spent some time gathering and cleaning her things - on Monday I'll drop most of it off at the local humane society - they said they did take donations of goods and food, so hopefully they will be put to good use since I don't intend on getting another cat for a while.  I did sell her water fountain since I thought the shelter might not use it - lots of interest in that on FB Marketplace, it sold fast - I like the idea of another cat enjoying it today.

    I threw away her medicines the day after she died - I paused and almost didn't, since it felt wasteful, but the leftovers were not really that much, definitely not worth finding a taker for the non-prescription stuff.  The finality of it was sad, but still the right thing to do.

    I'm hoping to go through and declutter some more from the kitchen today - old bottles I noticed under the sink, and a few items from the pantry that haven't seen the light of day in a while.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 09, 2021, 08:54:01 AM
    Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

    What's the reason to keep them?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 09, 2021, 09:39:51 AM
    I sold 5 items yesterday!  3 pickups, and 2 in the mail (though now that I think about it, 3 of those things are video games I sold for my BF, so only actually 2 of my items gone...)  Seems lots of people are enjoying post-holiday shopping this year.

    My elderly cat passed this week, so I spent some time gathering and cleaning her things - on Monday I'll drop most of it off at the local humane society - they said they did take donations of goods and food, so hopefully they will be put to good use since I don't intend on getting another cat for a while.  I did sell her water fountain since I thought the shelter might not use it - lots of interest in that on FB Marketplace, it sold fast - I like the idea of another cat enjoying it today.

    I threw away her medicines the day after she died - I paused and almost didn't, since it felt wasteful, but the leftovers were not really that much, definitely not worth finding a taker for the non-prescription stuff.  The finality of it was sad, but still the right thing to do.

    I'm hoping to go through and declutter some more from the kitchen today - old bottles I noticed under the sink, and a few items from the pantry that haven't seen the light of day in a while.

    From experience, as long as the items are clean and in decent condition, they can use them. If nothing else, they'll use ratty beds and blankets for sick and injured animals as appearance doesn't matter, just comfort and function.

    I'm sorry you lost your kitty. It's hard. :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on January 09, 2021, 12:48:45 PM
    Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

    What's the reason to keep them?

    Also what are annual calendars? Do you mean the regular sort that hangs on the wall and has a page for each month with pictures?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 09, 2021, 01:23:52 PM
    I sold 5 items yesterday!  3 pickups, and 2 in the mail (though now that I think about it, 3 of those things are video games I sold for my BF, so only actually 2 of my items gone...)  Seems lots of people are enjoying post-holiday shopping this year.

    My elderly cat passed this week, so I spent some time gathering and cleaning her things - on Monday I'll drop most of it off at the local humane society - they said they did take donations of goods and food, so hopefully they will be put to good use since I don't intend on getting another cat for a while.  I did sell her water fountain since I thought the shelter might not use it - lots of interest in that on FB Marketplace, it sold fast - I like the idea of another cat enjoying it today.

    I threw away her medicines the day after she died - I paused and almost didn't, since it felt wasteful, but the leftovers were not really that much, definitely not worth finding a taker for the non-prescription stuff.  The finality of it was sad, but still the right thing to do.

    I'm hoping to go through and declutter some more from the kitchen today - old bottles I noticed under the sink, and a few items from the pantry that haven't seen the light of day in a while.

    From experience, as long as the items are clean and in decent condition, they can use them. If nothing else, they'll use ratty beds and blankets for sick and injured animals as appearance doesn't matter, just comfort and function.

    I'm sorry you lost your kitty. It's hard. :(

    In typical cat-fashion, my cats had zero interest in the cat beds I purchased for them.  They've just been sitting around for years, so they still look pretty new after a wash.

    I did clean out underneath the kitchen sink, took a few things out of the pantry, and threw away a bunch of old bottles of "product" from the extra bathroom shower that hasn't been used in years.  I listed 5 new things for sale, so it's been a productive day so far.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 10, 2021, 01:12:26 PM
    -Sold two items on eBay (scarf & earrings)
    -Gave away a pilates ball I've never used via Buy Nothing group

    Planning to list the boys basketball hoop today. It's a full size, and should generate some interest during COVID times
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dogastrophe on January 10, 2021, 01:13:08 PM
    2-1/2 years ago we decided to sell our house and bought a smaller condo unit. At time we got rid of a lot of stuff but still brought quite a bit to our new place.

    I'm about to go on another mission to reduce a lot of the stuff I have in our storage room that haven't seen the light of day since we moved. For some items I post on Kijiji for up to a week (and ignore all the kijijidiots) and if it hasn't sold I donate; other items go straight to donation.

    I have 4 totes and a medium tool chest to sort and reduce. My goal is to get to get everything into the 1 tote and the tool chest (which also holds some items other than tools)

    I went through the 4 totes + 2 that had camping / outdoor gear in them and ended up with 3 well curated ones. Only kept items that I have used in the past year. I have a box of oil / grease / adhesives / etc to take to our hazardous waste depot next weekend, left a box of odds and ends in our waste room for people in the building to pick through (including  ~15 lbs of random screws and bolts) Gave a couple of empty totes to a friend. Have 7 or 8 items listed for sale.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on January 11, 2021, 09:37:15 PM
    Between funerals and other bad news this week I had a burst of cleaning adrenaline. (Distraction and activity is my best coping mechanism.) I went through every closet and storage area and made a new consolidated area for things to sell or donate. It was much bigger than expected - more than 50 items! I guess I'm not as much of a minimalist as I thought.
    I quickly sent pictures to family members and friends nearby and within a few days had 1/3 of it re-homed, and a few items listed for sale and even more on a local giveaway pile.
    Tomorrow I will take more pictures to post items and see what else can be donated to save the extra steps of posting and coordinating with buyers. The extra steps might be good for me though, and a few items have mixed memories associated with them and are good quality or expensive items that should sell well (and I don't want to give them to anyone I know, so I never have to see them again - there I said it).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 12, 2021, 12:08:27 AM
    (and I don't want to give them to anyone I know, so I never have to see them again - there I said it).

    Perfectly legitimate sentiment. They are your things, and they should not be able to inflict their presence on you if you decide that's how you want it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Trifle on January 12, 2021, 04:30:19 AM
    Ok I'm in for this.  Family of 4 -- two adults and two teenagers.  We don't have tons of extra stuff, but we could do better.  And I love getting rid of unused things.  My goal is to get rid of 500 objects this year.  So far this month I've already donated a box of outgrown kids' clothes, shoes, and toys (22 items).  I also created an Ebay account yesterday so I could try to sell a few things that might be worth a little money.

    A fun one today -- I'm giving away an unused frog dissection kit that my kids never got around to.  It includes all the tools and the preserved frog too.  My neighbor was happy to get it for her two kids.  Should be a cool indoor Covid winter project for them.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 12, 2021, 08:43:57 AM
    Ok I'm in for this.  Family of 4 -- two adults and two teenagers.  We don't have tons of extra stuff, but we could do better.  And I love getting rid of unused things.  My goal is to get rid of 500 objects this year.  So far this month I've already donated a box of outgrown kids' clothes, shoes, and toys (22 items).  I also created an Ebay account yesterday so I could try to sell a few things that might be worth a little money.

    A fun one today -- I'm giving away an unused frog dissection kit that my kids never got around to.  It includes all the tools and the preserved frog too.  My neighbor was happy to get it for her two kids.  Should be a cool indoor Covid winter project for them.

    Your, and your neighbor's, idea of cool indoor projects differ greatly from mine. Dissection days were not good days for me!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 12, 2021, 08:58:28 AM
    Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

    What's the reason to keep them?

    Also what are annual calendars? Do you mean the regular sort that hangs on the wall and has a page for each month with pictures?

    Yes, they are the calendars that hang on the kitchen wall, with big squares for writing in things you want to do, on the bottom, and a big picture on the top. I had classic cars, nature scenes, and flowers.   

    The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

    By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

    And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

    Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

    Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on January 12, 2021, 09:09:05 AM
    Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

    What's the reason to keep them?

    Also what are annual calendars? Do you mean the regular sort that hangs on the wall and has a page for each month with pictures?

    Yes, they are the calendars that hang on the kitchen wall, with big squares for writing in things you want to do, on the bottom, and a big picture on the top. I had classic cars, nature scenes, and flowers.   

    The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

    By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

    And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

    Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

    Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

    My mom writes EVERYTHING on her wall calendar.  Walks she took, people over for dinner, appointments.  The old ones have all sorts of stuff about my sister and I growing up - teeth lost, first day of school, and pretty much every other milestone you can think of.

    I think she has all of her calendars from like 1982 when she got married.  It's pretty cool to have an exact date for some of these things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 12, 2021, 11:35:01 AM
    Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

    What's the reason to keep them?

    Also what are annual calendars? Do you mean the regular sort that hangs on the wall and has a page for each month with pictures?

    Yes, they are the calendars that hang on the kitchen wall, with big squares for writing in things you want to do, on the bottom, and a big picture on the top. I had classic cars, nature scenes, and flowers.   

    The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

    By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

    And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

    Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

    Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

    My mom writes EVERYTHING on her wall calendar.  Walks she took, people over for dinner, appointments.  The old ones have all sorts of stuff about my sister and I growing up - teeth lost, first day of school, and pretty much every other milestone you can think of.

    I think she has all of her calendars from like 1982 when she got married.  It's pretty cool to have an exact date for some of these things.

    Wow, that's dedication!  I can't imagine keeping track of so much minutia.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Unique User on January 12, 2021, 12:29:06 PM
    I'm in for this!  I have about 4-6 months to sell/give away most of our stuff before we list our house.  Last year I sold about $2k worth of stuff, mostly small items, although a dining set and a generator made up $900 of it.  So far in January I've sold 6 items for $90 and another 3 of my daughter's things for $70 to her.  I just started listing items with shipping and made a mistake on one, but will chalk it up to inexperience. 

    Also joined our local buy nothing group and have given away a stack of books, two boxes of Christmas decor and a filing cabinet.  Purged filing cabinet prior to selling and consolidated all the paper records we will keep down to one plastic banker box.  Onto the next closet to sort through and determine whether contents are trash, recycle, give away, try to sell.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 12, 2021, 12:41:03 PM
    The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

    By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

    And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

    Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

    Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

    It's not weird to like looking at old calendars.  I don't like throwing mine away, but realistically there is not a lot of info in them, so they aren't very useful to me.  I do have lots of records on my online calendar that I refer back to frequently.

    But you say you may never look at them again.  That indicates to me that they are not worth keeping.

    It's fine to keep them if you do think you will look at them somewhat frequently - is there something you could do that wouldn't just be a stack somewhere - like bind the important pages into a book, or put in a 3-ring binder?  Something that's easier to access than a stack of calendars, makes it look like you value them, and encourages you to look at them every once in a while.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 12, 2021, 01:41:30 PM
    Listed another item on eBay (kids cooking set, and the teens have outgrown this)

    Listed two more items on Buy Nothing group (new massager I got as a gift, but I have a theragun, and a Fitbit charger that doesn't fit the model I have).

    I've posted a basketball hoop that's getting no love, & figure will make a family happy during COVID times. As always, more work to do. I've been in a daily/weekly/monthly decluttering mode for years, and don't go all in (instead I do small things every day, barring a few house wide large initiatives.) & I always find more things. It surprsies me, because we have a pretty minimalist house to start with.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on January 12, 2021, 01:56:09 PM
    Listed another item on eBay (kids cooking set, and the teens have outgrown this)

    Listed two more items on Buy Nothing group (new massager I got as a gift, but I have a theragun, and a Fitbit charger that doesn't fit the model I have).

    I've posted a basketball hoop that's getting no love, & figure will make a family happy during COVID times. As always, more work to do. I've been in a daily/weekly/monthly decluttering mode for years, and don't go all in (instead I do small things every day, barring a few house wide large initiatives.) & I always find more things. It surprsies me, because we have a pretty minimalist house to start with.
    I started decluttering around 15 years ago and am still at it!  Like you I have kept at it in small ways as well as doing some bigger blitzes. I always have a donation box on the go. I wonder how I can still find stuff, but in that time I have raised 2 kids who go through various growth phases each bringing a need to update stuff, and then received another big wave of stuff when my parents died.

    What a peculiar world we live in...stuff just seems to keep arriving and needing to be dealt with. What an enormous waste of time and the planets resources!



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 12, 2021, 02:04:44 PM
    Listed another item on eBay (kids cooking set, and the teens have outgrown this)

    Listed two more items on Buy Nothing group (new massager I got as a gift, but I have a theragun, and a Fitbit charger that doesn't fit the model I have).

    I've posted a basketball hoop that's getting no love, & figure will make a family happy during COVID times. As always, more work to do. I've been in a daily/weekly/monthly decluttering mode for years, and don't go all in (instead I do small things every day, barring a few house wide large initiatives.) & I always find more things. It surprsies me, because we have a pretty minimalist house to start with.
    I started decluttering around 15 years ago and am still at it!  Like you I have kept at it in small ways as well as doing some bigger blitzes. I always have a donation box on the go. I wonder how I can still find stuff, but in that time I have raised 2 kids who go through various growth phases each bringing a need to update stuff, and then received another big wave of stuff when my parents died.

    What a peculiar world we live in...stuff just seems to keep arriving and needing to be dealt with. What an enormous waste of time and the planets resources!

    Your last comment about the world we live in - so very true. It's such a waste of time to keep on top of. I try to not let it into my house to start with, but like you, I have kids who go through phases, have their own whims & ideas for birthday/Christmas gifts, etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 12, 2021, 02:44:08 PM
    Did the first steps needed for posting some manga on Gumtree - photos & noting the titles/vols. This is going to be my first time attempting to sell anything - I usually give away or donate - but it's mostly just getting out of the house.

    The ongoing kitchen declutter continues - today I found 4 more baking ingredients with best before date >5yrs ago. Often not a problem but it does matter for baking powder etc. It loses effectiveness. [Yeast seems to live forever] We have 8 different cups that we only use for coffee so 4 are put in quarantine. The other small but good task has been starting to label the containers of dry goods, so now no one has to hold up the freekah and the bulgar and ask me which one is which. So that really is decluttering the inventory management task and outsourcing it to the containers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 12, 2021, 07:05:09 PM
    The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

    By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

    And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

    Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

    Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

    It's not weird to like looking at old calendars.  I don't like throwing mine away, but realistically there is not a lot of info in them, so they aren't very useful to me.  I do have lots of records on my online calendar that I refer back to frequently.

    But you say you may never look at them again.  That indicates to me that they are not worth keeping.

    It's fine to keep them if you do think you will look at them somewhat frequently - is there something you could do that wouldn't just be a stack somewhere - like bind the important pages into a book, or put in a 3-ring binder?  Something that's easier to access than a stack of calendars, makes it look like you value them, and encourages you to look at them every once in a while.

    NotJen, thanks for the time you have spent responding to my post.

    I have decided I do value the calendars, since I may refer to them in the future. And, as a practical matter, I just measured the stack, and it is 12 inches by 12 inches by 1.5 inches tall.  I can get rid of 10 times that volume in one small bag of clothing donations, so I'm not worried about the space they are taking up.

    Thanks for the idea of putting them into binders, too. But they would only take up more space if I did that. And they are so easy to access as they are, in a chronological stack, so easy to open and flip through, in their natural state.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 12, 2021, 07:57:17 PM
    The day after Xmas I unloaded the car and sorted through every gift I received. Stuff I would use went to its new home. If it replaced an item I had that was worn out or past use, I threw away the old item. If I wasn't going to use it, I found a new home for it. Some items went to a friend, some got donated. I wrote the thank you notes while the items were fresh in my mind and got them in the mail. Physical and mental clutter OUT.

    Purged more Xmas stuff as I was unpacking it and packing it to put away.

    I keep my stationery to one small box. It was getting overstuffed, so I packaged up a dozen cards and envelopes and mailed them to a friend who mentioned her lack of stationery.

    I read What Your Clutter Is Trying to Tell You and it was fantastic! I thought I'd read all of the helpful info out there--feng shui, minimalism, decluttering, fly lady, etc. This one was about getting to the cause of the clutter, your feelings or past issues that caused sticking points. Only about 100 pages so a quick read. Inspired me to purge books I've had for over 20 years. (Yes, I was an English major in college, but I don't have to hold onto college-bookstore quality paperbacks to prove that. I have a diploma!) I have a box of books to send to a friend and a stack to take to the little library down the street. It's usually pretty bare of books, so it needs some love. Now all of my books fit on the shelf, not piled next to it.

    Had to throw. a. book. away. It seemed wrong, but this book was on the floor and soaked up a dog accident. No way to salvage or recycle. Another plus to having all the books on the shelf!

    Figured out my favorite workout dvd program is on YouTube. One more DVD out of the house. I purged all the cases last year, so now all the little plastic sleeves fit in a shoebox with room to spare.

    Keep the declutter mojo going, my friends!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Trifle on January 13, 2021, 04:10:38 AM
    Ok I'm in for this.  Family of 4 -- two adults and two teenagers.  We don't have tons of extra stuff, but we could do better.  And I love getting rid of unused things.  My goal is to get rid of 500 objects this year.  So far this month I've already donated a box of outgrown kids' clothes, shoes, and toys (22 items).  I also created an Ebay account yesterday so I could try to sell a few things that might be worth a little money.

    A fun one today -- I'm giving away an unused frog dissection kit that my kids never got around to.  It includes all the tools and the preserved frog too.  My neighbor was happy to get it for her two kids.  Should be a cool indoor Covid winter project for them.

    Your, and your neighbor's, idea of cool indoor projects differ greatly from mine. Dissection days were not good days for me!

    :) 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on January 13, 2021, 11:10:21 AM
    We're preparing for a move later this spring, so yesterday DH and I did a deep dive in our office. Recycled LOTS of outdated or expired paperwork, with a small shred pile to be disposed of (you know, the stuff you can't just throw away). Plan on hitting up local shredding service later this week, as most community free shedding days are in the summer (post-move).

    Also found as part of that purge: a small pile of old electronics to take to a local e-recyclyer - three(!) old phones, a tablet, and a DVD player, all of which finally bit the proverbial dust.

    Finally, a pile of ripped/worn clothing that can't be sold or donated is heading for a textile recycling bin!

    (Is moving the ultimate de-cluttering motivator? It sure feels like it.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dogastrophe on January 13, 2021, 03:18:45 PM

    I went through the 4 totes + 2 that had camping / outdoor gear in them and ended up with 3 well curated ones. Only kept items that I have used in the past year. I have a box of oil / grease / adhesives / etc to take to our hazardous waste depot next weekend, left a box of odds and ends in our waste room for people in the building to pick through (including  ~15 lbs of random screws and bolts) Gave a couple of empty totes to a friend. Have 7 or 8 items listed for sale.

    Two items sold in past two days. I've had a run of about 8 successful drama free online selling transactions over past few months ... I keep joking with my wife that I am overdue for a whack job.

    One of our building neighbours has taken the box of random screws and bolts.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 13, 2021, 03:28:27 PM
    Beyond excited that my 20 yo daughter is going to let me help her declutter her overstuffed bookshelf. I have run out of things to get rid of in the rest of the house and begged her to let me have at it.  She has given me 2 books for the donation pile so far and I am so happy. (I know you will all understand!)

    Please note that a lot of the books are YA series she has outgrown. I would *never* force anyone to get rid of books they want to keep. I have over 1000 of my own.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 14, 2021, 02:32:49 PM
    Today was a good day!  Filled the backseat of my car with all of my cat items, and delivered them to the local humane society.  Filled my trunk with household hazardous waste since I learned they collect M-F (used to be once a month) and are right near the humane society.  And then went hiking!  Happy to combine my errands to that side of town into one trip.

    I left an old grill at the curb last night for pickup today, but it was gone first thing in the morning.

    I did fail at getting rid of my old TV.  I tried to fit it in my car, but it won't.  So I'll either find a car it fits in, or try to leave it at the curb for large item pickup next week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 14, 2021, 10:53:03 PM
    Not a bad day. Reviewed what was under the bathroom sink. Only some cotton pads went into the donate bin, but nail polish remover went to Room Mate who almost bought some, and expired medications are waiting for a good time to dispose of at the pharmacy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on January 15, 2021, 12:20:24 AM
    I recovered and wiped off fully a third of the surface of my desk, after several days of chipping away at piles.

    Now I'm down to odds and ends that are there because I have no idea what to do with them. Perhaps the clean third will inspire me to keep plugging away at the rest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 15, 2021, 01:36:16 AM
    My daughter relinquished another book for the donation pile. Actually, it was 2 books, but I might read one of them (Heart of Darkness, school text) so have put it on my bookshelf. If I don't read it this year it will go.

    Found a pair of work boots my son wore for his previous part-time job. They are cheap, non-leather boots, were never comfortable, and have a hole in them, so will see if the local recycling organisation will take them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 15, 2021, 02:28:37 AM
    I did my annual clear out on the run up to Xmas and New Year. I threw out four old holey tees and two others - they are now dog tug toys or in a pile to make fabric woven baskets (I found a how-to online but need to buy a big needle first).

    I thought I'd do Project 333 (after finally reading the book) where you only wear 33 items for 3 months, but when I counted up what I'd usually wear it came to about 35 so ha ha, no need!

    Also I read the book "How to Manage Your House Without Losing Your Mind" and really liked it. I recommended it to the library months and months ago and they just got it.

    Also totally tidied the study since husband is no longer WFH. It's now a sort of craft room! Got rid of a bunch of things that had been listed for free but not been taken. I put them on another site and they went quickly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Steeze on January 15, 2021, 06:47:29 AM
    After the initial purge last month we started tracking the items coming in and out of the house with a goal of having NET -365 items by years end.

    We also have our first baby due in a couple months and the things are piling up! So far we acquired 24 items and have gotten rid of only 5. Luckily I think that is most of the baby stuff for now... maybe <10 items left on the registry.

    Getting down to -365 is going to be tough!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on January 15, 2021, 01:28:58 PM
    I had five minutes to find a use for the other day and decided to examine our bathroom cart for things that could go. Three expired OTC medicines gone and one box of mint waxed floss left by a long-ago house guest (neither of us will use waxed floss), gone and out the door.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 15, 2021, 02:05:09 PM
    I grew weary of all the supplies for unfinished projects around the house, so I selected one to complete (painting dining room ceiling).  The project has been dragging on aggravatingly, but at least I finished a quart of primer completely and am half done with another quart.  We also attached some trim that I bought 5 years ago. Soon the patches, sanding, and touch ups will be  done and then I can look forward to consuming 2 gallons of paint, which means more room in the garage!

    I also got rid of a shelf, lamp, and random china through Buy Nothing... another 8 cubic feet freed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 15, 2021, 02:09:54 PM
    Between funerals and other bad news this week I had a burst of cleaning adrenaline. (Distraction and activity is my best coping mechanism.)

    @halftimer, I'm sorry for your losses. Good work on taking a bit of control back by making your physical space a little nicer, and I am sure that the recipients of the items you passed on appreciated them!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 15, 2021, 02:34:11 PM
    Today I threw out a whole shelf of magazines that I was keeping for no other reason than I didn't need the shelf for anything else.

    Finally got rid of 3 old pairs of sneakers (I replace my running shoes annually, but the used pile builds up because it's hard to get rid of shoes that still look good, but have run out their useful life).

    Cleaned up and listed for sale a laptop bag that my former company didn't want back.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 15, 2021, 07:40:22 PM
    Culled more books. I posted some of them on PaperBackSwap. Five of them were taken and I immediately wrapped them in upcycled packaging and taken straight to the post office. The ones that weren't claimed went right to a neighborhood little library. Five books and five bubble mailers/envelopes out. All books fit on one small shelf and in one cubby.

    Donated a box of cake mix that had been an Instacart substitution, a coloring book and set of new markers.

    Tossed a dress in the donation bag after a full day of wearing it and being very annoyed with it. Well, after washing and drying it.

    Paper clutter is at zero! I've spent the last month taking care of paper as soon as it comes in. I even tossed a folder full of art (scrap) paper that I hadn't used in projects.

    Eyeing a few of the pillows on the couch. I put two away to see if the remaining number is the perfect number.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on January 15, 2021, 09:10:45 PM
    Very successful week. We took advantage of the local buy nothing group and were able to give away a foam mattress topper we didn't need anymore but that was in good shape, along with a large mirror that was holding a space on the wall until something better came along.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on January 16, 2021, 02:25:38 PM
    Packed up two more boxes of random cups, glasses, jars, books etc that weren't being used. I think I almost have enough to make a trip to the thrift store worthwhile, so that is happening this week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 16, 2021, 02:53:09 PM
    I moved some furniture a few inches here and there to vacuum and found some yarn my cats had decluttered for me.  Working it into an afghan now. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 16, 2021, 03:47:05 PM
    I just dumped four drawers and sorted them. A basket of magazines is also sorted. Now the buffet is full on functional and for the first time ever, I have my good cutlery in a place that is easy to access. The two drawers in the kitchen are a work of art.  When I need a marker to identify something I am freezing or scissors...there they are. 
    Over the last week i have been going through my seed box.  Anything that is well and truly past viability...compost.  anything that is a complete mystery....compost.  anything that was yucky...ugly squash that shred like spaghetti but have no flavour.....compost. 
    I was dreading the drawer in the kitchen but now it's done. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 16, 2021, 04:12:35 PM
    5 more books onto PaperBackSwap and 3 in the mailbox. Used up shopping bags and an old poster to wrap them. Even managed to release some books I've had since childhood, and they were on wish lists. Knowing items are going straight to someone who wants them feels really good.

    The car trunk is completely full of times to go to the thrift store, including a reading pillow that takes up a ton of space. I washed and fluffed the two pillows I took off the couch and decided to donate them. Added a duvet cover, two shams, two pillowcases, two towels, and two washcloths.  Now there's space to walk into my small bedroom closet. I bought some battery-operated lights to brighten up the space and really see what I'm working with. Next, the dreaded coat/storage closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 16, 2021, 05:23:57 PM
    I've had an oven element in my closet since summer (remodeled our kitchen, and this was in the second of a stacked oven that never turned on?). Sold it for $5 on eBay, and is now packaged & ready to get picked up on Tuesday. I would have donated it, but our local donation site wouldn't accept it & no traction on Buy Nothing. Very happy it's not going to a landfill!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Unique User on January 17, 2021, 07:15:31 AM
    Three more items on buy nothing and two more just waiting for a new home.  Sold three more items also - one on Ebay.  Since I'm new to Ebay I'm limited to one sale a month, I might try some things on Offer Up, does anyone have experience with them?  Pulled out all our photos and am going to take the next two weeks to organize into two albums to keep and digitize the rest.  DD came home for a couple hours yesterday and cleaned out one of her closets and the her sink cabinet, result - two bags of trash and a bunch more to donate or sell. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on January 17, 2021, 09:57:36 AM
    I took a bunch of pictures yesterday of wall decor items that I still really like, but don't have wall space for. I have gotten rid of most of the low hanging fruit, but since my intention is still to downsize within the next two years, I have to start de-cluttering the harder choices. *sniff* Will try to get them listed for sale today. Posting here for accountability.

    I should also try to sell or give away my old camera that I don't use.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 17, 2021, 10:08:03 AM
    Three more items on buy nothing and two more just waiting for a new home.  Sold three more items also - one on Ebay.  Since I'm new to Ebay I'm limited to one sale a month, I might try some things on Offer Up, does anyone have experience with them?  Pulled out all our photos and am going to take the next two weeks to organize into two albums to keep and digitize the rest.  DD came home for a couple hours yesterday and cleaned out one of her closets and the her sink cabinet, result - two bags of trash and a bunch more to donate or sell.

    I used to sell on ebay all the time before the state sales tax was imposed. Do you know how it works? Let's say you live in Florida, what state's taxes are collected? Do FL taxes get collected or the buyer's state? I am assuming that ebay takes care of the tax money and there is no need to claim or do anything. I would like to hear from those who understand this better than me! I want to start selling again but this tax thing has scared me off!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on January 17, 2021, 10:33:50 AM
    Got rid of a box of baby girl clothes on Freecycle, and I'm stopping by the thrift store later today to drop off grown up clothes :)  I've been hoarding clothes in my closet because I didn't want to go anywhere to drop them off, so I've got a lot.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on January 17, 2021, 10:45:13 AM
    Last weekend I decluttered the workbench in the garage. It's kind of the dumping ground for stuff going in and out of my car, and I use the area to store extra horse things and mix up horse supplements. Need to get out there and finish cleaning it up.

    This weekend my challenge is to go through my horse stuff and try to sell a few extra things. I did that this summer and sold some things locally, but my horse has muscled up and needs a new saddle, so it would be good to raise some money to offset that cost and reduce clutter as well.

    I have three tubs of office clothes ready to go to the thrift store. After teleworking for 10 months, I just couldn't see myself wearing certain clothing or shoes ever again, so out they go. Also getting rid of a bunch of spice jars that I don't like and have slowly replaced with different jars. Need to haul it all to the donation center this week.

    Found a set of chopsticks in a wooden box that MIL brought to us from Japan. Added them to our everyday chopsticks; was hoping to repurpose the box, but haven't though of a practical use for it yet.

    There is also some stuff on the driveway side of our house that needs to be tossed or otherwise dealt with (a cardboard box, some scrap wood, old plant pots).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 17, 2021, 01:06:17 PM
    As I sort my craft room I am checking each container and optimizing what goes where.  I found a bunch of old disks that were for old hardware, gone. Plus a DVD that came in a magazine that I thought had something interesting on it, but turned out to be promotional material.  Gone.  I can put what is left in a much smaller container and use this bin for things that need that size.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 17, 2021, 02:16:46 PM
    We watched half an episode of Hoarders yesterday and immediately got up and started decluttering again. Our kitchen is now slightly rearranged in a way that vastly improves the functionality. Ofpym also went through his brewing gear and realised he didn't need a whole lot of plastic bottles and he can also get rid of two carboys.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 17, 2021, 03:34:08 PM
    Three more items on buy nothing and two more just waiting for a new home.  Sold three more items also - one on Ebay.  Since I'm new to Ebay I'm limited to one sale a month, I might try some things on Offer Up, does anyone have experience with them?  Pulled out all our photos and am going to take the next two weeks to organize into two albums to keep and digitize the rest.  DD came home for a couple hours yesterday and cleaned out one of her closets and the her sink cabinet, result - two bags of trash and a bunch more to donate or sell.

    I used to sell on ebay all the time before the state sales tax was imposed. Do you know how it works? Let's say you live in Florida, what state's taxes are collected? Do FL taxes get collected or the buyer's state? I am assuming that ebay takes care of the tax money and there is no need to claim or do anything. I would like to hear from those who understand this better than me! I want to start selling again but this tax thing has scared me off!

    State sales taxes are collected according to the buyer's state.  eBay takes care of all the tax money - you never see it and are not responsible for it.  The Paypal/eBay fee is charged on the sale price + shipping + taxes, so if you try to calculate your profit ahead of time, you'll usually be off by a few cents because you won't know how much the tax is until the purchase is made.

    I said Paypal/eBay fee because they are switching people over to using eBay payment processing instead of Paypal.  Previously the sales tax would be accounted for on the Paypal side, but since I switched it's all on the eBay side.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 17, 2021, 03:49:06 PM
    We watched half an episode of Hoarders yesterday and immediately got up and started decluttering again. Our kitchen is now slightly rearranged in a way that vastly improves the functionality. Ofpym also went through his brewing gear and realised he didn't need a whole lot of plastic bottles and he can also get rid of two carboys.

    That show has the same effect on me!

    There’s also a British one called How Clean is Your House that can be pretty motivational too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on January 18, 2021, 08:26:49 PM
    I have identified a box worth of textiles that have no practical use to anyone else at this point, so I will be taking them to the textile recycling place this week. We replaced some blinds in our house, and the old ones will be taken to ReStore for Habitat as well.  And we are out of the baby monitor phase, so I found someone who needs a baby monitor through Buy Nothing and it is off to renewed life elsewhere.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 18, 2021, 09:42:02 PM
    Silicone muffin cases which I used to shape the body lotion bars I used to make. Considering I still have the bars I made 6 months ago, I can't see myself making any more anytime soon. Plus, I would need to buy more ingredients and frankly, I can't be bothered sourcing them again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on January 18, 2021, 10:05:47 PM
    I spent about three hours cleaning the kitchen today, including a bit of reorganizing and decluttering. Nixed a grill pan, an inferior rubber spatula and some plastic forks with broken tines. Also decluttered/consolidated some food items so the fridge and freezer are more organized.

    Sold a riding jacket for about what I paid for it. It was green and most of my stuff is blue or gray, so I won't be introducing clutter in the shape of other green things meant to match the jacket.

    Need to get donations over to the thrift store this week for it all to really count.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on January 18, 2021, 11:28:25 PM

    Finally got rid of 3 old pairs of sneakers (I replace my running shoes annually, but the used pile builds up because it's hard to get rid of shoes that still look good, but have run out their useful life).


    I need to do this. I try to keep one older, worn-down pair of shoes for gardening, painting, and other tasks I don't want to subject my presentable shoes to, but there's a whole pile stacked up in that corner of the garage, and the spiders use them more than I do. There are also a few that were abandoned by people who don't live here anymore.

    A sporting goods store nearby has a bin for recycling old shoes. I should bundle up the whole pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on January 19, 2021, 12:49:53 AM
    Gave away some blinds at the BuyNothing group and sold a few Lego-storage boxes which were unused (too small for the amounts of Lego of my son....) and sold 3 children CD's (yes.... sold! was surprised that somebody would actually pay for them). Boxed up clothes that either do not fit or we do not wear anymore to donate as soon as I get to my parents house (they collect this to send to a poor village in Romania every 6 months). My SO started the decluttering of the shed..... 2 bags of garbage already left the house (and I'm cheering on him, since he put this off way too long).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 19, 2021, 09:02:00 AM
    Report on the status of my parent's decluttering for moving.... the boiler room is reportedly STACKED with boxes for the estate sale. Yay! And none of the mattresses are moving, at least 2 are going to the trash.

    Mom is, so far at least, planning on moving 12 chairs that are not currently used, have spent the past 20 years in the attic, no one wants them.... One of them is child sized (no grandkids yet, and no idea if its even in decent shape to be used in future), at least 2 are broken and CAN'T be sat in. And my great grandmother's hat box, which serves no purpose other than it belonged to her grandmother, is apparently on the move list.

    ----
    I put 2 pairs of slippers, brand new, in the donation box. It would be nice if they could size them better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 19, 2021, 04:10:10 PM
    I was restlessly wandering around the house after midnight and suddenly felt like decluttering some bookshelves, so I now have 8 more books for the donation pile. Winning this month as I haven't bought any from the op shops (still staying well away, which I think is some sort of record for me!).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 19, 2021, 04:30:47 PM
    I'm continuing to work through a pile of things I brought back from our vacation house. There's no Buy Nothing, Nextdoor or FB marketplace, and no good donation options, so I brought it all with us last time we drove back.

    Today I cleaned up & posted a folding picnic table. I've had 15 people contact me & one is supposed to pick it up tonight. $30 in, although guessing I could have priced it quite a bit higher, given the interest. COVID has made a portable picnic table a draw, I'm guessing. One more large item out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 19, 2021, 07:11:17 PM
    Combined three half-burnt candles into one candle tin and tossed the other containers.

    Steam mop quit working, so I ordered a new one. They don't make the brand I had anymore, so I promptly tossed the old mop and the accessories. There's no way they'll fit on the new one and no need to keep them.

    Found a plastic shoebox in the pantry with a key ring and some desiccated vet wrap. Why did I keep those two silly items in a box in the pantry?? Emptied the box into the trash and put the storage bin in the donate pile. Reorganized the pantry and found nothing else  useless.

    Big deal here: I put a pair of nice, still good leather boots in the donate pile. I have wiped the dust off of them twice to wear them but can't bring myself to. The heel is too high. They are so gorgeous but give me a head and neck ache every time I wear them. They are a fancy brand and did I mention still nice?? But they don't work for me and I'm burnt out on selling things after my big pre-holiday push. I've had the boots for 6 years and have gotten my money's worth, but just can't do high heels any more. Finally motivated myself to donate them after thinking of how thrilled someone might be the find fancy brand, still nice boots at a thrift store.

    Up to twelve books out on PaperBackSwap. There were a few that had no takers, so I'll put them in the donate pile. Used up all of the kraft paper for mailing.

    Next stop--actually drop donations off instead of driving them around town for another week!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 19, 2021, 11:55:13 PM
    We've been continuing the sporadic declutter. This morning while making breakfast, we completely rearranged one of the counters and created a lot of usable and visual space.

    @okcisok high fives for donating the boots! I donate nice things because I have found so many nice things in the thriftshops, it feels karmically right to feed into the system that has helped me. Also life is too short for uncomfortable feet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Unique User on January 20, 2021, 08:45:29 AM
    Three more items on buy nothing and two more just waiting for a new home.  Sold three more items also - one on Ebay.  Since I'm new to Ebay I'm limited to one sale a month, I might try some things on Offer Up, does anyone have experience with them?  Pulled out all our photos and am going to take the next two weeks to organize into two albums to keep and digitize the rest.  DD came home for a couple hours yesterday and cleaned out one of her closets and the her sink cabinet, result - two bags of trash and a bunch more to donate or sell.

    Five more items sold, luckily four locally which is easier.  Gave away a parka, an ice chest and a few gun related items we had from an old tenant to one of DH's old colleagues.  Couple more things went yesterday from the Buy Nothing Group.  I'll work on listing more for sale and putting together another bunch of items to go this week.  Amazing what you find when you actually look at your belongings, I just can't believe I kept so much even through four cross country moves. 

    About halfway through with the photos and decided I'll keep three albums - wedding album, album from DD's first year and one from DD year 2-present.  Consolidates by about half of where we were, but they fit nicely in a plastic tote so I'm good with it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on January 20, 2021, 12:15:17 PM
    Clothing was recycled, shredding was moved to this weekend, e-waste was moved to the free day for our city (first Wed of every month) to avoid any private company charges.

    Sold an old (working) coffeemaker on a social media group. Finding other items to sell pre-move (baby carrier, old crib mattress, some unused cookware/appliances, etc.)

    Intentionally working through our cupboards to eat up and use items I don't want to move. Hello, half a bag of quinoa. What to cook you in next week... ?

    We're preparing for a move later this spring, so yesterday DH and I did a deep dive in our office. Recycled LOTS of outdated or expired paperwork, with a small shred pile to be disposed of (you know, the stuff you can't just throw away). Plan on hitting up local shredding service later this week, as most community free shedding days are in the summer (post-move).

    Also found as part of that purge: a small pile of old electronics to take to a local e-recyclyer - three(!) old phones, a tablet, and a DVD player, all of which finally bit the proverbial dust.

    Finally, a pile of ripped/worn clothing that can't be sold or donated is heading for a textile recycling bin!

    (Is moving the ultimate de-cluttering motivator? It sure feels like it.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 20, 2021, 12:55:17 PM
    -Fold up picnic table sold & is now gone, $30 into the budget
    -Listed my old fitbit charger on both Buy Nothing, & then eBay after I couldn't find a match on Buy Nothing.
    -Found my old fitbit box & instructions, & got those recycled
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 20, 2021, 12:58:15 PM
    Now that my big summertime decluttering is done...  I have a long, skinny livingroom with the TV mounted on one wall.  I have 3 reclining chairs, a daybed vice a sofa, a cat tree by the window (of course)!   2 end tables.  2 lamp stands.  I want a friend to come over and just rearrange it all for me because now that I don't really have stuff in the livingroom I'm never happy with the furniture layout. 

    I finally moved a tote of Christmas and household miscellanea down to the storage area of my condo building.  I am emptying boxes of yarn slowly but surely for charity afghans.  Also working on using up some toiletries I've acquired through gifts or my own purchases.  I also disposed of some random food from the fridge that I do not remember buying and do not want to eat.  Aspirational grocery purchases I guess. 

    There is a tiny, remote possible I could have a new job in 2021 and if that is the case, I will sell my condo and move into an apartment closer to work with a shorter commute and less responsibilities.  Trying to be mindful of this remote possibility and not add more belongings to my place! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on January 20, 2021, 02:27:26 PM
    Clothing was recycled, shredding was moved to this weekend, e-waste was moved to the free day for our city (first Wed of every month) to avoid any private company charges.

    Sold an old (working) coffeemaker on a social media group. Finding other items to sell pre-move (baby carrier, old crib mattress, some unused cookware/appliances, etc.)

    Intentionally working through our cupboards to eat up and use items I don't want to move. Hello, half a bag of quinoa. What to cook you in next week... ?

    We're preparing for a move later this spring, so yesterday DH and I did a deep dive in our office. Recycled LOTS of outdated or expired paperwork, with a small shred pile to be disposed of (you know, the stuff you can't just throw away). Plan on hitting up local shredding service later this week, as most community free shedding days are in the summer (post-move).

    Also found as part of that purge: a small pile of old electronics to take to a local e-recyclyer - three(!) old phones, a tablet, and a DVD player, all of which finally bit the proverbial dust.

    Finally, a pile of ripped/worn clothing that can't be sold or donated is heading for a textile recycling bin!

    (Is moving the ultimate de-cluttering motivator? It sure feels like it.)

    I have moved quite a lot and everytime a move have been decided I have decluttered. I always ask myself if I want to pay to get this thing moved. That have allowed me to sell of all the things I don’t want to donate and donate rest. I also ask if the item will fit into the new apartment. Once I had to sell a book case because both didn’t fit into the new apartment. It also forced me to purge books. This also makes it easier to pack your stuff because you have made about 95 % of the keep or not decisions. Often you find even more stuff to sell and donate while you pack. This had allowed me to keep a fairly clutterfree lifestyle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 20, 2021, 04:36:38 PM
    Clothing was recycled, shredding was moved to this weekend, e-waste was moved to the free day for our city (first Wed of every month) to avoid any private company charges.

    Sold an old (working) coffeemaker on a social media group. Finding other items to sell pre-move (baby carrier, old crib mattress, some unused cookware/appliances, etc.)

    Intentionally working through our cupboards to eat up and use items I don't want to move. Hello, half a bag of quinoa. What to cook you in next week... ?

    We're preparing for a move later this spring, so yesterday DH and I did a deep dive in our office. Recycled LOTS of outdated or expired paperwork, with a small shred pile to be disposed of (you know, the stuff you can't just throw away). Plan on hitting up local shredding service later this week, as most community free shedding days are in the summer (post-move).

    Also found as part of that purge: a small pile of old electronics to take to a local e-recyclyer - three(!) old phones, a tablet, and a DVD player, all of which finally bit the proverbial dust.

    Finally, a pile of ripped/worn clothing that can't be sold or donated is heading for a textile recycling bin!

    (Is moving the ultimate de-cluttering motivator? It sure feels like it.)

    I have moved quite a lot and everytime a move have been decided I have decluttered. I always ask myself if I want to pay to get this thing moved. That have allowed me to sell of all the things I don’t want to donate and donate rest. I also ask if the item will fit into the new apartment. Once I had to sell a book case because both didn’t fit into the new apartment. It also forced me to purge books. This also makes it easier to pack your stuff because you have made about 95 % of the keep or not decisions. Often you find even more stuff to sell and donate while you pack. This had allowed me to keep a fairly clutterfree lifestyle.

    I have a slightly different strategy, but inspired by moves. We moved from Washington to CA (from a large home we owned to a rental we weren't sure we'd be in for long). I'd say we got rid of ~30-40% of our stuff. I wasn't into decluttering at the time, had small kids growing through things, and we just had a bunch of stuff that had accumulated.

    For the second move (CA rental property to a home a few blocks away that we'd purchased), I was determined to again rid of as much as possible before we moved. Because, packing & unpacking & then finding a place for crap you don't need is...not a good use of time. I'm guessing we got rid of 10-15% of our stuff that go round.

    Now, I have a daily task. Every day I find something to donate, sell or toss. Every day. Back in the pre-COVID days, I did this on Fridays, when I worked from home. I'd set a goal for 10 items every Friday. A lot of it was trash coming out for the kids room, or broken pencils & the like. Now I make it a daily task, since I'm WFH all day. I reach days where it's pretty hard to find stuff, but I'm always surprised by the depths of belongings.

    Today, for example, I found a Calphalon butter warmer. In the first move (7 years ago), he promised me we'd use it a lot. It was originally his from pre-marriage. We've still never used it. I listed it on eBay. If I don't sell it, I'll give it away on my local Buy Nothing group. How have I moved something twice that's taking up valuable cupboard space & we don't use?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 20, 2021, 07:03:57 PM
    Dragged another old grill to the curb to be picked up tomorrow (done with the old grills!).  Trashed an old/broken garden hose reel thingy.  Also added some yard waste from the overgrown section of the yard - goal is to do a bit each week until it is gone now that I know it's not the impossible task I thought it was.

    Edit: someone has taken the old grill.  I can't imagine anyone would want to use it - it would be cool if they took it for scrap metal, though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 20, 2021, 07:52:47 PM
    Using a ball of homespun yarn to make an ear warmer/headband. Turning clutter into something useful!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 20, 2021, 09:37:46 PM
    Took the last of the 8mm films to Costco for digital conversion. They announced the upcoming closing of their in-store photo centers recently, so I moved up the timeline on this. In a few weeks, those films will come back to me, but I'll have a digital copy also, so then I can trash the originals! Woo! Hope it's done before I move, that would be a bonus.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Unique User on January 22, 2021, 07:21:25 AM
    Listed a bunch on Facebook marketplace yesterday with a couple crosspostings to Craigslist.  Sold four items yesterday and two this morning.  Scanned in another batch of photos and added our honeymoon photos to the back of our wedding album. Now to get four of the purchases shipped, also need to work on more photo scanning and getting some things listed on the Buy Nothing group.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dogastrophe on January 22, 2021, 08:16:38 AM
    Sold a few motorcycle specific tools the other day; have a couple more to donate to a local tool library; giving a small stack of 90s comics to kids of a friend.

    I've took on the task of sorting through my parent's (and grand parents) picture slides after mom passed and dad was moved to a care home. Finally got around to going through them. Have removed the slides from ~75 carousels. Recycled all but 2. Still need to do a final sort on the slides and figure out which are worth digitizing and which should get destroyed. However, they now take up a small amount of space instead of half a closet.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 22, 2021, 07:37:25 PM
    4 more books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 22, 2021, 08:08:29 PM
    Did some un-decluttering today; don't kick me out of the thread, please! I am moving soon, so have been scavenging boxes. Came across a perfectly good Rubbermaid tote in the recycle bin last night. Cleaned it up today and packed it with books and clothes. Once moved, I'll evaluate if need it.

    Also decluttered a dozen books and an unloved cat toy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 23, 2021, 07:33:59 AM
    Did some un-decluttering today; don't kick me out of the thread, please! I am moving soon, so have been scavenging boxes. Came across a perfectly good Rubbermaid tote in the recycle bin last night. Cleaned it up today and packed it with books and clothes. Once moved, I'll evaluate if need it.

    Also decluttered a dozen books and an unloved cat toy.

    You did a rescue and reuse instead of buying new, good for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Accrual on January 23, 2021, 08:37:52 AM
    Inspired by this thread. Going to look around my apartment now to see something I can get rid of ------ just a lot of trash / papers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 23, 2021, 08:49:59 AM
    Sold an outgrown kids hoodie & a race shirt on eBay. Both are packaged & ready to be mailed out. Junk out/cash in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 23, 2021, 09:06:13 AM
    Posted a few things from the garage to sell - got rid of a wheelbarrow last night, and hopefully have someone picking up a bike today.  Debating selling my kayak.  I want to kayak in the future, but don't have a way to transport it, and don't really want to kayak locally.

    Threw out one bag of junk (why did I still have ugly bath mats from the apartment from 15 years ago?) and I'm working on a second.  Have a stack of books to donate.  Started a bag of clothes to donate.  I'm getting more ruthless as I get closer to putting my house up for sale.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 23, 2021, 09:30:20 AM
    I just de-clutter the deep freezer and the fridge freezer.
    Holy moley - space.  I have now washed about two dozen zip lock bags that contained herbs from as far back as 2014.  Approximately 2 cubic feet of freeze dried herbs from my garden.  And the benefits -we do not need to go to the grocery store for a good long time.  And we could keep the ice cream in the kitchen.  Should we keep the ice cream in the kitchen is a completely different question.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 23, 2021, 10:21:28 AM
    I just de-clutter the deep freezer and the fridge freezer.
    Holy moley - space.  I have now washed about two dozen zip lock bags that contained herbs from as far back as 2014.  Approximately 2 cubic feet of freeze dried herbs from my garden.  And the benefits -we do not need to go to the grocery store for a good long time.  And we could keep the ice cream in the kitchen.  Should we keep the ice cream in the kitchen is a completely different question.

    Eating ice cream counts as decluttering.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on January 23, 2021, 10:31:35 AM
    ^. :-) Yes, indeed it does!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 23, 2021, 10:44:23 AM
    I put 5 thoroughly read and enjoyed, but now cluttering,  National Geographic mags into the recycle bin.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 23, 2021, 03:53:56 PM
    I put 5 thoroughly read and enjoyed, but now cluttering,  National Geographic mags into the recycle bin.

    Any chance you can take them out of recyle bin and sell on ebay? I have bought older National Geographic mags and I see people sell newer ones too! Such great photography and stories!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 23, 2021, 04:05:23 PM
    -Sold a necklace charm from 20 years ago. It's been sitting on eBay for a year. Packaged & ready to get out of the house
    -Listed six kids books on Buy Nothing
    -Cleaned out my sock drawer

    Cleaned out my three tiered tray, where I keep things I need (order, bills, receipts, etc). I go through it every so often & clean it out. Got rid of checks I'd cashed (mobile), but was saving to verify. Recycled old receipts. I was going to toss gift cards that had been used to purchase holiday gifts (kept, in case the item didn't work out.) Turns out one gift card had $18 on it, one had $50, and only one had $0. Labeled the gift cards with the correct dollar value, and filed in the appropriate place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 23, 2021, 06:16:26 PM
    I put 5 thoroughly read and enjoyed, but now cluttering,  National Geographic mags into the recycle bin.

    Any chance you can take them out of recyle bin and sell on ebay? I have bought older National Geographic mags and I see people sell newer ones too! Such great photography and stories!

    Eh, good enough is good enough :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 23, 2021, 06:20:47 PM
    Did some un-decluttering today; don't kick me out of the thread, please! I am moving soon, so have been scavenging boxes. Came across a perfectly good Rubbermaid tote in the recycle bin last night. Cleaned it up today and packed it with books and clothes. Once moved, I'll evaluate if need it.

    Also decluttered a dozen books and an unloved cat toy.

    You did a rescue and reuse instead of buying new, good for you.

    I felt guilty because I wouldn't have bought a tub for moving. But I do feel good to have rescued and found an immediate use for it.


    Today I cleaned out my storage locker. It had fewer than a dozen items, but all bulky things.  Three are on Craigslist, and one is still in my car. Once the CL items go, I'll have room to bring the last one into the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 23, 2021, 06:42:59 PM
    Farewell old socks!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 23, 2021, 07:06:42 PM
    Parents are going to have an estate sale with everything they're not moving. The chairs are still moving. Sigh. And mom is daily freaking out about something different - today was the dvd cases have gone missing. I'm not telling her, but I remember a box of dvd cases getting thrown out probably 5 years ago, but we all thought they were my sister's dvd cases. Have to have a call with dad to chat about the tools.

    However, I'm collecting various items which I don't want and will add them to the pile for the estate sale later. So far, a too small cat toy basket, some jewelry which I don't want any more, a couple of decorative crystal boxes. A 1st edition book that for some unknown reason my mom gave me years ago (I don't care about 1st edition!).

    Also dug out the padlocks I used in 2007 when I used pods for a move. Parents are going to use pods, so assuming these locks will fit, they can use them. If they won't fit, into the sale they go.

    Edit: My sister told mom about the dvd cases that got trashed, and which may have included the ones she's missing. Better her than me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on January 24, 2021, 07:42:00 AM
    I'm continuing to move baby things out of my house via consignment store and giving things away to friends and on Freecycle.

    My parents are going through a HUGE decluttering process in their house.  My mom retired last year before the school year started, and she's getting antsy not being productive :) 

    They recycled two garbage bags of shredded documents - saved receipts, billing and payment statements from when I went to college (I graduated in 2003, so that's long overdue), etc. - and another laundry basket of things that didn't need to be shredded, and my dad is still going through his filing cabinet.  Mom just sent me pictures of all my tween/YA books that are still in my old bedroom at their house asking which she should keep for my kids and which she should donate.  It's pretty awesome. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on January 24, 2021, 03:54:02 PM
    I've started using washcloths. I've now dug up enough that I already had (oddball colors, but so what) that I can toss a couple of the oldest, most threadbare and not have to buy more. Small victories are still victories.

    Also, dug out enough of my desk and a couple other paper hiding places to find over two dozen expired credit and membership cards. I'm going to swap the bag under the shredder and do them all in one go so I don't mix plastic shards in with paper.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 24, 2021, 04:57:27 PM
    Gave away the 6 books on my local Buy Nothing group. Asked if they wanted lemons, so gave away 8 Meyer lemons. We have an abundance.

    Gave away our basketball hoop to our neighbor's kids. They are thrilled. My husband's "office" at home looks out onto their drive way & he is so happy they are getting enjoyment out of it.

    Listed a set of four (unopened) books on eBay, and a kids desk chair on FB market place
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 24, 2021, 06:03:58 PM
    Yesterday I noticed that we have a brand-new Goodwill donation center nearby - so today while I was out on an errand, I dropped off the books that I had pulled out yesterday, as well as a bag of clothes (threw some random stuff from my closet out to fill the bag, but it still needs to get pared down more).  I also threw out another bag of trash after purging paperwork.  I have 2 2-drawer filing cabinets I can now get rid of!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Unique User on January 25, 2021, 10:00:12 AM
    Sold two more items over the weekend, one was a big box of 15+ board games.  Something interesting on ebay, if you are new and limited to one sale a month, once you hit that sale and get positive feedback, you can request a limit increase.  Did that and listed a bunch more items that I had on Facebook over on ebay.  Facebook Marketplace only has shipping allowed for a couple categories, so that will help increase visibility.  Found more photos, sigh. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 25, 2021, 10:40:33 AM
    I put 5 thoroughly read and enjoyed, but now cluttering,  National Geographic mags into the recycle bin.

    Any chance you can take them out of recyle bin and sell on ebay? I have bought older National Geographic mags and I see people sell newer ones too! Such great photography and stories!

    Just what I did not need to hear, Roadrunner! Thanks! lol.

    I imagine if I were to put them on my table at the flea market, no one would even touch them. But EBay is a whole different story, isn't it?

    Well, they are out at the curb now, as I am typing, and I'm expecting to hear the sound of the recycling truck any minute.  What a struggle. I will leave them at the curb for now. 

    I looked them up on ebay and they are going for $8 for 4 mags with free shipping.   And shipping might be $5, right?

    This is almost as bad as when I dumped my COBOL II  user manuals into the big bin at the local recycling place last year, lol.     
     




     

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on January 25, 2021, 11:20:26 AM
    Had some stuff still in storage at my parents' house.  My brother and SIL are moving in for a while and needed the stuff moved.  I admitted to myself that I am never going to be a size 3/4 ever again, and purged all those clothes.  Even snuck some of the kid's toys into the donation boxes.  I ended up bringing more stuff home than I really wanted to, but at least it wasn't everything...I guess.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on January 25, 2021, 06:01:11 PM
    I had a productive weekend. Decluttered the following:

    -a pile of excess file folders
    -several notebooks
    -a couple clothing items
    -3 board games
    -8 bottles of hand sanitizer

    I have a few spots I still need to go through but I think we've done basically the whole house in the last year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 25, 2021, 06:07:41 PM
    Chugging away
    - Made up some high-end ice tea mix a friend gave me and happily discarded the lot - not a flavour I enjoy at all. So that's out of the cupboard.
    - A friend is taking the food processor in the next few weeks
    - Used up a notebook for work
    - Put three pens that bled through paper into the stationery cupboard at work
    - Slowly deleting ebooks from my digital library. There are a whole bunch that I can happily say I'll never read again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 25, 2021, 07:06:51 PM
    One more book, and a pair of my son's work pants which have been patched once at the knees, have ripped again, and he no longer needs them for his new casual job. They will go into the local textile recycling bin. Plus an indoor plant that died. It will go into the green waste bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: catlady on January 25, 2021, 08:04:06 PM
    I continue to sell baby clothes but I started amassing toddler books :| I plan to put some toys for sale this weekend
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 26, 2021, 12:17:29 PM
    -Sold two technical books that I picked up off of a freebie pile. Out of the house, & into the hands of someone who needs them
    -Organized our garage food storage area, and can now actually see what we have.
    -Started getting our taxes ready & tossed paperwork I no longer need (not tax documents, just inserts, envelopes, etc)
    -Needed a hat this morning for a chilly am walk & discovered I have several hats in my ski bag. I used to rotate through them, but these days I wear a helmet on the slopes, so I only need one hat for after/before skiing. Set aside my nice Bogner hat to sell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on January 26, 2021, 01:04:22 PM
    So my living space is feeling about right.  I read somewhere that if a horizontal surface has 3 or fewer items on it, the look is cozy/curated but not cluttered. So I have worked toward that and I'll say it's a good general rule. I have a couple of places where I have 5 items, like on a large side table, but 3 of the 5 are picture frames grouped together so I think visually they might counts as one; to my eye it doesn't look cluttered.

    The basement is still not ok and I think DH and I can sort through that.

    I am posting today because I have about 2 dozen items that I'm finding really hard to get rid of.  Generally, they are somewhat valuable (like fancy opera glasses from a rich aunt) or just a little sentimental. A few are just hard things to figure out how to get rid of.  I've made a list on my phone and am making a promise to myself that I'll stop kicking the can down the road and finally deal with these things in 2021.  It's hard to sell something when you don't know what it's worth; I fear a bad case of seller's remorse that I sold something too low, although I know that so many "valuable" things aren't anymore.   I sold a few of these types of items on Ebay in 2019 and early 2020 but really need to step it up and continue. This post is my promise to myself in writing.

    For anyone who is involved with a relative's estate, or the like, my advice to you is just say "no". and then repeat "no"  as the house is emptied. I helped with several relatives estates over the years and somehow ended up with things. Even if you don't think you're taking much, my gosh it adds up. and then turns into a time/energy suck for you later.

    If you have strategies/face punches or the like to get rid of these items I'd appreciate hearing them.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on January 26, 2021, 01:24:15 PM
    Inspection for the sale of our place is tomorrow, so we're gonna get the shredding done while we have to be out of the house, along with some additional textile recycling we've drummed up. Gave away our bottle/teething stuff from our last baby ('cause WE. ARE. DONE.)

    Working through our pantry, including meal-planning around our stocks of soup, polenta, and freezer foods. We're also down to our last powdered hot chocolate, which was the gift-du-jour of our HOA in XMas 2019... 

    The big win is that I had my four-year-old go through his toys and pick a few to pass along to other kids. It wasn't much, and at least one we're gonna keep for the younger sibling (it's basically too young for the oldest, but too young for the eldest) but it was a good step!

    Next up - the kids' bookshelf. (We're trying to use the library more often, and will donate anything that's in good shape there.)

    Clothing was recycled, shredding was moved to this weekend, e-waste was moved to the free day for our city (first Wed of every month) to avoid any private company charges.

    Sold an old (working) coffeemaker on a social media group. Finding other items to sell pre-move (baby carrier, old crib mattress, some unused cookware/appliances, etc.)

    Intentionally working through our cupboards to eat up and use items I don't want to move. Hello, half a bag of quinoa. What to cook you in next week... ?

    We're preparing for a move later this spring, so yesterday DH and I did a deep dive in our office. Recycled LOTS of outdated or expired paperwork, with a small shred pile to be disposed of (you know, the stuff you can't just throw away). Plan on hitting up local shredding service later this week, as most community free shedding days are in the summer (post-move).

    Also found as part of that purge: a small pile of old electronics to take to a local e-recyclyer - three(!) old phones, a tablet, and a DVD player, all of which finally bit the proverbial dust.

    Finally, a pile of ripped/worn clothing that can't be sold or donated is heading for a textile recycling bin!

    (Is moving the ultimate de-cluttering motivator? It sure feels like it.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 26, 2021, 03:14:29 PM
    So my living space is feeling about right.  I read somewhere that if a horizontal surface has 3 or fewer items on it, the look is cozy/curated but not cluttered. So I have worked toward that and I'll say it's a good general rule. I have a couple of places where I have 5 items, like on a large side table, but 3 of the 5 are picture frames grouped together so I think visually they might counts as one; to my eye it doesn't look cluttered.

    The basement is still not ok and I think DH and I can sort through that.

    I am posting today because I have about 2 dozen items that I'm finding really hard to get rid of.  Generally, they are somewhat valuable (like fancy opera glasses from a rich aunt) or just a little sentimental. A few are just hard things to figure out how to get rid of.  I've made a list on my phone and am making a promise to myself that I'll stop kicking the can down the road and finally deal with these things in 2021.  It's hard to sell something when you don't know what it's worth; I fear a bad case of seller's remorse that I sold something too low, although I know that so many "valuable" things aren't anymore.   I sold a few of these types of items on Ebay in 2019 and early 2020 but really need to step it up and continue. This post is my promise to myself in writing.

    For anyone who is involved with a relative's estate, or the like, my advice to you is just say "no". and then repeat "no"  as the house is emptied. I helped with several relatives estates over the years and somehow ended up with things. Even if you don't think you're taking much, my gosh it adds up. and then turns into a time/energy suck for you later.

    If you have strategies/face punches or the like to get rid of these items I'd appreciate hearing them.

    For seller's remorse, I'll start with the caveat that I'm rarely selling something super expensive. For anything worth more than $50 or so, I do research & spend a bit of time on trying to find an appropriately similar value - say, 15 minutes at the absolute most. It usually takes less than five minutes of time. Other than the occasional, "Oh, crap, I should have priced that higher" feeling the day I make a sale, I can honestly say that I've never looked back & spent a bunch of time on regrets. I'm always much happier just to have something out of my house & my mental energy. I move on pretty quickly once it's sold. I guess I'd say that I prioritize expediency over precision.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 26, 2021, 04:01:48 PM
    I referred to today's activity (in my head) as "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic".  I took my "for sale" pile out of an upstairs closet/shelving unit, and moved the items to the garage shelving unit.  My thinking being that I want to sell the upstairs shelves (now listed on FB Marketplace!), and the garage ones will stay with the house.  All in an effort to get my house "show ready", and I think a closet with a clear floor will show better.  I did put a few items that didn't get any interest in the donation bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on January 27, 2021, 03:17:30 PM
    So my living space is feeling about right.  I read somewhere that if a horizontal surface has 3 or fewer items on it, the look is cozy/curated but not cluttered. So I have worked toward that and I'll say it's a good general rule. I have a couple of places where I have 5 items, like on a large side table, but 3 of the 5 are picture frames grouped together so I think visually they might counts as one; to my eye it doesn't look cluttered.

    The basement is still not ok and I think DH and I can sort through that.

    I am posting today because I have about 2 dozen items that I'm finding really hard to get rid of.  Generally, they are somewhat valuable (like fancy opera glasses from a rich aunt) or just a little sentimental. A few are just hard things to figure out how to get rid of.  I've made a list on my phone and am making a promise to myself that I'll stop kicking the can down the road and finally deal with these things in 2021.  It's hard to sell something when you don't know what it's worth; I fear a bad case of seller's remorse that I sold something too low, although I know that so many "valuable" things aren't anymore.   I sold a few of these types of items on Ebay in 2019 and early 2020 but really need to step it up and continue. This post is my promise to myself in writing.

    For anyone who is involved with a relative's estate, or the like, my advice to you is just say "no". and then repeat "no"  as the house is emptied. I helped with several relatives estates over the years and somehow ended up with things. Even if you don't think you're taking much, my gosh it adds up. and then turns into a time/energy suck for you later.

    If you have strategies/face punches or the like to get rid of these items I'd appreciate hearing them.

    For seller's remorse, I'll start with the caveat that I'm rarely selling something super expensive. For anything worth more than $50 or so, I do research & spend a bit of time on trying to find an appropriately similar value - say, 15 minutes at the absolute most. It usually takes less than five minutes of time. Other than the occasional, "Oh, crap, I should have priced that higher" feeling the day I make a sale, I can honestly say that I've never looked back & spent a bunch of time on regrets. I'm always much happier just to have something out of my house & my mental energy. I move on pretty quickly once it's sold. I guess I'd say that I prioritize expediency over precision.

    That is exactly what I need to hear and remember.

    I actually haven't looked back with regret on sales I've made. I'm just anxious that I'm going to...wow... Way for me to get in my own way.  Thinking this is some odd version of perfectionism or something.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 27, 2021, 07:54:05 PM
    4 boxes of brewing bottles picked up from the curbside today. I used up one of the many many notebooks lurking around our house and get to start on the next one. Three pens I don't like moved to the work stationery cupboard.

    Chipping away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on January 27, 2021, 08:21:54 PM
    I was in the office today for the first time since before Thanksgiving.  I took along the token Christmas goodies I had for my coworkers. I almost decided it was too silly so late but I didn’t want them sitting at home anymore!! So they have been given.

    I used supplies on hand to make a bodysuit for our kittens recovery after her upcoming surgery. No money spent and some supplies used up.

    I’m getting a new sewing machine and preparing a mental list of the things I’ll be able to get rid of. This piece is hard! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 27, 2021, 09:00:26 PM
    Sold the shelving unit quickly, and it's out of the house.  Listed a few other random items, including the two coffee makers I previously didn't want to get rid of.

    Almost finished with the contents of the office closet - last step is to decide which random cords are worth keeping, and which to take to electronics recycling.

    Put 2 bags of yard waste out for pickup tomorrow.  Will try dragging an old TV to the curb in the morning for large-item pick up.

    Started on the master closet clean out and finished the first half (it's a giant closet) - started a new pile to donate, and trashed a few things with holes as well as a ton of buttons and unused lotions.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 27, 2021, 11:36:31 PM
    Today I cleaned out my storage locker. It had fewer than a dozen items, but all bulky things.  Three are on Craigslist, and one is still in my car. Once the CL items go, I'll have room to bring the last one into the house.


    Three CL-ed items claimed & gone! The last bulky item is now in the house with minimal disruption to the living space (which is shared with Room Mate).

    I'd forgotten about some hobby items that I wanted to sell earlier. Now, before moving, is the time to list them at fire sale prices! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on January 28, 2021, 08:48:53 AM
    I had success in a few areas recently, now I'm making plans for more:
    -sold a few items small online, in the most streamlined transaction ever for $60 profit
    -gave away a stack of egg cartens when our farm fresh eggs were delivered
    -gave away 7 items in the last week that would be too small a value to sell
    -made a huge master list of projects so I can prioritize the next steps on my top 2 items, and declutter some actions and supplies and procrastinator's guilt by getting rid of items and projects at the bottom of the list

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 28, 2021, 08:58:28 AM
    -Continue listing items daily on eBay
    -Sold a sweater & one of those champagne bottle sleeves that often come with a fancier bottle of champagne
    -Organized one drawer in my eBay closet. There's more work to do here, but the shipping supplies are now easy to find & use.

    For today, my goal will be to go through another shelf in my eBay closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Unique User on January 28, 2021, 11:01:38 AM
    Listed a few more items on ebay, some old family jewelry pieces and one given to me years ago that are not sentimental.  Sold three more items, getting them to the post office today.  I'm about out of shipping supplies so I posted that I'd pick up and reuse supplies in my local buy nothing and neighborhood facebook group.  Have another box of stuff ready to go to Goodwill.  Finished the photos, but then found another big batch.  I got offered a short term gig where I'll make about $40k-$45k for two months work.  I'll probably take it and slow down with the clearing out, but it's only two months and luckily no airplanes as it's in a neighboring state. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 28, 2021, 02:37:49 PM
    Pot added to the box to go away. Matching glass lid went into the trash in many pieces last week.

    New pot will be acquired whenever I get to that store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 28, 2021, 03:38:51 PM
    -Organized all of my makeup samples, for selling. (I received Birchbox as a gift, and am very picky about makeup/skin products, so will end up selling or donating.) Listed them in groups on eBay
    -Sold three more items: a butter warmer, a makeup product & a Fitbit charger (no longer have the Fitbit). They are all out of the house & on their way to someone who will enjoy them
    -Listed 3 other items on eBay/FB
    -Am giving away an "aspirational" craft kit on my Buy Nothing group
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 28, 2021, 03:49:21 PM
    Pot added to the box to go away. Matching glass lid went into the trash in many pieces last week.

    New pot will be acquired whenever I get to that store.

    Mine is the opposite.  A pot with a loose handle (now unfix-able) is gone, the lid fits a frypan perfectly and is staying.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 28, 2021, 05:12:23 PM
    Finally, finally, listed my son's TI calculator on the local Buy Sell Swap page for $100 and someone is picking it up today. It literally took 5 minutes between taking the photos, listing and sale. School starts back on Monday so people are desperate for a bargain!

    I am going to add that money to my little stash to start investing in February (scary). Have only bought 3 2nd hand tshirts for him this month, so the net items out (over 50 things I think) far outweigh the 3 that came in, plus a trash-picked bar stool I am currently using as a temporary piano stool.  And no one feels deprived. Very happy with that outcome.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 28, 2021, 05:35:02 PM
    Finally, finally, listed my son's TI calculator on the local Buy Sell Swap page for $100 and someone is picking it up today. It literally took 5 minutes between taking the photos, listing and sale. School starts back on Monday so people are desperate for a bargain!

    I am going to add that money to my little stash to start investing in February (scary). Have only bought 3 2nd hand tshirts for him this month, so the net items out (over 50 things I think) far outweigh the 3 that came in, plus a trash-picked bar stool I am currently using as a temporary piano stool.  And no one feels deprived. Very happy with that outcome.

    People still buy calculators?  I have 3 ancient scientific calculators in perfect working order, never thought there might be a market.  How old was yours?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 28, 2021, 06:24:22 PM
    Finally, finally, listed my son's TI calculator on the local Buy Sell Swap page for $100 and someone is picking it up today. It literally took 5 minutes between taking the photos, listing and sale. School starts back on Monday so people are desperate for a bargain!

    I am going to add that money to my little stash to start investing in February (scary). Have only bought 3 2nd hand tshirts for him this month, so the net items out (over 50 things I think) far outweigh the 3 that came in, plus a trash-picked bar stool I am currently using as a temporary piano stool.  And no one feels deprived. Very happy with that outcome.

    People still buy calculators?  I have 3 ancient scientific calculators in perfect working order, never thought there might be a market.  How old was yours?

    The students require one for Maths classes. In Year 10 they need to upgrade to the pricy TI brand ($240 AUD new!!). This one was owned by both my kids and is 5 years old.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 28, 2021, 06:48:25 PM
    Finally, finally, listed my son's TI calculator on the local Buy Sell Swap page for $100 and someone is picking it up today. It literally took 5 minutes between taking the photos, listing and sale. School starts back on Monday so people are desperate for a bargain!

    I am going to add that money to my little stash to start investing in February (scary). Have only bought 3 2nd hand tshirts for him this month, so the net items out (over 50 things I think) far outweigh the 3 that came in, plus a trash-picked bar stool I am currently using as a temporary piano stool.  And no one feels deprived. Very happy with that outcome.

    People still buy calculators?  I have 3 ancient scientific calculators in perfect working order, never thought there might be a market.  How old was yours?

    The students require one for Maths classes. In Year 10 they need to upgrade to the pricy TI brand ($240 AUD new!!). This one was owned by both my kids and is 5 years old.

    Thanks for replying so fast.  Mine are a LOT older but still do all the scientific calculations.  Maybe I could make a student happy instead of sending them to electronics recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 28, 2021, 08:51:48 PM
    Finished cleaning out the 2nd half of the master closet.  Trashed a bunch of race bibs, but kept the medals for now.  Put my god-awful wedding dress in the donation pile (it came from a department store, and I had forgotten how sparkly it was).  Getting rid of a ton of t-shirts that I never wore or stopped wearing years ago - some going all the way back to high school!  Took pictures of a few, but it's nice to be rid of them.  Found a few items to try to sell.

    Also "decluttered" the last bit of a bottle of coffee moonshine from the pantry.  Not even a full shot, so that was a little disappointing!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 30, 2021, 06:00:30 AM
    Watching decluttering YouTube videos has given me impetus to dig a little deeper and find even more items to get rid of. So into the donation pile goes a hot glue gun with a box of glue tubes/refills, a new pack of coloured pencils (my daughter's, she won't use them and I hate colouring with pencils, the colour isn't saturated enough), and a stack of 365 inspirational quotes on mini cards (cute, but I don't really need to refer to them).

    None of these are large things, but were all surprisingly difficult to get rid of. I had such nostalgic feelings for when my kids were younger and loved crafting and drawing, but they are all grown up now and have different interests. I know once the items are out of the house I will completely forget about them, so it is much healthier for my state of mind to not see them any more!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 30, 2021, 06:13:54 AM
    Watching decluttering YouTube videos has given me impetus to dig a little deeper and find even more items to get rid of. So into the donation pile goes a hot glue gun with a box of glue tubes/refills, a new pack of coloured pencils (my daughter's, she won't use them and I hate colouring with pencils, the colour isn't saturated enough), and a stack of 365 inspirational quotes on mini cards (cute, but I don't really need to refer to them).

    None of these are large things, but were all surprisingly difficult to get rid of. I had such nostalgic feelings for when my kids were younger and loved crafting and drawing, but they are all grown up now and have different interests. I know once the items are out of the house I will completely forget about them, so it is much healthier for my state of mind to not see them any more!

    Glue gun - I was watching some organizing videos that were using glue guns, and I realised I do not want a glue gun.  Her organising ideas were good, and her orgainising did involve getting rid of clutter, but a lot of what she was doing was creating more clutter.  If I really need to glue something I can always get out the glue.   ;-)   She also was using a cricut, and all I could think of was that is nice for labeling little kid's things with pictures, but otherwise just one more thing to find a home for.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 30, 2021, 12:51:44 PM
    Watching decluttering YouTube videos has given me impetus to dig a little deeper and find even more items to get rid of. So into the donation pile goes a hot glue gun with a box of glue tubes/refills, a new pack of coloured pencils (my daughter's, she won't use them and I hate colouring with pencils, the colour isn't saturated enough), and a stack of 365 inspirational quotes on mini cards (cute, but I don't really need to refer to them).

    None of these are large things, but were all surprisingly difficult to get rid of. I had such nostalgic feelings for when my kids were younger and loved crafting and drawing, but they are all grown up now and have different interests. I know once the items are out of the house I will completely forget about them, so it is much healthier for my state of mind to not see them any more!
    Glue gun - I was watching some organizing videos that were using glue guns, and I realised I do not want a glue gun.  Her organising ideas were good, and her orgainising did involve getting rid of clutter, but a lot of what she was doing was creating more clutter.  If I really need to glue something I can always get out the glue.   ;-)   She also was using a cricut, and all I could think of was that is nice for labeling little kid's things with pictures, but otherwise just one more thing to find a home for.
    Recently I wanted a retro punch-style label maker but then realised that I could use old tape and a permanent marker that we already had to do the job of making labels but one involved bringing another thing into the house and the other one helped to use things up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dogastrophe on January 30, 2021, 05:07:09 PM
    Donated a couple pair of rock climbing shoes to a local climbing group, couple dozen comics to friend's children, and shredded some paperwork.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 30, 2021, 05:11:00 PM
    Dropped off 1 bag of clothes and 2 bags of "stuff" at the Goodwill Donation center today.  I love how convenient it is.

    Threw out a grody bin from the garage that held old grilling supplies.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on January 30, 2021, 06:09:22 PM
    I am in the process of making my upstairs yoga/indoor garden/reading/music room calm and clutter-free. Currently the coffee table is piled high with books (from the library and my own), several journals, knitting and crochet projects, DVDs I plan on watching, a tin with acrylic paints I am going to attempt to use, textas and a colouring book, gardening books, journals and seed packets. It is a mess. And I consider myself fairly minimalist in most ways! The rest of the house is tidy and everything has its place so I guess this is my my area to relax and 'be myself' whatever that means.

    None of it is stuff I want to get rid of at this stage (though the acrylics have a deadline of 3 months, if I don't start painting then, I never will). I *will* finish knitting the socks, the jumper, reading the books, etc.  So it is more an organisation issue than a getting rid of clutter issue I suppose. Not meaning to hijack this fabulous thread, but thought someone might have a bright idea or 2!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on January 30, 2021, 06:36:10 PM
    Very successful day today!  DH had the mental energy to tackle some memorabilia, so we were able to get rid of a lot of paper bits that he didn't want anymore. Consolidated four containers into two, and moved photos to a single location instead of being scattered around.  Also trashed some tag ends of drywall that DH was saving in case they could be useful later - we kept some but had far too many - and took out more trash from the ongoing construction.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 30, 2021, 06:45:58 PM
    I pulled out various stuff that I don't want and have piled it up to take to my parent's house to add to the estate sale. I might fill up the car. It works out nicely for me, as I can get rid of stuff that otherwise is very difficult to dispose of (half a bottle of CLR anyone?). Need to organize it for transport, and may add more. I'm going there Friday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ZsaZsa on January 31, 2021, 08:21:25 AM
    Took a sack of surplus hats, gloves and sweaters to Goodwill...and brought home 1 shirt that I bought there. Oops! Do I at least get points because it was Senior day, and a red tag half off?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 31, 2021, 08:43:23 AM
    Took a sack of surplus hats, gloves and sweaters to Goodwill...and brought home 1 shirt that I bought there. Oops! Do I at least get points because it was Senior day, and a red tag half off?

    haha, ZsaZsa - I've been guilty of the same thing!  I time my donation drop-offs for senior discount day, so while I'm there I do a quick browse for anything I need that I can buy for 20% off.  I always donate more items than I ever buy though, so it's still a net decrease in overall stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on January 31, 2021, 09:54:10 AM
    Lazycow I find it helpful to designate an "in progress projects" location. We have a low dresser as our living room sideboard and I use one of the drawers for in process craft projects (paintings, knitting) and my nightstand for books I plan to read soon (library or my own). It needs to fit in those places, and I put them away, don't keep them out.

    Maybe designate a drawer or shelf each in your room for books and other projects.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on January 31, 2021, 12:03:03 PM
    @better late Would you consider donating your fancy opera glasses to an opera or ballet company? If they're in good condition they'd make a neat addition to an auction fundraiser for them, and I imagine that any arts group will be happy for any help that they can get this season. (In my mind, a pair of fancy glasses and tickets to a future season would be a nice auction or raffle prize).

    yes! I would. What a great idea. Thank you!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Trifle on February 01, 2021, 02:48:21 AM
    For the month of January, I got rid of 48 items.  Goal for the year is 500. 

    I'm noticing I get as much pleasure out of purging little things (under-used kitchen utensils) as I do big ones (under-used side table).   I love empty/near empty drawers and cupboards.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on February 01, 2021, 03:49:33 AM
    Good weekend:
    - 1 spare small TV - sold (25 EUR into the kids "travel" account)
    - 1 decoration globe - sold ( another 7 EUR into the kids "travel" account)
    - 1 box of clothes - donated
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 01, 2021, 07:42:37 AM
    My clothes closet is out of control. Yesterday, I wanted to put some things in it and there was no way I could squeeze one thing in it. I went berzerk and kept yanking out clothes till I pulled out 99% of the things that don't fit, don't like, haven't worn in years. I had a pile on my bed a mile high and my husband gasped when he saw the 'beast'! Of course I started this project late in the day and had to get the bed cleaned off. Got 3 giant garbage bags thinking that would do it. Not even close. I ended up with 6 garbage bags filled 3/4 full. Didn't dare fill them to the top or wouldn't be able to lift the bags. The hub helped me bag the stuff up. Everything was on hangers, so taking them off and folding them up a bit to place in the bag took the two of us 40 minutes! OMG, the closet has room but still seems full! I have to get back in there today to see what to do.

    I had a small pile I moved to another closet. I have a coat closet that is overfilled too. Insanity!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 01, 2021, 08:01:46 AM
    Sounds like you are taking some good steps to deal with it, @Roadrunner53

    I sold six more items on eBay, and get them mailed & out of the house the next day. I remove one item from the house every day & list something for sale. I'm in a good spot of feeling like it's a challenge to find anything new to list. Usually after I feel like that, something comes to me, & I discover an untouched area of the house that I've forgotten all about.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 01, 2021, 08:15:00 AM
    I have an emotional tie to an old table that came by way of XH's family.  It's actually a terrible table that I never really cared for as a dining room table, but has come in handy as a craft table.  But I listed it on FB Marketplace and someone's picking it up today.  Furniture goes so fast on there.  I temporarily moved a 30 y.o. loveseat (from my parents) into the office in its place - I need to get rid of it too, but it's the PERFECT reading chair, so I'm going to enjoy reading at least one book in it before I get rid of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on February 02, 2021, 07:48:29 AM
    For the month of January, I got rid of 48 items.  Goal for the year is 500. 

    I'm noticing I get as much pleasure out of purging little things (under-used kitchen utensils) as I do big ones (under-used side table).   I love empty/near empty drawers and cupboards.

    I feel this hard. I went through our cards recently (we keep the ones with heartfelt notes and anything from family members who have passed on) and, in addition to some old cards that just had names in them, getting rid of all the unnecessary envelopes was both a *tiny* thing and yet so cathartic!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 02, 2021, 11:12:53 AM
    -Sold 29 items in January
    -Gave away another ~10
    -Recycled/trashed another ~30 (includes paper work)

    For today, tossed some expired antacids, and two makeup samples I don't care for
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 02, 2021, 11:46:21 PM
    Three CL-ed items claimed & gone! The last bulky item is now in the house with minimal disruption to the living space (which is shared with Room Mate).

    I'd forgotten about some hobby items that I wanted to sell earlier. Now, before moving, is the time to list them at fire sale prices!


    The hobby items got some interest, but there was a misunderstanding on the price. Maybe next time.

    In the mean time, I found another bulky item to add to the donation box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 03, 2021, 05:29:47 AM
    Well, this is very interesting! Seems the objective is to reuse your cardboard boxes by filling them with clothes or other useful household items. You can print a FREE label and either take the box to the shipping company or have them pick it up at your house! The boxes are sent to various charities. If you wish to send to a specific charity, you pay the shipping. Otherwise, shipping is free. Check it out!

    https://www.givebackbox.com/faq#
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 03, 2021, 07:50:04 AM
    I went through my son's closet while he was out (because of online schooling, he's almost always in his room when I have a free moment). Found five pair of base layer pants with ripped out knees. He's a soccer goalie. Found four base layer shirts that he's outgrown. Found one set that should be properly sized & not ripped.

    -Tossed the ripped pants
    -Will give away outgrown shirts

    While I was in his room, also found a book he's done reading that I'll either list or donate.

    We also ordered a bike tire replacement for my other son. The tire came in an absolutely enormous box, with....25-30 feet of brown wrapping paper (like the kind used in moves to wrap dishes & such). I'm hoping someone on my Buy Nothing group has a use for it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on February 03, 2021, 09:26:54 AM
    Today I cleaned out a cupboard above the fridge and got rid of:

    -a pile of misc silverware that I never remember is up there so I never use. Stuff like decorative pate knives.
    -a napkin holder.
    -gatoraid that we only drink when sick and will probably be expired before we drink it (I kept enough for one round of sickness)
    -Sprite, same

    From my closet a paid of jeans that doesn't spark joy

    And a book that I read but it wasn't that great.

    Yay me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 03, 2021, 10:40:12 AM
    I've mostly been focusing on cleaning the last few days, but today I took another trunkload to the household/hazardous waste drop-off this morning.  Also decluttered my credit cards (I 'churn' so I have more than a few), and got rid of the canceled/expired ones.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Unique User on February 03, 2021, 11:15:35 AM
    Sold four more items for Jan to end with 28 items sold in Jan for $597.  Also decluttered some boxes of tea, two large boxes of cookbooks (only kept two) and some other random items.  Everything listed and picked up on craigslist/Buy Nothing group.  Listed a bunch of items over the weekend and starting off February with three items sold.  Brought over a bunch of expired epi pens and inhalers over to Walgreens to dispose of properly, I think I had items going back 5-6 years.  Put together a bag to take over to Clothes Mentor, I'll do that this week.  I'll do some more clearing out this weekend as rain is in the forecast. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on February 03, 2021, 11:36:30 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache has inspired me and I listed three things on eBay last night for the first time. Fingers crossed. It makes me ridiculously nervous! What if I mess up and an internet stranger gets mad at me?!?  But naw. Hope they sell but I need still need to build in some personal deadlines and donate if they don’t.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 03, 2021, 12:23:10 PM
    @PMG - yay! Just remember, it takes practice, and while most transaction do go well, you will probably learn a bit along the way. Once you get the hang of it, I find it super easy & fun.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on February 03, 2021, 03:02:24 PM
    I gave a big snuffle mat to an acquaintance from the dog park who mentioned that her dog loves them. Mine doesn't and the darned thing took up valuable real estate in my little kitchen.

    I'm working my way through the assorted fabrics in my linen closet and have a question for you clever folks. Can you think of any uses for formal table cloths in a home that only sees dinner parties once a decade? I've inherited several and they feel superfluous.

    My parents use their during christmas and other family gatherings like bigger birthdays, christenings etc. I recently used mine when I got an colleague over for a covid christmas dinner with takeout instead of a companywide outing at a restaurant. I have decided to use my ”good” everything. I have seen so many people use specific china only for christmas or special occassions. I gave away the cheap glasses and use the expensive ones etc. When I have guests over I use the linen napkins instead of paper. So my suggestion is to use them to spruce things up occasionnally.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 03, 2021, 03:45:09 PM
    I gave a big snuffle mat to an acquaintance from the dog park who mentioned that her dog loves them. Mine doesn't and the darned thing took up valuable real estate in my little kitchen.

    I'm working my way through the assorted fabrics in my linen closet and have a question for you clever folks. Can you think of any uses for formal table cloths in a home that only sees dinner parties once a decade? I've inherited several and they feel superfluous.

    I'd give them away to a local Buy Nothing or similar group. I think these would be popular items, and if you are never using them, I'd want them out of my house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on February 03, 2021, 03:56:23 PM
    Would they make good daily use napkins? Or dish towels if they are linen.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 03, 2021, 06:47:52 PM
    Quote from: okcisok link=topic=87194.msg2776899#msg2776899 date=1611108677

    Next stop--actually drop donations off instead of driving them around town for another week!
    [/quote

    OK, so that was 1/19, and I just dropped off the donations on 1/31. A little over a week, but they're gone!

    Helped SO clean out two trash bags of donate-able items from a cabinet. Now you can get items from it without causing a mini avalanche. His place still needs work but that's up to him with small help from me.

    Found another small bag awaiting me in the kitchen when I got back from the donation drop-off. Darn. But there's still room to put more stuff in it, so I am trying to fill it up.

    Still taking care of mail when it comes in. Either acted on or straight into recycling.



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 03, 2021, 10:14:36 PM
    Well, this is very interesting! Seems the objective is to reuse your cardboard boxes by filling them with clothes or other useful household items. You can print a FREE label and either take the box to the shipping company or have them pick it up at your house! The boxes are sent to various charities. If you wish to send to a specific charity, you pay the shipping. Otherwise, shipping is free. Check it out!

    https://www.givebackbox.com/faq#

    This may come in handy soon, as I'm moving and will eventually have extra boxes, thanks!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on February 03, 2021, 10:32:26 PM
    Discovered I had two copies of the identical 1980-ish Sunset book about patio and deck designs. Oops.

    Also discovered one area charity that's open for donations, even if it's not my favorite. Time to go unload a year's worth of stuff that's been piling up in bags.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 04, 2021, 08:31:16 AM
    -Got rid of roll of 25-30 feet of brown wrapping paper on Buy Nothing. (Someone is moving)
    -Have takers for our old Rainbow Loom stuff. There's so much of it. Thrilled to get it out of the garage
    -Discovered three things in the kids room that can be returned to Costco. (Ski stuff, unused with tags. We won't ski this year, and they will outgrow before next season).
    -Went through our medicine cabinet. Tossed some expired stuff
    -My husband briefly gave me the green light to go through his closet. He's now almost revoked that, because I've discovered he has 18 of the same type of shirts. This is no joke. I did manage to gather a bunch of stuff to donate or sell, while i had my chance. I need to go slowly, so he agrees to have me continue.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Goldielocks on February 04, 2021, 07:51:45 PM

    I'm working my way through the assorted fabrics in my linen closet and have a question for you clever folks. Can you think of any uses for formal table cloths in a home that only sees dinner parties once a decade? I've inherited several and they feel superfluous.

    Make a snuffle mat?  LOL
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on February 05, 2021, 09:34:07 AM
    One paperback out of the house to a Paperback Swap recipient.

    Fulfilled several in search of posts on Buy Nothing.  Sometimes it takes knowing a neighbor would use the item to give me the nudge to rehome it.  I gave away a pile of adult clothes, toddler snow pants, and a muffin tin (I had 3!).  I find meeting a specific need more fulfilling as the gifter because sometimes when you post a giveaway it's just a pile of "Interested" and no real context.

    I also did a bunch of organizing in the kids' room.  DD has a very hard time parting with things, but I need everything corralled for my sanity.  Interestingly, once everything was off the floor and in containers, only a select few toys are actually being played with.  I figure I can rotate which bins are most accessible so things get played with.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on February 05, 2021, 09:38:33 AM
    I'm working my way through the assorted fabrics in my linen closet and have a question for you clever folks. Can you think of any uses for formal table cloths in a home that only sees dinner parties once a decade? I've inherited several and they feel superfluous.

    Depending on the fabric and the size, many tablecloths actually make great babywearing wraps.  One of my most versatile wraps is half a 60"x120" tablecloth.

    http://wiki.babywearingdiy.com/do/view/Main/TableclothBabywearing#:~:text=Tablecloth%20Babywearing,of%20buying%20Colima%C3%A7on%20et%20Cie.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 05, 2021, 09:43:58 AM
    Side note to decluttering: Recently I have been finding things I either have forgotten about, or never knew I had. Example: 
    I was thinking of buying a VHS tape rewinder to save my VCR motor. Well, I was looking for some cable wire under my TV table, and voila!
    I found a tape rewinder.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 05, 2021, 05:05:42 PM
    Listed and almost immediately sold a paper shredder.  It’s still a mystery to me what non-furniture things will actually sell on Marketplace.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Blissful Biker on February 05, 2021, 06:24:01 PM
    I want to get rid of my yearbooks and looked to see if the pdfs would be available on line.  No dice unfortunately.  I bet that's the way of the future though. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 05, 2021, 07:08:21 PM
    @Blissful Biker if you hear of a service that converts them, I'd be interested!

    Today found the source of the larvae that have been appearing on the kitchen ceiling on and off: an open bag of cornmeal and an open bag of oatmeal. Also tossed an open box of breadcrumbs without checking because it was old. Ick. But the kitchen is more sanitary now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BZB on February 05, 2021, 08:31:04 PM
    I do a whole home declutter just about once a quarter because I live in a small space and it fills up quickly. Also I am planning a move next year and looking at things I haven't used since the pandemic began and evaluating their utility in the next year. Today I got rid of some makeup, pajamas, and a set of 4 bowls. I'm considering getting rid of some of the outdoor furniture on my balcony.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 06, 2021, 07:43:22 AM
    My library is now accepting donations again, and I dropped off a nice heavy bag of 5 books yesterday.  More space in the house now. I had been undecided about keeping or donating these books for a while. I do not miss them. Glad they're gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on February 06, 2021, 08:49:53 AM
    I want to get rid of my yearbooks and looked to see if the pdfs would be available on line.  No dice unfortunately.  I bet that's the way of the future though.

    If you reach a point where you're willing to give them away without having an electronic backup, I once donated mine to a local history museum's collection. It only works if you are the first one to offer donating a particular year's book, however.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 06, 2021, 10:35:35 AM
    If anyone needs more motivation to keep decluttering, here's some:  a local man just died in his house when he couldn't get out when it caught fire, because of his hoard.  Lots of papers and cardboard apparently.  He came to the window on the second floor where neighbours were urging him to jump, then left the window and wasn't seen again.  So bloody unnecessary.  So keep at it, everyone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on February 06, 2021, 11:52:54 AM
    I was looking for my silicone muffin tin yesterday, and ended up pulling everything out of that cabinet and tidying it up. Put two mini-muffin tins and one regular size in the give away box. Other than that not much de-cluttering happening lately as work is starting to get busy again.

    I do need to list two kitchen stools, but it is snowing and too cold out for porch pick up, so I might just stick them in the garage for now until it is nicer out. I do want them out of my entry way asap.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 06, 2021, 05:07:01 PM
    -Sold another item on eBay
    -Went through a variety of closets & found 5 more items to sell or donate
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 06, 2021, 07:28:46 PM
    Went through the kitchen cabinets yet again, and finally took out some pots, pans, and bakeware I'm never going to use, so will sell/donate.  Also threw out some bakeware that's seen better days.  Threw out some old loose teas.  Took everything off the fridge - put magnets in a baggie to be moved, and photos in an album.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on February 07, 2021, 05:58:44 AM
    I'm doing a refresh of bedroom decor. It is currently also my office and I am sick of looking at it. So a few things went out:
    -two cheap Ikea prints in frames (Buy nothing)
    -two end tables that are going to leave the bedroom for awhile while I think about if I am temporarily tired of them or permanently tired of them haha. A couple flimsy/small tray tables will temporarily replace them in the bedroom while I ponder.

    I will also be painting a wall a new color and I might swap the living room and bedroom lamps for some wild excitement in my life.

    Other things going out:
    -a hanging calendar the kids no longer use
    -a too small winter coat (swapping for homemade crackers with a neighbor, I am the clear winner in this trade!)
    -2 not nonstick frying pans, swapping for one that is actually nonstick!

    I bought DS two small bins to store projects in. He has been working on electrical projects that he has lots of bits and pieces for, which get spread everywhere. I told him he could have each container of he gets rid of three things. So far he has claimed the first one, releasing 2 birthday decorations and a chapstick holder thing. This appears to be a good method for him. He likes to keep things "just in case" but then doesn't keep things organized and can't find it when he needs it. But when properly motivated he will make a trade.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on February 07, 2021, 09:17:52 AM
    If anyone needs more motivation to keep decluttering, here's some:  a local man just died in his house when he couldn't get out when it caught fire, because of his hoard.  Lots of papers and cardboard apparently.  He came to the window on the second floor where neighbours were urging him to jump, then left the window and wasn't seen again.  So bloody unnecessary.  So keep at it, everyone!

    If anyone needs a new Youtube series to follow: Curiosity Inc just took on their second hoarder home. There's a whole series on Youtube under the name Musician's House. The old lady used to be a piano teacher but turns out... a millionaire. She inherited a ton of stuff from her parents (her father was a famous tailor). She apparently loved jewelry and fashion, because the house was full of it. The house has been cleared now, the first auction (jewelry) brought a whopping 285,000 CAD and the second (household stuff) 90,000 CAD. Third auction (misc items and some jewelry) is next Saturday.

    This is the first video of that series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQnKYVUArIo

    Alex Archbold, the guy behind Curiosity Inc, is a genuinely good egg. He's very respectful to the people who hoarded and always makes sure to do a little background on them as people, not as hoarders. Highly, highly recommend the first house he did too: the Potter's House.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 07, 2021, 01:19:51 PM
    Another kitchen cabinet person here!  For some reason I noticed all the mystery stuff in the back 3 feet of one of the cabinets under the kitchen counter. Sigh. A whole bunch of decisions to make. What a pain. Oh well, just do it. It's not that big a deal, right? 

    And look! There's a bunch of plastic lids. And some empty glass jars. Easy stuff. Recycle them, and put a few of the nicer glass jars into the jar box! 

    I made myself take one side out first, and just look at it all. Feeling like I was doing something wrong, but hey, you're just crazy, accept it, this will always feel wrong, even though it's right. Just do it. It's right. Keep going.

    End result was I filled up a big recycling container with glass and plastic stuff, and moved a bunch of sellable stuff to the flea market pile. And even threw out some stuff that was just way too far gone. Like three jars of French powdered mustard
    whose metal lids had actually rusted through. Wow. Don't want to be eating flaked lid metal, so those were easy to throw out.

    The cabinet is almost empty now. Yay. And I found some neat stuff I didn't even know I had, like an electric  mixer, and some other neat cooking tools, that I can make use of.         

         
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 07, 2021, 06:32:29 PM
    Good going, Slackmax!  You’re not crazy, you just need to think about things differently than you have been.  Feel the pain and do it anyway!  Feelings come and go, but you don’t need to make your decisions based on them.  Chances are that you’ve never missed anything you’ve let go so far, and look what you’ve gained - space!  Satisfying, no?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on February 07, 2021, 07:59:52 PM

    If anyone needs a new Youtube series to follow: Curiosity Inc just took on their second hoarder home.

    Thanks for the reminder. I watched the first dozen videos in December when I was home sick, then never finished watching them. It was highly motivating to see so much stuff that used to be very expensive reduced to a few fantastic finds mixed in with tons of things that had to go out as garbage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on February 07, 2021, 09:51:55 PM
    Today it was pretty nice for February in Idaho, so I did a little decluttering outdoors. Got the burn barrel going and torched some small scrap wood and branches, and part of the Christmas tree. Picked up some broken up pieces of concrete and moved them up where they can go out with the trash. Repurposed an unused squat rack as storage for additional scrap wood that had been haphazardly stowed in the back corner of our yard.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on February 08, 2021, 06:28:15 AM
    Jay!!!!! another oven-dish sold and out of our house. It was a nice one, but after 8 years still stuck in its original box. Seems like I did not need it after all....... well, let's say it was from my pre-MMM time.....
    I need to clear out my kitchen again, since my kitchen cupboard is overflowing..... mostly food items, so need to make the family EAT IT ALL!!!!! We started with sausage rolls for lunch!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on February 08, 2021, 07:33:43 AM
    The decluttering effort is making small steps forward.  Sold about half of my diaper stash a few weeks ago and made a decent dent in the formal living room/dining room this weekend.  I've still got about 5 boxes of kid's clothes that I'm going to sell/donate.  And a big box of baby/toddler books that will be dropped off at the thrift store this afternoon if my coworkers with new kids/grandkids don't want them.  And I've got to find somewhere to put the boxes of xmas decorations.  But, it's getting there. 

    My husband, who has always shaded towards being a packrat (as does his father and our son), has been taking a medication for the last 8-12 months that has a known side effect of compulsive behavior disorders and it's been manifesting itself as compulsive collecting of rocks.  So, I've been trying to keep that collection from invading the house.  My son did admit this weekend that we have too much stuff and he knows I'm not purging stuff in order to be mean.  That's a nice change.  He even helped clean up this weekend without too much bitching. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on February 08, 2021, 01:08:36 PM
    Found out that a pandemic is an excellent time to be selling boardgames! Six of them out the door and a nice sum in my pocket (it pays to keep things in good shape!!) Also made my sister happy by giving her my stand mixer (used only once).
     
    Also angling to get rid of my tv... but I don't know what I'd do with the empty wall?? I don't really want to buy more stuff just to fill a vacuum.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 08, 2021, 03:48:49 PM
    Found out that a pandemic is an excellent time to be selling boardgames! Six of them out the door and a nice sum in my pocket (it pays to keep things in good shape!!)

    What's your secret?  No one has seemed interested in purchasing any of my boardgames.

    Sent out a DVD today.  Profit was only $2.71, but better than nothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on February 08, 2021, 07:18:43 PM
    Gave away (via Buy Nothing / FB Parent Groups)
    - hanging storage organizers
    - bridesmaids dress that's two sizes too big
    - decorative wine bottle holder
    - four pint glasses

    Sold (via FB Parent Group)
    - infant travel system
    - heated mattress pad (ppu)

    Thrown Out/Recycled
    - kids' art / old KiwiCo projects
    - chipped/old glasswear
    - broken kids' drinking glasses

    I tried to take our e-waste to be recycled last week and the darned drop off site wasn't accepting donations! I can't fault them - Covid-related precautions - but that wasn't on the website. I just want someone to take my old iPhones! I was hoping to stick with free city drop offs, but now I'm hunting down other sites. I also have yet to shred my paper, as I'd like to watch it happen but everywhere I've found simply puts it in a locked box for mass shredding at a secure site. Some of my documents are old tax returns and, call me paranoid, but I don't want to deal with identity theft - so not a chance I'm taking.

    T-minus five weeks until the move. I'm pleased with the progress we're making!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Polaria on February 08, 2021, 11:50:10 PM
    Also angling to get rid of my tv... but I don't know what I'd do with the empty wall?? I don't really want to buy more stuff just to fill a vacuum.

    Maybe you can rearrange your room? If your room tends to be centred around the TV, it is no wonder that you feel something would be off if the TV was not there anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 09, 2021, 07:37:02 AM
    -Sold another two items on eBay. Will get them packaged & out of the house today.
    -Went through the other side of our medicine cabinet & found expired stuff. Tossed that, recycled the containers.
    -Continuing to discreetly go through my husband's closet (I have his permission, but he is a bit more of a pack rat. I've agreed to group like items, make a pile of suggested donations, etc). I can only do a bit at a time, so it's taken me a while.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on February 09, 2021, 08:17:13 AM
    Well, I just successfully rehomed a large box of DVDs, a bunch of PS2 games, and a dozen or so outfits for 12-24 month kiddos.  Slowly making my way through the churn of unnecessary items that comes with having kiddos. But feeling like progress is being made.

    next up: goal is to go through our small attic. There is not a ton of junk up there since we moved to our house in 2017, but I would really like to clear it out, because I think we may be able to finish it and make use of it for our kids. That means we can't keep stuff up there, though. So I force some work clearing out books, old craft supplies that have no realistic use, and finding a new space to put a few things (suitcases, eg) that don't get a lot of regular use. you know, the usual.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SimpleCycle on February 10, 2021, 11:37:20 AM
    Found out that a pandemic is an excellent time to be selling boardgames! Six of them out the door and a nice sum in my pocket (it pays to keep things in good shape!!)

    What's your secret?  No one has seemed interested in purchasing any of my boardgames.

    Sent out a DVD today.  Profit was only $2.71, but better than nothing.

    If they are in good condition, I'd try Facebook Marketplace and a reasonable price ($5 each or so).  I've bought several this way.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 10, 2021, 12:06:47 PM
    Found out that a pandemic is an excellent time to be selling boardgames! Six of them out the door and a nice sum in my pocket (it pays to keep things in good shape!!)

    What's your secret?  No one has seemed interested in purchasing any of my boardgames.

    Sent out a DVD today.  Profit was only $2.71, but better than nothing.

    If they are in good condition, I'd try Facebook Marketplace and a reasonable price ($5 each or so).  I've bought several this way.

    I've had them listed there for $5, but no bites.  I have them all together as a group, maybe I'll try breaking them up in to individual posts.

    In other news, I just listed my kayak for sale :(  :(  I suppose it doesn't make sense to keep it at this point.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on February 10, 2021, 04:33:11 PM
    The agony of the single sock.

    Sigh.

    So many single socks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 10, 2021, 06:02:45 PM
    I've watched both hoarder house series on the Curiosity Inc channel so far, and it's wonderful! They are so kind and respectful to the previous owners of the homes and their workers. They return financial documents, family photos, etc to the families.
    They find really cool things, too! To echo another poster, it is really sad to see gorgeous, expensive items that might have been crushed or burnt if the Archbolds weren't willing to sort through everything.

    In decluttering my own home, I've gotten rid of two undershirts that I was going to mend (again), but they were too far gone. Also out with some worn cleaning rags and a kitchen towel I'd already mended twice. I turned some bath towels into unpaper towels since I had a few too many of the former and not quite enough of the latter.

    I've found it's really helpful to set a boundary on items. For instance, I like to have a dozen unpaper towels, but was down to 7. I only need three bath towels, but had 8. So I turned one bath towel into kitchen towels and am donating the rest. I don't need to hold onto the other 6 bath towels just in case. I can get new ones in less than 20 minutes for under $20 (thanks to Erica Lucas' YouTube channel on minimalism for that metric!). The extras are in good shape, so they're off to bless someone else who is transitioning from homelessness into housing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 10, 2021, 08:01:28 PM
    Many old reels of Super8 film tossed, after converted to digital. Now they only take up space on my hard drive.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 10, 2021, 10:21:02 PM
    The agony of the single sock.

    Sigh.

    So many single socks.

    Perform some (mis)match making duties and pair them up!  As long as they’re similar weights and colours, they don’t have to look exactly the same.  Who sees them under pants anyway?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on February 11, 2021, 03:03:07 AM
    The agony of the single sock.

    Sigh.

    So many single socks.

    Perform some (mis)match making duties and pair them up!  As long as they’re similar weights and colours, they don’t have to look exactly the same.  Who sees them under pants anyway?

    I feel the difference of odd socks.  Can't do it.

    We don't have odd socks.  Always wash them in pairs.  (There are only two of us).  When we had kids, we had endless single socks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on February 11, 2021, 05:00:59 AM
    Checked the ice skates (we finally have ice here!) and found a pair that is way too small for our youngest. So onto Craigslist it goes! Already found a 2nd hand pair for replacement for him on Craigslist as well. Found another pair for myself while I already have a newer pair. So the old pair will go (on BuyNothing, since they are from my childhood years...... so quite old).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 11, 2021, 01:49:22 PM
    Organized our spare toiletries into two areas. I can now see everything we have, which is a tremendous help when planning, budgeting & just deciding what to buy. I'm way over stocked on most toiletries, which is great. Now we can use those items & not buy more. Organization for the win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on February 11, 2021, 02:33:24 PM
    We have replaced a couple of widow panes that cracked when we had the foundations rebuilt a while ago.  Got rid of the glass in the rubbish, well wrapped in many layers of plastic that a mattress came in and had been used as a paint drip sheet.

    I would have loved to have been home when it went into the rubbish truck, to hear the noise.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 11, 2021, 04:42:00 PM
    Took a bag of items to the little library in my neighborhood. This one has one shelf of books and one for food.

    Made a crockpot stew of bits and bobs from the pantry and freezer. Now it's pretty well cleaned out before I pick up groceries this evening and I have a few meals prepped for the rest of the week.

    Used some cobbled-together packing supplies to mail off a small gift. I now have zero mailing or packing supplies! A coworker asked for moving boxes, so they got the last of the boxes I had.

    Ate the last of the Christmas clearance chocolate, just in time to stock up on Valentine's clearance chocolate next week :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on February 11, 2021, 06:00:55 PM
    A few more items out, and it feels so good. Lots of warm stuff out - which will hopefully help someone through the super cold snap we are experiencing. Donated a feather duvet since someone in our house is allergic and I don't want to accidentally put it on their bed (again), a wool winter coat, a new hat and new double knit mittens.
    Then, filled a big box with groceries, toys, hand sanitizer that was gifted to us, and a few dozen home made cookies and left them safely outside the apartment of friends newly diagnosed with Covid. They only requested some eggs and butte, but we added in all same comfort items that people gave us when we were sick - cough drops, juice, soup, and some treats. Is it bad that I'm happy we helped, but more happy about all the big winter items that are no longer taking up closet space here?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on February 12, 2021, 05:56:33 PM
    Ate the last of the Christmas clearance chocolate, just in time to stock up on Valentine's clearance chocolate next week :)

    LOL!

    I've been busy weeding and mowing - does that count as decluttering? Still managed to get rid of a small bag of linens/clothing to donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 14, 2021, 09:55:06 AM
    @happy , maybe you have a gardening season and a decluttering season?

    Made it to the post office finally and sent 5 packages that had been waiting on my procrastination.

    Yesterday, rode along with a friend to the haz mat station to keep them company. As a bonus, got to include the lone CFL bulb I found after my last trip to haz mat. Then we had biryani. A satisfying decluttering!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on February 14, 2021, 02:29:26 PM
    @happy , maybe you have a gardening season and a decluttering season?


    Ha! Yes!, Thats it. Hard to get past the weeding and mowing with hot weather and lots of rain.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on February 14, 2021, 02:43:22 PM
    I had another good round of weekend decluttering!

    Things out:
    -5 cans of paint
    -a box of blank cards (to craft your own)
    -a pile of records from my parents
    -some books and puzzles into the LFL

    It is extremely cold here so none of the items are actually out yet because no one wants to pick up in this weather. But they are waiting by the front door.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 14, 2021, 04:37:36 PM
    -Listed an item on Buy Nothing. If it has no takers, I think it will sell well on eBay
    -Finally got a buyer for a bike my son bought, fixed & sold. He earns the money & I'm happy to support his COVID hobby, but I have to coordinate with all of the potential buyers, so I'm happy to have this out of the house
    -Discovered my son's fitted sheet had a foot long tear in it. He brought it up only when his foot started getting suck in the night? Ordered a replacement on Amazon, and planned to find something to "make do" until that arrived. Turned out I have a random solo fitted twin sheet in the linen closet. Cancelled the Amazon order, and we're all set with a new sheet. No idea where it came from, but I'm happy to have it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on February 14, 2021, 06:38:12 PM
    I dropped off assorted things at a friend's yesterday, with their permission!  She was actually really excited about one organizer that just doesn't fit in our house, said it completes her.  It's especially nice to get rid of something if someone else thinks it completes them! lol

    Today I got down the glass drink dispenser I bought (at thrift) a couple years ago imaging using for lemonade at picnics. Well, that hasn't happened... and we've since acquired two plastic drink dispensers. They aren't as pretty as the glass one, but we use them for camping, and they'll also work if we ever do have a party and want to serve lemonade.  So, I'm a bit reluctant about letting this go, but I think I do it, and I think it's the right move.  We sure could use the cupboard space. 

    I washed out plastic shower curtain liner and it cleaned up nicely, so I will remove the one I had in my online shopping cart.  When I hung it up I used a different fabric curtain with it, we both really like the texture of it compared to the curtain we have, but the color is too dark. It makes the already small bathroom feel even smaller.  I'll take it down and let that go.  Again I'm oddly reluctant about this one, but I've tried it.  It doesn't work.  Writing here for accountability.

    I figured out and hung two more frames in our bedroom.  We still have a stack of frames and art we're trying to mix and match and get the house just right.

    We got some gifts mailed off and that allowed us to get rid of a pile of stuff from the living room.

    And, I listed my old sewing machine on ebay. *deep breath*  One of my other items sold, but the buyer never paid, so I'm waiting for the case to close so I can list again. I haven't quite decided how long I will let ebay items linger.

    I'm feeling good about things.  I've been making and effort to make sure the kitchen counter is cleaned off almost every night, and that just inspires both of us to keep after things.  It's good momentum. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 14, 2021, 07:25:07 PM
    Added two sweaters to the donate pile. f I'm not willing to wear it for a video meeting, I'm never going to wear it. Out it goes! That will balance out the two pairs of new pants I just got for work.

    Remembered to get birthday cards out of my stationery stash and get them in the mail on time.

    I have a new book ordered so I'll go through the shelf to see if there a book I can donate.

    Now to get my taxes finished, get the paperwork digitized, and off my desk!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 14, 2021, 10:54:46 PM
    An old metal box that was made to be a slide storage container, similar to this (http://slide storage container), I inadvertently offered to Room Mate. We both have a "thing" for storage containers. Since the slides are now digital, this box can leave my life. As I was lamenting that she just made a run to the donation station for both of us, of course I find this one thing that could have also gone. And she might want it. But might not. So it sits on the coffee table while she decides. Sigh.

    It can only be my problem for 2 more weeks, max. Hopefully less.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: horsepoor on February 15, 2021, 12:38:13 PM
    Lots of snow on the ground, so I'm inside taking care of minor to-do items. Yesterday I used up two small containers of chalk paint as the base coat for a furniture painting project.

    Now I'm having a satisfying morning decluttering my desk area. It started with getting a new power strip with more USB outlets so I could get rid of the (probably somewhat unsafe) piggy-backed bunch of cords and adapters. Repaired my desk supply organizer with some fabric tape. Threw out some small appliance instruction booklets (can always find online if needed).

    Thinking about dumping my collection of Mother Earth magazines in the recycle bin, but maybe I should see if anyone in my local gardening FB group would want them.

    I'm also finally taking all the files off of my old computer to transfer to the laptop that replaced it about a year ago. The old computer had been set up in the kitchen so I could get to the files if needed, but it will be better to have it all consolidated to the new machine. Sorted out some outdated electronic accessories (16 mb memory card anyone??) to be disposed of. Repurposed an old camera case to carry my rechargeable handwarmers.

    Threw out a toilet plunger that doesn't work very effectively.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on February 15, 2021, 03:41:05 PM
     - gave away a mattress topper to a group that is making bean bag chairs for a school
     - listed three more decor items on FB Marketplace. Why do people always feel they can offer less? Got smart and listed for $5 more than I wanted.
     - put some more books and odd and ends in the donate box. There is a lady that wants stuff that people are donating so she can try to sell it, with the full disclosure that they are trying to save up for a down payment on a house. I might give the stuff to her. Beats giving it to Value Village so they can make a profit.
     - I also packed up a bag of craft stuff that I would like to donate to an after school program, but I'm not even sure if those are running right now.
     

    ETA: Wow! That was fast! All the items sold within a couple of hours.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on February 16, 2021, 05:56:58 PM
    Mixed success here - I got rid of 2 big bulky items we would never use by trading them locally for 5 small items. I will definitely use 4 of the new items, and the 5th might get donated soon now that I've tried it out but I'll wait a bit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on February 16, 2021, 06:06:19 PM
    The Buy Nothing crowd has been reluctant to come inside my building where you have to ride in an elevator etc to get to my doorstep where I typically leave things outside my door.  Going to visit the big thrift store tomorrow afternoon with a friend and will donate 2 bags of clothing and housewares.  The already pretty cheap thrift store emailed me a 50% off coupon that’s good Wednesday-Sunday.  I will look for some new work dresses because a few of mine are getting too stretched out around the neckline. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 16, 2021, 06:45:12 PM
    I sold a dog crate I no longer needed and listed an unwanted gift on eBay.

    Next up is an electric water bath for preserving - bought second hand but never used >_< It's in a massive box in the garage and the associated bits take up half a shelf in the kitchen so this would be a massive win. I'll be able to rearrange a couple of things, get the dog stuff a proper storage space (she wasn't a part of the family when we first moved in a year ago).

    I made a list of items I want to get rid of / areas to tackle in a list in descending order of space they take up. So the biggest wins will come first, genius!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on February 16, 2021, 10:05:59 PM
    This month has been an awesome decluttering success! My 20 yo (ADHD) daughter semi-graciously allowed me to help her declutter and organise her bedroom for the first time ever! Previously, I would do it once or twice a year, when she was at school (usually started because we were out of teaspoons, forks and bowls - hidden in her wardrobe, under the bed, chest of drawers). Anyway, we went through EVERYTHING.  I lost count at 400 items gone, not including rubbish.

    I tried to dispose of everything in as an environmentally-friendly way as possible without driving myself crazy. There was sooo much empty packaging (cardboard went to green waste bin, plastic went to soft plastics recycling program), but surprisingly not much actual trash. The car is full of stuff to take to the local op shop when our lockdown finishes tomorrow, and my neighbours took some of her childhood toys and books for their grandkids. I am so very proud of her for facing up to her mess, and working out how and why it got this way. Hopefully this clear, calm new space will allow her creativity to flourish again. It will certainly cause less friction between her neatnik father and her!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 16, 2021, 10:25:12 PM
    @lazycow that is a stunning victory and high fives ✋ for your daughter in tackling this. These things are hard enough without having any sort of executive function shenanigans on top of regular This Problem Is Too Hard
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on February 16, 2021, 10:36:03 PM
    @lazycow that is a stunning victory and high fives ✋ for your daughter in tackling this. These things are hard enough without having any sort of executive function shenanigans on top of regular This Problem Is Too Hard

    Thank you @mspym. I wish I had been aware of how neurodivergancy (is that a word?) actually manifests. For years we just thought she was lazy, and I am so very sorry about that. Fortunately she is a very loving, and forgiving girl.

    Coincidentally, I was just posting a comment on your journal!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 16, 2021, 11:17:58 PM
    @lazycow Well done! How long did it take, and how did you keep up the momentum?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 17, 2021, 01:22:24 AM
    @lazycow the tone is not for everyone but Unf*ck Your Habitat is pretty amazing for people with executive function issues, depression, mental health problems etc and managing your environment so it doesn't contribute to the downward spiral.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 17, 2021, 08:37:59 AM
    We used a number of bits and bobs hanging about our space to make a three shelf seedling starter stand.  Lumber, some wheels, wire shelving, Styrofoam, cardboard, ceramic tiles all came in handy.  And then the leftovers found their way to the proper disposal bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 17, 2021, 09:28:49 AM
    Awesome win, @lazycow

    @okcisok - the line about not keeping anything I'm unwilling to wear on a video call - amen to that! I've been taking a similar approach, which has been helpful.

    For me:
    -Returned a few things we don't to Costco that have been sitting in my closet waiting an opportunity. Money in, junk out.
    -Gave away some crafts on Buy Nothing. Bonus, they came from my son's room, and it's hard to get anything out of his room.
    -Gave away a sun visor on Buy Nothing. Never been used, so I'm happy to get it out of the garage
    -Sold running ear buds on eBay, and they are off to a new owner
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dogastrophe on February 17, 2021, 03:25:18 PM
    Sold and shipped the last couple of motorcycle tools I pulled out of tool box.

    We have a large box of odds and ends to donate to our local SPCA thrift store.

    Took two vintage Japanese watercolour's to get reframed (original frames were hideous and did nothing to highlight the paintings) - this gets clutter out of a closet and will get art on the wall.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on February 17, 2021, 03:36:29 PM
    Small bag of clothes/ tablecloth donated. I gave a set of watercolour pencils sitting idle to a friend of second child. Looking at 2 cardboard boxes of items packed up for donation sitting in my study and thinking I need to get them out soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 17, 2021, 04:00:00 PM
    Two books to the street library, one returned to the actual library. Some day I will get around to putting up manga for sale on gumtree.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on February 19, 2021, 03:06:01 AM
    Lazycow I find it helpful to designate an "in progress projects" location. We have a low dresser as our living room sideboard and I use one of the drawers for in process craft projects (paintings, knitting) and my nightstand for books I plan to read soon (library or my own). It needs to fit in those places, and I put them away, don't keep them out.

    Maybe designate a drawer or shelf each in your room for books and other projects.

    Thanks @MayDay! I took your advice on board, and moved the little bookshelf that was in my bedroom to my craft/yoga area and all my unread books, plus library books are corralled on it. Plus I have designate a storage basket for each craft project. Now I just need to clear the big spare bed of photos. I keep all the family photos (haven't printed any out since around 2013 though) in a big box, but I am planning on picking my favourites and creating a second photo wall. I just stick them up in neat rows with a bit of washi tape, which does the job. The grown up kids love to look at themselves when they were younger. Lots of happy memories.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on February 19, 2021, 05:39:35 AM
    Have sorted out the shoe collection. Found 6 pairs (of various owners) with holes in it, so they are not even good for gardening anymore. Out they go!
    Next on the list is the kids summer clothing collection...... spring is starting soon so I should check what still fits and what can be sold/donated/trashed.
    And I need to declutter the 2nd floor hallway. This is also my WFH space but is now also full of toys and other items that need a home (whether in or outside the house....).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 19, 2021, 09:21:33 AM
    Have sorted out the shoe collection. Found 6 pairs (of various owners) with holes in it, so they are not even good for gardening anymore. Out they go!
    Next on the list is the kids summer clothing collection...... spring is starting soon so I should check what still fits and what can be sold/donated/trashed.
    And I need to declutter the 2nd floor hallway. This is also my WFH space but is now also full of toys and other items that need a home (whether in or outside the house....).


    Shoe Goo is great for patching holes in shoes that are otherwise wearable.  I've used it on a cheap pair of gardening shoes and a slipper that the dog chewed.  They have new life now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on February 19, 2021, 09:45:29 AM
    +1 on the power of Shoe Goo (or cobblers, in the case of fancier shoes). Though I also support your decision of getting rid of 6 pairs of shoes if you simply have too many overall.

    I was considering buying a new tote bag. Then I remembered I had tote bags already. I gave one bag away in a batch of donations to a local charity shop that funds research on blindness, and repaired the handle of a second tote bag that I used so much it was starting to wear through. Net result: -1 bag in the house, and one more saved from the trash by fixing it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on February 19, 2021, 09:52:29 AM
    If anyone has athletic shoes that have worn out, you can drop them off at most Nike stores in North America or Europe for shredding and being turned into athletic track surfaces. They accept any brand of shoes, but only athletic shoes.
    https://www.nike.com/help/a/recycle-shoes

    When I've done this before, my closest store sort of hides the bin but the employees knew about the program and would take the shoes no questions asked. I wasn't pressured to buy new shoes there either, though I'm sure that's what the company is hoping for.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 19, 2021, 01:38:37 PM
    After years of dithering, I finally posted some manga for sale and people are already keen to buy it? None of the tasks involved - taking a photo, logging into an account, writing an ad- are particularly onerous so why did it always seem easier to just give them away?

    ETA: oh that's right, people are terrible? Don't message me after midnight and then send "???" at 9am because I haven't responded. Dude. People sleep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on February 19, 2021, 02:49:52 PM
    If anyone has athletic shoes that have worn out, you can drop them off at most Nike stores in North America or Europe for shredding and being turned into athletic track surfaces. They accept any brand of shoes, but only athletic shoes.
    https://www.nike.com/help/a/recycle-shoes

    When I've done this before, my closest store sort of hides the bin but the employees knew about the program and would take the shoes no questions asked. I wasn't pressured to buy new shoes there either, though I'm sure that's what the company is hoping for.
    For the Aussies: Rebel Sport also has a similar program, if you don't have a Nike store close by. Why they don't promote this at all sporting clubs, schools and unis I will never understand!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 19, 2021, 05:00:24 PM
    -Sold a pair of outgrown kids swim trunks & an iron I've never used
    -Listed a bunch of stuff on eBay
    -Gave away a few more craft items on Buy Nothing
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on February 19, 2021, 05:52:06 PM
    Successfully gave away coffee filters that didn’t fit.

    Ate from the fridge and recycled our recyclable bits.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 19, 2021, 08:36:39 PM
    For those of you who sell things on eBay, I’m curious how you decide on shipping charges.  Whenever I think I’m interested in buying something on there, it seems there’s usually some ridiculous charge, like the seller is hoping no one will notice and think they’re getting a reasonably priced item.  I’ve pretty much given up even looking at it anymore due to this issue.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 19, 2021, 09:06:35 PM
    Tiny wins:
    - first set of manga in the capable hands of the post office
    - ingredients purchased to turn cupboard lurkers into meals
    - I'm copying out the ONE recipe I regularly make from a cookbook and then that will go into the street library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 19, 2021, 10:08:51 PM
    For those of you who sell things on eBay, I’m curious how you decide on shipping charges.  Whenever I think I’m interested in buying something on there, it seems there’s usually some ridiculous charge, like the seller is hoping no one will notice and think they’re getting a reasonably priced item.  I’ve pretty much given up even looking at it anymore due to this issue.

    I do the automatic calculation - I enter the weight and dimensions, and then USPS rates are determined based on the buyer's address, and that's what gets charged.  If you're used to free shipping from big companies, then USPS rates can seem pretty high.  I have told buyers who complain about the shipping that there's nothing I can do - they should try to find someone selling the item closer to home.  I might sometimes make a dollar or two using eBay's discounted shipping rates, but that goes towards paying for packing materials, which I don't charge extra for.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on February 20, 2021, 06:02:30 AM
    Just a note to say that I've seen a number of ironing boards in the thrift stores in the last 6 months, more than I've seen at any other time.

    Makes me think that's another sign that business wear/formal wear will continue to be a thing of the past and that this Covid/stay-at-home leisure wear will be a permanent lifestyle.  I've been wondering if I should donate my ironing board too, and just keep my iron for any touch-ups. 
    And finally wondering if there's any creative re-uses of ironing boards??  That could be a fun project.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Unique User on February 20, 2021, 07:05:15 AM
    For those of you who sell things on eBay, I’m curious how you decide on shipping charges.  Whenever I think I’m interested in buying something on there, it seems there’s usually some ridiculous charge, like the seller is hoping no one will notice and think they’re getting a reasonably priced item.  I’ve pretty much given up even looking at it anymore due to this issue.

    I do the automatic calculation - I enter the weight and dimensions, and then USPS rates are determined based on the buyer's address, and that's what gets charged.  If you're used to free shipping from big companies, then USPS rates can seem pretty high.  I have told buyers who complain about the shipping that there's nothing I can do - they should try to find someone selling the item closer to home.  I might sometimes make a dollar or two using eBay's discounted shipping rates, but that goes towards paying for packing materials, which I don't charge extra for.

    I do the same.  Facebook marketplace has you put in the weight of an item, not dimensions.  So far, so good with both. 

    I've sold 10 items this month along with a stack of 1940s cookbook pamphlets for a grand total of $450.  One of those items was a set of dishes that was packed into three boxes for the person picking up so that cleared out a lot of space.  Not much other clearing out as I took a two month gig for Feb/March, but April 1st I'll start again.  I took down all my ebay and facebook listings as I head to the job site next week for a month. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 20, 2021, 10:44:16 AM
    For those of you who sell things on eBay, I’m curious how you decide on shipping charges.  Whenever I think I’m interested in buying something on there, it seems there’s usually some ridiculous charge, like the seller is hoping no one will notice and think they’re getting a reasonably priced item.  I’ve pretty much given up even looking at it anymore due to this issue.

    I do the automatic calculation - I enter the weight and dimensions, and then USPS rates are determined based on the buyer's address, and that's what gets charged.  If you're used to free shipping from big companies, then USPS rates can seem pretty high.  I have told buyers who complain about the shipping that there's nothing I can do - they should try to find someone selling the item closer to home.  I might sometimes make a dollar or two using eBay's discounted shipping rates, but that goes towards paying for packing materials, which I don't charge extra for.

    This exactly. @SunnyDays - I think you'll find that most the time this is the actual cost of the shipping, not any special fees the seller is charging. I always just enter the dimensions & weight, and eBay calculates the price. Unfortunately, postage is not cheap. Many times I opt not to sell an item, because I have to reduce the item sale price to make it a reasonable offer for the buyer, once factoring in shipping. I almost never see crazy shipping on eBay that's unrelated to actual shipping charges.

    Like @NotJen , I don't charge for any packing supplies (mailing envelopes, tape, etc) which adds up, depending on how much you sell. Sometimes eBay offers a small discount on shipping, which I used to cover the shipping supplies.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 20, 2021, 01:39:05 PM
    Sold my preserving kit for $60! We are going to use the space in the kitchen for a proper first aid kit area.  Currently we have bits everywhere. That's good because we can do a review & clear out of first aid stuff at the same time.

    I tidied the study / craft room yesterday. Threw out some very small things but now projects are organised. I got a desktop organiser drawer thingo for free which is v handy.

    All this action is brought to you by a new technique I made up that I want to share... I gamified my to-do list!

    First I wrote out all my huge list of niggly to-dos that aren't super urgent but do need doing. I put them into a table with about 90 cells, printed it, and cut it up into tasks. I put these in a jar. Everyday at about the same time, and sometimes at other free moments, I pull one out and just do it! They are mostly meaty things that will take an hour or more, and sometimes it just gets them started, but overall it's amazing! Some of them say "free time" so you really don't know what you'll get. Yesterday I got "tidy the study".
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 21, 2021, 10:16:10 AM
    Thanks for the info re ebay shipping charges.  I checked the item that made me choke, and it's a 3" x 2" pomander that sells for $12.00 Canadian and comes from Michigan, so really just 3 states over from me, and the shipping is $53.00!  I know it's fragile, but still, that's just nuts.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 21, 2021, 03:53:29 PM
    I took 7 cases of canned food to the animal shelter yesterday, along with a bag of cat toys. It was a guilt offering really, because on Friday I'd taken the cat. :( But it did clear out the closet quite well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on February 22, 2021, 06:35:14 AM
    Successfully regifted an old Fitbit my mother didn’t want after I got an Applewatch (I know not a frugal purchase). Today I will hopefully have someone show up to take some linens. I wish people weren’t so darn flakey. Especially when I’m giving away nice stuff for FREE.

    Yesterday I used my beloved Kirby vacuum that came from the same Buy Nothing group.  I do love a good clean carpet! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on February 22, 2021, 11:18:57 AM
    I took 7 cases of canned food to the animal shelter yesterday, along with a bag of cat toys. It was a guilt offering really, because on Friday I'd taken the cat. :( But it did clear out the closet quite well.

    Oh no, what happened with the cat?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 22, 2021, 11:46:29 AM
    I took 7 cases of canned food to the animal shelter yesterday, along with a bag of cat toys. It was a guilt offering really, because on Friday I'd taken the cat. :( But it did clear out the closet quite well.

    Oh no, what happened with the cat?

    Arwen refused to accept Rosie. I was hoping my parents could take her, but my mom didn't think one of theirs would accept her. Since both Arwen and Rosie were unhappy, I couldn't continue indefinitely with the situation. So I returned Rosie to the shelter. They didn't hesitate, probably because I'd talked to them multiple times to check if I was missing anything that could help. Arwen is much happier, though a bit unsettled. She'll be ok.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 22, 2021, 11:52:53 AM
    Added four tshirts to the donation pile, & listed an item on eBay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on February 22, 2021, 11:57:30 AM

    All this action is brought to you by a new technique I made up that I want to share... I gamified my to-do list!

    First I wrote out all my huge list of niggly to-dos that aren't super urgent but do need doing. I put them into a table with about 90 cells, printed it, and cut it up into tasks. I put these in a jar. Everyday at about the same time, and sometimes at other free moments, I pull one out and just do it! They are mostly meaty things that will take an hour or more, and sometimes it just gets them started, but overall it's amazing! Some of them say "free time" so you really don't know what you'll get. Yesterday I got "tidy the study".

    That is a great idea! I might have to co-op it in the future.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 22, 2021, 12:00:33 PM

    All this action is brought to you by a new technique I made up that I want to share... I gamified my to-do list!

    First I wrote out all my huge list of niggly to-dos that aren't super urgent but do need doing. I put them into a table with about 90 cells, printed it, and cut it up into tasks. I put these in a jar. Everyday at about the same time, and sometimes at other free moments, I pull one out and just do it! They are mostly meaty things that will take an hour or more, and sometimes it just gets them started, but overall it's amazing! Some of them say "free time" so you really don't know what you'll get. Yesterday I got "tidy the study".

    I have a grid of all of my daily tasks on it, and one of them is "choose something from the chore list" and another is "choose something from your personal to do list". I like the idea of putting them in a jar & selecting one!
    That is a great idea! I might have to co-op it in the future.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 22, 2021, 12:25:44 PM
    The guy who came by to pick up one 10-vol manga set also took a 16-vol manga set. So that’s half a shelf cleared.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on February 22, 2021, 03:02:45 PM
    I had my first ebay sale! yay!

    Actually it was my second. The first buyer never paid. I finally got through closing that out yesterday, relisted and it sold it in a couple hours to a new buyer paid right away. Printed the label and get it dropped at the post office over lunch.  After fees I'm getting $90 for a leather bag I bought used for $3. I was so pleased when I got it.  Leather, beautiful, would last forever, but I carried it for a couple months and it was so heavy it caused me shoulder pain, but it was so nice and I knew it was "worth something" so it was hard to get rid of.  But, now it's out of the house and out of my closet and I should have a positive sale review. 

    We also did quite a few chores around the house over the weekend.  One big success was taking care of a pile of junk my spouse pulled out from our basement months ago now.  I cut up a big, half rotted board into pieces that we can work in to the trash.  We rigged a hose for our sump pump out of a big piece of piping and we put a couple odds in the trunk of the car to get dropped off at recycling.  That took care of a couple big eyesores!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 22, 2021, 03:40:28 PM
    Wow, @PMG - nice flip on the leather bag!

    @mspym - nice job doubling your sales with a captive buyer :-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on February 22, 2021, 10:28:30 PM
    I have major decision fatigue after decluttering my daughter's room. Every single item (over 600) had to be assessed, and a decision over whether it was rubbish (and then which bin - trash, recycling, compost, glass), usable donation (and then where - op shop, friends), other (metal recycler, textile recycler). Exhausting. I have finally finished running around to the various donation centres with several full boot-loads! So what I estimated to be a day's worth of work turned out to actually take us around a week.

    We just have to go through all the makeup (several boxes), this evening. What proved useful was corralling all the like objects together while we were doing it (Marie Kondo-style). So we put all the hair care stuff together (most of it went), makeup, stationery (journals, notebooks, so many notebooks! pens, etc), personal papers (1 folder for everything), childhood stuffed toys (they all stayed), knick knacks (95% gone - yay), books (lots moved out of her room and on to the communal bookshelves). Then we could take our time sorting them all out one by one.

    I have booked myself a solo retreat for a couple of days, just to sit in someone else's serene, peaceful space and not make any decisions, apart from where and what to eat!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 23, 2021, 11:37:03 AM
    Recycling guys came by this morning and took away a big garbage can full of plastics, glass, and cans, most of which was clutter from a kitchen cabinet. I wasn't able to put it out last time, so it sat around the house for 2 more weeks. Glad to have it gone to its new usage.

    Found an old paperback and a bunch of papers under the bed, and put them in recycling.

    A few days ago dropped off an insulated coffee warmer and some plastic plates at Salvation Army. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on February 23, 2021, 11:45:31 AM
    The weather took a weird turn and so I unboxed some stuff I was going to donate for maybe a couple more wearings. I really do not enjoy winter. 

    Today around 1600 hrs someone may or may not show up to collect a router I no longer need for $10.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 23, 2021, 12:07:51 PM
    Sold a desk chair we don't need, and listed/sold an item today. That's a pretty good sign my pricing wasn't right, but it's now out of my house & on its way to someone who will enjoy it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 23, 2021, 01:50:11 PM
    I went through the pot cupboard and pulled out all the pots that don't work on induction.  (We are getting a new stove soon) The cupboard is still full of more than enough pots.  I am going to store the bankers box of really high quality pots for my kids to take with them when they set up their own households.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on February 23, 2021, 10:12:20 PM
    I had two beautiful but nearly-identical coffeepots, so I posted the slightly nicer one on Amazon Marketplace a couple of years ago. It sold today! I was smug about it all day until I calculated how much money I'd made.  After the cost of shipping expedited and insured, and Amazon's large cut, I made only $2.50... not including the time it took to for me to pack it and take it to the post office.  In annoyance, I closed down all my Amazon sales... will sell on FB, Nextdoor, or Craigslist from now on even if the overall price is lower. Also lesson learned, I will keep the nicer things for myself!

    Well, even if I can't have positive reinforcement to declutter, a pasta maker fell out of an overstuffed and poorly organized closet and hit me in the foot, so there is certainly negative reinforcement!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on February 24, 2021, 01:03:51 AM
    Donated a bag of clothes and a small whiteboard today. Set aside a simmer mat for metal recycling. It lost its wooden handle years ago, and I have to hold it by the metal attachment thingy and am in constant fear I will burn myself severely. Time to buy a new one!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on February 25, 2021, 09:03:40 AM
    I have donations in the car and will be dropping them off after work tonight.

    So happy to see the empty area in my living room. I am sure that I will be filling it with more things to go soon enough.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 25, 2021, 09:13:16 AM
    Tossed a lipgloss I don't use yesterday, and plan to go through my (non-jean) pants today. I continue to list an item on eBay every day. Often I also find things to donate as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on February 25, 2021, 07:36:54 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache I don't know how you have the energy to list on Ebay! Every time I start thinking I might try and sell something, I get a feeling of dread, and just end up donating instead, even if I could possibly get decent $ for it.

    Having said that, I am going to attempt to sell my daughter's Funko Pops (now *there* is a ridiculous waste of money, in my opinion!) She has 8, but I am holding on to 2 of them which are already rareish. The rest I will list on the local Buy, Sell, Swap page this afternoon, local pickup only, but if they don't go in a week I will donate them.

    Went through her makeup yesterday and tossed 20 items which were used up or expired. I took a few things (mainly samples) to use up. We managed to fit everything in a small box on an empty shelf in her bathroom. She is so very happy to be done with decluttering, and has managed to keep her room organised and fairly tidy for a couple of weeks now. She just needs a study desk, and a rubbish bin. *I* am extremely proud of her efforts too; the sense of order and calm from her room is seeping into other areas of her life, which is wonderful to see.

    Am off for a walk to the local op shop with a hardback book, a DC comic (worth nothing, I checked), a small tripod and a Marvel poster. Then to tackle the box of photos, the last frontier...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on February 25, 2021, 07:46:21 PM
    My old sewing machine sold on eBay and out the door!! Used every bit of bubble wrapped and packing paper we had in the package.

    I also sewed a shower curtain out of fabric I had and took the one we didn’t like to donate along with our old set of dishes, our old soup kettle and a few other odds.  Quite pleased with all this progress.

    I took some long over due library books back today too! 

    Hoping to keep up some momentum over the weekend. We have the trunk stuffed full of recycling but can’t get away from work during the hours the drop off point is open...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 25, 2021, 07:55:21 PM
    @lazycow - For me, once I got over the hurdle of learning the process & getting experienced with eBay, I find it a snap to do. It takes me typically less than five minutes a day. I try to choose items that are easy to ship & mail. It needs to be a high value item for me to deal with fragile packaging, etc.

    I donate a lot as well, but make a pretty consistent $200-300/month just selling crap we no longer want or need.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 26, 2021, 02:22:00 PM
    Dropped off another load of random stuff at the Goodwill donation center today, and mailed a package of books I sold.

    I got stood up for two items I thought I had sold yesterday, but at least someone did pick up the 3rd thing (a large item from the garage), so that was a win overall.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 26, 2021, 03:27:31 PM
    -Mailed a book & a DVD I sold. Packaged one in a mailing envelope I just received this week, for the double win.
    -Tried on some clothes, found things that I'm either too old for, or generally don't fit. Put them in the donation pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on February 26, 2021, 03:52:12 PM
    Thanks @MaybeBabyMustache . My husband is the ebay expert in our household but he won't sell my stuff as it may affect his perfect rating (he sells to a very specific sporting market). Plus I loathe going to the post office and put it off forever so I would be a terrible seller!

    Watched an old DVD last night (Cold Comfort Farm) and sending it to the op shop. Already sold one Funko Pop out of 6. And donating a humidifier I have used once in 5 years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 26, 2021, 06:20:43 PM
    An old metal box that was made to be a slide storage container, similar to this (http://slide storage container), I inadvertently offered to Room Mate. We both have a "thing" for storage containers. Since the slides are now digital, this box can leave my life. As I was lamenting that she just made a run to the donation station for both of us, of course I find this one thing that could have also gone. And she might want it. But might not. So it sits on the coffee table while she decides. Sigh.

    It can only be my problem for 2 more weeks, max. Hopefully less.

    Success! RM indicated she really did want the metal box, so it's is no longer in my household, even though it didn't take it anywhere! Lol

    I will simply leave it behind when I move tomorrow. 😁
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 26, 2021, 08:41:55 PM
    Thanks @MaybeBabyMustache . My husband is the ebay expert in our household but he won't sell my stuff as it may affect his perfect rating (he sells to a very specific sporting market). Plus I loathe going to the post office and put it off forever so I would be a terrible seller!

    Watched an old DVD last night (Cold Comfort Farm) and sending it to the op shop. Already sold one Funko Pop out of 6. And donating a humidifier I have used once in 5 years.

    Not sure how it works in Australia, but we have a local drop box about .5 miles away. I use it as forced exercise to drop my packages off. For anything bigger than that, we can request a free package pickup (left out on our porch) the next day the mail person is coming by. It's pretty convenient. If I had to go to the post office, it would be game over!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on February 26, 2021, 09:16:31 PM
    Finally planted out 9 plants in pots sitting around collecting leaves. I have 2 messy areas containing pot plants that I have targeted to declutter in the past, but failed.  So now one of the two spaces is nearly clear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 27, 2021, 11:55:15 AM
    Threw out a lot of very old foodstuffs that had been 'waiting to be decided about' lol in the kitchen cabinets and the fridge.  A plastic bag full of old but still edible(?) sugary dates of some kind in the fridge. Old cheerios and sugary 'fruit loops' in a cabinet. 

    Also took a big bag-o-clothes to Salvation Army.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 27, 2021, 04:24:30 PM
    Sold 5 old college textbooks to one guy today.  But I got stood up by TWO MORE people this morning.  Why are there so many rude people out there?  Just tell me you don't want the thing anymore, instead of wasting my time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 27, 2021, 04:41:21 PM
    Sold three items on eBay: a hat, an outgrown ski jacket, outgrown pants. All out of the house. Junk out, money in. Made ~$30.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 27, 2021, 05:12:32 PM
    After thinking I was pretty much done, I realised I've still got a fair bit of decluttering/ reorganising to do! There's four junk drawers in the garage that are so hard, ugh. I finally threw out a small bag full of expired dog meds, not sure why that took so long. The rest is misc uninspiring stuff like useful sticky hooks, adaptor plugs, extension cords. If I can find a place indoors for these dull things then the drawers can become a recycling station where we gather the waste that needs to be taken somewhere eg bottle lids, batteries.

    I made a decision to take my vehicle off a sharing platform as someone tried to break into it. Not worth the pittance I was making if it gets damaged and I have that hassle*. So that means I can once again store some stuff in there like dog towels, bowl and harness which will make the garage tidier. I guess I should review everything as it goes back in!

    *I can full-time garage it now instead of keeping on the street. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 27, 2021, 06:58:40 PM
    One of the manga buyers messaged me to ask if I had any more for sale. I let him know the titles i am looking to post for sale. If it works out that will be another 40-60 books gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 27, 2021, 11:07:42 PM
    One of the manga buyers messaged me to ask if I had any more for sale. I let him know the titles i am looking to post for sale. If it works out that will be another 40-60 books gone.

    Woot! That's a lot of books!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 28, 2021, 06:08:54 AM
    Sold 5 old college textbooks to one guy today.  But I got stood up by TWO MORE people this morning.  Why are there so many rude people out there?  Just tell me you don't want the thing anymore, instead of wasting my time.

     +1 on the rude buyers out there.

    Did you sell those textbooks on Ebay? I have listed books of all sorts on Craigslist and not a single reply ever.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on February 28, 2021, 08:31:38 AM
    Sold 5 old college textbooks to one guy today.  But I got stood up by TWO MORE people this morning.  Why are there so many rude people out there?  Just tell me you don't want the thing anymore, instead of wasting my time.

     +1 on the rude buyers out there.

    Did you sell those textbooks on Ebay? I have listed books of all sorts on Craigslist and not a single reply ever.     

    I sold the ones yesterday on FB Marketplace.  I haven't tried to sell anything on Craigslist.  I originally listed them about 6 weeks ago - got a buyer for one, then no views for a while.  Deleted/relisted a few days ago, and got several new views and this buyer.  Was getting close to donating them.

    Last year I sold 1 on eBay - it was in very good shape, and was an edition that had some demand.  I also sold 2 or 3 to a textbook reseller using an app called BookScouter.  The versions I sold yesterday were so out of date there was no demand.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 28, 2021, 06:14:03 PM
    I just made a list of 31 things that need to go / areas that need decluttering / projects that need finishing, with the idea that I do one a day.

    It got a bit thin pickings by the end so four of the items are "read a book" in the hope that I can get rid of some that are unread or not read in a while.

    Let's see how it goes.

    ETA: Day 1 was a bit of a fail. I did return something to someone but was blocked from getting rid of two lots of other stuff by no parking (jars to the bulk shop)/ full bins (polystyrene). Our local tip recently started accepting polystyrene for recycling but it seems they've been overwhelmed and can't take any more for the moment! There's a lot of people where I live that want to do the right thing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 01, 2021, 09:26:58 AM
    Thanks, NotJen.  I just remembered I did have some luck, once, selling an old book. It was a Scrabble dictionary and I got 50 cents for it at a flea market, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 01, 2021, 10:31:12 PM
    An old metal box that was made to be a slide storage container, similar to this (http://slide storage container), I inadvertently offered to Room Mate. We both have a "thing" for storage containers. Since the slides are now digital, this box can leave my life. As I was lamenting that she just made a run to the donation station for both of us, of course I find this one thing that could have also gone. And she might want it. But might not. So it sits on the coffee table while she decides. Sigh.

    It can only be my problem for 2 more weeks, max. Hopefully less.

    Success! RM indicated she really did want the metal box, so it's is no longer in my household, even though it didn't take it anywhere! Lol

    I will simply leave it behind when I move tomorrow. 😁

    More luck: RM decided to keep the dust mop that neither of us used while we lived together. lol

    ETA: Forgot to mention the excess packing material that I successfully Craigslisted yesterday. I'm re-building the stash as I unpack, so this will be an ongoing category for a while.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 03, 2021, 07:09:59 PM
    Manga dude is getting a bargain and I am getting another 70 books out of the house.
    Another book to the street library. It's starting to feel like I am getting down to my core books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on March 03, 2021, 08:38:08 PM
    Manga dude is getting a bargain and I am getting another 70 books out of the house.
    Another book to the street library. It's starting to feel like I am getting down to my core books.

    That's fantastic. Sell the manga books as a set to that buyer will save you so much time vs. individual sales.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 04, 2021, 08:58:09 AM
    Speaking of books, I'm going to list my old mainframe computer books again, on Craigslist. Probably ask $3 each or something like that.

    Amazingly, I see employment ads for mainframe programmers still. (Mainframes are the big old-fashioned computers that have lots of old style programming languages running on them). Might be a programmer out there who could use a textbook for Fortran or Cobol, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 04, 2021, 09:18:04 AM
    Speaking of books, I'm going to list my old mainframe computer books again, on Craigslist. Probably ask $3 each or something like that.

    Amazingly, I see employment ads for mainframe programmers still. (Mainframes are the big old-fashioned computers that have lots of old style programming languages running on them). Might be a programmer out there who could use a textbook for Fortran or Cobol, lol.

    Much of the banking system underpinnings is ancient - and Cobol. Most big companies that have been around for a while have older programs, so do governments. May or may not be on mainframes still, but there is a demand for Cobol still.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 04, 2021, 06:39:07 PM
    Tidied up the car yesterday. A coworker almost needed a ride home and it made me realize how much crap was in it. The random clothes came inside to be washed. The damaged umbrella got trashed and one in good shape went into donation. Now I have one umbrella.

    I tossed the window shade that was a few inches too short and was a pain to put up. Same with plastic carrier bags that were too damaged to use as dog poop bags. Tossed all the random bits of paper that had accumulated. Put the reusable shopping bags in the deep trunk with the spare tire. I haven't needed them since I've been doing grocery pickup.

    Filled the trunk with more donations. One box had been sitting in the garage for over a year because the specific charity wasn't accepting donations. Off to the one that does! Along with a very nice gift that I already had a duplicate of. It's still in the box and will make someone very happy. Some new toiletry items will go to the little giving library. That's a box out of the entryway that's been sitting there since December, awaiting my decision-making.

    Went through the hall closet and pulled a couple of items to add to the donations.

    Put all of my paper couponing supplies in recycling. I think I save more money when I make a careful list of the items I need/like instead of chasing deals.

    Dumped a potted plant on the compost pile. It had never thrived and I didn't want to keep fussing with it.

    Had to declutter the garage after some water damage from a burst pipe. Out with some old gardening supplies. There are a few more bags of recyclables that will go into the bin next week after pickup.

    Went through the stationery again. I feel like I keep doing it! I received several gifts of cards lately, so I'm trying to get rid of the older ones I haven't used and send out the new ones.

    I'm trying to stick really hard to Erica Lucas' 20/20 decluttering rule. If you can replace the item in less than 20 minutes for less than $20, let it go.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 05, 2021, 11:08:46 AM
    I'm changing jobs, today is my last day at old job, and I'm in the office for the first time in a year to clean out my desk, etc.

    -trashed various paper
    -donating the box of plastic silverware to the office kitchen. no idea where that came from
    -found a can of Sprite in my drawer. Don't need to buy a drink at lunch!
    -brought the stack of magazines with me to the office to read. plan to toss them out before I go home.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 05, 2021, 11:34:40 AM
    Tried on all of my dresses yesterday. I've lost ~15 or so during COVID, so things fit differently. Dresses, as opposed to pants, are more of a challenge, as I've lost a lot from my chest & the dresses hang if they don't fit properly. Found a couple to attempt to sell, and two to donate. I re-ordered my favorite dress a size down, so I hope that works. I suppose the math then works out to four out, one in, for a net loss of three. I still have a few more I'm on the fence on & don't fit totally properly, but I'm a) picky about dresses, and b) not looking to rebuild that part of my wardrobe from the ground up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 05, 2021, 06:54:22 PM
    @Sibley Congrats on the new job! That last-day office clean out has always been so satisfying to me.

    Actually took the donations in today! They were in my trunk less than 24 hours! Some kind of world record for me. Also took an outfit to the cleaners the day after I wore it. There was a stain issue that I was afraid my usual at-home cleaning solution wouldn't take care of.

    Asked a friend if they wanted some stationery and the answer was affirmative. Out that goes tomorrow so that it all fits in the shoebox I have designated. Used up a spool of ribbon and a mailing envelope that just came in.

    Tossed a portfolio from an old job. It was pretty and I had used it every day, but it holds bad memories from a very stressful job that I don't need. So out it went.

    Tossed four notebooks. Why do I always have so many notebooks?? Gathered up a baggie of pens/pencils to take to a teacher friend. Just looked at the holder on the desk next to my computer and pulled out another handful. Is is a sign of age that you like a very particular kind of ink pen?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 05, 2021, 07:31:15 PM
    Woot woot! Manga is all gone! Time to take the ad down.

    @okcisok I have been using up all the spare notebooks like a champion and also putting all the pens that I Do Not Like back in the stationery cupboard at work. Life is too short for poor flow, random inkblots, bad ergonomics or bleeding the moment the ink gets wet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 05, 2021, 07:45:27 PM
    Threw out the pair of shoes that had been at the office. No idea what happened to them, but they were ruined. However, they were getting worn out so not a big loss.

    I did indeed throw out all the magazines I took to the office. I still have a stack of Reader's Digests at home, but the total stack is significantly smaller at least.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 06, 2021, 08:48:39 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache I know what you mean about rebuilding a wardrobe! What a pain. I am currently holding on to a bunch of ill-fitting clothes for that reason.

    Yesterday, gave excess pet supplies and a Styrofoam cooler to random people from the internet. Craigslist for the win! I know there is a reputation for high flakiness on CL, but I find it to work "well enough."
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 06, 2021, 04:15:02 PM
    @oneday - that's interesting, as I haven't had any success on Craigslist in years, and from your profile, it looks like we're generally in the same area.

     I listed one of the nicer dresses on eBay, and it looks like they sell well. I also called another one, and put it into the donation pile. I went out and bought two new bras today, and will toss a like amount.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 06, 2021, 08:53:31 PM
    Small win today - I finally returned a book to a friend, about 5 years later.  He gave me a stack to read, which I did and returned.  The one I still had was one I hadn't asked for, and was never really interested in, so I kept forgetting to take it to him.

    I have 2 items that are supposed to go out to FB Marketplace buyers in the next couple of days, hopefully they both work out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 06, 2021, 09:09:05 PM
    Four more books to the street library. We are down to the donation dregs at least until I try all the books I picked up from various libraries and decide whether to keep them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on March 06, 2021, 10:10:37 PM
    Finished transferring almost all of my spices that were in plastic jars into glass jars.  I had been saving the glass jars as I used up the spices in them.  They are a lot cheaper in round plastic containers, but the square glass jars fit better on the risers I have in my cabinet and the round plastic ones sometimes fall when I mess with them.  So I got rid of 8 plastic containers.

    Also threw away 8 partial boxes of ancient tea.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 07, 2021, 08:23:24 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache it's not that I don't get flakes...I do! But I just re-post and try again. Mostly I use it to give away free stuff, not sure if that's the difference?

    @meadow lark your spice cabinet looks great!

    Yesterday's attempt to give away stuff was different. Tried to return a doorstop from the prior residence to prior room mate, but turned out it was broken and already replaced, so I tossed it instead. That door stop has been among my posessions, waiting to be reinstalled, for a year and a half. I'm kind of embarrassed that I didn't notice it was really trash all along. 😵
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 07, 2021, 08:33:18 AM
    @oneday - ah, that makes sense. I use a local Buy Nothing to give things away, as the FB element makes people a lot more responsive.

    I returned a pair of shoes that didn't fit (COVID makes buying shoes for quickly growing teens a bit of a challenge). I only had them in my house for one day before I turned around & got them back out, so I'm considering that a win.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 07, 2021, 08:39:50 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache in my old location, I didn't have a buy nothing group. One day turn around is pretty fantastic, actually!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 07, 2021, 08:49:12 AM
    Started looking through a bag of financial records to see what I could recycle. So far I'm recycling about 50% of them! Hope this percentage continues as I go farther into the bag. I'm finding a lot of informational blurbs that are no longer relevant. Easy to toss.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on March 07, 2021, 09:32:54 AM
    Thanks!  My wife made the risers with some scrap wood we had and I covered it in contact paper.  I love spices so she made the first one about 3 houses ago and every time we move she makes me a new one.

    Decluttered 9 bags (plastic grocery bag size) of clothes and books into the trunk of my car.  Threw away 2 bags of worn out clothes, fabric scraps, craft stuff that went wrong, old papers.

    A bunch of what looks like clutter it’s stuff I need to hang on the walls.  I just hate doing that stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 07, 2021, 09:25:18 PM
    Today's declutter:

    -a small cache of no-longer-needed boxes and packing material

    -returning the Rug Doctor to the store

    -a massive drawer organizer tray (like for silverware) that is far too big for any of the drawers in the new place, given back to prior room mate. Not sure this one counts, as she in turn have me the smaller one she has purchased but found inadequate for the cavernous drawers there. At least it wasn't a net gain of items. I may keep it and donate the one I have.

    The first two mean that for the first time in weeks, I can put the back seats up and replace the cargo area cover, making my car feel "normal" again. Yay!

    ETA: Forgot that on Saturday I donated a bunch of towels to the SPCA! I want "credit" for that, lol :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 08, 2021, 05:50:41 AM
    Yes!!!! finally decluttered my childrens' closets. Lots of clothing now out of the closet and currently on a pile for me to sort by size and decide whether to sell/donate/toss. First 3 sales of clothing (around 20 items in total) already in the hallway ready for pickup. And a good reminder to only shop with a list, since they had WAY TOO MUCH clothes!

    Also sold a backpack on Craigslist and donated 5 pairs of shoes which I have not worn in the last 2 years and will probably not wear again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 08, 2021, 08:21:18 AM
    @Dutch Comfort - whenever I clean out my kids closets, I come to the same realization. I'm not sure how the shirts and shirts multiply, but they do. Both of my kids are going through a growth spurt, and my 15 year old will no longer wear whatever I pick up on sale at Costco. So, the good news is that his desire to have things he's selected corresponds with my awareness that he generally just needs "less". Because, what he wants is often more expensive than what I would have found on sale at Costco. ;-) The irony is that he's still at home (no school), so no one is seeing these much nicer clothes. Hopefully in a month or so.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 08, 2021, 09:10:26 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache I find that they have a minimum of 20 sets of clothing, while they only wear 5-6 of them. So this is definitely a work in progress! And I too find that as they grow older, they need less (my girl is now 13 and she only wears her fav's and has a very specific fashion taste, fortunately for me, she loves 2nd hand clothing for environmental reasons, this seems to be a hype at school now. I do not complain!!!!).
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 08, 2021, 10:35:59 PM
    A few aluminum pie tins to recycling, a few dishes into the donate box. Nothing actually out of the house, but I may have a full donate box by this weekend, that would be nice.

    When I moved in, there were a lot of extra drawers and shelves for the fridge. Most of them don't fit. I've gathered them together and put them in the storage shed the landlord uses for extra tiles and other construction items. This way I don't have to decide if/how to dispose of them, lol!

    Also forced myself to list something that I was dreading because I think it will get little or no response, but if so, then I guess it's trash. Also reached out to the prior CL ad responder with a few extra pet supplies that I found hidden behind some other stuff. Hopefully they will respond quickly and I can get that out too. Doing those things was hard, but I don't have the space to let things linger.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 09, 2021, 12:23:36 PM
    Wrestled a bookcase down to the garage, listed it on FB Marketplace, and sold it all before noon today!  I've been stood up so many times lately, I'm glad that I can still reliably get rid of (cheap) furniture at least.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 09, 2021, 03:08:15 PM
    And people actually picked up 2 other items.  Color me surprised.  And I sold my house today! (Well, accepted an offer.)  Not a bad day to get rid of things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 09, 2021, 03:13:54 PM
    And people actually picked up 2 other items.  Color me surprised.  And I sold my house today! (Well, accepted an offer.)  Not a bad day to get rid of things.
    Woot woot! 🎊
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 09, 2021, 04:05:30 PM
    What started out as a basic task - shred taxes from 10+ years ago, replace with 2020 taxes (I do this every year, as you only have to hang on to 10 year's worth), became a much bigger paper project because... I couldn't find our 2020 tax paperwork. I've already filed, and I know I once had everything, but I went through & organized & cleaned along the way. I eventually found my paperwork, and have a couple of large stacks ready for shredding. The amount of paperwork generated through a mortgage refi is staggering.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 09, 2021, 05:26:54 PM
    My 31 things to declutter in March hit a bit of a wall but I did chuck the chewed up dog toys today and yesterday I returned something to a shop. Now I don't have to move an empty storage box off the printer everytime I want to scan something.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 09, 2021, 07:16:23 PM
    Quart-sized bag of pens, pencils, and random office supplies to a teacher friend for their classroom.

    Brand-new sweater to a friend that will actually wear it.

    Put six bags of aluminum recycling in the bin. I had been storing them in the garage thinking I would take them to the scrap metal place for cash. One Hoarders show marathon knocked me right out of that 'someday' and 'they're worth something' thinking. That's exactly the justification the people on the show used to keep housefuls of worthless items.

    Tossed an old makeup palette in the trash. I realized it's several years old and all that is left are the colors I don't like. No more buying large selections of makeup in one tray.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 10, 2021, 08:15:17 AM
    Took a serious look at the 50 or so cookbooks I have in a bookshelf. Getting myself ready to donate some or them, or try to sell at the flea market.

    I've been good about donating books in general . I've donated at least 100 to my library. It's hard to sell books, I find, but I'll see what happens at the flea market.

    Relisted a lot of crafting supplies on Craiglslist that were selling OK a few years ago, but not since then. Also listed an antique electric clock. If I can't sell the clock on Craigslist my plan B is to sell it to a local antique clock store (yes, they exist) where I sold another antique clock last year. 


     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 10, 2021, 08:27:08 AM
    I wore a sweater yesterday that turned out to have a couple of holes in it.  Since the sweater is ill-fitting anyway, I threw it away instead of mending the holes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 10, 2021, 10:35:39 AM
    Am spring cleaning. Lots of dust and dirt out.

    I decided that I had an excess of working on the house sweaters. I do not need 10 of them. Kept 4, trashed the rest.

    Going to drop off a Harry Potter wand to my friend, been meaning to give that to her for at least a year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: racquetcat on March 10, 2021, 12:14:41 PM
    My mother is finally going through a basement full of stuff because they may move in the next year. Instead of throwing away some of my old stuff she brings it to me, a tub or grocery sack at a time. I politely accept it and throw 99% of it away after our visit is over. I'm 35 years old and have received:
    - a hat and t-shirt from my first job at a fast food restaurant
    - old books given to me in 3rd grade
    - a sack of elementary school papers including grade cards from kindergarten and other miscellaneous "artwork"
    - a flyer from a turtle race that I entered and won at the county fair!!!
    - old baseball cards, that despite my hopes as a 10 year old are worth about $5 now
    - sheet music from my time in the high school marching band
    - an old youth small sweatshirt that I had autographed by members of the local college basketball team
    - congratulations cards that they received when I was born
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 10, 2021, 02:47:48 PM
    I’m getting rid of my work flats that are all scuffed up and give me blisters even through socks.  Also returning some stuff to Amz  that didn’t work out. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 10, 2021, 03:46:54 PM
    Today, I cleaned out one of my bathroom vanities. It is amazing how much stuff was under there and had not been used in years and years! Cleaning products, room freshners, soaps, long forgotten. I threw out two 13 gallon bags and one plastic grocery bag full! It is ridiculous how much stuff gets shoved under cabinets! There was a woman I used to work with years ago and she was very rigid on using up cleaning products and would not buy another product till she used up the one that was open. I used to laugh at her 'rules' and thought she was out of touch. Well, today I thought of her and said to myself, she was right and boy was I wrong! To have all those products that were years and years old and due to age I just threw them out. I still put quite a bit of stuff back under there but I have these bins that make it all so organized now! One more bathroom to go! UGH, just the thought of hoeing out that bathroom vanity makes me cringe!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 10, 2021, 04:33:18 PM
    @racquetcat, I've been there. About 15 years ago, my parents built their forever home. They told us to come and get all of our stuff *we* were storing at their house. They had told us repeatedly over the years that they were going to throw out what we didn't take. We knew it was, like yours, 99% crap, which is why we left it there! :)

    It was sweet to see some of the old items like a poster I drew that won a prize, old craft project, etc. But my parents had worried about it, dusted it, sorted it out, organized it, etc for years. And we spent about 30 seconds talking about said item before tossing it in a trash bag when I finally went through it.

    That's why I tell people who are saving things for their kids that they probably don't want it. Maybe one storage tub of a selection of artwork, sports memorabilia, etc. But if it can be used by someone NOW, why put it away until it's trash? (I'm looking at you, dried up paint sets and terribly out of date clothes my parents saved :)

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 10, 2021, 05:17:40 PM
    Right now I am feeling grateful that 20 years ago, I realised it was unfair of me to leave My Stuff with my mum and expect her to cart it around for me, went back home for a visit and ruthlessly sorted everything. I decided that if *I* wasn't prepared to move it around with me, it needed to go. My mum ended up being The Last One Standing from her family and it was an additional burden on her when she was downsizing that she had to go through all her stuff but also everything she had "inherited" from multiple family members.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: racquetcat on March 10, 2021, 06:43:48 PM
    @racquetcat, I've been there. About 15 years ago, my parents built their forever home. They told us to come and get all of our stuff *we* were storing at their house. They had told us repeatedly over the years that they were going to throw out what we didn't take. We knew it was, like yours, 99% crap, which is why we left it there! :)

    It was sweet to see some of the old items like a poster I drew that won a prize, old craft project, etc. But my parents had worried about it, dusted it, sorted it out, organized it, etc for years. And we spent about 30 seconds talking about said item before tossing it in a trash bag when I finally went through it.

    That's why I tell people who are saving things for their kids that they probably don't want it. Maybe one storage tub of a selection of artwork, sports memorabilia, etc. But if it can be used by someone NOW, why put it away until it's trash? (I'm looking at you, dried up paint sets and terribly out of date clothes my parents saved :)

    I can't bring myself to throw it away in front of my mom, but I think she knows that most of it eventually ends up in the trash.

    We are keeping 1 tub of stuff for each of my two children, so far it's worked well although they are younger so they haven't accumulated too much yet, hopefully we can keep it up as they get older!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: racquetcat on March 10, 2021, 06:47:44 PM
    Right now I am feeling grateful that 20 years ago, I realised it was unfair of me to leave My Stuff with my mum and expect her to cart it around for me, went back home for a visit and ruthlessly sorted everything. I decided that if *I* wasn't prepared to move it around with me, it needed to go. My mum ended up being The Last One Standing from her family and it was an additional burden on her when she was downsizing that she had to go through all her stuff but also everything she had "inherited" from multiple family members.

    Good on you for doing that, it's something I should have done years ago, but I never got around to it. Now my parents have my grandmother's stuff plus stuff from 3 kids.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 10, 2021, 07:07:52 PM
    My dad moved twice after us children left home but the clincher for getting rid of anything superfluous was when he was renting his house while he travelled. He wasn't about to lug unnecessary stuff into the loft! A lot of our childhood books had been kept for potential grandchildren but he decided that they were unlikely to materialise and heaved the lot. My sister was so upset but I couldn't care less! Moving his stuff on will be a fairly simple task when he passes or moves somewhere smaller again, he's a ruthless minimalist. 

    I cleared out my personal belongings when my mum passed and the family home was sold while I was still at uni. Then when I went on extended travel overseas a few years later I dumped boxes of household stuff at my friends place :/ It was all a bit of a rush and badly organised and eventually he kindly got rid of a lot of it for me! When I went back to pack and ship stuff to Australia (now husband & I decided to emigrate while on that extended trip) I culled again - winter coats were donated... Living here in Aus it's so humid that most memento things of mine got ruined and you just can't keep a lot of extra stuff unless you have climate controlled storage. Photos got scanned and now I have just 2 photo albums left. I've wasted too much time cleaning mildew off things I don't use. Wouldn't have done anything differently with hindsight, sometimes you need a few passes over stuff to let it go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 11, 2021, 12:33:35 AM
    Right now I am feeling grateful that 20 years ago, I realised it was unfair of me to leave My Stuff with my mum and expect her to cart it around for me, went back home for a visit and ruthlessly sorted everything. I decided that if *I* wasn't prepared to move it around with me, it needed to go. My mum ended up being The Last One Standing from her family and it was an additional burden on her when she was downsizing that she had to go through all her stuff but also everything she had "inherited" from multiple family members.
    Good on you for doing that, it's something I should have done years ago, but I never got around to it. Now my parents have my grandmother's stuff plus stuff from 3 kids.
    It's not too late! You could book a day to go through your childhood detritus and Deal With It... (these ellipses are meant to be enticing)

    Maybe it's just me getting older but it feels a bit like leaving someone else to clean up your mess? (I moved out! it's no longer *my* problem! dusts hands with air of satisfaction)

    @Fresh Bread Some of my stuff got ruined by flooding after the Chch earthquakes. I was sad for a bit and then it felt freeing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on March 11, 2021, 01:39:17 AM
    My parents divorced long ago. They have taken somewhat different routes with our and their stuff.
    I have a sister, and while we don't agree on everything, this is an area where we have co-operated well.

    Mum + husband have a total of six kids from previous marriages, lives in a house that is slightly big for them, but nice when we visit. Their decided that they don't want anything in the attic and other storage areas except for Christmas decorations, so "kids, you are grown up, come get your stuff, you have two years from now bc that is when we retire and then we want this completed". We all came, sorted and tossed, together with them as they also went though theirs. Lots of nice everyday stuff in good condition from grandparents etc to charity.  They have kept certain smaller items, which they display (Mum: if I want to keep it, I want to display it). Mum has put notes under some inherited things, so we know if is from her side or her husbands. They do have quite a lot of stuff, but if we ever need to sort out their house, it will be quite easy.

    Dad is different. He is somewhat of a hoarder. Nice things like decorative glass, paintings etc, but still. Way too much, it would look a lot nicer with less. Sis and I were asked (in a nice way) to pick up our things from in-house storage as he"needed more space". We went through together, had fun and tossed most. Dad was looking at what we tossed, commenting "but you shoould keep that..." - lots was crap from school. So sis and I agreed that we needed to dispose of everything ourselves bc "if we leave in the bin, he may want to go through and pick out things..."
    After, dad commented that even though we took our things, it didn't make much if a difference. Well, no surprise as most stuff in storage was his anyway.....
    Sis and I say to each other now and then that this house will be tough to take care of... but it is not a lot that we want to keep so that makes it easier. It's mostly things he bought, no family history and not our style.

    Anyhow, it feels really great to know that I don't have a lot of stuff that is mine at either place. I have all my belongings where I live now, had a storage unit for a couple of months during moving/showing the house, but emptied that when I moved. I still have some items in my own storage to go through but it's getting better by the day. Currently going through papers, it is tough, but it's already better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on March 11, 2021, 04:51:33 AM
    How is everyone doing with changing the habits that got you in this position in the first place?

    I am doing pretty well but obviously there's always room to improve. With kid stuff the biggest issue is my parents buying then things, and I am getting more and more ruthless as the kids get older that THEY have to make decisions and can say "no thanks grandma, I won't use that" instead of taking everything.

    For general household stuff I will admit this is harder.

    My H remains the biggest packrat in the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 11, 2021, 10:29:44 AM
    How is everyone doing with changing the habits that got you in this position in the first place?

    I am doing pretty well but obviously there's always room to improve. With kid stuff the biggest issue is my parents buying then things, and I am getting more and more ruthless as the kids get older that THEY have to make decisions and can say "no thanks grandma, I won't use that" instead of taking everything.

    For general household stuff I will admit this is harder.

    My H remains the biggest packrat in the house.

    I stopped adding to the clutter many years ago, and have been decluttering constantly since.  However, I do find that I'm emotionally attached to more things than I thought (often just because I've owned something for a long time - it's like a friend), and I tend to have opposite warring sides:  the need for simplicity versus the attachment.  Unfortunately, the attachment seems to be winning more than I would like.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 11, 2021, 11:35:40 AM
    How is everyone doing with changing the habits that got you in this position in the first place?

    I am doing pretty well but obviously there's always room to improve. With kid stuff the biggest issue is my parents buying then things, and I am getting more and more ruthless as the kids get older that THEY have to make decisions and can say "no thanks grandma, I won't use that" instead of taking everything.

    For general household stuff I will admit this is harder.

    My H remains the biggest packrat in the house.

    Not habits, but a personality that doesn't want to get rid of anything, and also doesn't want to decide about it. Decisions.

    I have lots of clutter left over from my girl friend living here before. I just plug away at it. Sometimes I make myself delve into an area I thought I had already gone through, and find more stuff I can 'allow' myself to donate or sell or throw out.

    My mind says item x is junk, just throw it out, but something else is getting all stressed out thinking about throwing item x out. Some things are easy, some are hard, some I just keep for various reasons. 

    I am definitely NOT bringing any new stuff into the house, never had that problem in the first place. thank goodness.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 11, 2021, 01:14:54 PM
    How is everyone doing with changing the habits that got you in this position in the first place?

    I am doing pretty well but obviously there's always room to improve. With kid stuff the biggest issue is my parents buying then things, and I am getting more and more ruthless as the kids get older that THEY have to make decisions and can say "no thanks grandma, I won't use that" instead of taking everything.

    For general household stuff I will admit this is harder.

    My H remains the biggest packrat in the house.

    Not habits, but a personality that doesn't want to get rid of anything, and also doesn't want to decide about it. Decisions.

    I have lots of clutter left over from my girl friend living here before. I just plug away at it. Sometimes I make myself delve into an area I thought I had already gone through, and find more stuff I can 'allow' myself to donate or sell or throw out.

    My mind says item x is junk, just throw it out, but something else is getting all stressed out thinking about throwing item x out. Some things are easy, some are hard, some I just keep for various reasons. 

    I am definitely NOT bringing any new stuff into the house, never had that problem in the first place. thank goodness.   

    Would a neutral 3rd party be helpful in clearing the excess stuff? It might cost money to hire a professional, but it might be worth it for the peace of mind of having a neat and tidy house with just the belongings you need and want.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: kimura on March 11, 2021, 01:26:12 PM
    Reading this thread strangely makes the OCD in me feel quiet satisfied. Im thinking of all the stuff I have that has been unused for years that I am going to sell , throw away, and donate. My biggest fear is the sudden need/want of something I just got rid of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 11, 2021, 03:25:14 PM
    How is everyone doing with changing the habits that got you in this position in the first place?

    I am doing pretty well but obviously there's always room to improve. With kid stuff the biggest issue is my parents buying then things, and I am getting more and more ruthless as the kids get older that THEY have to make decisions and can say "no thanks grandma, I won't use that" instead of taking everything.

    For general household stuff I will admit this is harder.

    My H remains the biggest packrat in the house.

    I've never been much of an "accumulater". However, we have kids, and kids grow, change, need new things. It's a constant effort to stay on top of their stuff. Also, my husband is way more of a consumer & "keeper of things" than I am, so I am always on the lookout for things we don't need.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 11, 2021, 04:03:24 PM
    How is everyone doing with changing the habits that got you in this position in the first place?

    Not habits as such as I've never been much of a consumer. Biggest issue was probably societal norms like having a spare bed for guests (used maybe 5 times in 10 yrs and twice it was pet sitters) and having a wedding list for stuff I didn't need (I was in a horrible job at the time which meant that the wedding didn't have enough thought put into it).

    I mainly declutter so there is less to clean & maintain. I like clear surfaces but struggle to maintain them.

    My husband hangs onto things, but it's more or less contained. I don't touch his stuff but I think I might be slowly getting through about storing stuff on gumtree (Craigslist) and so on.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 11, 2021, 04:39:16 PM
    How is everyone doing with changing the habits that got you in this position in the first place?

    I am doing pretty well but obviously there's always room to improve. With kid stuff the biggest issue is my parents buying then things, and I am getting more and more ruthless as the kids get older that THEY have to make decisions and can say "no thanks grandma, I won't use that" instead of taking everything.

    For general household stuff I will admit this is harder.

    My H remains the biggest packrat in the house.

    Not habits, but a personality that doesn't want to get rid of anything, and also doesn't want to decide about it. Decisions.

    I have lots of clutter left over from my girl friend living here before. I just plug away at it. Sometimes I make myself delve into an area I thought I had already gone through, and find more stuff I can 'allow' myself to donate or sell or throw out.

    My mind says item x is junk, just throw it out, but something else is getting all stressed out thinking about throwing item x out. Some things are easy, some are hard, some I just keep for various reasons. 

    I am definitely NOT bringing any new stuff into the house, never had that problem in the first place. thank goodness.   

    From your previous posts, it seems that you have a hard time letting go because you see potential value in everything.  Which can be true - most things have some value, but are they of value to YOU?  I try to compare the value of something I’m considering parting with to the value of my most treasured possessions.  I find this makes it easier to assign a relative value and if an item doesn’t even come close, it’s gone.  Once it’s gone, I never think of it again, which shows that it really didn’t have a value to me.  You could try boxing up random stuff that’s in your way, and if you haven’t thought about those things or needed them in a month, then just get rid of the whole box.  Do this once a week, and after a month you’ll have a box a week to let go of.
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 12, 2021, 12:17:43 AM
    How is everyone doing with changing the habits that got you in this position in the first place?

    I am doing pretty well but obviously there's always room to improve. With kid stuff the biggest issue is my parents buying then things, and I am getting more and more ruthless as the kids get older that THEY have to make decisions and can say "no thanks grandma, I won't use that" instead of taking everything.

    For general household stuff I will admit this is harder.

    My H remains the biggest packrat in the house.

    Great discussion question, @MayDay !

    I'm making a renewed effort at paperwork sorting and tossing. Always room for improvement there! Got a bit done over the last few days.

    Found a legitimate use for the thing I dreaded listing, so deleted the post and found a home for it.

    Successfully gave away the additional extra pet supplies.

    Took a day off yesterday because the missing part of the bad arrived and after a week and a half I wanted to sleep on a mattress not on the floor. It was glorious! And the place *looks* less cluttered because it doesn't have parts of the bed frame scattered about.

    Today, walked with BF to the little free library where he exchanged several books. While the quantity of books remains constant, at least these books will be useful. The other ones were door stops to us. I'm taking credit for reminding him to bring the books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 12, 2021, 05:51:11 AM
    Still a pile of childrens' clothes near my WFH space. Hope to have everything on Craigslist this weekend and the remaining clothes nicely in a box waiting for their buyers. If not sold soon, I will donate the rest in a few weeks time.
    Already sold around 30 pieces and gave away another 15 pieces to friends with a son who is just one size below mine. Also gave away 2 girls' bags with the clothing. Happy to get these out of the house.

    Tax filing is done and I've put away the papers for that. Hopefully we can toss that in 10 years time....

    Next challenge: when checking the attic I found a box of "crafts" from my daughter which she made at age 2-4. She is 13 now, so time to check whether I/she wants to keep anything from that box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 12, 2021, 06:22:13 AM
    Sibley wrote:
    <<   Would a neutral 3rd party be helpful in clearing the excess stuff? It might cost money to hire a professional, but it might be worth it for the peace of mind of having a neat and tidy house with just the belongings you need and want.  >>

    Thanks, Sibley. I wouldn't use a stranger, but I would be OK with a friend or family member looking around the place and identifying things I might have overlooked, to get rid of. Part of the benefit would be having the person agree that it's OK to get rid of it (or not).     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 12, 2021, 02:10:58 PM
    Sold another furniture piece today.  It was something I liked and didn't necessarily want to get rid of, but for the last 15 years, its function has been "to take up space", and I no longer need things that take up space.  And not worth disassembling and storing either.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 12, 2021, 06:14:11 PM
    Went through the winter clothes and put three pieces in the donate bag. If it didn't get worn this winter (the coldest we've had in something like 80 years), it's not going to get worn next winter either.
    Mailed a book to a friend. This one is a big mindset shift for me. It's part of a series, I've been anticipating it for months, and I pre-ordered it. I spent more on it than I spent on books all of last year! It was hugely disappointing. I struggled to chapter 8, then skimmed the last chapter. In the past I would've kept it, unread, for ages and felt guilty, or even wasted days slogging through it because I paid GOOD MONEY for it. I would have displayed the whole matching set and moved them several times. Now I've realized the money is gone but I still have the time.
    She was interested in it, so off it went today with a reused box and wrapping from work. No guilt, no regret, and no bookshelf space or headspace taken up by a book I don't like.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on March 13, 2021, 08:34:25 AM
    Third item sold on ebay!  This one a specialized sewing machine foot that I no longer need with my new machine.  I bought it second hand for $2. Sold for $11 plus shipping. I am more motivated by getting these things to someone who will use them than I am by the money, but it is a nice little bonus.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 13, 2021, 04:31:13 PM
    -Sold a pair of outgrown kids shorts on eBay. Packaged & out of the house
    -Gathered up all of the Xbox stuff (7 games, 1 controller, Xbox, Kinect & various wires & instruction manuals). Listed on FB. I love that there are a bunch of things that will leave my house when it sells
    -In the Xbox process, found 3 remotes for mysterious electronics. I've put them in my research pile, where this week I will either determine they are worthless & find an electronics recycling, or sell them on eBay, for others who may have lost remotes for mysterious electronics.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 13, 2021, 05:31:49 PM
    A friend who recently moved house asked if I had any large jars she could have for her kitchen. You bet I do! She gets containers and I get more shelf space. YAY.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 13, 2021, 06:58:29 PM
    I freecycled a recliner that was excess in my livingroom, it’s feeling much more spacious.  I swear I need a professional feng shui guru to tell me how best to configure my long, dark, and skinny livingroom. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 14, 2021, 08:51:19 AM
    I de-cluttered all my allium seeds - there were several packets of old seeds plus the three types of new seeds have way more than I actually need.  I decided to start them all  and see what happens.  Onion seed does not last in dormancy for long.

    I just want to note how much nicer it is to do a task, such as boiling down sap, when I have to pull out equipment that I use once every two years, and it is not hard to find or to extract from the storage place and not really dirty after being in storage.  Sweet bonus for de-cluttering.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happyfeet on March 14, 2021, 11:52:35 AM
    Went thru all my stamps for stamping and packed up a bunch to sell  and it that is a fail - then donate.  Many for mid 1990's - guess they are vintage now. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 14, 2021, 12:17:45 PM
    Lord willin’ a lady is coming to pick up a lamp that my ungrateful cat is always knocking over.

    This week I am thrifting some painful shoes and slippers and ordering new models that hopefully won’t inflame my aggravated hammertoe.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 14, 2021, 06:02:38 PM
    Sold another furniture piece today.  It was something I liked and didn't necessarily want to get rid of, but for the last 15 years, its function has been "to take up space", and I no longer need things that take up space.  And not worth disassembling and storing either.

    Good for you, finally recognizing this!


    I just want to note how much nicer it is to do a task, such as boiling down sap, when I have to pull out equipment that I use once every two years, and it is not hard to find or to extract from the storage place and not really dirty after being in storage.  Sweet bonus for de-cluttering.

    You're living the dream, @Frugal Lizard

    Great discussion question, @MayDay !

    I'm making a renewed effort at paperwork sorting and tossing. Always room for improvement there! Got a bit done over the last few days.



    Today, walked with BF to the little free library where he exchanged several books. While the quantity of books remains constant, at least these books will be useful. The other ones were door stops to us. I'm taking credit for reminding him to bring the books.

    So far, have kept up on entering receipts into YNAB the same day the purchases were made, and have been able to keep up with the mail. The back log is still there, but at least not growing.

    One of the books from the little free library turned out to be not what he expected, so that will go back to the lfl on the next walk.

    Craigslisted two floor lamps today!

    And identified four things to attempt to sell. 🤞
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on March 14, 2021, 07:11:53 PM
    Gave away 8 items this week, mostly clothing and similar that were in good condition but not exciting enough to sell. A family member mentioned they needed some more work shirts, and I quickly offered them some options and we were both happy that the sizes were good and out they headed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on March 15, 2021, 08:27:22 AM
    I'm actually halting any de-cluttering and am temporarily in re-cluttering (?) mode.  There's a big garage sale set for mid-May to raise money for a local charity, so I'm keeping what I think will sell, e.g., kids board games, costume jewelry, kitchen items, etc., and setting it aside in my garage until it's time. 

    I have no problem holding on to things like this if there's a definite date for it all to be out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on March 15, 2021, 12:11:13 PM
    Dropped off a completely full hatchback of clothes, Christmas stuff, and books at a thrift store.
    Finally took the Kaboom automatic toilet cleaner (love those!) off my kitchen counter and to my wife’s store and installed it.
    Discovered an antler in my back seat (under the clutter) that has probably been there since we evacuated from Hurricane Laura in August.  Daisy June Dagger Paws is enjoying trying to make it disappear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 15, 2021, 03:30:35 PM
    Daisy looks just like my next door neighbour’s dog.  She’s a digger too.  By the way, vets hate antlers - they break dogs’ teeth.

    I’m working on a new pile of stuff to donate/sell.  Tomorrow a bag of clothes and 2 pictures go to the thrift store, a couple of tops to the neighbour, and so far I’ve found 7 nice glass jars to sell.  They’ve been sitting around far too long and now that I have finger and wrist problems, are too hard for me to open.  Also, a riding helmet to sell.  I’m expecting to find more stuff in the next few weeks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on March 15, 2021, 08:12:07 PM
    Oh no! So frustrating trying to find long lasting chewies that she wants to play with that aren’t dangerous.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 15, 2021, 09:06:04 PM
    Oh no! So frustrating trying to find long lasting chewies that she wants to play with that aren’t dangerous.

    Try Duvoplus Rubber Mint Bone.  It’s a slightly bendy rubber, very dense with some weight to it, with a mint taste and holes for peanut butter etc.  It’s impossible for a dog to tear a piece off.  Comes in 3 sizes and different colours.  I got mine at Petvalu.  Totally safe.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 16, 2021, 05:17:12 AM
    I'm trying to re-read a few books to see if I still want them. Just finished one and I'll be leaving it in the bookshelf at the holiday place I'm at. Too easy!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on March 16, 2021, 11:30:50 AM
    Sunny days, I’ll put that on my list of things to try.  Thanks!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 16, 2021, 11:39:05 PM
    Reminded BF to take the book to the little free library on his way out the door. It counts!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 17, 2021, 07:32:30 AM
    Sold two things yesterday that I had been previously stood up for multiple times.  Yay!  One person even paid me $5 more than the asking price, with no comment about overpaying.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on March 17, 2021, 07:48:43 AM
    Sold some baby toys yesterday.  Gave the money to DS, who promptly bought more stuff.  At least he bought smaller stuff than what went out the door.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on March 19, 2021, 05:22:33 AM
    Finally got the high chair out the house. End of an era.

    Funny thing, I tried to give it away for free and nobody was interested, so I put it for sale for $5 on the local virtual yard sale and had tons of interest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 19, 2021, 04:13:57 PM
    Sold 3 skincare samples (birchbox subscription I was gifted). Out of the house
    Also, returned cleats that didn't fit my teen. I was really lazy & didn't feel like going in person to the stores. Done. Items we don't need out the  house, with the bonus of money back
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on March 20, 2021, 06:16:24 AM
    We decluttered 4 boxes of tile from the basement workshop onto the kitchen wall! One small box of extra remains in storage in case of breakage.

    Today I am going to go through a few closets and cull a small volume of items. We don't have any large areas at this point, it's just the continually sweeps over time as things accumulate.

    I asked on the last page if anyone had changed the habits that got them into this mess..... I found it humorous that every response was along the lines of "well you see I personally do not actually have a problem" lolol. I will fully admit I need to do better!  For me it is a combo of anxiety around stuff (too much stuff that is!) and interest in "improving" things, ie decor, my wardrobe, and having the money to just go buy whatever is of interest and not need to really shop around and save and make sure I really want it. Like for our new puppy- I just buy her whatever toys or treats or whatnot that I want to try, and then inevitably some don't work out and need to be re-homed.

    This weekend I am thinking I will tackle a sweep of the garage, the hall closet, and my closet. The garage had it's hanging shelves taken down for the upcoming electrical project. so now that stuff needs to be reorganized (or gotten rid of). The hall closet has a lot of misc linens and towels that we probably won't ever really need. And at work I keep getting gifts of branded merchandise, so I can just donate some of the older ones I never wear, as it seems unlikely I'll ever need 6 work shirts (we normally wear business casual and the branded shirts are worn fairly rarely).

    Happy weekend everyone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 20, 2021, 03:31:17 PM
    @MayDay - I think there's quite a gap between hoarder, and continually focused on getting rid of things. I find that it's a daily task, and like laundry, your work is never done. I spend more time on decluttering & organization than most people I know, but I also enjoy it & I'd define our house is pretty streamlined (as much as you can be with kids at home). But, I also have hot button areas that are way less organized than others, and my husband does not share my school of thought on clutter. At all. At all. So, we're a bit of a push & pull.

    As for today, I sold a pair of new shin guard sleeves (my kids wear the shin guards directly in the socks), & a under shirt my husband bought & didn't like. Junk out of the house, money in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 20, 2021, 05:58:02 PM
    Relisted a wooden end table with built in drawers on top, on Craigslist. Last time I got a two inquiries about it, but no interest in buying.

    Also picked out 60 old utility bills from the pile for recycling. 

    Rummaged through the greeting card supply and found a nice thank you card to send to my sister-in-law.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 20, 2021, 06:51:14 PM
    Thinking about MayDay's question, I think it can be hard to answer because of the assumptions made in the question. The habits that got me here?
    - One would be buying books that were not available in the library, that I read and traded with friends and were part of my social community. My interests moved on and I no longer want to carry them around. So is the habit I need to discard buying books? Outgrowing hobbies?
    - My other area is clothes, again I buy things when either an item wears out, or is about to, or my style changes. Is the habit I should discard entropy and fabric being an ephemeral material? Or should I keep wearing clothes that no longer reflect who I am? Sure, I could theoretically learn to not care about the opinion of strangers but *I* also don't like to wear ill-fitting/worn-out clothing that makes me feel bad.

    Today, I am putting a wool cardigan that is itchy in the donation box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 20, 2021, 07:38:46 PM
    I asked on the last page if anyone had changed the habits that got them into this mess..... I found it humorous that every response was along the lines of "well you see I personally do not actually have a problem" lolol. I will fully admit I need to do better!  For me it is a combo of anxiety around stuff (too much stuff that is!) and interest in "improving" things, ie decor, my wardrobe, and having the money to just go buy whatever is of interest and not need to really shop around and save and make sure I really want it. Like for our new puppy- I just buy her whatever toys or treats or whatnot that I want to try, and then inevitably some don't work out and need to be re-homed.

    Part of this is likely that self reflection is hard. And change is even harder. The people who really need to do that reflection and make fundamental changes are thus less likely to do so. There's been a handful of people on this thread at one point or another who I really thought needed help dealing with underlying problems which lead to them getting too much stuff, or inabilities in getting rid of it. Each has been extremely resistant to the idea that they have a problem.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on March 21, 2021, 09:11:27 AM
    I think the thing most of us could work with is the incoming stuff. I have stopped accepting stuff that I don’t have a use of. Corporate gifts that I know I will not use will not enter my apartment. Conference gift bags are not accepted etc.

    It drives me crazy when my parents show some random crap that they have gotten from their employer and it is stuffed in some cupboard or when they don’t get rid of stuff they don’t use anymore because it is a gift from x.

    @Sun Hat I took some help from a professional to identify which kind of styles fit my body type. That have helped with shopping and today I can dismiss about 90 % of the clothes in a store by a glance. I also buy most of my stuff online. I also promised myself that I would not use any clothes I would not use outside of my home in my home. In other words even though I walk around with yoga pants and/or some other fitness clothes I am not going to wear something I would not wear in a gym.

    This has actually allowed me to downsize my wardrobe because everything fits and is mostly matchable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 21, 2021, 09:53:21 AM
    For me, I fixed the habits before I started the decluttering process.  I was never a hoarder, but was a typical consumer so had a lot of stuff coming into the house.

    1. Started using the library and Open Library, and only buying books that either a) aren't available, in which case I donate them when I'm done, or b) I already know I will want to reread many times.
    2. Stopped impulse buying things, especially clothes.  Frugality is great for preventing new clutter coming in.
    3. Started saying no when people offer me things for free, especially my mom.

    The actual decluttering process is almost an afterthought.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 21, 2021, 11:05:21 AM
    I certainly have a problem with clothes. Not so much in the volume that I have in the house, but in how I buy it. I have anxiety issues  and low self-esteem, so I buy all of my clothes online and tell myself that I don't care that they're ill-fitting. Then, when I look like a slob, I don't take care of my clothes, and end up ruining the sloppy clothes and then discarding them when they're too bad for even me to wear out of the house. It ends up churning through a lot of clothes, but changing the pattern would require hard emotional work, so it's easier to go online and buy myself a new wardrobe for $100.

    People tend not to post such things because 1) it's a downer, and 2) problematic behaviours usually hide uncomfortable feelings


    Have you ever seen the "What Not to Wear" TV series with Stacy London and Clinton Kelly?  People are "turned in" by friends and relatives who are appalled at their clothing choices and then re-dressed by the hosts.  The people learn why they dress the way they do, what actually suits them, how to identify clothing that works for them etc.  It sounds shallow but actually gives the people some insight into their overall psychology and they tend to feel a lot differently about themselves by the end.  I found it really interesting.  In your situation, it sounds like your clothes buying methods are perpetuating your low self esteem.  Maybe it's time to try something different?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 21, 2021, 01:10:06 PM
    For me, I fixed the habits before I started the decluttering process.  I was never a hoarder, but was a typical consumer so had a lot of stuff coming into the house.

    1. Started using the library and Open Library, and only buying books that either a) aren't available, in which case I donate them when I'm done, or b) I already know I will want to reread many times.
    2. Stopped impulse buying things, especially clothes.  Frugality is great for preventing new clutter coming in.
    3. Started saying no when people offer me things for free, especially my mom.

    The actual decluttering process is almost an afterthought.

    That's a good way to put it, and I've done something similar.

    As for today, sold a dress that's too big. Will get that packaged up & into the mail drop box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 21, 2021, 05:07:31 PM
    I certainly have a problem with clothes. Not so much in the volume that I have in the house, but in how I buy it. I have anxiety issues  and low self-esteem, so I buy all of my clothes online and tell myself that I don't care that they're ill-fitting. Then, when I look like a slob, I don't take care of my clothes, and end up ruining the sloppy clothes and then discarding them when they're too bad for even me to wear out of the house. It ends up churning through a lot of clothes, but changing the pattern would require hard emotional work, so it's easier to go online and buy myself a new wardrobe for $100.

    People tend not to post such things because 1) it's a downer, and 2) problematic behaviours usually hide uncomfortable feelings


    Have you ever seen the "What Not to Wear" TV series with Stacy London and Clinton Kelly?  People are "turned in" by friends and relatives who are appalled at their clothing choices and then re-dressed by the hosts.  The people learn why they dress the way they do, what actually suits them, how to identify clothing that works for them etc.  It sounds shallow but actually gives the people some insight into their overall psychology and they tend to feel a lot differently about themselves by the end.  I found it really interesting.  In your situation, it sounds like your clothes buying methods are perpetuating your low self esteem.  Maybe it's time to try something different?

    I used to love that show! Is it still on? I need that kind of intervention. I certainly need to try something different because dog-hair covered sweats aren't sparking joy.

    On the non-clothes clutter front I'm doing great though, having parted with the last of my votive holders and throw cushions last week.

    No, it’s not on anymore, but maybe it’s worth it for you to try to rematch online?

    I know what you mean about dog hair covered sweats because that’s what I’m wearing right now!  Other than the yard though, I don’t wear them out in public.

    Casual clothes can still look nice if they fit well and have some shape to them.  A strategy I’ve found useful is to go to a thrift store and try on lots of things to find brands that do fit nicely, then buy the same thing new.  It saves guess work and running from store to store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on March 21, 2021, 07:55:41 PM
    Thinking about MayDay's question, I think it can be hard to answer because of the assumptions made in the question. The habits that got me here?

    +1

    I'm done with my "habit" of procreation, so I guess there's that...  Some things you collect for a stage of life and then you release when done.  They're not a habit that needs to be fixed.  For example, I'm looking forward to getting rid of breastfeeding supply items when I wean in a month (e.g. 1 pump from each, bottles, nursing pillows, breastmilk storage bags and freezer container), but I wouldn't say I should have changed the "habit" of feeding my kids!

    Likewise, we'll pass on toys as my daughter outgrows them.  I'm happy to move, on but I don't regret bringing them into the house (98% gifts or hand-me-downs).  I also wouldn't have chosen to say no to more of the hand-me-downs (even those we haven't used so much), because once you start saying no, people stop offering and we've saved SO MUCH by using 2nd hand items, everything from cribs to strollers to clothes to smaller items like nursing pillows and toys. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 21, 2021, 10:54:49 PM
    I absolutely have a problem with paper, @MayDay. I've been able to put some rules in place to help sort through the stack, but the basic problem is I don't wanna adult, when it comes to paperwork. So dang boring! And I haven't been able to dislodge that attitude. Ultimately, I continue to pick at the problem and maybe someday I'll accept the drudgery as part of my life. It's happened in other areas.



    Gave a cast iron pan to a friend who loves cast iron.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on March 22, 2021, 02:40:51 AM
    Well, since last year I am done with my "habit" of my ex... that took care of a lot of shit :-D.

    To be fair, not all of the clutter was his (by far) but we never got to the bottom of stuff. He didn't want to and he didn't want to do his share of housework and family responsibilities, so I was often too tired and did not have the energy to take care of it all.

    However, I do think that a lot of my problem is not "habits" but "history", I had a lot of stuff from teenage/early twenties and from what I have inherited from grandparents. I have never had anything like a shopping addiction, more "cannot get rid of sentimental stuff". I am now almost 50, I don't buy a lot of stuff, so there has been more going out than coming in for several years. Also, in the last few years, I have managed to let go of a lot of sentimental things, that didn't really mean that much to me, which meant that my moving and down-sizing last year was pretty smooth.

    So yes, I have changed my habits, but my problem was always "keeping", not so much "acquiring".
    I am making sure that I am aware how much I have changed and how much my life has changed, and that I try to remember how much stuff I had and how that impacted me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 22, 2021, 09:56:24 AM
    Chipping away here. Spent 2 hours rifling through bags of old paperwork from the computer room.  A bit more floor space opened up, which is good for morale, since a lot of my decluttering lately has been from inside storage containers. The clutter is gone but the containers remain (for now).

    Was able to cull 5 pounds of it and it is currently on the curb awaiting the recycling truck's arrival.

    LinneaH,  similar situation here with inheriting stuff. My girlfriend was a getter and keeper of stuff.  She is gone now, but her stuff remains and I am slowly decluttering it. I am a keeper, so it is kind of a struggle to get rid of it. It's always the last thing on my list of things to do, but I occasionally devote time to it, and as noted, am chipping away.

    Too be fair, a big chunk (10%) of the clutter is my stuff, not hers.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 22, 2021, 03:33:22 PM
    Finally sold my kayak today.  After getting stood up on Saturday, the buyer eventually made it out today.  I was a little upset because I had come home specifically for the pickup on Sat night, but I let her get it today without being bitchy about it since I was home anyway.  One less thing to worry about now!

    I'm about a week out from trying to sell most of my good furniture.  Waiting for inspection results to come in for the home sale before believing I really have to be out of here in 17 days.

    I asked on the last page if anyone had changed the habits that got them into this mess..... I found it humorous that every response was along the lines of "well you see I personally do not actually have a problem"

    That's how I was going to reply!  I truly don't think I have a problem with incoming items.  I stopped shopping for fun a long time ago (if I ever actually shopped for fun - more out of boredom).  I'm totally fine "shopping" with friends and not making any purchases.  Most incoming items are replacements for previous purchases, and new items are carefully considered.  It was a change made long ago, and I think a lot of it has to do with getting older and knowing myself better.

    And I don't consider my personal situation to be a mess.  My problem is living in the same house for 15 years, and having 2000+ sq ft for one person.  There are so many places to put things and never think about them again!  Even with unused items in my cabinets, they still aren't full or cluttered!  I started getting rid of things a couple of years ago because I knew that I eventually wanted to sell my house, getting more serious now that it's imminent.  I like posting here about the emotional attachment I have to some things, which helps me release that attachment.

    One big recent change is to let myself get rid of gifts I don't want as soon as I get them.  I used to hang on to stuff I didn't want because someone had given it to me, and I could possibly regift it at some point, or maybe eventually will use it.  But I definitely don't want to move with that crap, so out it goes, no guilt attached.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 22, 2021, 06:41:57 PM
    My trash can is actually full this week. Wow. Of course, I missed taking the trash out last week, so that doesn't help.

    Threw out an old litterbox. I don't need 3 boxes with just Arwen, and the 2 I kept have an extra wide lip that results in the mess not getting under the box when Arwen misses (usually on purpose, she's been upset lately). Much easier to clean up.

    Finally got around to fixing the dryer vent, it got smashed off when all the snow & ice melted and an ice shelf came crashing down. Tossed the old one, removed the clutter of the new one.

    Two boxes of old family pictures and related stuff in the car to drop at my aunts house tomorrow. Her problem.

    Organized some stuff that came from my parents house that can't go on the truck, that is all out of the way. Will eventually leave the house whenever they get a new place. There is more coming, and then my parents and their cats too at some point.

    Took down and put away the Christmas lights. Kinda sad now, they were pretty.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 23, 2021, 02:06:17 AM
    Just sent my son to school carrying 6 extra books for the free library at school. Will do this every day this week until the full box that I have is empty (poor kiddo......). 

    Sold an unused school backpack this weekend.

    My daughter finally went through all her "crafts" which she made during age 2-4 (she is 13 now). She decided to keep only 3 things. The rest of the box could be trashed! So proud of her.

    Husband bought new audio equipment (first time in >20 years). Now we have to get rid of the old ones. Let's see if I can Craigslist them this week and get them out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: innkeeper77 on March 23, 2021, 09:45:22 AM
    In the past month:
    Made $1600 from old tech items on Ebay- after fees and shipping!
    Sold $27 of misc on craigslist over 3 listings, listed intentionally cheap.
    Gave away 3 free listings on craigslist including an old scrap microwave

    And last night I got rid of more clutter!
    Recycled a large box for my desk monitor mounting arm, and moved the instructions, tools, and different bolt sizes into a much smaller box for future use. It doesn't need the full packaging for the next time we move! I can put the bolts in the small box, and just carry the arm itself.
    Recycled 2 other boxes that were just sitting in the basement
    Recycled old papers
    Put some tech and old kid stuff in the donate box
    listed a bunch of unused woodworking parts really cheap on craigslist, plus some tech. I currently have 9 active listings! I put a temporary shelf up as a staging area for sorting, selling, or recycling.
    Threw away some old "maybe useful" items nobody would want.

    I am really working on the "this could be useful someday" issue- even if my house isn't filled, the cost to replace doesn't outweigh the mental drag of piles in the basement. Plus, with this much UNSORTED "useful" crap, I would never find it when needed. I will keep useful items and tools, but need them all to be properly sorted and categorized to be worth keeping. Eventually I want a food pantry, and a "stuff" pantry, with nothing stored that doesn't have a dedicated "space", and with an organizational scheme to make it easy to find things. If I can't fit spare parts or assorted tools in there, to someone or somewhere else they need to go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on March 23, 2021, 11:11:52 AM
    LinneaH,  similar situation here with inheriting stuff. My girlfriend was a getter and keeper of stuff.  She is gone now, but her stuff remains and I am slowly decluttering it. I am a keeper, so it is kind of a struggle to get rid of it. It's always the last thing on my list of things to do, but I occasionally devote time to it, and as noted, am chipping away.

    Too be fair, a big chunk (10%) of the clutter is my stuff, not hers.     

    @slackmax, yes I have seen the hard work you are doing, good job!
    I have actually moved on a bit from being a keeper, towards minimalism (absolutely not there yet, but going there in some areas). I used to be very sentimental, and that has changed, even so that a very close friend said a couple of years ago "I can't believe how you can be so non-sentimental". I  believe this is due to a combination of several moves, personal development in general and a lot of Youtube-watching (decluttering and Minimalism)  + also reading and agreeeing w/KonMari - keep only what sparks joy. Also helps that I am pretty non-conventional.

    I wish you a continued good decluttering!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 23, 2021, 12:02:47 PM
    Lately I've been trying keep unwanted email clutter at bay.  I get lots of emails from places I have a relationship with, but I usually just delete the email after I read the subject.  I'm making sure to actually open these emails and unsubscribe.  It's really hard, because my automatic reaction is to just delete!  I'll be living away from home with limited internet access over the summer, so keeping junk email to a minimum will be important.

    I also finally signed up for paperless statements for all my credit cards and bills last month.  I used to like the physical reminder so that I don't miss anything, but realistically, it's an overwhelming amount of mail that I truly don't need.  Since I switched over, I've definitely noticed the lack of mail, which is good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 23, 2021, 03:59:24 PM
    A great video from one of my favourite YT minimalists  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDwZ64IglXQ

    Her approach is like Midwest Marie Kondo (not that she knows it) and her wardrobe planning is not officially Capsule but is strongly aligned with Anushka Rees' Curated Closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 23, 2021, 08:00:32 PM
    I *knew* you were describing Dawn! I love her channel and have been watching it for months. She is extremely motivating to me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on March 24, 2021, 06:15:42 AM
    Perhaps I phrased it poorly by using the word habit. I was thinking about habit broadly- but maybe a better phrasing would be "life circumstances".

    I got rid of quite a few things last weekend! Did a nice closet sweep, and I feel better afterwards. The main culprits were clothes from work. They all have to be ordered online and the sizing is unpredictable. My boss just gave me two new shirts. One is too small, one is too large. Both are supposedly size L. Neither can be returned. Ugh. I will put them out for free to coworkers but it is a bit touchy because they were a gift from my boss.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 24, 2021, 09:48:41 AM
    Perhaps I phrased it poorly by using the word habit. I was thinking about habit broadly- but maybe a better phrasing would be "life circumstances".

    I got rid of quite a few things last weekend! Did a nice closet sweep, and I feel better afterwards. The main culprits were clothes from work. They all have to be ordered online and the sizing is unpredictable. My boss just gave me two new shirts. One is too small, one is too large. Both are supposedly size L. Neither can be returned. Ugh. I will put them out for free to coworkers but it is a bit touchy because they were a gift from my boss.

    Go to your boss first and say something like, "I love the shirts you gave me, but unfortunately the manufacturer's sizing is inconsistent and they don't fit.  I'd like someone else to enjoy them though, so do you mind if I offer them to others?"  As long as you put a positive spin on it, I can't see him/her being offended.  Unless they are very thin skinned.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on March 24, 2021, 10:17:14 AM
    @SunnyDays, great suggestion!

    Lately:
    ~Over the past week I've used up the tiny bit of makeup in two different bottles using a makeup brush, the remaining bit of a hand soap bottle, and a bottle each of detergent and bleach.
    ~I've continued to post over on the eat all of the food in your house MMM thread.
    ~We were given a gift card for a new dishwasher, which meant we had to clear out the sink cabinet.  I tossed several things, will give away a few other things, and I'll corral the rag pile into a box.
    ~DH broke down a dilapidated shed from our land and used the metal siding as a privacy fence around half of the enclosed garden.  This way he can garden this summer without people driving by staring at him.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on March 24, 2021, 11:26:44 AM
    Perhaps I phrased it poorly by using the word habit. I was thinking about habit broadly- but maybe a better phrasing would be "life circumstances".

    I got rid of quite a few things last weekend! Did a nice closet sweep, and I feel better afterwards. The main culprits were clothes from work. They all have to be ordered online and the sizing is unpredictable. My boss just gave me two new shirts. One is too small, one is too large. Both are supposedly size L. Neither can be returned. Ugh. I will put them out for free to coworkers but it is a bit touchy because they were a gift from my boss.

    Go to your boss first and say something like, "I love the shirts you gave me, but unfortunately the manufacturer's sizing is inconsistent and they don't fit.  I'd like someone else to enjoy them though, so do you mind if I offer them to others?"  As long as you put a positive spin on it, I can't see him/her being offended.  Unless they are very thin skinned.
    You could also frame it as a request for a swap - I love these shirts but the sizes are a bit odd, can anyone do a swap with me?"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on March 24, 2021, 12:32:37 PM
    Watching her videos is helping me.  I just donated most of the stuff I had bought for our vow renewal , which didn’t happen bc of Covid.  I kept thinking I should wait until people were having weddings again and sell it.  But I hate selling things, I would much rather just put them back into the world, and let the charity that runs the thrift store have that money.  I donated approx $400 (when bought new) table cloths, runners, centerpieces, things to make invitations.
    I tried to donate my wedding dress, but at the last minute I decided to keep it - I may try to dye it and use it as a dress for a Mardi Gras ball.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 24, 2021, 12:41:39 PM
    I tried to donate my wedding dress, but at the last minute I decided to keep it - I may try to dye it and use it as a dress for a Mardi Gras ball.

    I finally donated my wedding dress with a bunch of clothes a few months ago (after having been divorced for over 10 years).  I don't know why I kept it so long - it was from a department store and pretty hideous.  I'm hoping someone makes a costume out of it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 24, 2021, 06:52:35 PM
    I tried to donate my wedding dress, but at the last minute I decided to keep it - I may try to dye it and use it as a dress for a Mardi Gras ball.

    I finally donated my wedding dress with a bunch of clothes a few months ago (after having been divorced for over 10 years).  I don't know why I kept it so long - it was from a department store and pretty hideous.  I'm hoping someone makes a costume out of it!

    It took me downsizing from my house to an apartment to donate my wedding dress.  I'd been separated/divorced 10 years by then!  I still have my wedding and engagement rings, they just sit in the box.  At least they take up less space.  ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on March 25, 2021, 06:44:44 AM
    I tried to donate my wedding dress, but at the last minute I decided to keep it - I may try to dye it and use it as a dress for a Mardi Gras ball.

    I finally donated my wedding dress with a bunch of clothes a few months ago (after having been divorced for over 10 years).  I don't know why I kept it so long - it was from a department store and pretty hideous.  I'm hoping someone makes a costume out of it!

    It took me downsizing from my house to an apartment to donate my wedding dress.  I'd been separated/divorced 10 years by then!  I still have my wedding and engagement rings, they just sit in the box.  At least they take up less space.  ;-)

    Mine was red and is currently hanging out in the cargo area of my car.  I've been thinking of having it turned into a xmas tree skirt.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crowinghen on March 25, 2021, 01:14:59 PM

    [/quote]

    Mine was red and is currently hanging out in the cargo area of my car.  I've been thinking of having it turned into a xmas tree skirt.
    [/quote]

    Great idea!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crowinghen on March 25, 2021, 01:16:41 PM
    we are getting ready to move/downsize- lots of stuff to get rid of!
    today I'm giving away a bunch of glassware and a griddle- I post on the buy nothing FB page that is local, at least i know someone who wants it is getting it, and I don't have to go through the hassle of trying to donate or sell stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 25, 2021, 07:40:12 PM
    Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on March 27, 2021, 08:02:48 AM
    Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

    We have about 10 big tubs in our garage, all empty, from when we moved here. Our house has closets so now we don't need them, hallelujah! But I have a kid leaving for college in 5 years. So I've been debating getting rid of them now or just let them sit in the corner of the garage. I also use them in the garden and break them occasionally so I am leaning towards holding onto them. Probably silly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 27, 2021, 09:28:52 AM
    Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

    We have about 10 big tubs in our garage, all empty, from when we moved here. Our house has closets so now we don't need them, hallelujah! But I have a kid leaving for college in 5 years. So I've been debating getting rid of them now or just let them sit in the corner of the garage. I also use them in the garden and break them occasionally so I am leaning towards holding onto them. Probably silly.

    I vote for keeping them, especially if they can be stacked inside one another. Plus, when one breaks you can be happy to get rid of it, not sad, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 27, 2021, 02:18:03 PM
    Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

    We have about 10 big tubs in our garage, all empty, from when we moved here. Our house has closets so now we don't need them, hallelujah! But I have a kid leaving for college in 5 years. So I've been debating getting rid of them now or just let them sit in the corner of the garage. I also use them in the garden and break them occasionally so I am leaning towards holding onto them. Probably silly.
    I would hold on to two, to cover potential breakage, and give the rest away. Let them be used by someone. You can get some more from a stranger if and when you need them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 27, 2021, 11:25:15 PM
    Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

    We have about 10 big tubs in our garage, all empty, from when we moved here. Our house has closets so now we don't need them, hallelujah! But I have a kid leaving for college in 5 years. So I've been debating getting rid of them now or just let them sit in the corner of the garage. I also use them in the garden and break them occasionally so I am leaning towards holding onto them. Probably silly.
    I would hold on to two, to cover potential breakage, and give the rest away. Let them be used by someone. You can get some more from a stranger if and when you need them.

    Totes.

    I mean, I agree. Yes, store them on Craigslist (if that is an option for you).




    Declutter fail yesterday. Drove 15 minutes to give some stuff away, and the recipient had their door closed, garden gate locked, and not responding to emails. Boo. Tried to reschedule for tomorrow, but still no response. This was the first flaky person in my last score of CL encounters. Item is relisted; if the original person comes through, even better.

    And got some interest in a futon (frame only) that's been lingering in the carport for a month. They said they would get back to me in a few days, but not holding my breath. BF and I were just contemplating alternative disposal methods, so this would be a money savings if it happens. 🤞
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 28, 2021, 02:40:25 AM
    Sold some shoe racks, yay! I had replaced them earlier in the week for a shoe rack / coat stand combo thing. Now we can hang coats, shopping bags and dog leads in the garage instead of dumping them on top of the shoes. Looks so much neater.

    I've got a little craft area going on in the laundry area of the garage. I might put a bit of pegboard on the wall and make it official.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 28, 2021, 11:27:11 AM
    After Fridays fail, today the thing went to someone else who was mighty grateful. That felt good.

    And there was interest in a futon frame that's been lingering for a month. Hopefully it will be gone soon.

    Edit: the futon is gone, woo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 28, 2021, 12:43:42 PM
    Way to go, Oneday !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on March 28, 2021, 01:06:01 PM
    I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

    So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

    All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 28, 2021, 01:45:26 PM
    Way to go, Oneday !

    Thanks Slackmax! We'll both just keep chugging along! :)


    I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

    So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

    All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok. 


    I've struggled a long time, as well, to strike a balance. Because I'd dearly love to live in one of the beautiful minimalism blogs. But I just can't...I mean, when I leave the house I usually have two large bags of stuff! That's my realistic lifestyle. So after time, it's become clear that one key thing is having easy access to everything. Another is having certain surfaces clear. Another is not having stuff in storage that is just "storage". It needs to be reasonably used/useful. Being able to implement these principles has helped. I hope you find some principles that bring you peace in your environment.

    (https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7TKS0OxsooHm8Wm4/giphy.gif)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 28, 2021, 03:07:36 PM
    I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

    So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

    All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok.
    One of the things I took from Francine Joy (Jay?) was the idea that putting things away left the space free for whatever you wanted to do next. That you were more likely to do the things you wanted to do now if you didn't have to clear away the last thing before you could. I am much more likely to sew if I don't have to clear bags and other things off my sewing table first.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on March 28, 2021, 07:17:34 PM
    I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

    So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

    All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok.
    One of the things I took from Francine Joy (Jay?) was the idea that putting things away left the space free for whatever you wanted to do next. That you were more likely to do the things you wanted to do now if you didn't have to clear away the last thing before you could. I am much more likely to sew if I don't have to clear bags and other things off my sewing table first.

    I have also felt calmer when the house is less messy.  We both are not natural "put-away" people, but when we work at it a bit, the house feels less "busy" to me.  We both enjoy it more even though there is no really significant change, just bare tabletops and nothing on the floor.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 29, 2021, 02:53:04 AM
    Box of books is almost empty. Hopefully this week the last few books will be taken to school (if DS and the teacher both test negative for COVID..... fingers crossed....).
    The cardbord box was already used for a crafts project by DS, so this will be trashed after he is done with it (usually in 1-2 weeks).
    Sold 1 book, will be in the mail today (in re-used Amazon package) and sold a lot of childrens' summer clothing that they have outgrown, which was already picked up by the buyer.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on March 29, 2021, 09:32:57 AM
    I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

    So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

    All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok.
    One of the things I took from Francine Joy (Jay?) was the idea that putting things away left the space free for whatever you wanted to do next. That you were more likely to do the things you wanted to do now if you didn't have to clear away the last thing before you could. I am much more likely to sew if I don't have to clear bags and other things off my sewing table first.

    I have also felt calmer when the house is less messy.  We both are not natural "put-away" people, but when we work at it a bit, the house feels less "busy" to me.  We both enjoy it more even though there is no really significant change, just bare tabletops and nothing on the floor.

    I think what I'm trying to say is that I think we've found our sweet spot.  It's not the magazine spread I envisioned, but it's pretty reasonable. A bit messy, but I'd still invite someone inside.  I'd prefer to have a few minutes warning so I could do a little clean up first, but it wouldn't stop me from having someone in. On busy weeks things pile up a bit more, but we naturally catch things up as we have time and then the clean and clutter balance out. With an intentional clean every once in a while... I think it's alright.

    And of course regular maintenance of the incoming mail and randomness, and the seasonal.  And there are places in the house that could be streamlined or have more efficient furniture, but those we're waiting until the right piece come along. 

    So now I've got to adjust this picture in my head to our real life and not our aspirational life and get those in harmony, and I am working through it out loud here.  In truth, the hobbies ARE a huge part of our aspirational life, it's just easy to ignore the tools and supplies that go along with those hobbies! We will always have projects in the works, and dishes in the kitchen.  Things will always be fluid. And that's ok. 

    Now, if anyone has any good ideas for making cat toys look less like a mess when they are strewn all over the floor, I am all ears.  We've got a pretty basket to put them away in, but cat toys that are put away aren't doing their job, they are only effective when they are strewn about. I guess I need to add them to the picture in my head.










    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 29, 2021, 09:38:04 AM
    Looked through a closet stuffed full of clothes and found about 10 pieces I could bring myself to part with. Put them all in a big plastic bag to donate. Not expensive clothes, so no anxiety involved, no sense of loss.  Even found 5 other pieces of clothing elsewhere in the house, and put them in the bag too.

    I'll take the bag to Salvation Army today, and hope they are still accepting donations, lol.   The Goodwill store here had a sign out saying 'no donations, please' last time I went there. Yikes.     





    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on March 29, 2021, 10:24:14 AM
    Divorced my cheating husband and packed my stuff which all fits into 33 plastic bins plus the furniture. We sold the house and unfortunately I have to help him get rid of his crap because he doesn’t work fast enough. I packed all his inside crap. Then I hired the teen next door to empty the partial dirt basement, giant shed and garage onto the patios and yard. I filled a huge trailer for the dump in 2 days. I am 66 and my entire body hurts.  Also had a huge moving sale and sold almost everything and made 500. Put stuff out for free in front of the house and most of it is gone. Can’t wait to get this done and live in a neat condo that I bought.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 29, 2021, 10:52:59 AM
    @PMG, I hear you on the cat toys.  And dog toys and rawhide remnants.  If the cat toys are in their basket, they just take them out at night and the dog toys never get touched if they're in the basket, so I just compromise and sweep them into a floor pile with my foot and call it done.  You have to be realistic, right?  It's home, we live here!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 29, 2021, 11:01:48 AM
    @Cassie sorry about your divorce! It's too bad that the initiating partner often end up doing more than their share of the work, but it's kind of the nature of the beast. I don't regret the extra work I had to put into mine, since it got me where I wanted to be, but it still sucks. Enjoy your neat condo!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 29, 2021, 01:24:51 PM
    @PMG I can cope with the dog's toys strewn about if they aren't also joined by multiple pairs of discarded shoes (boys) and/or bags (me). I'm pleased you found your sweet spot.

    @Cassie I am sorry about your divorce, you are powering through like a champ and your condo is going to be so calming after this.

    @slackmax Well done on the clothes. I know this isn't easy but it's impressive that you keep plugging away at this.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on March 29, 2021, 05:19:58 PM
    Sun Hat what a awesome idea! Unfortunately, he is still living here until the house closes on the 16th and won’t let anyone touch his junk.  This has cured me of ever living with someone again. I took the furniture that I came into the marriage with and we are splitting what we bought during the marriage. I own more of it than him. I only took half of the bedroom set even though it’s all mine because I don’t want it all.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 29, 2021, 07:14:03 PM
    Sold 2 big things today: my living room seating, and my beloved elliptical machine. 

    I'm really happy the giant elliptical was successfully removed quickly after I listed it, so I don't have to worry about getting rid of it.  But it gave me a "now things are truly different" moment.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 29, 2021, 07:29:48 PM
    Passed on a pair of knitting needles to a friend who wanted a pair.

    A friend gave me several books I've been reading. Two that I finished went to the little library. The rest will be passed on to another friend.

    Got a free package of cereal at the grocery store on Sunday. Took it to the food pantry today so that I wasn't tempted.

    Operation "Deal with the Mail Immediately" is going well. Important items are dealt with as soon as I get them, bills are paid immediately. Junk mail goes straight into the recycling, unless it has a return envelope that I can use to request to be removed from their mailing list.  No more sliding stacks of mail piled up on the desk.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 29, 2021, 10:38:22 PM
    Now, if anyone has any good ideas for making cat toys look less like a mess when they are strewn all over the floor, I am all ears.  We've got a pretty basket to put them away in, but cat toys that are put away aren't doing their job, they are only effective when they are strewn about. I guess I need to add them to the picture in my head.

    I have cat. Cat has toys. Toys are part of the decor. In my case, the cat is only interested in a small number of the total toy basket, so what I've got strewn around isn't bad, but it used to be way worse. Anyone who has a problem with it isn't going to be at my house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 29, 2021, 10:43:35 PM
    Read 3 books yesterday. Gave one to a neighbor with instructions NOT to give it back. The other 2 will be donated in some way as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 29, 2021, 11:41:11 PM
    Another declutter fail. The ultra-local thrift shop I wanted to donate a box of household goods to only takes donations Fridays and Saturdays. At least the box is in my car and no longer in the entry way. Will try again this weekend, I guess.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 30, 2021, 06:37:02 AM
    I have a decluttering - let's say "opportunity," that sounds optimistic.  My dad brought a few boxes of stuff for me when he came to visit my sister.  I haven't looked yet, but I think it's mostly books.

    Not out of the house yet, but we've decided to donate my camping equipment - tent, sleeping bags, and sleeping pad.  I have come to the realization that we are not the type of people who camp anymore.  Hike yes, sleep on the ground, no.  So the bulky equipment can go to someone who will enjoy it.

    I need to recommit to a serious declutter, as we have just decided to sell our house.  I'm sure despite our best efforts we've acquired plenty of stuff since we moved in two years ago, and that stuff needs to be pared down before we move again.  I especially want to focus on stuff that's been stored in the basement, which we haven't needed since moving in.  We'll probably have to downsize some of our furniture as well, sadly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 30, 2021, 08:28:54 AM
    We've decided to sell our vacation house (in another state). I'm happy I make decluttering it a regular activity when we're there, but pretty nervous about how I'll get everything out of it during the sale transaction. I'm hoping we will sell it fully furnished. Fingers crossed.

    As for our own house, I picked up a free book on our local Buy Nothing (bike mechanic repair book for my son) & it came with a bunch of other freebie books. Listed them all on eBay.

    Lately a few older eBay listings (months old) have finally sold. My goal for today is to go through all of my listings, update, edit, decide if anything should be donated/listed on Buy Nothing, etc.

    I went through my 14 y.o.'s closet, as he's had a recent growth spurt. None of his button up shirts fit, so those will be donated or sold.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 30, 2021, 08:37:06 AM
    I found a new owner for the greenhouse potting bench.  Have to wait until May 1 for him to come an get it but he is thrilled!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 30, 2021, 08:00:58 PM
    ^^^^
    I remember some fashion maven, I forget who, that said “Get rid of half your clothes and you’ll look twice as stylish.”
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 30, 2021, 08:29:42 PM
    On the plus side of getting rid of the elliptical, today I threw away a god-knows-how-old pair of sneakers I used for indoor exercise only.  The sole was about to fall off of one of them, so I certainly got my money's worth.

    Also threw away some empty boxes and magazines I tried to sell on eBay, but aren't worth donating and I'm certainly not moving with them (it's crazy what people will buy - I've sold some empty boxes, but not these).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on March 31, 2021, 08:40:28 AM
    I randomly was looking for an app that would buy DVDs and CDs.  Clicked on Decluttr and gave it a shot.  Uses the phone camera to scan the UPC code.  Expect on the order of 19 cents per item.  I have boxes of these things.  CDs, DVDs, games that nobody is using, which I know for sure because they were literally in a box in the basement.  I've made 2 passes so far for something like $16.  Many of these were from a friend whose husband passed away a couple years ago and my wife couldn't say no to her box of unwanted movies.  Probably 3/4 of those were accepted.  They take books as well and have something about taking phones.  I've been rounding up random disks that seem to be all over our house and matching them to the cases to get them in a box and out to UPS.  I'll probably do books next to see how that goes. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 31, 2021, 08:47:30 AM
    @Car Jack - good to know about Decluttr. I'll check that out.

    @Cassie - sending you good thoughts to get through this process as painlessly as possible. I'm guessing that once you are in your own space in the condo, it will feel like a vacation oasis.

    I need to get rid of a bunch of outgrown kid clothes that I gathered up over the weekend. That's on the list for the next few days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 31, 2021, 02:08:40 PM
    It's time for me to changeover my wardrobe from Summer to Autumn/Winter and I'll use this to review them and work out which ones no longer fit/flatter/thrill and then donate or upcycle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on March 31, 2021, 04:08:32 PM
    Sold my coffee table today.

    Also have a giant stack of mattresses and box springs at the curb for collection tomorrow!  I promise I wasn't hoarding mattresses - I have needed to replace mine for a while, but was holding off until I moved.  And the second one was in the guest room, and I'll no longer have a guest room (and it was also very old).  Good riddance!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 31, 2021, 11:09:12 PM
    Another declutter fail. The ultra-local thrift shop I wanted to donate a box of household goods to only takes donations Fridays and Saturdays. At least the box is in my car and no longer in the entry way. Will try again this weekend, I guess.

    Well, since the day off the donation refusal, I found two more things to go along with everything else, so not unhappy about being turned away anymore.

    Today sold a Brita pitcher and extra filters! April goal is to sell the 10 or so things that might fetch a few bucks, so this was a good start.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on April 01, 2021, 02:48:24 AM
    Decided to give away an Easyio yogurt maker that I hadn't used in a year via my local free FB page. I was a little hesitant as I have the room to store it, but thought it would be better for someone to actually use it now.
    When the lovely woman came to pick it up I asked if she wanted some indoor plants that I had propagated and had no use for and she took them all. So my porch is less cluttered. Yay.

    When I told a friend about the yogurt maker, she said she had 2, and if I ever wanted to make yogurt in the future I could have one. Life has a way of working out. I am a firm believer in the share economy amongst friends and neighbours!

    Over the last month I have gotten into every single drawer, shelf and cupboard in my house and released probably 300 more items. It has freed up so much space in my brain and I am loving looking at empty drawers and shelves, and reaching for whatever cooking or cleaning implement, and not having to move items out of the way as everything is within easy reach. It is blissful.

    I am not a big purchaser, and often instigate no- or low-buy months (thanks Reddit subgroup!) so these items are things I have held on to for a long time 'just in case'. As I ony have 1 child left at school I am heading into a different stage in my life and want to be mentally and physically free to prepare for new adventures next year, and make this year as stress-free and organisationally simple as possible. Plus I still want to have time to read all the books without that nagging feeling of 'I need to declutter, organise, clean stuff'. In order to be idle, I need to be efficient.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on April 02, 2021, 10:59:37 AM
    @Cassie , hugs to you and here's to your new ventures!

    @Car Jack, thank you for the Decluttr information.  I look forward to addressing my stacks of CDs sometime soon.

    Similar to @mspym, it's time to change out clothing from cold to warm weather items.  I look forward to purging items not worn the past 5 months.

    Regarding wedding dresses mentioned on the prior page, years ago I sold mine via Craigslist, and to the delight of the buyer, I threw in the jewelry I'd purchased to go with it.  My first wedding ring was sold to a "We Buy Gold" outfit when experiencing a financial hardship during the recession.  The money received for it was insignificant, but I was glad to rid it from my life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 02, 2021, 02:34:34 PM
    Wardrobe changeover done and it inspired Ofpym to find some shirts and books he is also happy to shed so now today's task is drop off the donations and get them out of the house. Also my friend is happy to take the food processor so that's another thing that can go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on April 02, 2021, 07:45:24 PM
    @mspym that's great that your own decluttering efforts inspired Ofpym to let some stuff go too. So satisfying when that happens.

    And congrats @lazycow on your huge progress this past month. 300 items! I agree with your sentiment that making space now creates space (mental and physical) later for new adventures and for truly enjoying your relaxation time.

    As for myself, a while ago I accidentally ordered two rather than one copies of a book. The cost of each book was small, so I procrastinated with all these vague aspirational "I'll give the spare to a friend and we'll have a virtual book club!" type ideas, but today I got real that I wasn't going to do that (and if I did, I'd want to mutually pick a book with someone). I initiated the return process for the spare, and sent it off today for a refund.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on April 02, 2021, 09:55:02 PM
    Looking forward to the dump day in my township next weekend... I’ve never partaken before, but this is the year! Got a big pile I’m gathering in the basement for the trip over so we are good to go when the time comes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on April 03, 2021, 02:47:17 AM
    I packed away the winter clothes today and took out the summer stuff. In the process, I filled a large bag with clothing to be donated. Then I cleaned out our storage room and filled two bags of trash. I also posted a few old toys online to give away.

    It’s been a productive day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 03, 2021, 08:00:49 AM
    I sold four pieces of crystal over the last week to the same buyer (FB) after realizing we never use anything like this, even when entertaining. It's great to have them out of the house, and into the hands of people who will enjoy them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 03, 2021, 08:40:54 AM
    A question for you guys selling on Facebook Marketplace.

    How can I sign up for a Facebook account with a maximum of privacy, just to sell stuff? 

    I don't want people to come from everywhere and contact me  when they see I am 'on Facebook'.   

    Thanks   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 03, 2021, 08:48:02 AM
    @slackmax - I'd use a profile picture that's not you (flower, plant, etc) & then not use your actual name for the FB registration. I haven't tried this myself, but assume it would work. (I have an actual FB profile that I don't use much.) Another option is to just dial the privacy settings all the way up, so other people can't see anything. Again, haven't played with this myself, but I know there are a variety of settings.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dogastrophe on April 03, 2021, 11:12:45 AM
    Gave away a couple of books, donating two bags of clothes, and sold two lawn chairs this morning ... but we also bought two more comfortable lawn chairs
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on April 03, 2021, 02:45:26 PM
    Finally took two bags to goodwill that have been sitting in our spare room since...before the pandemic. (Don't have a car, so all goodwill trips involve public transit and get regularly procrastinated, even without pandemic-related closures.)

    I also took the opportunity to deep clean the spare room, which felt just as good as decluttering. I guess I decluttered lots of dust?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on April 03, 2021, 05:03:17 PM
    My cat has a Facebook account.  I don't.  That was how I maintain my privacy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 03, 2021, 06:06:35 PM
    Passed on a half dozen or so masks that don't fit me well to others who they might fit better.

    Returned library books, but didn't pick up any more.

    Passed on some cat treats that Mr. Kitty turned his nose up to, to a friend with multiple cats. Maybe one of hers will like them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 04, 2021, 05:46:01 AM
    Decided to give up my camping gear - tent, two sleeping bags, and a sleeping pad.  Very bulky stuff to store, and I've reluctantly come to the conclusion that we're not camping people anymore.  Hiking yes, sleeping on the ground, no.  So the tent and such can go.  I brought it up to put in the donate pile, and my SIL spotted it and asked to have a few things.  I said of course, gets it out of the house faster and prevents her needing to buy one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 04, 2021, 08:53:32 AM
    MaybeBabyMustache and Shadowmoss,

    Thanks for your replies !  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 04, 2021, 09:56:48 AM
    Recycled a pound or two of old paper documentation from my IT days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 04, 2021, 10:25:54 PM
    Gave away my hopefully last batch of boxes and packing material from moving.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 05, 2021, 01:10:17 PM
    @slackmax - I'd use a profile picture that's not you (flower, plant, etc) & then not use your actual name for the FB registration. I haven't tried this myself, but assume it would work. (I have an actual FB profile that I don't use much.) Another option is to just dial the privacy settings all the way up, so other people can't see anything. Again, haven't played with this myself, but I know there are a variety of settings.

    I never got the chance to submit a picture of anything.

    I went into Facebook, 'create new account', and entered name, email, password, birthday, and sex.

    Did everything the right way (except my new alias, and new birthday, ha ha) and I kept getting a message 'error with registration information. Please try again' or something like that.  The email address I entered exists and is usable. The password is entered meets their criteria.

    Of course the error message didn't tell me anything specific or useful, and didn't mention any specific field that was wrong.

    Maybe Facebook doesn't want any more users, whether fake or real?

    Spent an hour at 2 different computers, trying this and that. No dice.

    Might be stuck with Craigslist !  lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on April 05, 2021, 01:43:21 PM
    FWIW I wouldn't buy from someone with a faux facebook profile, especially if they had no friends.  It would read as sketchy and not worth my time.  Maybe it's different in larger metro areas. I live in a very small town and very rarely run across someone I don't have mutual friends with, I use that info to vet people a bit when buying on facebook marketplace.

    -----

    Trying to practice In & Out here.  I bought some replacement reusable straws for our water tumblers and made myself promptly toss the old straws. That lead me to donating some rarely used stainless straws as well.
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 05, 2021, 08:05:05 PM
    FWIW I wouldn't buy from someone with a faux facebook profile, especially if they had no friends.  It would read as sketchy and not worth my time.  Maybe it's different in larger metro areas. I live in a very small town and very rarely run across someone I don't have mutual friends with, I use that info to vet people a bit when buying on facebook marketplace.

    -----

    Trying to practice In & Out here.  I bought some replacement reusable straws for our water tumblers and made myself promptly toss the old straws. That lead me to donating some rarely used stainless straws as well.

    I intentionally hide my sales (there's an option on FB marketplace) from friends to avoid spamming them, & have never sold to anyone I know/or have friends who know. I live in the bay area I've never used mutual friends as a reference when buying/selling on FB
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on April 05, 2021, 08:50:16 PM
    FWIW I wouldn't buy from someone with a faux facebook profile, especially if they had no friends.  It would read as sketchy and not worth my time.  Maybe it's different in larger metro areas. I live in a very small town and very rarely run across someone I don't have mutual friends with, I use that info to vet people a bit when buying on facebook marketplace.

    -----

    Trying to practice In & Out here.  I bought some replacement reusable straws for our water tumblers and made myself promptly toss the old straws. That lead me to donating some rarely used stainless straws as well.

    I intentionally hide my sales (there's an option on FB marketplace) from friends to avoid spamming them, & have never sold to anyone I know/or have friends who know. I live in the bay area I've never used mutual friends as a reference when buying/selling on FB

    I don't use Marketplace because the people are so flaky, I use Buy/Sell groups and unfortunately you can't hide from friends. Someone said to me once she's fascinated and thinks what on earth will she sell next? :/ That's when I was doing rubbish clearance and had some v weird stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 05, 2021, 09:08:09 PM
    @Fresh Bread - that only happens when you & your friend are both in the same group, correct? I do see that in the Buy Nothing group, as a few friends are members. But, I've never had that happen in another resale group, as none of my friends are a part of it, and it's private.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on April 05, 2021, 09:12:32 PM
    @Fresh Bread - that only happens when you & your friend are both in the same group, correct? I do see that in the Buy Nothing group, as a few friends are members. But, I've never had that happen in another resale group, as none of my friends are a part of it, and it's private.

    I think generally they are in the group, but I do see friends' sale posts in the UK sometimes (I'm in Australia) so that's weird! I did go through a period of selling wedding presents so hopefully they didn't see or weren't too upset :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on April 06, 2021, 04:17:40 AM
    Gave away a big bag of clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on April 06, 2021, 05:44:05 AM
    Had to file 2 sheets of paper. When taking the files from the cabinet, went through the files and could throw away multiple documents. 2 sheets in - 50 (or so) out..... This was a good one. I think I will do more of those exercises when I need to file and it only took 5 minutes!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 06, 2021, 11:24:40 AM
    To avoid deciding what to declutter today, I cleaned some grimy corners on the kitchen cabinets and bathroom door.

    To do so, I used a few drops of the Murphy's Oil Soap gallon jug that is almost empty, and cracked on the bottom. And some water. 

    Since I was having so much fun avoiding clutter decisions, I also drained the remaining oil soap out of the gallon jug into a small jar I got out of my box-o-jars box which I created a month ago.   

    Now I can declutter the big ugly empty gallon jug ! 

    And I have clean cabinets and a clean door.

    Two-for-one special. Whoot.

    As a bonus, I'm going to take over a bag of stuff I already decided about, to the Salvation Army.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LinneaH on April 06, 2021, 02:10:57 PM
    Filled two paper bags with kids clothing, knocked on neighbours door and asked if she wanted to take a look for her grandchildren, she was very happy. I warned her some was quite worn and she could just put anything they didn't want outside my door and I will deal with it. But some was also very nice, like kids jeans in very good condition and some play/dress up clothing they may like.
    This is amazing - I have a private drop off place for kids clothing just a few metres away :-). Since I have two growing boys, this is the main category I can get rid off, and I know she is happy I when ask (she is also very clear if there is anything they don't want or don't need so that feels really good).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 06, 2021, 07:17:24 PM
    @Car Jack - used Decluttr today, & I liked it. I was able to add an old iPod, to hit the minimum & the tech requirement, but I'm not sure I have other tech to add. Maybe this will lead to creativity & additional decluttering. :-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 06, 2021, 10:59:01 PM
    Found 3 more things to go to the thrift shop! I thought last week's trip was the last. Apparently not.

    Two fit in my trunk, but that is now full. The third will sit in the house until the day of drop off.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 07, 2021, 04:26:51 AM
    Using up some toiletries this week!  Toiletries are my weakness. My linen closet where the majority of my toiletries reside has been temporarily fixed.  Bifold doors are annoying, I need to remember this for future residences.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on April 07, 2021, 07:26:50 AM
    Down to the last few unwanted items in the house. I have now been through every room and every shelf, cupboard, cabinet and drawer. This is the culmination of over 10 years of gradual decluttering. It feels bloody fantastic!

    - 2 water glasses we don't use
    - planter pot in a violent shade of yellow (all my indoor planter pots are wicker, or white)
    - wooden photo frame, all to the local op shop

    - pair of daughter's shorts to textile recycling, as they had a broken zip and were too big for her

    - 2 old towels,  donated to local vet's

    The next stage will be attacking the big garden. Lots of underperforming plants and weeds to get rid of. I need to think about how to streamline the actual work in the garden so I can spend more time relaxing and enjoying it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 07, 2021, 08:29:23 AM
    Wow, @lazycow - that is amazing, and you are definitely defying your user name. :-) Well done!

    I unearthed my husband's movie collection, that's been in boxes for the last 9+ years. If Decluttr will accept any of it, I'm getting it out of the house. If not, I'll donate it or give it away on Buy Nothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on April 07, 2021, 09:42:42 AM
    Got rid of a high chair and a box full of baby clothes.  Kid stuff is infinitely easier to get rid of than my own clothing, there's no way they'll ever fit back into the smaller sizes, haha.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on April 07, 2021, 03:24:30 PM
    Y'all, I finished moving and I still have way too much stuff!  Threw a lot in the trash/donation box during the move, but there is still too much to fit in my new space.  Luckily the kitchen is pretty much sorted after 2 nights of work, but over the next few weeks I need to concentrate on clothing and artwork.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 07, 2021, 05:42:28 PM
    @lazycow huge congrats!

    @NotJen that is what I just went through/am going through. Amazing how your attitude on any particular item changes once you get to the new space.

    Found 3 more things to go to the thrift shop! I thought last week's trip was the last. Apparently not.

    Two fit in my trunk, but that is now full. The third will sit in the house until the day of drop off.

    Four MORE things found! They are smaller, so fit in the trunk. Can't wait for donations to open up!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 07, 2021, 08:49:41 PM
    A friend mailed a box of books. I want to read them all, so I promptly filled the same box with books I was done with and sent it to her the next day.

    I really need to finish my taxes so that I can digitize and shred the rest of the paperwork.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 08, 2021, 01:54:34 AM
    A friend mailed a box of books. I want to read them all, so I promptly filled the same box with books I was done with and sent it to her the next day.
    Nice! That sounds like a delightful parcel to get.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on April 08, 2021, 04:46:47 AM
    Thanks @oneday and @MaybeBabyMustache! You are both doing brilliantly too.

    It is so weird to be *done* for the time being (my son finishes high school at the end of the year and may move out with friends so that will be the next big purge). I am having a low-buy year, and questioning every non-essential purchase I make (so far I have not even bought one single book in 3 months, which is unheard of for me). I am not researching stuff I think I might need or want for hours on end on the Internet. It has provided me with more mental space to pursue my hobbies (knitting, crocheting, gardening, yoga, walking) and time to reconnect with old friends. Highly recommend it!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Car Jack on April 08, 2021, 08:54:37 AM
    @Car Jack - used Decluttr today, & I liked it. I was able to add an old iPod, to hit the minimum & the tech requirement, but I'm not sure I have other tech to add. Maybe this will lead to creativity & additional decluttering. :-)

    I've been holding off before reporting again.  Thus far, I've shipped 4 orders.  2 payments have hit my checking account.  On this 4th order that I dropped off this morning, I decided to do books.  Well, I didn't realize that there is a minimum of $5.  Oops.  That would be a wicked heavy box at an average of a quarter a book.  So I re-did that, going through more CDs and DVDs and finding smaller books.  I am certainly not going to get rich, but I would much rather sell my junk than throw it in the trash.  I still have a pile of DVDs out of cases and a box of cases that I'll need to put together and there are books all over.  I'm pretty happy with this app.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on April 08, 2021, 10:22:39 PM
    A week later we are almost done. I have packed a ton of his stuff, we put tons of free stuff outside that people took, 2 big trailers to the dump and hired the neighbor teen 4 days to help.  None of this crap was mine but it was my problem because it has to be gone by the 16th. It finally looks like we will make it. I am exhausted.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 08, 2021, 10:59:07 PM
    A week later we are almost done. I have packed a ton of his stuff, we put tons of free stuff outside that people took, 2 big trailers to the dump and hired the neighbor teen 4 days to help.  None of this crap was mine but it was my problem because it has to be gone by the 16th. It finally looks like we will make it. I am exhausted.

    Wow, that is quite a lot of work that you have done! I hope you get what you want out of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on April 09, 2021, 05:20:37 AM
    After a big of a hiatus, I finally got motivated to take 3 boxes of random stuff to the donation centre. The house is much improved, most things left to do now will take time and focus.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 09, 2021, 11:28:49 AM
    Good going @happy !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on April 09, 2021, 04:31:21 PM
    Fabulous @Cassie ! Only 6 days to go till you can relax in a clutter-free space. My sister has been through several divorces/changes of partner and she sheds more and more stuff each time, to the point where she is now ready to buy her own little place for just her own curated, lovely, possessions.

    Found 2 more books from my Unread bookshelf I have no interest in reading so they will go to the op shop. One was passed on to me from a friend and I was too polite to decline and the other had been sitting there for 10 (!) years and I kept passing over it. I keep around 50 unread books at all times (a lot are older, or out of print), in case of a, you know, zombie apocolypse or pandemic. It came in very handy last year, as I am a super-fast reader and regular re-reader, and current release library books just don't do it for me as I am much pickier over what I read.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 09, 2021, 07:08:48 PM
    Donations were open today, hooray! Gave a whole car trunk full of stuff, gone forever. I'm already starting to forget what was in there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on April 09, 2021, 10:21:00 PM
    I have *finally* finished decluttering a set of drawers on wheels in the garage. They were previously the junk drawers in the kitchen at our old place. The small amount of things being kept have other homes with their kin, and I've converted the drawers into a sorting / holding area for the recycling that needs to be taken somewhere eg batteries.

    There's a charity here that wants bottle tops but preferably sorted by colour, so I'm setting up containers to do that! Ditto bread tags.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on April 09, 2021, 11:01:45 PM
    Lazy cow, I wish relaxing was in the cards but this house is sold and my son and I have 10 days to remodel my condo before the movers come for my stuff. The buyers of the house are letting me stay for a little while.  This type of stuff was easier when I was younger:)).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on April 10, 2021, 02:38:01 AM
    Lazy cow, I wish relaxing was in the cards but this house is sold and my son and I have 10 days to remodel my condo before the movers come for my stuff. The buyers of the house are letting me stay for a little while.  This type of stuff was easier when I was younger:)).

    Bummer, the pressure is building...you can do it!


    Good job @One Day!

    I'm gobsmacked with your attention to detail @Fresh Bread. Bottle tops can go in the recycling at my place and do so straight away. I don't buy much bread, so the occasional bread tag goes to landfill /hangs head in shame.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on April 10, 2021, 11:13:47 AM
    There's a charity here that wants bottle tops but preferably sorted by colour, so I'm setting up containers to do that! Ditto bread tags.

    This is great. I appreciate when people find and donate to organizations that want small bits-and-bobs that might not be recyclable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 10, 2021, 03:09:57 PM
    Is there a charity that wants socks?   Like, socks that are annoying to wear? 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on April 10, 2021, 03:43:18 PM
    There's a charity here that wants bottle tops but preferably sorted by colour, so I'm setting up containers to do that! Ditto bread tags.

    This is great. I appreciate when people find and donate to organizations that want small bits-and-bobs that might not be recyclable.

    I'll see how it goes. As far as I can make out, the tops go to an artist to make fruit bowls and coasters and he donates money to charity when they are sold. Other people are also making similar things - but there's a limit to how many of those the world needs. I don't know if any large recyclers are doing anything with HDPE.

    I'm also collecting things for TerraCycle via a drop off point - pill packets, toothpaste tubes, contact lens packaging.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on April 10, 2021, 03:52:50 PM
    There's a charity here that wants bottle tops but preferably sorted by colour, so I'm setting up containers to do that! Ditto bread tags.

    This is great. I appreciate when people find and donate to organizations that want small bits-and-bobs that might not be recyclable.

    I'll see how it goes. As far as I can make out, the tops go to an artist to make fruit bowls and coasters and he donates money to charity when they are sold. Other people are also making similar things - but there's a limit to how many of those the world needs. I don't know if any large recyclers are doing anything with HDPE.

    I'm also collecting things for TerraCycle via a drop off point - pill packets, toothpaste tubes, contact lens packaging.


    That's true that efforts like this are a mixed bag. I support recycling and people getting creative with reusing "trash" as art supplies, but yes, ultimately we should just be generating less waste in the first place, and designing products so they don't ultimately end up in a landfill. I'm sure the fruit bowls look nice and I am happy to see the caps get reused. But I also know that I at least don't need another bowl or coaster.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on April 10, 2021, 04:28:59 PM
    Is there a charity that wants socks?   Like, socks that are annoying to wear?

    I have thoughts on this. First, your answer will depend on your location, the condition of the socks, and possibly their fiber content. If the socks are in good condition and you want to go the "art supply" route of reuse, there may be a school or parent in your area who wants to make sock puppets. And if you have a pure wool sock full of holes, you could in theory just compost it if can't be darned anymore. Or use it as fire starter.

    But most socks today are some blend of cotton and non-natural fibers, or made of all synthetic fibers. These materials are very difficult to reprocess back into new clothing. Plenty of places will accept socks as a part of generalized textile waste donation stream, like Terracycle or Simple Recycling or even some fast fashion stores like H&M that are trying to improve their public image and have drop boxes. Understand that those programs don't typically use the material to make new clothing. At this point at least most textile waste with a synthetic or blended content will be washed and shredded for use for things like insulation and stuffing car seats cushions. That's all well and good, but it's downcycling, not true product-to-product recycling.

    Of the general takeback programs, I personally trust Terracycle's waste management more than the clothing stores, but that's just me. But remember that you don't have to buy anything from a store if you go to drop off donations, and any brand of textile waste is typically accepted (note - I hear H&M suspended their recycling program during the pandemic). There may also be locally-run textile recycling operation in your are that's good.

    If you want the socks to be reused as a sock rather than processed as textile waste for recycling, it's much harder to find somewhere to send them. I've heard of a group in the UK called the London Sock Exchange that takes gently used socks. The Odd-Sox Project in Canada is another. You could also try posting an offer of socks in your local Buy Nothing group.

    Don't donate socks to small charity/thrift shops unless they are clearly new with packaging; they don't have the infrastructure to do anything but throw used socks out. I've heard mixed things about how the bigger operations like Goodwill process textile donations. I think it varies by location how nuanced they can be in redirecting textile waste for recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on April 10, 2021, 05:56:27 PM
    Target finally ran a car seat recycling event so we were able to get an old car seat out of our garage & a coupon for baby gear in return. I’m good with that. This thing was lightly pre-loved, gifted by a neighbor, and not a good fit for our kid, and it was huge! I also gave a huge pile of bubble wrap to my sister, who’s moving.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on April 10, 2021, 05:56:54 PM
    Originally my ex was buying the house and qualified for a loan. I packed and all my stuff filled 33 plastic bins plus some furniture. All the rest of this junk is my ex’s. It’s my problem because the buyers won’t close unless it’s gone. His loan fell through and I put it on the market. We have been working nonstop for the past 30 days. Ugh!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 10, 2021, 06:30:50 PM
    Is there a charity that wants socks?   Like, socks that are annoying to wear?
    I use them for
    - Dusting
    - Applying shoe polish
    - Tie some together and play tug-of-war with the dog
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on April 11, 2021, 02:08:56 PM
    Is there a charity that wants socks?   Like, socks that are annoying to wear?
    I use them for
    - Dusting
    - Applying shoe polish
    - Tie some together and play tug-of-war with the dog

    Make Tawashi sponges from old socks:
    https://www.permacrafters.com/how-to-make-your-own-eco-friendly-dish-sponge-the-tawashi-scrubber/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on April 11, 2021, 07:42:39 PM
    Dropped 2 bags of clothing (secondhand maternity clothes I didn’t like + a few items I wasn’t getting good use out of) and a box of kitchen supplies at the goodwill today. I’m continuing my efforts to only own clothing that I like & that fits me properly. I’m very tempted to donate a lot of my formal work clothes but I guess it’s possible I’ll have to return to the office someday... :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on April 11, 2021, 09:32:51 PM
    This may be TMI, but I have a pile of reusable menstrual pads I no longer use. Did not want to throw them away, and I assume most people would be freaked out if I tried to post them on FB even as a donation. Was chatting to a friend who has just had a baby and she said there is a big market for used cloth nappies, and maybe I could try posting them on the local FB nappy swap/sell page, as obviously some of the mothers who use reusable nappies would also be interested in reusable pads.
    Otherwise, I suppose I could use them as dusting cloths, or at worst, compost them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 12, 2021, 07:46:20 AM
    Lucky break in my decluttering saga. I saw a microwave for sale at a flea market. Thought about offering $5 for it. I have been meaning to buy one cheap, for a long time, simply to use it to reheat cold coffee, since I thought it must use less electricity than the electric stovetop I currently use. I somehow decided not to even offer anything for the microwave, since I just didn't want another thing in my kitchen, and just live with the extra electricity cost, and wear and tear on the burner and dial switch of the stovetop.  Lo and behold, I googled it, and it turns out that the average microwave uses 25% more electricity to heat up a cup of water than a stovetop burner. For the win! Of course I still have the wear and tear on the dial, turning it on and off every day forever, but it seems to be lasting forever anyway, lol.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on April 12, 2021, 08:16:26 AM
    That is a tough one Slackmax. I lived for years without a microwave, but now that we have a built in one in this house we use it heavily, but I wouldn’t give up counter space for it.

    In that vein.  I’m thinking about getting rid of our toaster oven.  I can’t believe I said that!  We use it a lot, but now that we have a good stove and oven in this house we use the toaster oven a lot less than we did in our past rentals.  It would be so nice to have that counter space empty.  Maybe we could get by with just a slice toaster? We do eat toast for breakfast often.  We use the toaster oven for reheating many leftovers, or baking brownies, or frozen pizza.  But... it would be so nice to have that space back.  If I see a nice slice toaster at thrift...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 12, 2021, 09:03:21 AM
    I had a toaster oven taking up space on my kitchen counter, too, PMG.  I think I must have donated it, since I never used it. I should have tried to sell it at the flea market, but I probably thought I couldn't sell it, it was so old and beat up.

    I currently have 3 working crock pots. Two in the basement, one on the kitchen floor for quick access. Not getting rid of any of them. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on April 12, 2021, 10:29:34 AM
    Lucky break in my decluttering saga. I saw a microwave for sale at a flea market. Thought about offering $5 for it. I have been meaning to buy one cheap, for a long time, simply to use it to reheat cold coffee, since I thought it must use less electricity than the electric stovetop I currently use. I somehow decided not to even offer anything for the microwave, since I just didn't want another thing in my kitchen, and just live with the extra electricity cost, and wear and tear on the burner and dial switch of the stovetop.  Lo and behold, I googled it, and it turns out that the average microwave uses 25% more electricity to heat up a cup of water than a stovetop burner. For the win! Of course I still have the wear and tear on the dial, turning it on and off every day forever, but it seems to be lasting forever anyway, lol.       

    Maybe look for one of those Contigo non-spill mugs.  They keep hot liquids hot forever.  No need to reheat at all.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 12, 2021, 05:35:49 PM
    I had a toaster oven taking up space on my kitchen counter, too, PMG.  I think I must have donated it, since I never used it. I should have tried to sell it at the flea market, but I probably thought I couldn't sell it, it was so old and beat up.

    I currently have 3 working crock pots. Two in the basement, one on the kitchen floor for quick access. Not getting rid of any of them.

    Why are you hanging on to 2 extra crockpots? I see them semi-regularly at thrift stores, so I don't think they're all that rare.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 12, 2021, 06:38:18 PM
    ^^ Agreed, I have two crockpots but I use them both regularly as they are different sizes - a small one that I use for beans, and a large one that fits a whole chicken.  If they are in the basement, not being regularly used, why keep them?  Replacements are easy to come by at thrift stores if your main one breaks.

    Today I realized we'll want to stop adding new material to our compost tumbler, so that it can be emptied and cleaned before we move.  I'll be giving/lending the tumbler to my mom, so I want it to be clean enough to put in her car.  That means we won't need the stock of cardboard and 'clean' paper that I use to balance the compost.  The cardboard stash is moved to recycling.  I also realized we had far too many plastic grocery bags saved, so I took half and put them by the door to go to recycling next time we are going somewhere that takes them.

    Over the weekend I pulled everything out of my closet and tried it all on.  Quite a few dresses and tops into the donate box, as well as my interview suit that doesn't quite fit right anymore.

    The more I can clear out now, the less I'll have to pack!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 12, 2021, 08:41:17 PM
    Last night I gave my friend the food processor we don't use and which she will.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 12, 2021, 10:27:17 PM
    I currently have 3 working crock pots. Two in the basement, one on the kitchen floor for quick access. Not getting rid of any of them.

    It's your choice. I have a feeling you'll find something else that you can move out instead.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on April 13, 2021, 07:24:29 AM
    In that vein.  I’m thinking about getting rid of our toaster oven.  I can’t believe I said that! 

    I loooove my toaster oven!  I'm so happy there's enough counter space at the apartment that I didn't have to think twice about bringing it.  I often use it to roast vegetables.

    I took 3 more boxes to Goodwill yesterday.  Lots of kitchen items that got pared down, as well as some clothing.  Finally have a workable closet solution, I think.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on April 14, 2021, 12:32:50 PM
    Lately, out went the following, which cleared up 2+ sq ft of living space, ha-ha:
    ~The tabletop popcorn maker I'd bought used a few years ago.
    ~An old, OLD comforter that must have gotten wet at some point, because it smelled NASTY, even after a toss in the dryer.  When DH asked me where it came from, I concluded my mom gave it to me over 35 years ago.

    I downloaded the Decluttr ap and have begun the process of pulling old CDs to sell.  Will try other medias as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 14, 2021, 01:21:52 PM
    Sold a few outgrown things (kids shirt, dress, & running jacket). Also sold an insulated wine bag.

    I also listed some travel gift cards that were bought for a cancelled international trip, and are unlikely to be used for a long while in the post-COVID world. I'll lose a bit of money in the short term, but won't have to hold on to the gift cards in the long term, freeing up that travel budget for more imminent travel.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 14, 2021, 04:22:16 PM
    I walked BY a Goodwill store while getting my lunch while I'm in a class this week for work.  I did NOT go IN and buy more stuff, but I can easily swing by and unload a bag or 2 of Stuff. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dogastrophe on April 15, 2021, 05:28:50 AM
    I donated a small bag of books (~10) that I am unlikely to read again. I hate letting go of my books but am getting better at it. I've decided to only keep books that I know I will read again. I have a friend who works at a bookstore (her retirement gig) - she brings home a couple books a week from the damaged pile - this has turned into my exclusive library. Most of the books I have at home now ones I borrowed and are in my to read stack(s)

    Sold a bookcase, but replaced it with a small sideboard that is now my bookcase / music / stereo stand.

    We almost have another full bag of clothes to donate.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on April 15, 2021, 07:47:21 PM
    Why is it the little things that trip me up? I have 2 DVDs sitting here, of which one was a favourite of mine and my kids when they were younger (Calamity Jane), and the other I bought 2nd hand after seeing the movie at the cinema (Bright Starr). Neither of which I have watched in years. Just checked online, and my local library has both, so will donate them.

    I have been trying to unpick why it has been so hard to get rid of them. I think  I don't want to let go of the great feelings and memories  Calamity Jane gave me (fun times with the kids singing along to Doris Day, remembering how much they needed me). However, Bright Star reminded me of the awful time when my Dad was ailing and my sister and I were planning on getting him into a nursing home. We got the phone call about that while sitting in the cinema! So why do I want to keep that reminder?

    wow, that was an emotional roller-coaster. Feel so much better now!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 16, 2021, 11:12:22 PM
    Wow, @Sun Hat what a great clear-out. Way to go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 17, 2021, 07:26:49 AM
    My husband & I use an espresso machine for coffee, but my parents prefer plain brewed coffee. So, we've had a second coffee maker (Keurig) for their visits. The Keurig itself was a gift, which was how we started with it, but the environmental impact & cost has driven me crazy. We are selling our vacation house, so I'll plan to bring our standard coffee maker from there to here.

    My parents left yesterday, and before I put the Keurig away, listed it + the leftover six pods on my Buy Nothing group & had a ton of interest. Hoping to have it out of the house today.

    Also, we went to Sonoma last weekend, and bought a few bottles of wine here & there. I wasn't sure what to do with the two wine bags we received (they are marked with the wineries). I didn't want them to go to the garbage, so on a whim, posted them on eBay. One already has a watcher! Fingers crossed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 17, 2021, 07:46:17 AM
    MountainGal, way to go with the CD's!  Does Declutter take vinyl records or cassette tapes also? Just curious. 

    In other news, I finally used up the last of the money on my Panera gift card, on a toasted everything bagel with butter. Threw out the card. One less card fattening up my already card-stuffed wallet, lol.   

    edit to add:  I just googled it and I see that decluttr does not accept vinyl, VHS, or cassette tapes.   :( 
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 17, 2021, 07:50:15 AM
    MountainGal, way to go with the CD's!  Does Declutter take vinyl records or cassette tapes also? Just curious. 

    In other news, I finally used up the last of the money on my Panera gift card, on a toasted everything bagel with butter. Threw out the card. One less card fattening up my already card-stuffed wallet, lol.   

    edit to add:  I just googled it and I see that decluttr does not accept vinyl, VHS, or cassette tapes.   Rats! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 17, 2021, 09:01:58 PM
    Figured I'd do a mass report on my parents' decluttering efforts, since they're close to done/we know what is happening with the rest. Be impressed. This is in rough chronological order, it all started the week of 3/22.

    The couch was thrown out.
    Queen size mattress was thrown out.
    Everything they put on the truck took up 13ft. This was less than half of the total amount of stuff in the house, maybe as little as 25%
    I took a carload of stuff to my house that they're keeping but can't go on the truck for some reason.
    3 boxes plus 4 bags of stuff came to my house for hazardous waste (my dropoff is next weekend, thank goodness)

    Next up, parents did a massive garage sale, with the intent of clearing everything out. They sold about 60% of that stuff. What didn't sell was boxed up and put in the garage, along with a few pieces of furniture. The garage is a standard 2 car garage, and is about 1/3 full with this stuff. (Extrapolate to figure out how much was sold)

    Multiple items of furniture that didn't sell in the garage sale were posted to FB marketplace - a bedroom set, very large wood desk, several tables, chairs, mirror, 2 full tall filing cabinets, fireplace screen, and 3 or 4 other things I forget. All but 2 things have sold at this point.
    Metal table, old metal kitchen cabinet (2x), misc lumber, and cinderblocks put out for scrappers/trashpicking/trash pickup.
    More stuff from the house/basement is being moved to the garage, including 3 area rugs.

    The stuff in the garage is being picked up next week by a company that does liquidation. Combo sale/recycling/trash as I understand it.

    Whew. There will be some more stuff to be disposed of once they can close, the liquidators company might be back for all that, but right now they're actually using it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on April 18, 2021, 01:48:40 PM
    Congratulations Sibley!  That must be a huge relief.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on April 18, 2021, 05:08:19 PM
    Great job, Sibley! Clean-outs/moves of household-level size are always stressful.  Good on you for doing what you could to both maximize financial return and minimizing what's going to landfill from the category of items not being kept.

    Much more modestly, yesterday I gave some candy I'd received as a gift but didn't like to a neighbor who did. Yay!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 18, 2021, 06:01:57 PM
    Oh, it's not all me! My parents did most of the setup for the garage sale, with my sister helping out some. My sister is handling the FB sales. But yeah, whew. It's a lot. Just waiting to see when closing happens, that will be a combo between me and my sister. Overall, my sister has taken the brunt of the planning and research for the whole process, while I've taken the physical piece of stuff to Indiana, and she went to MI to help with clearing the rest. The thought process being that once parents are in Indiana, I'm going to be taking the brunt of everything going forward, as my sister will be limited what she can do from the east coast.

    But OMG. Please, get rid of your crap. Or don't accumulate it to start with. And no, your kids don't want it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on April 18, 2021, 10:15:05 PM

    But OMG. Please, get rid of your crap. Or don't accumulate it to start with. And no, your kids don't want it.

    It drives me crazy when my parents buy something  and don’t get rid of the duplicate. Mostly it is not good to have or you would not have bought a new one.

    In some ways this thread is pretty depressing view of the society, where people have accumulated so much crap for a lot of money, that they now spend a lot time to get rid of. From an environmental point it is even more depressing when people have x that they never use or several icecreammakers, crockpots or coffee makers with no use.

    On the other hand, it is encouraging to read about the ones that manage to make a change, stop the flow of crap, get rid of the good to haves and enjoy their homes with less of clutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on April 18, 2021, 11:39:05 PM
    @Sibley, fabulous job. Having been there with clearing out my parents' house I understand the sheer magnitude of the task.

    I have just sorted a big decluttering dilemma and feel very pleased with myself. Around 10 years ago my sister bought me a beautiful designer wool coat. I mean, stunning. Very fitted, ankle length grey wool with red trim, vaguely Russian-looking. Grown women have literally followed me down the street to ask where I bought it/told me how beautiful it is. I am so not someone who enjoys that sort of attention so stopped wearing it. I didn't want to just donate it, as I live in a small town and didn't fancy seeing someone local walking around in it, and I lack the patience/energy to sell it online, so after much dithering I offered it back to my sister and she was delighted to take it. It will look fabulous on her, and suit her lifestyle (city girl, working in a very professional office) and we are the same size.

    So that is the last of the decluttering for now. I will cheer you all from the sidelines!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 19, 2021, 02:11:38 AM
    @lazycow that coat sounds delicious and yet I also know how these things work because I have owned and then given away clothes that are splendid but also Not My Style. I'd rather let someone who will wear and truly enjoy them have a chance instead of hoarding them to myself.

    This weekend has been council clean-up. Not very much for us to put out and the pickers have already come by and taken what we *did* put out. As always, while walking around looking at things there is the sense of sadness that so many of the things put out are so soddily made and fall apart in a day of rain so they can't even be reused by others. It seems so disrespectful to the resources used to make these that they are such poor material objects.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: keepingfocus on April 19, 2021, 07:49:10 AM
    This thread is right up my street :) Hi everyone!

    We are on a seemingly constant quest to downsize possessions and reduce clutter. It's a long slow process (packrat husband who gets very stressed out by environmental changes) but there have been some relatively large wins so far this year. Recently we dismantled some pretty full floor to ceiling cupboards in our spare room and managed to dispose of the materials and around 80% of the contents.

    I have been using a combination of ebay, Facebook marketplace and local freegle/recycling groups in an attempt to keep as much out of landfill as possible.

    Last month we dismantled an old leather sofa and have repurpose the cushions, the leather and quite a bit of the wood for other projects, and we're working on paring down the electronics that we use (I just decommissioned my 2008 Mac and it's not being replaced).

    Current focus is on the attic, which has in the past been a graveyard of forgotten things and boxes for seemingly everything we've ever owned. The box supply has been dramatically reduced, and every weekend we are bringing down more items to sell or give away (an old upright vacuum cleaner that just about still worked found a new owner today). It's very motivating to read about other people's progress!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 19, 2021, 07:57:50 AM

    But OMG. Please, get rid of your crap. Or don't accumulate it to start with. And no, your kids don't want it.

    It drives me crazy when my parents buy something  and don’t get rid of the duplicate. Mostly it is not good to have or you would not have bought a new one.

    In some ways this thread is pretty depressing view of the society, where people have accumulated so much crap for a lot of money, that they now spend a lot time to get rid of. From an environmental point it is even more depressing when people have x that they never use or several icecreammakers, crockpots or coffee makers with no use.

    On the other hand, it is encouraging to read about the ones that manage to make a change, stop the flow of crap, get rid of the good to haves and enjoy their homes with less of clutter.

    @Plina - I think the thread can be viewed in a few different ways. For me, we have kids who are growing & outgrowing things, and things we don't need at various phases of life. This thread is such a helpful way to figure out how to pass things on to other people (or, find the most environmentally friendly way to handle something), vs stuffing it in a landfill. My local Buy Nothing group is awesome & gives me a lot of inspiration. What I don't need, someone else might be looking for & can avoid purchasing, and vice versa. I suppose a complete purist would have little to nothing in their house to get rid of, but I think of it like the Non Consumer Advocate (one of my favorite bloggers), who instead views donation or online selling as a way to match up a buyer with a seller (or, a donation to someone who is looking for exactly that item) & thus reducing waste. That perspective always motivates me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on April 19, 2021, 08:06:31 AM
    ...

    Last month we dismantled an old leather sofa and have repurpose the cushions, the leather and quite a bit of the wood for other projects, and we're working on paring down the electronics that we use (I just decommissioned my 2008 Mac and it's not being replaced).

    I've never heard of anyone taking their sofa apart and re-using the parts - that's impressive!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 19, 2021, 09:23:45 AM
    Yes, I have canabalized a Keurig coffee maker, grates, broiler pan, knobs off of a stove, electronic panel on a dryer and sold them as parts on ebay. People are looking for replacement parts for everything and original parts are expensive to replace if you buy them new.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: keepingfocus on April 19, 2021, 10:47:28 AM
    I've never heard of anyone taking their sofa apart and re-using the parts - that's impressive!
    There was enough good quality leather to cover a headboard for a double bed and make a slip cover for an IKEA chair and two tote bags. I couldn't let all that go to waste! The usable cushions will be covered in waterproof canvas to make bench seats and small seating pads for outdoor dining chairs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 24, 2021, 01:29:25 PM
    I made big progress from a numbers perspective this week:

    -Sold/packaged 140 DVDs & CDs (mostly CDs) via Decluttr. Mailed & on their way. I've been paid out once, so I feel reasonably confident in the service. Also, I'm thrilled to get them out of my house, regardless. The money is just gravy.
    -Found someone on my local Buy Nothing who will take the remaining CDs that Decluttr wouldn't take. Maybe 40-50 more.
    -Started a new Decluttr list (apparently it caps out at 140?). I have a few DVDs & books added, but my order value isn't enough right now.
    -Gave away two bottles of jewelry cleaner, an adult coloring book, a pair of new fuzzy socks & five shirts on Buy Nothing. I was able to fulfill an ask of someone who needed base layer shirts. I had them listed on eBay for practically nothing, so was happy to give them away to someone in my neighborhood who needs them instead.

    Found 3 new VHS writable tapes (?). In sealed packages. Apparently, they sell on eBay. Listed, and hope to get them sold & out of the house soon.

    Garage progress, for the win!

    I've also had some eBay sales lately:
    -A few Birchbox (gifted to me) product samples
    -A pair of new jeans
    -A tourist shirt (gift)
    -A candle making kit
    -Another set of 15 Birchbox samples
    -A reusable ziplock item
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 24, 2021, 02:43:06 PM
    The parent's garage is empty!!!

    Left to get rid of:
    -2 living room chairs
    -2 area rugs
    -2 twin mattresses + springs
    -possibly a headboard
    -possibly a box spring (the last 2 left from former tenant)

    And hopefully, the same people who came and picked up today can come next week and get more, leaving only the mattresses to go to the trash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 24, 2021, 02:45:17 PM
    That's a big milestone @Sibley ! Well done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on April 25, 2021, 09:02:44 AM
    I had a positive and negative time yesterday.

    Positive- found out that the relatively local Army surplus will take old fatigues as donations. I didn't want to just throw them in my salvation army/goodwill bag. I was going to be in their neighborhood,  so I packed it in the car. Quick, pleasant,  easy drop off.

    Negative- Went to the Salvation Army location near the surplus store, and there was a car line around the building with people waiting to drop off items. The attendant weren't accepting any walkups, and it was just too long of an ordeal for our day. So, 2 bags of donations remain in the car.

    I will just end up taking them to the regular drop off location instead. At least they are out of the garage now!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 25, 2021, 09:51:31 AM
    Tiny victory: from moving recently, BF had packed up some posters in a paper sack along with some heavy things. As the sack was moved around, the posters were being damaged, so we found a new home for some smaller posters and the heavy things, and the larger posters went into a temporary place with some other temporary things.

    The sack was recycled!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 25, 2021, 06:06:43 PM
    I have cleared some stuff out of my house!

    --car load of stuff (mostly from parent's house originally but been in my garage for 2 months) to hazardous waste drop off.
    --space heater (borrowed to melt frozen pipes) returned to my friend, plus the beer I got him that he likes but can't get here and I'm a nice person.
    --2 cat beds that were rejected and I'm tired of storing them to the animal shelter
    --flat sheet to the animal shelter
    --returned a lock that I borrowed (related to parent's move) to another friend
    --package of carrots that I just am not going to eat right now given to a neighbor
    --Ate up a few partial packages of things from the pantry. A few things from the freezer also used up.
    --old phone box mailed back to the company since they apparently want the 5 year old box back.

    Didn't leave house but got organized better:
    --my paint stash. I should probably make sure I have the paint chips and then get rid of the partial cans I don't need.
    --a bunch of stuff from the downstairs bedroom closet redistributed in the house, as that will be mom's room soon.
    --cleaned up and organized the upstairs bedroom closet, as that will be dad's room soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 29, 2021, 03:19:53 PM
    Since I was already going over to the Salvation Army to partake of a lecture on story writing,  I took over a bag of 3 sweaters and an unidentified denim pullover contraption, and donated them.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 29, 2021, 06:19:19 PM
    A friend mailed a box of books. I want to read them all, so I promptly filled the same box with books I was done with and sent it to her the next day.
    Nice! That sounds like a delightful parcel to get.
    It's so nice to come home to an unexpected box full of lovely books! I've got another box to send off later this week.

    Two books & two magazines to the little library and public library book returned.

    Half a box of Imperfect Food veggies & a t-shirt to a friend who wanted them. Cancelled Imperfect Foods because I just don't have the bandwidth to come up with new recipes and cook a lot before it goes bad.

    A box full of clothes to ThredUp. I haven't had much luck with them before, but some store credit wouldn't go amiss and a box of rejects are out of my closet.

    Tossed a mask frame that was scratchy and awkward to wear.

    I keep writing letters and getting stationery out. The shoe box o'cards is only 2/3 full now.

    I've been pantry cooking and clearing out the freezer ruthlessly. There's a cheeseburger pie on the menu tonight that will use up quiet a few bit and bobs from the fridge. I'm seeing how long I can go without buying groceries.

    Finished income taxes. The paperwork is filed and off my desk! Inspired me to clean up the rest of the papers on the desk.

    Broke down cardboard boxes from an online order and got them all in the recycling bin before pickup day. I haven't needed to put the trash bin out in weeks but the recycling bin goes out every time.

    Sending my mom a boxed set of movies for Mother's Day. I bought them second-hand month ago and sent her a picture to crow about them. She told me she would love to have them for Mother's Day, and so she shall! We got our enjoyment out of them and off they go to be enjoyed by my parents. Wrapped in reused packaging and with a handmade card from the never-ending stationary box. :) It's a great feeling knowing she's specifically requested this gift, it was inexpensive, and it was third-hand.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 29, 2021, 06:35:50 PM
    Mailed a few books as a donation to the Internet Archive/Open Library - these were books that I bought because I couldn't find them in any of my library systems, including Open Library, so now that I am done with them, hopefully they will be available for others.

    Used some cards from my stationary stash to write Mother's Day cards for my mom and one for DH to fill out for his mom.  We also recently sent a sympathy card for a family member who is seriously ill.  I want to get in the habit of writing cards for people more often, without needing a specific reason.  Using up my stash of stationary and cards is as good an excuse as any, and hopefully we can avoid buying birthday cards by writing our own in blank cards.

    Sorted and pared down my jewelry making supplies.  Consolidated the stuff I'm keeping into one plastic organizer, and moved three more organizers to the donation box.

    Tried on my last few dresses and decided to donate two - into the box.  Also changed over to my summer wardrobe and donated a few pairs of shorts that I don't think I'll use anymore.  I've got my clothes down to the point where I think they will all fit in 3 drawers of my 4 drawer dresser (plus hanging things in the closet), with the bottom drawer reserved for linens or towels.  Or maybe shoes, to keep the closet tidier.

    I'm encouraging DH to do some physical decluttering as well.  He's been meaning to, but always gravitates to digital declutter first.  That's great too, but less time sensitive with regard to moving house soon - digital clutter is very easy to transport!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on April 29, 2021, 06:38:20 PM
    @okisok you've had a great run!

    I went through a garage shelf that didn't really need to be gone through but gave away a dog thing to a neighbour with a new puppy, plus some other stuff from the house. Also listed our old kitchen bin as we are cupboard bin people now but I don't think anyone will want it.

    Today I'm on a mission to just do a few half done projects so I can clear surfaces. 

    @Raenia You've reminded me that I really need to deal with digital clutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 02, 2021, 02:18:35 PM
    I gave myself the month of April off of de-cluttering as it is the busy season at work, so today I took a bunch of pictures of things I have been meaning to try to sell, and listed about half on FB Marketplace. Will get the rest up soon. I find if I have too many listings up at once I get overwhelmed and confused with all of the dealings. It feels good to get things moving out the door again.

    Also put a couple of books in the donation box. One was a duplicate - oops!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 03, 2021, 05:58:18 AM
    Sold a lot of small items, and a few big ones at the flea market yesterday. Notable was one foot tall box of 'card stock' paper, 8 x 11.5 inches.  Only got $2 for it, but better than nothing, lol. And out of the house.  More to follow.

    Also, decided I will allow myself to donate a bulky cloth wall decoration that didn't sell. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on May 03, 2021, 07:25:20 AM
    Started packing up the kitchen for the move.  A few mismatched glasses went into the donate box, plus a lovely Chinese style tea set that I've had and loved for many years, but never actually use now that I have a larger teapot.  Also watched a movie that was given to us, that we wanted to see but don't need to keep.

    DH finally went through his clothes, and a bunch of items wound up in the box.  Huzzah!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 03, 2021, 07:47:04 AM
    Spent the weekend at our vacation house to get it ready for selling. We most likely will see "turn key", as it's a vacation/2nd home community. But, still plenty of decluttering to do:
    -Sent 6 games & puzzles to a friend who wanted them for their younger children
    -Donated 25+ games & puzzles
    -Took three bags of clothing to the donation center (normally I'd give everything away on Buy Nothing, but time is of the essence & it's a very small community)
    -Gave my sister a variety of things to donate or sell, which she will take back to her larger community to handle
    -Also gave my sister six beach towels, which she was about to buy, as they have a new hot tub.
    -I was able to give away all of our fire wood through the local Buy Nothing group, plus the wood rack & cover

    I brought home & need to go through:
    -All of the DVDs. This will help finish off an order I have, and will get 20+ DVDs out of my house
    -Some clothing I want to keep. I'll look at those items compared to what I have here, and see if I need to donate any surplus
    -A few books. Ditto the DVD comment

    I could only take back what I could carry in my suit case, so I still have some things to deal with. I'll be there an additional time in May, and then we are planning to move a few larger items in July, when we are expecting the house to close.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 03, 2021, 02:06:49 PM
    Sold a lot of small items, and a few big ones at the flea market yesterday. Notable was one foot tall box of 'card stock' paper, 8 x 11.5 inches.  Only got $2 for it, but better than nothing, lol. And out of the house.  More to follow.

    Also, decided I will allow myself to donate a bulky cloth wall decoration that didn't sell.

    Yay! I know that card stock had been hard to find a home for. Is it all gone now?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 03, 2021, 07:17:06 PM
    Sold a lot of small items, and a few big ones at the flea market yesterday. Notable was one foot tall box of 'card stock' paper, 8 x 11.5 inches.  Only got $2 for it, but better than nothing, lol. And out of the house.  More to follow.

    Also, decided I will allow myself to donate a bulky cloth wall decoration that didn't sell.

    Yay! I know that card stock had been hard to find a home for. Is it all gone now?

    Thanks, Oneday. I still have a 5 foot stack of it! I know everyone will tell me to just recycle it, or give it away, but I now have hope of selling it.

    It may be a matter of packaging. I had this batch in a nice box made just for 8 x 11 paper. I will look around for more of those types of boxes in my house. Where are the empty 8 by 11 boxes when you need them lol! Oh no, I recycled them years ago, lol !! 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 04, 2021, 05:39:13 PM
    A non-non-stick skillet went straight to the trash. It used to be non-stick, but started being decidedly sticky while I was batch cooking. As soon as the last meal came out of it and it had cooled off, straight into the bin it went. I have two cast-iron pans that will do for now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 04, 2021, 07:46:26 PM
    -Had enough DVDs, books & added an old iPod to finish a Decluttr sale. Got 32 items out of the house. Already mailed & out.
    -There were 15 or so DVDs that Decluttr wouldn't accept, so followed up with someone on Buy Nothing who picked up my old CDs & had asked about DVDs. She picked those up this afternoon, so also out of my life.
    -Listed two pair of jeans & two tank tops on eBay (brought them back from our vacation house that we're emptying)
    -Listed nine books on eBay (combo of from vacation house, & off of a freebie pile)
    -Next door neighbor offered us free groceries on her way out of town. We will use all of it, minus the gorgeous loaf of bakery bread. We're not big bread eaters. Tracked down another neighbor who was thrilled with it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 04, 2021, 09:19:20 PM
    Executed phased 2 of the cleanout of the kitchen closet. I did phase 1 last year, which decluttered a lot, but there was still more. Took everything off the bottom, threw some out, recycled some, moved some to better places for it in the house for it. Thoroughly cleaned the layer of grime off the floor there, put the remaining stuff back in. Satisfying. More space there now.

    Also, photographed all the engines, cars, tracks, etc of an old Tyco HO model train set. Spent an hour and a half researching the pricing for these things on Ebay (huge variation in asking price for each single piece, as usual, lol).   Will post it on Craigslist tomorrow, with nice low price, see what happens.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on May 05, 2021, 05:34:05 AM
    Finally tossed out 2 random vacuum cleaner bits form a former vacuum cleaner life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 05, 2021, 10:19:40 AM
    This has been a long time coming, and it may not last. But I got to inbox zero in my physical paper pile! WOO HOO!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 05, 2021, 05:46:21 PM
    Congrats to @slackmax and @oneday for those big wins!

    Finally put a yoga mat bag in the donation pile. I have a strap I like better if I do need to carry it. Or just, you know, carry it in my hand :)

    Used a big piece of fun paper I'd been saving to wrap a Mother's Day gift.

    Another half box of produce to a friend from a delivery service. There's an item in this order that I'm allergic to and there was no way to delete it. All of the fruit & veg come loose in the box, so things I can't wash thoroughly are going to a friend who will use it. Otherwise they're getting decluttered into my belly!

    Taking dog food and treats that don't agree with my dog to my parent's dog, who is young and can eat anything. That will get a big plastic container and a bag out of my pantry.

    Tossed the dish brush.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on May 06, 2021, 03:05:20 AM
    Thought I was done for a while, but you've pulled me back in!

    This is another big one for me: I decided to let go all of my beautiful FLOW magazines. (For those who haven't had the pleasure, it is a Dutch-produced bi monthly magazine - in English - for paper lovers and has amazing articles and minimal ads). I'd collected nearly every one over the past 8 years, and was planning on keeping them forever. However, they had been sitting on my bookshelf, unlooked at for a long time, so I decided to go through every one, at my leisure, and give myself permission to rip out all the best articles/pictures and pass on the mags. Offered them to my darling next door neighbours - one of whom is Dutch - and they are LOVING them. So that is 40+ magazines gone, and 2 shelves free on my craft bookshelf. They keep texting me to tell me of their favourite articles. It made me so very happy. So my new decluttering question is now "Will this make someone else happier than it makes me?"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on May 06, 2021, 03:49:35 AM
    . So my new decluttering question is now "Will this make someone else happier than it makes me?"

    That is such a meaningful sentiment to me. Thinking about how our things can have life beyond us is a gift we can give ourselves, our neighbors, and our planet. It is why I’m increasingly involved in the local buy nothing group in my neighborhood too. It feels good to know you are giving someone else something that was meaningful to you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 06, 2021, 04:09:08 PM
    @lazycow That is a wonderful question to ask!

    @okisok thanks! As predicted, it didn't last past getting the mail! But I did my deal-with-one-paper-a-day thing today and it will at least stay in control.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 06, 2021, 05:30:02 PM
    @lazycow That is a wonderful question to ask!

    @okisok thanks! As predicted, it didn't last past getting the mail! But I did my deal-with-one-paper-a-day thing today and it will at least stay in control.

    What is it you are getting? Can you switch to estatememts and ebills? And cancel circulars? 

    I rarely get mail. I get a vehicle registration papers once a year, my local area parking stickers and quarterly business bank statements (as annoyingly they can't do estatememts for business accounts??) And maybe 3 Xmas cards, lol.  Mr F gets a few charity donation letters & the waste of money & paper (not to mention "gifts" they send) is infuriating and makes us *not* want to donate.

    Everything else goes straight in the bin as it's junk, even though I've got a sign requesting no junk. Conveniently most companies have stopped sending paper mail without me needing to cancel, I wish charities would follow suit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 06, 2021, 08:45:59 PM

    Everything else goes straight in the bin as it's junk, even though I've got a sign requesting no junk. Conveniently most companies have stopped sending paper mail without me needing to cancel, I wish charities would follow suit.

    My charities email me.  They even email me my charitable donation tax receipts.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 06, 2021, 10:26:32 PM
    @lazycow That is a wonderful question to ask!

    @okisok thanks! As predicted, it didn't last past getting the mail! But I did my deal-with-one-paper-a-day thing today and it will at least stay in control.

    What is it you are getting? Can you switch to estatememts and ebills? And cancel circulars? 

    I rarely get mail. I get a vehicle registration papers once a year, my local area parking stickers and quarterly business bank statements (as annoyingly they can't do estatememts for business accounts??) And maybe 3 Xmas cards, lol.  Mr F gets a few charity donation letters & the waste of money & paper (not to mention "gifts" they send) is infuriating and makes us *not* want to donate.

    Everything else goes straight in the bin as it's junk, even though I've got a sign requesting no junk. Conveniently most companies have stopped sending paper mail without me needing to cancel, I wish charities would follow suit.

    I got a coupon from a store I have a credit card with, and that went into the Time Will Tell place. It will get recycled if I don't use it, but it might be handy as I need to replace sheets soon.

    And I got a newsletter from the Parks District I joined for the first time in January. It was actually pretty easy to go through and discard, but since it was the first time I'd seen one of those, I wanted to check it out.

    And I also got a page of checks from the bank, because my payroll dept requires something printed from the bank to start direct deposit. But the one check I needed is in the mail to payroll and the rest are in The Filing Place.

    I'm actually back to Inbox Zero as of this evening. Which will last for a while, but if my life gets stressful, that's probably something that will get less attention.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on May 06, 2021, 11:06:32 PM

    Everything else goes straight in the bin as it's junk, even though I've got a sign requesting no junk. Conveniently most companies have stopped sending paper mail without me needing to cancel, I wish charities would follow suit.

    My charities email me.  They even email me my charitable donation tax receipts.

    When I got paper letters from charities asking for a donation I emailed them and told that while I wish to support them with donations from time to time, I don’t wish to receive any information from them. They have put a block on my profile and I haven’t received anything thereafter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 07, 2021, 12:11:51 AM

    Everything else goes straight in the bin as it's junk, even though I've got a sign requesting no junk. Conveniently most companies have stopped sending paper mail without me needing to cancel, I wish charities would follow suit.

    My charities email me.  They even email me my charitable donation tax receipts.

    When I got paper letters from charities asking for a donation I emailed them and told that while I wish to support them with donations from time to time, I don’t wish to receive any information from them. They have put a block on my profile and I haven’t received anything thereafter.

    We haven't managed to switch off the tap yet. Next step is threatening no donations if they don't stop! I'm fed up with the tat they send with the request for money (this is from charities where we've donated but don't have a regular commitment so they keep trying).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 07, 2021, 08:07:42 AM
    -Sold a board game on eBay
    -Had the kids try on swim gear & found some stuff to donate/sell. Made a list of what we will need for an upcoming vacation. The good news is that 1/2 of the swim stuff still fits, so we only need a few items
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 07, 2021, 12:39:45 PM
    I gave myself the month of April off of de-cluttering as it is the busy season at work, so today I took a bunch of pictures of things I have been meaning to try to sell, and listed about half on FB Marketplace. Will get the rest up soon. I find if I have too many listings up at once I get overwhelmed and confused with all of the dealings. It feels good to get things moving out the door again.

    Also put a couple of books in the donation box. One was a duplicate - oops!

    Almost all of those items sold, so today I am listing a few more. All of the money is going to my vacation fund, so it is a bit of added incentive.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 07, 2021, 07:53:23 PM
    Took a car load of parent's stuff to the storage unit tonight. Much better than it sitting in my living room!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 07, 2021, 08:11:51 PM
    Was recently reminded that thrift stores take plastic shopping bags. Adding the stash of those that has accumulated from curbside pickup to the few stragglers that are in the donation pile made a trip feel worthwhile, so got 2 bags of bags, a plastic carpet runner, a knick knack and some gift wrap it of the house. Woo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 07, 2021, 09:29:28 PM

    Everything else goes straight in the bin as it's junk, even though I've got a sign requesting no junk. Conveniently most companies have stopped sending paper mail without me needing to cancel, I wish charities would follow suit.

    My charities email me.  They even email me my charitable donation tax receipts.

    When I got paper letters from charities asking for a donation I emailed them and told that while I wish to support them with donations from time to time, I don’t wish to receive any information from them. They have put a block on my profile and I haven’t received anything thereafter.

    I do something similar. When I get paper mail I don't want with a return envelope, I mail it back with a note asking to have my name and address removed from their mailing lists. It's gradually working. When I get paper statements I try to immediately log in to the website and change my preferences to paperless.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 07, 2021, 10:32:09 PM
    Was recently reminded that thrift stores take plastic shopping bags. Adding the stash of those that has accumulated from curbside pickup to the few stragglers that are in the donation pile made a trip feel worthwhile, so got 2 bags of bags, a plastic carpet runner, a knick knack and some gift wrap it of the house. Woo!

    Oh, good idea. I have a huge bag of bags for the same reason. It will be good to get back to in-person shopping after I get my second vaccine.

    I've got some other stuff to drop off, so I'll do that soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 09, 2021, 03:02:12 PM
    Sold a dozen smallish items at the flea market, and identified 5 moderate sized items for donating, since they haven't sold for so long, and had fun in the process!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fomerly known as something on May 09, 2021, 03:20:13 PM
    I sold my Kayak today.  I’m moving soon.  My new town really needs an open water Kayak vs. what was my flat water Kayak so it didn’t make sense to try to keep it.  I’m sad because I had about 4 months before my move, but selling now is selling at the beginning of the season. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 09, 2021, 03:23:28 PM
    In theory someone is coming by to pick up my no-longer-needed foam mattress topper. Communication has been lacking so far, so I'm not holding my breath. There is a 2nd person who expressed interest, so if the first one flakes I'll just go to the 2nd.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 09, 2021, 04:15:51 PM
    Today will be a mini mission to return a book to the street library, pick up a book from the library-library, pick up my refurbished winter coat and turn a medium pile of small coins into bank credit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on May 10, 2021, 12:46:23 AM
    Decluttered a little this weekend:
    - 1 computer screen on BuyNothing - picked up immediately
    - 1 big bag with bed sheets returned to FIL since it did not fit what we planned to do with it, so return to sender!
    - 1 blu ray player in the hallway for Craigslist sale today, hope they show up!
    - 1 book to the little free library down the street
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 10, 2021, 07:15:21 PM
    Decided to rip the bandaid off. Due to covid times, job change, and general work attire shifts, I had a bunch of suits and dresses that I no longer wear. I kept 1 suit, the few dresses that I like and wear outside of work, and pulled the rest for donation. Also pulled a rain coat that I never liked and a stretchy athletic type jacket that a friend gave me and I just don't like. That's 2 kitchen trash bags full of stuff for donation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 11, 2021, 12:07:40 PM
    Worked on the top shelf of a closet for an hour and a half. Consolidated some, threw out some, took some to textiles recycling, moved some to 'sell' pile, researched some old retro vintage board games I found up there, took some to Salvation Army.

    From the  IT hoard, I sacrificed a hard copy of a COBOL II program from 1994 to the recycling container.  Oh no, that was worth big money on EBAY, right?  lol.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 11, 2021, 02:36:05 PM
    A few updates:
    -Listed a bunch of stuff on Buy Nothing. Already have one set of drapes out of the house.
    -My husband also took a giant donation drop off on Sunday, which was glorious.
    -Sold a few things on eBay, including a pair of workout pants I brought back from our vacation house, as part of pre-move clean out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on May 11, 2021, 02:43:12 PM
    Cleaned under the bathroom sink and threw away several contact lens cases ( I got lasiks), an extra blood sugar meter, a bunch of other little things.
    Still trying to sell on Facebook a bike, an inversion table, and a stand that converts a regular bike into a stationary bike.
    Have 3 bags of stuff to go to goodwill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on May 13, 2021, 01:50:06 PM
    A quick post before I get caught up on everyone's posts.

    ~4 magazines went to a neighbor, 1 to my sister
    ~Other completed reading material either went into the recycle bin or put away (books)
    ~6 pieces of clothing, and a bag of unopened toiletries and makeup went to Goodwill
    ~3 old hygiene items were tossed
    ~Dug through the small pile on my home office desk and put a stack of paper into the burn bin
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 13, 2021, 01:55:24 PM
    It's been a busy week, to not as much progress as I'd like, but a few wins:

    -Teenage son asked me to list sunglasses he received as a gift. Listed & sold the same day. Mailed out using recycled mailing packaging.
    -Sold a Christmas gift that was too small (finally, has been listed since the holidays)
    -And, a workout shirt that doesn't fit my husband

    I also went through the kids rooms & found 8+ camp tshirts, PE gear (one is graduating from middle school in a few weeks, and PE gear is not required during COVID).

    I was on the hunt for a missing shirt for one kid, and looked in my husband's drawers to see if it was misplaced. Nope, but did find a bunch of stuff he doesn't wear/use. Some is off to be donated, and I found a new in package designer Italian scarf to sell on eBay. Where in the world did he get this/why did he buy it? It pre dates me, so I'm going with gift from a woman before I was in the picture. ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on May 13, 2021, 02:46:27 PM
    A few weeks ago I went through my framed artwork, and took out the cheapest plastic frames to get rid of (kept the artwork since it was all stuff I made).  Today I took the frames (14) to the Goodwill donation center.  Part of me wanted to try to sell them (some $ is better than no $), but I never could get up the gumption to meet up with people, so donate was the way to go.

    I still have a lot of frames, and while they still should be pared down, I'm willing to let that go for a while (probably until the next time I move).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 13, 2021, 04:04:40 PM
    - traded in 660 small denomination coins for $79 in my banking acct.
    - 1 library book returned
    - 3 books into the street library
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on May 13, 2021, 04:33:05 PM
    Gave a friend a beautiful dress that has always been a size too big for me, but I've not loved enough to get tailored to fit properly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 13, 2021, 07:03:25 PM
    Sold a camera bag for $50.

    Next up is try to sell an old camera. Not sure if it will sell as they upgrade the models on digital cameras every year or so now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on May 15, 2021, 05:36:42 AM
    We finally cleared out the garage last weekend, and I dropped a load at the thrift store.

    Things I cleaned out:
    -old bike helmets that we held onto as backups in case some neighborhood kid needed one, at this point they are quite old
    -a few project leftovers that needed to be cut down to fit in the trash
    -a few clothing items
    -if can't remember what else

    We still need to figure out how to dispose of our broken dehumidifier. I think I have to drive it to the county recycling center. I tried giving it away to someone who wants to fix it, but no takers.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on May 15, 2021, 03:58:00 PM
    I was so close to emptying out my car at the thrift shop today but there was a traffic accident at the intersection so I diverted. We’ll try again Monday. The same thrift shop now has eyebrow threading in a kiosk so I’m keen to try it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 15, 2021, 04:41:17 PM
    Pretty productive weekend selling things from our storage room under the stairs like a mulcher and heater. I'd forgotten that this area still needed a declutter! Disappointed that it actually doesn't feel like there's more space but there's less tetris going on so it's easier to access garden tools. I call myself a minimalist but I'm really not when you look at the garden & garage spaces!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 15, 2021, 06:33:14 PM
    Thanks to the parent's move, I ended up with an extra twin size mattress protector. Changed sheets on the beds today, and took the opportunity to put the better quality one on the twin. The extra is in the wash and then will be added to donation pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 15, 2021, 07:21:14 PM
    Thanks to the parent's move, I ended up with an extra twin size mattress protector. Changed sheets on the beds today, and took the opportunity to put the better quality one on the twin. The extra is in the wash and then will be added to donation pile.

    I use mattress protectors as waterproof-ish pet mats, by cutting off the skirt bit. Handy for the car, beds etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 15, 2021, 07:49:44 PM
    Sold a camera bag for $50.

    Next up is try to sell an old camera. Not sure if it will sell as they upgrade the models on digital cameras every year or so now.

    The person came and picked up the camera bag today, and I sold a pair of canvas prints for $20. I also listed the camera, but I am not too confident that it will sell. If not, I might see if I can donate it to the high school or something. Even a charitable receipt would be better than nothing.

    A weird thing happened when I was trying to list it on FB Marketplace. They wanted me to upgrade the listing for money. I had seen that one other time, but today it wouldn't let me go any further, so I had to exit. I wonder if it was because I used the word Canon?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FinanceFreaky on May 16, 2021, 03:23:18 AM
    Nice topic!

    I had an iMac and a MacBook Pro. Sold my iMac last week for 800 euros and bought index funds for it :).

    I'm decluttering already since 5 years. So funny that in every round you can get rid of stuff you wanted to keep before.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 16, 2021, 07:49:36 AM
    Thanks to the parent's move, I ended up with an extra twin size mattress protector. Changed sheets on the beds today, and took the opportunity to put the better quality one on the twin. The extra is in the wash and then will be added to donation pile.

    I use mattress protectors as waterproof-ish pet mats, by cutting off the skirt bit. Handy for the car, beds etc.

    I will probably offer it to the animal shelter. My cat prefers fleece.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 16, 2021, 10:09:52 AM
    -Gave away two workout shirts on Buy Nothing, as well as a set of five items of youth clothes my kids have outgrown
    -Sold a book, and a shoe dust cover on eBay
    -Resisted picking up a bunch of free books on Buy Nothing, as I have a closet full of stuff still to read
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on May 16, 2021, 07:49:25 PM
    @FinanceFreaky that's so great! And way to go on investing the $$!!

    Went through the art/craft drawers (4 of them) and am donating 10 mini acrylic paint tubes that I obviously will never use, as I've had them for 6 years. I am holding on to the mini tubes of watercolour paints, but have given myself a deadline of Sept this year to use them. It makes it so much easier to get rid of the stuff I am in 2 minds about if I set myself a time limit.

    I also decluttered quite a few crochet and knitting patterns that I know I will never use.

    I have also rehomed all the books on my adorable little vintage wooden bookshelf, and hidden said bookshelf in my wardrobe to see if I miss it. It is gorgeous but I really don't have a proper corner to display it. My daughter wants it for when she moves out, and I am *almost* ready to let it go, but not quite.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 16, 2021, 07:56:28 PM
    Sold a lot of 15 books on eBay, for $25. So happy to get a large space of closet back. They are now packed up & ready for the postal carrier to pick up tomorrow morning, along with two other packages.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 16, 2021, 08:49:22 PM
    Went to the tip with a bunch of bulky junk like a cracked bucket & cardboard - got paid to do it too because I got a gig taking someone else's. Husband said he's selling a power tool he doesn't need. Someone's coming at lunchtime for a heater and then I need to post something else. Pretty productive considering I thought we'd finished decluttering and I didn't expect to get so much $$ either :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on May 16, 2021, 10:06:33 PM
    Had to come back straightaway to report that my daughter (who just started ADHD medication) just asked me for the aforementioned wooden bookshelf to use as her new bedside table. Her old one has a drawer which gets crammed with crap, which her brain then completely forgets about, so the shelves are much better visually. This has led to her reorganising, cleaning and decluttering more stuff from her room.

    Just borrowed Tracy McCubbin's "Making space, clutter free. I love her writing style and she has excellent content on Youtube as well.

    Now if I could only get my husband to part with a wardrobe full of cassette tapes, DVDs and CDs which  he is hoarding in his man cave/shed...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on May 17, 2021, 09:24:54 AM
    Proud of myself for doing the dreaded paperwork declutter this past weekend.  Amazing what a few hours of focused work can accomplish.
    Managed to toss 2 boxes and 1 small plastic tub of old tax files, articles, old bank paperwork, photos, and other miscellaneous. 

    And it's true that seeing a cleared space can motivate you even further, so organizing the remaining photos and reviewing the last 4 boxes should be much easier.
    Just do it!
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 17, 2021, 06:43:37 PM
    @lazycow That is a wonderful question to ask!

    @okisok thanks! As predicted, it didn't last past getting the mail! But I did my deal-with-one-paper-a-day thing today and it will at least stay in control.

    What is it you are getting? Can you switch to estatememts and ebills? And cancel circulars? 

    I rarely get mail. I get a vehicle registration papers once a year, my local area parking stickers and quarterly business bank statements (as annoyingly they can't do estatememts for business accounts??) And maybe 3 Xmas cards, lol.  Mr F gets a few charity donation letters & the waste of money & paper (not to mention "gifts" they send) is infuriating and makes us *not* want to donate.

    Everything else goes straight in the bin as it's junk, even though I've got a sign requesting no junk. Conveniently most companies have stopped sending paper mail without me needing to cancel, I wish charities would follow suit.

    I got a coupon from a store I have a credit card with, and that went into the Time Will Tell place. It will get recycled if I don't use it, but it might be handy as I need to replace sheets soon.

    And I got a newsletter from the Parks District I joined for the first time in January. It was actually pretty easy to go through and discard, but since it was the first time I'd seen one of those, I wanted to check it out.

    And I also got a page of checks from the bank, because my payroll dept requires something printed from the bank to start direct deposit. But the one check I needed is in the mail to payroll and the rest are in The Filing Place.

    I'm actually back to Inbox Zero as of this evening. Which will last for a while, but if my life gets stressful, that's probably something that will get less attention.

    Have been able to maintain Physical Inbox Zero for most of the intervening time. Today I have a few paycheck stubs out because I'm working on financial projections based on income from a brand-new job. This is acceptable.

    On the plus side, attempt #2 to give away some really nice self-closing cardboard boxes worked. The last of the unpacked moving boxes gone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on May 18, 2021, 04:26:55 AM
    A few weeks ago I went through my framed artwork, and took out the cheapest plastic frames to get rid of (kept the artwork since it was all stuff I made).  Today I took the frames (14) to the Goodwill donation center.  Part of me wanted to try to sell them (some $ is better than no $), but I never could get up the gumption to meet up with people, so donate was the way to go.

    I still have a lot of frames, and while they still should be pared down, I'm willing to let that go for a while (probably until the next time I move).
    @NotJen I did this a while back, but with framed photos. Now I've just stuck the photos on the wall -  in serried ranks - with washi tape, to make a photo wall. It looks a lot neater and way less bulky.

    Found 4 mindfulness magazines/workbooks from when it was a new Thing. A girlfriend is going to take them all as they are in pristine condition. That is the very last of the magazines.

    Now I just have to decide whether the photo wall in my dining room, which comprises around 100 photos, all of which are more than 10 years old, means that I am 'living in the past' or 'nostalgic for happier times' (as my latest decluttering book seems to suggest). For the time being they make me and my family happy so they stay. Though I really *could* update it by printing some recent photos. They really are the final frontier of organisation though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on May 18, 2021, 08:35:28 PM
    Tackled my sock drawer this evening. Between droopy, holey, mismatched (only one), and not really the right size, I'm keeping fewer than I'm parting with. I'm going to try with the much reduced selection for a while. I may eventually get a few more of the kind I like that fits and lasts.

    I even pulled a couple t-shirts, which are hard for me because they often say things I want to remember.

    In general, how do folks here decide what to donate versus what to put on Buy Nothing? Is there such a thing as textile recycling for the truly worn out stuff?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 18, 2021, 08:57:19 PM
    Tackled my sock drawer this evening. Between droopy, holey, mismatched (only one), and not really the right size, I'm keeping fewer than I'm parting with. I'm going to try with the much reduced selection for a while. I may eventually get a few more of the kind I like that fits and lasts.

    I even pulled a couple t-shirts, which are hard for me because they often say things I want to remember.

    In general, how do folks here decide what to donate versus what to put on Buy Nothing? Is there such a thing as textile recycling for the truly worn out stuff?

    There definitely is such a thing as textile recycling - what country are you in? Here in AUS, Vinnie's sell stuff they can't sell instore to the rag recyclers and H&M also take it instore.

    I put everything on Facebook because I think it's got a wider reach than a charity shop. I take the odd thing there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on May 19, 2021, 04:34:17 AM
    Tackled my sock drawer this evening. Between droopy, holey, mismatched (only one), and not really the right size, I'm keeping fewer than I'm parting with. I'm going to try with the much reduced selection for a while. I may eventually get a few more of the kind I like that fits and lasts.

    I even pulled a couple t-shirts, which are hard for me because they often say things I want to remember.

    In general, how do folks here decide what to donate versus what to put on Buy Nothing? Is there such a thing as textile recycling for the truly worn out stuff?

    There definitely is such a thing as textile recycling - what country are you in? Here in AUS, Vinnie's sell stuff they can't sell instore to the rag recyclers and H&M also take it instore.

    I put everything on Facebook because I think it's got a wider reach than a charity shop. I take the odd thing there.

    Anything that gets beyond wearing in our household ends up as rags for when I change the oil on the car or have sone other dirty work to do. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 19, 2021, 06:05:22 AM
    After thinking about it way too long, I threw out an almost empty  5 gallon tub of 25 year old joint compound. More space in the garage! Woohoo !     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on May 19, 2021, 08:01:09 AM
    I've decided to downsize my ironing board from full-size to table-top.  Got a table-top version at Goodwill yesterday for a few dollars, so the full-size will be donated.
    It's funny because I noticed about 5 full-size ironing boards for sale at Goodwill, so I'm wondering if they are a casualty of the pandemic?  No need to be ironing business clothes if everyone's working from home in sweatpants.

    Also, it's bulk trash pickup here starting the end of the month.  It's fun to watch what neighbors put out on the curb, and then watch cars drive by slowly so they can eyeball everything.  Maybe 70% of this stuff gets picked up by the City trucks, about 30% just gets snagged by other neighbors.  The quarterly swap!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 19, 2021, 09:21:02 AM
    After thinking about it way too long, I threw out an almost empty  5 gallon tub of 25 year old joint compound. More space in the garage! Woohoo !     

    How did you keep joint compound from drying out that long? Whenever I've bought it, it hasn't lasted more than a year. Sometimes it gets moldy!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 19, 2021, 09:27:20 AM
    After thinking about it way too long, I threw out an almost empty  5 gallon tub of 25 year old joint compound. More space in the garage! Woohoo !     

    Maybe it would make life easier for you to have blanket rules about things.  Such as: any kind of sprays, cleaners, compounds etc older than two years gets tossed.  Any food more than a year past expiry gets tossed.  Any clothes that aren't mine are given away.  And so on.  Then you don't have to decide about every single item.  The chances of you missing those items or regretting getting rid of them are near zero.  Unless you really want to be doing this forever?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on May 19, 2021, 09:55:35 AM
    After thinking about it way too long, I threw out an almost empty  5 gallon tub of 25 year old joint compound. More space in the garage! Woohoo !     

    Maybe it would make life easier for you to have blanket rules about things.  Such as: any kind of sprays, cleaners, compounds etc older than two years gets tossed.  Any food more than a year past expiry gets tossed.  Any clothes that aren't mine are given away.  And so on.  Then you don't have to decide about every single item.  The chances of you missing those items or regretting getting rid of them are near zero.  Unless you really want to be doing this forever?

    This sounds like a great idea.  And the best part is that you are making the rules so you can make ones that work for you.  And you can change them later as things become easier to get rid of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 19, 2021, 10:58:19 AM
    Sold two stickers & a sunglasses kit on eBay. More junk out of the house! I've taken a pause  listing items, because I need a break.

    We are selling our vacation house "turn key", which means we won't have to move out anything other than clothes & food. This is huge, as I was overwhelmed by the idea of getting rid of everything in a tiny market, over a very short period of time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 20, 2021, 06:01:08 AM
    After thinking about it way too long, I threw out an almost empty  5 gallon tub of 25 year old joint compound. More space in the garage! Woohoo !     

    How did you keep joint compound from drying out that long? Whenever I've bought it, it hasn't lasted more than a year. Sometimes it gets moldy!

    It was still moist, but cracks had formed in it. And yes, it had a mildew odor, lol.

    It was just a big unknown tub in the corner of my garage forever. I don't even know how it got there.

    I finally dragged it out to see what the heck it was. 
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 20, 2021, 07:26:24 AM
    -Sold a book from our vacation house & a shirt that is too big for my husband on eBay
    -Heading to our vacation house today. We have about a month until closing. We did the majority of clean out last time we were there, but there are still things to go through & clean/organize/declutter. I'm bringing my mom & sister, so it will be a bit of a combo fun trip, & clean out "party"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 20, 2021, 06:01:08 PM
    Yesterday, received a delivery of materials to repair the back fence. Immediately put the pallet and misc lumber they came packed with at the curb with a free sign. The lumber is gone, but the pallet, which is in poor condition, is still there. I remain hopeful that someone will take it for the wood.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 20, 2021, 10:45:50 PM
    Yesterday, received a delivery of materials to repair the back fence. Immediately put the pallet and misc lumber they came packed with at the curb with a free sign. The lumber is gone, but the pallet, which is in poor condition, is still there. I remain hopeful that someone will take it for the wood.

    Are you at all handy?  You could make some birdhouses from the pallet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 20, 2021, 11:31:23 PM
    Yesterday, received a delivery of materials to repair the back fence. Immediately put the pallet and misc lumber they came packed with at the curb with a free sign. The lumber is gone, but the pallet, which is in poor condition, is still there. I remain hopeful that someone will take it for the wood.

    Are you at all handy?  You could make some birdhouses from the pallet.

    A good suggestion! But I lack the tools, time and motivation (I have a cat, and think it's not fair to attract prey to the yard. Maybe I will print out plans for a birdhouse and attach it to the pallet for someone else to make.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on May 20, 2021, 11:44:55 PM
    Tackled my sock drawer this evening. Between droopy, holey, mismatched (only one), and not really the right size, I'm keeping fewer than I'm parting with. I'm going to try with the much reduced selection for a while. I may eventually get a few more of the kind I like that fits and lasts.

    I even pulled a couple t-shirts, which are hard for me to part with because they often say things I want to remember.

    In general, how do folks here decide what to donate versus what to put on Buy Nothing?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 21, 2021, 07:44:21 PM
    I am generally unwilling to deal with people, so I tend to donate a lot. I'm more likely to sell furniture. Random piles of dirt/rocks/whatever I give away free, just come and get it out of my yard.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 21, 2021, 09:14:43 PM
    Yesterday, received a delivery of materials to repair the back fence. Immediately put the pallet and misc lumber they came packed with at the curb with a free sign. The lumber is gone, but the pallet, which is in poor condition, is still there. I remain hopeful that someone will take it for the wood.

    I was unaware that LandLord had decided to hire someone to build the fence; they disposed of the pallet. Hooray!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 21, 2021, 09:28:52 PM
    Yesterday, received a delivery of materials to repair the back fence. Immediately put the pallet and misc lumber they came packed with at the curb with a free sign. The lumber is gone, but the pallet, which is in poor condition, is still there. I remain hopeful that someone will take it for the wood.

    I was unaware that LandLord had decided to hire someone to build the fence; they disposed of the pallet. Hooray!

    I thought you were going to say that the pallet was used to build the fence.  One of my neighbours has done that.  Turned the pallets so the boards run vertically and strung a bunch together and stained it.  I’m all for saving money, but really!  He doesn’t see it because it’s behind a bunch of trees along a walkway, but everyone else has to look at it.  I think he put it up to keep the pine cones from rolling onto the walkway, because he can’t be expected to actually rake them up, can he?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 22, 2021, 06:30:08 AM
    Pallets can be useful.  I used to wire them together to make compost bins.  I knew someone who built a frame, walled it with pallets and then sided it with wood shakes.  Pallets for floor plus a basic roof, and he had a nice well-ventilated shed for firewood.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on May 22, 2021, 11:37:47 AM
    Tackled my sock drawer this evening. Between droopy, holey, mismatched (only one), and not really the right size, I'm keeping fewer than I'm parting with. I'm going to try with the much reduced selection for a while. I may eventually get a few more of the kind I like that fits and lasts.

    I even pulled a couple t-shirts, which are hard for me to part with because they often say things I want to remember.

    In general, how do folks here decide what to donate versus what to put on Buy Nothing?

    Various factors can influence what I choose to do at any given time, but donating is the fastest way to give stuff away because you don't have to work with another person's schedule. This can be especially helpful if you have a large quantity of items and are at a moment in life when you may not have mental energy to describe and post everything.

    Assuming limitless time and energy (ha!), other considerations for me are the (1) the uncommonness of the item and (2) if I think it can sell at a resale shop.  Breaking this down:
    - If the item in question is something that might not be self-explanatory to a random stranger, I like giving it away on Buy Nothing because I can say in my post what it is and therefore maximize the changes it will get used instead of going to the landfill.
    - Buy Nothing would also be my first choice for items that are brand specific in terms of what they work with, like say a car window reflector/sun shade that's sized to a certain make and model of vehicle, or extra parts for an item I no longer own that I later find around my home (vacuum cleaner bags, e.g.).
    - Examples of items likely unsellable in a thrift store items include things like beauty or cleaning products you tried but didn't like and don't want to pour down the drain. Or something that may require repair before being usable but is structurally sound, like furniture that needs repainting. On my Buy Nothing group I also see a fair number of food posts for fridge/pantry clean-outs, especially when people move, for things that would likely not be suitable for a food kitchen donation, like a partially used bottle of olive oil or holiday-specific candy or an assortment of frozen food.

    There's also an emotional element to it. Sometimes if I have an item to get rid of that I still have a lot of attachment to, I will choose Buy Nothing over a thrift store donation because it seems too special to do anything other than give directly to another person. It's a more personal interaction, and avoids the risk that the item may slip through the cracks of a thrift store's sorting system and never find a new home. Of course, the person on Buy Nothing could turn around the next day and donate it themselves if they change their minds about the item, but it can be really satisfying to feel like you've found the right home for a special item.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on May 22, 2021, 05:24:38 PM
    Just found out that I need to move in the next few weeks.  Time to declutter!  I'll be combining households with my partner, so we'll need to work on reducing duplicates.  The apartment we're moving into is about half the size of my current one, so it'll be good motivation to let things go. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 23, 2021, 03:45:26 PM
    Sold a camera bag for $50.

    Next up is try to sell an old camera. Not sure if it will sell as they upgrade the models on digital cameras every year or so now.

    The person came and picked up the camera bag today, and I sold a pair of canvas prints for $20. I also listed the camera, but I am not too confident that it will sell. If not, I might see if I can donate it to the high school or something. Even a charitable receipt would be better than nothing.

    A weird thing happened when I was trying to list it on FB Marketplace. They wanted me to upgrade the listing for money. I had seen that one other time, but today it wouldn't let me go any further, so I had to exit. I wonder if it was because I used the word Canon?

    I sold the camera! Pretty stoked about that. It was a little stressful as the buyer wanted me to ship it, which I have never done before, but the only other offer was lower, and the guy seemed sketchy. Whew! I feel like I need a drink after all that. Plus, the new camera that I want is on sale. I still have one more little mirrorless camera that I need to sell, but I am going to take a few days off before I list it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 24, 2021, 06:48:54 AM
    Sold a big Totes bag at the flea market, and a lot of smaller stuff.

    An encouraging sale was the 3 inch high stack of card stock paper I sold, for $1.  Let the card stock craze begin!  I have tons of this paper to sell, lol.

    Also have decided to donate 5 books that didn't sell, to the library.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on May 24, 2021, 07:32:45 AM
    For those who sell things on Facebook, what's the common way to pay for this sort of sale these days?  Cash?  Venmo?  I'm going to try selling a few things and am out of touch with what's normal these days.

    It'll be low-value items where I wouldn't be heartbroken if I didn't get paid at all, if that helps.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 24, 2021, 08:11:19 AM
    For those who sell things on Facebook, what's the common way to pay for this sort of sale these days?  Cash?  Venmo?  I'm going to try selling a few things and am out of touch with what's normal these days.

    It'll be low-value items where I wouldn't be heartbroken if I didn't get paid at all, if that helps.

    Cash or e-transfer for me. During the pandemic I have preferred e-transfer, and then porch pickup, but not everyone wants to do this. There is an element of trust.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 24, 2021, 02:32:54 PM
    For those who sell things on Facebook, what's the common way to pay for this sort of sale these days?  Cash?  Venmo?  I'm going to try selling a few things and am out of touch with what's normal these days.

    It'll be low-value items where I wouldn't be heartbroken if I didn't get paid at all, if that helps.

    I've never had anyone stiff me, and do quite a bit of porch pickup. I offer both cash (money under the mat) or Venmo.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 24, 2021, 02:34:42 PM
    I sold outgrown (kid) swim trunks & a book today, so got those mailed out. It always feels like a double win, as I used repurposed packaging, & both the packaging & the item leaves my house.

    I bought my son a few items of clothing, and about 1/2 of it didn't fit. Rather than procrastinate, I packaged up the return today & dropped it off at the mailbox along with my two eBay sales.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on May 24, 2021, 02:49:09 PM
    I bought my son a few items of clothing, and about 1/2 of it didn't fit. Rather than procrastinate, I packaged up the return today & dropped it off at the mailbox along with my two eBay sales.

    In my world this is some high-level adulting.  Congratulations!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 24, 2021, 03:29:27 PM
    I bought my son a few items of clothing, and about 1/2 of it didn't fit. Rather than procrastinate, I packaged up the return today & dropped it off at the mailbox along with my two eBay sales.

    In my world this is some high-level adulting.  Congratulations!

    These things usually end up in my closet for at least a few weeks, until I get tired of seeing them, so turning them around in under 24 hours is a pretty big improvement.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on May 24, 2021, 03:47:20 PM
    I bought my son a few items of clothing, and about 1/2 of it didn't fit. Rather than procrastinate, I packaged up the return today & dropped it off at the mailbox along with my two eBay sales.

    In my world this is some high-level adulting.  Congratulations!

    These things usually end up in my closet for at least a few weeks, until I get tired of seeing them, so turning them around in under 24 hours is a pretty big improvement.

    These things usually end up in my donate pile, which leads to plenty of guilt and shame.  I was genuinely expressing kudos!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 24, 2021, 04:39:55 PM
    I bought my son a few items of clothing, and about 1/2 of it didn't fit. Rather than procrastinate, I packaged up the return today & dropped it off at the mailbox along with my two eBay sales.

    In my world this is some high-level adulting.  Congratulations!

    These things usually end up in my closet for at least a few weeks, until I get tired of seeing them, so turning them around in under 24 hours is a pretty big improvement.

    These things usually end up in my donate pile, which leads to plenty of guilt and shame.  I was genuinely expressing kudos!

    Oh, I read it that way! :-) I've been down the donation pile path as well
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on May 25, 2021, 01:26:30 PM
    Space clearing at the office has begun!  I trimmed a few plants and tossed another, will donate a stack of office supplies, discovered two unopened packages of photo printer cards w/ envelopes which DH said he can use, and will bring ink cartridges to Office Depot for recycling purposes the next time I'm in the big city.  I also brought several empty boxes to the recycle bin.

    I recently bought a Keurig Slim so I can offer clients coffee, and set up a little coffee station in the reception area.  I relocated several items from the drawer underneath, and it now houses creamer, sweetener packets, stirrers, and napkins.  I also tossed the broken tabletop water fountain and replaced it with a new one, and bought a new neon OPEN sign.  It looks great!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on May 25, 2021, 01:37:06 PM
    Noticed I've been skipping over the first two shirts in my drawer all week, so I pulled them out for the donation box.  Box will need to go out to the donation point sometime this week, as we're moving over the weekend, so the more that makes it in now, the better!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 26, 2021, 08:11:13 AM
    I took the Maria Muldaur 'Sweet Harmony' album out of my sell box, just to hear 'Midnight at the Oasis' one more time.

    Turns out that song wasn't on there at all. What was on there were 14 excellent other songs that I really enjoyed.

    Why did I ever put this album in the sell box? I guess my musical taste has changed. So I am keeping it in my 'in house forever' stash now.

    Just for kicks, I also took out my Edmundo Ros 'Great for Dancing' album to give it one more chance. Nope, It stays in the sell box for now, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 26, 2021, 08:16:02 AM
    I ordered my son a school logo mask, and he refused to wear it. It was a school fundraiser, so I was happy to support, but couldn't figure out what to do with the (new, unused) mask. A parent of a senior posted yesterday that they needed the same mask, as they are no longer available, and all of the seniors are wearing them to graduation. Excellent! She's picking it up today. Love to see things go to someone who needs them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on May 27, 2021, 01:40:03 AM
    Had a lovely conversation with a volunteer when I dropped of some stuff at the local Foster Kids op shop. I asked if there was anything in particular they needed re donations and she said they were always after baby clothes; they can't keep up with demand. Not that I have any, but will put the word out to everyone I know.

    She accepted 2 queen doona covers, a pillowcase and a large cork board. I had a single bed doona/quilt, which has a permanent (coffee? tea?) stain and was unsure of how to get rid of it, but decided I will keep it as emergency dog bedding for when one of our dogs manages to completely shred her current bed.

    I still have a stack of towels to go through (we host a LOT of visitors), but most are now so old they are stained or ripped and not guest-standard, though, as I told my husband, we may be a cafe/bar/restaurant, we are not a bloody hotel, so friends can bring their own towels in future; they do get a comfy bed and their own bathroom, so I can't see anyone complaining!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on May 27, 2021, 04:50:45 AM
    I'm making good progress on my pre-move decluttering.  It's a weird mix of emotions.  On one hand, it's really motivating knowing that I'm combining lives with my partner, and also moving to a significantly smaller place.  If I'm on the fence about anything, knowing that it's not his taste helps me put it in the donate box.  On the other hand, it's a little scary, feeling like I'm giving up some of my own life as I combine with his.  I've been living alone for 12 years and have never lived with a partner, so this is a big transition!

    Here's a partial list of what I've let go of:

    spare lampshade
    old digital camera
    old Wii system
    3 old computers (found an electronics recycling nonprofit to give them to!)
    old monitor
    assorted decorations - candles, trip souvenirs, etc. (I've kept plenty - just donated the ones I'm less excited about)
    old rugs I had just been storing in the closet
    spare picture frames
    extra canning jars
    canning equipment (haven't done it in 6 years, and I can always buy new equipment if I want to start canning again eventually)
    candlesticks and salt & pepper shakers that my mom bought for me at an antique sale
    antique cookbooks I had previously bought as decorations
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 27, 2021, 07:40:27 AM
    @SquashingDebt - I can imagine the combination of those emotions. Good work on the decluttering front!

    I gave away a serving tray that we never use. I had it listed on eBay, but it never sold due to shipping costs, & there was no cheaper way to mail it. Someone on my Buy Nothing group was thrilled to have it, so another item out of the house.

    I have a bunch of barely used soccer cleats, due to the kids growing during COVID & not getting to wear them. I'll post those soon, as soccer season will be starting again shortly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on May 27, 2021, 08:07:38 AM
    I'm in the process of cleaning out my office at work (FIRE in 17 more working days!).  It's really challenging to figure out what to do with some things.  All of my work-related tchotchkes I've put on a table for others to pick up. Papers I'm throwing out by the handfuls.  Gifts and pictures are a little more challenging.  Pictures of my family are easy to take home and find a place for.  But I have some pictures of (work) people who are important to me but not something I want to put up in my house.  And then I have a number of 'work' gifts.  I'm a little afraid to put them in the donate pile because I live in a small town.  I think at this point, I'm going to put them in the trash (I'm not talking anything valuable...more like coffee cups...).  It's a tiny bit stressful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on May 27, 2021, 03:08:15 PM
    @Ladychips, congratulations on your upcoming FIRE.  Regarding work people pictures, what I did years ago (not retired yet, just wanted them out of my house) is give a picture album containing pictures of our sales team to our former sales manager.  I also have a few other pictures of a former co-worker friend that I plan on mailing to her.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on May 28, 2021, 01:46:58 AM
    Sold a children's toy in almost new condition for a good price yesterday. The lady was thrilled with her find, I was thrilled with the cash!
    Next thing for sale will be the garden trampoline. Will first give it a good clean this weekend and then put it on Craigslist. Hope this bulky thing will be out of our garden soon!

    The donations box in the house was getting full, so I put a few things on our Buy Nothing group. First thing will be picked up today. Hope the rest will go too.....

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 28, 2021, 07:55:14 AM
    -Sold a fridge magnet I've had on eBay for what feels like forever.
    -I have a long weekend, so have committed to going through my eBay stuff & organizing. From there, I'll decide what to keep, donate, or give away on Buy Nothing.
    -I also need to drop off the takeout containers I'm saving for a lady in my Buy Nothing group who uses them for meals at the homeless shelter. We don't get takeout often, so it takes a while to accumulate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on May 28, 2021, 05:30:39 PM
    I have 2 things listed on CL and Marketplace. I also bought some groceries to specifically use up some random bits in my fridge. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 29, 2021, 08:22:43 AM
    Emptied out a two drawer filing cabinet and put most of it's contents in a box for shredding. The stuff I need to keep went in a plastic box that I already had. The only problem was that the plastic box was holding old home movies on video tapes. Not sure what I am going to do with those. Ideally I would like to be able to watch them and then get the ones digitized that are worth keeping, but I don't have a VCR any more.

    Anyway, now I can find a home for the filing cabinet.

    Need to list for sale:
     - lens for old camera
     - little travel camera
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 29, 2021, 05:08:13 PM
    I'm in the process of going through my eBay listings, pulling things down that haven't sold & giving them away/donating. Clearing up clutter, just as the post title suggests!

    So far, I've given away:
    -2 like new pair of soccer shorts
    -Shoe inserts that never fit
    -2 pair of soccer cleats from an ill fated COVID season. Most of the time, cleats cannot be passed down after my kids are done, as they play A LOT of soccer. But, during what is non-fondly known as the "COVID season", we bought our gear, they played two games, and the rest of the season was cancelled. All of their gear is very lightly used, and now they are too big for it. We often go through multiple cleats in a season, feet are growing so fast. I posted these on Buy Nothing, and had takers within 15 minutes. So happy they will get more use!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on May 29, 2021, 10:25:25 PM
    A novel I have no interest in reading, and some papers of my late father's from the 1940s when he was in refugee camps after WW2. Sadly, they are too faded to read, and mostly in Italian and German. I have kept the few that are legible.

    Now we are in Lockdown again (and likely to be for at least another 10 days) I will have plenty of time to give the house and sheds another going over, but I don't think is really going to be very much left to get rid of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 30, 2021, 01:58:22 AM
    No major decluttering but still doing great on not bringing in new things and also eating down the pantry by using up the less-often used items and not re-buying.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 30, 2021, 11:27:35 AM
    No major decluttering but still doing great on not bringing in new things and also eating down the pantry by using up the less-often used items and not re-buying.

    I'm very good at not bringing any new permanent stuff into the house.

    And I'm using up a lot of foodstuff boxes, and not rebuying, since it's stuff I usually don't use, like jello, tapioca, instant iced tea, powdered milk, etc.

    And I'm curating the contents of a big green mystery suitcase. So far it looks like collector item stuff, like old postcards, stamps, old coins, whatever, neatly wrapped up in individual bags, stuffed into this suitcase. I will keep the list of contents on a piece of paper inside the box. At least I will know what's in it, in the future.  And I'm counting the time spent as time decluttering. 

    And I'm giving myself points for decluttering stuff from inside containers, like dresser drawers and storage boxes, since it all counts. The dresser drawer is still there taking up room, but it is a bit emptier now. It all counts.   

    A lot of the decluttering work I'm doing now is not actually getting stuff out of the house (a LOT of that has been done already, though). It's rearranging, curating, using stuff up. It all counts. I keep saying that, because part of me believes that only stuff that gets out of the  house actually counts, lol.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 30, 2021, 11:49:44 AM
    @slackmax it all counts! Drawers that are easier to find things in and put things into are a decluttering win, too.

    I've been hesitant to report this here, but after your post, I'm definitely going to:

    Two days ago, I took the sewing things out of the cardboard box they'd been living in and put them back in the cabinet in which they belong. This was a delayed bit of decluttering from my move in late Feb.

    I didn't even get rid of the box, because I'd recently wanted a box for something, but can't remember anymore why. Box will live flattened behind my dresser for a few weeks. If I don't remember why I wanted it by 6/15, then it will go out for weekly trash collection.

    Anyway, the upshot is that the walk in closed is a bit more cleared out. Decluttering win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 30, 2021, 12:03:15 PM
    Yes, a decluttering win, Oneday!  It all counts!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on May 31, 2021, 01:26:37 AM
    Good weekend: garden trampoline was cleaned by the kids and SOLD. The kids put the cash in our Travel-jar for our next big trip. Also another children's toy sold and a few posted on buy-nothing. Hope I will have some takers, since this is very slow lately.
    I now admired the empty space that the trampoline left. We did not fill this up yet. First we want to have a good think about what to do with this space. I think the teens would like to convert this into the "garden-chill-zone".......
    Next big project is the garden shed. Will try to have a good clean of that next weekend. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on May 31, 2021, 09:46:22 AM
    I've been on a quest to deep clean my apartment. Apparently I do not have the mental capacity to deep clean and declutter at the same time, because not much has gone other than all the dust. However, I did get rid of a tank top that doesn't fit right anymore, a knife sharpener that never worked, and a dorm-sized ice cream maker that I've never used.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on May 31, 2021, 02:29:10 PM
    Tackled my sock drawer this evening. Between droopy, holey, mismatched (only one), and not really the right size, I'm keeping fewer than I'm parting with. I'm going to try with the much reduced selection for a while. I may eventually get a few more of the kind I like that fits and lasts.

    I even pulled a couple t-shirts, which are hard for me because they often say things I want to remember.

    In general, how do folks here decide what to donate versus what to put on Buy Nothing? Is there such a thing as textile recycling for the truly worn out stuff?

    There definitely is such a thing as textile recycling - what country are you in? Here in AUS, Vinnie's sell stuff they can't sell instore to the rag recyclers and H&M also take it instore.

    I put everything on Facebook because I think it's got a wider reach than a charity shop. I take the odd thing there.

    Anything that gets beyond wearing in our household ends up as rags for when I change the oil on the car or have sone other dirty work to do.

    I looked it up for my area (California) and at least locally, the textile recycling drop-off places suspended service because of the pandemic. If they've restarted, the web page hasn't caught up.

    I don't do enough mechanic work to consume all the tattered clothes as rags, but the bike co-op might when they resume in-person wrenching. I know they used to collect that stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 31, 2021, 06:13:11 PM
    Some small progress:
    -Gave away a bag full of outgrown teen clothing
    -And, two giant trays of frozen spanakopita, bought before we discovered no one in our family particularly likes it.
    -Used up a bunch of stuff from the fridge, freezer & garden this weekend. We have meals prepped for the week ahead, and a ton of fresh ingredients. Baked parmesan zucchini to use up a lot of fresh herbs, plus some of the glut of zucchini. Enchilada rice, to use up chicken & enchiladas lingering in the freezer. And, steak on the grill, to use up two packages of steak left over from a meal service. Oh, and crockpot carnitas, using up a pork loin that had also been languishing in the freezer.
    -Also, gave away zucchini. Our zucchini plants are going crazy nuts. We can't keep up
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on June 01, 2021, 07:28:04 AM
    I finally went through my drawer of exercise clothes and pulled out all of the ones that don't fit right or that were "not bad" enough to accept from my SIL but never actually got worn.  I'm bringing them (plus an accumulation of other things) to the thrift store today over lunch.

    I still have infinitely too many clothes, many of which no longer fit, because I keep storing them "just in case I want them again".  It's hard to find time to empty out my whole dresser to sort and think about it with kids home all the time.  I'm hopeful I can get more done in the next few weeks when they're back at daycare but I'm still allowed to work from home a few days a week :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on June 03, 2021, 07:10:20 PM
    Things I have done:

    1. Gotten rid of a couple clothing items
    2. Accidentally discovered (while searching for something else) that my H has various items he needs to go through like boots he hasn't worn in 5 years.
    3. Decluttered some towels that are not aesthetically pleasing or functional

    To do this weekend:
    1. Go through work clothes and do seasonal switch from winter to summer, probably toss a few.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 03, 2021, 10:05:24 PM
    -Gave away a shirt on Buy Nothing, and posted a dress. Will give it away this weekend.
    -Sold a shirt & a Pokemon figurine on eBay
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on June 04, 2021, 02:40:45 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache I would have taken that spanakopita off you in a heartbeat. Yum!!!

    My daughter tackled her wardrobe of doom/shame this morning, all on her own. I had to shut my eyes (her orders) when she was ferrying multiple plastic bags full of crap to the landfill bin, even though I was itching to separate out recycling, soft plastics, etc). I had to just let it go this time. She did give me a few items of clothing to donate or send to textile recycling though.  I was allowed a tour when it was all done, and I am so very impressed with  how organised, tidy and clean everything now is. All like objects are grouped together in containers, and she even made her bed (that *never* happens!!). Am so very proud of her; it has been a work in progress for many months, and now she has a beautiful, peaceful space in which to relax and create.

    Inspired by that, I am cleaning out the little shed in our vege patch. It was full of styrofoam I was hoping to recycle (no recycling drop off points within 200 km, sigh) so had to break it all down to landfill. It reminded me why I loathe buying new things: this all came from my son's workout equipment he bought a year ago. At least all the cardboard packaging in the shed can be used as a weed deterrent in the garden beds. My vision for the shed is to clean out the rest of the random crap, give it a good clean and put a deck chair in there, and it will be a lovely place to drink tea/cocktails. My husband wants to use it to put all the pool cleaning equipment and chemicals. We shall see who wins...

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on June 04, 2021, 05:30:12 AM
    This past week I learned that facebook marketplace is now working much better in my local area that Craigslist, so I sold the following redundant items:
    washing machine
    clothes dryer
    weed whacker
    dog crate
    squat rack, weight bench, plates
    ski boots
    ski poles

    Had to trash another pair of ski boots that were older and had brittle plastic. Took old skis to the thrift shop after throwing the oldest of them away in the bin. I was worried the trash guys would reject my bin that had skis pointing out the top, but it all disappeared. Yay! Also donated a bunch of clothes to the thrift shop, and random stuff like holiday bowls and VCR tapes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on June 05, 2021, 07:03:58 PM
    Hate to make it a contest, but I think I am in the lead!
    My house flooded from the thunderstorms almost 3 weeks ago.  So all flooring, insulation, cloth furniture and anything not solid wood, and almost all possessions touching the floors had to be removed, plus kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinetry, and all drywall from 2’ down.  Unfortunately we had our new mattress on the floor bc the dog could no longer jump on to the bed to sleep with us.
    Now just waiting for the city to come pick it up.  Flood water is full of trash, nasty stuff, dirt, and gasoline. 
    Decluttering like crazy!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 06, 2021, 08:50:03 AM
    In the last few days:
    -Sold an outgrown hoodie on eBay
    -Gave away a dress
    -Somehow ordered two school yearbooks, so gave one away to another parent
    -In packing for a vacation, discovered a bunch of outgrown pool/swim stuff. Gave away two sets of snorkel gear & four pair of goggles
    -Sold a wand topper for an indoor water park
    -Also while packing for a vacation, helped my husband declutter a couple of his drawers. This is *incredibly rare* in my house, so it was quite the victory. I'll either donate or sell whatever is there. I didn't bother sorting through it yesterday. Didn't want to slow him down. ;-)

    Attempted to donate a bunch of books to the library, but they've changed their hours again & didn't update their web site.

    My goal for today is to finish going through our pool storage bin, and pull out anything we no longer need/want.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 06, 2021, 09:33:26 AM
    Hate to make it a contest, but I think I am in the lead!
    My house flooded from the thunderstorms almost 3 weeks ago.  So all flooring, insulation, cloth furniture and anything not solid wood, and almost all possessions touching the floors had to be removed, plus kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinetry, and all drywall from 2’ down.  Unfortunately we had our new mattress on the floor bc the dog could no longer jump on to the bed to sleep with us.
    Now just waiting for the city to come pick it up.  Flood water is full of trash, nasty stuff, dirt, and gasoline. 
    Decluttering like crazy!

    Sorry to hear that.  Must be stressful.  But at least you don't have to make a lot of decisions.  It just all goes.  (Early on in my decluttering, I may have had a thought or two along the lines of "a fire would just solve this for me.")
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 06, 2021, 10:47:28 AM
    Hate to make it a contest, but I think I am in the lead!
    My house flooded from the thunderstorms almost 3 weeks ago.  So all flooring, insulation, cloth furniture and anything not solid wood, and almost all possessions touching the floors had to be removed, plus kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinetry, and all drywall from 2’ down.  Unfortunately we had our new mattress on the floor bc the dog could no longer jump on to the bed to sleep with us.
    Now just waiting for the city to come pick it up.  Flood water is full of trash, nasty stuff, dirt, and gasoline. 
    Decluttering like crazy!

    Sorry to hear that.  Must be stressful.  But at least you don't have to make a lot of decisions.  It just all goes.  (Early on in my decluttering, I may have had a thought or two along the lines of "a fire would just solve this for me.")

    So sorry to hear that, @meadow lark - that sounds really difficult. Sending you all of the positive vibes & good wishes, as you start fresh.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 06, 2021, 11:28:11 AM
    Hate to make it a contest, but I think I am in the lead!
    My house flooded from the thunderstorms almost 3 weeks ago.  So all flooring, insulation, cloth furniture and anything not solid wood, and almost all possessions touching the floors had to be removed, plus kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinetry, and all drywall from 2’ down.  Unfortunately we had our new mattress on the floor bc the dog could no longer jump on to the bed to sleep with us.
    Now just waiting for the city to come pick it up.  Flood water is full of trash, nasty stuff, dirt, and gasoline. 
    Decluttering like crazy!

    Sorry to hear that.  Must be stressful.  But at least you don't have to make a lot of decisions.  It just all goes.  (Early on in my decluttering, I may have had a thought or two along the lines of "a fire would just solve this for me.")

    A friend's mother is a hoarder. All tucked out of sight because it simply can't be acknowledged that she has a problem, but I've been in the basement. The single most effective decluttering happened after their basement flooded. My friend said they got a dumpster delivered and filled it, and that was after the trash got massively overflowed that week. The basement was unfinished too, so no drywall, etc. My friend is not going to have a good time when it comes time to clear the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 06, 2021, 12:53:10 PM
    Cleaned out or large outdoor "pool stuff" bin today:
    -Cleaned all patio chair cushions, and got those tied onto the outdoor chairs
    -Emptied the bin, and then shop vac'd it
    -Went through all of the pool toys. Found a bunch that needed to be tossed or recycled
    -Listed a few items on Buy Nothing
    -Repacked & organized everything back in the clean bin

    I also moved the bin & cleaned under it. So many leaves!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on June 06, 2021, 01:46:24 PM
    Yeah, it’s been quite the decluttering experience.  I’ve said several times, “Too bad it wasn’t a fire” so we could just have a forklift come through.

    Today I decluttered the craft closet.  Anything up on a shelf wasn’t ruined by the flood, but it all has to be boxed and moved so they can do the drywall. 

    Proud pic of my closet!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: meadow lark on June 06, 2021, 02:00:25 PM
    Light decluttering of hall closet.  I would say I half decluttered it when throwing everything in boxes and bags.  I guess I’ll declutter again when it is time to put things away.  Storing a lot in the garage until the heat rock is done.

    I did bring a load of undamaged stuff to the thrift store, but most of my stuff is just going in the trash bc there is so much exhaustion / fatigue/ time crunch.  The house has to be completely clear by tomorrow am.

    The only thing we are not having done is the master bathroom, bc we need at least 1 sink in the house to live here.  (But it will have to be gutted after.). It had been decluttered previously, but now it is a mess with all our stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 06, 2021, 07:34:04 PM
    Probably doesn't count, but I don't care.

    I'm decluttering rocks. Previous owners were idiots and used rocks for landscaping. Except they didn't do it right, so we're talking 3-6 layers of plastic, dirt, rock, and woodchips on top. Yeah. A mess. I've been digging out rocks since I bought the house 4 years ago and I will probably be digging out rocks for as long as I own it. But I'm working on the last big area of rock, and I just got a section cleared down to dirt. Only 15 feet left!!! 

    Dug out rock is piled up in the backyard until I get around to posting it as free on FB or wherever. Then some schmuck comes and hauls it away. So realistically, it won't go anywhere until the fall. Or maybe even next spring if I'm exceptionally not with it. But at least it's not in my flower beds.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on June 06, 2021, 08:36:38 PM
    @meadow lark yes, you definitely win! So very sorry about the flooding. You are putting a very positive, brave face on things. All the best.

    @Sibley it definitely counts! Gardening clutter is still clutter. I am about to prune the lower branches of 3 of my olive trees, so when I walk past them I don't get my hair tangled in the branches.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 07, 2021, 10:04:54 AM
    Ha, I declutter my lawn pretty much every day in the summer once the wind is finished blowing all the brittle branches off my poplars.  After one major wind storm, it took me 3 days to remove the ankle deep twigs.  So I could have gotten credit for all that?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 07, 2021, 04:47:57 PM
    Helped/encouraged my husband to do some decluttering while we were packing for a vacation. He found four extra pair of swim trunks. Now, let it be known that I offered to help him pack, solely because we normally arrive at a destination, and he's forgotten some sort of core item...like, swim trunks. Or, underwear. This results in lots of extras & duplicates, as you can imagine.

    -Found four pair of swim trunks. Will give a few pair away, sell the nicer brands
    -Found two extra pair of flip flops. One fits my teen, so I can avoid buying him a new pair for our trip. I'll sell the other pair, as they've never been worn & are a fancy brand
    -Three pair of shorts he's outgrown. I'll give those away
    -A swim shirt that's two sizes too big. Already have someone ready to pick it up via Buy Nothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on June 07, 2021, 06:08:32 PM
    Broke down a pile of boxes and carried a load of cardboard and paper to the recycling pickup spot.  I can now walk to the couch without stepping over anything!  Moving sucks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 07, 2021, 06:27:37 PM
    Recycling dudes rolled by today and took away a bunch of ancient and unused and unneeded  plastic and glass that used to be in my kitchen cabinets.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on June 09, 2021, 09:14:59 AM
    Monday I rearranged my storage unit and made it much easier to get around in. I than managed to get the top of the toolbox into the car and onton the rest of the 3-tier toolbox! I am so happy and relieved to get that out of the house and away from possible toe annihilation.

    I tossed some really horrible and smelly soap remints that I had been given. I also managed to drain a hand soap that the pumphead had broken off into another container so it can be used up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on June 09, 2021, 02:59:33 PM
    Was deep cleaning a storage area in our kitchen, and asked my wife to tell me what she wanted to keep so I could put it all back. She's not necessarily a hoarder, but doesn't like to get rid of anything that "could be useful", so I was expecting to make room again for most of it. But she got rid of two bags of reusable bags, two bags of medical supplies for the cat that's no longer with us (it was too hard to get rid of it at the time), and a small shoe rack that we weren't really using anymore. Very pleased! It's much easier to get to the stuff we actually kept now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 10, 2021, 04:07:02 PM
    Not our decluttering buuuut our neighbour is moving out and this means we will finally have a basement that we can easily get our car in and out of, now he's not using it to store construction equipment, including mini-digger.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 10, 2021, 06:56:43 PM
    @SheWhoWalksAtLunch that seems like a very sensible standard.

    @mspym woot!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 10, 2021, 06:56:52 PM
    Not our decluttering buuuut our neighbour is moving out and this means we will finally have a basement that we can easily get our car in and out of, now he's not using it to store construction equipment, including mini-digger.

    Clearly, basements aren't the same thing in Australia as in North America.  We would never be able to get a car up and down the stairs, lol!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 10, 2021, 08:17:10 PM
    Not our decluttering buuuut our neighbour is moving out and this means we will finally have a basement that we can easily get our car in and out of, now he's not using it to store construction equipment, including mini-digger.

    Clearly, basements aren't the same thing in Australia as in North America.  We would never be able to get a car up and down the stairs, lol!

    I'm curious. @mspym  please describe your basement.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 11, 2021, 03:50:48 AM
    Easy - we have a duplex and underneath is the basement garage with a sloped driveway down into it. Internal stairs go up into the houses, with little storage rooms. Our side has our bikes, our gym and the home brewing set-up. The neighbour's side (and well into the shared space) is filled with equipment for his construction business, often including a small digger.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 11, 2021, 10:40:02 AM
    Easy - we have a duplex and underneath is the basement garage with a sloped driveway down into it. Internal stairs go up into the houses, with little storage rooms. Our side has our bikes, our gym and the home brewing set-up. The neighbour's side (and well into the shared space) is filled with equipment for his construction business, often including a small digger.

    Aah, so more like underground parking than what we call a basement, where there are only steps inside the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 11, 2021, 11:00:48 AM
    Thank you! I've seen houses that are set up like that, but I haven't called it a basement. Don't know what I would call it though. Mostly I just call it a recipe for flooding. Hopefully that isn't a problem for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on June 11, 2021, 02:05:46 PM
    Great job everyone!

    Here, lately, I've tossed:
    2 pairs of shoes, both well over 20 years old, with one more pair possibly joining them
    A pair each holey socks and skivvies
    A pair of holey trouser socks
    Old medications (the local PD has a drop box)
    A few old beauty items

    Also:
    A stack of egg cartons went to a neighbor
    3 magazines went to a different neighbor
    Baking goods were used up in 6+ dozen homemade cookies
    Blueberries and strawberries were used in a keto friendly cheesecake
    A neighbor's Mason jar was returned to her

    And this weekend I'll declutter about a billion dust mites from cleaning the floors.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on June 11, 2021, 05:18:32 PM
    Finally parted with a few pairs of shoes that do not fit right. I debated selling them, but then left them labelled in the neighbourhood free space and they were claimed right away so I'm happy with that. I took a big box of jars to a friend who does seasonal canning and they gave us a few jams and pickles in exchange! I will definitely do that again.
    We were gifted a care package months ago of cookies and hot chocolate and mugs. The thought was very appreciated, but I have too many mugs already and have turned a few extras into pen cups, and artful storage containers on the desk already, so these were not even needed as backups. They finally went onto the neighbourhood free space too.
    One more online sale in the last week, so I'm encouraged to continue despite it being so slow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 11, 2021, 07:03:18 PM
    Finally figured out how to use Facebook Marketplace without a smartphone, so online sales may pick up!  I have been using Craigslist, but that seems to be yielding fewer and fewer sales as no one apparently even looks there any more, sigh.

    On other news, I took two average size bags of clothes to Salvation Army today. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 12, 2021, 08:51:25 AM
    My son received a yard sign & metal holder for his middle school graduation. He has zero interest in displaying said yard sign. I posted on my local Buy Nothing, & someone was looking for a yard sign holder. Win/win.

    I've also asked about any place to donate outgrown soccer uniforms. Club uniforms are $250+/each, and I have a bunch to donate. I'm hoping someone will come up with ideas, because the waste just about kills me.

    I've given away all of our zucchini ahead of our vacation. We're talking 15+ zucchini, and they are all distributed to people who want them. Hurrah!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 12, 2021, 09:39:20 AM
    My son received a yard sign & metal holder for his middle school graduation. He has zero interest in displaying said yard sign. I posted on my local Buy Nothing, & someone was looking for a yard sign holder. Win/win.

    I've also asked about any place to donate outgrown soccer uniforms. Club uniforms are $250+/each, and I have a bunch to donate. I'm hoping someone will come up with ideas, because the waste just about kills me.

    I've given away all of our zucchini ahead of our vacation. We're talking 15+ zucchini, and they are all distributed to people who want them. Hurrah!

    Is there a club mailing list, message board, etc?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 12, 2021, 11:24:21 AM
    @Sibley - the club is swapping to a different uniform. It's required by the contract with Adidas every two years, I believe. Adidas "retires" your original uniform & you have to use a new design. It's obviously a scam, so you can't repurpose/share uniforms. It's also incredibly wasteful. So, no good options for passing down within the club, as everyone needs to order the new uniforms
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on June 12, 2021, 12:32:00 PM
    I donated a recyclable bag full of bric a brac today.  Some spray I was gifted, a surge protector thingy, a few poor fitting shirts.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 12, 2021, 12:52:53 PM
    @Sibley - the club is swapping to a different uniform. It's required by the contract with Adidas every two years, I believe. Adidas "retires" your original uniform & you have to use a new design. It's obviously a scam, so you can't repurpose/share uniforms. It's also incredibly wasteful. So, no good options for passing down within the club, as everyone needs to order the new uniforms

    That is seriously shitty.

    I would see if you could find a low income team or something and coordinate a mass donation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 12, 2021, 08:52:25 PM
    I can finally participate again! In re-organizing the bike stuff, I found a key to a bike locker at the transit station I no longer live near. So was able to mail that back to the transit company and will get my $25 key deposit back! Woo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 13, 2021, 11:02:23 AM
    40% chance of rain at the flea market today, so stayed home and walked around and started a list of items to try to sell on Facebook Marketplace, since I now have an account there.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on June 13, 2021, 11:27:22 AM
    Recycled a bag of plastics today.  I am hoping to have 2 large boxes emptied out this week to clean out--I am tired out vacuuming around them!  They contain cat food from Chewy that I didn't realize would be so huge when I ordered it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on June 13, 2021, 06:18:17 PM
    An empowering decluttering this week:  I took all of my high heeled shoes to the thrift store.  I haven't worn them in several years and don't intend to ever wear heels again. I want to be comfortable at any formal events I attend, and I'm confident I'll be able to find some dressy flats or sandals to wear as needed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 14, 2021, 07:54:03 AM
    3 bags of stuff in the trunk to be dropped off on my way home. Thanks to road construction, I'm on the backup to the backup route and go right past the goodwill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on June 14, 2021, 05:47:41 PM
    @SquashingDebt getting rid of high heels is a fabulous feelig! I am so happy my 5 ft tall daughter doesn't feel the need to look taller than she is, and lives in Birks and Docs. My own mother insisted high heels were necessary, and I spent many years tottering around in pain. Gave them up a few years ago too and mainly go barefoot :-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 16, 2021, 07:13:44 AM
    Will do online research on 4 retro board games (sixties) to see if there is any interest from buyers.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 16, 2021, 07:15:59 PM
    Will do online research on 4 retro board games (sixties) to see if there is any interest from buyers.     

    Good luck! I tried to buy a replica of my Mom's Mille Bornes (card game) from that era and it was *pricey*.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 17, 2021, 06:22:57 AM
    Will do online research on 4 retro board games (sixties) to see if there is any interest from buyers.     

    Good luck! I tried to buy a replica of my Mom's Mille Bornes (card game) from that era and it was *pricey*.

    Have to correct myself. These games are from the 80's, not the 60's.  I checked on ebay and they are asking $10 to $34 plus shipping.  Tried to find what actually sold, for how much, and, as usual, could not locate that combination of clicks. They really hide it well, or I am just challenged in that regard, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on June 17, 2021, 06:31:39 AM
    @slackmax There may be an easier way but I’ve found recent sales prices by clicking “sell one like this”.

    I’d also suggest that you have nothing to lose. Right? You don’t have to do a lot of work and fine the niche audience to make top dollar. You can list them as a lot of vintage games at a price that will be a bit more than breaking even and see what happens. Maybe they’ll be bid up. Or maybe someone will get a great deal. Either way they’ll be out of your hands.

    That’s how my trickle of eBay sales have been. I’ll send these things to goodwill if they don’t sell so I’ll really accept almost any offer.  It’s kind of nice to give someone a great deal too. I sold some fence posts via Facebook and all parties knew it was a good deal and all parties were happy with it. People got a little animated and happy to find exactly what they wanted/needed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 17, 2021, 07:20:37 AM
    @slackmax There may be an easier way but I’ve found recent sales prices by clicking “sell one like this”.

    I’d also suggest that you have nothing to lose. Right? You don’t have to do a lot of work and fine the niche audience to make top dollar. You can list them as a lot of vintage games at a price that will be a bit more than breaking even and see what happens. Maybe they’ll be bid up. Or maybe someone will get a great deal. Either way they’ll be out of your hands.

    That’s how my trickle of eBay sales have been. I’ll send these things to goodwill if they don’t sell so I’ll really accept almost any offer.  It’s kind of nice to give someone a great deal too. I sold some fence posts via Facebook and all parties knew it was a good deal and all parties were happy with it. People got a little animated and happy to find exactly what they wanted/needed.

    PMG, thanks, I will try the 'sell one like this' option.

    I don't have a current ebay account. They don't recognize my old account, for some reason, so I would have to start up a new ebay account.

    Don't know if it would be worth the hassle for me.   

    I hear you about being happy to give someone a great deal, and the win win situation.

    Back when people actually looked at Craigslist, I would often get one single person responding to my ad, even after weeks, and I was happy to get anything for my item, and he knew he was getting a great deal. Win win.  And at Craigslist there was no paypal, no fees, and other ebay hassle.   

    I've recently signed up for Facebook Marketplace, and am getting some strong customer interest one of my items. Local pickup, which I like. No mailing. And no fees (at least for how I use it).

    Also, I am lucky to have a flea market just 10 miles away where I can rent a table for $5 a day, and get rid of stuff there, sometimes for decent money, usually for low prices, though, of course. But good to get rid of the stuff, and get some dough for it.

    After I've tried selling something for a few months at the flea market, off to the donations it goes, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 19, 2021, 12:05:22 AM
    @slackmax it all counts! Drawers that are easier to find things in and put things into are a decluttering win, too.

    I've been hesitant to report this here, but after your post, I'm definitely going to:

    Two days ago, I took the sewing things out of the cardboard box they'd been living in and put them back in the cabinet in which they belong. This was a delayed bit of decluttering from my move in late Feb.

    I didn't even get rid of the box, because I'd recently wanted a box for something, but can't remember anymore why. Box will live flattened behind my dresser for a few weeks. If I don't remember why I wanted it by 6/15, then it will go out for weekly trash collection.

    Anyway, the upshot is that the walk in closed is a bit more cleared out. Decluttering win!

    The box is gone!


    I'm actually back to Inbox Zero as of this evening. Which will last for a while, but if my life gets stressful, that's probably something that will get less attention.

    Been doing OK, dealing with most papers as they come in or within a few days. It feels odd to have paper piled around anymore, which I take as a good sign. However, the insurance company is not paying my doctor, saying they never received the claims. Doc says they were sent, but can't show proof because they didn't keep any. I've got a stack of claims papers that the doc is asking me to pay. I've got to call the insurance company, but don't wanna. Accountability: this weekend I'll look up the number for the proper department, call will happen on Monday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on June 19, 2021, 06:24:19 AM
    I gave away 2 food items on my local Buy Nothing group. Will recycle some ginormous boxes Monday morning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 19, 2021, 12:04:32 PM
    Been doing OK, dealing with most papers as they come in or within a few days. It feels odd to have paper piled around anymore, which I take as a good sign. However, the insurance company is not paying my doctor, saying they never received the claims. Doc says they were sent, but can't show proof because they didn't keep any. I've got a stack of claims papers that the doc is asking me to pay. I've got to call the insurance company, but don't wanna. Accountability: this weekend I'll look up the number for the proper department, call will happen on Monday.

    Oneday, I'd be willing to bet that the doctor's office didn't file the claims and are trying to say they did. Sure, call insurance, but then call the dr's billing person and ask them if they could resubmit the claims since clearly it got lost somewhere. IE, give them the out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 20, 2021, 08:31:12 AM
    Having good results with Facebook Marketplace. Got lots of interest in my cardstock stash. Made two local sales, $10 each, and, more important than the cash, got rid of a few cubic feet of clutter.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 20, 2021, 09:26:37 AM
    Having good results with Facebook Marketplace. Got lots of interest in my cardstock stash. Made two local sales, $10 each, and, more important than the cash, got rid of a few cubic feet of clutter.   

    That's wonderful! You're reaching a completely different group of people too, which is helpful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: AerynLee on June 20, 2021, 10:22:14 AM
    We're relatively clutter free, but the previous owners of our house left a ton of unusable crap. This weekend we filled up a full sized dumpster with piles of rotted railroad ties, a water heater and washing machine that are probably from the 70s, used laminate flooring, used bathroom tiles, old lathing, etc. We still have another smaller dumpster worth of stuff that we'll hopefully get rid of in a couple of weeks after we consolidate everything into the newly (mostly) empty shed
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 20, 2021, 10:25:21 PM
    Yay @slackmax ! As @Sibley says, you have a new market. I hope you are able to move the cardstock at long last!

    Re-organized the walk in closet and now don't need a half dozen baskets previously used for organization. Gave one to a friend and the others will go to the thrift shop when during the next donation period.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 26, 2021, 08:16:17 AM
    Yay @slackmax ! As @Sibley says, you have a new market. I hope you are able to move the cardstock at long last!

    Re-organized the walk in closet and now don't need a half dozen baskets previously used for organization. Gave one to a friend and the others will go to the thrift shop when during the next donation period.

    Thanks, Oneday! 

    And I just sold an old electric mantle clock for $45 to a local clock collector who is gonna love it.  Also on FB Marketplace.   

    All the cardstock is gone!  Now I have discovered a lot of what I thought was cardstock is just colored regular thin paper. But I just found out people will buy that also!  Woohoo! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on June 26, 2021, 08:20:10 AM
    Tossed out 2 worn out pairs of shoes, and am donating a puzzle, artificial flowers, books, and some clothes to the Goodwill when they open at 10am. 

    I've realized that, being a morning person, it's more effective for me to do this sorting and decluttering in the morning when I have more energy and focus.
    Afternoons are for naps or reading or watching movies or other quieter retiree stuff, of course ...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 26, 2021, 08:42:24 AM
    -Gave away a giant stack of games the kids no longer play via Buy Nothing
    -Attempted to give away a few clothes that no longer fit my husband, but no takers. I've noticed mens clothing doesn't move/moves very slowly on Buy Nothing. It's largely a group of women. Will add to the donation stack instead
    -I have an incredibly ugly but functional pair of shoes. I only wear them on international trips, for travel days. Pre-COVID, I made 6-8 international work trips/year. I'm planning to FIRE next year, and am committed (to myself) to make zero more international work trips. It felt like a big step when I put the shoes in the donation pile yesterday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on June 27, 2021, 10:04:26 AM
    Has anyone else noticed that rearranging things in your home can lead to more decluttering? 

    I've found that my brain gets used to seeing things in a certain location every day but when I shift items around, even in just one room, it sets off some re-thinking of the whole area.  On the flip side, it's made me realize that some things I thought I needed to buy were actually unnecessary after the place was rearranged.

    I haven't been one to move things around much but I've realized that it's good to shake things up periodically.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on June 27, 2021, 10:56:58 AM
    I try to empty out the motorhome twice a year, before moving between my summer and winter spots.  I'm changing motorhomes next month so there will be much clearing and packing and decluttering.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 27, 2021, 02:41:27 PM
    Gave a couple of fans and a Rubbermaid bin to DS as he is making a swamp cooler for his apartment. Tried to give him some lamps, but be wasn't interested.

    Not much else happening in the de-cluttering department. I have a bunch of stuff set aside that needs to go to the thrift shop. Will try to do that soon. Not feeling very energetic lately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 27, 2021, 04:03:38 PM
    I've started adding things to my eBay closet from around the house, that I will either sell or donate. We're heading out of town in a few days, so it doesn't make sense to list anything now. But, items are gathered & ready when I return. I did make one eBay sale (the rest of the listings are now paused), so a makeup sample is on its way to a new owner. I also returned a gift my husband didn't want/need.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 27, 2021, 09:36:46 PM
    @shadowmoss keep us updated, especially if you declutter anything noteworthy.

    @LaineyAZ yes! Not exactly the way you describe. But I've moved from an apartment to a small house, and the different layout accommodates a different arrangement of stuff. After almost 4 months here, seems like everything is arranged.

    So anyway, last weekend I finally arranged the walk in/only closet. It was partly done, but a lot of it was just piled. Now it looks great! I'd been keeping baskets and other organizing tools to see where they would be needed, and there was an excess of those at the end. This week I shared them with my hobby group, and they all got taken...about 6 baskets re-homed! Saved me a trip to the thrift store :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 28, 2021, 07:15:44 AM
    Has anyone else noticed that rearranging things in your home can lead to more decluttering? 


    Whenever I make myself dig into a cluttered up area, just to see what's there, I end up rearranging it.  So, decluttering leads to rearranging, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on June 28, 2021, 09:26:41 AM
    My mom got angry at the manager of her senior apartment at the same time I was helping a neighbor here in the rv park sell his 5th wheel.  She ended up buying it and we have been moving her for 3 weeks.  She is 90, but still drives.  My main feelings about it have been that I am so happy she is the one sorting through everything and it's not me clearing her apartment after she is gone.  Still a lot of stuff but much less.  Especially kitchen items, furniture and books.

    At the same time frame, the door broke off my refrigerator and it was one too many things wrong with this motorhome I've lived in for 4 years.  I ended up committing to buy my manager's motorhome from the same era (late 90's) while borrowing a dorm fridge from the parks excess inventory.

    Karma works.  The day before we had given that manager Mom's hospital bed for his bedridden uncle they take care of.  He made me a good deal in the motorhome.  I then gave him the rolling hospital bed tray  I had gotten last year after a neighbor down in my winter park died.  The service there  had declined to pick it up and family was going to trash it as they had flown in to clear things out.  It all works out.

    So far I have put out 3 pieces of my clothing to donate and filed some medical papers that were in a messy pile.  It's a start.


    My current motorhome will be put in the small storage lot.here.and I will pull the items in my expensive storage units and store them in it, which will mean finally sorting through everything there.

    This is apparently the summer of moving.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on June 28, 2021, 02:48:30 PM
    We can finally drop donations off again, so I did that this morning.   Kitchen things I don't use enough and have no room for in our new house, a few clothes that are too big now, and the drapes the previous owner left for us.   It was nice to get that stuff out of the house.   I need to do another pass in the kitchen to weed out the extra mugs and glasses too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 28, 2021, 05:00:24 PM
    @shadowmoss you know they say to everything (turn, turn turn) there is a season. You are living in the moving season, I guess.  I love the serendipity of your karma swaps!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 02, 2021, 10:27:27 AM
    Interesting reports there, people!

    Here, I sold another $10 worth of paper, woohoo!  to a Facebook  Marketplace buyer.  She was a no-show on our first attempt. Gave her another chance, and we connected.

    Besides the paper, I was able to use up 2 appropriately sized cardboard boxes I was saving for something like this, to hold the paper.   

    This Facebook Marketplace thing is working well for me, so far.

    Thinking about taking some stuff to the flea market this weekend, but I wonder if people will be doing other things, since it is a holiday weekend.   

    I was stuck inside my house for a few days, since I wanted to temporarily keep miles off my car, so I roamed around the house, cleaning here and dusting there, recycling this and that, throwing out a few things.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 02, 2021, 12:28:59 PM
    I successfully gifted some electrolyte popsicles to a Buy Nothing lady who actually showed up when she said she would!  Yay!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 04, 2021, 12:46:36 PM
    I took a big load of stuff to the thrift store that had been accumulating, so that feels good to have it out of the house and garage. At the last minute I threw in two lamps that I was planning to try to sell, but decided I couldn't be bothered.

    I also dropped off a box of baby clothes at the women's shelter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on July 04, 2021, 02:22:12 PM
    Can I join you guys? I recently read a book on minimalism and am halfway through another, which have been really inspiring to me. I'm not sure if I want to be a full-on minimalist, but I definitely want to declutter a lot and work on my packrat tendencies.

    Yesterday I donated three grocery bags of clothing and a big cardboard box of board games, DVDs, and a few other things. I also gave away a bird bath on my Buy Nothing group - it wasn't a great bird bath so I wasn't sure anyone would want it, but I had five people ask for it.

    I also scheduled a bulky item trash pickup - we get one free one a year through the county. Unfortunately they stopped accepting treated wood this year though, so I'll have to figure out something else for the rotten fence boards that my husband replaced.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 04, 2021, 10:08:59 PM
    @nessness there are all types here!

    Frustration - listed an old printer/scanner for free and got ghosted. Long after the meeting time passed, the person emailed to meet again, saying their phone had died so they couldn't navigate to the meet point. I just don't have the energy to deal with the possibility that they won't show a second time. Waiting for another person to be interested...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 05, 2021, 06:53:02 AM
    Welcome, nessness.

    Oneday, I hear you about the ghosting. It seems the people who say they will pick up  free stuff are the worst ghosters.

    Here in my decluttering, I took a lot of household stuff to the flea market, and made $41. Woot!  Not a fortune, but I got rid of a lot of stuff. Notably a big pillow.

    In the small items category, I got $10 apiece for 2 vintage HO scale model train cars. That's $20 I would have lost out on had I just donated them.   

    It was fun to see my regular customers again, and my fellow vendors. The vinyl record vendor played Grateful Dead music all day, which I enjoyed, fortunately.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on July 05, 2021, 09:11:57 AM
    @slackmax do you think you are honing your radar better for what sells?  It seems that you spend so much time trying to sell these items, but your time is worth something too.  Maybe if you get a better sense for what sells, you can stop spinning your wheels on hauling the other items over and over to the flea market (and paying the fee).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 05, 2021, 12:58:52 PM
    @slackmax do you think you are honing your radar better for what sells?  It seems that you spend so much time trying to sell these items, but your time is worth something too.  Maybe if you get a better sense for what sells, you can stop spinning your wheels on hauling the other items over and over to the flea market (and paying the fee).

    Here's the thing, Captain FIRE. I enjoy being there. It's a social event for me. I don't know why. I guess everyone's different, right? Some people would hate it, of course.  But for me it's a very low risk 'adventure'. 

    Yeah, I have a better sense now of what will quickly sell. But a lot of stuff sells "eventually". I have a beautiful hand crafted wooden oriental horse drawn carriage miniature that many people look at and ask about, but do not buy, even at $5.  I'd say that's going to sell eventually. I don't mind hauling it, and other stuff, back and forth (well, maybe there's a little bit of frustration, yes, lol).         

    And, like everything, it's more complicated than one might think, which makes it interesting.  I personally am unable to sell a wicker basket, no matter how beautiful it is, to a typical customer, for any price, even for 50 cents.  BUT....  I have been able to sell wicker to another vendor. Why is that? Who knows. It's one of those interesting things.   And the vendor only wants to buy big baskets, so I have donated about 20 small and medium wicker baskets already, happy to be rid of them.

    And demand for something comes and goes. I was about to donate thousands of sheets of paper since no one wanted to buy it, and suddenly people want paper.
    I've already sold  $50 of paper this Spring and Summer. Woohoo! Glad I held onto it.

    In case you are wondering, no, I do NOT hope to find additional caches of sellable stuff lying around my hpuse, lol. I'd rather not have the hassle. Doesn't make sense, I know. C'est la vie.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on July 05, 2021, 03:33:28 PM
    I had a productive weekend. Both kids were gone and I deep cleaned both rooms. we also got rid of a piece of furniture from DD's room. She is a bit of a hoarder so when she gets a home I am going to try to tempt her to get rid of more by offering a room makeover (a few new things like curtains or shelves or a picture for the walls, and a little rearranging) if she agrees to release some items.

    For now I filled one Rubbermaid tub for each kid with stuff I think they should get rid of, but It's their choice.

    For my own self I went through the linen closet and a few other places and decluttered. I finally released a pair of boots that I've wanted to get rid of for years and held onto for some reason.  They were never very comfortable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 05, 2021, 04:14:16 PM
    Replaced a bunch of switches and outlets on parent's new house. Many of the old ones were burnt.

    Removed the fridge, stove, dishwasher, and microwave. Have given the stove, microwave, a couple old sump pumps, and various other scrap metal to a scrapper today. He did the heavy lifting at least. The dishwasher is up as available to anyone on FB, and if I don't hear from anyone it'll go out for trash day this week.

    The fridge we can "sell" to the electric company, just need to find the program and schedule a pickup.

    Also decluttered a bunch of wallpaper. Mom was removing ivy and filled a couple trash bags.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on July 05, 2021, 06:28:55 PM
    Fridge deep clean day! Strategic cooking was involved to use things up, but some other stuff just had to be thrown away or recycled.

    I also successfully gave away various gift wrapping supplies on Buy Nothing. I save and reuse bags/bags, etc., but stash acquisition had far exceeded my ability to use that stuff up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on July 05, 2021, 07:09:52 PM
    My daughter has released 6 large paperbacks for free, which someone is picking up today. She bought the series and only enjoyed the 1st book. Lesson learned: borrow from the library next time!

    Rang the local e-waste centre and they will take my broken vacuum in exchange for a gold coin donation. The vacuum repair shop wanted to charge me $15 to dispose of it themselves. Hell no.

    Am contemplating actually tossing a pair of knee length, Camper boots I have worn for 16 years. They have been resoled, and had the zips replaced but the sole has now completely come away from the leather and I think it is time for a new pair. Which is sad, as they were very expensive and extremely comfortable and I know I won't find anything of a similar quality. But no point keeping them if I can't wear them!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 05, 2021, 07:17:23 PM
    @lazycow do you have a cobbler that could replace the soles again or is there nothing there or the sole to be attached to? I love a hardwearing boot so I'm always inclined to repair if possible.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on July 05, 2021, 09:29:32 PM
    I finished decluttering my living/dining room today (except the secretary desk, which needs more work but is at least hidden) and it looks great! Finishing a room is super motivating.

    I also removed everything from one kitchen drawer, which was mostly storing random junk and, for some reason, six boxes of band-aids. I moved some plates and bowls there to give my kids more independence in getting meals and snacks - they couldn't reach them where they were before.

    I had a bit of decluttering derailment yesterday, when my aunt gave each of my kids a large shopping bag full of stuff. I know she gets a lot of joy out of shopping for them, and she's given them some great stuff, but she does this every few months and it's just too much - even my 6-year-old told me she doesn't need that much stuff.

    I packed a few of the things that they hadn't shown much interest in away this morning, before they had the chance to decide that no, that troll doll was actually their favorite thing in the world. And I worked with them to organize part of the playroom and pick some things to get rid of, so overall the weekend was probably net neutral for kids stuff.

    But now to get my aunt to stop giving them so much stuff. Anyone have any tips for how to do this tactfully?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on July 05, 2021, 09:49:52 PM
    @lazycow - Sorry to hear about your boots. I had a similar issue and sadness once about having to dispose of a pair of boots after a decade of service and repairs. If the boots really can't be repaired again (doesn't hurt to ask a cobbler!) see if you can find a shoe/boot recycling drop-off point before tossing. I heard of one Australian program called the ASGA Save Our Soles Footwear Recycling Initiative but don't know details or what else might be near you.

    @nessness - That's a tricky one. I've seen iterations of that question about gift giving come up before, like on this thread: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/mini-money-mustaches/how-to-talk-grandparents-out-of-buying-crappy-toys/ See if that has some wisdom that is helpful to you.

    The aunt may have no idea her behavior is upsetting you. Have you ever spoken to her about her gift giving patterns in the past? If not, and you don't want to continue the option of simply accepting her behavior and dealing with the stream of gifts as it arrives - which is a valid option depending on your goals and family dynamics, but clearly isn't your ideal situation - some manner of conversation is needed setting boundaries and expectations. Those boundaries could be many different things. Maybe you want to establish a firm "no physical gifts" or "no physical gifts except at birthdays or major holidays rule." Maybe you tactfully try to redirect the gift giving desire by suggesting specific gifts you actually would be happy for your children to accept. Or encourage financial contributions to a bigger goal such as a summer camp or college fund. Express appreciation for the past gifts and the love for your children that they represent, then explain why the current situation isn't working for your family and describe what you'd like to see happen in the future. It sounds like you have a positive relationship overall with this aunt, so if you are calm and clear in your messaging, the conversation may be smoother than you are imagining.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on July 06, 2021, 09:19:22 AM
    I'm not sure whether to count this as a declutter win or fail...

    Visited my dad over the weekend to go through some things that were left/stored at his house, as he is tentatively planning to downsize and wants to clear out a lot of stuff.  We sorted everything left in my old room, his bookshelves, and the basement storage.  I was surprised by how much stuff there was - I'd forgotten that we saved a lot of children's books and toys in storage for my future progeny.

    Now a lot of that stuff, as well as some books from Dad's collection and some of the stuff I'd left in my room, are piled in bins in my living room. Fail! On the other hand, nearly as much stuff wound up in trash bags or donation boxes, and of course all of it is out of Dad's house. Win? Probably some more things will migrate to donation, as I unpack on this end.  Since I only had the day, anything that was questionable I kept to look at again later.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 06, 2021, 09:23:40 AM
    I'm not sure whether to count this as a declutter win or fail...

    Visited my dad over the weekend to go through some things that were left/stored at his house, as he is tentatively planning to downsize and wants to clear out a lot of stuff.  We sorted everything left in my old room, his bookshelves, and the basement storage.  I was surprised by how much stuff there was - I'd forgotten that we saved a lot of children's books and toys in storage for my future progeny.

    Now a lot of that stuff, as well as some books from Dad's collection and some of the stuff I'd left in my room, are piled in bins in my living room. Fail! On the other hand, nearly as much stuff wound up in trash bags or donation boxes, and of course all of it is out of Dad's house. Win? Probably some more things will migrate to donation, as I unpack on this end.  Since I only had the day, anything that was questionable I kept to look at again later.

    Sometimes it feels like a failure during the process, but until you get to the end, you can't really know.  As long as there is a net reduction in stuff, even if it's been shifted around, in my books, that's still a win.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on July 06, 2021, 09:25:29 AM
    I'm not sure whether to count this as a declutter win or fail...

    Visited my dad over the weekend to go through some things that were left/stored at his house, as he is tentatively planning to downsize and wants to clear out a lot of stuff.  We sorted everything left in my old room, his bookshelves, and the basement storage.  I was surprised by how much stuff there was - I'd forgotten that we saved a lot of children's books and toys in storage for my future progeny.

    Now a lot of that stuff, as well as some books from Dad's collection and some of the stuff I'd left in my room, are piled in bins in my living room. Fail! On the other hand, nearly as much stuff wound up in trash bags or donation boxes, and of course all of it is out of Dad's house. Win? Probably some more things will migrate to donation, as I unpack on this end.  Since I only had the day, anything that was questionable I kept to look at again later.

    Sometimes it feels like a failure during the process, but until you get to the end, you can't really know.  As long as there is a net reduction in stuff, even if it's been shifted around, in my books, that's still a win.

    You're probably right - at the moment, it feels like fail since there's more stuff in my home, but it's still a net decrease of stuff.  I would have needed to get the things from Dad's eventually, anyway.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 06, 2021, 09:36:28 AM
    We have officially emptied our vacation house (we close in 2 days) & made the 12 hour drive back yesterday. We didn't even to rent the trailer we'd planned on - we fit it all into the back of our car. I'm pretty happy with that. We sold the house fully furnished, but had to remove all of our personal items.

    -We donated a bunch
    -Gave away things to my family that they could use (pantry items, spices, alcohol, etc)
    -Brought the remainder back in our car

    I have a few items to list on eBay, but I'd say that's less than a handful. Today we'll unpack, & see what we have left in terms of duplication.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on July 06, 2021, 08:13:53 PM
    Thanks @draco44! I gave it some thought and decided to let it go for now and reevaluate in the future - my aunt is going through a lot right now, including my uncle recently being diagnosed with a serious illness. So if it takes her mind off things to pick out things for my kids, I can deal with that a few times a year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on July 07, 2021, 02:20:34 PM
    Over the 3-day weekend, I focused on clearing kitchen counter space:

    ~3 things we use, but not daily, were put into cupboards
    ~1 item was washed and put onto the donation/re-gifting shelf
    ~I made homemade cold brew coffee so the large Mason jar is off the counter
    ~Finally made chocolate macadamia nut clusters so those ingredients are out of the fruit bowl.  Now fruit is housed in said bowl.
    ~DH repaired my wristwatch band, so that's off the counter
    ~I polished my work shoes, and the polish was put away
    ~I dusted the main room and put away the dusting spray
    ~The small toy a neighbor kiddo left behind was returned yesterday
    ~I really would like to put the slow cooker away, but now that it is 90+ degrees, I'm using it several times a week.
    ~Still need to put 4th of July decorations back into storage
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 07, 2021, 03:14:37 PM
    @MountainGal - good work! Also, yum on the chocolate macadamia nut clusters.

    -I sold two vases I brought home from our vacation house. I listed them on Facebook Marketplace, and sold them in 10 minutes, so perhaps I had the price wrong ;-)
    -Unpaused my eBay listings, now that we're back from some traveling. Sold two tshirts & a book. Packaged those up using recycled packaging, and they are ready to be dropped off at the mail box

    I have a bunch of stuff sitting in the closet, waiting to be listed & donated. I'm going to try and get at least 3-5 items done per day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 07, 2021, 11:21:51 PM
    Frustration - listed an old printer/scanner for free and got ghosted. Long after the meeting time passed, the person emailed to meet again, saying their phone had died so they couldn't navigate to the meet point. I just don't have the energy to deal with the possibility that they won't show a second time. Waiting for another person to be interested...

    Ghosted again! I can't rule out the possibility that it was the same person getting revenge on me for not trying to re-schedule with them the first time. But also, absolutely no basis for this whatsoever (outside of my own demented imagination).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on July 08, 2021, 11:11:29 AM
    Time to get serious about cleaning house!  Got the first draft of renovation plans from our architect, and while the renovation is at least 8-12 months out...better to start downsizing items we don't use now rather than scrambling later or pay to store later.  And with lead time, ideally they can be rehomed rather than just trashed. 

    Game plan: Two passes through each room before reno time.  Averaging at least one item or group of like items out per day.

    First out from the laundry & closet room: shower head replaced by a free low flow shower head ~6 years ago.  4 pairs of hotel slippers never worn from 5 & 7 years ago.  Curling irons that haven't been used in...15+? years?  (Yes, it's that bad of stuff I've never used/haven't used in years and I didn't even realize it.)  It is frankly amazing how much stuff the eye just glazes right over.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 08, 2021, 12:24:43 PM
    Set a goal to list five things on eBay today, and five things on Buy Nothing. I also donated another five items. Progress! Maybe I can convince the Buy Nothing folks to take some zucchini with them when they pick up. Win/win
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on July 08, 2021, 12:30:11 PM
    Frustration - listed an old printer/scanner for free and got ghosted. Long after the meeting time passed, the person emailed to meet again, saying their phone had died so they couldn't navigate to the meet point. I just don't have the energy to deal with the possibility that they won't show a second time. Waiting for another person to be interested...

    Ghosted again! I can't rule out the possibility that it was the same person getting revenge on me for not trying to re-schedule with them the first time. But also, absolutely no basis for this whatsoever (outside of my own demented imagination).

    The ghosting is indeed so annoying!

    I had a number of things listed on Buy Nothing this week and tried an experiment that worked well. I offered two pick-up times, and managed to schedule three people for the same pick-up time one day, and another three people at a different pick-up time the next day. Day 1, all three people showed roughly on time, within a time spread of 20 minutes. That felt amazing! A masterwork of efficiency. Day 2, only 1 person out of 3 turned up. Grrr. I'm giving one of the no-shows a second chance today, and if that fails, will look for another donation option.

    I like this strategy and will try it in the future. All the "almost there!" texts on Day 1 seemed less annoying and more like I was overseeing a race since my total time invested in the situation was so condensed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 08, 2021, 11:27:10 PM
    Frustration - listed an old printer/scanner for free and got ghosted. Long after the meeting time passed, the person emailed to meet again, saying their phone had died so they couldn't navigate to the meet point. I just don't have the energy to deal with the possibility that they won't show a second time. Waiting for another person to be interested...

    Ghosted again! I can't rule out the possibility that it was the same person getting revenge on me for not trying to re-schedule with them the first time. But also, absolutely no basis for this whatsoever (outside of my own demented imagination).

    The ghosting is indeed so annoying!

    I had a number of things listed on Buy Nothing this week and tried an experiment that worked well. I offered two pick-up times, and managed to schedule three people for the same pick-up time one day, and another three people at a different pick-up time the next day. Day 1, all three people showed roughly on time, within a time spread of 20 minutes. That felt amazing! A masterwork of efficiency. Day 2, only 1 person out of 3 turned up. Grrr. I'm giving one of the no-shows a second chance today, and if that fails, will look for another donation option.

    I like this strategy and will try it in the future. All the "almost there!" texts on Day 1 seemed less annoying and more like I was overseeing a race since my total time invested in the situation was so condensed.

    That is a really great strategy!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 09, 2021, 08:33:04 AM
    -Listed five things on eBay yesterday
    -Gave away another six things on Buy Nothing
    -Added five items to the donation pile

    I also cleaned my son's room (they are with my parents) & organized his dressers/closets. I'll tackle the other child's room today. I'm loving the momentum!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on July 09, 2021, 01:45:52 PM
    Set a goal to list five things on eBay today, and five things on Buy Nothing. I also donated another five items. Progress! Maybe I can convince the Buy Nothing folks to take some zucchini with them when they pick up. Win/win

    I'm not sure what I'm clearing is worth the shipping costs for eBay and it also takes much longer to go out too.  So on the rare odd item I'm posting on craigslist, but generally my go tos are the local buy nothing group equivalent or the trash bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 09, 2021, 01:54:17 PM
    Set a goal to list five things on eBay today, and five things on Buy Nothing. I also donated another five items. Progress! Maybe I can convince the Buy Nothing folks to take some zucchini with them when they pick up. Win/win

    I'm not sure what I'm clearing is worth the shipping costs for eBay and it also takes much longer to go out too.  So on the rare odd item I'm posting on craigslist, but generally my go tos are the local buy nothing group equivalent or the trash bin.

    It's definitely not speeding, in my experience. I just leave things live & have a bin in my closet. I do feel like the items often have a better chance of being used, vs if I just donate to the Goodwill or the like. But, you have to send it in the mail, and environmentally, I don't have a warm/fuzzy on that. I do all three: sell, give away via Buy Nothing, and then donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on July 09, 2021, 03:06:16 PM
    Set a goal to list five things on eBay today, and five things on Buy Nothing. I also donated another five items. Progress! Maybe I can convince the Buy Nothing folks to take some zucchini with them when they pick up. Win/win
    Zucchini tends to go quickly in my Buy Nothing group!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on July 10, 2021, 10:05:29 AM
    I'm starting on my kitchen today and OMG WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY LIDS?!?

    I already recycled over a dozen lids from yogurt containers, etc., and I have another 40 or so lids from water bottles and food storage containers that I'm pretty sure will go - I'm just waiting to recycle/toss them until I'm sure I've found all the containers in my house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 10, 2021, 10:21:23 AM
    Set a goal to list five things on eBay today, and five things on Buy Nothing. I also donated another five items. Progress! Maybe I can convince the Buy Nothing folks to take some zucchini with them when they pick up. Win/win
    Zucchini tends to go quickly in my Buy Nothing group!

    It's true - every time I post, I have way more respondents than zucchini. I'm doing batches weekly, in addition to giving away to friends & neighbors. We are almost at that phase with jalapenos
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Nederstash on July 10, 2021, 11:53:02 AM
    A decluttering win from an unexpected direction! My brother and his wife recently had a baby and they're stuck in a tiny apartment until the housing market gives them an opportunity. They've been overloaded with STUFF. Baby stuff, gifts, their own things. I offered to store some of it until they get a house and they were very happy. It's a little more space for them and no problem for me.

    Thanks to my decluttering I have ample space now! Glad it was of use!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 10, 2021, 12:43:29 PM
    Gave away three items on Buy Nothing this morning (work swag flask, hiking flask/hot water holder & an extra deck of Uno cards). Sold a chess set on Facebook marketplace for $20. Listed a hat on eBay, & a router from our vacation house on FB market place. Slow & steady.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on July 10, 2021, 06:30:40 PM
    Set a goal to list five things on eBay today, and five things on Buy Nothing. I also donated another five items. Progress! Maybe I can convince the Buy Nothing folks to take some zucchini with them when they pick up. Win/win

    I'm not sure what I'm clearing is worth the shipping costs for eBay and it also takes much longer to go out too.  So on the rare odd item I'm posting on craigslist, but generally my go tos are the local buy nothing group equivalent or the trash bin.

    It's definitely not speeding, in my experience. I just leave things live & have a bin in my closet. I do feel like the items often have a better chance of being used, vs if I just donate to the Goodwill or the like. But, you have to send it in the mail, and environmentally, I don't have a warm/fuzzy on that. I do all three: sell, give away via Buy Nothing, and then donate.

    Yep, that's why I like our buy nothing equivalent group.  I know the person who takes it will use it.  My town also has a swap shop that was closed during the pandemic but open now, but I feel like most of the stuff there just gets trashed in the end, so I've avoided using it so far. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on July 11, 2021, 07:04:18 AM
    I just picked up a bunk bed on our local Buy Nothing to drop it off with a friend who just moved with her kids into a 2BR apartment in NYC.  While at it, I offered her a couple of boxes of my mother's housewares and a bag of one of my son's clothes (in good condition) and she gladly accepted. 

    My next move is to offload two boxes of mugs that my parents had... they have some sentimental value to me because they are from my childhood, but not enough that I want to keep them.  Fortunately our church has moved from styrofoam cups at coffee hour to real mugs, so I will just drop off our mugs now that in person services have resumed! I'll get to visit them but not have them cluttering up my cabinets...



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 11, 2021, 09:53:41 AM
    Set a goal to list five things on eBay today, and five things on Buy Nothing. I also donated another five items. Progress! Maybe I can convince the Buy Nothing folks to take some zucchini with them when they pick up. Win/win
    Zucchini tends to go quickly in my Buy Nothing group!

    It's true - every time I post, I have way more respondents than zucchini. I'm doing batches weekly, in addition to giving away to friends & neighbors. We are almost at that phase with jalapenos

    The local joke here is to lock your car in the summer or you will find unsolicited gifts of zucchini in it.

    Got rid of 3 grocery bags of stuff yesterday - books, clothes, packing materials and some small bits I already don't remember.  I also have a huge bag of carboard egg containers to go to the nearby egg seller and some plant containers to go to the nursery.  So a bunch of stuff off my kitchen floor where it was waiting.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 11, 2021, 03:17:11 PM
    I have been feeling not very decluttery at the moment, partially because we have got rid of so much over the last ouple of years and I've been pretty solid about not bringing new things into the house. But in the last week we have
    - given an almost brand-new pair of uggs that the boys have outgrown to the other house [snapped up by one of their stepsisters]
    - used up freezer dumplings and edamame
    - made stock from all the vegetable ends stored in the freezer
    - used up old flour, pecans, condensed milk (best before June 2019!) and white chocolate in a baked good
    - put a nice jacket and pair of shoes in a bag for eventual donation (once that opens up again) because even in a capsule wardrobe, sometimes there are things you just don't wear.
    - and I started working through my 160 book TBR pile with the goal of either completing or DNF/deleting each of them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 11, 2021, 03:30:30 PM
    @mspym - I definitely go through bouts as well. I consider decluttering to be a regular part of life, but the "majority" of it, is done. We're optimizing for the 10% or whatever at our house. There's always a bit more here & there, but we're reasonably streamlined, & I try to stay on top of not bringing new things in.

    -Sold 3 shirts on Ebay
    -Put an old baking pan in the donation pile. I never use it, and prefer the ones with sides that prevent food from sliding
    -Listed a few more items I brought back from our vacation house on eBay

    And, in crazy news, my husband is cleaning his closet. I think he's bored because our teenagers are with my parents. He has his entire closet torn apart. Since I've known him, I've never known him to willingly complete this task. I'm intrigued to see what he's going to ditch.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 11, 2021, 04:42:55 PM
    I was thinking today that I should sell my chest freezer. I haven't used it in years. It has been just sitting empty. Why am I feeling resistance to this?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on July 11, 2021, 05:00:20 PM
    I was thinking today that I should sell my chest freezer. I haven't used it in years. It has been just sitting empty. Why am I feeling resistance to this?

    If you didn't use it even during the pandemic, you're probably never going to use it. Think about what you could do with the space or money... maybe that will unstick you!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 11, 2021, 05:01:09 PM
    I was thinking today that I should sell my chest freezer. I haven't used it in years. It has been just sitting empty. Why am I feeling resistance to this?
    Have you tried listing the cons of selling and identifying which items raise the most emotional response? What are the benefits of keeping it?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 11, 2021, 05:14:14 PM
    I was thinking today that I should sell my chest freezer. I haven't used it in years. It has been just sitting empty. Why am I feeling resistance to this?

    Do it, @Prairie Gal - put it in the hands of someone who will use it, and bonus: get it out of your house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 11, 2021, 05:28:58 PM
    I was thinking today that I should sell my chest freezer. I haven't used it in years. It has been just sitting empty. Why am I feeling resistance to this?

    Do it, @Prairie Gal - put it in the hands of someone who will use it, and bonus: get it out of your house!
    Exactly! You could free up space AND improve someone else's life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on July 11, 2021, 05:55:41 PM
    And it is replaceable. If life cycles around and you know you’d use one again, you can buy one again. There will be a lot of covid bought freezers on the second hand market in the next little while.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 12, 2021, 10:26:57 PM
    Frustration - listed an old printer/scanner for free and got ghosted. Long after the meeting time passed, the person emailed to meet again, saying their phone had died so they couldn't navigate to the meet point. I just don't have the energy to deal with the possibility that they won't show a second time. Waiting for another person to be interested...

    Ghosted again! I can't rule out the possibility that it was the same person getting revenge on me for not trying to re-schedule with them the first time. But also, absolutely no basis for this whatsoever (outside of my own demented imagination).

    The Saga Of The Printer now ends. Today I passed it off to it's new owner! Yay!

    I will probably find something just after I post this, but barring one small bag going to the thrift shop on Friday (donation day), there is nothing in the house that needs to be decluttered!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 13, 2021, 09:20:26 AM
    Wow, @oneday - no decluttering left? That's some serious progress!

    My husband went through his closet (first time in at least a decade) & found a bunch of stuff to donate. I picked through the best of it, for resale purposes. He has extremely, extremely pricey Italian shoes, from his days in sales.
    -Listed five pair of shoes on Ebay. One already sold
    -Will list the remainder today
    -Listed three shirts on eBay
    -Have listed a bunch on Buy Nothing, but there is no traction for mens clothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 13, 2021, 07:40:45 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache yeah! Thanks for the acknowledgement. Moving 3 times in the recent past helps quite a bit.

    I expect the clutter to accumulate in the future. That's just the way it seems to go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on July 13, 2021, 09:06:59 PM
    I KonMari'ed my bedroom and donated a set of bedroom furniture and several bags of clothes and shoes. Also donated my old bicycle, although I regret that I forgot to pull of the gel seat pad first. Sold a vanity (for $5 more than I paid for it, whoo-hoo!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 14, 2021, 11:07:03 AM
    -Have someone on Buy Nothing interested in a bag of my husband's clothing. She's out of town, and can't pick up until next week, but I'd rather wait & give it to her, vs donating elsewhere & risk it going to the landfill.
    -Sold another pair of shoes on eBay, as well as two toys & a box of Pottery Barn battery votives that I found at our vacation house. Junk out, cash in.
    -I also gave away a bunch of other random stuff on Buy Nothing. What's working for me is a big post with 10 or so items. It may not be worth it for someone to drive to your house for one item, but if they see 2-3 things they want, it's more enticing. I'm also giving away bundles of Greek basil with all of our stuff (trimming back the bush in the garden), so it's a double win

    I need to go through my eBay closet & see what else remains.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 14, 2021, 06:32:55 PM
    I expect the clutter to accumulate in the future. That's just the way it seems to go.

    That didn't take long! Today I put BF's tall kitchen trash can outside. It is in rough shape, cracked on the bottom, but still holds a liner/bag and is useful. However, because I sit right next to the kitchen trash, if it gets smelly, I either suffer or toss out the bag before it's full. I don't like to do that because it sends more plastic to the landfill. The solution is a shorter trash can, which is what we have now. But what to do with the tall one? I say trash it, but it's not mine. We'll see what BF decides.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on July 15, 2021, 01:42:21 PM
    Y’all. I had someone scheduled to pick up a big bed frame I’ve been trying to get off my porch for a month…. And I ghosted them!  I completely forgot and missed their text and never sent them my address…..  uuuuughhhh!  I apologized profusely… but I may have missed my only chance…

    I’ve started not giving out the address until I’m sure people are on the way. I had some people show up very early, while I was still working and it caused trouble, but it backfired on me yesterday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 15, 2021, 04:14:15 PM
    Ouch, that hurts @PMG . I do everything porch pickup. I only give out my address to one person at a time, so as soon as we agree on a committed time, I give them my address. I'm also clear that they need to be there, or I'm moving on to the next person. Most people will now Venmo in advance (for selling things). Obviously, this doesn't always work with furniture.

    Hope you are able to get them to come back!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 15, 2021, 09:05:22 PM
    Am replacing some work clothing that has gotten too worn. Bunch of tops are in the go away pile.

    Pair of jeans that are just not comfy added to the go away pile. I got them from the thrift store, so not a big loss there.

    Bought new bras. Old ones are getting trashed. My trick of going on ebay and searching for the expensive new bras, then buying a ton of them cheap, worked yet again. Got 11 for about $200 :) These will last for several years. A bunch of them are an ugly pink, but hey, they were $10 each (60ish in the store), I'll cope.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 15, 2021, 10:41:28 PM
    Y’all. I had someone scheduled to pick up a big bed frame I’ve been trying to get off my porch for a month…. And I ghosted them!  I completely forgot and missed their text and never sent them my address…..  uuuuughhhh!  I apologized profusely… but I may have missed my only chance…

    I’ve started not giving out the address until I’m sure people are on the way. I had some people show up very early, while I was still working and it caused trouble, but it backfired on me yesterday.

    Ugh, sorry that happened! Hope you can work it out with them.

    I didn't think anyone would take my printer after the first person ghosted me twice (or two separate people ghosted me). The fourth person never responded to my reply, but the fourth person was the winner! I have faith you will get another chance.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 17, 2021, 04:43:03 PM
    I am thrifting away a too tight fleece jacket I purchased in a cold moment of weakness.  It’s super soft, a pretty color, nice pockets, but I can’t zip it up past my boobs. Sad.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 18, 2021, 01:58:29 PM
    More fun at the flea market today.

    I sold a wicker basket to another vendor for $2. She says she can get $3 for it. God bless her. I can't sell any wicker at any time, to anyone, lol! So it was a win / win.

    I gave her an Avon collector item plate for free. I can't sell it. It's gone. Yay!

    I sold some other stuff for about $35 total, so made some money for my time. Not much money, no, but I enjoy selling at the flea market, as a hobby.

    And, the best decluttering event today was deciding that  3 ring binders don't sell there, and have decided to donate them. About 2 cubic feet worth of binders.   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on July 18, 2021, 08:49:59 PM
    @slackmax - nice about the binders. Decluttering bulky things is especially satisfying.

    Donated a bunch of books and some assorted housewares to a nearby independent thrift store I like. This was an accomplishment because they have restricted operating hours compared to the bigger chain thrift stores, and I have to make a point of planning a drop-off time into my schedule.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on July 18, 2021, 10:04:42 PM
    I gave away some pull-ups and a potty chair on my Buy Nothing group today and filled a bag of donations.

    I feel like progress has been slow, but I keep telling myself that so long as more stuff is leaving the house than coming in, I'm still moving in the right direction.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on July 19, 2021, 04:56:20 AM
    Proud of my daughter (13 years and usually a pack-rat): this weekend she decided to declutter her toys. She decided that 2 large boxes of very colorfull plastic Littlest Pet Shop things could not only go out of her room, but out of the house as well. I managed to find a buyer for it and delivered it to the buyer (next to my workplace) this morning. VERY BIG WIN!
    She came into the flow and also decluttered her desk. A big pile of junk to recycling and some outgrown coloring books on Buy Nothing left the house!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on July 19, 2021, 07:50:41 AM
    Two Items:
    1) For a bit of fun, let's see who has the most ridiculous item they've saved.

    Me?  Right now it's a toss up between a high school letterman jacket not worn in <looks around, whispers> 20+ years and a bright pink beanbag with rips from that same era.  (For what it's worth, I haven't been carting either around for 20 years, my folks dropped it and a pile of other stuff on my doorstep maybe 2-3 years ago, but I haven't bothered to do anything with them sooner.)

    Which leads to item 2:

    2) Suggestions for how to dispose of clothing with your name emblazoned on it?

    I can't imagine someone wants that at goodwill, even though it's in good shape.  And as my full name is unique to me only, I'm not sure I'm keen on having it out there either.  Name is embroidered in so it can't be easily removed.  Is there anything I can do with it other than toss it away?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 19, 2021, 07:57:36 AM
    Two Items:
    1) For a bit of fun, let's see who has the most ridiculous item they've saved.

    Me?  Right now it's a toss up between a high school letterman jacket not worn in <looks around, whispers> 20+ years and a bright pink beanbag with rips from that same era.  (For what it's worth, I haven't been carting either around for 20 years, my folks dropped it and a pile of other stuff on my doorstep maybe 2-3 years ago, but I haven't bothered to do anything with them sooner.)

    Which leads to item 2:

    2) Suggestions for how to dispose of clothing with your name emblazoned on it?

    I can't imagine someone wants that at goodwill, even though it's in good shape.  And as my full name is unique to me only, I'm not sure I'm keen on having it out there either.  Name is embroidered in so it can't be easily removed.  Is there anything I can do with it other than toss it away?

    2. I would just donate it anyway. It can go into fabric recycling if nothing else.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 19, 2021, 04:55:14 PM
    Went through my dresses & cleaned out a bunch. (I live in California & we get a lot of warm weather, so it's a fair sized chunk of my closet). Gave away five dresses on Buy Nothing.

    Sold a bunch of stuff on eBay, including something I've posted numerous times on Buy Nothing & couldn't give away. ;-):
    -Wall decoration letters from Pottery Barn
    -A workout tank top
    -A re-usable wine bag
    -A book

    Also sold a board game on Facebook
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 19, 2021, 05:05:00 PM
    All our opshops are closed right now so there's no donation option.
    I'm not sure if/when I will return to work so I might pack up my work-only items so they aren't taking up visual space.
    Returning two books to the street libraries I got them from.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 20, 2021, 01:04:19 PM
    I was very frustrated by something today, so channeled that frustration by going through my entire closet & dresser. I don't actually think I have a lot, and declutter regularly. But, there was still a bunch. Since I don't expect to go back to the office any time soon, & then hope to FIRE shortly after, it helped me decide on a bunch of work clothes. Listed the following on Buy Nothing
    -Listed 11 tops
    -10 shoe boxes (people collect them for donations)
    -1 small fan
    -1 laptop sleeve

    I also found a shoe box without a lid to recycle, added another 10 items of clothing to the Goodwill (they will fabric recycle if it's not usable).

    At least the frustration led me to a positive decluttering outcome. ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on July 26, 2021, 12:23:57 AM
    Found a pair of sunglasses that no one in the house admits to owning. How did they get here?! Into the donation bin. Along with a couple of books, a hoodie I bought on impulse during lockdown last year and decided the colour is not flattering on me, and a Wasgij puzzle that the family completed during this lockdown.

    I also have 2 Pop Vinyls that my daughter wants gone, but am undecided over whether to try and sell or just donate. One is going for 3x what she paid for it but I don't have an ebay account and my local FB groups are too small for this kind of thing. Can I be bothered going through the hassle of it all? It exhausts me just to think of it...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 26, 2021, 08:08:50 AM
    Gave away the fan & shoe boxes from the Buy Nothing mention below, as well as a pair of shoes & a desk chair. We found a nice desk chair with a free sign on our street, so used that to replace the Ikea desk chair. Much more comfortable, and then gave away the Ikea chair.

    Put out a call on Buy Nothing for mailing envelopes, and got so much interest! I sell a lot on eBay, & am out of my own packaging, so I'm thrilled. Will pick up a bunch today & now have other people saving them for me in the future. I love the sharing community.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: onemomentatatime on July 26, 2021, 09:52:43 PM
    I am just jumping on board but, my son and I have gone through toys, I have gone through part of the garage and a couple a rooms. Posting on Buy nothing, donating, giving to friends, shredding papers! Feels good!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 27, 2021, 05:21:09 AM
    Okay, this is nuts but I have an electric typewriter in my closet. It was a super expensive one at the time. Probably $350. It is now at least 30 years old and for some reason I hang onto it! I have not looked but I probably couldn't even buy ribbon for it any longer. Anyone have an idea where to donate a dinosaur? I have seen some places still use typewriters but no idea if some organization could use mine. Or like I said, find typewriter ribbon. It is fairly heavy and in a carry case.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 27, 2021, 09:57:42 AM
    Okay, this is nuts but I have an electric typewriter in my closet. It was a super expensive one at the time. Probably $350. It is now at least 30 years old and for some reason I hang onto it! I have not looked but I probably couldn't even buy ribbon for it any longer. Anyone have an idea where to donate a dinosaur? I have seen some places still use typewriters but no idea if some organization could use mine. Or like I said, find typewriter ribbon. It is fairly heavy and in a carry case.

    A museum?  I only partly jest - one of ours has a line of cameras from the old exploding lightbulb kind to the modern.  Makes for an interesting walk through history.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on July 27, 2021, 10:27:37 AM
    I’d put it on eBay for a bit less than comparable ones. You might not make money but you’ll get it to someone who wants it.  Or find tech recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 27, 2021, 02:30:54 PM
    Okay, this is nuts but I have an electric typewriter in my closet. It was a super expensive one at the time. Probably $350. It is now at least 30 years old and for some reason I hang onto it! I have not looked but I probably couldn't even buy ribbon for it any longer. Anyone have an idea where to donate a dinosaur? I have seen some places still use typewriters but no idea if some organization could use mine. Or like I said, find typewriter ribbon. It is fairly heavy and in a carry case.


    I ended up donating my perfectly working IBM Selectric to the Salvation Army. I tried to sell it to pawn shops and no one wanted it, not even for free.  I had it out at a flea market a few weekends, and no interest, either.

    But the old *manual*  typewriters were going for around $100   2   years ago.  Don't know about now, though. I have an old 70's Olivetti in storage. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on July 27, 2021, 08:33:18 PM
    We had our annual bulky waste pick up today and got rid of two expired car seats, a rusted kids bike, broken microwave, broken kids chair, and some large pieces of styrofoam.

    We still have a ways to go with the garage, but it feels much more spacious now, and I think most of what's left that I want to get rid of is donate-able.

    I also donated several bags of clothes, books, toys, etc. over the weekend, and gave away a couple things on my Buy Nothing group. The Buy Nothing group is definitely the slowest way to get rid of things, but also the most satisfying, since I know for sure there's someone who actually wants it.

    I'm a little discouraged by how little difference the things I donated made in the overall feel in the house. I think I need to go area by area more, instead of collecting random things from around the house, so that I see more progress and stay motivated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 27, 2021, 09:18:53 PM
    Added two more books to the donate pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 27, 2021, 10:53:08 PM
    A small silly one - I have 100+ skeins of embroidery thread, almost none of which still have the identifying tag on them. This means that as I am sewing, I've been running out of a colour, can't go into a store to match it myself (lockdown), can't buy online (as I have no idea what to order), and instead find the closest match from the stash and work out how to incorporate it in, either in a discrete area or through blending it. This has been slowly using up a number of 50cm or 1m's worth of leftover colours as well as challenging me to work with what I already have.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on July 28, 2021, 02:42:26 AM
    11yo surprised me by donating a big play-truck to a younger friend, since he was not using it anymore and the little guy was so happy to get this.
    13yo cleaned out part of her closet and now I have a few things to donate as well.

    Reminds me that I should clean out my closet as well (although I do this yearly, it is about time again.....).

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 28, 2021, 08:19:45 AM
    I am just jumping on board but, my son and I have gone through toys, I have gone through part of the garage and a couple a rooms. Posting on Buy nothing, donating, giving to friends, shredding papers! Feels good!

    Welcome!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 28, 2021, 08:37:37 AM

    I also have 2 Pop Vinyls that my daughter wants gone, but am undecided over whether to try and sell or just donate. One is going for 3x what she paid for it but I don't have an ebay account and my local FB groups are too small for this kind of thing. Can I be bothered going through the hassle of it all? It exhausts me just to think of it...


    I can relate, lazycow.  I have a lot of "collector item" stuff that apparently only sells on eBay.

    But eBay is so full of fees, and the hassle of mailing, and worrying about a bad review.

    I just recently set up myself an eBay account, just in order to buy something.

    So I now have an eBay account. So.... I guess I can sell now. (Ugh,  lol)   

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on July 28, 2021, 09:12:20 AM
    I donated a large print to Goodwill yesterday.  It's a colorful and interesting image but just didn't spark joy, as they say. 
    It's been in a closet for a few years because I'd paid $200+ for a custom frame which was giving me the "sunk cost" problem, but I finally decided I'd prefer to have the space and let the print go to someone who could enjoy it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on July 28, 2021, 10:36:33 AM
    Lately:
    ~Two clothing items went into the Goodwill bag
    ~One clothing item was tossed
    ~A plant that didn't survive me being on vacation went into the trash
    ~A small chipped and broken dinner plate was tossed
    ~Tossed some reading material
    ~A facemask from last year that I didn't use because it has ties instead of elastic
    ~The remnants of a bottle of body wash finally used up last week
    ~My airline boarding passes, luggage claim tickets, etc. from a few weeks ago, and the ones hiding in my suitcase from Sept 2020 went into the trash
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on July 28, 2021, 12:58:54 PM
    A visit to my parents (cluttered) home has set me on a decluttering path so I just put some books in the local Buy Nothing group and all of them have been requested...

    now, onto other items!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 28, 2021, 03:49:40 PM
    We had our annual bulky waste pick up today and got rid of two expired car seats, a rusted kids bike, broken microwave, broken kids chair, and some large pieces of styrofoam.

    We still have a ways to go with the garage, but it feels much more spacious now, and I think most of what's left that I want to get rid of is donate-able.

    I also donated several bags of clothes, books, toys, etc. over the weekend, and gave away a couple things on my Buy Nothing group. The Buy Nothing group is definitely the slowest way to get rid of things, but also the most satisfying, since I know for sure there's someone who actually wants it.

    I'm a little discouraged by how little difference the things I donated made in the overall feel in the house. I think I need to go area by area more, instead of collecting random things from around the house, so that I see more progress and stay motivated.

    I found the same thing initially.  I Kondo'd my clothes and books, but then couldn't make myself stick to certain categories after that.  I would get bored with a category or just get stuck in making one more decision, so instead, I would just find items wherever I found them, and it took quite a while before I began to see a difference in particular rooms or the overall house.  But it did happen eventually, and I found that as my surplus got smaller, it was actually easier to make decisions, because now it made a visible difference.  I still have things I want to get rid of, and I doubt I'll ever be truly "done," because the more I get rid of, the more I want to get rid of!  Maybe I'm a minimalist at heart.  I guess I haven't yet found the "click point" Kondo talks about, so I feel that's a sign I still have t0o much.  Just keep at it, bit by bit, and one day, you will feel the difference.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 29, 2021, 07:59:32 AM
    I get my decluttering "fix" from seeing the bags as I drop them off at the Salvation Army. I know that that volume of stuff used to be in my house, and now it is gone.

    Same thing when I sell something at the flea market.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on July 29, 2021, 08:59:27 AM
    I get my decluttering "fix" from seeing the bags as I drop them off at the Salvation Army. I know that that volume of stuff used to be in my house, and now it is gone.

    Same thing when I sell something at the flea market.

    slackmax,
    I'm just curious - since you've started this major decluttering, what do you estimate that you've donated/tossed/sold?  Maybe 20% or 40% of your total?
    I remember that you started with a big hoard. 
    No judgment, just wondering because I know you've been working steadily and we all applaud that effort.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 29, 2021, 02:41:08 PM
    I get my decluttering "fix" from seeing the bags as I drop them off at the Salvation Army. I know that that volume of stuff used to be in my house, and now it is gone.

    Same thing when I sell something at the flea market.

    slackmax,
    I'm just curious - since you've started this major decluttering, what do you estimate that you've donated/tossed/sold?  Maybe 20% or 40% of your total?
    I remember that you started with a big hoard. 
    No judgment, just wondering because I know you've been working steadily and we all applaud that effort.


    Thanks for asking,  LaineyAZ.

    I'd say I have about 70% of the hoard  gone, just by volume.  And 85% of the weight is gone. My floorboards and joists applaud me.
     

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 29, 2021, 02:55:39 PM
    That's amazing progress.  Congratulations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on July 29, 2021, 03:10:10 PM
    Omg slackmax!! That's amazing!!!! You badass.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on July 29, 2021, 06:14:18 PM
    Omg slackmax!! That's amazing!!!! You badass.

    +1!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 29, 2021, 06:16:42 PM
    Omg slackmax!! That's amazing!!!! You badass.

    +1!!
    -1 so your overall supply doesn't increase!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 29, 2021, 09:09:40 PM
    Go @slackmax ! That's amazing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on July 29, 2021, 09:13:57 PM
    Omg slackmax!! That's amazing!!!! You badass.

    +1!!
    -1 so your overall supply doesn't increase!
    lolol

    Great job slackmax!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 30, 2021, 07:13:17 AM
    Thanks, guys! You are so nice!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on July 31, 2021, 09:46:52 AM
    You've done so much work slackmax - way to go!

    I finally got a big bag of clothing off to donation.   Picked up a bag my son had ready at his house too and added it to mine.   Next up are some 40 year old dining chairs we can finally get rid of.  We'd kept them because it was the only chair my 90+ Mom could sit on comfortably, but now that we've moved and she's in a retirement home, we don't have to keep them anymore.  Time for an upgrade!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on August 01, 2021, 05:30:21 PM
    Did a big closet cleanout -- I think I've gotten rid of something like 30 items, all of which no longer fit but which I had sequestered away somehow in my closet.

    Also got rid of something like 15 books, got another 15 or so which are gonna be on their way out soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on August 02, 2021, 06:57:07 AM
    DD cleaned out her book shelve. 10 books already found new readers (and DD had some money in her pocket, happy teen!).
    Sold 4 bikini's which she outgrown and...... drum roll...... we sold old camping gear for 100 euro! That was a BIG BIG BIIIGGGG box which left my house!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 02, 2021, 07:40:30 AM
    Stayed with my sister for a few days, and inadvertently stumbled into a decluttering project. Helped her get rid of about 15 closet items & maybe 50 pieces of (costume) jewelry. We went in stages, as we were also doing other stuff, and the trip wasn't intended as decluttering. ;-) She was very surprised by how much she had, as she said she declutters regularly, & found it helpful to have another opinion. We have more to do on my next trip!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 06, 2021, 08:01:59 AM
    I was looking for wood putty and caulking to use on a project, and found a tube of both, but they were both hardened up inside their tightly sealed containers.

    I was less sad about it than I was happy, since I could now throw them both out!

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on August 06, 2021, 09:21:18 AM
    I was looking for wood putty and caulking to use on a project, and found a tube of both, but they were both hardened up inside their tightly sealed containers.

    I was less sad about it than I was happy, since I could now throw them both out!

    It's funny because I've had the same satisfaction in tossing out this kind of stuff.  I related to someone else who said how much they actually liked being the one to toss the bottles of ketchup, or shampoo, or other household stuff when they used it up.  Do we humans actually like generating trash, or is it because we now have the thrill of being the first one to open the new bottles of ketchup, etc.??
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on August 06, 2021, 09:50:07 AM
    I found out that my town is having a Re-use Rendezvous again in September so I started a box of things for that. I think there are some things in the basement that can go.

    I also gathered up some "wishful thinking" things from my closet for my sister to try on as she is returning to working in the office in September.

    Gave my son a couple of fans for his place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 06, 2021, 12:33:52 PM
    Went through all of my eBay listings, decided what to adjust pricing, what to donate & what to give away on Buy Nothing. Made a list of other items that can still be listed. Updated my eBay tracker. I feel much more organized now
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 06, 2021, 03:56:52 PM
    - Two books off my TBR pile and into a street library
    - One less glass in the household (shattered)
    - One container of moisteriser used up

    We've also been working on using up things in the cupboards and maintaining less of an inventory. I am really enjoying the additional whitespace in our cupboards.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 07, 2021, 04:42:21 PM
    -Gave away 30 serrano peppers from the garden (I'm counting it. Waste makes me nuts)
    -Someone posted on my Buy Nothing looking for soccer gear from the club my kids played/play in. (I posted about this up thread, as I couldn't find any good method of donating.) So happy that our outgrown stuff will be going to another player.
    -Sold an item on eBay
    -My son is switching desks, and cleaned out a bunch of junk from his prior desk. I've listed his old one on Buy Nothing

    I need to walk three books I just finished down to the book share on my street. A friend gave them to me a week ago, so clearly I enjoyed them,& they were the perfect in & out of my house in no time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 08, 2021, 07:22:11 AM
    I was looking for wood putty and caulking to use on a project, and found a tube of both, but they were both hardened up inside their tightly sealed containers.

    I was less sad about it than I was happy, since I could now throw them both out!

    It's funny because I've had the same satisfaction in tossing out this kind of stuff.  I related to someone else who said how much they actually liked being the one to toss the bottles of ketchup, or shampoo, or other household stuff when they used it up.  Do we humans actually like generating trash, or is it because we now have the thrill of being the first one to open the new bottles of ketchup, etc.??


    For me it's the '1930's Depression mentality' even though I wasn't alive then.     Can't throw it out if you can make use of it sometime. But you CAN throw it out if it's broken or unusable.  And it's one less thing to worry about.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 08, 2021, 11:26:53 AM
    I was looking for wood putty and caulking to use on a project, and found a tube of both, but they were both hardened up inside their tightly sealed containers.

    I was less sad about it than I was happy, since I could now throw them both out!

    It's funny because I've had the same satisfaction in tossing out this kind of stuff.  I related to someone else who said how much they actually liked being the one to toss the bottles of ketchup, or shampoo, or other household stuff when they used it up.  Do we humans actually like generating trash, or is it because we now have the thrill of being the first one to open the new bottles of ketchup, etc.??


    For me it's the '1930's Depression mentality' even though I wasn't alive then.     Can't throw it out if you can make use of it sometime. But you CAN throw it out if it's broken or unusable.  And it's one less thing to worry about.   



    Well, everything "might" come in "useful" "someday," but do you want to have to live with it all in the meantime?  And while it's sitting there unused by you, it could be useful to someone else.  And what is so rare that you wouldn't be able to get another one if needed?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 09, 2021, 01:40:29 PM
    ~Tossed some reading material after I finished it
    ~Threw away a well worn plastic container that had no lid
    ~Gave 6 peaches to a neighbor
    ~One more use of hair conditioner and that container will be finished
    ~An empty box went to the recycle bin
    ~Upcycled 3 magazines to my sister, and one to a neighbor
    ~Deleted 75+ shared photos and gifs from my cell phone
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on August 09, 2021, 04:10:14 PM
    Whoo hoo! Sold a lens for an old camera that I don't have any more.

    Read three books on vacation and rather than bringing them back home I left them on the book shelf at the Air BnB for someone else to enjoy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 09, 2021, 04:58:08 PM
    I've read and participated in this thread for a while now, and it just occurred to me today that there is a difference in getting rid of items temporarily and permanently.  For example, clothing will continue to come and go, as will papers, and books, in my case.  So I wonder how much of our decluttering is a permanent reduction in stuff and how much is just churn?  I'm hard pressed to estimate these categories myself - I'd have to give it more thought, does anyone else want to hazard a guess on their own efforts?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on August 09, 2021, 05:15:46 PM
    I've read and participated in this thread for a while now, and it just occurred to me today that there is a difference in getting rid of items temporarily and permanently.  For example, clothing will continue to come and go, as will papers, and books, in my case.  So I wonder how much of our decluttering is a permanent reduction in stuff and how much is just churn?  I'm hard pressed to estimate these categories myself - I'd have to give it more thought, does anyone else want to hazard a guess on their own efforts?

    That depends. There are many types of decluttering. Sometimes you give something away if you've upgraded to a replacement object that does more or less the same thing, which I think may be what you are thinking of when you talking about "churning" possessions. But sometimes your life situation changes in a fundamental way and you no longer need a certain type of item at all ever again. Or you just want to own less overall. Or sometimes you give something away and later realize you need a replacement. There's reducing your overall load of possessions, but there's also adjusting the tally of what you own to changing life circumstances.

    Also, if when you need objects you buy them used, instead of only buying new then giving away, it's sort of like you are tapping into a collectively maintained cloud or river of used possessions, none of which were manufactured specifically for your use, but that become available to you when you need or want them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 09, 2021, 06:10:11 PM
    I've read and participated in this thread for a while now, and it just occurred to me today that there is a difference in getting rid of items temporarily and permanently.  For example, clothing will continue to come and go, as will papers, and books, in my case.  So I wonder how much of our decluttering is a permanent reduction in stuff and how much is just churn?  I'm hard pressed to estimate these categories myself - I'd have to give it more thought, does anyone else want to hazard a guess on their own efforts?
    Overall, there is a permanent reduction of total number of objects in our house. There is some churn but most things that are entering my house now also have an exit plan, instead of continuing to accumulate.
    - There are some areas where I have hit my balance point in terms of both number and item specifics so no more churn. (Most clothing, cook books & gear, gym gear)
    - There a couple of areas where I have hit my balance point for number but not quite specific items so I'm doing more thinking and planning before bringing new items in in the hopes of reducing that churn. (Shoes, some clothing categories)
    - There are other areas where no new purchases are being made so numbers are slowly trending down as I use things up or decide that a thing hasn't earned a permanent place. (Hobby stuff, work clothing, TBR pile, games)
    - There are some things that I can repurchase once something is used up, keeping the number static (personal grooming, food stuffs)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 09, 2021, 07:08:28 PM
    I've read and participated in this thread for a while now, and it just occurred to me today that there is a difference in getting rid of items temporarily and permanently.  For example, clothing will continue to come and go, as will papers, and books, in my case.  So I wonder how much of our decluttering is a permanent reduction in stuff and how much is just churn?  I'm hard pressed to estimate these categories myself - I'd have to give it more thought, does anyone else want to hazard a guess on their own efforts?

    Some of both for us. We have kids. They grow, and need new things. They switch hobbies, stop playing with toys, etc. I pass them on. Mail/papers come in, we recycle and save what we need. That doesn't stop.

    However, we've also drastically reduced the amount of things we have in our house. We don't keep things we don't regularly use, I comb through my closet and probably have less than 1/2 of what I had a few years ago. Same with many other house hold objects. I stay on top of the "ongoing churn" stuff, because if you don't, that builds & gets really messy. But, I also just like/need/want substantially less. Clutter makes me anxious.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on August 09, 2021, 09:26:23 PM
    I'm not very good at this. It's so slow for me, in fits and starts.

    Tomorrow I'm gonna actually do something I really struggle with: throw some things away. Not donate. Not resell. Trash.

    Towels with big holes? Trash.
    CD's we burned back in the day? Trash.
    Toiletries that were manufactured in 1996? Trash.

    Why am I so bad at that? Literally I have accumulated various piles of these things . . . even though I know they are trash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 09, 2021, 10:23:09 PM
    @Zamboni you can do it, I have faith in you! You don't need to exist with this trash infringing on your living spaces. (Even if it's in cabinets, it's taking space from useful things.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on August 09, 2021, 10:28:56 PM
    Okay, I've watched some design videos, and decided that I'm going to push everything in my home towards a Zen/Scandanavian/Minimalist vibe.

    And you know what isn't in that vibe?

    Trash.

    Yep . . . out with the trash. Out with the piles of garbage that I've not been throwing away for some reason.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on August 10, 2021, 10:35:50 AM
    I got rid of a really bulky carpet cleaner yesterday. So happy to have that gone! It was no longer working very well and had been passed down.

    I will be writing things up to get out of the house when cooler. There is a heat wave/dome over me until next week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on August 10, 2021, 10:52:51 AM
    @Zamboni if you’re needing encouragement you might enjoy the Minimal Mom’s YouTube channel. I find her videos so relaxing and empowering. She’s got one about the sink cost fallacy and cleaning out old product from the bathroom. And I really appreciate her inventory approach. “Do I want to spend my time managing this inventory?” Or “this inventory is out of date, it’s time for it to go.” 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fomerly known as something on August 10, 2021, 07:54:13 PM
    Well I kind of forced myself to go on a huge purge.  I’m moving from a Midwest 3 bedroom house to a west coast 2 bedroom apartment.  This time no drawer or storage bin is being spared.  Some things are being thrown out (Eason salts that haven’t been used in more than 4 years), some sold goodbye snow blower and lawn mower, much donated furniture that wasn’t selling quick enough (a couch with a $20 price just to keep the flakes away), clothes, the last 4 original water glasses I could no longer match.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fomerly known as something on August 11, 2021, 06:57:45 PM
    In other news, I’m supper happy the manual coffee grinder had survived the do I really need this purge (along with the camping teapot and French press) since I might be without power for 5 days.  Also I am super happy my current stove is natural gas.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 11, 2021, 10:23:59 PM
    Okay, I've watched some design videos, and decided that I'm going to push everything in my home towards a Zen/Scandanavian/Minimalist vibe.

    And you know what isn't in that vibe?

    Trash.

    Yep . . . out with the trash. Out with the piles of garbage that I've not been throwing away for some reason.

    @Zamboni how'd this go? You doing OK with it?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 14, 2021, 11:38:27 AM
    Got rid of a huge desk that had been blocking our entry way for almost two weeks. We moved a desk from our vacation house (that we sold) to our other house, and had an extra desk to get rid of. I posted it on Buy Nothing and not even a peep. Posted it on  my neighborhood alias, and got two asks within an hour. We gave it away for free.

    So happy to have it out of the house, and into the hands of someone who needs it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on August 14, 2021, 02:41:06 PM
    Got rid of a huge desk that had been blocking our entry way for almost two weeks.

    Well done! Re-homing large objects can be especially challenging.

    I'm facing the opposite problem, where I have some small objects that aren't moving. I tried Buy Nothing first but have switched over to posting on the free section of Craigslist today for another try.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 14, 2021, 07:45:12 PM
    Got rid of a huge desk that had been blocking our entry way for almost two weeks.

    Well done! Re-homing large objects can be especially challenging.

    I'm facing the opposite problem, where I have some small objects that aren't moving. I tried Buy Nothing first but have switched over to posting on the free section of Craigslist today for another try.

    @draco44 - one thing that works pretty well for me on BN. I gather a bunch of small objects, and list them all at once (each with their own photo/number). People are much more likely to swing by if they are picking up a few small items - it's less tempting to drive even 10 minutes out of the way for something small.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on August 14, 2021, 07:55:48 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache That's a good reminder - I've had success with that method in the past.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 15, 2021, 01:16:36 AM
    Not quite Death Cleaning but similar, I am making ongoing passes through my things asking "do I want to move this?"

    Today I took 4 books to the street library (2 of mine, 2 of Ofpym's) and when I got back, I found 6 more that I am now ready to let go of plus another 2 that I want to re-read before releasing them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on August 15, 2021, 02:42:59 AM
    Not quite Death Cleaning but similar, I am making ongoing passes through my things asking "do I want to move this?"

    Today I took 4 books to the street library (2 of mine, 2 of Ofpym's) and when I got back, I found 6 more that I am now ready to let go of plus another 2 that I want to re-read before releasing them.

    I have moved pretty frequently so I have asked myself if I want to pay to have this item moved. It works really well. Last week was the first time I missed some stuff that I had sold but it is cheap to replace so no harm done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 15, 2021, 11:34:04 AM
    Photographed a big golf bag and some clubs, will try to sell them on Facebook Marketplace.

    Also, decided I'm going to donate a hardback book to the library. Tried selling it for a long enough time. 'The Road Less Traveled'.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 15, 2021, 11:41:07 PM
    Traded stuff: unexpectedly, a friend of mine needed pink yarn. I had some and offered it. Happy to have that particular yarn out of the house!

    But friend found a Kitchen Aid stand mixer for $7.50 in a thrift shop & gave that to me. It was not meant to be an exchange for the yarn (I am to make her cookies), but it kind of feels like it now!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 15, 2021, 11:54:46 PM
    But friend found a Kitchen Aid stand mixer for $7.50 in a thrift shop & gave that to me. It was not meant to be an exchange for the yarn (I am to make her cookies), but it kind of feels like it now!
    WHAT BLESSED LUCK IS THIS???
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 16, 2021, 12:17:49 AM
    But friend found a Kitchen Aid stand mixer for $7.50 in a thrift shop & gave that to me. It was not meant to be an exchange for the yarn (I am to make her cookies), but it kind of feels like it now!
    WHAT BLESSED LUCK IS THIS???

    I know, right?!?!?!?! It was even half off the normal price of $15. She says she sees them all the time. Although she is a recreational shopper, and spends far more time in those shops than most others, so her "all the time" is not really a typical experience.

    It just occurs to me that neither of us have tried to turn it on. Tomorrow.

    The shine/finish seems to be worn off the upper body (but not the paint), so it may be harder to keep clean. Maybe someone used abrasive on it. Well, that just means quick wipe ups immediately after every use. I can do that. It could be the reason it was disposed of...too hard to keep clean. It came from a very posh town's thrift store. The type of place where people would get rid of a all expensive appliances that didn't match their newly remodeled kitchen, and replacement would just be thought of as part of the cost of the remodel, if it was thought of at all.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 16, 2021, 10:27:27 AM
    -Gave away a pair of outgrown soccer cleats in BN. Happy to keep them back in circulation, as my son outgrew them after a month
    -Listed soccer shinguard sleeves on eBay. My kids won't wear the sleeves, and I've successfully sold them before.

    I'm working on my next pile of things to give away on Buy Nothing. As mentioned above, for smaller items, I find I get a lot more interest/traction when giving away a bunch of small things, as people are more likely to take 2-3, and it's worth the drive to pick up. Or, I offer garden goodies with each. ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 16, 2021, 12:39:09 PM
    ~6 cups of shredded zucchini went to a friend
    ~I finally used up a bottle of conditioner
    ~Some reading material was tossed
    ~Threw away a lip balm responsible for burning the crap out of my lips
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 16, 2021, 04:21:25 PM
    I went through my 14 y.o.'s dresser when he was at school today, and got rid of so much! I don't know how he hides this stuff. The dresser is now actually usable, and I have a stack of things to pass on via Buy Nothing, some stuff to donate, and a large stash of things to recycle/toss. Woohoo! I'm guessing 20+ items out of the dresser.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on August 17, 2021, 08:09:36 PM
    Had an extra mattress from combining households with my partner.  Got a friend from work to take it!  No landfill/waste and now he has a 6 month old mattress and a foundation instead of a very old futon mattress on the floor.

    Also took my very old couch to the dump this week.  I'm really enjoying my partner's fancy couch that reclines, etc.  Glad I stuck it out with my old couch this long, so we didn't have to get rid of a new-ish couch too, along with the new-ish mattress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 17, 2021, 09:43:03 PM
    Today I took 4 books to the street library (2 of mine, 2 of Ofpym's) and when I got back, I found 6 more that I am now ready to let go of plus another 2 that I want to re-read before releasing them.
    6 books now moved to their new homes
    1 jar of gifted jam consumed
    1 sewing pattern moved to the donation pile
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 19, 2021, 11:12:22 AM
    Big box of the odd school supplies that used to always crop up on the kid's list and then never get used (looking at you, weird triangle ruler with a set of markings not on the most common ones, still in the original packaging). She's 22 now! Also sealed ink cartridges for a dead printer, both disposed of on freecycle. Now I too need to find someone to give 30 serranos to, I have enough pickled for a year of taco tuesdays and a quart bag full in the freezer... they love this hot summer.

    @rockeTree - I have your serrano problem, probably times 5x. Do you by chance have a pickled serrano recipe? I tried a jalapeno recipe & they were insanely spicy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rockeTree on August 19, 2021, 11:40:15 AM
    I was referring to your post above with the thirty, I actually may have more than that (but not 5x!). I use a jalapeño recipe but with some carrot slices and shallots to even out the heat a little. Every now and again a jar will still be real intense but usually it's fine.

    I *think* I started with this recipe and have tweaked it over the years, mostly by making the vinegar half cider and half white and by cutting the sugar a little. https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/50384/local-experts-dish-on-the-art-of-pickled-peppers
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 19, 2021, 11:42:08 AM
    I was referring to your post above with the thirty, I actually may have more than that (but not 5x!). I use a jalapeño recipe but with some carrot slices and shallots to even out the heat a little. Every now and again a jar will still be real intense but usually it's fine.

    I *think* I started with this recipe and have tweaked it over the years, mostly by making the vinegar half cider and half white and by cutting the sugar a little. https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/50384/local-experts-dish-on-the-art-of-pickled-peppers

    Awesome! I will give that a try. Thanks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 21, 2021, 04:24:16 PM
    Had the kids go through our two "sports equipment" bins in the garage. Got rid of the broken down container, tossed a bunch of old junk, gave away two skateboards, listed one for sale. Listed another bunch of items on Buy Nothing. The area looks so nice & tidy now.

    And, my husband put up our outdoor lights, which have been in boxes in the garage since our house painting project last summer. No more loose wires, and stuff out of the garage!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 22, 2021, 05:41:17 AM
    I just sold a spinning wheel - living in an apartment I just don't have the space for 4.  Now I am down to 3.  The sale of this one covers the cost of #4, which is a wheel I love to use.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 22, 2021, 09:07:17 AM
    Went through our bathroom drawers, and got rid of a few old combs/brushes leftover from hotel toiletries. Every time I think there's nothing left to get rid of, I find more stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 22, 2021, 03:14:58 PM
    And, my husband put up our outdoor lights, which have been in boxes in the garage since our house painting project last summer. No more loose wires, and stuff out of the garage!

    I love it when that happens!  We have too many uninstalled projects in storage as well.
    I posted some children's toys on Buy Nothing but our local BN group is too fussy... people only claim items in almost-new condition. I'll post them on Craigslist free section and I bet they'll be snapped up immediately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 22, 2021, 03:24:35 PM
    @Poundwise - yeah, I couldn't give away the frisbee, new baseball or football. Agree, people are picky about certain things. I was hoping that by grouping them, I'd have more luck.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 22, 2021, 06:57:01 PM
    @rockeTree - I made 8 batches of pickled Serranos today, using this recipe. https://www.aforkstale.com/pickled-hot-peppers/

    The best part was that there was lots of pickling liquid left over, so my husband added a ton of veggies to the leftover pickling "brine". Into the pot went broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green onions, & a bunch of other stuff I lost track of. I like the double efficiency of this recipe. So far, the Serranos seem manageable & have heat, but are not crazy spicy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rockeTree on August 23, 2021, 06:01:32 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache ooh I will try those next. Just fobbed a bunch of fresh peppers off on a neighbor but more are on the way!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on August 23, 2021, 09:56:19 AM
    Just took a BIG bag of (already secondhand) clothing to our local children’s consignment store. This way hopefully I can build up some credit to spend as my kids get bigger *and* their closet is much less crowded. Wins all around.

    This weekend we used up some scrap wood to build a rack for the rakes / shovels / brooms as well as mount a new (to us) light fixture. I’m thrilled to have the better organization. Next project is to epoxy the garage floor, which will hopefully cut down on future cleaning & cement repair needs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 23, 2021, 10:05:38 AM
    The 9x13 ft rug that was rolled the long way (why?!?) and was sitting in my living room is gone, taken to parent's new house. It's nice to be able to walk across the living room again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 23, 2021, 12:10:53 PM
    A neighbor two blocks away had some used split rail fence railings out on the sidewalk  with free sign. 

    Agonized a bit, then decided to take 2 of the 9 footers, since they don't sell those at the box stores. (Just 11 footers at the box stores).  I could have taken more, but just two felt about right.

    I would just have to pay a fence company big bucks for some custom cut 9 footers, so I avoided that cost.

    Will be needing some 9 foot rails soon, probably, with current ones weathering away to nothing.

    In other news,  recycled a big 1980's  computer tech manual, and donated the binder.  Both gone.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 23, 2021, 12:15:51 PM
    I just sold a spinning wheel - living in an apartment I just don't have the space for 4.  Now I am down to 3.  The sale of this one covers the cost of #4, which is a wheel I love to use.

    I sold my Mom's antique spinning wheel for $45 on Craigslist a few years ago, when she was moving.

     I had zero responses to the ad for weeks, then a lady showed up out of nowhere and was ecstatic to get it.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 23, 2021, 01:21:55 PM
    @Poundwise - yeah, I couldn't give away the frisbee, new baseball or football. Agree, people are picky about certain things. I was hoping that by grouping them, I'd have more luck.

    Maybe post in a parents' group on FB?  I'm surprised at the things people will pass by.

    I sneakily left some laundered hand towels in good condition at my brother's weekend house. Was that wrong? He's low on towels anyway and he will never notice if he has a couple more. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on August 24, 2021, 08:06:28 PM
    We’re having our basement completely remodeled in September and really need to continue to clear out anything we don’t actually use. I’d made some good progress in other spots down there but tonight I finally went through the closet under the basement stairs - the usual dumping ground for anything home improvement project related - and culled a bunch of stuff. I recycled extraneous packaging and anything else recyclable, threw out hardened tubes of adhesive etc., consolidated like things, and moved all of the sports equipment to the garage. I’ll organize that tomorrow :)

    My husband is getting ready to epoxy the garage floor this week and that’s been a great excuse to carefully review what’s in the garage and decide what to keep and what to get rid of. There’s an old broken desk out there from the previous homeowners as well as a (very heavy) pile of shingles which will all get hauled to the curb this week for trash pickup. We also just picked up some reusable bins with lids for the things we want to keep and can therefore recycle our ragtag assortment of slowly rotting cardboard boxes. I’m aiming to only keep items which we actually use on a regular basis. No point in moving anything else back in once the floor is done.

    I’m so glad we’re doing all of this, even though it is a lot of work. Organization makes me a much happier and calmer person.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 24, 2021, 08:50:36 PM
    We’re having our basement completely remodeled in September and really need to continue to clear out anything we don’t actually use. I’d made some good progress in other spots down there but tonight I finally went through the closet under the basement stairs - the usual dumping ground for anything home improvement project related - and culled a bunch of stuff. I recycled extraneous packaging and anything else recyclable, threw out hardened tubes of adhesive etc., consolidated like things, and moved all of the sports equipment to the garage. I’ll organize that tomorrow :)

    My husband is getting ready to epoxy the garage floor this week and that’s been a great excuse to carefully review what’s in the garage and decide what to keep and what to get rid of. There’s an old broken desk out there from the previous homeowners as well as a (very heavy) pile of shingles which will all get hauled to the curb this week for trash pickup. We also just picked up some reusable bins with lids for the things we want to keep and can therefore recycle our ragtag assortment of slowly rotting cardboard boxes. I’m aiming to only keep items which we actually use on a regular basis. No point in moving anything else back in once the floor is done.

    I’m so glad we’re doing all of this, even though it is a lot of work. Organization makes me a much happier and calmer person.

    @YellowCat , if any of the building stuff (like the shingles) is still usable, try posting on Craigslist for free. I was able to empty my parents' garage and shed entirely that way and people were especially happy for even old or partially used building and cleaning supplies.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on August 25, 2021, 04:54:51 AM
    We’re having our basement completely remodeled in September and really need to continue to clear out anything we don’t actually use. I’d made some good progress in other spots down there but tonight I finally went through the closet under the basement stairs - the usual dumping ground for anything home improvement project related - and culled a bunch of stuff. I recycled extraneous packaging and anything else recyclable, threw out hardened tubes of adhesive etc., consolidated like things, and moved all of the sports equipment to the garage. I’ll organize that tomorrow :)

    My husband is getting ready to epoxy the garage floor this week and that’s been a great excuse to carefully review what’s in the garage and decide what to keep and what to get rid of. There’s an old broken desk out there from the previous homeowners as well as a (very heavy) pile of shingles which will all get hauled to the curb this week for trash pickup. We also just picked up some reusable bins with lids for the things we want to keep and can therefore recycle our ragtag assortment of slowly rotting cardboard boxes. I’m aiming to only keep items which we actually use on a regular basis. No point in moving anything else back in once the floor is done.

    I’m so glad we’re doing all of this, even though it is a lot of work. Organization makes me a much happier and calmer person.

    @YellowCat , if any of the building stuff (like the shingles) is still usable, try posting on Craigslist for free. I was able to empty my parents' garage and shed entirely that way and people were especially happy for even old or partially used building and cleaning supplies.

    Thanks! Good tip
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 25, 2021, 07:33:03 AM
    I just sold a spinning wheel - living in an apartment I just don't have the space for 4.  Now I am down to 3.  The sale of this one covers the cost of #4, which is a wheel I love to use.

    I sold my Mom's antique spinning wheel for $45 on Craigslist a few years ago, when she was moving.

     I had zero responses to the ad for weeks, then a lady showed up out of nowhere and was ecstatic to get it.     

    Was it functional? A working spinning wheel for $45 is amazing.  Mine went for $600, the same wheel new, with tax, before shipping, would be just over $900.   But it was a modern wheel, designed by an engineer for his wife, so has all the goodies, like sealed bearings that never need lubricating.  There is a lot of engineering in a spinning wheel.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on August 25, 2021, 07:59:08 AM
    On the flip side of this, I just bought a big bag of kid-size plastic food for my pre-school age granddaughters for $4 at the thrift store. 
    They are ecstatic and we'll be using it to play "grocery store" or "restaurant" for many months.

    So if anyone needs any motivation to continue to re-home your old belongings, please consider how grateful many of us are to get something we can use at a bargain price.  You can revel in having more space, and others can continue to get enjoyment from your discarded items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 25, 2021, 06:03:12 PM
    I just sold a spinning wheel - living in an apartment I just don't have the space for 4.  Now I am down to 3.  The sale of this one covers the cost of #4, which is a wheel I love to use.

    I sold my Mom's antique spinning wheel for $45 on Craigslist a few years ago, when she was moving.

     I had zero responses to the ad for weeks, then a lady showed up out of nowhere and was ecstatic to get it.     

    Was it functional? A working spinning wheel for $45 is amazing.  Mine went for $600, the same wheel new, with tax, before shipping, would be just over $900.   But it was a modern wheel, designed by an engineer for his wife, so has all the goodies, like sealed bearings that never need lubricating.  There is a lot of engineering in a spinning wheel.

    I don't think it  was functional.  Can't remember for sure, but I think it was missing a part.  Late 1800's I think.

    I researched prices online, of course, and decided $45 was a fair price. I was just happy there was one person who wanted it at any price, lol.   



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 26, 2021, 06:36:37 AM
    I just sold a spinning wheel - living in an apartment I just don't have the space for 4.  Now I am down to 3.  The sale of this one covers the cost of #4, which is a wheel I love to use.

    I sold my Mom's antique spinning wheel for $45 on Craigslist a few years ago, when she was moving.

     I had zero responses to the ad for weeks, then a lady showed up out of nowhere and was ecstatic to get it.     

    Was it functional? A working spinning wheel for $45 is amazing.  Mine went for $600, the same wheel new, with tax, before shipping, would be just over $900.   But it was a modern wheel, designed by an engineer for his wife, so has all the goodies, like sealed bearings that never need lubricating.  There is a lot of engineering in a spinning wheel.

    I don't think it  was functional.  Can't remember for sure, but I think it was missing a part.  Late 1800's I think.

    I researched prices online, of course, and decided $45 was a fair price. I was just happy there was one person who wanted it at any price, lol.

    Missing a part, and old, that was probably a good price.  New owner will have to do some work getting (or more likely making) the part, but will appreciate it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on August 30, 2021, 03:07:10 PM
    So, does de-cluttering always have to mean stuff went out the door? Or if you found a better place to store something, out of sight, so that the room looks more decluttered is that de-cluttering? In my eyes it is.

    Anyway, today I worked on my laundry/storage room. I am slowly working towards getting the house de-cluttered and staged to sell.

    - Listed a couple of frames for sale. Put a bunch more that I want to keep for now into a plastic bin and will get DS to take it down to the basement. Put a few small items in the donate box.
    - Listed a big wooden thing (an old gate) that I used as a photography back drop. That might be a tough one to sell.
    - Found a closet with space for the carpet cleaner.
    - Took one big and one small chair out to the garage. The small chair will be put out for give away during Re-use Rendezvous.
    - Listed another chair for sale.
    - Put some other stuff away out of sight.
    - Threw out on old binder of work stuff.

    Over all it is looking a lot tidier, and BIGGER! Which is what I wanted.  I still have some work to do in there, but I am pretty happy with my progress today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on August 30, 2021, 08:29:53 PM
    Got the 40 year old dining chairs off to Value Village yesterday.  Thank heavens for a hatchback!   I was sort of sorry to see them go - lots of memories made sitting on those chairs around the table.   But not sorry enough to keep them.    Employee at the drop off bins said he expected them to be gone before the end of the day.   Lots of university kids setting up apartments right now, so he said any furniture they get in goes right back out again.

    Also boxed up more kitchen things we don't have room for in the new (smaller) house and dropped those off at the same time.   I'm slowly winnowing all my baking things down to just the essentials that I will use regularly.   We don't have space to have things I only use once every few years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on August 31, 2021, 10:13:29 AM
    @Prairie Gal - all of that definitely counts!

    Sold a couple of things on eBay. Junk out, money in.

    I worked at a cleat exchange for our soccer club, which is pretty much exactly what the name implies. However, there were plenty of cleat donations that can't be given back out again (shoes are too damaged). I offered to take those cleats to the local sports store, who recycles them. Even though I was super tired after being in the sun & smoke for hours at the exchange, I headed over to the local store right away & got rid of the cleats. The box was enormous (150+ pair of shoes) & I didn't want to lug it around. It was tempting to put it in the garage to deal with it later, but avoided that temptation!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on August 31, 2021, 12:17:40 PM
    I took a pile of nice, formal work clothes to my local consignment store yesterday. I think work from home is here to stay and after giving birth to not one but two pandemic babies I know I will not want to wear (or likely fit into) those things ever again. Stretchy comfortable clothing FTW :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on August 31, 2021, 01:40:10 PM
    - Saw a social media post asking for donation DVDs for a residential school for local kids with mental health/behavioral issues. Responded that they could have anything we had that met their requirements, and had a volunteer pick up later in the day. More than halved our DVD collection. (Did I mention we haven't had a way to play DVDs in more than a year?)

    - Was gifted some frozen cube steaks from family earlier this summer. (They buy half a cow every year and somehow ended up with cuts they don't eat.) Made smothered steak for dinner last night and had a nostalgic trip down memory lane to elementary school cafeteria meals. (Side note: anyone have suggestions for cube steak that's not smothered steak? :)

    - Child #1 gets a monthly activity box. (Xmas gift from grandparents.) We've had them collecting, but spent Sunday afternoon working through the activities in one. (Two to go!)

    - Cleared out my email (I keep a zero inbox) by working through some required volunteer trainings for an impending youth soccer season. See ya, digital clutter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on August 31, 2021, 03:05:01 PM
    - Saw a social media post asking for donation DVDs for a residential school for local kids with mental health/behavioral issues. Responded that they could have anything we had that met their requirements, and had a volunteer pick up later in the day. More than halved our DVD collection. (Did I mention we haven't had a way to play DVDs in more than a year?)

    - Was gifted some frozen cube steaks from family earlier this summer. (They buy half a cow every year and somehow ended up with cuts they don't eat.) Made smothered steak for dinner last night and had a nostalgic trip down memory lane to elementary school cafeteria meals. (Side note: anyone have suggestions for cube steak that's not smothered steak? :)

    - Child #1 gets a monthly activity box. (Xmas gift from grandparents.) We've had them collecting, but spent Sunday afternoon working through the activities in one. (Two to go!)

    - Cleared out my email (I keep a zero inbox) by working through some required volunteer trainings for an impending youth soccer season. See ya, digital clutter!

    Cut it up and use it in beef stew? Budget Bytes has a wonderful beef stew recipe that you can crock pot.

    https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-rosemary-garlic-beef-stew-slow-cooker/


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 31, 2021, 06:32:53 PM
    - Saw a social media post asking for donation DVDs for a residential school for local kids with mental health/behavioral issues. Responded that they could have anything we had that met their requirements, and had a volunteer pick up later in the day. More than halved our DVD collection. (Did I mention we haven't had a way to play DVDs in more than a year?)

    - Was gifted some frozen cube steaks from family earlier this summer. (They buy half a cow every year and somehow ended up with cuts they don't eat.) Made smothered steak for dinner last night and had a nostalgic trip down memory lane to elementary school cafeteria meals. (Side note: anyone have suggestions for cube steak that's not smothered steak? :)

    - Child #1 gets a monthly activity box. (Xmas gift from grandparents.) We've had them collecting, but spent Sunday afternoon working through the activities in one. (Two to go!)

    - Cleared out my email (I keep a zero inbox) by working through some required volunteer trainings for an impending youth soccer season. See ya, digital clutter!

    Cut it up and use it in beef stew? Budget Bytes has a wonderful beef stew recipe that you can crock pot.

    https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-rosemary-garlic-beef-stew-slow-cooker/

    Stir fry?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 31, 2021, 07:08:31 PM
    We've been delaying grocery shopping and now getting into seeing just what can be made from [random assortment of things] which has definitely helped create more space in the cupboards, fridge and freezer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on August 31, 2021, 11:40:15 PM
    One thing I didn't mention in the past when I posted is that I was married to a hoarder and a big part of what precipitated my move toward minimalism was that she left me.  I didn't realize how much I was in grief at the time.  Looking back I can see it more clearly now.  One of the things that let me get through that time was actually clearing out my space and keeping it clear over time. 

    I suspect that my ex is still a pretty intense hoarder, and part of my motivation for keeping my house clean, neat and minimalist is I want my daughter to see that there's another way to live than that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 01, 2021, 08:29:15 AM
    @Tyson - that sounds really hard. Sounds like you are well on your way to create a space that is calming & peaceful in your own home, which is awesome.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on September 01, 2021, 08:00:12 PM
    Just sold a double stroller on Marketplace for $40. It was probably worth more, but I'm happy to have it out of my garage!

    I also donated 5 grocery bags of things (mostly my kids and kids clothes) today, and, over the last week, gave away a baby gate, set of silverware, tray, and balance board. And I shredded/recycled a few folders of paper.

    We're moving into a smaller house in less than a month, so it's time to get down to business on getting rid of things!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 02, 2021, 06:11:34 PM
    I decluttered my parents, their 2 cats, and all their stuff today :) (they moved out). This included a full sized mattress and frame.

    Also had the movers grab a small end table that doesn't work for what I was hoping it would. There's a bunch of stuff at parent's house that is going to be going on FB marketplace, will include the table in that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on September 02, 2021, 08:24:16 PM
    I tossed a remnant piece of foamboard today. I'd been telling myself it would come in handy for something, but then two years passed. One less thing! Those small items are sometimes the stickiest for me to let go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: TheFrenchCat on September 03, 2021, 06:01:13 AM
    A lot of paper debris built up over the summer from crafts, so I've been decluttering one area each day my daughter is in school.  So far I've done the table near the window, our dining room table and my daughter's little table.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on September 03, 2021, 12:12:54 PM
    Last weekend:
    ~Egg cartons prepared to go to a friend, and I gave them to her yesterday evening
    ~Magazines will go to a different friend
    ~Non-perishable sweets we didn't get to went with DH to his work for his co-worker's kiddos
    ~A stack of reading material was read and tossed
    ~Went through personal documents and shredded 3 outdated items

    This weekend I hope to spend some time in my home office as it needs straightening up, to finally prepare my first Decluttr (not a typo) CD order, and DH and I are going to finally paint our bedroom.  Wish me luck on the latter, ha ha.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on September 03, 2021, 12:26:37 PM
    I started packing up my kitchen last night and realized that I inexplicably own 3 roasting pans and 2 Bundt pans. So now I have 2 roasting pans and a Bundt pan in my donate pile.

    I also decided to get rid of all my cookbooks, as I haven't looked at any of them in years - I always use online recipes. It felt kind of freeing to get rid of a whole category of things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 04, 2021, 08:33:05 AM
    Spent a half hour going through a bag of jewelry, separated costume from the 'real' jewelry. Found some non-jewelry stuff in the bag that I threw away or recycled. Will try to sell all the jewelry eventually.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on September 04, 2021, 08:55:20 AM
    I donated 2 bags of malarkey to my favorite charity thrift store at 0815 this morning.  Some of it was junk from the office (old unpopular coffee mugs, decor).  I also returned a pair of shorts that were a gross fabric. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 04, 2021, 11:24:14 AM
    Spent a half hour going through a bag of jewelry, separated costume from the 'real' jewelry. Found some non-jewelry stuff in the bag that I threw away or recycled. Will try to sell all the jewelry eventually.   

    If any of that real jewellery is gold, you might be better off selling it for that.  I recently took a tiny amount of stuff to the local jewelers (2 sleeper earrings, a bracelet and the cut off end of another too big bracelet), and got $45 for it.  Gold is crazy high right now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 05, 2021, 06:24:13 AM
    Spent a half hour going through a bag of jewelry, separated costume from the 'real' jewelry. Found some non-jewelry stuff in the bag that I threw away or recycled. Will try to sell all the jewelry eventually.   

    If any of that real jewellery is gold, you might be better off selling it for that.  I recently took a tiny amount of stuff to the local jewelers (2 sleeper earrings, a bracelet and the cut off end of another too big bracelet), and got $45 for it.  Gold is crazy high right now.

    Thanks.  Yes, I definitely sell the gold to jewelry shops or coin stores for the gold value.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 05, 2021, 07:23:48 AM
     Sifted through the tub of toiletries in the bathroom, threw some really old, dried lotions out.
    Put some small shampoo bottles up in the shower where I'll see it and use it. Also some hair conditioner. Usually
    don't use conditioner, but what the heck, let's use it up, right?

    While sifting, found a spray bottle, full of white vinegar. So that's where it was! Took it out
    and moved it under the kitchen sink which is where it's supposed to be.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 07, 2021, 10:29:39 AM
    I sorted, logged, and tagged 200 items for the consignment sale with the intention of it being my very last fall sale.  Only for it to be cancelled at the very last minute.  They say that the same tags will be good next fall, but I was really hoping to get this stuff out of my house. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 07, 2021, 11:34:32 AM
    @Sugaree - that sucks.

    I'm in my busy season at work, and we had a soccer tournament this weekend, so I made zero progress. I did list an item on eBay today, that's been on my to do list for a while. I was planning on listing a bunch on Buy Nothing, but didn't get through that. Hopefully this week!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 07, 2021, 08:48:17 PM
    Still chipping away at odds and ends.  Got rid of 2 pairs of pants, a purse, a few books, some costume jewelry, and two old phone books.  However, I rescued a milk crate from a dumpster - if I don’t use it I’ll donate it to the thrift store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on September 09, 2021, 10:49:53 AM
    Took a couple of lamp shades and a bag of framed prints/miscellaneous clothes to donation yesterday.   I'm determined to get our possessions down about a third in the next year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 09, 2021, 04:54:26 PM
    -Listed an item on Tuesday, sold it yesterday, out of the house today. It was a workout tank that I didn't ever like.
    -Listed another item on eBay today

    I still need to get on top of my Buy Nothing donation pile, and get everything posted.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 12, 2021, 03:40:42 PM
    Loaded up the vehic and took it to the flea market to sell stuff. Sold about 10 items, made a few bucks.
    Decided I will happily donate 3 big books that aren't selling, to the library.  Spent 7 hours having a good time socializing, plus the side benefit of some decluttering.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on September 12, 2021, 05:44:04 PM
    A friend picked me up and we both donated to the big local thrift shop this afternoon.  She had a few garbage bags and a small laundry basket thing and I had one garbage bag.  We did NOT go inside and buy anything. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on September 13, 2021, 07:12:53 AM
    Cleaned out the kids' closets this weekend. Lots of clothing which they've outgrown is now on one pile. Will take the next couple of evenings to sort between trash/donate/sell. But it WILL go out of the house. Also donated lots of cloth hangers and a glass jar.
    DS got inspired and checked out his toys. He gave me some items (around 20) to donate. I'm just happy that he found things that he does not want anymore. He is such a hoarder, so this was a big thing for him.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: better late on September 13, 2021, 07:39:04 AM
    4 overflowing boxes to Goodwill from the Great Basement Clean Out part one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 13, 2021, 07:59:20 AM
    -Sold another item on eBay (shirt from our vacation house. One of the items I brought with us when we emptied it out).
    -Still haven't done my big Buy Nothing post, to get rid of all of the items accumulating in my closet.

    I need to go through all of my stuff I have set aside, and determine if I'm listing it on eBay, giving it away, or donating it. I keep adding it to my to do list, and promptly ignoring it. ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on September 13, 2021, 12:43:39 PM
    Got rid of quite a few things in my town's Reuse Rendezvous this past weekend, too bad it was raining on Saturday or it would have been more.

    Someone offered me $5 for a frame that I have listed for sale. I felt a bit offended, so I declined the offer. It's not even worth the hassle for $5. I am going to try putting some prints that I have in the frames and list them at a higher price as art. We'll see how that goes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 13, 2021, 02:22:41 PM
    - I've just done the winter>summer closet change over and picked out things I either didn't wear last season or don't want to wear next season. Donation places aren't open here so I have been putting things in a bag for when they are.
    - I have been steadily working through dropping books into street libraries as space opens up and have managed to whittle off 20 books from my TBR pile.
    - The quest to use up uncommon foodstuffs is ongoing. Yesterday's fruitloaf used up the mixed dried fruit bought for making a Christmas cake 3-4 years ago. We are nearly down to just having the food in the house that we regularly eat.

    Our next council cleanup is happening in October so also making a pile of things to go out then.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 13, 2021, 04:23:16 PM
    Sold another few items on eBay:
    -A remote (thrilled, as this was heading for the garbage, if it didn't get sold)
    -Another item of clothing
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on September 14, 2021, 05:32:35 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache , I have found myself in the same situation; faced with a mound of items to either list on FBK, ebay or Buy Nothing and feeling overwhelmed!  My local Buy Nothing Group does a quarterly "Junk in the Trunk" event where we all bring all of our items, lay them out for the taking and then whatever remains is taken to goodwill.  I don't know if this a common thing with BN groups, but it seems to help decompress the mess!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 14, 2021, 07:32:42 AM
    @Josiecat23503 - love that idea. I've never seen it on my Buy Nothing, but I will suggest it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on September 14, 2021, 08:58:00 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache , I have found myself in the same situation; faced with a mound of items to either list on FBK, ebay or Buy Nothing and feeling overwhelmed!  My local Buy Nothing Group does a quarterly "Junk in the Trunk" event where we all bring all of our items, lay them out for the taking and then whatever remains is taken to goodwill.  I don't know if this a common thing with BN groups, but it seems to help decompress the mess!!

    I'm in a pretty dense urban area, and our neighborhood BN just did a sidewalk 'sale' - everyone put things out on the sidewalk/yard tables with signs, an admin made a neighborhood list of who would be setting things out, and people made a day of walking around (and meeting each other - socially distanced, of course)! It seemed to be a pretty big success. I like the "Junk in the Trunk" idea for less dense neighborhoods/towns though!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: diapasoun on September 14, 2021, 04:06:34 PM
    We moved in late August and ended up doing a good amount of decluttering around that (though not as much as I would like -- some stuff I wanted to declutter accidentally got packed, SIGH).

    Now I'm trying to resist the bringing in of More Stuff as we figure out our new setup! Ahhhhhhhh.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on September 15, 2021, 09:59:37 PM
    I decluttered 500 items in August.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 15, 2021, 11:30:48 PM
    Moved ~15 books from the discard pile on our basement steps to a street library, which had the side benefit of getting a bike ride in on a day when I was getting twitchy and anxious for no good reason.

    Two minimalism YT videos helped me move a dress and a pair of boots to the donation bag - life's too short to hold onto clothes that make you feel bad!
    Minimal Mom on the onion method https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA2NAoKNxUs
    How to GYST on things to declutter right now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_VD0KfblwM
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on September 16, 2021, 07:58:16 AM
    I decluttered 500 items in August.

    I am majorly impressed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on September 16, 2021, 03:55:27 PM
    I decluttered 500 items in August.

    I am majorly impressed!

    I'm majorly inspired. I'm thinking maybe it's time for a minimalist challenge in October ie 1 item on the 1st, 2 items on the 2nd etc

    Not sure I'll have time in the first half of the month but there's probably some low hanging fruit. And maybe I can include things like trimming the dead leaves of my plants, which will make the place look better & more peaceful which is my overall aim!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 16, 2021, 09:08:41 PM
    I decluttered 500 items in August.

    That’s excellent progress!

    I found 3 more books, 2 pictures that I’m finally ready to let go of and some packing material to go to the thrift store tomorrow.  Also returning a purse that isn’t going to work for me.  Once I’ve finished with outdoor work in a month or so, I plan to give the house a good scour over the winter.  I want to get rid of quite a bit more stuff and complete some decor projects to make the house look more put together.  Hopefully it will be my final push to “get ‘er done.”
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 17, 2021, 06:52:38 AM
    Congrats on the 500 items!

    I spent about an hour curating 22 different small value jewelry items. Took them to the local jewelry sore to sell, which always makes me a little nervous and excited, in a good way, I guess.
    Got 50 buckarooskis for the lot. The biggest score was $15 for a very, very small and thin gold charm,
    which was not even marked as gold, so I was expecting it to be a one dollar item.

    They weren't interested in some of the stuff, like antique watches, so I kept those to try to sell
    elsewhere.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on September 17, 2021, 08:09:04 AM
    $50 for an hour's work (I guess a bit more including the visit to the store) is a great return in addition to getting stuff you don't want or need out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 17, 2021, 08:21:47 AM
    $50 for an hour's work (I guess a bit more including the visit to the store) is a great return in addition to getting stuff you don't want or need out of the house.

    Thanks for the positive reinforcement, Former Player. It seems like most of the clutter that remains is small stuff, that doesn't result in a big visual impact when gone, and I need to remind myself it all matters.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on September 17, 2021, 08:53:52 AM
    I've spent 2 days helping an older relative get ready to move from their one-bedroom apartment.  They'd been living there for almost 10 years and although they discarded basic trash they had never done a regular decluttering, which meant the closet had lots of old stained clothes and worn out shoes, the kitchen had multiples of expired spices and food, medicine cabinet had expired vitamins and medicines, paperwork had piled up, etc.

    As we all know, moving is difficult as it is and is a big motivation for decluttering; however, it's 10x easier if overall decluttering is part of the general home maintenance routine. 
    So if you need motivation, play a pretend "we're moving" game and you'd be surprised at how much you can let go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on September 17, 2021, 12:33:53 PM
    I've spent 2 days helping an older relative get ready to move from their one-bedroom apartment.  They'd been living there for almost 10 years and although they discarded basic trash they had never done a regular decluttering, which meant the closet had lots of old stained clothes and worn out shoes, the kitchen had multiples of expired spices and food, medicine cabinet had expired vitamins and medicines, paperwork had piled up, etc.

    As we all know, moving is difficult as it is and is a big motivation for decluttering; however, it's 10x easier if overall decluttering is part of the general home maintenance routine. 
    So if you need motivation, play a pretend "we're moving" game and you'd be surprised at how much you can let go.

    I use that method often. I say to myself "Do I want to move that?"

    Found a few more small things today in my office as I was tidying up. I need to figure out where I can dispose of an old fax machine. It still works, except the paper jams. Might just need a good cleaning. I should try listing it for free on FB Marketplace.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on September 17, 2021, 01:31:05 PM
    I've spent 2 days helping an older relative get ready to move from their one-bedroom apartment.  They'd been living there for almost 10 years and although they discarded basic trash they had never done a regular decluttering, which meant the closet had lots of old stained clothes and worn out shoes, the kitchen had multiples of expired spices and food, medicine cabinet had expired vitamins and medicines, paperwork had piled up, etc.

    As we all know, moving is difficult as it is and is a big motivation for decluttering; however, it's 10x easier if overall decluttering is part of the general home maintenance routine. 
    So if you need motivation, play a pretend "we're moving" game and you'd be surprised at how much you can let go.
    Thanks for the nudge! I read 'expired vitamins' and stood up and checked the 2 giant bottles I've been trying to use up lately. Yup both expired and in the garbage now; they will not be replaced. I sometimes keep product packaging if it has a warranty, and a few of those  are expired now too even though the item itself is still going strong. So those are out too. Feeling pretty good about the extra load I just put together.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on September 17, 2021, 01:54:32 PM
    I've spent 2 days helping an older relative get ready to move from their one-bedroom apartment.  They'd been living there for almost 10 years and although they discarded basic trash they had never done a regular decluttering, which meant the closet had lots of old stained clothes and worn out shoes, the kitchen had multiples of expired spices and food, medicine cabinet had expired vitamins and medicines, paperwork had piled up, etc.

    As we all know, moving is difficult as it is and is a big motivation for decluttering; however, it's 10x easier if overall decluttering is part of the general home maintenance routine. 
    So if you need motivation, play a pretend "we're moving" game and you'd be surprised at how much you can let go.

    I use that method often. I say to myself "Do I want to move that?"

    Found a few more small things today in my office as I was tidying up. I need to figure out where I can dispose of an old fax machine. It still works, except the paper jams. Might just need a good cleaning. I should try listing it for free on FB Marketplace.

    I haven’t heard of anyone faxing during at least the last five years. I thought that had diseappered with the landlines and been replaced by emails. It will be interesting to hear if someone wants it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 18, 2021, 09:33:10 AM
    There are a lot of things at parent's house that are no longer needed and can be sold. My sister put up a ton of this stuff on FB marketplace last night, and she is handling the communications and people coming over. With any luck, the 2.5 car garage will soon be empty. It's currently full.

    I have 3 small bags of clothes to donate.

    Edit: 5 large trash bags of packing peanuts, a pool table, massive stack of moving boxes (broken down), massive stack of moving blankets, and an egg beater are all sold. Plus probably other random stuff I haven't heard about. Parent's garage is much less cluttered.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on September 18, 2021, 06:49:20 PM
    We had a garage sale today, which didn't get much traffic, but we did sell a set of dining chairs and a stroller. I sold another stroller on Marketplace and took all the small garage sale leftovers to the thrift store. $150 in my pocket and a decent amount of stuff out of the house and garage - not too shabby!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on September 18, 2021, 07:38:20 PM
    I had a box full of student projects.  I thought it was going to take all evening to sort, and then I would end up with several papers to reread.

    Under the 4 (4!) student papers was just stuff - old calendars (wonderful pictures, why I kept them), old magazines, old paperwork, instruction manuals, bills.  Bills from 2007.  Some is ready to take down to recycling.  Some is too personal, it is in a heavy duty garbage bag.  The 4 papers all have interesting topics (and are set aside to be read), which is probably why I kept them in the first place.

    I wish all decluttering were this easy!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 19, 2021, 08:47:11 AM
    It's been a really, really intense few weeks at work, so my decluttering is down to a crawl. I did list a few things on eBay, including some stuff that's been in my closet for a year, waiting to get posted. Yikes. I've completed 3/5 (they are designer mens suits, so they require some time to research & measure). I feel good about the progress.

    Today I'm going to organize my three tier tray, were junk/paperwork/bills go to die.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 19, 2021, 04:42:04 PM
    We had a garage sale today, which didn't get much traffic, but we did sell a set of dining chairs and a stroller. I sold another stroller on Marketplace and took all the small garage sale leftovers to the thrift store. $150 in my pocket and a decent amount of stuff out of the house and garage - not too shabby!

    Way to go, Nessness !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 20, 2021, 07:14:57 PM
    I've spent 2 days helping an older relative get ready to move from their one-bedroom apartment.  They'd been living there for almost 10 years and although they discarded basic trash they had never done a regular decluttering, which meant the closet had lots of old stained clothes and worn out shoes, the kitchen had multiples of expired spices and food, medicine cabinet had expired vitamins and medicines, paperwork had piled up, etc.

    As we all know, moving is difficult as it is and is a big motivation for decluttering; however, it's 10x easier if overall decluttering is part of the general home maintenance routine. 
    So if you need motivation, play a pretend "we're moving" game and you'd be surprised at how much you can let go.

    I use that method often. I say to myself "Do I want to move that?"

    Found a few more small things today in my office as I was tidying up. I need to figure out where I can dispose of an old fax machine. It still works, except the paper jams. Might just need a good cleaning. I should try listing it for free on FB Marketplace.

    I haven’t heard of anyone faxing during at least the last five years. I thought that had diseappered with the landlines and been replaced by emails. It will be interesting to hear if someone wants it.

    I read here a few months ago somewhere that there are businesses that still use fax machines. Maybe for security purposes?
    Lawyers? Notaries?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 20, 2021, 09:01:32 PM
    Well, I was going to take a few bags to the thrift store. Except last weekend was the townwide garage sale. I've heard that the Goodwill is not accepting donations at this time, they are overwhelmed. Guess I'll just clutter up my house a bit more.

    Got a new tv. Gave old tv to parents. Went through some of the excess cord stash and have a variety to donate. If I get the inclination, pretty sure there's more in the closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 22, 2021, 05:10:01 AM
     Threw out two things that wouldn't sell at the flea market.

    Also, convinced myself there is no market for two big old IT manuals, so I removed the contents (3 pounds of paper) and recycled it all.
    Donated the 2 huge binders that were holding the paper. More space in computer room now, and 2 fewer items to worry about. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on September 22, 2021, 01:08:18 PM
    I've spent 2 days helping an older relative get ready to move from their one-bedroom apartment.  They'd been living there for almost 10 years and although they discarded basic trash they had never done a regular decluttering, which meant the closet had lots of old stained clothes and worn out shoes, the kitchen had multiples of expired spices and food, medicine cabinet had expired vitamins and medicines, paperwork had piled up, etc.

    As we all know, moving is difficult as it is and is a big motivation for decluttering; however, it's 10x easier if overall decluttering is part of the general home maintenance routine. 
    So if you need motivation, play a pretend "we're moving" game and you'd be surprised at how much you can let go.

    I use that method often. I say to myself "Do I want to move that?"

    Found a few more small things today in my office as I was tidying up. I need to figure out where I can dispose of an old fax machine. It still works, except the paper jams. Might just need a good cleaning. I should try listing it for free on FB Marketplace.

    I haven’t heard of anyone faxing during at least the last five years. I thought that had diseappered with the landlines and been replaced by emails. It will be interesting to hear if someone wants it.

    I read here a few months ago somewhere that there are businesses that still use fax machines. Maybe for security purposes?
    Lawyers? Notaries?
    I work in a law firm. We don’t have a fax number. I looked and noticed that the courts don’t even have a fax number
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 22, 2021, 04:34:59 PM
    My doctor’s office, where everything is digital, still faxes medication renewals to the pharmacy, maybe because they are outside of the clinic’s system.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 22, 2021, 07:35:38 PM
    You know who uses faxes? The IRS. Accounting firms have fax machines. They may not be used a ton, but they are used.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 24, 2021, 05:47:47 AM
    I found a small cabinet with a 2 foot tall stack of 8 by 11 colored paper inside. Discovered it was a combo
    of typing paper and card stock, both of which I have been able to sell on FB Marketplace.

    I moved it out of the cabinet and into my "sell" area, so I will be reminded of it daily. Will
    photograph it and put a new ad on FBM.

    Now I can put other stuff into the empty cabinet, or maybe sell it for a few bucks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on September 24, 2021, 09:36:58 AM
    You know who uses faxes? The IRS. Accounting firms have fax machines. They may not be used a ton, but they are used.

    You can’t fax our IRS but you can chat with them. Actually, the IRS is known for their digitalization of their processes. Their webpage and digital services are really easy to use. You can approve your tax return through texting. I don’t think I have seen a paper version of a preskription for years.

    So the fax machines seems to still exist.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 24, 2021, 05:37:59 PM
    You know who uses faxes? The IRS. Accounting firms have fax machines. They may not be used a ton, but they are used.

    You can’t fax our IRS but you can chat with them. Actually, the IRS is known for their digitalization of their processes. Their webpage and digital services are really easy to use. You can approve your tax return through texting. I don’t think I have seen a paper version of a preskription for years.

    So the fax machines seems to still exist.

    The American IRS is not that advanced. There is some digital, but the base software they use is decades old.

    However, for medical stuff - that has digitized, at least for me. Records, prescriptions, etc are all digital.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on September 24, 2021, 07:59:51 PM
    Rhetorical question but alas why oh why do I have so many coffee mugs? 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on September 24, 2021, 08:22:21 PM
    Rhetorical question but alas why oh why do I have so many coffee mugs? 

    Hah.  Me too.  They multiply, like hangers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 24, 2021, 08:59:19 PM
    Rhetorical question but alas why oh why do I have so many coffee mugs? 

    Hah.  Me too.  They multiply, like hangers.

    I think I got rid of some. Not sure when, because I am down to 4.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 24, 2021, 10:19:31 PM
    Unsubscribed from 3 different mailing lists because I am not currently in the market for their products. If I am not going to buy anything from them, I don't need to keep getting their sales pitches.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on September 25, 2021, 12:43:55 PM
    Any tips on donating a 12 yo wedding dress? I have done some interneting research; have signed up to be on a waiting list for Angel Gowns. But its time to say goodbye. Thanks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on September 25, 2021, 01:35:44 PM
    I just witnessed a young woman find her wedding dress at goodwill today. It was beautiful and she was in tears.  It might be nice to find a place that specializes in wedding gear but good old goodwill for the win this time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on September 26, 2021, 10:23:22 AM
    Update on the fax machine: I took the path of least resistance and ended up just recycling it. They were having a drive at a supermarket near me and it was just too easy. It would have been pretty hard to re-home for all of the reasons mentioned above, but also because the paper jams. I also recycled an old printer while I was there, so two things out of the house. Yay! Now if I could only figure out a different location for my current printer I could get rid of the little desk it sits on. Hmmm ... this has me thinking. I re-finish furniture as a hobby and I may have a small side table or something that I could use. Will have to look around the basement.

    Rhetorical question but alas why oh why do I have so many coffee mugs? 

    Hah.  Me too.  They multiply, like hangers.

    I think I got rid of some. Not sure when, because I am down to 4.

    Oh, how I can relate. I used to collect coffee mugs on our travels, so each one has a special meaning. They are very hard to get rid of for sentimental reasons. One from Paris is a weird shape and feels a bit unstable, so never gets used. I think I can part with that one. I now collect fridge magnets instead.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 26, 2021, 11:50:18 AM
    @Prairie Gal if the paper jams, then it was likely not worth repairing and so recycling was probably the best call.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on September 29, 2021, 08:07:13 AM
     - When we bought our home this spring, we inherited a lot of stuff the previous owners just didn't want to move. Some of it was AWFUL (hello, giant L shaped desk that took up half our garage and prevented us from parking our car there until we could give it away) but some of it was lovely - including three very "us" MCM chairs. However, after almost six months in the house, we recognized we don't *need* the chairs. They're just taking up space, and other seating is a better fit for us right now. So we kept one for DH's office and I threw the other two up for $10 for the pair - it wasn't about making money, it was about getting rid of them. So now they're gone and our living room looks so much nicer!

    - Friday is bulk trash PU and I already have a pile ready to go! (a long coffee table in such bad shape I can't give it away, a circular saw that has fritzed out, some other odds and ends from the previous owners that are in too rough shape to sell/give away, etc.)

    - We're working really hard to rein in our food waste and eat down our cupboards. We made ratatouille for dinner last night to clear out our veggie drawer and I'll be eating leftovers for lunch today; I'll also be using the tomatoes and onions that didn't make it into that dish to make a pico de gallo for dinner tonight. We also had an old batch of cookie mix that came from World Market that DS1 and I baked to give us sweets and clear out a drawer. They were... fine. They'll be the kids post-dinner treats for the rest of the week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 29, 2021, 09:29:52 AM
    I've sold a few things on eBay this week, so it's been great to get them out of the house: two pair of shoes & a set of fancy collar stays. The collar stays & one pair of shoes were reasonably pricey, so it was nice to clean out the closet & make a bit of money.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on September 30, 2021, 09:02:21 PM
    I found a local second hand store that will take my wedding dress; they have a program/ministry in Haiti, so it will end up over there at some point. I just need to double check to make sure it's in reasonable condition. That will be the goal for next week.

    A set of ski boots just recently sold on EBAY. Listed for forever. I cleared $40 after shipping and fees. At least they (and the box they were living in) are out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on October 01, 2021, 04:45:45 AM
    It's 1 October so I'm starting the minimalist game (with adaptations)

    Today we had two boxes of returnable drinks containers picked up for a charity drive*. They set the date for their pickups so it was just a happy coincidence that it was 1 Oct. Our machines where you can return containers and get 10c each were shut for a few months so I had two big boxes taking up space. The service allows you to set a regular pickup so now I need to actually make a designated space for a large box in the garage rather than have them sit on the workbench. If I do the garden edging project I've been planning then that will use up a pile of odd profile timber that I've been saving and free up some space.

    Anyway I'm counting the two boxes as two things, already ahead in the game, ha.

    *NSW Aussies, it's a business called ReCollect. You can get your cans picked up and choose a charity for the $$. Mine was a local school / bush regen thing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on October 02, 2021, 08:25:25 PM
    Donated a big suitcase this morning.   Nothing wrong with it, but we aren't travelling as much now and we still have other ones we like better.  It was nice to get that out of the closet and make room for things we do want to keep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 02, 2021, 09:10:34 PM
    One of our cups broke in the dishwasher so I guess that's one less item in the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on October 02, 2021, 10:25:48 PM
    Donated a big suitcase this morning.   Nothing wrong with it, but we aren't travelling as much now and we still have other ones we like better.  It was nice to get that out of the closet and make room for things we do want to keep.

    Well done, that sort of thing is quite hard to get rid of I think.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on October 02, 2021, 10:31:42 PM
    I'm doing ok with the minimalism game, still on the low hanging fruit though. Jars that had been kept for storage but I know we won't use, and plastic spool and spray oil can that had been hanging around because I wasn't sure they could go in the recycling (they can).

    I've decided to add another element. I'll also delete the same number of emails each day. I read a headline somewhere saying that you can decrease your environmental footprint by deleting emails that are being stored pointlessly. Didn't ever read the article but it makes sense!

    Also, in excellent news, Mr F wants to organise his garage *flexes knuckles and stretches* My eyes lit up so much you could probably see them from over there in the US.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 03, 2021, 07:58:38 AM
    @Fresh Bread - if my husband ever offered up cleaning/organizing the garage, I would be ecstatic.

    I finally listed a few things on Buy Nothing, & gave them away: a bunch of unused hair accessories (took them out of my sister's house when she was decluttering), a new running hat that was a work gift, a huge amount of ear plugs that are too small for me.

    I also gave away a zucchini we were unlikely to eat. My friend traded me for apples from her garden.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on October 07, 2021, 08:18:56 PM
    Got what I hope are the last excess kitchen items donated this morning.  Next up are the closets.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 07, 2021, 08:34:11 PM
    One of my shirts suddenly had complete fiber failure in multiple places. As in, it was fine all day and then, while reading a book, 4-5 large holes opened up across the stomach area and along the hemline. Since it was a stalwart of my summer wardrobe (silk-cotton voile! flattering shape and colours that went with 95% of my wardrobe!) I am saddened but not surprised. I got it secondhand and literally wore it to death.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 07, 2021, 09:17:33 PM
    -Gave away two boxes of cake mix & a container of frosting. No idea why I bought them, but we're not going to use them. The food banks don't take food close to expiration here, so Buy Nothing it is.
    -Listed a few more Buy Nothing items
    -Cleaned up a pair of football cleats that I somehow ended up with. Listed them on eBay. Decided the baseball cleats were beyond repair, and couldn't get any takers on Buy Nothing. Have put them aside for shoe recycling at our local athletic store. My son has a pair of soccer cleats that are beyond saving, so those are also in the shoe recycling pile.
    -Donated a laptop bag
    -Tossed a bunch of broken crayons

    And, in ever so exciting news, I cleaned out our files one of the first weeks of the pandemic. I need a giant shredder, and put the papers aside for my return to the office (in, what I thought would be April of 2020). The papers have been sitting in my closet since then. I'm heading back for a quick office trip in a few weeks, and I will dump the papers in the giant corporate shredder. Hurrah!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on October 08, 2021, 07:49:43 AM
    Sold a bunch of kids clothes through our local FB Marketplace. The lady who bought it thought she had a bargain and I was happy to have the stuff out of the house. Another 20 EUR in the kids' travel savings account (the kids are saving for a trip to China (whenever Covid is allowing us in again)!).

    Only 3 more piles (I pile them by size) to go for DD clothes, but I first need to photograph them and put them on FB Marketplace. All clothes from DS are on there as well, but one way or the other boys'  clothes take longer to sell...... If not sold in 2 months, it will go to charity.

    Went through my fake-jewelry stash and found 4 necklaces which I did not wear in years. Out they go!

    Now I have to go through my own closet and toss any item that I did not wear this summer (because.... why would I wear it next summer......). Here's to hoping this will inspire DH to go through his closet as well....... he likes to keep clothes for garden work / DIY projects, but hey.... how many clothes to you need for this????

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 08, 2021, 08:04:23 AM
    Sold a bunch of kids clothes through our local FB Marketplace. The lady who bought it thought she had a bargain and I was happy to have the stuff out of the house. Another 20 EUR in the kids' travel savings account (the kids are saving for a trip to China (whenever Covid is allowing us in again)!).

    Only 3 more piles (I pile them by size) to go for DD clothes, but I first need to photograph them and put them on FB Marketplace. All clothes from DS are on there as well, but one way or the other boys'  clothes take longer to sell...... If not sold in 2 months, it will go to charity.

    Went through my fake-jewelry stash and found 4 necklaces which I did not wear in years. Out they go!

    Now I have to go through my own closet and toss any item that I did not wear this summer (because.... why would I wear it next summer......). Here's to hoping this will inspire DH to go through his closet as well....... he likes to keep clothes for garden work / DIY projects, but hey.... how many clothes to you need for this????

    Made myself devote a half hour to going through the 'sell at flea market' stash. I have been putting it off. Threw out a lot of small stuff, filled up half a bag to donate.

    Looked through my boxes of greeting cards for a birthday card. While there, found some costume jewelry and some real sterling. Added the costume jewelry to my bag-o-jewelry for flea market. I can get $1 to $5 each for costume stuff, depending how pretty or interesting it is.  After fish oil, jewelry is the easiest stuff to sell. 

    Taking the sterling to some local jewelry stores to get appraised.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 14, 2021, 07:51:31 AM
    While looking through my big stash of paperwork stored in stacked up manila  folders, looking for a specific item of information, I came across some old college paperwork, about 10 pounds of it, all technical stuff.

    I had been keeping it for sentimental reasons, but partly out of disgust with all the clutter, I felt good about recycling it. I put it in the recycling bag for next pickup.

    One cubic foot less clutter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on October 14, 2021, 04:42:45 PM
    Well done @slackmax !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on October 15, 2021, 01:25:49 AM
    Had the kids go through their pile of board games. About 10 came out and are on FB Marketplace. 7 are about to be sold (I only count them as sold if they are picked up).
    Gave away some other toys and board games on the Buy Nothing group. Remaining board games now nicely fit in the cupboard, no more falling out when opening the cupboard! Next thing on the list is the crafts section of the same cupboard, but I was already proud of the kids for decluttering the board games. Next week is half-term break, so they will have time to go through the crafts section and their rooms...... let's see if they can declutter some more......
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on October 15, 2021, 10:11:57 AM
    Instead of purchasing travel seats to fly to a wedding this weekend, we borrowed travel seats from parents in a social media parenting group. I returned them (with a small gift card as a thank you) earlier this week - two large items out of the house! (And no new items purchased for airplane travel, which I hope to avoid for another few years - traveling with kids is HARD.)

    We're getting ready to start the big summer purge of kids clothes for our youngest and pass on what won't fit next summer to others.

    I'm tackling our basement storage this weekend, which I've been ignoring since we moved in six months ago and I said "Oh, I'll go through that and organize it soon!"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on October 15, 2021, 11:38:03 AM
    We just moved, and I donated several bags of things before moving, but as I unpack I'm finding more things to donate - clothes my kids have outgrown, my own clothes that I never wear, etc. I've already filled a box of donations.

    Now that my kids' books are all stored in one place, I can see that they have way too many, especially given that they probably read more digital books than physical ones, and we also regularly go to the library. But I find it really hard to get rid of kids books. I think part of it is that I'm attached to my memories of reading certain books to/with them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 18, 2021, 08:16:33 AM
    I have 5 bags of stuff to be dropped off in the trunk of the car. Mostly clothes, but a few other random things.

    Edit: and dropped off on the way home from work today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 18, 2021, 08:21:19 AM
    Got my adult son to go through his closet and he found 5 pair of shoes to give to the homeless shelter.
    Apparently the shelter is in dire need of men's clothes, jackets and shoes.   I bought a package of new men's socks to go with it, so I'll be donating all of that today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadesofgreen on October 19, 2021, 11:31:01 AM
    My CU had a e-cycle and shredding event over the weekend. Cars were lined almost around the block for the shredding but I was able to get in and out after dropping of the following electronics --

    1 large flat screen TV with remote
    1 computer drive
    1 old dead flip phone
    1 old dial-up box from the phone company which has been cancelled for over a year.

    It feels so nice to get them out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 19, 2021, 04:34:18 PM
    Realized I didn't wear the shorts and t-shirt style pajamas all summer, only nightgowns. Now I have enough things to fill a bag and justify a trip to the charity shop.

    The oddest thing going to the shop this time is a grill: a set of fake teeth made of fake gold and diamonds.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on October 20, 2021, 04:08:23 AM
    I unsubscribed from a dozen emails and deleted a bunch of crappola. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on October 21, 2021, 12:20:23 AM
    Kids crafts section of the cupboard got decluttered!!!! YAY!!!!!
    Items that they did not want/need anymore were trashed, donated or sold on the same day. All out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on October 23, 2021, 08:30:59 AM
    Sold a hand-pumped portable espresso maker which was a not-used gift (received $150 for it!) .. which inspired more decluttering. I took nine items to a local consignment store and filled up a small box of donations. I just read Goodbye Things..a Japanese book about minimalism (the author is a young single man so his level of extreme minimalism is not desirable to me but it helped remind me to have a looser grip on my ‘stuff’
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on October 23, 2021, 12:40:07 PM
    One of our cups broke in the dishwasher so I guess that's one less item in the house.

    Haha! Great minds and all that. I dropped a cup while unloading the dishwasher and thought, well that's one way to de-clutter the cups.

    I have been working from home for most of the pandemic and I am retiring, so a bunch of work related crap went back to the office. I also arranged to give away a table that I had in there for stacking work files on to a family member, but they haven't picked it up yet. Feels so good to de-clutter that room and re-claim it as my own!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 25, 2021, 11:58:41 AM
    It's finally rainy again, and my son tried on his pants, and has outgrown them. (He's 14, so I suppose this is expected). I listed three pair on Buy Nothing, and had a taker in an hour. I have ordered other pants for him to wear, but at least we will have no more than we started with. The 15 year old is now taller than his dad, so I'm a little afraid for him to try on his pants.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on October 25, 2021, 02:49:46 PM
    Had a good weekend:
    Gave away a big box of Play-Doh accessoires that I found while decluttering. Also some other toys were happily taken on the Buy Nothing group.
    Stuffed a box full of clothes for donation and trashed old shoes. Decided on some books to go into the little free library. So satisfying to have this done.
    Now I wish to keep this decluttering-flow going. Even my SO helped by driving a car load of stuff to recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on October 27, 2021, 06:37:52 PM
    - A bag of kids books given away on my Buy Nothing Group.
    - A bag of kids clothes given away on my Buy Nothing Group.
    - A pile of clothes that are in horrible shape/incredibly worn to go to textile recycling.

    Also:
    - My work inbox is down to three emails. (THIS IS HUGE!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on October 28, 2021, 09:13:19 AM
    Threw away a few boxes of tea that I'd had in my office before covid. They all expired in 2020 and didn't smell right anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 28, 2021, 10:59:44 AM
    Threw away a few boxes of tea that I'd had in my office before covid. They all expired in 2020 and didn't smell right anymore.

    Uh oh, I should go check expiry dates.  I suspect I also have some tea that has aged out.

    Not to mention I should probably give all my herbs and spices a sniff test.  It's not so much that they go bad as that they loose flavour.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 28, 2021, 01:37:31 PM
    Only tiny wins this week
    - We've been consciously using up some of our Less Favourite Teas and that got rid of 3 boxes worth in our tea cupboard. We are close to having an entirely reasonable stash only containing teas we really enjoy.
    - 3 books off to the street library and 1 to a friend.

    I'm getting to the point of accepting that there won't be a big council clean-up this year so maybe we put the dead tv etc in the car and take it around the corner to the e-cycling centre. (Like, it's literally diagonally across the block from us.) While this just declutters basement rooms that we never go in, it would be nice to take that off the list.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 28, 2021, 08:25:44 PM
    Threw away a few boxes of tea that I'd had in my office before covid. They all expired in 2020 and didn't smell right anymore.

    Uh oh, I should go check expiry dates.  I suspect I also have some tea that has aged out.

    Not to mention I should probably give all my herbs and spices a sniff test.  It's not so much that they go bad as that they loose flavour.

    I have a lot of expired boxes of regular and herbal tea. I'll have to start drinking tea more often. I'm actually a coffee person, though. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 28, 2021, 08:39:51 PM
    Threw away a few boxes of tea that I'd had in my office before covid. They all expired in 2020 and didn't smell right anymore.

    Uh oh, I should go check expiry dates.  I suspect I also have some tea that has aged out.

    Not to mention I should probably give all my herbs and spices a sniff test.  It's not so much that they go bad as that they loose flavour.

    I have a lot of expired boxes of regular and herbal tea. I'll have to start drinking tea more often. I'm actually a coffee person, though.

    If they've gotten moldy - NO. If they're not moldy, don't drink bad tea, that's just being mean to yourself. Compost it. And obviously don't get new tea you won't drink in future.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on October 29, 2021, 07:14:06 AM
    Ummmm.  Is 3 or 4 years in a closed jar for teabags considered 'old' tea?  Asking for a friend...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 30, 2021, 03:03:58 PM
    The pool table is finally out of parent's basement. Apparently a lot of people don't know how heavy pool tables are thus don't come prepared. Even when warned that the people in the house are not able to assist in anyway. But it's gone.

    Various other things have left their house - the half height window shutters are gone, the bifold door is gone, misc leftover tile is gone. Dad and I returned various things to the store today, including the 4 8ft metal posts that were not needed for the fence. Once the fence is done (tomorrow? was wet today) there will be a few more things to go back probably.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 30, 2021, 04:06:01 PM
    Ummmm.  Is 3 or 4 years in a closed jar for teabags considered 'old' tea?  Asking for a friend...

    Mmmmm, probably, but if it’s regular tea, the tannic acid in it has likely kept it from spoiling.  If it smells okay, I would still use it - it just might have lost some of it’s strength, so you might need more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 03, 2021, 06:52:53 PM
    I wasn't able to put my recycling out this cycle, so I drove over to the recycling place and dumped 5 pounds of old unsellable technical manuals myself, just to get rid of it.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on November 05, 2021, 03:27:33 AM
    Selling outgrown clothes of the kids on FB marketplace. Money gets donated to the children's travel account. One way or the other, girls clothes sell better than boys clothes.....
    Found some baby clothes in a box. Will be donated to a local lady who supports single (teen) mothers.
    Have a full box of children's books which have to find their way to the free little libraries in the neighbourhood. A good way to get some exercise! Maybe I can add a few small items to be re-used to those libraries as well (I sometimes see little non-book items in there).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on November 05, 2021, 03:29:56 AM
    Ummmm.  Is 3 or 4 years in a closed jar for teabags considered 'old' tea?  Asking for a friend...

    Depending on the tea quality. I'm currently drinking 3 year old loose leaf tea which was in a vacuum until a week ago. Since it was in a vacuum and it is loose leaf tea (not the crushed small pieces), the tea is still good. But tea bags with only crushed small pieces....... I would not drink it (but hey, I'm a tea person.....).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 05, 2021, 05:36:17 AM
    Just thought I would mention that in my area, Vietnam Veterans organization will come directly to your house and pick up items. They will not take large furniture and some electronics. If you go to their website, you will find a list of what they don't take. I think you can make an appointment for them to pick up your stuff on line or by phone. You need to label your bags Vietnam Veterans of America or VVA. You can just leave the labeled bags in a designated spot like garage door, back door, front door and they will pick them up. I have done this many times and it has worked out perfectly and I didn't have to leave my house! They will take small furniture. It has to be small enough that one person can handle it easily. I don't think they send out two people, only one person to do pick ups.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JoePublic3.14 on November 08, 2021, 06:21:16 PM
    We moved a few months ago and this weekend I implemented a new rule in my slowly getting organized garage. If I trip over it, it falls on me, or otherwise pisses me off, it is gone. Either in donate pile or trash. Several shelf brackets and a dozen small, empty parts bins are no longer with me after they misbehaved while I was putting the bikes away. And an extension ladder is on double secret probation right now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on November 09, 2021, 01:26:35 AM
    One big box of clothes finally got out of the house to the donation location!
    Sold some more clothes and a board game on Craigslist.

    Hope to get some more decluttering done later today after work.....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 18, 2021, 09:25:45 AM
    It's been awhile since I've joined in, which is a sign I haven't made much progress lately. I did add two workout tanks to the donation pile today, as my drawer is getting too cluttered, and these are items I won't wear.

    I also organized my "seasonal clothing" drawer, moving the winter stuff to the front, and tucking the bathing suits & shorts towards the back. It looks tidier, and will remind me to use my sweaters.

    I'm also making a lot of progress organizing & then "getting rid of" (by eating) our freezer items. The freezer is looking so much more organized!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 18, 2021, 06:24:08 PM
    Not a lot of progress here lately either. I did donate my old crockpot and "adopted" one from my basement that my Dad had stored there for years. I am also donating an old winter coat to a lady in need. Just need to wash it first.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 19, 2021, 08:23:52 PM
    My old 25 inch tube TV finally stopped working.

    So far I found a place that will take it for 70 cents a pound, no extra fees. It weighs at least 25 pounds, maybe 30. If it's 30 pounds, that would be $21.

    A municipal recycling place will take it for $40. Too high, of course.

    Going to keep looking.

    It is a great candidate for decluttering. Big, unusable, and unsellable. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 19, 2021, 09:26:15 PM
    I wish governments would figure out that if you make it hard to get rid of something properly, then people are just going to get rid of it the easy way. Your example is the tv. Mine is the old smoke detectors. Even haz waste wouldn't take them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 19, 2021, 11:00:43 PM
    We finally took the bag of donations to a charity bin and at the last moment I added a nice black leather backpack that I had bought for work but always used something else. So that's another corner clear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on November 20, 2021, 12:43:55 AM
    A thoroughly well-used trampoline (rusted) so broken down and taken to the tip (they separate out all the sellable parts so not total trash)
    2 Wasgij puzzles I completed during lockdowns, 1 book, 1 DVD set, several bamboo placements (bought for a gardening project which never happened) and all my son's Year 12 texts and uniforms (yay! Formal schooling DONE for my family). Unfortunately the schools change their text books every couple of years so I had to recycle them rather than pass them on or sell them. Why they still use paper texts when they have digital copies is beyond me, so wasteful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on November 21, 2021, 07:59:31 AM
    I wish governments would figure out that if you make it hard to get rid of something properly, then people are just going to get rid of it the easy way. Your example is the tv. Mine is the old smoke detectors. Even haz waste wouldn't take them.

    They have in many countries.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 21, 2021, 08:11:11 AM
    -Kids have outgrown their ski gear, so already posted on Buy Nothing, and have folks coming over this morning.
    -Have set aside two pair of pants & a puzzle to list in the next few days
    -Tossed the items I've listed on Buy Nothing & got no takers for
    -Recycled a bunch of old papers
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 22, 2021, 04:38:47 AM
    It has been a pretty productive decluttering month after three months of buildup.

    An huge load went to donation - like entire car load.
    A surplus pumpkin/squash harvest got donated. (14 large - to a community food pantry.)
    3 - buttercup squash that were starting to go, made into soup.  Yield nine Liters.  I dropped some off at neighbours.

    2 boxes of porcelain dishes out of my garage to my brothers.  He might bring them back!
    One bag of clothes
    A whole box of really old seed - I realized I could just compost / see what comes up in an area of the garden that is weedy so I dumped them on the soil.  (I am pretty good at identifying plants early)
    I am working my way through the cold cellar and freezer and pantry already and not worrying about "conserving" the harvest.
    Tossed a bunch of old / random / broken trays, pots into recycling.
    Been working my way through pantry items from my late friend.  Used up all the soy sauces, plain olive oils, some of the tea, some of the vinegars. I need to go through the rest of my pantry and take some inventory. It has been really comforting to be making pickles and not have enough cider vinegar, dive into the box from her condo and be 'saved' from a grocery store trip' by a former neighbour, who while alive was my go-to for a little whatever.  (I was also her emergency cup-of-sugar/egg/fresh herb person too)

    I have started a fitness program and am now using some runners, bands and balls that were just kicking around here.  Balls that no longer inflate, bands that snap in half: tossed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 22, 2021, 07:19:29 AM
    Have someone coming today to pick up two pair of pants & two shirts that my husband & kids outgrew. (Husband is shrinking, kids are growing). It will be nice to get them out of the house.

    Ski clothes are picked up & in the hands of others. We're trying to wrap up a puzzle before Thanksgiving (we need the table space). Once that happens, I have two puzzles to give away on Buy Nothing.

    I've made zero progress on eBay in months. Need to decide if I should post a few things, or pause all of my listings & just give stuff away. Food for thought.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 22, 2021, 08:50:44 AM
    I wish governments would figure out that if you make it hard to get rid of something properly, then people are just going to get rid of it the easy way. Your example is the tv. Mine is the old smoke detectors. Even haz waste wouldn't take them.
    This is somewhat off topic, but on the subject of spending tax money wisely. My city has a beautiful wooded park that I like to walk in often. They are putting in a huge paved asphalt walkway now, about a mile of it, all throughout the place, which in my opinion is ruining the park. It uglifies and citifies it. It was perfect before, and now they are wasting our tax money ruining my park.  There were already nice natural grass or wood chip walkways in the same routes. 

    Maybe a lot of residents actually want it. There is no discussion of it at all on social media. Maybe it's just a boondoggle routing money to somebody's brother.

    Millions of dollars possibly. How many TV's could have been recycled for a million bucks?   

    OK, rant over. Couldn't find a more appropriate thread to rant in.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on November 22, 2021, 01:46:24 PM
    I wish governments would figure out that if you make it hard to get rid of something properly, then people are just going to get rid of it the easy way. Your example is the tv. Mine is the old smoke detectors. Even haz waste wouldn't take them.
    This is somewhat off topic, but on the subject of spending tax money wisely. My city has a beautiful wooded park that I like to walk in often. They are putting in a huge paved asphalt walkway now, about a mile of it, all throughout the place, which in my opinion is ruining the park. It uglifies and citifies it. It was perfect before, and now they are wasting our tax money ruining my park.  There were already nice natural grass or wood chip walkways in the same routes. 

    Maybe a lot of residents actually want it. There is no discussion of it at all on social media. Maybe it's just a boondoggle routing money to somebody's brother.

    Millions of dollars possibly. How many TV's could have been recycled for a million bucks?   

    OK, rant over. Couldn't find a more appropriate thread to rant in.   

    Sounds like the path upgrade will make the park much more accessible to anyone who is in a wheelchair/has poor balance/has kids in a stroller/etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 22, 2021, 05:56:25 PM
    I wish governments would figure out that if you make it hard to get rid of something properly, then people are just going to get rid of it the easy way. Your example is the tv. Mine is the old smoke detectors. Even haz waste wouldn't take them.
    This is somewhat off topic, but on the subject of spending tax money wisely. My city has a beautiful wooded park that I like to walk in often. They are putting in a huge paved asphalt walkway now, about a mile of it, all throughout the place, which in my opinion is ruining the park. It uglifies and citifies it. It was perfect before, and now they are wasting our tax money ruining my park.  There were already nice natural grass or wood chip walkways in the same routes. 

    Maybe a lot of residents actually want it. There is no discussion of it at all on social media. Maybe it's just a boondoggle routing money to somebody's brother.

    Millions of dollars possibly. How many TV's could have been recycled for a million bucks?   

    OK, rant over. Couldn't find a more appropriate thread to rant in.   

    Sounds like the path upgrade will make the park much more accessible to anyone who is in a wheelchair/has poor balance/has kids in a stroller/etc.
    Yeah, I was thinking *accessibility*
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Omy on November 22, 2021, 06:10:34 PM
    I have a bad habit of transferring the important stuff I need into a new purse and leaving the old used purse in a corner of my closet (with random stuff still in it).

    I went through all of my discarded purses this weekend and found over $300 worth of unexpired gift cards. And close to $20 in loose change.  Donated half the purses and threw away the ones that were too rough to salvage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 23, 2021, 11:16:15 AM
    Yesterday, did some rearranging of stuff on the kitchen. Moved a box of clean empty glass jars to the basement. Consolidated some stuff. More room now. Less cluttered. Threw out a few baggies of old dulse (dried seaweed).     

    Focused on the upstairs den for 2 hours today. Identified lots of stuff for selling at the flea market.  Consolidated. Found enough appropriate clothes for one bag of donations and one bag to go to 'textile recycling'.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on November 23, 2021, 11:40:29 AM
    I wish governments would figure out that if you make it hard to get rid of something properly, then people are just going to get rid of it the easy way. Your example is the tv. Mine is the old smoke detectors. Even haz waste wouldn't take them.

    My city has the right idea.  As long as I separate yard debris from household garbage, I can pile it by the curb and the city will (eventually) come get it.  It's always funny to see people who move here from other places whine about it on the local Facebook pages.  "My neighbor keeps piling garbage by the side of the road and the city has to deal with it.  There has to be an ordinance against this."  No.  No there's not.  In fact, it's a service we pay for. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on November 23, 2021, 06:27:02 PM
    Donated a garbage bag full of clothing and books today.  I've been driving around with it in my trunk for a couple of weeks, and I'm glad to have the trunk space back again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 23, 2021, 09:47:38 PM
    I wish governments would figure out that if you make it hard to get rid of something properly, then people are just going to get rid of it the easy way. Your example is the tv. Mine is the old smoke detectors. Even haz waste wouldn't take them.

    My city has the right idea.  As long as I separate yard debris from household garbage, I can pile it by the curb and the city will (eventually) come get it.  It's always funny to see people who move here from other places whine about it on the local Facebook pages.  "My neighbor keeps piling garbage by the side of the road and the city has to deal with it.  There has to be an ordinance against this."  No.  No there's not.  In fact, it's a service we pay for.

    Considering one of my tasks over the next 5 days will involve dumping a large amount of leaves and other yard waste into piles along the street, I get it. Though for me, they're coming next week Tuesday. There's a schedule. Now, please tell the last tree to hurry up and drop the leaves already.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 23, 2021, 10:14:32 PM
    Today I donated two pillows and a quilt to a lady in need that is leaving a toxic relationship with nothing.

    My city closed the recycling depot where you can take leaves a couple of weeks ago, before my leaves were all raked up, so now I either have to take them to the dump, store them until next spring, or put them in the garbage bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on November 24, 2021, 11:04:49 AM
    My parents downsized a few years ago and got a storage unit for a bit while they made sure they liked living in a smaller city apartment. They decided they do and bought a similar unit. Now they're ready to commit to the downsize and get rid of the storage unit.

    I came home early for Thanksgiving to go through my childhood stuff again. I've definitely gotten rid of a lot over the last few years, but I always find more to cull as time passes. I got rid of another two bags this week. I'm taking about half a suitcase worth of stuff back with me, and have one remaining plastic tub worth in my parents' closet to continue to take back over time. (I live a flight away and don't want to risk mailing it.)

    I guess I'm technically increasing the amount of stuff in my own small apartment, but it feels great to be at the point where I'm not putting the burden on my parents to store childhood mementos anymore. I've finally culled it down enough that it will fit in my own place - I know exactly where each thing can go, and it won't feel like clutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 24, 2021, 12:05:40 PM
    I wish governments would figure out that if you make it hard to get rid of something properly, then people are just going to get rid of it the easy way. Your example is the tv. Mine is the old smoke detectors. Even haz waste wouldn't take them.

    My city has the right idea.  As long as I separate yard debris from household garbage, I can pile it by the curb and the city will (eventually) come get it.  It's always funny to see people who move here from other places whine about it on the local Facebook pages.  "My neighbor keeps piling garbage by the side of the road and the city has to deal with it.  There has to be an ordinance against this."  No.  No there's not.  In fact, it's a service we pay for.

    Considering one of my tasks over the next 5 days will involve dumping a large amount of leaves and other yard waste into piles along the street, I get it. Though for me, they're coming next week Tuesday. There's a schedule. Now, please tell the last tree to hurry up and drop the leaves already.

    Even when it’s easy, lots of people just can’t be bothered.  My city has yard waste recycling depots at 2 schools not far from me and I regularly see bags and bags of lawn clippings and leaves on the curb on garbage day, even at houses 1/2 block away from the depots.  We have no other curb side pick up, but then the city complains that it’s running out of landfill space.  At least I do see lots of people actually take compostables to the proper bins at the dump, but we could be doing so much more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on November 24, 2021, 02:16:34 PM
    Have someone coming today to pick up two pair of pants & two shirts that my husband & kids outgrew. (Husband is shrinking, kids are growing). It will be nice to get them out of the house.

    Ski clothes are picked up & in the hands of others. We're trying to wrap up a puzzle before Thanksgiving (we need the table space). Once that happens, I have two puzzles to give away on Buy Nothing.

    I've made zero progress on eBay in months. Need to decide if I should post a few things, or pause all of my listings & just give stuff away. Food for thought.

    I am moving so had to finish a puzzle fast so I had time to sell it before the move. I have started buying them used and selling them after finishing, if I manage to finish them without loosing pieces. I have found one piece in the fridge under the vegetable box and one in the shower.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on November 26, 2021, 04:33:19 AM
    I have too many bottles and tubs of cleaners under my kitchen sink and I’m working on that area next. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 27, 2021, 08:56:14 AM
    @Plina - those are some crazy places to find puzzle pieces!

    -Finally sold something on eBay, after a long drought. It's in the box on the porch, awaiting package pickup.
    -Gave away a puzzle & another winter jacket on Buy Nothing
    -Listed outgrown ski boots on Facebook marketplace
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on November 28, 2021, 09:56:46 AM
    Our local senior center has a small fundraiser by having everyone bring donations of nice, usable but un-wanted Xmas decorations.
    Everyone drops them off at a big table and they are priced very inexpensively for the sale.   
    Last year's sale netted $350 - a great idea to declutter and make a little cash at the same time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 28, 2021, 05:21:34 PM
    Put up the Christmas lights. In doing so, put 2 bags of lights aside. One for my friend's dad (he's one of those guys who lights up the neighborhood), and one for my parents. Dropped off both today. Parents will probably return whatever they don't need for their tree, but that is at least a reduced amount. And the icicle lights are gone. Those things annoyed me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 28, 2021, 05:35:41 PM
    Two more books shed to a community library. One more shirt hit total fabric breakdown.
    Next up is actually going through my bags, patterns and material again and Kondo-ing them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 29, 2021, 05:06:59 AM
    One less vase - not gifted, just smashed during dusting.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 29, 2021, 01:34:08 PM
    One less vase - not gifted, just smashed during dusting.

    Ouch.  I hope it was your least liked vase.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 29, 2021, 04:00:40 PM
    One less vase - not gifted, just smashed during dusting.

    Ouch.  I hope it was your least liked vase.
    unfortunately it was one I liked.  Came when DS was born with a pretty arrangements of flowers.  We got so many gifts and flowers when babies were born because my late Dad was so over the moon about becoming a grandfather all his friends and colleagues sent gifts. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 29, 2021, 07:53:42 PM
    Sorry about the vase Frugal Lizard. Bummer when something breaks/wears out that you actually liked.

    Gave the leftover Halloween candy to my friend, she's a teacher and can use it for classroom bribes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on November 29, 2021, 08:37:26 PM
    Did a run to the tip with a bunch of cardboard and a recycling company picked up a microwave, two crappy broken power tools and other small things. My garage looks heaps better, it's really hard to keep it clear though, another box appeared on my workbench already.

    Also listed 6 small things on Buy Nothing, two have gone.

    And my husband has said he can let a storage unit from his garage go. It's really not useful for garage storage, it will be replaced with something more useful. Another big win. The organising of his garage is a very slow moving project but quite satisfying, probably because it's not my responsibility!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: EchoStache on December 02, 2021, 04:46:35 AM
    Going to start working on purging all our extra "stuff", as in, pretty much everything in our attic that we haven't used in years.  Got a small start on it when bringing down Christmas stuff. 

    Some stuff will be donated or trashed, I'll sell whatever I can:
    Old twin bed; headboard, footboard, metal frame: $20, which is already in an index fund. :)
    FB Marketplace FTW.
    Got some bites on a floor lamp for $20 but not sold yet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on December 02, 2021, 08:17:12 AM
    - 4 bags of kids clothes out (some half filled) to new homes.  I even released 2 jackets in my youngest's size, as I felt we already were given enough for her to wear.  Usually I hold onto everything in her size "just in case".
    - 1 bag of new baby items out to local girls who were sex trafficked (baby gifts we were given we didn't need or duplicates we saved to regift rather than open)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 04, 2021, 12:17:42 AM
    Council cleanup completed. 23m general household items in poor condition, a pile of misc scrap metal and 3 old tyres.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 04, 2021, 12:33:19 AM
    I went and kondo-ed my bags again. That’s another 10 that someone will be stoked to find in an opshop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Naomi on December 04, 2021, 01:03:08 AM
    I've done this challenge before where you get rid of 1 thing on day 1, 2 things on day 2, ...and so on for 30 days. I think I quit last time after 8 or 9 days.

    Days 1, 2, and 3 - 6 old pieces of clothing thrown away (my husband will use them for whatever dirty stuff he does in the garage).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 04, 2021, 02:11:11 PM
    Not really decluttering, but felt good.

    I noticed a lot of 'grunge' under the dish rack I use after I hand wash dishes. Probably 2 years' worth.   Spent 15 minutes removing it. Used up some old soft paper for stuffing inside gift boxes. I have tons of it, so this I will consider useful decluttering of the paper.  Then I went wild and cleaned the whole countertop!

    Didn't even need detergent. Just water and paper. 
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on December 04, 2021, 02:47:22 PM
    Slackmax, good job! It's so satisfying to see a thing needs doing and then do it straightaway.

    I have just offloaded a bunch of Xmas deco on FB, got a bite about five mins after listing! I got it free a few years ago for 'Xmas in July' but ended up borrowing a tree and all the baubles so never even used what I'd got. We don't bother decorating at actual Xmas except for a wreath on the door so the neighbours don't think we are grinches. (We are though). I had meant to list this stuff last year, forgot, put a reminder in my calendar for this year, a couple of weeks after that I finally list it, & it's gone. 

    I'd like to say that I've freed up space but the box was sitting on the floor after a previous cupboard rearrangement. I knew it absolutely had to go so I wasn't reserving space for it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Omy on December 06, 2021, 11:52:24 AM
    Organized the coat closet. Tossed 12 pairs of well used shoes from the floor of the closet and organized the rest. Removed most the stuff on the shelf. It looks great and I can see (and get to) everything now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 06, 2021, 02:34:06 PM
    Sold outgrown skis & poles on Facebook. Should have priced them higher, as I had 10+ interested people. Oops.

    Listed a couple of holiday items on eBay. Meant to list them earlier, but I forgot. Maybe I'll get some interest ahead of the holidays.

    I've given away a bunch of stuff on Buy Nothing lately. Lots of kids outgrown winter gear. Feels nice to get rid of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 06, 2021, 02:38:24 PM
    Inspired by Slackmax, I saw and immediately cleaned the grotty floor behind the bathroom sink and it looks so much nicer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on December 07, 2021, 08:36:32 AM
    Anyone have any idea when Buy Nothing will have it's own standalone app?  I don't use Facebook but I recall reading that Buy Nothing was moving away from Facebook?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on December 07, 2021, 11:23:02 AM
    Anyone have any idea when Buy Nothing will have it's own standalone app?  I don't use Facebook but I recall reading that Buy Nothing was moving away from Facebook?
    The app exists - search BuyNothing. I haven't used it yet myself but the reviews aren't great - sounds like they're still working out some bugs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 07, 2021, 02:59:34 PM
    Inspired by Slackmax, I saw and immediately cleaned the grotty floor behind the bathroom sink and it looks so much nicer.
    Yes, mspym !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Naomi on December 08, 2021, 09:09:56 AM
    Days
    4: toothbrush, tape measure, 2 hair clips
    5: 2 picture frames, book, camera, battery charger
    6: 6 pieces of clothing (donated)

    This is already getting harder than I thought, which is a good thing. I'll try to get caught up later on my days off.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on December 08, 2021, 09:18:33 AM
    Realized I had 2 half-empty bottles of glass cleaner under the sink - combined them and got one bottle out.  I didn't expect it to make a difference, but even small things matter in a space that small.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on December 09, 2021, 04:20:40 AM
    The old (still working) plastic toilet which the builders put on the nature strip outside my house had been sitting there for 7 weeks.  I had posted it on our local Buy Sell Swap group (much to my husband's horror, haha) but had no response. A neighbour finally came and took it today. Yay! Otherwise it would have ended up in the skip and gone to landfill.

    I also cut up all the big plastic bags I'd been saving from our chook food and potting mix. If they are smaller than A3 size they can go in the RedCycle soft plastics recycling. I also took a box of metal bits and pieces to the metal recyclers, a pair of old runners to Rebel Sports' sneaker recycling program, a bag of used contact lenses and cases to my Optometrist's, used toothbrushes and empty toothpaste tubes,  and old pens to my local Council's recycling program. I had been hoarding that stuff for more than a year and it was finally time to get rid of it. Felt really good!!

     That is a corner of the shed that is now clear, and I now have room for a proper potting table set up so I can get serious about raising more plants from seed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 28, 2021, 09:58:38 AM
    Way to go, Lazycow, with the long-awaited recycling.

    Today I took out 2 boxes from under the kitchen table to have a look inside. Luckily, they were each about half empty. I spent half an hour seeing what was actually there (spices, empty clean bottles, baggies of seasonings) and actually decluttering.

    Threw out some of it, recycled some of the bottles, moved some spices into my spice cabinet. I would never remember what spices I had if I had left them in the boxes. Now at least I can see them in the cabinet, and use them up. 

    Combined what was left into one of the boxes, and recycled the other.

    More space in the kitchen and a few more spices in the cabinet.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on December 28, 2021, 10:56:57 AM
    Worked with the kids on their Playmobil stuff. Listed it on Craiglist by set and already sold some very large sets for a good price.
    Today I started on my workplace which was cluttered. I have thrown away a lot of dried out hobby paint and grabbed a full bag of old trash clothes from all corners, which will be sent to recycling this week. Only this and some cleaning/reorganising makes such a difference.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on December 29, 2021, 03:30:55 AM
    DD went through her bookshelf. Sold a few books and will be donating the rest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lazycow on December 30, 2021, 07:42:13 PM
    Thanks @slackmax ! You're not doing too badly either.

    Tallied up my purchases of incoming stuff and items decluttered for the year (I keep a running total) and I have a net outgoing of over 900 things (100 purchases, 1000 items decluttered).

    Next year will be an even lower-buy year as I am planning on staying out of op shops, reading my own/library books, volunteering in my local community,  having more board game sessions with friends and more time at the beach.

    And looking forward to helping both my kids move out ( but only in the decluttering sense, I will miss them terribly).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on December 31, 2021, 01:26:39 AM
    Recent decluttering efforts:
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on December 31, 2021, 08:10:11 AM
    Thanks @slackmax ! You're not doing too badly either.

    Tallied up my purchases of incoming stuff and items decluttered for the year (I keep a running total) and I have a net outgoing of over 900 things (100 purchases, 1000 items decluttered).

    Next year will be an even lower-buy year as I am planning on staying out of op shops, reading my own/library books, volunteering in my local community,  having more board game sessions with friends and more time at the beach.

    And looking forward to helping both my kids move out ( but only in the decluttering sense, I will miss them terribly).

    wow, that's impressive! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 02, 2022, 05:29:57 AM
    I did a sort out if the office closet.  Now our blue bin is full. It feels great to open that puppy up and put something away in the place it belongs with ease.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: gaja on January 02, 2022, 04:21:22 PM
    Preparing to sell the house in six months, and there is a lot of decluttering to do. DH is going there this week to see how much he is able to sell, and how much he can fit in the car and bring back to the homestead. Then we’ll switch houses, and I’ll go there to see what I’m able to use up (particularly food) or toss.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 02, 2022, 10:28:57 PM
    Pretty happy overall with my level of possessions; coasting along in maintenance mode. Recently took a small bagful to the haz mat.

    But does anyone else accumulate, like, 3 things for the charity shop in several months? They're not so valuable that I'm willing to put effort into giving them away online individually (no Buy Nothing here). How do you/would you all handle it?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on January 03, 2022, 03:54:13 AM
    Pretty happy overall with my level of possessions; coasting along in maintenance mode. Recently took a small bagful to the haz mat.

    But does anyone else accumulate, like, 3 things for the charity shop in several months? They're not so valuable that I'm willing to put effort into giving them away online individually (no Buy Nothing here). How do you/would you all handle it?

    I take the stuff to our apartment complex’s general trash bins. I put them in nice paper or clear bags and leave them in a prominent area on top of the bin lids or in front of the bins on the floor (rather than putting them in the bins), so that people can clearly see what the stuff is. Last time I did that, the stuff was gone before I had even walked 30 steps away from the bins.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on January 03, 2022, 03:56:05 AM
    Donated another bag of books this weekend.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on January 03, 2022, 08:09:14 AM
    Joining for encouragement. We moved a couple months ago, and we're still unpacking. I never got around to all the decluttering pre-move, so trying to get through it now. The seller also left a bunch of stuff here, some of which is great and most of which is trash. Hoping this thread gives me the motivation to keep going!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 03, 2022, 08:14:45 AM
    Worked on my seed box - now seed boxes this weekend.  I have a separate box for herbs and perennials and flowers.

    I now have a sorted arrangement by species.  All the old seed packets that were crazy old or empty are gone.  I have a list of the seeds I need to buy.  A pile of seeds I can share to the seed library. And I will start by using up all the oldest seed that might still be viable.  I cleaned and packed the remaining seeds collected. 

    This is just a very happy de-cluttering exercise to have done. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 03, 2022, 08:33:33 AM
    Our sump pump stopped working (unbeknownst to us) & created some mold. I need to go through our bathroom cabinets, scrub everything, wash all of the towels & see what I can salvage vs need to toss. I'm irritated, but it will be a good opportunity to clean & declutter that area anyway. Or, that's what I'm telling myself, anyway. ;-)

    I also need to list a few things on FB marketplace. I returned gifts that didn't work out right away, so I don't have those lingering.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 03, 2022, 08:43:56 AM
    ....

    I also need to list a few things on FB marketplace. I returned gifts that didn't work out right away, so I don't have those lingering.

    This was a big one for me to learn - a gift is yours to do with what you want, even if that means turning around the next day and selling, donating, or re-gifting it.
    Otherwise it's one of those low-level irritants every time you look at it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on January 03, 2022, 09:56:24 AM
    ....

    I also need to list a few things on FB marketplace. I returned gifts that didn't work out right away, so I don't have those lingering.

    This was a big one for me to learn - a gift is yours to do with what you want, even if that means turning around the next day and selling, donating, or re-gifting it.
    Otherwise it's one of those low-level irritants every time you look at it.

    Yes. The burrito blanket we got (and it had to be a re-gift… right?) is headed for goodwill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 03, 2022, 05:57:26 PM
    Pretty happy overall with my level of possessions; coasting along in maintenance mode. Recently took a small bagful to the haz mat.

    But does anyone else accumulate, like, 3 things for the charity shop in several months? They're not so valuable that I'm willing to put effort into giving them away online individually (no Buy Nothing here). How do you/would you all handle it?

    I take the stuff to our apartment complex’s general trash bins. I put them in nice paper or clear bags and leave them in a prominent area on top of the bin lids or in front of the bins on the floor (rather than putting them in the bins), so that people can clearly see what the stuff is. Last time I did that, the stuff was gone before I had even walked 30 steps away from the bins.

    Thank you @Freedomin5 ! I moved out of an apartment complex a year ago, and have forgotten this method! Will try putting them by the curb with a "free" sign.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on January 03, 2022, 08:18:45 PM
    Was pretty pleased with myself I had passed on a few bags of books, clothes and toddler items we were done with over the holidays.  And then we accepted a batch of hand me downs today from my sister (2 big boxes of clothes, 2 bags of books, plus some jackets, shoes) so I'm in arrears, which is motivating.

    One area I'm not good at is the "just in case".  We were given hand me downs that are *way* more than we need for my kids, but I saved "just in case" we might need/my second child might love clothes my first didn't.  For example, I counted 65 short shirts alone for my daughter, plus more long-sleeve.  Some given after my son had almost outgrown them so he never even wore them.  He also had favorites, so he only wore ~2 pjs and we were given loads more.  I finally went through the 2 year old clothes during the holidays to cull out clothes my daughter was unlikely to wear.   Given the quantity that came in, I think I need to take another pass at it and be much more ruthless to make space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 03, 2022, 09:15:13 PM
    @Captain FIRE this is where the Minimal Mom's inventory method comes in handy. Think about the Max number of tops your daughter will need (given washing schedule, growth rate, life style) and then pick out the best and most favoured tops until you hit that number. Everything after that is excess.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 04, 2022, 05:17:02 AM
    It’s not permanently clearing clutter but I’m taking my gift wrap, wreath and a my festive welcome mat back down to the creepy storage bin in the basement!  I’ll recycle my recyclables in the basement while I’m already there. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on January 04, 2022, 07:20:36 AM
    @mspym Funny you say that as I was looking up recommended #s for toddler clothing last night!  And the ridiculous part to admit is that a different family has started giving us girl tops, so she will probably wear more of those than the other boy oriented ones we've saved.  (It's not guaranteed they'll continue or how much more we'll get from them so I don't want to rely on it to the extent of getting rid of everything, but it does push me towards being far more aggressive with the rest and not keeping any "on the fence" clothes!)  And the 65 short sleeve shirts was just what I had in boxes from my son - it actually didn't include a few short sleeve girl tops (5-7?) we already got from the new family.  Realistically, the kids tend to wear the same 5-10 things over and over.  So they need maybe 15-20 MAX factoring in leaving spare clothes at daycare, should we ever travel again (ha!), and those weeks when they go through multiple outfits.  Like this week, where I've run out of "acceptable" jeans for my son.  Sigh.

    ETA: I need to change mindset from culling the items do we not need/want to keeping those items do we need/want.  I think I'll have substantially fewer items with the latter than the former.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: parkerk on January 04, 2022, 10:46:32 AM
    I'm very slowly trying to get a handle on the clutter and needless stuff in our house, and sometimes it feels like an unwinnable battle.  But I'm going to celebrate a small win here which is that someone on my local buy nothing group asked if anyone had a spare laundry drying rack, and lo and behold I had one collecting dust in the basement and now I am rid of it! 

    Now I just need to do that about 100,000 more times ...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 04, 2022, 12:41:17 PM
    @Captain FIRE it makes a real change to your approach once you tackle it from the here is what I love and want to keep angle! When I was shifting countries I had a suitcase and could only take what fit in it - it made for a fantastic sorting tool.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on January 04, 2022, 02:21:23 PM
    I have been decluttering at my parents and aunts place. I moved closer to them and realized I needed some stuff. So I asked my mother and aunt if they had those items. I got a rack for drying dishes from my aunt, some cleaner before painting and a kitchen table. I will return the table but it saved me from buying something fast. I got skis and poles that my mother don’t use anymore, some recycling stuff to the kitchen as well as a side board from my grandparents that I like. Both my aunt and mother are always saving stuff because it can be useful. It is a win-win as they are happy to get rid of the stuff and I don’t need to buy it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 04, 2022, 02:31:41 PM
    Today I found some old personal development papers from previous jobs and recycled it. It was oddly satisfying given how little actual space it took up, but I guess that's the mental space freeing up too. It's like when I decided oh I am NOT going to renew my professional certification, which is due 2 months after I quit the field for good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 04, 2022, 04:08:45 PM
    Got rid of a few things on Buy Nothing today:
    -3 ski base layers
    -cake pan
    -outgrown "teen brand" tshirt

    When I was posting my BN items, I noticed that someone was giving away a bunch of cauliflower rice that I've been looking everywhere for (Costco seems to be out), so surreptitiously, I now have that. I've gone to a few stores for it, so this was a big win. The giver asked that I take a few other items (chicken broth, mac & cheese, etc), so I'm baking up the muffin mix right now for the kids. I don't want the items to further clutter my own pantry, so I'll focus on using them up right away.

    I also listed a new cheeseboard I received from a work function, and have someone buying ti in a few hours. Fingers crossed, as it will be great to get that out of the house as well.

    Next up: freezer & pantry inventory
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on January 06, 2022, 02:38:25 AM
    Listed a pile of boys clothes on Craigslist. One lady came by yesterday who showed interest in a couple of items, but after seeing all the clothes, she bought 2/3 of the whole pile! Cash in the kid's travel account, space in my home and a happy lady!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on January 06, 2022, 09:50:30 AM
    Dropped the first load of stuff at goodwill yesterday en route to the grocery store. It had been hibernating in my trunk for a couple weeks so it’s good to have that done.

    Today I went through our kitchen cabinets to sort out what we don't use and made a plan to re-home / donate all of it. I’m giving a bunch of canning jars, some food containers, a silicone baking mat, and a few casserole dishes to a friend. She was planning to visit us tomorrow anyway so she’ll take them with her when she leaves. The rest will go to goodwill at the next opportunity, hopefully also this week.

    My husband is currently sorting through our winter accessories  to see if there’s anything there that should also be donated. It’s nice that we can use some of our parental leave to get the house in order. When we’re both working full time plus parenting the rest of the time this stuff just doesn’t happen.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 07, 2022, 10:19:54 AM
    The really good, but too small mitts from the ski box are gone to people with smaller hands than my (now) teens
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 08, 2022, 09:37:19 AM
    Listed a pile of boys clothes on Craigslist. One lady came by yesterday who showed interest in a couple of items, but after seeing all the clothes, she bought 2/3 of the whole pile! Cash in the kid's travel account, space in my home and a happy lady!

    Excellent job, Dutch Comfort!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 08, 2022, 09:44:44 AM
    It's getting harder to find anything I can easily part with around here, but I went through some notebooks on the shelf and decided 4 of them could be recycled. So the shelf is still there, but has more open space.

    Also found four more books to donate to the library.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 08, 2022, 11:22:11 AM
    -Sold the cheeseboard to a neighbor, so one holiday gift that we didn't need/want out of the house
    -Gave away more stuff on Buy Nothing (new socks, three new hats, an outgrown sports jersey, two pair of jeans). All picked up & gone
    -I'm planning to go to the library today to donate to bags of books. It's been on my to do list for literally months, but their hours never align with my schedule. Fingers crossed that today is the day.

    Also on the list for today/tomorrow:
    -Going through my "paperwork tray" & cleaning out the junk that's collected
    -Pantry organization
    -eBay/donation closet
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 08, 2022, 01:07:54 PM
    It's getting harder to find anything I can easily part with around here, but I went through some notebooks on the shelf and decided 4 of them could be recycled. So the shelf is still there, but has more open space.

    Also found four more books to donate to the library.   

    Sounds like you're done with the low-hanging fruit - now the real work begins, ha ha.

    Rounded up a few more things:  tattered dog blanket and holey socks for fabric recycling, a book, a sweatshirt in brand new condition that I won't wear, and a Scentsy bar I don't like.

    Have to get back on the bandwagon and turf more stuff before spring.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 08, 2022, 03:26:30 PM
    -Sold the cheeseboard to a neighbor, so one holiday gift that we didn't need/want out of the house
    -Gave away more stuff on Buy Nothing (new socks, three new hats, an outgrown sports jersey, two pair of jeans). All picked up & gone
    -I'm planning to go to the library today to donate to bags of books. It's been on my to do list for literally months, but their hours never align with my schedule. Fingers crossed that today is the day.

    Also on the list for today/tomorrow:
    -Going through my "paperwork tray" & cleaning out the junk that's collected
    -Pantry organization
    -eBay/donation closet

    Indeed - today was the day! I dropped off two library books for donation & they are officially out of my house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 09, 2022, 12:10:49 AM
    Pretty happy overall with my level of possessions; coasting along in maintenance mode. Recently took a small bagful to the haz mat.

    But does anyone else accumulate, like, 3 things for the charity shop in several months? They're not so valuable that I'm willing to put effort into giving them away online individually (no Buy Nothing here). How do you/would you all handle it?

    I take the stuff to our apartment complex’s general trash bins. I put them in nice paper or clear bags and leave them in a prominent area on top of the bin lids or in front of the bins on the floor (rather than putting them in the bins), so that people can clearly see what the stuff is. Last time I did that, the stuff was gone before I had even walked 30 steps away from the bins.

    After another bout of frustration because a chair and matching footstool were in the way of the closet, realized I probably wouldn't get around to refinishing them. So added that bulky pair to the 3 small things and made a run to the charity shop this morning. The closet feels so spacious!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on January 10, 2022, 05:26:42 AM
    Yesterday was an excellent day of decluttering!  My SO and I have been in our new apartment for 6 months and are now pretty confident we'd like to stay here for several years at least.  It's quite small (he owns the property, rents out the house, and we're in the above-barn 500 sq ft apartment) and so now that we know we want to stay, I'm ready to trade stuff for space.

    We started with the bedroom.  We let go a blanket that I love but that is kind of unraveling and thus dangerous for our dog.  We also let go two full-size comforters/bedspreads since we upgraded to a queen size mattress.  Then we tackled clothes.  My SO finally went through all his shirts and decided on a large bag's worth to donate.  I went through all my clothes and finally let go a bunch of free t-shirts from college (which was kind of awhile ago, haha) and some other shirts that I never wear.  All said, we have 4 trash bags full to donate and one to dispose of.  It made a huge impact on our tiny closet/bedroom!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on January 10, 2022, 10:34:41 AM
    Folks, I posted above preemptively went through clothes for a size my daughter is just now starting to wear.  We were given a lot. I gave it away through our Facebook freebie site to a family that sends it out for local Cradles to Crayons packets...and she told me it was almost enough for *6* different packets.  That's with me keeping about half or maybe even more.  In other words, my kid has MORE than what 6 kids need.  Now granted, what they consider need is less generous than I consider need, but still.  This inspired me to tell the woman I'd go back through the clothes and see what outwear I can pass on to her for the packets, and toss in some more long sleeve shirts.  I already put aside an extra jacket and sweatshirt.

    Also went through the big box of nice shoes from my nephew.  Kept the bigger sizes for my son, but decided my daughter was unlikely to wear them so we should pass them on now.  6 pairs given away or pending, looking for homes for 4 more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on January 10, 2022, 12:33:43 PM
    Thanks for the inspiration.

    Listed 3 items on Ebay, out of a box of maybe 12 items that need such treatment.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 10, 2022, 01:08:33 PM
    Folks, I posted above preemptively went through clothes for a size my daughter is just now starting to wear.  We were given a lot. I gave it away through our Facebook freebie site to a family that sends it out for local Cradles to Crayons packets...and she told me it was almost enough for *6* different packets.  That's with me keeping about half or maybe even more.  In other words, my kid has MORE than what 6 kids need.  Now granted, what they consider need is less generous than I consider need, but still.  This inspired me to tell the woman I'd go back through the clothes and see what outwear I can pass on to her for the packets, and toss in some more long sleeve shirts.  I already put aside an extra jacket and sweatshirt.

    Also went through the big box of nice shoes from my nephew.  Kept the bigger sizes for my son, but decided my daughter was unlikely to wear them so we should pass them on now.  6 pairs given away or pending, looking for homes for 4 more.

    You might find it helpful to actually look at, in total, every piece of clothing your daughter wears over the course of a week. Every sock, shirt, pair of pants or underwear, everything that was worn. Count them up. That will give you some hard data as to how much is needed. That way, you can tell your brain when it insists that she needs 30 pairs of socks "no, because I counted and she wore 10 pairs in a week. 30 is way overkill".
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 10, 2022, 01:53:17 PM
    Checking in to say, I love Decluttr!  I finally shipped two boxes of CDs to them, and they gave me just .80 less than what they originally offered.  This means two boxes of clutter out of the house, and $40 into our dining out account.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 10, 2022, 02:42:14 PM
    Checking in to say, I love Decluttr!  I finally shipped two boxes of CDs to them, and they gave me just .80 less than what they originally offered.  This means two boxes of clutter out of the house, and $40 into our dining out account.  :)

    What do they do with them that they can give you money? Charity shops here won't take them because they can't sell them and there's no recycling option here either AFAIK.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 10, 2022, 03:00:15 PM
    ... It's quite small (he owns the property, rents out the house, and we're in the above-barn 500 sq ft apartment) and so now that we know we want to stay, I'm ready to trade stuff for space.
    ...

    Snap! (almost) We live in 650sqft over a double garage and rent out the main house!

    I have v few clothes now and I've been sort of thinking in a capsule wardrobe way about what comes in - it must go with everything else so it's mainly navy, grey, white, some other blues. My SO has loads of clothes but they are folded & stored Marie Kondo style which helps.

    With other stuff we've cheated by storing what probably should have been got rid of in the garage, because in 2 more years I think we will move back to the big house. Picture frames was the hardest - we don't have the wall space but if we go back to the main house I'd probably want the same arrangement of photos again. And my SO never went through his personal stuff before the move so has a few boxes in the garage. I did sell the large and superfluous furniture at least!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on January 10, 2022, 03:51:17 PM
    We are decluttering our driveway…. Our minivan is going on cl tonight and I hope it’s gone by the weekend
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on January 10, 2022, 07:08:49 PM
    Folks, I posted above preemptively went through clothes for a size my daughter is just now starting to wear.  We were given a lot. I gave it away through our Facebook freebie site to a family that sends it out for local Cradles to Crayons packets...and she told me it was almost enough for *6* different packets.  That's with me keeping about half or maybe even more.  In other words, my kid has MORE than what 6 kids need.  Now granted, what they consider need is less generous than I consider need, but still.  This inspired me to tell the woman I'd go back through the clothes and see what outwear I can pass on to her for the packets, and toss in some more long sleeve shirts.  I already put aside an extra jacket and sweatshirt.

    Also went through the big box of nice shoes from my nephew.  Kept the bigger sizes for my son, but decided my daughter was unlikely to wear them so we should pass them on now.  6 pairs given away or pending, looking for homes for 4 more.

    You might find it helpful to actually look at, in total, every piece of clothing your daughter wears over the course of a week. Every sock, shirt, pair of pants or underwear, everything that was worn. Count them up. That will give you some hard data as to how much is needed. That way, you can tell your brain when it insists that she needs 30 pairs of socks "no, because I counted and she wore 10 pairs in a week. 30 is way overkill".

    I assure socks is not where we have overkill.  :)  After a while of scrimping by (they get lost so easily...and now going out in winter they can go through multiple pairs in a day if they get their feet wet), I broke down and bought another set for Christmas.

    But yes.  Absolutely.  She wears so little because she/I have favorites. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 10, 2022, 07:34:46 PM
    Dropped some coffee, canned fruit and Vegemite into a church's food pantry. Another 2 books off to street libraries, 3 uncomfortable AND irretrievably sweated in sports bras into the rubbish, one deeply dead running t-shirt likewise. We have hit the point where we have enough rags for the foreseeable future and the thought of any more on the rag pile triggers my We Are Living In SQUALOR! reaction.

    The new approach of buying something once the old one runs out seems to be keeping the pantry contents under control.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 10, 2022, 07:57:06 PM
    Checking in to say, I love Decluttr!  I finally shipped two boxes of CDs to them, and they gave me just .80 less than what they originally offered.  This means two boxes of clutter out of the house, and $40 into our dining out account.  :)

    I made a similar amount selling basically all of our DVDs, CDs, & a few books. It was a ton of stuff out the house, so any money was a bonus.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on January 10, 2022, 08:48:21 PM
    Three coats out the door - one I have no idea where it came from! To local buy nothing group.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on January 11, 2022, 05:19:57 AM
    @Fresh Bread , I have all my extra wall art in storage in the barn/garage too.  And lots of other stuff.  We also got rid of the furniture stored down there recently, so we could have some space to exercise and do hobby stuff, so that's helped a lot. 

    It's great living rent-free, even if a little extra space would be nice.  Bonus - I can vacuum the entire apartment only plugging the vacuum in once, haha.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 11, 2022, 08:00:27 AM
    I'm counting this as decluttering.

    I have lots of winter coats, some I only use for dirty work. One of them is a beige color, and got very dirty over the years, only is certain areas. I was planning on eventually just throwing it out, since everyone knows you can't wash winter coats (right?).

    Just for kicks, I tried washing one area of the coat. Used a toothbrush and liquid laundry detergent, water, and a bucket.  It worked!  Nice and clean now.   

    It's taking some time, but that's OK. Today I'm washing the other dirty areas on the coat. Satisfying.

    And now I can wear this coat in public again, too.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 11, 2022, 08:37:36 AM
    I'm counting this as decluttering.

    I have lots of winter coats, some I only use for dirty work. One of them is a beige color, and got very dirty over the years, only is certain areas. I was planning on eventually just throwing it out, since everyone knows you can't wash winter coats (right?).

    Just for kicks, I tried washing one area of the coat. Used a toothbrush and liquid laundry detergent, water, and a bucket.  It worked!  Nice and clean now.   

    It's taking some time, but that's OK. Today I'm washing the other dirty areas on the coat. Satisfying.

    And now I can wear this coat in public again, too.   

    Cleaning a coat with a toothbrush?  That's dedication!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 11, 2022, 08:48:16 AM
    I'm counting this as decluttering.

    I have lots of winter coats, some I only use for dirty work. One of them is a beige color, and got very dirty over the years, only is certain areas. I was planning on eventually just throwing it out, since everyone knows you can't wash winter coats (right?).

    Just for kicks, I tried washing one area of the coat. Used a toothbrush and liquid laundry detergent, water, and a bucket.  It worked!  Nice and clean now.   

    It's taking some time, but that's OK. Today I'm washing the other dirty areas on the coat. Satisfying.

    And now I can wear this coat in public again, too.   

    Well, first, if you have winter coats that you're not using at all but they're in decent condition, why are you hanging on to them? Donate to the shelter or something so someone who doesn't have a coat can be a little warmer. Or take a walk down where the homeless people are see if anyone wants it. This isn't a situation where it's going to get tossed - someone needs that coat.

    Also, what is this coat made of that it can't be cleaned? I've never heard of a winter coat that can't be cleaned, whether via washing machine or dry cleaning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on January 11, 2022, 09:09:58 AM
    Our son decided he does not want the rug in his room anymore since his Legos will disappear in it..... Listed it on Craigslist and sold it in a few hours. Now DS has to deal with the cold wooden floor on his feet when he gets out of bed. His choice!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on January 11, 2022, 10:01:28 AM
    Starting off the year with some digital decluttering.

    -IT finally updated my work laptop to Windows 10 (it was running Windows 7 lol). It was a clean install, and I'm only going to add back the files and programs I really need.
    -Went through and deleted a bunch of old apps I don't use off my phone. Now the apps I use all the time are more at the forefront.
    -I also have way too many old pictures and videos, and my phone is getting full. I'm going to use my commute time for the foreseeable future to go through and delete (I don't drive, I take public transit). I have thousands and thousands of photos, so this is a daunting task to do as a whole. Keeping it to the commute turns it into a more reasonable project.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 11, 2022, 11:41:50 AM
    Starting off the year with some digital decluttering.

    -IT finally updated my work laptop to Windows 10 (it was running Windows 7 lol). It was a clean install, and I'm only going to add back the files and programs I really need.
    -Went through and deleted a bunch of old apps I don't use off my phone. Now the apps I use all the time are more at the forefront.
    -I also have way too many old pictures and videos, and my phone is getting full. I'm going to use my commute time for the foreseeable future to go through and delete (I don't drive, I take public transit). I have thousands and thousands of photos, so this is a daunting task to do as a whole. Keeping it to the commute turns it into a more reasonable project.

    I just dump all my phone photos to my laptop every so often and the phone starts fresh.  It is a lot easier to edit the photos on the larger laptop screen.

    Won't work on your commute, though.   ;-(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on January 11, 2022, 11:49:36 AM
    I reference old photos when I'm out often enough that I definitely value having notable ones saved on my phone! Everything is of course periodically backed up on my computer, I'm just way behind on culling down the ones on my phone. Right now I'm still in 2017, yikes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 11, 2022, 12:32:46 PM
    Checking in to say, I love Decluttr!  I finally shipped two boxes of CDs to them, and they gave me just .80 less than what they originally offered.  This means two boxes of clutter out of the house, and $40 into our dining out account.  :)

    What do they do with them that they can give you money? Charity shops here won't take them because they can't sell them and there's no recycling option here either AFAIK.

    I did a quick search and found this:

    https://themodestwallet.com/decluttr-review/#:~:text=Decluttr%20is%20a%20second-hand%20tech%20and%20product%20buyer,make%20a%20bit%20of%20money%20in%20the%20process. (https://themodestwallet.com/decluttr-review/#:~:text=Decluttr%20is%20a%20second-hand%20tech%20and%20product%20buyer,make%20a%20bit%20of%20money%20in%20the%20process.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 11, 2022, 12:37:23 PM
    Checking in to say, I love Decluttr!  I finally shipped two boxes of CDs to them, and they gave me just .80 less than what they originally offered.  This means two boxes of clutter out of the house, and $40 into our dining out account.  :)

    What do they do with them that they can give you money? Charity shops here won't take them because they can't sell them and there's no recycling option here either AFAIK.

    I did a quick search and found this:

    https://themodestwallet.com/decluttr-review/#:~:text=Decluttr%20is%20a%20second-hand%20tech%20and%20product%20buyer,make%20a%20bit%20of%20money%20in%20the%20process. (https://themodestwallet.com/decluttr-review/#:~:text=Decluttr%20is%20a%20second-hand%20tech%20and%20product%20buyer,make%20a%20bit%20of%20money%20in%20the%20process.)

    Wow, I stuggle to find someone to take them for free.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on January 11, 2022, 12:47:46 PM
    Checking in to say, I love Decluttr!  I finally shipped two boxes of CDs to them, and they gave me just .80 less than what they originally offered.  This means two boxes of clutter out of the house, and $40 into our dining out account.  :)

    What do they do with them that they can give you money? Charity shops here won't take them because they can't sell them and there's no recycling option here either AFAIK.

    I did a quick search and found this:

    https://themodestwallet.com/decluttr-review/#:~:text=Decluttr%20is%20a%20second-hand%20tech%20and%20product%20buyer,make%20a%20bit%20of%20money%20in%20the%20process. (https://themodestwallet.com/decluttr-review/#:~:text=Decluttr%20is%20a%20second-hand%20tech%20and%20product%20buyer,make%20a%20bit%20of%20money%20in%20the%20process.)

    Wow, I stuggle to find someone to take them for free.

    Right?  And Decluttr pays for shipping as well.  I cannot wait to go through my CDs (this first trial shipment contained mostly DH's), books, some DVDs, and quite possibly, the tablet I bought for $20 on impulse and used twice.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 11, 2022, 04:50:57 PM
    I'm counting this as decluttering.

    I have lots of winter coats, some I only use for dirty work. One of them is a beige color, and got very dirty over the years, only is certain areas. I was planning on eventually just throwing it out, since everyone knows you can't wash winter coats (right?).

    Just for kicks, I tried washing one area of the coat. Used a toothbrush and liquid laundry detergent, water, and a bucket.  It worked!  Nice and clean now.   

    It's taking some time, but that's OK. Today I'm washing the other dirty areas on the coat. Satisfying.

    And now I can wear this coat in public again, too.   

    I put my winter coats in the washer and dryer all the time.  Never had a problem.  Anything synthetic should be fine.

    I also use a toothbrush on stains on clothes, along with Shout, the best stain remover I’ve found.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 11, 2022, 06:56:13 PM
    I'm counting this as decluttering.

    I have lots of winter coats, some I only use for dirty work. One of them is a beige color, and got very dirty over the years, only is certain areas. I was planning on eventually just throwing it out, since everyone knows you can't wash winter coats (right?).

    Just for kicks, I tried washing one area of the coat. Used a toothbrush and liquid laundry detergent, water, and a bucket.  It worked!  Nice and clean now.   

    It's taking some time, but that's OK. Today I'm washing the other dirty areas on the coat. Satisfying.

    And now I can wear this coat in public again, too.   

    I put my winter coats in the washer and dryer all the time.  Never had a problem.  Anything synthetic should be fine.

    I also use a toothbrush on stains on clothes, along with Shout, the best stain remover I’ve found.

    Fabric purses too.  I use Shout and a toothbrush to get the obvious dirty spots clean, then into the washing machine (cold water wash, just in case) they go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 12, 2022, 07:09:17 AM
    I'm counting this as decluttering.

    I have lots of winter coats, some I only use for dirty work. One of them is a beige color, and got very dirty over the years, only is certain areas. I was planning on eventually just throwing it out, since everyone knows you can't wash winter coats (right?).

    Just for kicks, I tried washing one area of the coat. Used a toothbrush and liquid laundry detergent, water, and a bucket.  It worked!  Nice and clean now.   

    It's taking some time, but that's OK. Today I'm washing the other dirty areas on the coat. Satisfying.

    And now I can wear this coat in public again, too.   

    Well, first, if you have winter coats that you're not using at all but they're in decent condition, why are you hanging on to them? Donate to the shelter or something so someone who doesn't have a coat can be a little warmer. Or take a walk down where the homeless people are see if anyone wants it. This isn't a situation where it's going to get tossed - someone needs that coat.

    Also, what is this coat made of that it can't be cleaned? I've never heard of a winter coat that can't be cleaned, whether via washing machine or dry cleaning.


    I didn't say I never use them or that they were in good condition. Some are torn and dirty and uncleanable (grease, oil, ground in grime). I really don't think a donation site would accept them, unless they have zero other coats. I wear them when I work on my car in winter, or something like that.  Occasionally I throw one out.

    I have a fairly new vinyl coat that is scuffed up on the outside. You can wipe it with a damp cloth, but it still looks scuffed and worn and old. Clean but still scuffed.

    I have another otherwise decent looking coat  that was dirtied up from carrying fire wood. Label said dry clean only. The dry cleaner said he could not get the dirt out of it. I tried cleaning it myself with alcohol, detergent, etc. No dice. 

    So I was happily surprised to score a victory with cleaning my beige coat. I noticed the outer shell is 65% polyester and 35% cotton.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 13, 2022, 10:58:42 AM
    My son outgrew his hiking/snow boots. I ordered him a new pair, and happened to find a friend who needed the smaller sized pair for her younger son. Perfect! Love that match to someone who needs exactly what you have.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 16, 2022, 07:05:45 PM
    My mustachian box that converts the over the air tv signals into the old fashioned analog version, so you can still watch tv on an old tube tv,  died after many years.

    Couldn't fix it, so took it down to a store that accepts electronics for recycling and let them have it. 

    Then I installed the backup converter box I had, and I am up and running again with free tv.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 17, 2022, 09:25:36 AM
    A book recommendation:  "A Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folks (and Everyone Else)" by Fay Wolf.  Easy read, the tone is helpful and fun (not nagging or shaming) and contains lots of websites for further reference. 

    One of the many ideas I liked included her suggestion to only use paper file folders with the same tabs, e.g., all tabs on the right instead of left-center-right.  Our brains like the look of this and so we can find things faster.  Made a lot of sense, so I'll gradually be doing that for my paper files. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on January 17, 2022, 12:16:21 PM
    20 pairs of kid shoes and boots out the door to new homes or pending in the past 2 weeks.  3 well worn pairs trashed.  (We were gifted a lot of shoes that had lots of life left.  Some my youngest outgrew, others my oldest outgrew and I decided my youngest was unlikely to wear.)

    Also pending is a bottle sterilizer.  A nice gift we used once.

    Next up: Preemptively sorting through the 3T clothes to see what I can pass on now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 17, 2022, 08:17:39 PM
    I've been doing very poorly on the decluttering front these past few months... items just got moved to the garage but didn't actually leave our household. As a result, it was getting very difficult to find anything in the garage, leading to buying extras of items we already owned, etc.  Finally broke the roadblock this week and got rid of several items through Buy Nothing, and offloaded a big tub and several bags of kids' clothes to the newest batch of Afghan refugees. Being able to move around in the garage again, I finally found some stuff that I had posted on Craigslist free then subsequently lost, was able to tell the claimants they could pick it up, then followed up by even destashing some yarn to an acquaintance (I usually find it very hard to give away yarn.)

    Almost 2 cubic yards freed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on January 18, 2022, 10:20:23 AM
    Gave away a houseplant I didn't need to a teacher who wants to teach her class how to take care of plants. That seemed like an excellent new home.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JupiterGreen on January 18, 2022, 01:54:16 PM
    Gave away a houseplant I didn't need to a teacher who wants to teach her class how to take care of plants. That seemed like an excellent new home.
    Yes, I love this!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 18, 2022, 10:14:27 PM
    A book recommendation:  "A Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folks (and Everyone Else)" by Fay Wolf.  Easy read, the tone is helpful and fun (not nagging or shaming) and contains lots of websites for further reference. 

    One of the many ideas I liked included her suggestion to only use paper file folders with the same tabs, e.g., all tabs on the right instead of left-center-right.  Our brains like the look of this and so we can find things faster.  Made a lot of sense, so I'll gradually be doing that for my paper files.

    If one does have the left-center-right configuration, remember that the left/right ones can often be turned inside out to become the opposite. That leaves the center-tab ones as the oddballs. Y'all are on your own for ideas, there :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Rosy on January 19, 2022, 09:02:27 AM
    I found that I do best with just using left and/or center labels, I seem to overlook the right tabs, however, I absolutely have to have colored folders.
    I'm highly visual and so banks et al are all green for money - orange for investment (happiness) - credit cards red for debt (I pay them off monthly but I like a reminder to tell me this is a debt and I must always have enough money to pay off my debt unless there is a significant planned event) - IRS light blue for cold as ice:) - family - birth, death, marriage, wills, property is in the yellow section ...
    Dead stuff - old accounts etc goes into plain vanilla folders.

    Decluttering a credenza with several stacks of paper - three more to go out of five.
    I need to be done by this weekend since my new TV will be living there.

    I'll be hanging out here with y'all for the next three months between serious decluttering and spring cleaning it will be nice to have a place to keep track and exchange tips.
    The paper tiger has always been my nemesis.

    I will look into decluttr for the CDs, thanks guys.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on January 22, 2022, 11:28:38 AM
    A friend came over for a walk and I mentioned a few things I was going to post for sale in case they were interested. They took a baking dish and a compass. Time saved not listing things; friendship strengthened. The items were nice enough that I may have been able to make a bit of money, but I'm happier in this case with how things turned out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on January 22, 2022, 12:04:18 PM
    Two bags of 3T items preemptively out (my youngest is 21 months) and the rest fits in the box.

    Also have a box of ripped clothes to go for rag donation.

    On the downside, my son has ripped through his snowpants and it's still January so I might be bringing more in.  At least that'll be one in, one out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on January 24, 2022, 01:11:11 AM
    Posted a globe, a few DVD's and some office stationary on the buy nothing group. They were taken within a few hours. I especially liked that the globe was going to a teacher who was so happy to have one in her classroom for the kids.
    I also went through some clothing and filled one bag for trash! Now it just needs to leave the house......

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on January 24, 2022, 06:21:44 AM
    I can't remember how long ago I joined this thread. I'm sad to say I've made very little progress since then and need a good face punch and some motivation to get moving.

    I seem to get hung up on thinking I should sell things that I need to get rid of that have value. But I really don't have time to do that. Any advice for how to get past this? Maybe I just need to read this thread more?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on January 24, 2022, 07:07:57 AM
    I can't remember how long ago I joined this thread. I'm sad to say I've made very little progress since then and need a good face punch and some motivation to get moving.

    I seem to get hung up on thinking I should sell things that I need to get rid of that have value. But I really don't have time to do that. Any advice for how to get past this? Maybe I just need to read this thread more?

    I only sell things that are worth more than 10 euro for less than half of it. Anything below that is not worth the time and effort and goes onto the Buy Nothing group or to a donation pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on January 24, 2022, 07:15:56 AM
    @BeanCounter I had a bit of a breakthrough related to this over Christmas.  I am frugal to a fault, queen of reuse and make do. It is very easy for me to hold on to things because I know I "can" use it, fix it, make it work.  But that doesn't mean I "should" hold on to everything.  Anyway, at Christmas I pulled out some Christmas decor, kitchen towels, and kitschy things that were gifts last year... or the year before.  But I didn't like them, didn't need them, but felt obligated to use them... until I realized how delighted someone else would be to find them at the thrift shop, brand new with tags and ust in time for Christmas.  What joy to make sure things I don't need get to someone else while they are usable! 

    About the same time as that I scored several really nice things at thrift, a big air purifier, some maternity clothing and a pet tent.  New or mint. It was so exciting and lovely to find things I needed for such great prices, and it just drove home wanting to give the same back to others, so I am trying to move forward with that attitude.  Use it up, wear it out... or give it away while it has value and someone who needs it will find it and be delighted with it!

    With that in mind I gave away all my oil painting supplies and a pile of raw and prepped canvases. Maybe one day I'll dig back into oil, but for now I'm focused elsewhere and I was able to give those supplies to someone who will use them while they are still good.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 24, 2022, 09:56:21 AM
    I can't remember how long ago I joined this thread. I'm sad to say I've made very little progress since then and need a good face punch and some motivation to get moving.

    I seem to get hung up on thinking I should sell things that I need to get rid of that have value. But I really don't have time to do that. Any advice for how to get past this? Maybe I just need to read this thread more?

    I find it helpful to add up the amount I would expect to get for all the items if they were to actually sell.  Then I consider whether it's worth that much to go through the effort of selling them and continue to house them until they do sell.  For the vast majority of things, it's not worth it. 

    Also consider that everything "has value" but maybe not to you.  So pass them on.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 24, 2022, 10:00:11 AM
    I can't remember how long ago I joined this thread. I'm sad to say I've made very little progress since then and need a good face punch and some motivation to get moving.

    I seem to get hung up on thinking I should sell things that I need to get rid of that have value. But I really don't have time to do that. Any advice for how to get past this? Maybe I just need to read this thread more?

    I find it helpful to add up the amount I would expect to get for all the items if they were to actually sell.  Then I consider weather it's worth that much to go through the effort of selling them and continue to house them until they do sell.  For the vast majority of things, it's not worth it. 

    Also consider that everything "has value" but maybe not to you.  So pass them on.

    I do something like this. It's a time vs reward tradeoff. Sometimes I have niche things that are hard to give away, but would sell on eBay. In those cases, I might just create a listing, and wait for someone to buy, because I know if I don't, it's getting dumped. Most donation sites toss a lot of stuff, so you can "donate it", but it still ends up in a landfill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 24, 2022, 01:22:40 PM
    I can't remember how long ago I joined this thread. I'm sad to say I've made very little progress since then and need a good face punch and some motivation to get moving.

    I seem to get hung up on thinking I should sell things that I need to get rid of that have value. But I really don't have time to do that. Any advice for how to get past this? Maybe I just need to read this thread more?

    Have you already gotten rid of any stuff that is not sellable and that you probably won't ever need?   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on January 25, 2022, 06:40:09 AM
    I can't remember how long ago I joined this thread. I'm sad to say I've made very little progress since then and need a good face punch and some motivation to get moving.

    I seem to get hung up on thinking I should sell things that I need to get rid of that have value. But I really don't have time to do that. Any advice for how to get past this? Maybe I just need to read this thread more?

    Have you already gotten rid of any stuff that is not sellable and that you probably won't ever need?

    Stuff that isn't sellable, yes. Stuff that I probably won't ever need.....that's up for debate.
    This all was a result of my mother passing away four years ago and having to sell her home. She was an interior decorator and had beautiful things. Her home was a perfect example of style. She cared so much about her home and worked hard to get it looking like that. When she died I decided not to hold an estate sale because I didn't need the money and because things would sell for very little and the auction folks would take a lot of it. I gave a lot of stuff away. Most of her clothes and kitchen went to Goodwill (because that was fast and easy). I gave a few things away to relatives and friends who were going through a divorce and needed to set up house again, or just because they loved those things. But much of it I moved to my home and replaced things that were of lessor quality or not as nice. It's taken me awhile to integrate them and figure out what I really wanted to keep because I loved it, what I wanted to keep to just use up etc.
    Now I'm down to getting rid of really nice things, that were originally mine or hers and I'm just probably not going to use (or not use for  along time)
    I should make a list of what all it is-
    -A beautiful tri-fold wood screen that looks like a Venetian buildings
    -An iron coffee table with glass top
    -a side chair with a black and tan zebra fabric
    -an old Victorian parlor table (with six sides) painted in white chalk paint
    -an old dresser also painted in white chalk paint with hand painted ceramic drawer pulls
    -a couple huge accent mirrors
    -a side table painted in bright red lacquer
    -four beautiful dining room chairs with nail heads, nearly new from Arhaus (she probably paid close to $1,000 per chair) - I love these but they don't fit with the rest of my furniture or my children
    -gateleg table redone with hand painted faux burlwood top
    -A hide-bed sofa with amazing lines that is so well made nobody can lift it but probably needs to be recovered
    A few pictures/paintings that have hung on the walls of my home my entire life
    -At least one rug
    -brass bed frame with very unique lines but is a double size (probably an antique)

    So I think this is where I'm stuck. I'm attached to the items, but I don't need them. They have value, but the best way to get that value is to sell them on marketplace or something but that seems so time consuming. I could take them to a consignment shop but they take half of the sales price.
    These items sit on the unfinished side of my basement so they aren't in our way necessarily but we would like to make that room into a game room for the kids.

    Have any of you been through this? What advice do you have?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on January 25, 2022, 06:49:46 AM
    Yes.  I sent it all to auction, even the things that were lovely and loved but I had no place for.  The auction house takes a percentage that's a lot less than half but the sale prices tend to be wholesale rather than retail so it's swings and roundabouts as to where and how you sell. But unless you want to go into the business of retail sales (which has it's own costs in time and trouble) then having someone else do the work is the price of moving on.  I found that being able to move on was the most valuable thing I got out of the process.  It's several years on now and the price I got for the things is irrelevant but the ability to move on was priceless.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 25, 2022, 08:23:25 AM
    BeanCounter, are you sure this stuff has value? As measured by actual sales? Because you may be falling into the classic trap of thinking your stuff has value but no one is willing to buy it. Which means, it has no value.

    My mom was not happy last year when I sat in her living room as she was packing and deciding what to keep vs sell, and I pulled up Ebay and started looking up what her Toby Mugs had sold for. Things she thought were worth $50 - sold for 5.

    There's a lot of Boomers and older who are aging, downsizing, and the market is flooded. We talked to a couple of estate sale places and they all said the same things: demand wasn't there, things didn't sell, or they sold for very little. In the end my parents held a glorified garage sale, then a full truck load of stuff that didn't sell was picked up by liquidators. A few things were put on FB marketplace. A bunch of stuff on the very last day was put on the curb for pickers/garbage pickup.

    If you want to keep something because you want to keep it, then own that. But don't use the "its got value" as an excuse to not get rid of something that you want to keep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Cassie on January 25, 2022, 11:18:09 AM
    Last year because of a divorce I had a lot of stuff to sell. I had a garage sale and most of the furniture sold. I also sold stuff on Nextdoor and Facebook marketplace as well as giving stuff away. It’s not very time consuming to sell stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 25, 2022, 11:35:49 AM
    BeanCounter, are you sure this stuff has value? As measured by actual sales? Because you may be falling into the classic trap of thinking your stuff has value but no one is willing to buy it. Which means, it has no value.

    My mom was not happy last year when I sat in her living room as she was packing and deciding what to keep vs sell, and I pulled up Ebay and started looking up what her Toby Mugs had sold for. Things she thought were worth $50 - sold for 5.

    There's a lot of Boomers and older who are aging, downsizing, and the market is flooded. We talked to a couple of estate sale places and they all said the same things: demand wasn't there, things didn't sell, or they sold for very little. In the end my parents held a glorified garage sale, then a full truck load of stuff that didn't sell was picked up by liquidators. A few things were put on FB marketplace. A bunch of stuff on the very last day was put on the curb for pickers/garbage pickup.

    If you want to keep something because you want to keep it, then own that. But don't use the "its got value" as an excuse to not get rid of something that you want to keep.

    To add it this, when I downsized, very little of what I thought was valuable was wanted by the estate sales people.  I ended up donating a lot of perfectly good furniture and household goods to a charity that rehomes and provides furnishings for refugees.  I got a big tax receipt and the knowledge that I made a lot of people happy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 25, 2022, 04:35:55 PM
    @BeanCounter, those do sound like nice things to me.  Better than the trashy stuff I see for sale around here.  (I'll take that screen and dining chairs, thanks!)

    You may be overestimating the effort involved in selling.  Maybe do a trial run of a couple items and see how it goes.  Start with the more expensive or bulkier or things you can more easily part with, whichever seems best to you.  After a sale or two, you might feel more motivated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 26, 2022, 10:42:46 AM
    @BeanCounter, those do sound like nice things to me.  Better than the trashy stuff I see for sale around here.  (I'll take that screen and dining chairs, thanks!)

    You may be overestimating the effort involved in selling.  Maybe do a trial run of a couple items and see how it goes.  Start with the more expensive or bulkier or things you can more easily part with, whichever seems best to you.  After a sale or two, you might feel more motivated.

    And can I add, find a friend or acquaintance who knows the ins/outs of eBay, NextDoor forums, etc. who can help set up the online ads.  After that, you will be confident enough to do it yourself.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 26, 2022, 11:00:07 AM
    We've had a lingering "waffle cone bowl" maker in the pantry forever. It was a gift for the kids (used 1x), and don't eat much ice cream, and certainly wouldn't make the bowls with any frequency. I dug it out & gave it away on Buy Nothing this weekend, freeing up more space on my shelves for things we do use. Hurrah!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 26, 2022, 11:59:53 AM
    @BeanCounter  Have you tried Chairish (https://www.chairish.com/)?  I went through almost the identical process in 2020 when emptying my mom's house. Half my garage is still filled with a combination of her stuff and my own stuff that I got rid of when I upgraded to some of her items. She had a lot of very beautiful original midcentury modern furniture, which I meant to sell on Chairish but ran out of time, so I ended up for selling it for a pittance on Craigslist. I still am hoarding a few pieces which I might sell on Chairish when I manage to declutter all the other stuff that is blocking access to them.

    I still can't believe I managed to empty that house in such a short time! Yet it is so hard to empty my own...

    There has been some progress. I upgraded the doorknobs in my house and, to my husband's joy, the box of old knobs was hanging around for only a week before somebody from Craigslist picked them up (because scabby old doorknobs are better than none, plus with a sanding and a spray paint they would look fine)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 26, 2022, 12:46:46 PM
    There has been some progress. I upgraded the doorknobs in my house and, to my husband's joy, the box of old knobs was hanging around for only a week before somebody from Craigslist picked them up (because scabby old doorknobs are better than none, plus with a sanding and a spray paint they would look fine)

    I was in an apartment once that wasn't too bad, but the kitchen drawer and cupboard knobs were cheap plastic.  I picked up 2nd hand knobs at the Habitat Restore, and what a difference they made!  So someone will definitely appreciate your old doorknobs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 27, 2022, 09:58:55 AM
    Yes, there's something very demoralizing about not having a working doorknob!  I ended up getting a set of vintage solid brass knobs off ebay... they are so beautiful after I cleaned off the old paint and polished them. So oddly I got rid of 1980s knobs in favor of 1940s knobs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 02, 2022, 05:43:33 PM
    I've been off the boards for a while because I got rid of so much stuff in my move last year. Now I'm trying to balance acquiring items that fit the new space while getting out the stuff that doesn't fit.

    I sold a surplus table and made enough to get two stools I wanted for the kitchen bar.

    Donated a bag of clothes to a free boutique run by a charity. Sent two tops and a pair of jeans to a friend.

    Recycled some plastic storage containers from the kitchen cupboards. I've been following the Minimal Mom's advice to store the containers with the lids on so you can easily see what you have and grab what you need. It does take up more space, but I know that all of the bowls have lids and vice versa. When the space gets too full, I recycle or trash what's no longer working for me (warped lids, cracked bowls, etc.)

    Used up a can of home insulation spray that's been sitting on the counter for weeks. The label said whatever portion wasn't used in the initial use *might* last for up to four weeks, but no guarantees. So I tossed the can as soon as I took care of what I needed. In the past, I would've kept the 1/4 that was left JuSt iN cAsE and end up throwing it away in a few years when I cleaned out the storage cupboard. I just skipped the waiting period :)

    Returned some clothing items that didn't fit. When over six weeks passed without seeing the refund on my account, I called and got the refund initiated. Two items off the mental to-do list, two items out of my house, and money back in my account!


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 05, 2022, 11:26:51 PM
    I've got a storage box of old tights/stockings/hosiery at the top of my wardrobe and I've realised I probably won't wear it again, it's been YEARS. And even if I did, the elastic would probably be gone. I'll keep a few for garden ties and buffing cloths, but I've basically freed up a whole (short) shelf.

    I can store my probably never to be used again electric blanket there. Our house is so warm I no longer need it. Would you use a second hand electric blanket? I don't think I would but I could try giving it away next winter.

    I also checked the top shelf of DH's wardrobe and there are four caps he never wears and a manky discoloured rugby shirt. I might see if I can move some of his clothing from the study to our bedroom, which means I can better store craft stuff in the study. And I'll ask him about the caps :) I know the shirt has sentimental value so I'll wash it and store it better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 06, 2022, 01:12:05 AM
    Inspired by this joint video by Minimal Mom/Clutterbug/A Slob Comes Clean (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTl52UR9C2E), I just pulled out the horrible and bulky hessian grocery bag that we never ever use (I hate how the materials feels on my hands) and filled it with nice but outgrown clothes from the boys, the interview suit that I will never ever wear again, and some sewing patterns that I will never sew up, some of which are still uncut. I also went through all my socks and threw out the dead ones. Now I only have the nice socks that I regularly wear and don't have to hunt through the rotters to find them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 06, 2022, 01:25:41 PM
    I've got a storage box of old tights/stockings/hosiery at the top of my wardrobe and I've realised I probably won't wear it again, it's been YEARS. And even if I did, the elastic would probably be gone. I'll keep a few for garden ties and buffing cloths, but I've basically freed up a whole (short) shelf.

    I can store my probably never to be used again electric blanket there. Our house is so warm I no longer need it. Would you use a second hand electric blanket? I don't think I would but I could try giving it away next winter.

    I also checked the top shelf of DH's wardrobe and there are four caps he never wears and a manky discoloured rugby shirt. I might see if I can move some of his clothing from the study to our bedroom, which means I can better store craft stuff in the study. And I'll ask him about the caps :) I know the shirt has sentimental value so I'll wash it and store it better.

    If you’re okay with parting with the electric blanket, check with a vet or animal shelter.  They might accept it for sick pets.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 06, 2022, 02:42:57 PM
    I've got a storage box of old tights/stockings/hosiery at the top of my wardrobe and I've realised I probably won't wear it again, it's been YEARS. And even if I did, the elastic would probably be gone. I'll keep a few for garden ties and buffing cloths, but I've basically freed up a whole (short) shelf.

    I can store my probably never to be used again electric blanket there. Our house is so warm I no longer need it. Would you use a second hand electric blanket? I don't think I would but I could try giving it away next winter.

    I also checked the top shelf of DH's wardrobe and there are four caps he never wears and a manky discoloured rugby shirt. I might see if I can move some of his clothing from the study to our bedroom, which means I can better store craft stuff in the study. And I'll ask him about the caps :) I know the shirt has sentimental value so I'll wash it and store it better.

    You can just not plug it in. You can also remove the wires and then it's just an old blanket.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on February 06, 2022, 03:06:08 PM
    I wouldn't use a second hand one personally. This would be one of those items I would be frustrated about, having made the decision to get rid of it, but then not be able to figure out how. Pretty sure I'd make a few feeble attempts then bin it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 06, 2022, 05:31:28 PM
    Thanks for the ideas, everyone. Come May, I'll try and give the electric blanket away, and if no-one wants it I'll try the vet. If that fails, I'll take the wires out and maybe use it as a mattress cover. It's so thick that it might also be good for the dog in the car.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 06, 2022, 05:35:05 PM
    -Gave away 9 items of soccer gear. Another mom in our club stopped by to pick it up. It's the current season's uniform, and terribly expensive, so she's thrilled
    -While cleaning out the soccer gear, found two pair of volleyball knee pads, and another mom came to get those
    -Found another six items of outgrown teen clothing to donate
    -Gave away 5 cans of tuna (bought in a pandemic frenzy & figured we'd eventually eat) + 2 large containers of kids body wash. The body wash smells like watermelon, and my teen boys have deemed it "too baby smelling". One person picked up the tuna + body wash, and everyone is happy. I can stop looking at it all, and someone else will put it to use!
    -Returned a couple of items I need, but the ones I ordered didn't work out. The search for a (moderately) comfortable and (moderately) supportive strapless bra continues. Apparently, those two things don't co-exist.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 06, 2022, 07:26:22 PM
    Thanks for the ideas, everyone. Come May, I'll try and give the electric blanket away, and if no-one wants it I'll try the vet. If that fails, I'll take the wires out and maybe use it as a mattress cover. It's so thick that it might also be good for the dog in the car.

    Animal shelter will take it as a de-wired blanket for sure. And they make good picnic blankets, or emergency blankets in the car.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on February 06, 2022, 07:28:02 PM
    Been de-cluttered for a long time.  In fact, after the divorce, it's been super easy to keep things clean and neat in my house. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 06, 2022, 07:58:01 PM
    Got my stationery storage down to half full by actually writing cards/letters and mailing them to people.

    Posted two items on Marketplace that I was gifted. I thought I would use them, but it's been since Christmas and nope on both, so up they go. I will donate if they don't sell.

    Sent my old laptop out for recycling. Dropped off a rechargeable battery that isn't anymore at the recycling station in the home improvement store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rockeTree on February 07, 2022, 07:49:55 AM


    I can store my probably never to be used again electric blanket there. Our house is so warm I no longer need it. Would you use a second hand electric blanket? I don't think I would but I could try giving it away next winter.


    Your town may vary but I live in an area with a lot of poverty and was able to give a used electric blanket away last month by putting it in a clear bag with a label that said "used, just washed, no stains, great for keeping cozy at night cheap" and leaving it at a free store - a place where neighbors can leave things others might be able to use. Gone in an hour on a cold day.

    In general with things that folks would not buy at a goodwill I find that someone will take them on one of the freecycle places or at a free store if you are very upfront about it. "This is broken/worn in this way; it can/can't be fixed/lived with etc."
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on February 07, 2022, 09:01:42 AM
    Donated a big bag of baby bottles to a local woman’s pregnancy center.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 07, 2022, 09:49:43 AM
    I keep breaking things while trying to clean them so things are getting less clutter, but not in the right way.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 07, 2022, 02:04:20 PM
    I keep breaking things while trying to clean them so things are getting less clutter, but not in the right way.

    I was trying to sew up a small hole in an old sweater with the cat napping on me. Then some idiot car came racing down the street, lost traction, and made a great deal of noise while trying to not crash. The car did not not crash, but the cat did get scared and attempted to bolt, but got a claw stuck on the sweater. This only served to panic the cat further, who took off dragging the sweater.

    In the end, I have 2 new scratches, the sweater has a massive hole, and the cat has been comforted, then later got a claw trimming. I tossed the sweater and my life sounds like a bad comedy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 07, 2022, 04:44:24 PM
    I keep breaking things while trying to clean them so things are getting less clutter, but not in the right way.

    I was trying to sew up a small hole in an old sweater with the cat napping on me. Then some idiot car came racing down the street, lost traction, and made a great deal of noise while trying to not crash. The car did not not crash, but the cat did get scared and attempted to bolt, but got a claw stuck on the sweater. This only served to panic the cat further, who took off dragging the sweater.

    In the end, I have 2 new scratches, the sweater has a massive hole, and the cat has been comforted, then later got a claw trimming. I tossed the sweater and my life sounds like a bad comedy.


    Too funny!  I thought I was the only one such ridiculous things happened to.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on February 07, 2022, 09:55:35 PM
    Getting back into the groove of de-cluttering. Sold a box of office/school supplies for $5. I would have just given it away for free, but I find you get so many no-shows on free items.

    I also sold a decorative cushion and listed another item today. I think I will make a goal of one item per day for the next month.

    I am almost finished painting a little end table that I should be able to list by the end of the week. I would have been finished already, but for the second coat I used a crappy brush and I think I am going to have to sand it and do-over.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 07, 2022, 11:03:09 PM
    I've brought something into the house. But it's all good. I've borrowed Mom's scanner to help reduce photo and paper clutter. Excited to get started on this!

    Will also be moving in three weeks, so maybe more clutter will turn up in the packing process. If so, I will be surprised, as I just moved a year ago and did a good declutter job then. We'll see...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 07, 2022, 11:35:33 PM
    Two more books returned to street libraries. The new approach to kitchen inventory (use something up before restocking) is helping keep it under control AND this weekend we went shopping on our bikes, keeping a lid on how much we bought.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on February 08, 2022, 08:05:07 PM
    I donated five books to the local library this past weekend and just sold an unwanted gift on eBay. Thankfully the eBay buyer paid right away, so out it goes!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on February 08, 2022, 10:24:00 PM
    -Gave away 9 items of soccer gear. Another mom in our club stopped by to pick it up. It's the current season's uniform, and terribly expensive, so she's thrilled
    -While cleaning out the soccer gear, found two pair of volleyball knee pads, and another mom came to get those
    -Found another six items of outgrown teen clothing to donate
    -Gave away 5 cans of tuna (bought in a pandemic frenzy & figured we'd eventually eat) + 2 large containers of kids body wash. The body wash smells like watermelon, and my teen boys have deemed it "too baby smelling". One person picked up the tuna + body wash, and everyone is happy. I can stop looking at it all, and someone else will put it to use!
    -Returned a couple of items I need, but the ones I ordered didn't work out. The search for a (moderately) comfortable and (moderately) supportive strapless bra continues. Apparently, those two things don't co-exist.

    I have bought some comfortable strapless bras in specialty underware stores but in my experience you will not find those moderately priced.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JamBaguettes on February 08, 2022, 11:18:05 PM
    Today I put the following in the curb: a grill and large fan (both previously street finds!), a pile of scrap wood and a tub full of garage miscellaneous stuff. Everything was taken within 2 hours!

    Unfortunately the large tub was taken despite “please do not take tub” sign attached. Mostly feeling positive about getting rid of stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on February 09, 2022, 01:33:34 PM
    Finally made a run to the local SPCA to donate a bunch of cat food and towels.  Now that we've finally got our cat on a diet she tolerates (skin allergies), it was time to get rid of the ones that didn't work.  It's surprising how much space we had devoted to cat food.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 09, 2022, 01:35:19 PM
    I keep breaking things while trying to clean them so things are getting less clutter, but not in the right way.

    I was trying to sew up a small hole in an old sweater with the cat napping on me. Then some idiot car came racing down the street, lost traction, and made a great deal of noise while trying to not crash. The car did not not crash, but the cat did get scared and attempted to bolt, but got a claw stuck on the sweater. This only served to panic the cat further, who took off dragging the sweater.

    In the end, I have 2 new scratches, the sweater has a massive hole, and the cat has been comforted, then later got a claw trimming. I tossed the sweater and my life sounds like a bad comedy.


    Too funny!  I thought I was the only one such ridiculous things happened to.
    and I, but sorry about the scratches.  They can really hurt.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 09, 2022, 03:46:00 PM
    I keep breaking things while trying to clean them so things are getting less clutter, but not in the right way.

    I was trying to sew up a small hole in an old sweater with the cat napping on me. Then some idiot car came racing down the street, lost traction, and made a great deal of noise while trying to not crash. The car did not not crash, but the cat did get scared and attempted to bolt, but got a claw stuck on the sweater. This only served to panic the cat further, who took off dragging the sweater.

    In the end, I have 2 new scratches, the sweater has a massive hole, and the cat has been comforted, then later got a claw trimming. I tossed the sweater and my life sounds like a bad comedy.

    Sibley, that is hilarious! ROFL!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 09, 2022, 04:03:19 PM
    Used up a few bowls of cat litter on the icy sidewalk. It's great for that. Don't have my beautiful orange cats anymore, not getting any new ones, and this is a better use for the cat litter than throwing it out.

    Have started to consume some jam preserves in canning jars that I have been looking at forever on the kitchen counter. Almost done with one already! Will wash it out and sell the empty at flea market. Will do the same with the remaining two jars.

    Will not be making any more preserves, will not need canning jars. If I want jam, will buy it, then recycle the jar.

    Gradually using up small one ounce sample packets of hair conditioner, and throwing out empty packets. Not replacing them. 

    Became aware of a fairly big jar of 'junk drawer' items on a table in kitchen. It has been there forever, unnoticed (?) but I must have just lost my 'clutter blindness' for it.  Pen tops, rubber bands, who knows what else. Will excavate it and probably throw 90 % of it out (I hope).


     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on February 10, 2022, 11:42:29 AM
    We keep a container of kitty litter in the car for that very reason.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 13, 2022, 08:44:40 PM
    Had to order another replacement rechargeable battery. Put the new one in the day it arrived, recycling the packaging, and took the old one to the home improvement store specialty recycling bin the next day. This, instead of driving it around in my car trunk for months.

    Was given two bags of clothing from a friend's closet cleanout. I went through them the day I got them and tried on each piece. The items I wanted to keep were put away immediately. The rejects and items of mine I replaced went back into the bags. They are back in my car to give to a friend who volunteers at a free boutique. They didn't sit in my car trunk or bedroom floor for weeks! I do have a lot more clothes now, so I have put the hangers on the rod backwards so that I can tell if they are really part of my wardrobe or just temporary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on February 14, 2022, 05:24:19 PM
    They didn't sit in my car trunk or bedroom floor for weeks!

    Now that's achievement!!

    Speaking of things that have been driving around in trunks for weeks, I finally added a pair of new-with-tags leggings that don't fit to the bag of Costco returns. Then, I actually stood in line and returned everything!  They took it all though I have no recollection of when I bought the items. About $150 was refunded to my card.  I love that store. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 14, 2022, 05:42:47 PM
    Getting items returned is a real achievement! How nice to get the refund to reinforce the good work of going through with the returns.

    The bag of clothing was handed off to the co-worker who takes them to her volunteer gig. That's a new personal record for getting donations out! Not so much the bag of household items to donate that are still in the car...

    Cleaned out my car of litter and random detritus that ends up in the cup holders.

    Organized my tea drawer and got rid of a box that was nearly empty. Brewed and drank some of the tea that had gotten pushed to the back and forgotten about.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 14, 2022, 05:43:07 PM
    They didn't sit in my car trunk or bedroom floor for weeks!

    Now that's achievement!!

    Speaking of things that have been driving around in trunks for weeks, I finally added a pair of new-with-tags leggings that don't fit to the bag of Costco returns. Then, I actually stood in line and returned everything!  They took it all though I have no recollection of when I bought the items. About $150 was refunded to my card.  I love that store. 

    Well, you're both doing better than I am - I've had a stack of egg cartons to go to a local egg producer for months now.  They go into the trunk, then out of the trunk whenever I need room for something else.  I've told myself that tomorrow is the day, but we'll see.

    I also have leggings to return to Costco.  They make me look like a sausage.  I hope I get a refund, because I no longer have the receipt.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on February 14, 2022, 07:07:57 PM
    Well, you're both doing better than I am - I've had a stack of egg cartons to go to a local egg producer for months now.  They go into the trunk, then out of the trunk whenever I need room for something else.  I've told myself that tomorrow is the day, but we'll see.

    I also have leggings to return to Costco.  They make me look like a sausage.  I hope I get a refund, because I no longer have the receipt.

    Ha, I do that too!  I have also been driving around for months with a bag of old soccer cleats that I was going to donate to the local cleat swap.

    As long as the tags are still on your leggings and they were bought within the last... year? you will be fine because they use your membership card to look up past purchases. Yes, the leggings gave me the most hideous muffin top and made me sad.  And if I lose enough weight to make them fit better, I may as well wear some other leggings that I outgrew and still am hoarding. I'm not sure whether I should keep aspirational clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 14, 2022, 07:29:02 PM
    Went through the stationary, gift wrap, craft and tech draws. A few things are being given away and I've ended up with two drawers to put things in that were being stored on surfaces. Right now tho it's a mess because the giveaways are still lying about and I'm not well enough to sort them out. The worst stage :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 15, 2022, 09:03:39 AM
    Made good on my previous post, to declutter a container on a card table in the kitchen. Decided to clean off the tabletop while I was at it. Took everything off, and it was easier to see what was there.

    Ended up recycling about 40 plastic pen tops (think Bic pens). And about 10 pieces of paper. Moved a few things off the table to more appropriate places in the house, where they are not in the way.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 15, 2022, 04:07:17 PM
    Bagged up the stuff that had been accumulated on the guest bed, dropped it off at the thrift shop.
    Grabbed the stuff from parent's garage that needed to go to thrift shop, got dropped off.
    Grabbed the various cans of paint which are no longer needed. A couple can be donated, most will have to sit, opened, in my garage to dry out.
    Pulled out the boxes of LVP flooring from under the guest bed, listed on FB marketplace, and sold for $250. I got them for the utility room but have determined that installation would be a PITA and would screw with the door. I'll live with the concrete floor.

    Also rearranged the guest room, including temporary installment of a litterbox, food station, and many cat accessories. Then installed the new kitty in the there. :) Cross your fingers that he gets along with Arwen.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 15, 2022, 04:32:05 PM
    UGH, I have an issue. A friend of mine sent two identical flower arrangements for Christmas. Both are little wooden houses with 'snow' on the roof and had a live plant in them but both died. Now, I have these two adorable 'houses' that I have no clue what to do with. I hate to donate them but I am running out of room! They are gorgeous little houses but I think they were not so good for the plants. Very hard to water them therefore, I guess I killed them. I am on a guilt trip!!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 15, 2022, 04:37:55 PM
    A lot of really great wins recently, good job everyone!

    So far, have identified half a dozen items I no longer want, while boxing up my stuff for the move. Actually got rid of only one thing...recycled the gallon jug that has just a dribble of vinegar left in it, after decanting it into the smaller container that fits in the cupboard. It's something, at least.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on February 16, 2022, 08:25:59 AM
    My MIL took the box of rag-clothing away to drop off for me.  Ripped clothing, used underwear (I decided my kids could have their own new underwear), etc.  Very glad to have it out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on February 16, 2022, 10:33:32 AM
    I was chuckling at a sign I saw at a local storage facility:  "Declutter your home now - store your extra items here!"

    My reaction, to paraphrase a popular meme, is "I don't think your use of the word 'declutter' means what you think it means ..."
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 16, 2022, 10:42:32 AM
    UGH, I have an issue. A friend of mine sent two identical flower arrangements for Christmas. Both are little wooden houses with 'snow' on the roof and had a live plant in them but both died. Now, I have these two adorable 'houses' that I have no clue what to do with. I hate to donate them but I am running out of room! They are gorgeous little houses but I think they were not so good for the plants. Very hard to water them therefore, I guess I killed them. I am on a guilt trip!!!!

    Either repurpose them for something else, or get rid of them. It's ok.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 16, 2022, 12:11:36 PM
    Stopped by parents house and loaded a small table into the car, then went up to the Habitat ReStore and donated, along with some paint.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: marion10 on February 17, 2022, 08:21:24 AM
    Donated my wedding dress to an angel gown charity - but paid to have a piece of dress framed, handkerchief made and a bouquet charm. So keepsakes if my kids get married. Still deciding what to do with the veil.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 17, 2022, 08:27:42 AM
    UGH, I have an issue. A friend of mine sent two identical flower arrangements for Christmas. Both are little wooden houses with 'snow' on the roof and had a live plant in them but both died. Now, I have these two adorable 'houses' that I have no clue what to do with. I hate to donate them but I am running out of room! They are gorgeous little houses but I think they were not so good for the plants. Very hard to water them therefore, I guess I killed them. I am on a guilt trip!!!!

    Donate one, keep one?   

    It's the kind of thing I would try to sell at a flea market, if I wanted to get rid of it. Unless it had sentimental value.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on February 17, 2022, 12:48:15 PM
    Donated my wedding dress to an angel gown charity - but paid to have a piece of dress framed, handkerchief made and a bouquet charm. So keepsakes if my kids get married. Still deciding what to do with the veil.

    I wore my mom's veil headpiece (not her dress though) and she made a new veil for it for me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 17, 2022, 02:59:07 PM
    UGH, I have an issue. A friend of mine sent two identical flower arrangements for Christmas. Both are little wooden houses with 'snow' on the roof and had a live plant in them but both died. Now, I have these two adorable 'houses' that I have no clue what to do with. I hate to donate them but I am running out of room! They are gorgeous little houses but I think they were not so good for the plants. Very hard to water them therefore, I guess I killed them. I am on a guilt trip!!!!

    Yeah, I got rid of a lot of stuff like that.  I categorize them as "Cute But Meaningless."  You won't miss them once they're gone, but as long as you have them, you'll be devoting mental energy to them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on February 17, 2022, 03:16:15 PM
    Sold a rain jacket that was bought on sale (not returnable) but turned out to be so vastly undersized I had to sell it. Made more money than I paid for it.

    But the bonus was meeting the person who bought it, talking about boats and sailing plans. I am hopeful we will see her and her family again as their boat is just down the street from ours.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on February 20, 2022, 06:07:23 PM
    UGH, I have an issue. A friend of mine sent two identical flower arrangements for Christmas. Both are little wooden houses with 'snow' on the roof and had a live plant in them but both died. Now, I have these two adorable 'houses' that I have no clue what to do with. I hate to donate them but I am running out of room! They are gorgeous little houses but I think they were not so good for the plants. Very hard to water them therefore, I guess I killed them. I am on a guilt trip!!!!

    Yeah, I got rid of a lot of stuff like that.  I categorize them as "Cute But Meaningless."  You won't miss them once they're gone, but as long as you have them, you'll be devoting mental energy to them.

    I would put them on Buy Nothing. Somebody may want to put fresh plants in them for regifting next year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on February 26, 2022, 10:36:59 AM
    I have been getting rid of lots of small items like papers (7 years of old pay statements), photos, etc. Sold two art panels that I made. (Yay! $40 to my crafting fund.) But, overall it is going slowly. I buggered up one of my knees and standing or walking for long is painful. And I find that I am compensating by standing mostly on the good leg, which is making my back hurt. Oh well, it is slowly getting better.

    I have decided to list my house for sale this summer, so I need to buckle down. I am still not sure if I will be staying in my town (and moving to a condo), or moving across the country, but either way I need to downsize the house contents. It feels a bit (a lot some days) overwhelming.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Rosy on February 26, 2022, 12:26:24 PM
    For almost four months I have been using up my bead and jewelry-making stash for creating my own garden art and/or donating a lot of it (supplies) to my neighbor. She runs a hospice for felines over 12 years old and functions as a non-profit cat sanctuary nursing and taking care of kitty babies up to about 8 weeks old.
    She makes and sells all sorts of art to support her charity.

    Yesterday was the first time that I noticed I actually put a dent in my supplies and jewelry and items held onto for future projects or leftover from past projects. I'm close to decimating it by half.
    The jewelry hooks held so many necklaces - some from several decades ago - that it got tangled and " I couldn't find the one I was looking for" any longer.

    So there is plenty of progress, but it is oh so slow, but the dust collectors and unloved items are all slowly disappearing.
    It feels good.

    Who knows maybe I'll tackle some of my clothing next week - it is time for a closet clear out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on February 26, 2022, 07:19:41 PM
    Wanted to mention a city-sponsored recycling event today that had included some extras:   
    In addition to the city accepting certain recyclable electronics and having free paper shredding available, they allowed several non-profits to participate by setting up tables to collect food donations, hygiene items, school supplies, and old bicycles to refurbish.  All of this was drive-through, didn't even have to leave your car.

    I thought it was a great combination of services in one spot which allowed households to de-clutter multiple things and to donate needed items to different non-profits. 
    A win for everyone and super easy - I hope future recycling events are the same.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: iris lily on February 27, 2022, 08:43:08 AM
    2 steps forward, 1 step back.

    I squeezed down Christmas decor from the better part of a walk-in closet to ONE bin. I did this over a two year period, releasing most of the stuff during holiday seasons because people don’t take Smas junk in July.

    So smug I was at my accomplishment!

    Then I opened a cabinet door recently and found several sacks co trainer Xmas lights. Ugh.

    Now I will have to go back to two Xmas bins stored, I guess. Unless I am very lucky and none of those strings of lights work! Haha.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on March 02, 2022, 09:39:29 AM
    @iris lily My friend lent me this tool call the "Lightkeeper Pro" which is amazing at fixing holiday lights!  I went nuts and fixed so many light strings that I was able to give some away.
    https://www.target.com/p/lightkeeper-pro-light-repair-kit/-/A-52352111
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: iris lily on March 03, 2022, 07:15:51 PM
    @iris lily My friend lent me this tool call the "Lightkeeper Pro" which is amazing at fixing holiday lights!  I went nuts and fixed so many light strings that I was able to give some away.
    https://www.target.com/p/lightkeeper-pro-light-repair-kit/-/A-52352111
    I did watch much of that demo video. That little gadget is pretty amazing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 03, 2022, 07:44:06 PM
    I had a bag full of wrapping paper from buying some loose dishes. Took the entire bag to a friend who is moving in the near future.
    Finally got a gift wrapped and delivered to the recipient. Not only the gift itself, but a box and some wrapping paper I don't love out the door.

    Finished a body wash and threw the empty bottle in the recycling. Finally tossed a package of candy that I don't like. Gift guilt was the only reason I kept it for three months.

    Got all the winter throws and blankets washed and hung on the line, as it's finally warm enough for them to dry outside. Once they are dry, I can put them away in the closet instead of having them strewn about. Washed all of the winter hats and gloves, too. (Hope I'm not jumping the gun and spring is really here!) The house feels lighter and brighter already.

    I'm making an effort to go through all my packages of tea before I buy any more. 'Decluttering' some peppermint right now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 03, 2022, 09:11:05 PM
    I need to work my way through my tea as well. I think there's still some green tea in the back of the cupboard and neither of us drink it and not one visitor has ever requested it. It can go in the compost.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 04, 2022, 12:07:49 AM
    Ah, tea. My old nemesis (or something). I have some flavored tea I'm very "meh" on. Thanks for the reminder @okisok and @Fresh Bread . I will make an effort over the next few weeks to use it up. Today would have been a good day for a cup in the afternoon, too! Ah well.

    The de-box-ening has begun (I just moved house). Today two separate people stopped by & took car loads of used moving boxes & packing materials away. My garage was empty! Afterwards, I emptied another box, so the emptiness was not long-lasting. But soon I will have another pile worthy of a craigslist post & the cycle will go on...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 04, 2022, 12:35:35 AM
    Cleaned out the kids toys from the shed. They are teens now, and a few soccer balls, super soakers and some tennis gear is enough for the summer. All the other things (like hoops / sandbox items / toy cars) could go.
    Put 2 bags of used items on BuyNothing group and they will be picked up today. Put 1 bag on Craigslist (the new/almost new items) and this will be sold and picked up today as well.
    Now hoping that we can clean the whole shed this weekend. There might be more things coming out of there.......

    And tea..... I'm almost at the end of my packages of tea (only 2 boxes remaining). Thanks to WFH/Covid in the last 2 years...... I might need to think which tea I'm going to buy, since I have not bought any tea in the last 2 years.......
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 04, 2022, 08:22:10 AM
    Looked through some donate, sell, or recycle stuff and found a bag of old ripped clothes I can take to the textile recycling place. Found one item I was OK with just throwing out, and did so. 

    Also spent 20 minutes cleaning off big plastic salt and  pepper shakers. So much grime accumulating over the years, and me not even noticing it! Until now. Nice and clean once again. Scrubbing with dish detergent and scrubber pad.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on March 04, 2022, 10:14:25 AM
    I need to go through my tea shelf also. I seem to have somehow accumulated a lot of it, and I rarely drink tea.



    So, today was a big day in my "getting rid of stuff" world. My DH passed away nine years ago, and I have given away almost all of his stuff, but wasn't ready to give away his collection of hats. They just seemed too personal, and I didn't want people pawing through them at a thrift store. Anyway, I saw a post on FB from a lady I went to high school with and she was looking for clothing (including hats) for a rehab facility. That seemed like a good use for them, and I was able to part with them that way. I kept a couple for sentimental reasons. I still have his tuxedo and a few other things that I need to find a home for.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 04, 2022, 01:41:39 PM
    @slackmax well done on cleaning off the grot. It's startling how these things build up without us noticing.
    @Prairie Gal that seems like a meaningful way to give the hats a second life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on March 05, 2022, 10:18:11 AM
    Did a major de-cluttering of the closet in the hall a.k.a. the linen closet, except that it was a catch-all for all kinds of stuff. Found some sea-sickness meds that had been expired for ten years! Purged probably half of the stuff in there, and now it looks nice and neat and tidy. I left the door open all day so that I could admire it every time I walked past. lol.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on March 05, 2022, 11:42:05 AM
    I bought a puzzle over Christmas from a Friends of the Library sale and finally got around to doing it. While doing it I realized that I actually didn't like looking at the picture (a dragon that was more horror than fantastical). So I posted it on Offer Up for $5. I'm always amazed how far people will drive for random items, so when one someone contacted me to buy it from over 30 minutes away, I was doubtful. The man shows up in a minivan, windows rolled down, two small boys in the back, and tells me, "We are on a quest to find a dragon!" It was adorable and heartwarming!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 05, 2022, 01:41:46 PM
    We have had a summer of endless rain (thanks La Nina!) and after a week of walking past nice leather shoes that were slowly mildewing, I suggested to Ofpym that anything we hadn't worn in multiple years should be cleaned up and donated. So that was 6 pairs of shoes donated yesterday. I'd rather someone get use of them now instead of letting entropy ruin them for everyone on the off-chance that we would want them in the future.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 05, 2022, 03:53:34 PM
    Further decluttered our shed. Posted some items on the buynothing group and had takers within an hour! Tossed all broken pots and other plastics to recycling.
    Now the only things remaining are 2 large items on Craigslist and a few small ones on BuyNothing AND a nice and clean shed where we have no trouble parking our bikes!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 05, 2022, 05:59:34 PM
    @Prairie Gal that must be one beautiful closet! I know that feeling of joy from seeing a usually-hidden organized spot.

    After my move, I've donated a small box of mostly unused kitchen items and dishes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 05, 2022, 09:10:58 PM
    Donated a large bag of books this morning.  Next up - shoes.   I have too many shoes I never wear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 05, 2022, 10:29:00 PM
    Finished off the open box of tea! 1 down, 2 to go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 07, 2022, 01:05:35 PM
    Finished off the open box of tea! 1 down, 2 to go.
    Way to go, Oneday!  I have lots of tea bags to go through, still. My next food decluttering will be the almost empty box of Tapioca flakes. Not planning on buying any more Tapioca, so it is indeed a decluttering win, lol. 

    I almost recycled a small stack of old work documents. But I noticed the paper was printed on one side only, so I put the stack on my kitchen table to use for note paper. Probably two months worth. 

    Will donate the binder the papers were in.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on March 08, 2022, 10:09:37 AM
     - listed a decor lot on FB Marketplace. Good way to get rid of lots of small items all at once. No takers yet though.
     - gave a fleece jacket away to a person in need.
     - listed two never worn blouses on FB Marketplace.
     - tossed some expired food that was purchased at the beginning of the pandemic.

    Today's project is to work on my walk-in closet and get it looking spiffy and spacious for potential buyers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 09, 2022, 09:41:13 AM
    1 Large item on Craigslist SOLD!!!!! So happy, since this frees up a lot of space in our shed/garden.
    Now only 1 item from the shed remaining and I need to go through the last pile of pottery this weekend. Then it is all clean and decluttered (and we'll have a very nice view from our new lounge-set.... no clutter in sight!).

    Next thing will be the kid's summer clothing....... (and.... mine......)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on March 10, 2022, 07:03:12 AM
    At last some real progress...  I finally was able to drop off two big bags of kids' clothing to a friend who has kids a little younger than mine, and I dropped off two bags of used kids' books to the school, which is doing a collection.

    Items keep going to my garage and car, but then it takes years for them to actually leave our property.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: iris lily on March 10, 2022, 07:12:26 AM
    I bought a puzzle over Christmas from a Friends of the Library sale and finally got around to doing it. While doing it I realized that I actually didn't like looking at the picture (a dragon that was more horror than fantastical). So I posted it on Offer Up for $5. I'm always amazed how far people will drive for random items, so when one someone contacted me to buy it from over 30 minutes away, I was doubtful. The man shows up in a minivan, windows rolled down, two small boys in the back, and tells me, "We are on a quest to find a dragon!" It was adorable and heartwarming!
    That is an amazing little story about the dragon puzzle! How cute!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 10, 2022, 06:37:14 PM
    I ordered an item for a specific need and it did not work. I initiated a return to the website and printed a label. Found a padded mailer envelope I'd saved for just such a case. Now to drop it in the mailbox for a refund and a useless item out of my house.
    Cleaned up the yard and am enjoying a lovely fire with all the sticks and branches I cleared out.
    Sent my mom a fun surprise package of items I thought she'd like. More things out! Now to drop off the two bags to the donation center...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on March 11, 2022, 08:24:59 AM
    Purged two garbage bags of clothes from my closet and will take them to the thrift store on my way to pick up my grocery order today. Why is it so hard to give away my clothes? Still lots of things in there that will have to go. Now that I am not working, you would think I could give away my work clothes, but thoughts creep in like "What if I go back to work part time?" Oh well, I will just keep picking away at them a bit at a time.

    Person never came to get the fleece jacket so I guess I will put it in the thrift store bag as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ZsaZsa on March 11, 2022, 09:03:47 AM
    Dumped two full make up bags full of products that I will never use in retirement. The only way I could let it go was to not even look inside before dumping...then I took the trash bag out to the can! Why do I feel so guilty?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 11, 2022, 04:48:53 PM
    Doing some spring cleaning and getting rid of stuff along the way.  So far: 9 books, a pair of mitts and a snood, jeans for recycling, a dog toy, a picture and some fiber optic flowers (yes, really).

    I finally got rid of my stack of egg cartons - yay!

    A few bags of frozen compost scraps are waiting outside until I go to the dump next week.

    With each item that leaves the house, I breathe a little more freely.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 11, 2022, 04:50:28 PM
    Dumped two full make up bags full of products that I will never use in retirement. The only way I could let it go was to not even look inside before dumping...then I took the trash bag out to the can! Why do I feel so guilty?

    Good going! Not going to psychoanalyze you, ZsaZsa.

    I am trying to make myself select a few pounds of old computer programming manuals to recycle. I can do it, and have done it before, but every time, I feel as though I have done something wrong. There must be someone somewhere who wants to buy this 'retro Americana' chic, and maybe place it on a coffee table for avant garde  decor. But then I realize I'm crazy, and I take a few pounds to recycling. And I haven't regretted it yet. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 12, 2022, 07:06:39 AM
    I’m going to try to use up some Stuff this weekend. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 12, 2022, 05:37:20 PM
    I also composted 2 geraniums that we’re not overwintering well and have a small fern to the thrift store.  I have my eye on another plant that I don’t have patience for and might find itself at the thrift store too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 12, 2022, 09:24:33 PM
    Disassembled the love seat which needs to be disposed of. Don't have a dumpster at this place, nor do I own any kind of saw. Will need to get creative with the disposal of the biggest piece. But the cushion covers are already gone, yay!

    The plan is to fill any remaining space in the trash carts each week late on the night before collection day. Maybe it will take 3 weeks. This way it is free.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on March 14, 2022, 07:13:51 AM
    Pile of pottery was decluttered this weekend. A lot ended up in the dumpster since I could not find any use for it anymore.
    The useful items were put in the shed and out of sight, so now it is just nice and clean.
    Further did some cleaning in the kids' rooms. Few odd pieces made its way out of the rooms.
    Also did a major decluttering on the bathroom and threw a lot of old stuff out.
    Feels like a good weekend, where more stuff was thrown out than came in!

    So now we can go and do the summer clothing exercise....... let's see what comes out of there.....

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on March 14, 2022, 11:26:45 AM
    Another bag to textile recycling, including some reusable masks that have worn so much that they're essentially unusable. A small bag of outgrown clothes ready to go for the kids' smaller cousins.

    A few too-worn-to-give-away kids puzzles put in recycling.

    Recently did a sweep through the linen closet and condensed down toiletries and medicines to get a sense of what we have and make sure we used that down.

    Looking to clean out the fridge with some leftovers for lunch - YAY! :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Siebrie on March 15, 2022, 07:58:57 AM
    I take any tea, sweets, biscuits that I'm not too keen on to work. It will keep me from snacking too much, but it's there if I need a pick-me-up, and any tea is better than the L.pt.n they serve at work.

    All my dds' end-of-crafts are donated to a charity in my parents' street. It was started by an artist, and has city funding (they let her use the tiny house for free). She collects bits and pieces for crafts, then has morning and afternoon sessions for anyone who wants a chat, coffee/tea, and do some crafts. Some sessions are private, for instance for mentally vulnerable people, some are open, for instance the children's session on Saturday morning. It works on a pay-it-forward basis, so any craft you finish, she takes a picture and puts on social media, and you are required to be (for instance) kind to your neighbour. Typical example: a group dyed and velted wool, made the velt into roses, went into the city centre, and handed out the roses to anyone shopping with a child, 'in an appreciation of parenthood' :).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on March 16, 2022, 12:37:43 PM
    ~A decades old top and a coffee mug went into the Goodwill bag
    ~2 bags of cough drops, 3 magazines, and some cookies were sent home with a neighbor
    ~Tossed the 2019 phone book
    ~Organized the kitchen pantry, rotated non-perishables into it from the back pantry, removed things off the back pantry floor, and cleaned said floor
    ~Asked DH to assist with installing hooks in the back pantry in order to hang up the broom, Swiffers, etc. to neaten things up and get more things off the floor
    ~Removed dead leaves, etc. from houseplants
    ~Decluttered about a million dust mites from the living room, bedroom, and picture frames
    ~Slowly decluttering my email inbox by unsubscribing from email lists almost daily
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 16, 2022, 05:36:12 PM
    I just tossed a bunch of circular needle whose cables were shot.  I had been holding on to them for"just in case" but realized I would buy new needles before I used them.  Tossed, not good enough to donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on March 17, 2022, 08:31:43 AM
    I have a set of circular needles like that.  I finally realized i.ready to toss them, next time they float to the top of my supplies.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on March 18, 2022, 07:43:26 PM
    Small win, but I have recently come across a few people on FB looking for shopping bags, and since I have a ton I have been giving them away.

    De-cluttered under the bathroom sink and threw out some old hair products and nail polish. I kept one red and one pink nail polish as I like to do my toes in the summer. Oddly, I never wear it on my hands.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SquashingDebt on March 22, 2022, 06:05:56 AM
    Had a little bit of a decluttering breakthrough this weekend.  I used to be somewhat of a book collector.  I collected antique children's books and wanted to get complete sets of the works by my favorite modern authors, etc.  I bought any book at library book sales that caught my eye. 

    In the last few years, however, I've fully embraced reading library books on my Kindle.  I actually prefer the Kindle to paper books now (never thought it would happen!) and love the convenience and fantastic selection of my library ebooks. 

    This weekend, when unpacking books onto a new bookshelf, suddenly I was far more motivated by the idea of streamlined bookshelves and not returning any excess books to storage in our already-full garage.  I got ruthless in sorting books into the donate box.  All those library book sale finds I still haven't read 8 years later, cheap paperback versions of some of the classics that I'll easily be able to get for free as e-books, etc.  I still have lots of books but I'm getting closer to my new vision of fewer books, all of which I really, really love.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 22, 2022, 07:40:42 AM
    Went through clothes hanging in the closet. Took out about 20 blouses, a couple belts, and some unknown stuff (serape?). Bagged it up and took it to donation site, dropped the bags into the bin, thunk. Gone.

    Could have gotten 50 cents to $1 each for them, at flea market, but that would have taken all summer, lol, so better to donate them to someone who can use them, and to have the new space. 

    I have one less fence post stored in my basement, since I just used it to replace a rotted one.

    Threw out three big cardboard sheets, that used to be in the basement,  that I muddied up in the post project.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rockeTree on March 22, 2022, 11:44:31 AM
    Childhood horse show ribbons! I am never going to make a quilt out of them, I have zillions of pictures of me with a cute scruffy pony with a ribbon on his halter, no one wants them at the thrift store, they are at best fabric recycling. Out they go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 22, 2022, 01:32:11 PM
    Three more dog toys, a pair of pants and a bunch of bags to the thrift store today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 22, 2022, 02:42:53 PM
    Went through clothes hanging in the closet. Took out about 20 blouses, a couple belts, and some unknown stuff (serape?). Bagged it up and took it to donation site, dropped the bags into the bin, thunk. Gone.

    Could have gotten 50 cents to $1 each for them, at flea market, but that would have taken all summer, lol, so better to donate them to someone who can use them, and to have the new space. 

    I have one less fence post stored in my basement, since I just used it to replace a rotted one.

    Threw out three big cardboard sheets, that used to be in the basement,  that I muddied up in the post project.

    Slack, my mental image of you is a male. Yet you're referring to blouses, which indicates women's clothing. Do you have a bunch of women's clothing hanging around that you're not wearing? If so, why? Pull it all out and sell/donate/recycle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 22, 2022, 05:57:30 PM
    Childhood horse show ribbons! I am never going to make a quilt out of them, I have zillions of pictures of me with a cute scruffy pony with a ribbon on his halter, no one wants them at the thrift store, they are at best fabric recycling. Out they go!

    I got the clearest picture of your scruffy pony with a happy kiddo, so proud of the ribbons. It's very impressive to let those go, as I find that usually sentimental childhood items are the hardest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 22, 2022, 06:15:10 PM
    Turned some fabric scraps into doll clothes for a child who's very keen on their dolls. I used up some thread and notions as well. I enjoyed the sewing and the kiddo enjoys the fruits of my labor. I enjoyed it so much that I have a few more items in mind to use up all those pretty ribbons and cute buttons that I've been 'saving' for something. Their day has arrived!

    When I went through my fabric, I found a box of donations that had gotten stacked with a box of crafting items. It's been camouflaged in there for months! (Take away my 'minimalist' badge.) I took two bags of donations to Goodwill last weekend, so I had to start a new bag. Then SO and his son cleaned out their closets and I managed to fill up the bag with their discards.

    I also put some items in the bag that had been on Marketplace for over a month with no takers. I removed the listings and let go of the idea of selling them.

    Got my taxes done so those papers could be filed and get a task off my to-do list.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 22, 2022, 06:24:24 PM
    Went through clothes hanging in the closet. Took out about 20 blouses, a couple belts, and some unknown stuff (serape?). Bagged it up and took it to donation site, dropped the bags into the bin, thunk. Gone.

    Could have gotten 50 cents to $1 each for them, at flea market, but that would have taken all summer, lol, so better to donate them to someone who can use them, and to have the new space. 

    I have one less fence post stored in my basement, since I just used it to replace a rotted one.

    Threw out three big cardboard sheets, that used to be in the basement,  that I muddied up in the post project.

    Slack, my mental image of you is a male. Yet you're referring to blouses, which indicates women's clothing. Do you have a bunch of women's clothing hanging around that you're not wearing? If so, why? Pull it all out and sell/donate/recycle.


    Sibs, yes, I am male. I had a girl friend who lived with me, who died 5 years ago. I didn't want to sound maudlin by mentioning that the blouses were hers. I still have a lot of her clothes and other items around. I'm getting rid of them at my own pace. Thanks for asking.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 22, 2022, 08:44:04 PM
    Went through clothes hanging in the closet. Took out about 20 blouses, a couple belts, and some unknown stuff (serape?). Bagged it up and took it to donation site, dropped the bags into the bin, thunk. Gone.

    Could have gotten 50 cents to $1 each for them, at flea market, but that would have taken all summer, lol, so better to donate them to someone who can use them, and to have the new space. 

    I have one less fence post stored in my basement, since I just used it to replace a rotted one.

    Threw out three big cardboard sheets, that used to be in the basement,  that I muddied up in the post project.

    Slack, my mental image of you is a male. Yet you're referring to blouses, which indicates women's clothing. Do you have a bunch of women's clothing hanging around that you're not wearing? If so, why? Pull it all out and sell/donate/recycle.


    Sibs, yes, I am male. I had a girl friend who lived with me, who died 5 years ago. I didn't want to sound maudlin by mentioning that the blouses were hers. I still have a lot of her clothes and other items around. I'm getting rid of them at my own pace. Thanks for asking.     

    Ah. That makes sense, and I had forgotten about your girlfriend.

    If I may make a suggestion - look into some of the convert clothing into other objects possibilities. People make quilts out of their old tshirts for example, or stuffed animals. That way something that you have an attachment to yet no practical use for may become something that you could incorporate into your daily life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 22, 2022, 10:43:40 PM
    Had a little bit of a decluttering breakthrough this weekend.  I used to be somewhat of a book collector.  I collected antique children's books and wanted to get complete sets of the works by my favorite modern authors, etc.  I bought any book at library book sales that caught my eye. 

    In the last few years, however, I've fully embraced reading library books on my Kindle.  I actually prefer the Kindle to paper books now (never thought it would happen!) and love the convenience and fantastic selection of my library ebooks. 

    This weekend, when unpacking books onto a new bookshelf, suddenly I was far more motivated by the idea of streamlined bookshelves and not returning any excess books to storage in our already-full garage.  I got ruthless in sorting books into the donate box.  All those library book sale finds I still haven't read 8 years later, cheap paperback versions of some of the classics that I'll easily be able to get for free as e-books, etc.  I still have lots of books but I'm getting closer to my new vision of fewer books, all of which I really, really love.

    @SquashingDebt that's great!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rockeTree on March 23, 2022, 07:27:43 AM
    Childhood horse show ribbons! I am never going to make a quilt out of them, I have zillions of pictures of me with a cute scruffy pony with a ribbon on his halter, no one wants them at the thrift store, they are at best fabric recycling. Out they go!

    I got the clearest picture of your scruffy pony with a happy kiddo, so proud of the ribbons. It's very impressive to let those go, as I find that usually sentimental childhood items are the hardest.

    It has taken many years but as my older relatives have dumped more family stuff on me that they don't want but feel bad about discarding I have gotten more pragmatic. I am never going to do anything with them, they will keep taking up most of a banker's box in my little house until I move to a care facility or die, and then they will be tossed by a stranger in all likelihood. It will inspire me to get a nice copy of one of those pictures and put it somewhere I can enjoy it.

    I am also sending my late uncle's ww2 materials that just came in the house to the national ww2 museum. I am not an appropriate custodian for historic materials, and if they are in a big box of old papers they too will get tossed. I can transcribe and scan them for my own interest (war in the pacific: bad for teens!) and the real historians can keep the letters and photos.

    My estate will go into trust for my special needs child in all likelihood, and I want everything to be as easy as possible for them and the custodians, because no matter what it will be tough.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 23, 2022, 08:31:25 AM
    I've been in a major decluttering rut, & had no progress for months. However, I got a bit more motivated over the past few days & made some progress:
    On Buy Nothing, gave away the following:
    -A ton of lanyards that a friend who was moving (inadvertently?) included in a bag of reffing gear he gave us
    -A jacket my son stained the first day of wearing
    -Two new soccer practice shirts that my son won't wear (cotton is rough for an extended practice)
    -A jacket that was part of a gift for a trip to Yosemite, but is ridiculously big on me
    -A blouse I pulled out of my closet that I never wear, but is beautiful, & in lovely shape.

    I also listed an item on eBay, & put a few items in the donation bin. I recycle what I could of an expired & damaged bike helmet, and tossed the rest. Progress!

    I recycled some boxes that were lingering in my closet, had the boys try on their suits for an upcoming wedding (they fit, so now I can get rid of the giant boxes, & hang them in their closets), returned two dresses I purchased & didn't like.

    Now, I need to get to the sporting goods store that recycles old shoes. I've been collecting cleats, running shoes & the like.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on March 23, 2022, 09:06:24 AM
    I went through my canning stuff and came to the conclusion,  I just didn't need that many mason jars. Posted on Buy Nothing app yesterday and gone today! Next up, the craft items need to be gone through and some clothes need to be donated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 24, 2022, 10:17:11 AM
    Had some carbonated fruit juice in single serve cans that I didn't care for. Put it on my porch railing next to a hight traffic walkway, with a Free sign, about a week ago. Last night, I noticed the last one was finally gone! Woo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 24, 2022, 05:34:43 PM
    A pair of leggings and a sweater in the donate bag. The leggings are too big and kept twisting. The sweater isn't flattering. I've washed them both and they are in the car to go with the next dropoff, instead of giving them 'one more chance' of going back in the closet to decide I dislike them another day. Future Me is happy she doesn't have to make a decision.

    It's the end of winter here, so I'm forcing myself to go take a hard look at the hangers that are still backward in my closet. S

    A pretty gift box and bow went into the bag. I thought I would keep it because iT's So cUTe. Then I thought I'd sell it because it's from a semi-fancy store...they go for $5 online. Not worth the hassle, so into the donate bag it goes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on March 27, 2022, 07:33:28 AM
    I had a fairly successful decluttering week. We’ve decided that 2 kids is the right number for us, so all of my maternity clothes went to Goodwill & all of my tiny baby clothes went to friends expecting their first babies. All of my old underpants went into the trash. Thank goodness :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 27, 2022, 05:11:09 PM
    3 bags of garden soil out of my garage and to my parent's house. I don't even remember why I had them, but I do not need and they can use them.

    Bag of cat food in the car to be dropped at the shelter tomorrow. Cats are weird.

    Currently am junking up the garage with stuff that will be used in the yard once it warms up enough. Though I'm hoping this is the last round of mulch because the lilies are getting thick enough to crowd out the weeds on their own (along the alley, I want it to look semi decent and be low maintenance).

    Book in the go away box, a top in the box, and once I finish laundry there's a few more things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 27, 2022, 10:46:01 PM
    @okisok ill-fitting leggings are the worst! You end up adjusting and re-adjusting them all day.

    Gave a friend a pair of fingerless mitts that just didn't fit well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 28, 2022, 04:50:20 AM
    I actually had some capacity for decluttering this weekend.   The wheelie bins are full.  Bathroom vanities have never been so tidy and organized.

    Seed boxes are a picture of joy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 28, 2022, 05:16:37 PM
    Spent four hours on Sunday in the back room where I'd dumped all the random stuff since I moved in late last year. It's supposed to be an office/sewing room, but it was cold and dark and out of mind.

    I rearranged and decluttered some things I didn't realize I had. Floor length apron, grill cover, spice rack, craft organizer.
    Another bag in the car for donations. Emptied some containers and threw away/recycled some damaged storage bins and lots of little pieces. I've sent DP the part that I need to finish a project and he has one. Decluttering unfinished projects are a huge stumbling block of mine.

    I finally hung up some curtains and put the bin of holiday decor in the attic. I'd been putting it off storing the bin for months because I'd have to move the car out of the garage and deal with the wonky attic door (cue tiny violins). It took a total of two minutes, including moving the car back. Good grief. I've spent way more than two minutes thinking about how I need to do it. Dana K. White's YouTube channel had helped me a lot with this kind of thing. She has a whole series on decluttering without making a bigger mess and how to keep ADHD on track. They are very helpful. I find myself repeating her while I work. "Where would I look for this? That's where I will take it *right now*."

    Another trick for keeping on track is to write the things I want to accomplish on the refrigerator door in dry erase marker. It is very satisfying to swipe a finger across the finished items. I ran an errand on my way home from work today specifically to be able to pointedly smear that ink line! 

    Filled up one bin with yard waste for regular collection tomorrow. I looked up bulky trash day and wrote it on the calendar. I'm having people over this weekend so I'm trying to look at the house through fresh eyes and deal with things I have stopped seeing. Now I'm off to hang the hammock as both a chore and a reward for after the chores are done!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on April 01, 2022, 07:05:47 AM
    Took a garbage bag full of Walmart shopping bags to the food bank. I have been getting curbside grocery pickup since the start of the pandemic so I had accumulated an insane amount of bags.

    Sold two chairs yesterday that I wasn't using.

    Took a bag of clothes and a box of random stuff to the thrift store.

    I am moving in May so I need to keep de-cluttering before that. I will probably have one of my free garage sales in a couple of weeks where I put stuff out on the lawn and people come and help themselves.

    ETA: Went through my "wishful thinking" bin in my closet and was able to let go of some things. Found five pairs of jeans that had never been worn, so I listed those on FB Marketplace. Put some other things in the donate bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on April 02, 2022, 08:52:32 AM
    Rounded up 3 books, a boardgame, some not wanted gifts, crafting items, and a few clothes. Gave them to a friend who was having a yard sale today. Out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 02, 2022, 02:12:36 PM
    I started switching out winter clothes for summer. One dress and one sweater in the donate bag. One shirt in the trash after realizing it was full of tiny holes. One pair of fuzzy socks into the rag bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 03, 2022, 12:37:45 PM
    quoting OKISOK :  "  I'm having people over this weekend so I'm trying to look at the house through fresh eyes and deal with things I have stopped seeing.  "

    The light from the kitchen windows yesterday was just right for seeing all the cooking splashes on the wallpaper.  I was in the mood for it, so I used a clean wet rag to wipe off about 20 different spots on the walls (where on earth did it all come from?).

    I haven't noticed them for years, apparently. Good for another 5 years now, ha ha. 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 06, 2022, 08:34:24 AM
    Found some old magazines in the basement and put them in the recycling bag. Not even going to bother to see if they are 'valuable' on Ebay. Don't care.

    Also the toaster stopped working. Recycled it yesterday at the metal recycling place. They were happy to get it.

    Looked at new toasters at Walmart. I could get a new oner for $10 there, but for now I am making toast, the few times I want it, in a pan on the stovetop! Set on medium. You have to flip it over which is a pain, but it makes toast just as good as a toaster.

    Enjoying the new open space on the kitchen counter.
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on April 06, 2022, 09:14:46 AM
    Put a box of stuff (mainly kitchen items and children's toys) that I decluttered on the BuyNothing group. A lady came to pick it up, gave me a bunch of cookies for it (YUM!!!) and she will sell the stuff on the flea market (asked me whether I was OK with that..... no worries, I'm happy that the box left the house!). Happy for her to make some money out of it!
    Already sold 2 pairs of shoes that were never worn by DS (bought them for school sports, then COVID, then too small....).

    Need to work on the summer clothing (still.....). However, it is so cold and rainy here, that I'm not in the mood.....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on April 06, 2022, 09:34:01 AM
    Lots of stuff going out the door in the past few days as I prepare to move. I have a long possession date so I am able to go through things and release them as I go. It's not easy though. I keep thing that I might need something or use it in the future.

    Yesterday I sold a small cabinet that I used in my closet for extra storage. I probably priced it too low as I had tons of enquiries, but at least it sold right away and was gone in under an hour. One less thing to move. Listed a few more things and if they don't sell they will get donated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 06, 2022, 01:39:47 PM
    Ah, tea. My old nemesis (or something). I have some flavored tea I'm very "meh" on. Thanks for the reminder okisok and Fresh Bread . I will make an effort over the next few weeks to use it up. Today would have been a good day for a cup in the afternoon, too! Ah well.

    One of two boxes of meh tea gone!

    Also two car loads of empty boxes and packing material to a friend over the last two weeks. The garage is now useful for storing garage things, like bikes and cars! Woo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 06, 2022, 02:26:13 PM
    My friend was looking for a more professional work bag and I was able to give her two - one black, one tan. Both are nice bags and I don't use them, it feels good to have them go to someone who will.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on April 06, 2022, 02:28:57 PM
    Organizing a bookshelf--found 6-8 books that I won't read again or haven't been inspired to start. Will donate to the library book sale :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 07, 2022, 09:18:05 PM
    Finished an audio book I got from a neighborhood library when I dropped off some books. I walked it right down to a different library to make sure it didn't get mixed in with my 'keep' books and to keep the circle of free books going.

    Got a pair of capri pants out of storage. Turns out they look horrible on me, when I swear they looked fine last summer. They went straight into the donate bag. Today I bought a pair of jeans that fits perfectly and are more versatile than the capri pants.

    Continuing to use up craft & sewing supplies.

    Sent some of the tea stash to a friend who likes that flavor. Used up some of the stationery stash to mail it in.

    On a semi-related note, the same friend came over to my house and commented on how bright and open it was, how there was no clutter. Her house is layered and full of pictures, tchotchkes, and decor. On her way out, she mentioned that she was going to pare down her decor and go to just a few pictures and take down a set of shelves. She was inspired by my lack of clutter--the clearing out is working!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 07, 2022, 10:51:34 PM
    @okisok that must have been so affirming, to inspire your friend!!

    Got three bottles of old meds dropped off at the pharmacy today. So glad I remembered to take them along with me to the hospital complex where I had a routine appt today. And glad I didn't get them there, but then leave them in the car. Woo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rockeTree on April 08, 2022, 08:01:53 AM
    My friend was looking for a more professional work bag and I was able to give her two - one black, one tan. Both are nice bags and I don't use them, it feels good to have them go to someone who will.

    Ooh this is a message to me to buynothing the quite nice work bag that needs a minor repair I have not gotten to for over a year. I don't and won't use it again (replaced with something lighter and more functional if less fancy), and that's why I haven't taken it to be fixed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on April 08, 2022, 12:32:46 PM
    Junk day is tomorrow! I am looking forward to hauling a pile of yard related junk that doesn’t fit in the can down to our transfer station tomorrow, and killing two birds with one stone: cleaning our yard up for the season, and getting rid of junk I don’t need!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 08, 2022, 02:34:39 PM
    My friend was looking for a more professional work bag and I was able to give her two - one black, one tan. Both are nice bags and I don't use them, it feels good to have them go to someone who will.

    Ooh this is a message to me to buynothing the quite nice work bag that needs a minor repair I have not gotten to for over a year. I don't and won't use it again (replaced with something lighter and more functional if less fancy), and that's why I haven't taken it to be fixed.
    Yup! Let it go to someone who will love and use it is my new motto. I've been doing the wardrobe changeover and any of my winter kit that I *know* I won't really use is going into a donation pile so someone has the chance to get them in time for the colder weather.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 08, 2022, 05:09:08 PM
    @oneday It felt so great! It affirmed my choices and might help her out.

    Great reminder on here! I appreciate the motivation and reminders that come from posting and reading.

    Cleaned out my work bag. Threw away some gifted lip balm (lip balm isn't supposed to burn, right??) that I've toted around for months even though I don't like it, plus the other assorted flotsam that ends up in a daily bag. Receipts were tossed or filed.

    We installed a new medicine cabinet in the bathroom and I took the chance to go through the bathroom items. I've been keeping up with the decluttering, so there was nothing in there we don't use and nothing was expired!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: EchoStache on April 09, 2022, 05:55:17 PM
    Finished purging our attic last week.  It took two days over two weekends.  First weekend we purged 30 large heavy duty bags...half trash half to Goodwill.   We probably are down to 10% of what was previously in the attic, so 90% is GONE!

    Today, we purged our master bedroom.  Only 3 large bags to Goodwill, one full bag to the trash, and sold the full BR set on FB Marketplace for $600.  We are moving in June and the BR set was 20 years old.  Buyers didn't want the mattress so we kept it until the new one comes in.  I'm positive I can get $100 for it...it still sleeps well but again, is 20 years old.  We got a good sale on what we think is equivalent/identical to Nectar.  King Nectar sells for $1200.... our local Mattress Firm had a bed in box on sale $500 off, so $700. It really feels the same as the Nectar mattress we are currently sleeping on at our home way from home(traveling healthcare workers).  I think that's a pretty good deal.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on April 09, 2022, 06:08:43 PM
    We found a box of goodies in the basement that my SO didn't even remember (his Italian/English mother had sent some things years ago...). He wasn't attached to any of it but I kept the fancy glasses/decanter for glamorous evenings but washed a crocheted blanket and donated it.
    Also put two teacups & saucers (bone china) on the local buy nothing group and a woman was delighted to pick them up for her daughter who wanted pretty cups for a fancy tea party.. So fun!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on April 10, 2022, 06:29:09 PM
    I've mostly been working outside the house in my decluttering. I'm part way though clearing out one of my sheds known as the goat-shed. It feels a lot better even though its only half done. Not much to donate, just a combination of rubbish - thrown out or relocated in preparation for a council cleanup - and other items that needed to be put away.

    I had quite a few pots cluttering up the yard, mainly because they didn't have a home. So I found them one and have moved quite a few from one spot and its looking a bit tidier.

    We also had a lot of scrap metal, so I organised a skip and it was filled and removed. However its not all gone...we will need another one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on April 10, 2022, 09:26:45 PM
    Sold one little side table on the weekend and listed another one. Trying to figure out what I will have room for in the new place, and what has to go.

    I have to try to get rid of my treadmill, and it is a beast. That might be a tough sell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 11, 2022, 11:03:32 AM
    Went to my first flea market of the year, to sell some stuff.

    Main accomplishment was selling a case of canning jars that no one had seemed interested in at all last year.  Sooo glad to be rid of them.  Sold about 10 other small items also.

    Day after the flea market, I donated 5 kids games and some kid clothing that no one was buying at the flea market all of last year, plus this year.  Got rid of about one cubic foot with the games. 

    Still holding firm on not replacing the toaster I recycled last week. Enjoying the space on my countertop.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 11, 2022, 04:25:09 PM
    I remember there was an outcry of sorrow when I revealed I didn't have a toaster once :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on April 11, 2022, 08:03:30 PM
    I remember there was an outcry of sorrow when I revealed I didn't have a toaster once :D

    I haven't had one for years either. I was getting some plans drawn up for a kitchen reno and the designer was flabbergasted ..apparently they design in a space for the toaster nowadays.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 12, 2022, 08:43:31 AM
    I remember there was an outcry of sorrow when I revealed I didn't have a toaster once :D

    Ha Ha!  Just this morning I made bacon, eggs, and toast, without a toaster. I put two pieces of bread in a big pan, set the heat on medium for a few minutes. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 12, 2022, 05:35:30 PM
    My trunk is full again. My SO decided it was time to clean out the garden shed and he was on fire about it. His oldest helped us take half the stuff out of the shed, sweep it out, install new shelving, and neatly organize what was left.

    We filled up the trash and recycling cans with some left over. I took a stack of books to the nearest little library. There was another bag of donations that got added to mine since the donation place was closed by the time we finished. I found several dollars worth of change and some gift cards in the boxes of paperwork, so we made money decluttering without having to sell anything :)

    He was so thrilled when we were done. He has much more space for his hobby. We realized he needed a new garden hose and his brother texted him about one he was getting rid of--one in one out! There was junk out there he had meant to get rid of for over 5 years. There's still more to go but it made us both so happy to toss stuff. We were able to put like things together into organizing containers, so I'm hoping he'll realize how much stuff he has and won't need to acquire any more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on April 12, 2022, 06:44:17 PM
    Spaghetti with ground bison and spicy marinara.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on April 12, 2022, 08:57:49 PM
    Spaghetti with ground bison and spicy marinara.

    Sounds delicious, but wrong thread!

    Or did you mean that you decluttering this by eating it?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on April 13, 2022, 08:24:39 AM
    Spaghetti with ground bison and spicy marinara.

    Sounds delicious, but wrong thread!

    Or did you mean that you decluttering this by eating it?

    Haha, thought I was posting in the "Whatcha making for dinner tonight" thread.  On a decluttering note, I do now have 2 less cans of marinara sauce in my pantry....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on April 13, 2022, 03:34:05 PM
    I found two stuffed animals under my teen's bed. He hasn't even noticed them in years, so I cleared them out. Hurrah for less stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 15, 2022, 03:58:46 PM
    Sold a big dried flower arrangement at the flea market today (I sell stuff there) that was in the corner of a bedroom for aeons. Already vacuumed out the area under it.     I sold it to another vendor for the massive sum of $3. I was happy to be rid of it, and she now has lots of exotic dried flowers to do her crafting with. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on April 15, 2022, 06:26:12 PM
    Sold another chair as I won't have room for everything in the new place. It kind of pains me as I really liked it, but something has to give. I've had it for a few years, but I'm pretty sure that I bought it for $50 (used) and I just sold it for $75.

    Lots of other small items going in the donate boxes as I pack. I found a package of mixed veggie seeds that I bought at the beginning of the pandemic thinking I would try to grow some lettuce, etc in pots. Never happened. Remember when everyone was nesting at the beginning of lockdown? Sour dough bread, etc. Seems like a long time ago. And yet we are still dealing with it. Oh well, those are thoughts for another thread.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 16, 2022, 04:45:37 AM
    Time to clean out your pantry of foods you have too many of. The Post Office is doing a Stamp Out Hunger drive on May 14th.

    Good time to get rid of things you bought and don't like or things you bought too many of for some reason. I got on a canned fish kick and that fizzled out quickly, so I have quite a bit of that to donate.

    I do believe they do not want anything in glass jars, nothing breakable.

    It is a win, win situation! You get to hoe out your cupboards and make room in your house and people in need will get some needed food supplies.

    Due to Covid, I don't think the Post Office has done this in two years.

    https://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 16, 2022, 12:29:30 PM
    I dropped off 4 pairs of spectacles to a Lions Club box at the library. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 16, 2022, 01:43:18 PM
    Dropped off a partial bag of cat food to the shelter. Wasn't sure if they could take it because it's prescription and opened, but they were good with it. Silly cat ate around those food pieces.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on April 17, 2022, 08:07:39 AM
    Gathered up some bras and tank tops that don't fit right anymore, AND actually brought the bag to Goodwill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 17, 2022, 12:37:55 PM
    Disassembled the love seat which needs to be disposed of. Don't have a dumpster at this place, nor do I own any kind of saw. Will need to get creative with the disposal of the biggest piece. But the cushion covers are already gone, yay!

    The plan is to fill any remaining space in the trash carts each week late on the night before collection day. Maybe it will take 3 weeks. This way it is free.

    Finally got all the loveseat pieces in the trash, hooray!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 17, 2022, 02:17:36 PM
    Two books, two jackets and a tailored shirt donated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 17, 2022, 05:40:40 PM
    A free zippered pouch came withan  item I recently ordered. It was a 'free gift' that I couldn't remove from the cart. When it came it, it was cute and I thought about keeping it.

    But I don't need another cluttery item like that! So I filled it with feminine supplies and am going to drop it off at the little 'take what you need' spot on my way to work. Then I looked around for other things that could be added and found a few more items that are off to someone who might need them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on April 17, 2022, 05:57:34 PM
    Started going through old family photos from the days before digital. Threw out some as well as all the negatives. Put the rest in a plastic bin from the dollar store.

    Went through one of my drawers that had some swim suits and clothes that hadn't been worn in a long time. Donated all but one swimsuit and cover up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: KidneyBeansMD on April 18, 2022, 06:55:44 AM
    Any good consignment shops for men's clothing anyone has come across? I have a lot of old but barely worn clothes that I'm looking to get rid of, but don't want to have to reopen my FB account to use marketplace. I signed up for Poshmark and posted a couple good quality items (new with tags Banana Republic and Brooks Brothers slacks, as an example) but no takers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 18, 2022, 08:27:29 AM
    Looking for six D sized batteries to put in my electronic Casio piano keyboard so I could play it at the flea market, to sell it.

    Had to move lots of stuff away from the bottom of a big cabinet, to open the doors. I thought I might have some old batteries in there. Sure enough, I found six D batteries there! Then tested them all, had to recycle 3 of them since they were weak. But I now have the other 3 to use toward the Casio demonstration. If I just went out and bought six new batteries, I'd still have these old batteries cluttering the place up.   

    While in there, found stuff to toss, repurpose, or add to the 'sell' pile.

    Will put all the remaining stuff back in the cabinet soon, lol.   

    Going to donate a pile of old Readers Digests later today.

    Forced myself to add a few pounds of ancient computer programming manuals to this morning's curbside recycling. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 18, 2022, 02:32:26 PM
    @slackmax awesome work opening a whole new cabinet! honestly the old readers digests should be out on curbside recycling too. There is no value in them and whoever you donate them to is just going to recycle them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on April 18, 2022, 05:48:00 PM
    Took the trunkful of donation items to the donation center today. Time to start another donation bag!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 20, 2022, 07:28:29 PM
    Bag of stuff in the car to go to thrift store. Rejected cat bed and old blanket in car to go to animal shelter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on April 21, 2022, 06:53:10 AM
    It's been over a year since I moved.  Have lots of clothes I haven't worn or even looked at since.  I'm committing to donating 20 items (completely arbitrary number) before I leave for the summer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on April 21, 2022, 09:26:22 PM
    A few more things in the donate box. I am still culling all of the printed photos. I am determined to only take that one plastic container with me when I move. Not sure how many more are in the basement, but the container is getting full. Wish me luck!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 22, 2022, 06:38:12 AM
    4 boxes out of the basement. Have a lot of time on my hands so I am mentally sorting through things. As soon as I am cleared to lift again,  there will be a furry of activity.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: seemsright on April 22, 2022, 08:32:45 PM
    I am yet again clearing out crap out of this house. If the preteen has not touched the item during the lockdowns...it is going. I am so done with dealing with items. I just want simple and hassle free.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on April 24, 2022, 12:01:12 PM
    I'm in the final stages of a massive paper purge in my house. 6 hefty bags full of mostly shredded documents.

    I gave the giant desk and hutch that was housing all of this away for free to a violin teacher for her studio. The are no words for how happy I was when she and her husband showed up with a dolly and a pick up truck and trailer to take that out of my life!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on April 24, 2022, 03:47:27 PM
    It's been over a year since I moved.  Have lots of clothes I haven't worn or even looked at since.  I'm committing to donating 20 items (completely arbitrary number) before I leave for the summer.

    I took 22 items to the donation center today.  I'm still hanging on to more than I should.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 25, 2022, 03:09:37 AM
    Saturday AM we dropped off a large paper box and a garbage bag of mostly housewares to the thrift store.  My linen closet is lighter now.  I also looked at my toiletries with an eye toward using up some stuff.  I rejuvenated a package of Wegmans hand wipes with a shot of witch hazel. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on April 25, 2022, 10:05:53 AM
    Passed a bunch of stuff out 8 different people through the local free group: winter toddler jacket, 2 formal toddler jackets, stack of toddler shorts, stack of toddler dresses etc, sterilizer, toddler toys, baby toys, books.  Very pleased they are onto new homes (not a landfill) and I'm motivated to find some more things!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 25, 2022, 12:23:58 PM
    It's been over a year since I moved.  Have lots of clothes I haven't worn or even looked at since.  I'm committing to donating 20 items (completely arbitrary number) before I leave for the summer.

    I took 22 items to the donation center today.  I'm still hanging on to more than I should.

    Good going, NotJen. Slow and steady wins the race. 

    I keep finding more clothes around the place. I take a big bag of clothes to Goodwill every few months.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on April 29, 2022, 06:59:34 PM
     - Sold an extra dresser that was in the spare room.
     - The people that are buying my house agreed that I could leave the treadmill. So happy about that. It is a big, heavy beast to move.
     - Put a garbage bag of clothes in the car and will take it to the thrift store on Tuesday.
     - Culled down a lot of old school pictures and projects from when my kids were little, plus a lot of other mementos to one plastic container.

    I have some other stuff listed for sale that I don't have room for in my new place, so hopefully it sells.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 30, 2022, 09:16:28 PM
    Finally dropped off the soffit vent to Habitat Restore, and dropped off the blanket to the animal shelter. Of course, then I grabbed a few more things from parent's house today that they do not need, will not need, and can be of use to someone else for the Restore. Which I can only get to on Saturdays. Sigh.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 01, 2022, 10:06:38 AM
     - Sold two side tables that I had planned to flip, but never got around to.
     - A lady is supposed to be coming today to pick up a bunch of stuff that was going to the thrift store.

    Still to get rid of:
     - Deep freeze
     - Two French Provincial side tables
     - Small table that kid made in shop class
     - long table in garage
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 01, 2022, 07:21:06 PM
    Someone is supposed to be coming tomorrow to take the rock pile.

    The old wifi router got misplaced, then found again today. Amazing what happens when you clean! Now by the door, needs to be taken to ewaste.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on May 01, 2022, 08:29:45 PM
    Cleared out a few cake pans, muffin tins, and kitchen paraphernalia. Also cleared out two large bags of clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 02, 2022, 11:41:25 AM
    Sold another 25 or so small items at the flea market yesterday. Another vendor wanted to give me about 100 audio cd's for free, but I said I appreciated the gesture, but just didn't want them. Patting myself on the back. But the truth is I didn't want them, no self-discipline involved. Too much hassle and clutter to drag around.   

    On the way home I drove past a home with free stuff piled up in the front yard, with folks sorting through it. I did make a u turn for that one. Picked up two small containers of mold removing spray which I think I can sell quickly. 

    Will donate a pair of shoes and a large book to Salvation Army today.



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 02, 2022, 06:37:30 PM
    Culled some clothes that still had backwards hangers after the winter and early spring. Two work tops, a tshirt, and a pair of pants. I'm starting a new job soon that has a more professional dress code than my current job, so I'm seeing the clothes through a different lens. One cardigan got thrown away after it developed a bunch of holes in the wash. It had been purchased secondhand so not a huge loss.

    I saw some family over the weekend who gave me a bunch of stuff I didn't need. I took most of it to the 'take what you need' cabinet in my neighborhood. Lots of personal care items that someone might need or want. Most of the packaging got recycled. Some unusable items did get thrown away and a couple of items will be regifted. But it's all out of their house and isn't cluttering up mine, so I count it as a plus. I'm still net a few items, but I have plans for all of them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on May 03, 2022, 06:37:54 AM
    I'm having trouble getting rid of things that are theoretically mendable, but logistically not so much. 

    For example, I wore through the heels or balls of one side each of 5 pairs of wool socks in the last year.  I really did try to darn them, but the wool is fine enough that my patches are really thick compared to the rest of the socks, and they're uncomfortable to wear.  I feel SO BAD getting rid of that many wool/wool blend socks all at once.  I've found a few that are similar weight and paired the un-holey socks as well as I can, but I still have the other halves in my mending box. 

    It's the same thing with kids' clothes that I could *probably* patch the knees on, or cardigans with a hole in the neck that I've already sewn up 4 times.  I don't NEED them, but I feel so wasteful just putting them in the trash.  No one else wants them either, though.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 03, 2022, 08:07:12 AM
    Some furniture shuffling happened on the weekend.  Stuff got emptied out of two cabinets and not all went back in to one new cabinet and a writing desk.  This morning I realized the bird book that my mother fobbed off on us 20 years ago smelled moldy.  And she bought us a new bird book about 10 years ago.  Why I have been keeping this stinking bird book all these years? Now it is in the recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 03, 2022, 09:11:22 AM
    I'm having trouble getting rid of things that are theoretically mendable, but logistically not so much. 

    For example, I wore through the heels or balls of one side each of 5 pairs of wool socks in the last year.  I really did try to darn them, but the wool is fine enough that my patches are really thick compared to the rest of the socks, and they're uncomfortable to wear.  I feel SO BAD getting rid of that many wool/wool blend socks all at once.  I've found a few that are similar weight and paired the un-holey socks as well as I can, but I still have the other halves in my mending box. 

    It's the same thing with kids' clothes that I could *probably* patch the knees on, or cardigans with a hole in the neck that I've already sewn up 4 times.  I don't NEED them, but I feel so wasteful just putting them in the trash.  No one else wants them either, though.

    Most thrift stores do fabric recycling, so you can donate the stuff to them.  Just clearly mark the bag so they don't have to sort through it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: chaskavitch on May 03, 2022, 09:18:19 AM
    I'm having trouble getting rid of things that are theoretically mendable, but logistically not so much. 

    For example, I wore through the heels or balls of one side each of 5 pairs of wool socks in the last year.  I really did try to darn them, but the wool is fine enough that my patches are really thick compared to the rest of the socks, and they're uncomfortable to wear.  I feel SO BAD getting rid of that many wool/wool blend socks all at once.  I've found a few that are similar weight and paired the un-holey socks as well as I can, but I still have the other halves in my mending box. 

    It's the same thing with kids' clothes that I could *probably* patch the knees on, or cardigans with a hole in the neck that I've already sewn up 4 times.  I don't NEED them, but I feel so wasteful just putting them in the trash.  No one else wants them either, though.

    Most thrift stores do fabric recycling, so you can donate the stuff to them.  Just clearly mark the bag so they don't have to sort through it.

    Oooh, I did not know that!  I'll definitely look into it, that would solve a nice chunk of my clutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 03, 2022, 10:16:48 AM
    - Sold two side tables that I had planned to flip, but never got around to.
     - A lady is supposed to be coming today to pick up a bunch of stuff that was going to the thrift store.

    Still to get rid of:
     - Deep freeze
     - Two French Provincial side tables
     - Small table that kid made in shop class
     - long table in garage

    Offered the freezer to someone in a FB group that needs one. Will see if they actually come pick it up.

    Will list the French Provincial tables today.
      SOLD!
    I also need to go through my clothes one last time before moving and see if there is anything else that I can part with. Since I am not going back to work there are probably some work clothes that can go.

    My Dad instilled in me a strong sense of "You might need that someday". He grew up during the Depression, and they didn't part with anything. I tried to get him to part with some old, rusty shovels and he launched into that speech. He lives in an apartment, and I am moving to a mobile home park where all of the yard work is taken care of by the park. We both have zero need for yard tools. Oh well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on May 03, 2022, 10:30:14 AM
    As we prepare to move back into the boat, I am working very hard at convincing myself that while it is true we might need it, the fact is that we can afford it at that time, if that time ever arrives.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 03, 2022, 01:38:12 PM
    As we prepare to move back into the boat, I am working very hard at convincing myself that while it is true we might need it, the fact is that we can afford it at that time, if that time ever arrives.

    I left all my gardening tools with the house when I sold it.  Then I managed to find a community garden here.  At the height of lockdown I was able to buy the tools I needed for my new garden.

    Some things I like to keep, but MMM was right when he said the community can be your storage shed (or words to that effect).

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 05, 2022, 04:18:45 PM
    I managed to buy secondhand gardening tools at the height of lockdown, too. I broke a trowel recently and was almost immediately offered a friend's extra trowel, unbeknownst to them that I needed one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on May 05, 2022, 07:37:54 PM
    Found out there's a local paint recycling company that will pick up your old paint, for free.  So Tuesday, buh-bye all my old paint cans in the basement.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 09, 2022, 06:43:44 PM
    Threw away a burned up candle instead of cleaning out the jar and saving it for some hypothetical future use.

    Put even more clothes in the donate bag. It's summer now and I'm getting rid of clothes I didn't love from fall/winter. I'm down to ten work shirts and five work pants. That will get me through the first week or two to see what else I need. I'm attempting to be systematic in my clothing acquisitions. Packed away the summer clothes and donated some of those, too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 10, 2022, 04:39:57 AM
    Found out there's a local paint recycling company that will pick up your old paint, for free.  So Tuesday, buh-bye all my old paint cans in the basement.

    Oh wow! That's great. I wonder if there is anything like that here? I have several cans of paint that could go.

    Moved on the weekend and gave several items to family members that I no longer needed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 10, 2022, 01:59:45 PM
    Found out there's a local paint recycling company that will pick up your old paint, for free.  So Tuesday, buh-bye all my old paint cans in the basement.

    Oh wow! That's great. I wonder if there is anything like that here? I have several cans of paint that could go.

    Moved on the weekend and gave several items to family members that I no longer needed.

    Doesn't any paint store/department take old paint?  My local, independent one does.  There's also the dump, that takes such stuff and recycles it.  If you ask around, especially at a paint store, I'm sure there's something near you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on May 10, 2022, 03:29:02 PM
    Finally got rid of a few things that had been hanging around.  An old brew pot from my home brew, which was difficult to get into the rubbish bin due to it's size went out this morning in the rubbish collection, along with a brake rotor which I had been intending to throw out for ages but never quite made it to the bin, and an old alternator replaced about 4 months ago.

    Gives me a bit more free room where the motorcycle is parked.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 11, 2022, 06:25:06 AM
    Decluttering by attrition. As I was looking for something in a cabinet, a jar fell onto one of my old glass beer mugs and broke a big chunk off of it. Recycled it. One less mug to take up space. Got about 15 more, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on May 11, 2022, 07:57:32 AM
    The living room is full of piles to be donated at various places, with two more piles in the garage. Need to start deciding which tools to donate. I know we have an excess of tools partly because two handy people joined households, but why do we have three hammers?

    Going to start trying to sell the furniture soon.

    The last time we lived on the boat we had a storage room. This time, even the bikes will have a place onboard!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on May 11, 2022, 08:30:52 AM
    Four pictures off to the auction house to sell and half a box of old paperwork ready for recycling.

    Still need to sort out some other bits and pieces to go to auction (jewellery I never wear, a few collectors' bits and pieces).

    I'm getting some shelving put in a built-in wardrobe in my sewing room (formerly the spare room) which will hold my fabric stash.  Along with selling superflous items stored in there that then will be nicely decluttered.  I'll still have some excess paperwork and stationery to deal with but as that's stored away in the study it can wait till everything else is done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 11, 2022, 08:55:59 AM
    The living room is full of piles to be donated at various places, with two more piles in the garage. Need to start deciding which tools to donate. I know we have an excess of tools partly because two handy people joined households, but why do we have three hammers?

    Going to start trying to sell the furniture soon.

    The last time we lived on the boat we had a storage room. This time, even the bikes will have a place onboard!

    To be fair, I'm not necessarily all that handy and I have 2 hammers and a mallet. Please don't ask how many screw drivers I have.

    But yes, there is a point at which its ridiculous.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on May 11, 2022, 09:47:41 AM
    Decluttering by attrition. As I was looking for something in a cabinet, a jar fell onto one of my old glass beer mugs and broke a big chunk off of it. Recycled it. One less mug to take up space. Got about 15 more, lol.

    One trick I use when I have a bunch of things like old mugs is to re-frame how I think about them.  Normally I'd think "Which of these mugs do I want to get rid of?" and then I'd get sucked into the morass of making a bunch of decisions about which ones to part with, and it was really hard.

    The trick I learned was to flip the question in my head.  So, nowadays I ask "Which of these mugs do I want to keep?  I'm only keeping 4, which ones do I like the best?"  Then I only have to pick 4 mugs that I really like (easy), and then the rest I can mass-recycle without any qualms, knowing that I still have the best of all the mugs still in my cabinet. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 11, 2022, 11:19:33 AM
    Decluttering by attrition. As I was looking for something in a cabinet, a jar fell onto one of my old glass beer mugs and broke a big chunk off of it. Recycled it. One less mug to take up space. Got about 15 more, lol.

    One trick I use when I have a bunch of things like old mugs is to re-frame how I think about them.  Normally I'd think "Which of these mugs do I want to get rid of?" and then I'd get sucked into the morass of making a bunch of decisions about which ones to part with, and it was really hard.

    The trick I learned was to flip the question in my head.  So, nowadays I ask "Which of these mugs do I want to keep?  I'm only keeping 4, which ones do I like the best?"  Then I only have to pick 4 mugs that I really like (easy), and then the rest I can mass-recycle without any qualms, knowing that I still have the best of all the mugs still in my cabinet. 

    Bingo!  Deciding what you want to keep is the key to getting rid of what you don't.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on May 11, 2022, 01:26:04 PM
    Bingo!  Deciding what you want to keep is the key to getting rid of what you don't.

    Yes, this was a huge shift in thinking for me resulting in a lot more items purged.  I still have to remember to focus on it though.

    On the purging note: bugaboo stroller with numerous barely used accessories, gifted to me by neighbors found a new home today.  Also passed along a bunch of other odds and ends that had missed in prior purges (e.g. 2 pairs of newborn socks, a 6 m hat, etc.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 11, 2022, 05:40:59 PM
    Person finally came to pick up the deep freeze today. Yay!

    Put a non-working lawn mower, old BBQ and several other small items on the driveway for free and all got picked up today. Another Yay!

    Getting down to the nitty gritty of stuff left at the old house. I need to get rid of an old desk, which might be a little harder.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on May 11, 2022, 10:57:28 PM
    I had to get a new phone last week (a few too many repairs on the old one, it was time) and the box it was shipped in didn't even have time to hit the recycle bin before I sold a similarly sized item online and shipped it back out again with the new (old) contents. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 13, 2022, 02:08:54 PM
    Had a frankly dismal day at the flea market today as I was trying to make a profit and declutter. The positive 'spin' is that I sold my Roberta Flack / Donny Hathaway album. I had heard it plenty and it was time to let some one else enjoy it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 14, 2022, 12:56:44 PM
    I had to get a new phone last week (a few too many repairs on the old one, it was time) and the box it was shipped in didn't even have time to hit the recycle bin before I sold a similarly sized item online and shipped it back out again with the new (old) contents.

    Love this! Packing/shipping materials are an item I'm working on. At my past job, we always needed shipping boxes and packing paper. Now I don't have that outlet I allow myself to keep one padded mailer at a time and everything else gets recycled.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 14, 2022, 01:07:50 PM
    An old clothing item bit the dust last week. I ordered a replacement and threw away the old one when the new one came in. The box got flattened and used for weed control in the garden. Shipping paperwork straight to recycling.

    Went through prescription medication today to sort them by expiration date. One of my meds is $9 PER PILL so I cannot afford for one pack to go bad because of poor organization. Luckily, I only take them as needed and not daily, and none of them had expired. This is your reminder to check your meds!

    My house came with one compost pile. Now it is full of lawn clippings, dead leaves, and kitchen waste. I made another from an old piece of fencing I removed. The first one is perking away and the second one is ready for another year's worth of waste diverted from the landfill.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 16, 2022, 07:34:03 PM
    My brother and I went through all .... everything from my mom's apartment and sorted out what was straight up junk and what we would keep and what to donate. She has a few items at her retirement home. It was hard slogging but we got it done. Better now than after she is gone. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 17, 2022, 09:47:41 AM
    Congrats Frugal Lizard. That is quite a momentous achievement!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on May 17, 2022, 10:16:15 AM
    Old pillows.  What do I do with them.  They are objectively fine.  My Mom passed in February and I'm clearing her place now.  A lot were left behind when she bought the 5th wheel last summer.  Some were hers.  We seem to have a massive overabundance.  I'm thinking 10-15 bed pillows of various sizes.  I hate to just put them in the dumpster, but I don't need this many.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on May 17, 2022, 10:37:29 AM
    Old pillows.  What do I do with them.  They are objectively fine.  My Mom passed in February and I'm clearing her place now.  A lot were left behind when she bought the 5th wheel last summer.  Some were hers.  We seem to have a massive overabundance.  I'm thinking 10-15 bed pillows of various sizes.  I hate to just put them in the dumpster, but I don't need this many.

    Donate them to Goodwill - I promise you someone will be delighted (and grateful) with nice pillows for their home.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 17, 2022, 01:05:11 PM
    Finally sold a new coat (gift) via eBay & got it out of the closet. I also kept the box it was mailed in, and used that for shipping to the buyer, which means I have two items out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 17, 2022, 05:26:59 PM
    Ah, tea. My old nemesis (or something). I have some flavored tea I'm very "meh" on. Thanks for the reminder okisok and Fresh Bread . I will make an effort over the next few weeks to use it up. Today would have been a good day for a cup in the afternoon, too! Ah well.

    One of two boxes of meh tea gone!

    Both boxes of the pedestrian tea are G-O-N-E! Woo!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 18, 2022, 01:22:17 PM
    @oneday High fives for no more bad tea!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 18, 2022, 11:09:35 PM
    @oneday High fives for no more bad tea!

    Yay, high fives!

    Time for the Tea Trials to begin. I've bought another box of tea and am recording brands and varieties along with my ratings, so I won't end up with 2+ boxes of something gross again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on May 19, 2022, 04:17:34 AM
    Slowly throwing the renovation rubbish out in the council rubbish collection.  The 80 litre bin doesn't hold much, but we have very little normal trash, so I get a fair bit of plasterboard or tiles out each week.  More than half of it gone from February, and hoping to get rid of the rest of it in the next few months before we start the kitchen renovation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 19, 2022, 10:39:35 AM
    Slowly throwing the renovation rubbish out in the council rubbish collection.  The 80 litre bin doesn't hold much, but we have very little normal trash, so I get a fair bit of plasterboard or tiles out each week.  More than half of it gone from February, and hoping to get rid of the rest of it in the next few months before we start the kitchen renovation.

    I've done this same thing before. If the trash company won't offer a smaller bin, at least I can make use of the excess space sometimes!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 20, 2022, 09:36:46 PM
    Took 3 books to the little library down the street. I read two of them this week and then decided I was not going to read the third. The little library was empty except for a discarded shoe, so I was glad I put three different books in there for the next person.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on May 22, 2022, 06:24:15 AM
    BIG win (by my standards at least)! We've accumulated an immense bag of worn out and ragged clothing, and I finally brought it to the farmer's market where there is a textiles recycling collection. As a bonus, I also picked up some Too Good To Go treats and combined the errand with another one (the farmer's market is some distance from my home), so that I wasn't driving out there just to recycle.

    Next week the church is restarting our annual tag sale which was canceled during the pandemic, so I'm looking forward to making some space in the garage at last.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 22, 2022, 07:45:35 AM
    Took 3 books to the little library down the street. I read two of them this week and then decided I was not going to read the third. The little library was empty except for a discarded shoe, so I was glad I put three different books in there for the next person.

    One discarded shoe! Ha! I was going through my shoe collection and found one worn out wingtip shoe worthy of going to textile recycling.

    'm waiting, though, to find the matching shoe, since I'll forget I already recycled this one, ha ha.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 22, 2022, 08:34:23 AM
    Since I chose not to go to the flea market today where I sell stuff, I plan on roaming around the house, for just a half hour, looking for hidden gems that I can put into the sell pile or the recycle/toss pile.

    I am continually surprised to find news stuff I had somehow overlooked before.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on May 23, 2022, 02:54:32 PM
    Recycled plastic shopping bags accumulated by the household above and beyond what we can use as trash bin liners. That bag of bags had been hanging off the front door handle for a week! Finally remembered in the way to the grocery store this week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 23, 2022, 06:13:50 PM
    Gave away an old piece of dark room equipment to someone that was very happy to get it.

    Took a bunch of extra boxes from moving to the re-cycling center.

    Just a few bits and pieces left at the old house to get rid of. The last 10% is taking as long as the first 90%, it seems.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 24, 2022, 03:23:49 PM
    I tried to give away an old desk, but had no takers, so today it went to the dump. It was made out of MDF, so no great loss. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 24, 2022, 04:16:03 PM
    Put two clothing items into the donation pile. Neither fit particularly well, and are just taking up space in my closet. Moving them on to someone who may get joy from them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 25, 2022, 03:50:29 PM
     - sold a big Paris Ikea picture for $10.
     - a lady is coming to pick up a bunch of hangers tomorrow.
     - put a bunch more moving boxes in the recycling bin.

    And that's a wrap on the old house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on May 25, 2022, 05:27:00 PM
    - sold a big Paris Ikea picture for $10.
     - a lady is coming to pick up a bunch of hangers tomorrow.
     - put a bunch more moving boxes in the recycling bin.

    And that's a wrap on the old house.

    Congrats, that must feel awesome.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on May 25, 2022, 05:40:43 PM
    - sold a big Paris Ikea picture for $10.
     - a lady is coming to pick up a bunch of hangers tomorrow.
     - put a bunch more moving boxes in the recycling bin.

    And that's a wrap on the old house.

    Congrats, that must feel awesome.

    Thanks! Indeed it is.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 26, 2022, 08:18:03 AM
    Congratulations on being done, Prairie Gal!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 28, 2022, 05:40:15 PM
    Way to go, @Prairie Gal !

    I made the teens try on all of their shoes this weekend, and found five pair that need to go to the shoe recycling drop off, and one pair to give away on Buy Nothing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 28, 2022, 10:42:50 PM
    Congratulations @Prairie Gal !

    This afternoon’s task is being an audience and sounding board for a friend as she KonMaris her library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on May 29, 2022, 01:16:50 PM
    Recycled plastic shopping bags accumulated by the household above and beyond what we can use as trash bin liners. That bag of bags had been hanging off the front door handle for a week! Finally remembered in the way to the grocery store this week.
    It's a great feeling finally getting them out of the house, isn't it?
    I have a bag of bags buddy whom I found through Buy Nothing... I save my bags for her and she uses them when she walks her dog. I'm hoping that if more people do this, there will be less grousing on social media about the plastic bag ban in our community.

    As anticipated, the tag sale is very cathartic.  We got rid of a minivan load today, and my goal is to fill two more loads. Already, we're seeing a positive domino effect and it's now possible to reach all areas of the garage (there was only a narrow pathway before).  I spent all day yesterday and today going through boxes and tubs. Unfortunately, there were several items that were spoiled by the humidity, and others that will need cleaning before they are saleable. I threw out some broken items that I had meant to fix, and that was very freeing.

    I still have 3 bins of items, mostly toys, which need to be reunited with their missing components in order to be desirable. It's frustrating to see the number of high-end toys that were played with only a couple of times, or simply even opened and scattered before the instructions were read, that were rendered unusable by losing pieces. I used to be better about monitoring the kids but nowadays I'm too busy during holidays to keep an eye on the gifts opening.

    I do recognize that my obsession with disposing of items in the optimal way will someday lead to hoarding when I get older and less capable.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on May 29, 2022, 07:35:29 PM
    We watched a "hoarders" show on TV on the weekend.  My wife was intrigued and horrified.  At the end, she told me she was going to clean out the "back room" where all of her papers and books are.  She has a habit of collecting books that are being disposed of.  We had a chat about how she was worried about losing "knowledge" and how the books and papers didn't really contain knowledge as she never looked at them.

    Hoping to get back a fair bit of space in that room soon. 

    We also had a chat about my habits with "things that might be useful" when repairing things around the house.  She now understands why I am more inclined to throw things out than I used to be.  That "may be useful" bit of wood that I uswed to keep I can buy a new piece easily if I ever do actually need it.  But tools, they are a bit of an issue still as throwing them out when I will use them later is a different matter from when I may use them later.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 29, 2022, 09:09:15 PM
    @middo any sort of hoarding show makes us start to clear things out. I think the prospect of moving countries in a few years will provide an even stronger motive - is this really worth shipping overseas?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on May 29, 2022, 10:10:26 PM
    @middo any sort of hoarding show makes us start to clear things out. I think the prospect of moving countries in a few years will provide an even stronger motive - is this really worth shipping overseas?

    I'm a little horrified at how much stuff we have now.  We moved to Melbourne 4 years ago with 2 loads of motorcycle luggage and one posted box of clothes.  Now we have a house full of stuff.  Most of it will be given away when we move back to WA.  But it is a lot of stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 30, 2022, 05:27:59 PM
    DP and I cleaned out the garage today and filled up the garbage and recycling bins. Some of the trash was from the shed cleanout a few weeks ago when we filled up both bins, but still.
    I got one box out for donation. One bag of hand-me-downs went to a relative and some borrowed items were taken back to the original owner.
    Lots of kids stuff was sorted and some discarded.

    I'll have to try showing DP some "Hoarders" episodes. Some of the reasons he gives for keeping items are exactly the reasoning hoarders give for holding onto so much trash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 30, 2022, 06:53:11 PM
    I love watching Hoarders but unfortunately my spouse (who is the one that hangs on to stuff) can't stand it!

    He's not a hoarder but, for example, t-shirts must be almost more holes than t-shirt before they can become cleaning rags. Yet he needs new ones to replace the daggy ones that can't really be worn outside the house. So he has a lot of t-shirts! However, he has just decided to give up a suit that is too big and he'll never wear again. He hired one for a recent event and that is a much better option than storing one and having to keep it clean / not musty. Suits take up a lot of space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 31, 2022, 01:12:56 PM
    My former girl friend, who lived with me, was a hoarder.

    I used to watch Hoarders, but I think I have seen every variation of plot already, ha ha.

    Today I donated a small bag-o-clutter from stuff that used to sell at the flea market, but for some reason no one wants now. 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on May 31, 2022, 05:46:46 PM
    Took a garbage bag full of bubble wrap and packing materials to work for the free table.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 31, 2022, 06:20:07 PM
    My former girl friend, who lived with me, was a hoarder.

    I used to watch Hoarders, but I think I have seen every variation of plot already, ha ha.

    Today I donated a small bag-o-clutter from stuff that used to sell at the flea market, but for some reason no one wants now.

    I haven't watched many episodes so I'm wondering - does anyone successfully clear up and stay clear? I mean you can't cure a mental illness in 3 days on the show but are there any good outcomes?

    I watched it last night when my spouse was out and it put me in a very jittery anxious mood that was only cured by tidying up a bit. I'll watch it again to see what happens but he's thinks it's not good for me ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on May 31, 2022, 08:41:09 PM
    I've watched it quite a lot. No, they don't all make it. Obviously they like to film good news stories but some don't even make it though the initial cleanup. Aftercare and followup is offered and they say only those who take it up will have a chance at long term change.

    Change of season is officially here with a polar blast of freezing wind. I've been pulling out winter clothing and rearranging. Found 2 4 items to donate and 2 coathangers to get rid of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 01, 2022, 07:45:29 AM
    My former girl friend, who lived with me, was a hoarder.

    I used to watch Hoarders, but I think I have seen every variation of plot already, ha ha.

    Today I donated a small bag-o-clutter from stuff that used to sell at the flea market, but for some reason no one wants now.

    I haven't watched many episodes so I'm wondering - does anyone successfully clear up and stay clear? I mean you can't cure a mental illness in 3 days on the show but are there any good outcomes?

    I watched it last night when my spouse was out and it put me in a very jittery anxious mood that was only cured by tidying up a bit. I'll watch it again to see what happens but he's thinks it's not good for me ;)

    Of the shows I saw, about half of the cleanouts got canceled in the middle of things by the hoarder, who freaked out about losing her stuff, and threw everyone out.  The other half were happy endings, with the hoarder now happy, inside her now clean home. I think 75% of the hoarders on the show were women, by the way.   

    The show spends a lot of time on the drama among family members of the hoarder.

    I should know, but can't remember if the show ever revisited the cleaned up hoarder places a year later to check on things.

    Often there was some local agency threatening to do something drastic if the place wasn't cleaned up by a certain deadline, but I don't think any hoarder ever had the drastic thing happen. Not sure.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on June 01, 2022, 08:32:27 AM
    My former girl friend, who lived with me, was a hoarder.

    I used to watch Hoarders, but I think I have seen every variation of plot already, ha ha.

    Today I donated a small bag-o-clutter from stuff that used to sell at the flea market, but for some reason no one wants now.

    I haven't watched many episodes so I'm wondering - does anyone successfully clear up and stay clear? I mean you can't cure a mental illness in 3 days on the show but are there any good outcomes?

    I watched it last night when my spouse was out and it put me in a very jittery anxious mood that was only cured by tidying up a bit. I'll watch it again to see what happens but he's thinks it's not good for me ;)

    Of the shows I saw, about half of the cleanouts got canceled in the middle of things by the hoarder, who freaked out about losing her stuff, and threw everyone out.  The other half were happy endings, with the hoarder now happy, inside her now clean home. I think 75% of the hoarders on the show were women, by the way.   

    The show spends a lot of time on the drama among family members of the hoarder.

    I should know, but can't remember if the show ever revisited the cleaned up hoarder places a year later to check on things.

    Often there was some local agency threatening to do something drastic if the place wasn't cleaned up by a certain deadline, but I don't think any hoarder ever had the drastic thing happen. Not sure.

    https://screenrant.com/hoarders-where-are-they-now/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on June 01, 2022, 08:51:30 AM
    My former girl friend, who lived with me, was a hoarder.

    I used to watch Hoarders, but I think I have seen every variation of plot already, ha ha.

    Today I donated a small bag-o-clutter from stuff that used to sell at the flea market, but for some reason no one wants now.

    slackmax, on a related note, I'm always curious in an economic forecasting perspective on how things like flea markets are doing.  Are you seeing fewer buyers overall, or less money being spent?
    I'm asking because in the last Great Recession I had a relative who was a vendor at Nascar, baseball, and other sporting events.  He was the first to notice that attendees were spending a lot less.  I've come to consider that one of the early warning signs of an impending recession.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on June 01, 2022, 09:24:16 AM
    I have finally joined the buy nothing group. Boy, are they responsive, without any of the spammy issues of craigslist.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 01, 2022, 10:52:12 AM
    I've watched quite a few Hoarders shows.  There were a few that did lose their houses, either because it was so decrepit once it was cleaned out that it was unliveable, or because it wasn't worth the money to fix it up.  On one episode, the new buyers helped the woman clean it up, fixed it for her and either sold it or rented it back to her (I forget which).  That's an amazing thing to do.

    All of the people are offered aftercare to deal with the issues that got them there in the first place, but some don't follow up.  There's a fair number who backslide into old ways even with therapy.  It's interesting that for the people that do succeed, their entire manner changes - they present as much more normal in terms of attention span, communication abilities, etc.

    The common denominator in the hoarders is some sort of loss (divorce, death) that triggered the behaviour, although some had been that way since childhood.  I find the show fascinating.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on June 01, 2022, 12:23:36 PM
    The common denominator in the hoarders is some sort of loss (divorce, death) that triggered the behaviour, although some had been that way since childhood.  I find the show fascinating.

    I'm curious to see how they lived before the trigger. I'm a high-throughput kind of person who does a lot of crafts and DIY, and am often acquiring items for myself, my family, and the house. I do most of the acquisition and disposal for the family. On occasion the disposal gets blocked for a few months and I shudder to think of what would happen if I were incapacitated! I'd like to think I would stop acquiring things (I've definitely slowed) but over the course of a year it could get ugly fast.

    In other news, I finally cleaned a couple of large, expensive toys.  I put them up for sale on FB but if they don't sell fast, I'll send them to the tag sale. Still have several tubs of toys that need processing... I'm not sure if I can get this done in time for this year's sale.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on June 01, 2022, 12:46:55 PM
    The common denominator in the hoarders is some sort of loss (divorce, death) that triggered the behaviour, although some had been that way since childhood.  I find the show fascinating.

    I'm curious to see how they lived before the trigger. I'm a high-throughput kind of person who does a lot of crafts and DIY, and am often acquiring items for myself, my family, and the house. I do most of the acquisition and disposal for the family. On occasion the disposal gets blocked for a few months and I shudder to think of what would happen if I were incapacitated! I'd like to think I would stop acquiring things (I've definitely slowed) but over the course of a year it could get ugly fast.

    In other news, I finally cleaned a couple of large, expensive toys.  I put them up for sale on FB but if they don't sell fast, I'll send them to the tag sale. Still have several tubs of toys that need processing... I'm not sure if I can get this done in time for this year's sale.

    A lot of them show pictures over the years. A surprising number were picture perfect overly neat household's until a trigger event, but plenty went from always kind of cluttered to hoarded.

    We had a roommate that was at best borderline. She had anything that could reasonably considered her space stuffed to the gills. But what was really scary was how obsessed she was with this stuff. Not only could we not touch it, even to clean under it, but she totally flipped out when we asked her to move some of the stuff so that a window could be fixed. Our desire to fix a window was ludicrous next to her right to have her stuff in that particular spot. Uh, structure over stuff, baby, the structure is protecting your stuff, after all. Her room was pretty dirty when she moved out, and it turned out her toilet had a slow leak that wasn't flooding but did stain the floor. I hope her new boyfriend is able to get her some help before she settles into one place long enough to bring it down over her head.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 01, 2022, 03:29:22 PM
    My former girl friend, who lived with me, was a hoarder.

    I used to watch Hoarders, but I think I have seen every variation of plot already, ha ha.

    Today I donated a small bag-o-clutter from stuff that used to sell at the flea market, but for some reason no one wants now.

    slackmax, on a related note, I'm always curious in an economic forecasting perspective on how things like flea markets are doing.  Are you seeing fewer buyers overall, or less money being spent?
    I'm asking because in the last Great Recession I had a relative who was a vendor at Nascar, baseball, and other sporting events.  He was the first to notice that attendees were spending a lot less.  I've come to consider that one of the early warning signs of an impending recession.

    LaineyAZ, in the last 4 years in which I have been selling, each year has been about the same. This year the same as last. So nothing new on the flea market scene, at least from here in Pa.

    There was a 'golden age' of flea markets that ended 10 years ago. Don't know how long it lasted, but they say you could sell the same stuff for a lot more money back then.  But now apparently the flea markets are flooded with excess 'stuff' that retiring Boomer downsizers are unloading.

    The 'bag-o-clutter' that no one wants :  that's just a cyclical thing I have noticed about the flea market. One year everyone wants ointments or picture frames, or  perfume,  next year nobody wants ointments, picture frames, or perfumes. 
    Unpredictable.

    If I held onto my 'bag-o-clutter' another year, maybe the customers would then be craving that stuff, but I just want to get rid of it, so I donated it, lol.
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 01, 2022, 03:52:59 PM
    The common denominator in the hoarders is some sort of loss (divorce, death) that triggered the behaviour, although some had been that way since childhood.  I find the show fascinating.

    I'm curious to see how they lived before the trigger. I'm a high-throughput kind of person who does a lot of crafts and DIY, and am often acquiring items for myself, my family, and the house. I do most of the acquisition and disposal for the family. On occasion the disposal gets blocked for a few months and I shudder to think of what would happen if I were incapacitated! I'd like to think I would stop acquiring things (I've definitely slowed) but over the course of a year it could get ugly fast.
     ----

    My hoarder girl friend considered herself the family archivist (brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews).    She was a crafter, in that she made her own greeting cards and sent everyone a birthday card, christening card, get well card, and so on.   She had lots of paper documents related to her family, but also lots of paper stuff from work, and from any events she attended, even junk mail offers. Plus endless knick knacks. Her saving grace was that her hoard was very neat and tidy, ha ha.

    She told me that she had a traumatic event in her childhood and that her hoarding  was a  'coping mechanism'.

    Poundwise, you don't sound like a real hoarder, don't worry !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 01, 2022, 06:09:19 PM
    Thank you all for your well wishes on the move.

    The mobile home park that I moved into is a bit fancypants, and they have a million rules (well, 10 pages at least) that help keep it that way. One of them is that you can't have garage sales, except on one designated day per year, which is next Saturday. I got rid of most of my excess "stuff" before the move, but I am planning to put out for free:

    - a garden statue that the previous owners left behind
    - a box of hangers
    - some unwanted curtains that the previous owners left behind
    - a moving blanket
    - a couple of toys that my grandchildren didn't really play with

    I'm going to look around and see what else I can find. There's not as much storage here as I had at the house so I have to be brutal and pare it down even more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on June 01, 2022, 08:50:36 PM
    The bed and the couch are gone. We have been using a boat mattress as a guest bed for a while now, so that will just be the last thing to go back to the boat. DH flip flops between insisting we could move aboard next weekend and freaking out when I get rid of anything...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 02, 2022, 06:19:03 PM
    The spigot on my sun tea jug broke two weeks ago. It's been sitting on the kitchen counter while I try to figure out how to fix the broken plastic piece.

    Then I watched an episode of Hoarders where the woman insisted on keeping every broken item because it could be fixed. I looked at the sun tea jug that was originally from Target and I bought from a thrift store years ago for a few bucks. I don't use it for sun tea so it's basically a pitcher to serve drinks from. I have another pitcher. It went to the recycling bin.

    I have one magazine subscription and I make it a point to finish one issue before the next month's comes in the mail. When the new one came, I took the old one to the little library. No stacks of magazines or paper clutter here!

    I'm off to make another pass through the house to see if there's anything I can get out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 03, 2022, 06:35:06 AM
    There is (or was) a glass jar with a sprig of vine growing out of it on the divider between my kitchen and living room. It was looking old and tired, so I made of point of some day getting rid of it.

    Finally did it yesterday. Threw the vine on the lawn, for fertilizer, cleaned out the glass jar, and recycled it.

    Rearranged the other stuff on the divider. More space, less clutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 03, 2022, 05:40:41 PM
    Got a new water bottle at work so pulled a water bottle out of the cabinet to put on the free table at work. Also found a vase and an insulated bag in that cabinet that went to the donate bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 03, 2022, 09:22:49 PM
    Found a pair of trousers that fell down because the elastic and stretch had gone: out they go. Also an insulated bag that I've been humming and ha-ing about getting rid of...now its gone mouldy, so out it goes too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 03, 2022, 11:36:27 PM
    Rifled through two cookbooks that had recently joined my bookshelves, confirmed I am not realistically going to make recipes from either, so now they are on the pile for donation.

    My big goal for the rest of the year is to get my TBR under 100 books. Why is that one so hard for me?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 04, 2022, 12:02:20 AM
    My big goal for the rest of the year is to get my TBR under 100 books. Why is that one so hard for me?

    An unread book might be the only category of thing where you don't really know what it is, so that makes it hard to declutter. The FOMO is extra strong.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 04, 2022, 12:06:06 AM
    I cleared a table today*. Because I got rid of something this week, I could rearrange the cupboard and store some stuff that didn't have a home.

    *Almost. I just need to buy some little hooks so I can put up a string of outside lights that I bought 2 years ago.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on June 04, 2022, 08:26:40 AM
    Took some items to the consignment shop today:
    - a small custom bench
    - 3 pieces of jewelry including real silver earrings
    - 2 lightweight pants, never worn
    - summer floppy hat

    Their policy is that everything has to sell within 90 days or it's returned to you or you relinquish it to them.  (30 days for furniture)  They price the items and you get a percentage of the sale price - a smaller percentage for cash or a larger percentage for store credit.  No recourse for missing or damaged items so you're really giving them full control.  You call periodically to check on status, they don't contact you. 

    Overall it will be a relatively small amount which I'll take in store credit, but it was good to continue the decluttering and make a few dollars at the same time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 04, 2022, 01:12:37 PM
    Turns out that my niece is moving soon, so that is giving me extra motivation to unpack the rest of the boxes so that I can give them to her.

    Found a few more small items to give away in next week's garage sale. A battery charger, a garbage can, some blankets, etc. Even after paring down dramatically to move stuff is coming out of the woodwork.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 04, 2022, 01:47:04 PM
    The bag of packing materials I took to the Free spot at work got taken. Now that I know the spot works, I'll look for more items that can go to a new home.

    Tossed a shirt in the trash that's been on my sewing table. I thought I could refashion it but forgot that the reason I took it out of rotation was dozens of tiny holes. Looks like a fabric flaw, not a cool boho design. :/

    Contemplating a vase. It's pretty but rather large for the arrangements I might make. Also contemplating the treadmill. My job has a gorgeous gym that is 24/7 access so I really don't need it anymore. I'll have a think on it.

    I was making good progress with reducing the amount of junk mail I get. Then I bought a house and got a new job (yay!) but now I'm on home and industry-related mailing lists (boo!). I've got lots of work to do to get back to zero. I got two of the exact same retirement benefits info catalogs in the mail today, two separate envelopes, both addressed the same. Sheesh.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 05, 2022, 08:56:45 PM
    Cleaned out the car today. Tossed a small bag of trash and returned my old transportation badge to their office.

    Threw away expired pet vaccination paperwork since the updated came in. Opened the dog food shipment and broke down the packaging into recycling and trash.

    Got two new items in the mail and one doesn't work. It went right back into the packaging and into my work bag to be mailed out tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 05, 2022, 09:48:49 PM
    We have a TerraCycle program here where you can send in medicine blister packs and various plastic tubes like toothpaste for recycling to a shop I like, and they give you store credit. The thing is, the tubes have to be spotless, so today I cut open *a lot* of toothpaste tubes and washed them out. I don't know how long we've been collecting them. Once they are dry I can post the box off. It's smelling very minty here now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MoneyTree on June 05, 2022, 11:34:57 PM
    I have quite a few paper books and would like to make the transition to primarily digital or audiobooks. There will always be some physical books, but I've managed to reduce it to one bookshelf. I've been slowly selling off the books, even the ones that I might want to re-read some day. I've given myself permission to buy a digital replacement for any books I've sold if I ever want to re-read them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 05, 2022, 11:43:58 PM
    Four more books out to the free libraries.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 06, 2022, 09:31:31 PM
    Planted two gifted packets of seeds, very haphazardly. But they were free and now the seeds are in the ground and might grow. Packaging recycled and trashed.

    Tossed four clothing items in the trash. They weren't that old but poorly made and it's not worth the constant readjusting.
    I'm repeating the Minimal Mom's mantra that I deserve clothes that fit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 07, 2022, 09:19:15 AM
    I found someone on FB that was looking for paint, so hopefully six partial cans of paint will be leaving the house today. This was paint that the previous owners left, and I am not using the same colour scheme.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 11, 2022, 05:37:57 AM
    This is a little bit different about getting rid of stuff. We get a newspaper every day and one day a week a small separate newpaper is inserted into it. It is more like a local paper with local news. Well, on top of that, there is a delivery guy in a car that wings that same small local paper onto our driveway once a week. Previously, we put our garbage cans at the end of the driveway but we changed it to another location so we don't walk down there much anymore. Plus, Mr. Roadrunner would just toss it in the garbage can every week. Now, it is a big annoyance! If we don't pick it up it gets soaking wet if it rains. It is a free paper available to everyone. I do not want it and have called the newspaper six weeks in a row and the paper keeps coming. They tell me they put in a special report every week when I call but the paper keeps coming. I feel like I am in a Twilight Zone episode of the paper that returns from hell each week! I have even talked to 'managers' at the newspaper. Each one reassuring me it will be fixed and stopped! In the olden days when you had a paper delivered, someone could call the delivery person and tell them to stop delivery! Not this paper! They have to file 'reports' after reports after reports that must go unread. OMG, I am going nuts trying to stop this insanity! On top of this, we have seen our other neighbors pick up the paper and toss it directly into their garbage cans. It makes me wonder how many people even read this paper! Such a waste of money delivering these unwanted papers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on June 11, 2022, 06:46:56 AM
    Sent three unwanted pictures to auction several weeks ago, and they sold yesterday for a total of £505.  Am now feeling very smug for making that much money out of things I didn't want in the house any more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 11, 2022, 01:17:26 PM
    Put a bunch of stuff out on the driveway for free this morning, including a heavy concrete garden statue that the previous owners left behind. I thought it was kind of rude that they left it without checking to see if I wanted it. I had to get my neighbour to move it with a dolly because it was so heavy. Anyway, it's gone now. Along with some other odds & ends.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 12, 2022, 12:43:40 PM
    Made myself go through the flea market to-sell stuff for a half hour. Felt so productive after the half hour that I went on another half hour. Tossed some stuff, recycled some stuff, rearranged some, and put some in the donate area, found some jewelry I ought to get appraised by a jeweler.. That's enough for today, ha ha.     Oh, and I finally found that other waterproof shoe that vanished a month ago!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on June 12, 2022, 02:40:31 PM
    I added some Stuff to the box I am sending to ThredUp, including a dress I wore to an ill-fated job interview.

    I recycled some boxes this morning that had been sitting in my living room for a week. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 12, 2022, 03:41:43 PM
    This is a little bit different about getting rid of stuff. We get a newspaper every day and one day a week a small separate newpaper is inserted into it. It is more like a local paper with local news. Well, on top of that, there is a delivery guy in a car that wings that same small local paper onto our driveway once a week. Previously, we put our garbage cans at the end of the driveway but we changed it to another location so we don't walk down there much anymore. Plus, Mr. Roadrunner would just toss it in the garbage can every week. Now, it is a big annoyance! If we don't pick it up it gets soaking wet if it rains. It is a free paper available to everyone. I do not want it and have called the newspaper six weeks in a row and the paper keeps coming. They tell me they put in a special report every week when I call but the paper keeps coming. I feel like I am in a Twilight Zone episode of the paper that returns from hell each week! I have even talked to 'managers' at the newspaper. Each one reassuring me it will be fixed and stopped! In the olden days when you had a paper delivered, someone could call the delivery person and tell them to stop delivery! Not this paper! They have to file 'reports' after reports after reports that must go unread. OMG, I am going nuts trying to stop this insanity! On top of this, we have seen our other neighbors pick up the paper and toss it directly into their garbage cans. It makes me wonder how many people even read this paper! Such a waste of money delivering these unwanted papers.

    We have the same darn problem in my city! They also put the little weekly 'paper' in a plastic bag. They are all over the sidewalks, in the sewer drains, in ditches, etc. Wet, pulpy, moldy messes every time it rains.  I try to pick up when I walk the dog and wing them directly into the trash if they're wet, recycling if they're dry. They are basically just advertising, with some recipes and coupons thrown in. Perhaps if we contacted the businesses and say we will NEVER shop there while they are contributing to so much waste?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 12, 2022, 08:39:38 PM
    This is a little bit different about getting rid of stuff. We get a newspaper every day and one day a week a small separate newpaper is inserted into it. It is more like a local paper with local news. Well, on top of that, there is a delivery guy in a car that wings that same small local paper onto our driveway once a week. Previously, we put our garbage cans at the end of the driveway but we changed it to another location so we don't walk down there much anymore. Plus, Mr. Roadrunner would just toss it in the garbage can every week. Now, it is a big annoyance! If we don't pick it up it gets soaking wet if it rains. It is a free paper available to everyone. I do not want it and have called the newspaper six weeks in a row and the paper keeps coming. They tell me they put in a special report every week when I call but the paper keeps coming. I feel like I am in a Twilight Zone episode of the paper that returns from hell each week! I have even talked to 'managers' at the newspaper. Each one reassuring me it will be fixed and stopped! In the olden days when you had a paper delivered, someone could call the delivery person and tell them to stop delivery! Not this paper! They have to file 'reports' after reports after reports that must go unread. OMG, I am going nuts trying to stop this insanity! On top of this, we have seen our other neighbors pick up the paper and toss it directly into their garbage cans. It makes me wonder how many people even read this paper! Such a waste of money delivering these unwanted papers.

    We have the same darn problem in my city! They also put the little weekly 'paper' in a plastic bag. They are all over the sidewalks, in the sewer drains, in ditches, etc. Wet, pulpy, moldy messes every time it rains.  I try to pick up when I walk the dog and wing them directly into the trash if they're wet, recycling if they're dry. They are basically just advertising, with some recipes and coupons thrown in. Perhaps if we contacted the businesses and say we will NEVER shop there while they are contributing to so much waste?

    Same issue where I live.  Luckily, it only took one phone call to get myself off the receive list, but I always know when the regular deliverer is on vacation, because I get the package for 2 weeks, then it stops again.  But even worse, it's the same outfit that does the recycling, so they just create work for themselves.  Maybe that's the point ....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 13, 2022, 05:51:23 PM
    When I moved in here there were two large mirrors in the bathroom, and no medicine cabinet. Today a handyman came and installed two oval medicine cabinets for me. I got him to put one of the mirrors on the back of a closet door, and he took the other one home to use, along with the cardboard boxes and packing materials. Nice to have that job done, and everything disposed of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 14, 2022, 06:34:02 PM
    Got rid of a ton of stuff today, donated to a church that was having a drive for the Ukrainian refugees.  A bunch of kitchen items I had no use for, some clothes, and a couple of patio tables.  I also wanted to donate a bed and entertainment unit, but they have no pick-up and it was short notice, so couldn't arrange delivery.  I'll continue to work on getting rid of those.  The house is feeling airier.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 14, 2022, 07:27:27 PM
    I'm watching a Hoarders marathon and getting rid of stuff!

    Completely cleared out the mending/alterations pile. Some items went to the donate and one holy sweater got trashed. Five items were repaired and returned to the dresser. All the ironing is finished and hung up.

    Tossed a few kitchen towels that were stained and ragged.

    Currently eyeing a set of chairs and the treadmill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 14, 2022, 08:30:21 PM
    Donated a bunch of school supplies to a non-profit summer camp, serving low incomes students. Now that our kids are in high school, certain supplies won't be needed anymore. Plus, we had seven rulers, new in wrappers. Why? no clue, but they are now out of my house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MoneyTree on June 14, 2022, 09:23:54 PM
    Had an old MacBook Air from 2015 that I had gotten from work. (They let me buy it outright at a hefty discount when I was due for an upgrade). DW used it happily as her primary computer for a few years, but the battery degraded over time for a while and didn't hold a charge very long.

    I tried to repurpose it as a "always plugged in" computer for a few months. Even considered replacing the battery, but ultimately just decided to sell it off.

    Sold it off to one of those 3rd part electronics resellers. Didn't get too much for it, but now it is out of my house, and they can worry about replacing the battery and finding a good new home for it. Still was a rock solid machine, other than the battery.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on June 15, 2022, 07:42:18 AM
    @MoneyTree - I also have a dead MacBook Air, purchased around the same time.  I have thought about selling it to a 3rd party like you did, but always worry about a security risk...like if they can hack into my hard drive and get passwords, etc.  I openly admit I'm not the most computer savvy person, but how did you handle this?  I have had mine sitting on my shelf for the better part of six months trying to decide how to dispose of it.  I'd appreciate your insights.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MoneyTree on June 15, 2022, 04:38:36 PM
    @MoneyTree - I also have a dead MacBook Air, purchased around the same time.  I have thought about selling it to a 3rd party like you did, but always worry about a security risk...like if they can hack into my hard drive and get passwords, etc.  I openly admit I'm not the most computer savvy person, but how did you handle this?  I have had mine sitting on my shelf for the better part of six months trying to decide how to dispose of it.  I'd appreciate your insights.

    I think it depends on what you mean by "dead". if you can turn it on and sign in, you should be able to wipe it of any of your personal data by using the disk utility to erase the hard drive. that is what I did before selling.

    If you cant even turn it on, then i'm not sure what you would be able to do. I'm sure there are services that can help you wipe your data, but that would probably cost you, and you'd also have to trust them that they've done it properly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 15, 2022, 08:05:19 PM
    @MoneyTree - I also have a dead MacBook Air, purchased around the same time.  I have thought about selling it to a 3rd party like you did, but always worry about a security risk...like if they can hack into my hard drive and get passwords, etc.  I openly admit I'm not the most computer savvy person, but how did you handle this?  I have had mine sitting on my shelf for the better part of six months trying to decide how to dispose of it.  I'd appreciate your insights.

    I think it depends on what you mean by "dead". if you can turn it on and sign in, you should be able to wipe it of any of your personal data by using the disk utility to erase the hard drive. that is what I did before selling.

    If you cant even turn it on, then i'm not sure what you would be able to do. I'm sure there are services that can help you wipe your data, but that would probably cost you, and you'd also have to trust them that they've done it properly.

    The Geek squad at my local Best Buy told me they would happily take my old laptop, take the hard drive out of it and bash it so it was totally useless and unreadable before I put it in their recycling.  Maybe you can do the same?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 16, 2022, 05:08:37 PM
    Today I took pictures of the treadmill to post on the company's employee buying/selling page.

    Then today there was a message that there were a ton of free items (including furniture and holiday decor) that the company was cleaning out and it's all free to take home. Staying strong, staying out of that building...staying strong...but I would like a comfy sewing chair instead of the dining room chair that's in there now...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on June 16, 2022, 05:20:18 PM
    Now DH is worrying that the Buy Nothing group is encouraging someone's hoarding. Dude, eyes in your own lane. That third box of Q tips from Costco does not have a home on the boat and I don't know where to donate it. It can rot in the landfill or it can someone's hoard...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 16, 2022, 06:21:37 PM
    Now DH is worrying that the Buy Nothing group is encouraging someone's hoarding. Dude, eyes in your own lane. That third box of Q tips from Costco does not have a home on the boat and I don't know where to donate it. It can rot in the landfill or it can someone's hoard...

    ask the animal shelter if they want it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on June 18, 2022, 08:18:45 AM
    After painting the living room, the dark oak bookcase looked shabby and out of place. I went through and purged some books to take to the friends Iof the library and started to rehome the rest throughout the house. I listed it on Thursday and have a buyer coming today. It was originally a craigslist find and if I remember correctly, I am selling it for more than we paid for it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 18, 2022, 05:08:44 PM
    Great job, @rivendale !

    I posted the treadmill pictures on the company social page yesterday. It has to be approved by admin but I'm counting it as a step to getting rid of it.

    Now I'm eyeing some old hiking boots and the bicycle. I would like to be the person who uses them both, but I don't.

    Finished a book I bought second hand with a gift card. As soon as it cools off, I'll walk it down to the Little Library (hopefully there's no shoes in there this time!).

    Cleaned out the spice drawer and threw away some old stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on June 19, 2022, 01:10:21 AM

    Now I'm eyeing some old hiking boots and the bicycle. I would like to be the person who uses them both, but I don't.

    Not in relation to hiking boots (well used) or a bicycle (don't have one) but this comment hit me in the feels about some other stuff.  It's time to admit I am never going to use my ancestor's wood carving tools and put them up for sale.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 19, 2022, 12:32:27 PM
    Tossed a pair of leggings that developed a pin hole. The elastic had been worn out for a long time. Apparently I am ok with constantly hiking up my pants, but not ok with possible exposure.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 20, 2022, 11:16:35 AM
    In the 'An ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of Cure' category.

    During my evening walk yesterday I saw a nice big clean microwave on the curb. I talked myself into 'allowing' myself to just let it stay there, unwanted, the poor thing.   

    My old micro died a year ago or so, and I chose not to replace it, since I like the open space.

    I even thought 'Well, I can sell it at the flea market!'  But I held firm. It was the right decision, I am sure.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 20, 2022, 02:44:29 PM
    Well done, @slackmax . Surely someone who wants a micro will pick it up
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 20, 2022, 05:12:58 PM
    @slackmax, good job on realizing preventing clutter is worth more than a free microwave! I used to regularly go thrifting and to estate sales. Now that my home is so open and clutter-free, I don't go to estate sales at all. I went to the thrift store yesterday for the first time in months to get some party platters and only got those. I did browse around a bit, but talked myself out of anything but what I came for.

    @former player, glad I could help. Both the hiking boots and the bike got lots of use in the past, but not anymore. It's hard to let go of past fantasy selves and future fantasy selves. Someone will be thrilled to get your tools and use them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 21, 2022, 08:11:48 AM
    My husband has lost 20+ lbs (he was not overweight to start with) due to a food allergy, and on his frame, that means most of his clothes don't fit. He's a total clothes horse, which has been a source of irritation for years. But, that's neither here nor there.

    We did a mini weekend trip for Father's Day, and he had very few shirts that fit. During that discussion, and the subsequent packing, I held up each shirt in his closet, and he would say if it fit. We pulled 30+ dress shirts (WHY that many!??), several pairs of jeans, polos, sweaters, etc out of the closet.

    He has a mix of quite expensive brand names & then things like Costco shirts. I went through & pulled out all of the excellent/like new condition but not $$$ shirts & listed them all on Buy Nothing. I've had a ton of interest. I'll get those out of the house today or tomorrow, and then move on to the other items. I'll definitely list a few things on eBay, as well.

    Our teens are with my parents, so I took the opportunity to also go through their rooms. I got rid of so much recycling, a bunch of shirts they have outgrown, school papers, etc. It was so nice! You can see their furniture again. ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Plina on June 21, 2022, 12:09:23 PM
    Had an old MacBook Air from 2015 that I had gotten from work. (They let me buy it outright at a hefty discount when I was due for an upgrade). DW used it happily as her primary computer for a few years, but the battery degraded over time for a while and didn't hold a charge very long.

    I tried to repurpose it as a "always plugged in" computer for a few months. Even considered replacing the battery, but ultimately just decided to sell it off.

    Sold it off to one of those 3rd part electronics resellers. Didn't get too much for it, but now it is out of my house, and they can worry about replacing the battery and finding a good new home for it. Still was a rock solid machine, other than the battery.

    I traded in my old MacBook Air when I bought a new one at an Apple reseller. I got about 60 usd for it. The wipe out that I made accidentally screwed up the hard disk. Before that happened I was promised about 100 dollars. My problem was that the fans seemed to really tired so when the cable broke and a replacement was to expensive I decided that I could buy a new one after about 8 years of use.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 22, 2022, 03:24:41 AM
    A small bag of my clothes and a large bag of DS's was donated.  I have a few piles of things waiting for donation. They are collecting dust and I will have to clean them. I really must get them out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on June 22, 2022, 05:33:20 AM
    Big box of children's books made it into the free library at my inlaw's appartment building.
    Cleaned out 1 drawer of my little cabinet. 5 more to go......
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 25, 2022, 07:25:33 PM
    Found three pairs of shoes, a book and an old scanner to donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 25, 2022, 07:48:44 PM
    Got visitors today so things that have been lying around for ages have finally been dealt with. They will want to nose about so even the cupboards are tidier right now.

    Sold some decorative outside lights that aren't really us and gave away a few other things including a dressing gown that I've had for 9 years and never worn. I kept thinking I would become a classy silk nightie with gown kind of person but I'm always in a hoodie and PJs. A pair of jeans I never really liked have ripped so they are going to recycling rather than patching. As is a cushion cover that is now so thin it's full of holes. It's satisfying to really wear something out. I've boxed up books & DVDs that have been listed for free but no-one wants and I'm donating them to a big charity fair - more eyes on them and maybe they will go finally.

    So I've got a load of stuff in the car waiting for me to pass the relevant places. Hopefully won't be too long.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 25, 2022, 10:13:38 PM
    DH cleaned out his pantry and so much stuff went! Some items I brought to my house. Others were expired and got tossed. Some items neither of us will use are going to a neighborhood pantry.  Like items were grouped together in a basket so that we know he has all the ingredients for say, taco night, at a glance. Or not, and we know which items need to be purchased to complete a meal.

    He reorganized and agreed he could let go of the pandemic grocery anxiety and let levels get lower than in the past two years before he restocked. He's made a concerted effort to use up items and base menus off what he has and making a list instead of just grabbing items in the store. He's not mustachian (yet) but has come a long way since I've known him.

    At my house I took a bag around to grab everything that was recyclable and get it into the can before this upcoming week's pickup, then did the same with trash. Packaging, compost, all out of the house and in its proper place. I really felt the urge to go shopping today and quashed it because I do not need anything and I'll save that money and energy for when I do need something.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on June 26, 2022, 05:55:48 PM
    I tossed a bunch of wire racks that the previous owners had left behind. One little corner of the garage opened up. I have a box of hangers in the garage also. I tried to give them away, but the people never showed up, so I guess I will just put them in the donate box for the thrift store. Same with some old blankets.

    The garage is starting to look a bit more organized, but still lots of work to do out there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on June 27, 2022, 08:42:12 AM
    Sister in law could use a large ton that was in our garden waiting for a purpose for containing her bamboo plants in her garden. Gladly gave it away to have more space!

    Will get through my closet to donate a few items, since I bought a few new things this weekend and my "1 in - 1 out" rule has to be adhered to!

    DS started to get through his lego's and is making a set every day. He wants it out of his room, but I told him it only goes out in complete sets so I can decide on whether to sell, keep or donate it (we probably will keep the Lego City items, while the few Lego Ninjago and Lego Marvel sets will be sold). This will be his summer job!

    DS also went through his sock-drawer..... and found a bag full of socks which were ill-fitted and/or outgrown / unused. I need to check if the outgrown/unused can be donated. The ill-fitted/worn out socks will be turned into scrub sponges for cleaning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 30, 2022, 05:10:13 PM
    Went through the kids rooms again today, & got rid of a ton of stuff. Organized clothes, tossed torn items, gave away a bunch on Buy Nothing. Tossed/recycled garbage. Cleaned the closets & drawers. Gave away books, shoes, clothing, soccer gear, etc.

    Also gave away a few items lingering from another Buy Nothing posting.

    Listed four items on eBay, which I haven't been doing for months.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on June 30, 2022, 07:10:17 PM
    I got a free tote bag and realized that I did not need another tote bag. I put some new toiletries and some non-perishable snacks in it and put in in the neighborhood pantry on my way to work.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on July 01, 2022, 08:39:40 AM
    I got a free tote bag and realized that I did not need another tote bag. I put some new toiletries and some non-perishable snacks in it and put in in the neighborhood pantry on my way to work.

    I don't know how someone can not need a new tote bag, but I applaud your solution!

    The condo is clear and I have left the buy nothing group. A couple in our development was helping their nieces set up their first home, so they took a lot of things and let us drop off the last bits on the way out. They got a lot of those little things you end up realizing you need at the last minute, like trash cans.

    Still have to figure out what we can trim down on the boat. DH is adamant that he wants to keep the extra computers and Arduino kits for coding classes, but we are packed seriously tight, so I am going to have to identify something to go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 01, 2022, 10:17:27 PM
    @ixtap Well, I used to have a real problem with too many reusable grocery bags and totes. I took every free one that came along, I refashioned them with scrap fabric pockets and hanging loops. Then I realized that I never need more than three at a time and I had double digit numbers. (hoarding?)
    Now I try to keep them circulating in the universe instead of trapped in my trunk. :) I figured someone would rather have a brand new bag so that's the one I let go of.

    Got rid of a container from Father's Day snacks and a single sock that had drifted alone in the drawer for months. His mate is probably lost at sea. I did a quick swipe of the tv stand with it before I tossed it.

    Next is the gardening shed. It's getting over-full and this is only my first summer here.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on July 02, 2022, 08:48:57 AM
    @ixtap Well, I used to have a real problem with too many reusable grocery bags and totes. I took every free one that came along, I refashioned them with scrap fabric pockets and hanging loops. Then I realized that I never need more than three at a time and I had double digit numbers. (hoarding?)
    Now I try to keep them circulating in the universe instead of trapped in my trunk. :) I figured someone would rather have a brand new bag so that's the one I let go of.

    Got rid of a container from Father's Day snacks and a single sock that had drifted alone in the drawer for months. His mate is probably lost at sea. I did a quick swipe of the tv stand with it before I tossed it.

    Next is the gardening shed. It's getting over-full and this is only my first summer here.

    I used at least five today!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 02, 2022, 12:07:13 PM
    This conversation reminded me I'd saved a cool rice bag and some webbing in my sewing stash. I made a...dum dum dum...tote bag. X) It is currently packed with a bunch of mending to take to a friend and I have a stong feeling his daughter will love it and I can gift it to her. I love the process but don't need to keep the item when I sew.

    I don't know if I can count this as a declutter because I could have just tossed these items when they came into my house. But I have diverted them from the landfill for a while.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 03, 2022, 11:50:47 AM
    Clutter blindness.  There was an old pump bottle of liquid soap on the sink, with a quarter inch of soapy water in the bottom.  It has been there forever. Finally noticed it. Dumped the soapy water into another similar bottle, cleaned and recycled the now empty bottle. 

    Moved some other items off the sink into a cabinet.

    I  threw out a small half-full jar of ancient Herbalife brand  skin moisturizing lotion I will probably never use.

    When looking for a filter for a vacuum cleaner in a bedroom, came across a stack of magazines. Found 4 big ones that were easy to part with. Put them in the recycle bag.



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 03, 2022, 05:28:30 PM
    Gave away more stuff on Buy Nothing, and sold three shirts on eBay. Junk out, money in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 04, 2022, 10:53:23 AM
    Clutter blindness.  There was an old pump bottle of liquid soap on the sink, with a quarter inch of soapy water in the bottom.  It has been there forever. Finally noticed it. Dumped the soapy water into another similar bottle, cleaned and recycled the now empty bottle. 

    Moved some other items off the sink into a cabinet.

    I  threw out a small half-full jar of ancient Herbalife brand  skin moisturizing lotion I will probably never use.

    When looking for a filter for a vacuum cleaner in a bedroom, came across a stack of magazines. Found 4 big ones that were easy to part with. Put them in the recycle bag.





    Here's a cure I've found for clutter blindness:  pick an area, big or small.  Remove all items from that area.  Clean thoroughly.  Put back only the items you want to keep.  This forces you to notice and decide on each single thing, so nothing is missed.  Works like a charm!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on July 04, 2022, 04:30:17 PM
    I've got 3 bags full of clothes, shoes, and other miscellaneous items for the thrift store. But still way too much clutter...I need to work on preventing new clutter as I address the current clutter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 04, 2022, 05:13:43 PM
    Gave away 30+ items on Buy Nothing today. I deal with anxiety by cooking & cleaning/organizing. I had a stressful couple of days, so I did all of the cooking, and all of the decluttering. Make hay while the sun shines, and all that.

    Also listed my son's ant habitat on Facebook Marketplace, with the shipping option. I've never done that before, and it sold in less than an hour. Definitely had the price too low, but will get that mailed out tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 05, 2022, 08:26:42 AM
    Clutter blindness.  There was an old pump bottle of liquid soap on the sink, with a quarter inch of soapy water in the bottom.  It has been there forever. Finally noticed it. Dumped the soapy water into another similar bottle, cleaned and recycled the now empty bottle. 

    Moved some other items off the sink into a cabinet.

    I  threw out a small half-full jar of ancient Herbalife brand  skin moisturizing lotion I will probably never use.

    When looking for a filter for a vacuum cleaner in a bedroom, came across a stack of magazines. Found 4 big ones that were easy to part with. Put them in the recycle bag.





    Here's a cure I've found for clutter blindness:  pick an area, big or small.  Remove all items from that area.  Clean thoroughly.  Put back only the items you want to keep.  This forces you to notice and decide on each single thing, so nothing is missed.  Works like a charm!

    What I have noticed is that I will eye an area, and remember that I already decluttered it last year, so why bother again? But if I do declutter it again, I sometimes end up getting rid of some more stuff anyway, since something in my psyche has changed since last year, or I really do not need the things any more, for whatever reason. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 05, 2022, 08:35:31 AM
    Clutter blindness.  There was an old pump bottle of liquid soap on the sink, with a quarter inch of soapy water in the bottom.  It has been there forever. Finally noticed it. Dumped the soapy water into another similar bottle, cleaned and recycled the now empty bottle. 

    Moved some other items off the sink into a cabinet.

    I  threw out a small half-full jar of ancient Herbalife brand  skin moisturizing lotion I will probably never use.

    When looking for a filter for a vacuum cleaner in a bedroom, came across a stack of magazines. Found 4 big ones that were easy to part with. Put them in the recycle bag.





    Here's a cure I've found for clutter blindness:  pick an area, big or small.  Remove all items from that area.  Clean thoroughly.  Put back only the items you want to keep.  This forces you to notice and decide on each single thing, so nothing is missed.  Works like a charm!

    What I have noticed is that I will eye an area, and remember that I already decluttered it last year, so why bother again? But if I do declutter it again, I sometimes end up getting rid of some more stuff anyway, since something in my psyche has changed since last year, or I really do not need the things any more, for whatever reason.

    There's also an emotional thing that happens sometimes: if it's hard to get rid of stuff for whatever reason, and you do get rid of something and then everything is ok, then it makes it easier next time to get rid of more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 06, 2022, 01:55:54 AM
    Council clean-up completed. A pile of miscellaneous stuff that was really landfill, but would have been hard to fit into the weekly rubbish collection. And various scrap metal objects. I also put out second child's old bicycle with a free sign on it and someone picked it up. I put it out last Clean-up and no-one took it and neither did the council collectors. I assume it looked too good to take. Encouraged by this I put my bike out too. I haven't ridden it in a decade or so and aren't likely to. If I ride a bike again I will almost certainly get an e-bike. It was a bit of a wrench to get rid of it, but both of them were just deteriorating in the shed...better someone get some use out of them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on July 06, 2022, 11:04:30 AM
    There's also an emotional thing that happens sometimes: if it's hard to get rid of stuff for whatever reason, and you do get rid of something and then everything is ok, then it makes it easier next time to get rid of more.

    I really struggle with the emotional angle and the worry that I will need stuff in the future. The truth is that there have been times that I missed something I previously donated. But what I try to remind myself now is that even if I miss an item and wish I could use it now, would it really have been worth storing it and moving it and keeping track of it? The answer to that is usually no!

    Another thing I remind myself is that sometimes even when I keep an item, I can't always find it when I need it! So that helps me let go of things, too. I am still a work in progress, though...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 06, 2022, 11:40:34 AM
    There's also an emotional thing that happens sometimes: if it's hard to get rid of stuff for whatever reason, and you do get rid of something and then everything is ok, then it makes it easier next time to get rid of more.

    I really struggle with the emotional angle and the worry that I will need stuff in the future. The truth is that there have been times that I missed something I previously donated. But what I try to remind myself now is that even if I miss an item and wish I could use it now, would it really have been worth storing it and moving it and keeping track of it? The answer to that is usually no!

    Another thing I remind myself is that sometimes even when I keep an item, I can't always find it when I need it! So that helps me let go of things, too. I am still a work in progress, though...

    I have gotten rid of tons of stuff in the past few years, and have truly regretted parting with only one thing.  It's the only thing I occasionally think of and wish I still had (a vintage laundry hamper).  But if I had to keep all the other things in order to have kept that one item, it would not have been worth it.  Plus, the more I get rid of and the more I see that I never need or miss the vast majority of the stuff, the easier it is to continue parting with things.  I'm soldiering on because there's still more.

    The basement and a spare room are the last bastions of clutter, so I'm working on those now.  I realized how much useless stuff I have downstairs last night, when I was frantically searching for a baby bunny that had somehow gotten in, and thinking how many fewer hiding places there would have been had I tackled this area sooner!  Happy ending - bunny found his way out with the help of a broom.  And now that the basement is topsy-turvy anyway, I might as well continue.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 06, 2022, 11:45:45 AM
    I have been wanting to get back to work on the clutter but with elder parent downsizing twice in the last 9 months, I just have to throw up my hands.

    I have decided for the rest of the summer I shall not worry about clutter (apart from preventing any more clutter to enter the house) and renew my resolve to tackle it in the fall once both of my offspring have gone off to university residence.  I shall sort through things uninterrupted by teenager opinions and hopefully they both take a whole bunch of stuff with them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 06, 2022, 01:22:44 PM
    There's also an emotional thing that happens sometimes: if it's hard to get rid of stuff for whatever reason, and you do get rid of something and then everything is ok, then it makes it easier next time to get rid of more.

    I really struggle with the emotional angle and the worry that I will need stuff in the future. The truth is that there have been times that I missed something I previously donated. But what I try to remind myself now is that even if I miss an item and wish I could use it now, would it really have been worth storing it and moving it and keeping track of it? The answer to that is usually no!

    Another thing I remind myself is that sometimes even when I keep an item, I can't always find it when I need it! So that helps me let go of things, too. I am still a work in progress, though...

    I have gotten rid of tons of stuff in the past few years, and have truly regretted parting with only one thing.  It's the only thing I occasionally think of and wish I still had (a vintage laundry hamper).  But if I had to keep all the other things in order to have kept that one item, it would not have been worth it.  Plus, the more I get rid of and the more I see that I never need or miss the vast majority of the stuff, the easier it is to continue parting with things.  I'm soldiering on because there's still more.

    The basement and a spare room are the last bastions of clutter, so I'm working on those now.  I realized how much useless stuff I have downstairs last night, when I was frantically searching for a baby bunny that had somehow gotten in, and thinking how many fewer hiding places there would have been had I tackled this area sooner!  Happy ending - bunny found his way out with the help of a broom.  And now that the basement is topsy-turvy anyway, I might as well continue.

    The biggest example I have of "should not have gotten rid of it" wasn't even my stuff! My mom, in her anxiety/depression/whatever the hell is going on with her brain, latched onto my dad's tools as "must get rid of". Dad isn't strong enough anymore to stand up to her when she gets going, and I was distracted and didn't go back through what dad didn't pack up. I should have. We have needed some of those tools since. Nothing is a huge deal, but it clearly bothers dad, and mom is completely oblivious to the extent of her fuck up, and also to the consequences of her not being aware of her fuck up.

    Of my stuff, of course there's some things that I've gotten rid of and regretted it later. But it wasn't a disaster. And that's the key.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 07, 2022, 08:38:55 AM
    I sometimes think back fondly on items I've gotten rid of, but have not truly regretted anything. And, love the freedom it opens up in my house, closet, drawers, you name it. I also love thinking about someone else actually getting use out of the item, instead of it just wasting space at my house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on July 07, 2022, 10:01:32 AM
    I also love thinking about someone else actually getting use out of the item, instead of it just wasting space at my house.

    This is really a beautiful sentiment, and I will add it to my mental toolbox of ways to not regret letting things go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 07, 2022, 06:01:23 PM
    SIL mentioned she loved some of the copious swag I got from work. I asked her if she wanted certain items and she said yes! I made her a little gift bag of swag I was given on my first day that felt awkward to refuse. She actually wants it, it's out of my house, and HR isn't offended. Now to remember to give it to her and not drive it around for 6 months...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on July 07, 2022, 06:14:19 PM
    When we met, we each owned a home. Now, we live together on a sailboat and this time we don't even have a storage locker. We have only actually regretted getting rid of one thing in all that downsizing, but we didn't even know what it was when we threw it out. Now we know, but no one makes it, so we can't get a replacement.

    Plus, if we really need something,  we can replace it when that need arrives. In our most recent clearing, there have been a few instances of me getting rid of old varnishes or other substances and DH deciding he wants to do that particular project almost immediately.  Oh well, those projects will be done with fresh stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 07, 2022, 08:30:16 PM
    I've been decluttering for years, and honestly, I can't recall regretting anything I tossed. If there ever was, I have forgotten! Mainly I regret keeping things. There are often things that should go out, but I hold onto them, only to get rid of them next time around. Whilst this is good as its better to get rid of excess, no matter how you do it, I often wonder why I didn't just let it go the first time.  It would have been a lot quicker, doh!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 09, 2022, 11:03:54 AM
    I've been decluttering for years, and honestly, I can't recall regretting anything I tossed. If there ever was, I have forgotten! Mainly I regret keeping things. There are often things that should go out, but I hold onto them, only to get rid of them next time around. Whilst this is good as its better to get rid of excess, no matter how you do it, I often wonder why I didn't just let it go the first time.  It would have been a lot quicker, doh!

    It takes me a few rounds sometimes because I was instilled with a strong sense of "you might need that someday" by my Dad who grew up during the Depression. They never threw out anything.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 09, 2022, 03:27:38 PM
    So far, I think there has been one bag that I regret giving away but that’s it.

    Yesterday I got around to trying some books I picked up from free libraries and decided I wasn’t going to read any of them so that’s five books out of the house.

    The other thing I have been trying is to change over to ‘one-out one-in’ — I buy a replacement once something is all used up, instead of being in the cycle of buying something new and then discarding the old.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 09, 2022, 04:30:03 PM
    I've been decluttering for years, and honestly, I can't recall regretting anything I tossed. If there ever was, I have forgotten! Mainly I regret keeping things. There are often things that should go out, but I hold onto them, only to get rid of them next time around. Whilst this is good as its better to get rid of excess, no matter how you do it, I often wonder why I didn't just let it go the first time.  It would have been a lot quicker, doh!

    It takes me a few rounds sometimes because I was instilled with a strong sense of "you might need that someday" by my Dad who grew up during the Depression. They never threw out anything.
    My parents were children of the Depression also. They kept everything and apart from "you might need it someday" there was "that's still good".
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: stashgrower on July 10, 2022, 04:01:46 AM
    oh yeah, no regrets about stuff I've given away! I like that reminder.

    To-go pile: 3 kitchen things, bedding set.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 10, 2022, 11:19:15 PM
    After a bit of a hiatus, I had a bonanza.

    One product (used once but didn't work out) to Walking Friend

    One product (used a few times but didn't work out) split between two friends

    One product (used once but didn't work out) promised to Friend I Will See Next Weekend

    The medicine cabinet is looking more roomy!

    Three articles of clothing to a friend who was happy to wear, but also happy to help me get them to the thrift store if they don't work for her, super bonus!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 11, 2022, 08:06:36 AM
    I have regretted donating some stuff, but I can't remember what, ha ha. So it's OK.

    Today, I thought I was going to be able to throw out a used vacuum cleaner bag, since I had dumped the contents out, reinstalled it, and the suction was still too low.

    Lo and behold, it turned out to be a clog in the suction hose, so I just cleaned out the hose, and all is well again, even reusing the old bag. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GardenBaker on July 11, 2022, 12:36:16 PM
    Went through and tossed a bunch of really old and expired cosmetics. I'd been saving samples of mascara and things for travel and they have dried up; such a waste. I threw out things like foundations, powders, liners, eye shadows, lip gloss, chapstick, etc., that were old, expired, dried up and no longer serving me. It's a relief to free up some drawer space and a lesson learned to stop "saving the good things" for another day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 11, 2022, 02:23:33 PM
    I have regretted donating some stuff, but I can't remember what, ha ha. So it's OK.

    Every once in a while, I wish I hadn't gotten rid of my childhood favorite stuffed bear, Squeakers. But that feeling passes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 11, 2022, 05:34:29 PM
    I had bought a package of backing foam roll a while ago, used a small amount, and stashed the rest in the tool cupboard. Today, dad came by to ask if I had any before he bought it. One small package out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on July 12, 2022, 07:55:39 AM
    Wanted to take a moment to send some encouragement to everyone just starting this process.  It's easy to feel overwhelmed, but in my experience, the best method is:
    - whatever works for you
    - keep doing it.
    It can seem overwhelming when you read about those people quickly decluttering entire rooms, closets, garages, etc. but for long-term success the key will be Persistence.  Unless you're under a time crunch like a family home cleanout and sale, you can go at your own pace as long as you keep going forward.

    Yesterday I dropped off 3 items at the Goodwill.  It's not a lot, but I do it consistently because it's now a habit to let go of things I don't need.  It not only clears out physical space but also the mental irritation of thinking "I should do something about this stuff" every time you have to look at it.
    Good luck to everyone. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: shadowmoss on July 12, 2022, 08:04:10 AM
    My Mom died in February.  I cleared out and sold the 5th Wheel RV she was living in, with the help of my 2 Aunts, and did so by stashing anything I didn't know for sure was trash on top of my already stuffed storage units.  At this point I am going through her papers.  I'm doing it one folder at a time.  I have a large shredder and I work until I get overwhelmed.  I'm doing about 2 folders a week.  It is slow, but I do see progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 12, 2022, 03:54:23 PM
    I've been keeping a bag for donations by the door and when it gets full, off it goes. Yesterday it was a handbag, a book, a pair of trousers, a hat and a jacket.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 12, 2022, 06:32:25 PM
    I had bought a package of backing foam roll a while ago, used a small amount, and stashed the rest in the tool cupboard. Today, dad came by to ask if I had any before he bought it. One small package out of the house!


     Excellent! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 12, 2022, 07:38:05 PM
    It's easy to feel overwhelmed, but in my experience, the best method is:
    - whatever works for you
    - keep doing it.
    ...for long-term success the key will be Persistence...you can go at your own pace as long as you keep going forward.

    So true! I will add that you are never really done. The possessions that serve you now may not do so in a year or a decade. And in the mean time, new things will creep in. Vigilence!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 13, 2022, 07:37:20 AM
    Wanted to take a moment to send some encouragement to everyone just starting this process.  It's easy to feel overwhelmed, but in my experience, the best method is:
    - whatever works for you
    - keep doing it.
    It can seem overwhelming when you read about those people quickly decluttering entire rooms, closets, garages, etc. but for long-term success the key will be Persistence.  Unless you're under a time crunch like a family home cleanout and sale, you can go at your own pace as long as you keep going forward.

    Yesterday I dropped off 3 items at the Goodwill.  It's not a lot, but I do it consistently because it's now a habit to let go of things I don't need.  It not only clears out physical space but also the mental irritation of thinking "I should do something about this stuff" every time you have to look at it.
    Good luck to everyone.

    Yes, persistence!  I have so much stuff to get rid of, one way or another, it does feel like a lifetime project. I keep donating, selling, recycling, tossing, a few things at a time. And I almost never take any new 'future clutter'  into the house. So I know stuff is continually going out, and not in.  Slow and steady wins the race.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 13, 2022, 08:15:25 AM
    After going on vacation this past week and seeing in photos how poorly they fit, I unencumbered myself of 3 tshirts.  Then I donated a wedge pillow and a large knickknack to my local thrift shop.  I went early before they opened so I could avoid going inside. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 13, 2022, 10:58:32 AM
    10 more books to the RV park library, a few dozen VHS tapes to the thrift store, as well as a bag-o-junk from my dad's garage.

    However, I did buy 2 vertical bookcases off Kijiji, but they will replace a horizontal one, which I'll sell.  More storage and less floor space taken up, so still kind of a win.

    Also got rid of a big box of branches that my trees keep shedding, but unfortunately, there will be more in short order.  I'm going to declutter an entire tree in fall, though!  It's not one of the shedders, but is more than half dead, so at least it won't be an eyesore anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 13, 2022, 06:53:31 PM
    Went through my teen son's room while listening to a (recorded) course I'm taking. This is like my 3rd or 4th run through his room this summer, mostly because it's so incredibly messy. Got rid of another few bags of stuff. A bunch to recycling, some to Buy Nothing, and organized other things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 13, 2022, 08:10:34 PM
    Decluttered the task of installing my new smoke detector. It's been sitting on the kitchen counter for maybe a month. I finally took down the old mounting bracket and installed the new one. It took all of fifteen minutes, including vacuuming up the dust from drilling the holes. Then I vacuumed the base boards and air intake vents. In total, I threw away the old mounting bracket, packaging, and old paint-crusted screws; recycled the instructions; and disposed of a lot of dog hair from the baseboards.
    The important part is I got the task off my mental to-do list and the smoke detector parts off the counter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on July 13, 2022, 08:11:39 PM
    Donated a bag with some books and clothes that I don't love anymore.  I'm working at realizing that just because something is still 'good', it doesn't mean I have to keep it.   It can be good for someone else instead.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on July 14, 2022, 08:36:10 AM
    I sold the leftover remnants from our kitchen slab last weekend! They had been posted for months on CL and Offer Up,  with just a few nibbles. Finally, a lady came and wanted the whole set, one of which was huge and heavy. Not only are they no longer on the side of the house, but I didn't have to figure out a way to transport them to a local fabricator reseller (which was plan B).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 14, 2022, 09:22:07 AM
    Some microdecluttering. Went through a box of old gift cards, called up the 800 numbers to see what, if any, money remains on them. Was able to recycle some cardboard and paper, and threw out one used up card.

    I have $3.17 left on a Walmart card. Must use it and then jettison it!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 14, 2022, 10:47:36 AM
    Wanted to take a moment to send some encouragement to everyone just starting this process.  It's easy to feel overwhelmed, but in my experience, the best method is:
    - whatever works for you
    - keep doing it.
    It can seem overwhelming when you read about those people quickly decluttering entire rooms, closets, garages, etc. but for long-term success the key will be Persistence.  Unless you're under a time crunch like a family home cleanout and sale, you can go at your own pace as long as you keep going forward.

    Yesterday I dropped off 3 items at the Goodwill.  It's not a lot, but I do it consistently because it's now a habit to let go of things I don't need.  It not only clears out physical space but also the mental irritation of thinking "I should do something about this stuff" every time you have to look at it.
    Good luck to everyone.

    Yes, persistence!  I have so much stuff to get rid of, one way or another, it does feel like a lifetime project. I keep donating, selling, recycling, tossing, a few things at a time. And I almost never take any new 'future clutter'  into the house. So I know stuff is continually going out, and not in.  Slow and steady wins the race.   

    Persistence does matter, but also there's times where there is just a massive purge all at once. You can be dropping off a bag or a box every couple weeks for years, but then circumstances change and you're suddenly getting rid of a truck load daily for 3 weeks, but then it goes back down to the box or bag level.

    Sometimes the shock of a huge declutter absolutely helps. Sometimes the shock isn't helpful in the short term but it's worth managing it because it makes the long term so much better. Moving and deaths are the most common triggers for the big blitz declutters, because it's basically required at those times. If you get into a situation where someone has died, but the stuff hasn't been dealt with, then you can't really heal and move forward. Taking years to clear the possessions of a deceased loved one really isn't emotionally healthy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 14, 2022, 11:15:39 AM
    I go through phases, but have remained persistent for about 10 years. We've moved twice, and the first move was the huge shock to the system. By the second move, we had much less stuff.

    I go through all of our stuff as regularly as possible, but it goes in waves. Right now I'm in a peak, because I'm taking an online leadership course, which requires a lot of listening. That time is great to go in a room, crank up the course volume, and declutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 14, 2022, 12:26:20 PM
    I go through phases, but have remained persistent for about 10 years. We've moved twice, and the first move was the huge shock to the system. By the second move, we had much less stuff.

    I go through all of our stuff as regularly as possible, but it goes in waves. Right now I'm in a peak, because I'm taking an online leadership course, which requires a lot of listening. That time is great to go in a room, crank up the course volume, and declutter.

    Exactly. And right now, I'm in a lull. Yeah, some stuff is going out, but it's not much. Mostly just trying to declutter the to-do list!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 17, 2022, 10:07:45 AM
    Finally opened up a big flat rectangular box with a picture inside, that has been leaning against the wall forever.

    Assembled the picture in the frame (looks nice) and put the box and bubble wrap in basement for future recycling. I was tempted to keep the empty box for "whatever"  but it feels more right to recycle it than keep it. So no anxiety there, ha ha.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 17, 2022, 10:15:09 AM
    I've been decluttering for a while now in anticipation of a move.  The movers come tomorrow, I have been packing all week, and I have taken out so much garbage and recycling already!  Where was it all hiding?

    I can see a few places where I failed at one in - one out, but mostly it has been stuff that was "OK" but not worth moving.

    I am OK with the duplicates where they are useful - i.e. cleaners in each bathroom so I am not carrying them from room to room, I can clean one bathroom when I am in it without going to the other for supplies.  But somehow I have a lot of laundry detergent - I have been working on using it up and not buying more for over a year, and I still have enough for another year at least.

    My shopping habits were developed when I lived in a house in the country, and shopping was a pain.  Apartment living is different, obviously I have not fully adjusted.  40 years of habits are hard to change.    ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on July 17, 2022, 10:35:18 AM
    I've been decluttering for a while now in anticipation of a move.  The movers come tomorrow, I have been packing all week, and I have taken out so much garbage and recycling already!  Where was it all hiding?

    I can see a few places where I failed at one in - one out, but mostly it has been stuff that was "OK" but not worth moving.

    I am OK with the duplicates where they are useful - i.e. cleaners in each bathroom so I am not carrying them from room to room, I can clean one bathroom when I am in it without going to the other for supplies.  But somehow I have a lot of laundry detergent - I have been working on using it up and not buying more for over a year, and I still have enough for another year at least.

    My shopping habits were developed when I lived in a house in the country, and shopping was a pain.  Apartment living is different, obviously I have not fully adjusted.  40 years of habits are hard to change.    ;-)

    We recently moved from a 1100sqft condo, with a two car garage to everything in our boat, dock box or car. We had been buying DH's cereal at Costco, so that takes up an entire cupboard on the boat...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 17, 2022, 10:47:50 AM
    I've been decluttering for a while now in anticipation of a move.  The movers come tomorrow, I have been packing all week, and I have taken out so much garbage and recycling already!  Where was it all hiding?

    I can see a few places where I failed at one in - one out, but mostly it has been stuff that was "OK" but not worth moving.

    I am OK with the duplicates where they are useful - i.e. cleaners in each bathroom so I am not carrying them from room to room, I can clean one bathroom when I am in it without going to the other for supplies.  But somehow I have a lot of laundry detergent - I have been working on using it up and not buying more for over a year, and I still have enough for another year at least.

    My shopping habits were developed when I lived in a house in the country, and shopping was a pain.  Apartment living is different, obviously I have not fully adjusted.  40 years of habits are hard to change.    ;-)

    We recently moved from a 1100sqft condo, with a two car garage to everything in our boat, dock box or car. We had been buying DH's cereal at Costco, so that takes up an entire cupboard on the boat...

    Oooh, that is major downsizing.  I hope your DH really loves his cereal, because that is a major space sacrifice!

    I stopped doing much shopping at Costco a while ago, in anticipation of the move.  Plus I have been eating out of the freezer and pantry as much as I could.  They are probably my least problematic area.  But the canning jars that used to be full and are now empty still need to get moved.

    I love my plants, but they can't go in the moving van, they would get cooked.  Somehow I have to get plants and cat and her stuff and electronics that should not go in the van all in my car.  I have also been giving away plants like mad.  Anyone in Ottawa want a large (and I do mean large) Norfolk Island Pine?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 17, 2022, 11:49:21 AM
    I've been decluttering for a while now in anticipation of a move.  The movers come tomorrow, I have been packing all week, and I have taken out so much garbage and recycling already!  Where was it all hiding?

    I can see a few places where I failed at one in - one out, but mostly it has been stuff that was "OK" but not worth moving.

    I am OK with the duplicates where they are useful - i.e. cleaners in each bathroom so I am not carrying them from room to room, I can clean one bathroom when I am in it without going to the other for supplies.  But somehow I have a lot of laundry detergent - I have been working on using it up and not buying more for over a year, and I still have enough for another year at least.

    My shopping habits were developed when I lived in a house in the country, and shopping was a pain.  Apartment living is different, obviously I have not fully adjusted.  40 years of habits are hard to change.    ;-)

    We recently moved from a 1100sqft condo, with a two car garage to everything in our boat, dock box or car. We had been buying DH's cereal at Costco, so that takes up an entire cupboard on the boat...

    Oooh, that is major downsizing.  I hope your DH really loves his cereal, because that is a major space sacrifice!

    I stopped doing much shopping at Costco a while ago, in anticipation of the move.  Plus I have been eating out of the freezer and pantry as much as I could.  They are probably my least problematic area.  But the canning jars that used to be full and are now empty still need to get moved.

    I love my plants, but they can't go in the moving van, they would get cooked.  Somehow I have to get plants and cat and her stuff and electronics that should not go in the van all in my car.  I have also been giving away plants like mad.  Anyone in Ottawa want a large (and I do mean large) Norfolk Island Pine?

    Put the plants on fb marketplace/buy nothing/etc. Only keep the ones you absolutely can't part with.

    Also, electronics absolutely can go on the truck, you just have to pack them right. How do you think they got to the store for you to buy? Get a box for the monitor/tv. I keep towers/laptops with me, because of the data. Tablets could go either way, depends what you have on them. Printers, scanners, dvds, etc just box up. Parents had an entire box that was labeled electronics, full of cords, phones, the power strips, mice, clocks, etc. That box was both easy and hard to unpack, but the fact that it was all together was easier. There was a bag of batteries, each put into a baggie and labeled where it came from that had to go in the car, the moving company didn't want it in the truck.

    Cat stuff - gets split. What you need immediately for the cat goes in the car. The rest, put in a box labeled cat stuff so you can find it easily.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 17, 2022, 12:29:08 PM
    Put the plants on fb marketplace/buy nothing/etc. Only keep the ones you absolutely can't part with.

    Also, electronics absolutely can go on the truck, you just have to pack them right. How do you think they got to the store for you to buy? Get a box for the monitor/tv. I keep towers/laptops with me, because of the data. Tablets could go either way, depends what you have on them. Printers, scanners, dvds, etc just box up. Parents had an entire box that was labeled electronics, full of cords, phones, the power strips, mice, clocks, etc. That box was both easy and hard to unpack, but the fact that it was all together was easier. There was a bag of batteries, each put into a baggie and labeled where it came from that had to go in the car, the moving company didn't want it in the truck.

    Cat stuff - gets split. What you need immediately for the cat goes in the car. The rest, put in a box labeled cat stuff so you can find it easily.

    Plants - anything I can part with is already gone.  Only the keepers are getting moved.  Things like the 2 pots of dwarf date palms that I started from seed.  I'm not going to find date palms at the local nursery.   ;-)

    Electronics - basically my laptops (which would go with me anyway, not on the van), wireless phones and batteries - I have no idea how hot the truck will get, but I don't want anything with batteries in it.  Printer, chargers etc. will be packed.  For sure I am not wasting car space on cords and things.

    And cat stuff - basically what will make her happy the first night - so kitty litter and tray (of course), some food and bowls (again of course), favourite pillow and toys.  Her cat tower and general stuff will go in the van.

    The car also gets my stuff for the first night.  And food that needs refrigeration.


    Seriously I have thought all this out in excruciating detail.  Anything that can go in the van will go in the van.  The car is for things that absolutely can't go in the van.  And part of the "can't go in the van" is that it is going to be a 6 hour or more drive on a hot day, so I am being careful about the van's interior temperature.  When I moved from last house to here, it was also summer, but at most an hour and a half drive, so not nearly as much worry about interior van temps.  There is some rain in the forecast, so it won't be as bad as it could be, but still too hot.

    I am paying a small fortune for this move, I want that van stuffed full!!!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 17, 2022, 12:38:38 PM
    Made a final run through my 15 y.o's room with him. We figured out a closet solution, unpacked, washed, hung & organized all of his clothes from camp. Went through all of his clothes & tossed what doesn't fit. Found a stack of clothes for Buy Nothing (already listed), one item for eBay (listed) & two PE uniforms, that another mom is super excited to get & picking up shortly. Woohoo. Progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 17, 2022, 01:56:14 PM
    Put the plants on fb marketplace/buy nothing/etc. Only keep the ones you absolutely can't part with.

    Also, electronics absolutely can go on the truck, you just have to pack them right. How do you think they got to the store for you to buy? Get a box for the monitor/tv. I keep towers/laptops with me, because of the data. Tablets could go either way, depends what you have on them. Printers, scanners, dvds, etc just box up. Parents had an entire box that was labeled electronics, full of cords, phones, the power strips, mice, clocks, etc. That box was both easy and hard to unpack, but the fact that it was all together was easier. There was a bag of batteries, each put into a baggie and labeled where it came from that had to go in the car, the moving company didn't want it in the truck.

    Cat stuff - gets split. What you need immediately for the cat goes in the car. The rest, put in a box labeled cat stuff so you can find it easily.

    Plants - anything I can part with is already gone.  Only the keepers are getting moved.  Things like the 2 pots of dwarf date palms that I started from seed.  I'm not going to find date palms at the local nursery.   ;-)

    Electronics - basically my laptops (which would go with me anyway, not on the van), wireless phones and batteries - I have no idea how hot the truck will get, but I don't want anything with batteries in it.  Printer, chargers etc. will be packed.  For sure I am not wasting car space on cords and things.

    And cat stuff - basically what will make her happy the first night - so kitty litter and tray (of course), some food and bowls (again of course), favourite pillow and toys.  Her cat tower and general stuff will go in the van.

    The car also gets my stuff for the first night.  And food that needs refrigeration.


    Seriously I have thought all this out in excruciating detail.  Anything that can go in the van will go in the van.  The car is for things that absolutely can't go in the van.  And part of the "can't go in the van" is that it is going to be a 6 hour or more drive on a hot day, so I am being careful about the van's interior temperature.  When I moved from last house to here, it was also summer, but at most an hour and a half drive, so not nearly as much worry about interior van temps.  There is some rain in the forecast, so it won't be as bad as it could be, but still too hot.

    I am paying a small fortune for this move, I want that van stuffed full!!!

    Can you remove the batteries from the phones? All of the ones I've seen you can, but that may not be case universally. Then only the batteries need to go in the car and they're a lot smaller. Car space is precious.

    Why are you taking fridge food? Medications, yes. Snacks for the road, ok. The rest of it? Last in the car, first in the trash.

    And yes, I believe you that it's planned out. A double check from someone else still helps.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 17, 2022, 06:18:57 PM
    Phones are wireless, batteries not accessible, don't take up much space.  I am not taking much food since I have to come back twice more, it will get eaten or thrown out the last day here.  But I don't want to have to grocery shop until Wednesday, it isn't fair to the cat to leave her alone in the new place when she will be disoriented and groggy (she gets her gabapentin both tomorrow morning and Tuesday morning).

    So car is cat, essential cat stuff, the big plants that the moving crew can carry to the car, smaller plants as there is space, my laptops, my carry-on suitcase, some food for lunch on the road and 2 days worth of meals.  Oh and me.  ;-)

    I won't bother taking the plants up tomorrow night, since the plant stand will be in the van. I'll get the crew to take them up.  My back has worked hard enough.

    But yes, if anyone has last-minute tips that's fine, I have probably thought of them, I have moved so much recently,  but if I haven't it is good to have new ideas.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 18, 2022, 03:55:51 PM
    I'm on a one day decluttering high.  I sold 3000 sheets of cardstock (thick hard paper) on Facebook Marketplace. 

    So easy. Just pack it up in bags and out it goes to happy new user.  About 3 cubic feet, and at least 10 pounds.    Got $30. 

    Clutter out, cash in! Woohoo !   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on July 18, 2022, 05:19:37 PM
    I'm on a one day decluttering high.  I sold 3000 sheets of cardstock (thick hard paper) on Facebook Marketplace. 

    So easy. Just pack it up in bags and out it goes to happy new user.  About 3 cubic feet, and at least 10 pounds.    Got $30. 

    Clutter out, cash in! Woohoo !

    That's great! I have also had success selling on FB Marketplace.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 18, 2022, 05:36:15 PM
    Nice one Slackmax! Keep it going!

    My tiny declutter was two more books that we are never going to read out to the street library (from whence they came). The other thing that has been really helping my general sense of order has been changing to cash-only grocery shopping by bike. It restricts the amount that I can buy at any one time so I've been buying things once they run out instead of in anticipation. The kitchen just feels *less stressful* - mostly because there's less clutter and less need to use things up before they go off.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 18, 2022, 06:49:41 PM
    Tiny declutter. Three books to the little free library, two brought home. One will be mailed to a friend after I finish it, the other will be returned to the little library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GardenBaker on July 20, 2022, 08:19:30 AM
    Took 1 book, 3 pairs of shoes, 1 cardigan, 1 pair of jeans and 4 shirts to the donation bin in town. Also used up one bottle of hair product that's been taking up room in a drawer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: CrustyBadger on July 20, 2022, 02:31:06 PM
    Some microdecluttering. Went through a box of old gift cards, called up the 800 numbers to see what, if any, money remains on them. Was able to recycle some cardboard and paper, and threw out one used up card.

    I love that term, micro-decluttering!

    It is so rewarding to have already decluttered an area a while ago, and then go back for smaller sized jobs.

    I'm a teacher and not working this summer, but for family health reasons we aren't able to travel or vacation.  I spent a good bit of these first three "summer vacation" weeks doing major and minor decluttering.   Now I'm spent!  But enjoying some micro-decluttering.

    Today's small task was to gather all old electronics and various charging bricks and cords.   I checked if they all still worked, and am now sorting out recycling/donating/safe disposal and storage of usable extras.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 21, 2022, 08:55:33 AM
    Some microdecluttering. Went through a box of old gift cards, called up the 800 numbers to see what, if any, money remains on them. Was able to recycle some cardboard and paper, and threw out one used up card.

    I love that term, micro-decluttering!



    Thanks, CrustyBadger !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MoneyTree on July 21, 2022, 10:00:46 AM
    Loaded up a few shopping bags worth of old clothes from my daughter's closet. Kids clothes are such a constant source of clutter because they grow out of them so fast. will feel really good to get them out of the house and over to the donation bin
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on July 21, 2022, 12:26:23 PM
    Loaded up a few shopping bags worth of old clothes from my daughter's closet. Kids clothes are such a constant source of clutter because they grow out of them so fast. will feel really good to get them out of the house and over to the donation bin

    Truth. What helps is finding a family (could be cousins, could be neighbors, etc.) that has a kiddo or two that are a year or two younger than yours - they can 'shop' your closet once the kiddos outgrow things and then you can take what they don't take to the donation bin. This puts a time frame on getting the outgrown clothes out the door, as you don't want to miss the window for passing those things along. (My youngest is exactly a year older than his cousin, so as soon as he outgrows something I FT my sister to see if she wants it. If not, it's posted on my local Buy Nothing group and, if I don't have a taker in a week, tossed in a bag for the donation bin.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 21, 2022, 02:12:41 PM
    One rule that helped me when I was decluttering and felt overwhelmed:

    "Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect.  It just has to be better."
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 22, 2022, 01:36:22 PM
    Loaded up a few shopping bags worth of old clothes from my daughter's closet. Kids clothes are such a constant source of clutter because they grow out of them so fast. will feel really good to get them out of the house and over to the donation bin

    Truth. What helps is finding a family (could be cousins, could be neighbors, etc.) that has a kiddo or two that are a year or two younger than yours - they can 'shop' your closet once the kiddos outgrow things and then you can take what they don't take to the donation bin. This puts a time frame on getting the outgrown clothes out the door, as you don't want to miss the window for passing those things along. (My youngest is exactly a year older than his cousin, so as soon as he outgrows something I FT my sister to see if she wants it. If not, it's posted on my local Buy Nothing group and, if I don't have a taker in a week, tossed in a bag for the donation bin.)

    My kids are teens, so they are mostly slowed down on the growth curve, although they each grew 4 inches last year, so ... still needing upsizing.

    My approach is similar. I list everything on Buy Nothing. Whatever isn't taken in a week goes to the donation pile. My sister often gives us hand me downs from my 2 nephews, so that works as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 25, 2022, 07:36:02 AM
    I found an old computer programming instructional binder I was able to part with and removed all the pages and put them out on the curb in the recycling bin. Since that was painless, went back into the stack and found another one and put it out too. Will donate the two empty binders next. Goodwill sells them for $1 each.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 25, 2022, 01:08:03 PM
    Was looking for stuff and discovered some ancient catalogues and other miscellaneous papers, now I have four inches of file space and a full recycling bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on July 25, 2022, 01:24:20 PM
    Our guest cabin on the boat has an extra piece of wood and a cushion that make the bed huge, but the floor just big enough to swing the door. We finally through it out, since we hardly have any guests and most choose the floor space over the extra bed space. It is only about 3 x 2, but not storing it makes such a big difference!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 25, 2022, 07:47:40 PM
    Finally got a trunkful of donations to the charity shop. It feels so good to have an empty trunk!! Clothes, shoes, home goods, stuff I had forgotten because it was in the bottom of the box for so long.

    I gave two books to a visiting friend. Returned a borrowed book to another friend. Returned library books of DP's to him. All the books in my home are ones that I want to keep.

    Got all the clutter in my home put away. An out-of-town friend was able to visit my house with a few hours' notice. I got my bike out of living room, put away the laundry, got all the appliances off the counter, put kids toys away, everything I'd been putting off for weeks got done in less than three hours. It really helps to look at the space with another's eyes and I saw a LOT of stuff out of place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on July 25, 2022, 08:59:57 PM
    Finally got a trunkful of donations to the charity shop. It feels so good to have an empty trunk!! Clothes, shoes, home goods, stuff I had forgotten because it was in the bottom of the box for so long.

    I gave two books to a visiting friend. Returned a borrowed book to another friend. Returned library books of DP's to him. All the books in my home are ones that I want to keep.

    Got all the clutter in my home put away. An out-of-town friend was able to visit my house with a few hours' notice. I got my bike out of living room, put away the laundry, got all the appliances off the counter, put kids toys away, everything I'd been putting off for weeks got done in less than three hours. It really helps to look at the space with another's eyes and I saw a LOT of stuff out of place.

    Wait, where does the bike go if not the living room?? We actually added hardware to secure our bikes at one end of the main seating area.

    We may be decluttering, but our boat holds two folding mountain bikes, one tandem kayak (hobie mirage drive, so it has lots of extra gear, one stand up paddle board, and a small raft. Oh, and two hula hoops :)

    And people try to tell us our boat isn't big enough!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 26, 2022, 04:18:16 PM

    Got all the clutter in my home put away. An out-of-town friend was able to visit my house with a few hours' notice. I got my bike out of living room, put away the laundry, got all the appliances off the counter, put kids toys away, everything I'd been putting off for weeks got done in less than three hours. It really helps to look at the space with another's eyes and I saw a LOT of stuff out of place.

    Wait, where does the bike go if not the living room?? We actually added hardware to secure our bikes at one end of the main seating area.

    We may be decluttering, but our boat holds two folding mountain bikes, one tandem kayak (hobie mirage drive, so it has lots of extra gear, one stand up paddle board, and a small raft. Oh, and two hula hoops :)

    And people try to tell us our boat isn't big enough!

    Well, since I have a garage I thought it best stored out there :) Speaking of garage, that's the next declutter project. As soon as it's not over 100 degrees
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: lifeisshort123 on July 26, 2022, 05:25:17 PM
    I have been going room by room and trying to de clutter.  We have had some extended family items also emerge in our home.  We are trying to go through all of those and decide what we want to keep, what to trash, and what can be donated.

    We are trying to get much less clutter in our home.  Trying to live a “simpler” life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on July 26, 2022, 08:19:28 PM
    I have been going room by room and trying to de clutter.  We have had some extended family items also emerge in our home.  We are trying to go through all of those and decide what we want to keep, what to trash, and what can be donated.

    We are trying to get much less clutter in our home.  Trying to live a “simpler” life.

    Good luck! I have come to realize that “everything in its place” gives me a measure of peace that likely is unreasonable, but I don’t care. A less cluttered home for me is the goal. And the only way to get there is to be ruthless about junk.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on July 27, 2022, 09:19:31 PM
    Today I finished a sewing project I started back in April. As soon as I finished it, I realized I didn't like it and it wasn't going to serve its intended purpose. Straight into the donation bag. The pattern went right into recycling. It was a fail, but it did get me in the mood for other sewing so I'm working through my fabric stash and my sewing area is a glorious mess.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 29, 2022, 08:24:45 AM
    I used up the last $3.24 on my Walmart card that I had found during a painstaking  recent microdecluttering. And therefore was able to throw it out! One less card stretching out my wallet.

    Also, listed a big old cannister vacuum cleaner online, to sell it.  No offers yet. After a while of no offers, I will be emotionally able to just donate the old bulky thing, and free up some more space in the house.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 29, 2022, 09:19:07 PM
    4m scrap metal skip bin here for the week. This weekend's job is fill it up with all the metal crap lying around the place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 30, 2022, 09:09:32 AM
    4m scrap metal skip bin here for the week. This weekend's job is fill it up with all the metal crap lying around the place.

    How do you have enough scrap metal to fill a 4m bin? That's a LOT.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 30, 2022, 05:21:12 PM
    Its a combination of a heap of old pool fencing that we had to replace, misc metal items from  renovations/repairs that we have been stockpiling, plus other bits and pieces the previous owner left stashed here and there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 31, 2022, 11:20:18 AM
    Its a combination of a heap of old pool fencing that we had to replace, misc metal items from  renovations/repairs that we have been stockpiling, plus other bits and pieces the previous owner left stashed here and there.

    Wow. Well, you'll get it all cleared out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 31, 2022, 02:58:03 PM
    Its a combination of a heap of old pool fencing that we had to replace, misc metal items from  renovations/repairs that we have been stockpiling, plus other bits and pieces the previous owner left stashed here and there.

    Wow. Well, you'll get it all cleared out.

    Yes, the pile of stuff is in the skip! I'll do a scout around this week and pick up anything else lying around. I found 2 more sheets of old corrugated iron to put in yesterday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on July 31, 2022, 03:49:28 PM
    I'd been putting off delivering our full donation box, since we moved further away from the Salvation Army we used to use.  Just realized yesterday there is a Green Drop location much closer to us, so we finally dropped it off!  That gives me a good bit more space in the closet.  Next up, mailing a box of books for donation to Open Library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MoneyTree on August 01, 2022, 11:11:38 AM
    old black and white laserjet printer has been sitting around in my office.

    Sold it to my brother-in-law for about 40% of what it would cost new. He gets a great deal on a perfectly functioning printer. I get it out of my house plus a little bit of cash. Win-win.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Hula Hoop on August 02, 2022, 03:19:14 AM
    I haven't read through this whole thread but any tips on dealing with a spouse who refuses to get rid of anything?  And gets upset even when you get rid of things which aren't "his"?  I mainly get rid of stuff when he's not around.  But he gets upset if he realises that I'm trying to get rid of stuff so I'm always careful not to do it too conspicuously.  Lately, I've had my eye on some old broken suitcases, broken IKEA furniture and duplicate/never used kitchen items.  But his idea of "frugal" is never getting rid of anything.  How do you negotiate with a spouse like this? 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on August 02, 2022, 04:17:18 AM
    I haven't read through this whole thread but any tips on dealing with a spouse who refuses to get rid of anything?  And gets upset even when you get rid of things which aren't "his"?  I mainly get rid of stuff when he's not around.  But he gets upset if he realises that I'm trying to get rid of stuff so I'm always careful not to do it too conspicuously.  Lately, I've had my eye on some old broken suitcases, broken IKEA furniture and duplicate/never used kitchen items.  But his idea of "frugal" is never getting rid of anything.  How do you negotiate with a spouse like this?

    When you figure it out, let me know.  It never fails that when I do convince him to get rid of something, he'll need it 2 weeks later. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on August 02, 2022, 05:50:27 AM
    I’m no expert but I think the person keeping things has to confront the reasoning and emotions behind the keeping. What’s the underlying cause.  Keeping things is often a symptom of something else.  Until they want to do that work, then the stuff will keep accumulating. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 02, 2022, 06:58:17 AM
    old black and white laserjet printer has been sitting around in my office.

    Sold it to my brother-in-law for about 40% of what it would cost new. He gets a great deal on a perfectly functioning printer. I get it out of my house plus a little bit of cash. Win-win.

    Big win for you, MoneyTree!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 02, 2022, 07:07:53 AM
    I haven't read through this whole thread but any tips on dealing with a spouse who refuses to get rid of anything?  And gets upset even when you get rid of things which aren't "his"?  I mainly get rid of stuff when he's not around.  But he gets upset if he realises that I'm trying to get rid of stuff so I'm always careful not to do it too conspicuously.  Lately, I've had my eye on some old broken suitcases, broken IKEA furniture and duplicate/never used kitchen items.  But his idea of "frugal" is never getting rid of anything.  How do you negotiate with a spouse like this?

    I assume he is not an actual hoarder, which of course is different from just being frugal.  I guess you have to sneak the broken things out, like the broken suitcases. But then you have to admit what you've done if he notices.

    I had a hoarder girl friend who lived with me, and I had no compunctions about recycling some of her useless clutter without telling her. It was the same sort of stuff (old pamphlets, magazines, etc. that she always promised to get rid of, but never did) so I didn't feel guilty about it.

    Of cxourse it's different, and much better, if he is not an actual hoarder.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 02, 2022, 07:21:34 AM
    I haven't read through this whole thread but any tips on dealing with a spouse who refuses to get rid of anything?  And gets upset even when you get rid of things which aren't "his"?  I mainly get rid of stuff when he's not around.  But he gets upset if he realises that I'm trying to get rid of stuff so I'm always careful not to do it too conspicuously.  Lately, I've had my eye on some old broken suitcases, broken IKEA furniture and duplicate/never used kitchen items.  But his idea of "frugal" is never getting rid of anything.  How do you negotiate with a spouse like this?

    So, your spouse would rather that you live in an overcrowded home full of broken items? And polices even items which aren't his?

    This is hoarding. Get the professionals involved, because otherwise this could seriously damage your relationship over time. And if he's unwilling to change, you need to seriously consider if you can be happy long term with someone who is unwilling to compromise with you on something that is important to you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on August 02, 2022, 09:24:08 AM
    My partner is always suspicious about me getting rid of stuff. I assure him that I won't touch his stuff, which he's slowly come around to relaxing about now.

    The only thing that's been successful for me is bringing out the 10 duplicates we have of an item, and saying, hey, any of these you think we can get rid of? Seeing all the items together usually helps, and we're able to get rid of some.

    But yeah, good luck! It's tough.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: keepingfocus on August 04, 2022, 06:29:41 AM
    I have a partner who likes to keep EVERYTHING (I call this side of him Justin as in 'just in case') and is very resistant to change. He does have valid things-that-happened-in-the-past reasons for some of this, but even so, it's maddening.

    I have been slowly decluttering our home of 20+ years for several years now, and he's always been OK with me doing it so long as 'his' stuff isn't being touched (though he's sometimes been quite critical). He remembers the cost of everything, sees throwing away anything even remotely potentially useful as a waste, and has really strong emotional attachments to things.

    My approach has been to try to coax him along by leading by example, but I'm also very vocal about my decision-making process, how much I feel the difference in my mental health with an uncluttered environment, and how much I feel it 'costs' me to have so much space in my head taken up by navigating excess things.

    There have been a few conversations about what we would want/need to take with us if we ever wanted to relocate overseas (not that this is actually likely to happen) or downsize (which I think may have sparked his imagination a little even though that would likely be at least 10 years away, unless our hand was forced by something drastic).

    For a long, long time I felt like I was shouting into the void. It's also been abundantly clear to me that forcing the issue would never work with him and I would have to sit it out and wait for him to want to make changes himself (it has to be his idea, not mine!), and then go at his own pace (often weeks/months between voicing the intent to clear a space and actually starting to do it).

    Over the last year he's been starting to let go of more without prompting. tygertygertyger's post about putting all of the duplicates in one place has definitely been a useful tactic (recently we've disposed of several bin bags full of old leads, power supplies, dead computer parts etc.), and now that we're preparing to have the house rewired, the practical benefits of having less stuff are starting to show themselves a lot more. There has been an almost seismic shift in activity (with him proactively sending me descriptions of things that he wants us to put on eBay so that all I have to do is snap a photo, copy the text and list them).

    Good luck - it is really difficult.



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MoneyTree on August 04, 2022, 11:51:54 AM
    I've been surrounded by pack rats my entire life. I grew up in a family of pack rats / hoarders, and seeing the negative impacts of it has likely shaped me to be the exact opposite.

    My grandparents and aunts houses were literally piles and bags of stuff with small paths carved through the mess so people could get from room to room. Some rooms were so full of bags of stuff that they were unusable and never opened. I literally did not know that certain rooms existed in my grandmothers house, and I lived there for 4 years.

    I remember giving away an old rear projection TV without my dad's knowledge. The giant ones from the 90s. We stopped using the thing because the quality on new TVs had improved so much. Still, my dad was furious when he came back from a trip and the TV was gone. I probably shouldn't have done that.

    What I've learned is you really can't force someone to change from a hoarder mindset. Because it is not just a behavior change. It is a mindset that is ingrained and built in. In order for them to change, their values need to change from finding security in the stuff to valuing the benefits of letting go of that stuff. That is something that has to come internally.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 05, 2022, 05:54:38 PM
    On the hoarder issue: yeah, don't try to change them. I had to give up on fixing my hoarder girl friend. Either that or break up!

    On a happier note, I have a milestone to report. The big cannister vacuum cleaner I listed on Facebook a couple weeks ago has received zero interest, so today I convinced, or allowed, myself to pack it into the car and take it over to Salvation Army.

    I had been postponing this for years, since it still worked, and I was using it to vacuum the living room, but I have 3 spare regular vacuum cleaners which are much easier to use.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 05, 2022, 07:37:33 PM
    Yay for making your life easier!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 05, 2022, 08:01:22 PM
    Washed a couple litterboxes last weekend, while sick with covid. (Thank you cat for making it necessary and not delayable.) The 2nd litterbox that got washed was one which I replaced a while ago but never got around to washing out, it's been in the garage for months. It is now clean. And I put it, and the bag of other stuff for the shelter, in the car. I need to empty and wash out another box, but we'll see.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 08, 2022, 08:21:37 AM
    We started on the boxes of household goods from my Mom's apartment.  DD went through everything with us and selected the items she wanted for her uni-res kitchenette and possibly for future apartment.  Then DH, bless him, started trying to get it all clean.  My mom always had really hard well water, with sulfyr and didn't care as things got greyer and greyer.  Most the steel items (cutlery, cooking utensils) got nice and shiny after a deep soak in hot vinegar water.  Some items needed a little help with elbow grease and baking soda.  I cleaned out her old coffee grinder and am going to use it powder foods I dehydrate such as garlic and green onions and these wicked hot peppers.  I have some really old rice I pulverized to get all the coffee residue out.  Now I have a dedicated grinder for herbs and spices. DD has all the gear and we are only keeping the high quality stuff.  Two more boxes to donate!

    I went through the storage room to look for stuff and found a pile of empty boxes.  Our blue bin is now full of broken down cardboard.  Full!  One of the things DH and I are going to do once both kids are off to university is de-clutter.  DH is going to convert the play house to a garden storage shed and build me shelves for all the tools, pots and trays and bins for the soils / seed starting.  I am going to get him to make rods for drying plants and will have a stand where I can fill trays and pot up. So much gear will leave the garage, the basement, the back porch! I will know where everything is!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on August 08, 2022, 08:41:08 AM
    It is my dream to know where everything is! I love this plan.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 08, 2022, 03:30:15 PM
    Our NZ house is being the grateful recipient of my siblings' decluttering - a queen-size bed + bedding! a fridge! a washing machine! the bike my sister can't ride anymore!

    We're all winning in this game.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 08, 2022, 06:19:05 PM
    Finally gave up on the decade old hand-med-down printer and tossed it. It hasn't worked properly in a while and  I can print  at work if I have to. Two feet of cabinet space back and a free electrical outlet. Printer paper in the recycling bin. It was all reused paper that had printing on one side.

    Took the winter comforter to the cleaners. It had been wadded up on the ironing board for months. It's not getting rid of it, but it's switching a big pile of dirty laundry into a usable item.

    Tomorrow is trash & recycling bin day, so I'm making a sweep through the house to get rid of stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GardenBaker on August 09, 2022, 10:44:49 AM
    Sold 2 articles of clothing on Ebay. One did not fit and one I did not love. I didn't make much money since I offered free shipping but it got it out of my house and kept it out of the landfill. Hopefully the new buyers will love them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 10, 2022, 09:48:26 AM
    Sold 2 articles of clothing on Ebay. One did not fit and one I did not love. I didn't make much money since I offered free shipping but it got it out of my house and kept it out of the landfill. Hopefully the new buyers will love them.

    Way to go, GB! 

    At my place, I finally decided I probably won't ever need the huge roll of plastic bubble wrap I had saved from the opening of an old box.

    So I put it out for the recycling, and, bless them, they took it! Will it be recycled or landfilled? Don't know, but it's in out of my house, lol. 
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 10, 2022, 09:57:30 AM
    I dug out all the stash of bubble wrap and packaging and put it beside the pile my youngest is compiling for moving into her dorm in 18 days.  EEK 18 days is really soon!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 10, 2022, 03:24:52 PM
    I just gave a pile of moving wrapping paper to my daughter for a friend of hers who is moving.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 10, 2022, 07:05:27 PM
    I got the bookcase and a coffee and end table out of the house.  Donated to Ukrainian refugees.  Also sent a small bag of random stuff (clothes, books, a plant etc) to the thrift store.  Another box, of miscellaneous man stuff, is ready to go, pending picking through by my handyman first.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 11, 2022, 07:01:47 PM
    Found a friend with a working cassette deck. Now listening to the 15 cassettes I've held on to all these years because I didn't know what was on them.

    First was a nearly 30 year old recording of a college lecture. Trashed.

    Second was completely blank. Will offer to friend, otherwise thrift shop or Buy Nothing.

    Third is in progress. Maybe also blank?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 13, 2022, 07:10:00 PM
    Handyman picked through box, took a few things and the rest is going to thrift store.  Also threw out 2 empty paint cans and recycled a partly full one at local hardware store.

    Now if I could just declutter that mouse in the basement ......
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on August 13, 2022, 07:39:00 PM
    Threw away 90% of my makeup today. It was all old before the pandemic even started...I never wore makeup much to begin with, and I wear it even less now that I wear a mask most of the time I go out. Just kept a few of my very favorite things that all seemed to still be in good condition.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on August 14, 2022, 08:24:27 AM
    Found a friend with a working cassette deck. Now listening to the 15 cassettes I've held on to all these years because I didn't know what was on them.

    First was a nearly 30 year old recording of a college lecture. Trashed.

    Second was completely blank. Will offer to friend, otherwise thrift shop or Buy Nothing.

    Third is in progress. Maybe also blank?
    I just did that recently but with rewritable? CDs. We don't have an optical drive, so CDs have been sitting in a file for years now. I kept 3 out the 6 or 7. Found my wedding photos, and some other fun photos, but the rest were old college assignments.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 14, 2022, 08:56:02 AM
    Gave a good solid almost-new painting step-ladder to my daughter.  She wanted it, as in walked out with it the minute I said she could have it.   ;-)

    If I ever need it I can always borrow it back.  But I expect I will rarely/ever need it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on August 17, 2022, 08:55:32 PM
    Trashed a power cord that I kept just in case (cringe). I plugged in the device and it somehow drained the power instead of restoring it. Now I have one working cord instead of two tangled together. The item itself was sent to Amazon for credit long ago.

    Some more clothing items in the donate bag. Being very intentional about clothes that fit and work for me.

    This week is recycling pickup and I nearly filled one bin! I cleaned some easy stuff out of the garage and did a sweep of the house. The garage recycling was brought home from my old job that didn't have a recycling program, so it's been in there for about (gulp) four months. Now there's a lovely big space instead of things stacked on top of recycling bags. Current job has recycling so that build up won't happen again.

    Working on getting all packaging out of the house as it comes in. None of that "this is a good box!" nonsense.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 17, 2022, 10:01:24 PM
    Gave up on the dream of breaking in my duckfeet sandals and donated them along with another pair of shoes. Hopefully someone with much hardier feet than this sookybaby will find them and be "score!"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on August 18, 2022, 12:23:22 AM
    Decluttered all lunchboxes and kept only the onces that we are actually using. Put the good ones on the Buy-Nothing group. Now waiting for takers!
    Started a challenge to declutter more, since I found we're keeping too much "just in case". Started with the bathroom and threw out a lot of stuff which was past expiry date or that we're not using anymore. Feels great!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 18, 2022, 08:44:31 AM
    Finally getting rid of two old desktop computers. Was keeping them around for spare parts, but want to get rid of them now. Photographing them to put on Facebook Marketplace.

    Will only ask $5 for each computer (no hard drives and don't know if the motherboards work).

    If I don't sell them on FB in 2 weeks, off they go to the nearby place that recycles them for free.

    That will be two fairly big boxes out of the house. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on August 19, 2022, 12:55:01 AM
    Sold one bike which became too small for our son. This bike was extremely well used by our son, but we managed (with some polishing skills of DH) to get only 30 euro less than what we paid for it. This comes to a depreciation of 10 euro a year, since our son used it for 3 years! Well worth the investment! And more room in our garden shed!

    Today some sewing stuff that I put on Buy-Nothing will be picked up. Hope they will make better use of it than I did in the last 10 years (it is unused......*insert eye roll*).

    Challenge for today: put at least 1 more item on Buy-Nothing and declutter/throw away a minimum of 10 items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 19, 2022, 10:18:09 AM
    Retrieved veggie peeler and meat thermometer from one of the partially unpacked boxes in the garage. The only thing left in that box was a mixing bowl, so the bowl got moved to a different partially unpacked box. The empty box and some packing materials got added to the empty box and extra packing material pile, which will soon be listed on Buy Nothing.

    In the mean time, it's a bit easier to make my salad.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on August 19, 2022, 02:38:56 PM
    I took a planned day off yesterday, and in between reading and playing on my phone:

    -Goodwill drop-off:  One pair each of jeans and slacks that are too big due to my 31-pound weight loss, 3 shirts, a cute but too small pair of penguin socks and a coffee mug.  I could've added more clothing, but didn't want to get too involved, LOL.  The last time I did a large clothing purge was 3 or 4 Labor Day weekends ago, and it took several hours.
    -Neice2 apartment warming gift:  In a never used large coffee mug with matching saucer are munchies from the pantry, and a few glow sticks.
    -Magazines:  One will be upcycled to my sis, the rest to a neighbor.
    -To a different neighbor:  Egg cartons, her two Mason jars, and some homemade cookies.  She just had a baby, and I cannot wait to meet him.
    -To a different friend next week:  Her serving spoon from a club excursion.
    -Trashed a small freebie carton of coconut water from late last year.  Out of the back pantry and my life forever.

    The back pantry is really starting to declutter.  About 2/3 of the shelving is open, and I want to continue streamlining items.

    Have a fantastic weekend, everyone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 19, 2022, 04:15:53 PM
    Another good result from Facebook Marketplace.

    Just sold two old desktop computers for parts. Neither one would start, and I removed the hard drives.  Power supplies questionable.  Got $5 for each computer.

    The guy who bought them is a collector. Likes to do stuff with vintage computer parts.

    Computers not in E waste stream, being made use of, for now. Ten buckarooskis in my pocket, and about 6 cubic feet of clutter gonzo !

    Woohoo  !!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 19, 2022, 08:44:16 PM
    Awesome Slackmax!

    FYI, Western Digital has/had a program where you could ship them old hard drives and they would destroy/recycle them for you. You're supposed to only send like 5 max, I think I sent 30-40 in the box. With a note saying sorry for the excessive number, it was the accumulated stash of an IT geek. It was all the hard drives floating around my parent's house pre-move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 20, 2022, 07:38:52 AM
    Awesome Slackmax!

    FYI, Western Digital has/had a program where you could ship them old hard drives and they would destroy/recycle them for you. You're supposed to only send like 5 max, I think I sent 30-40 in the box. With a note saying sorry for the excessive number, it was the accumulated stash of an IT geek. It was all the hard drives floating around my parent's house pre-move.


    Just to be cautious, I kept an old desktop (1990's) that actually has a working 5 inch floppy drive (5.5 inch?) from yesteryear. It also has a 3 inch floppy reader and a fan, so I have those items as backup for my current desktop (also ancient but working fine, lol).

    30-40 hard drives is  a lot,   Sibley,  lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 20, 2022, 08:42:50 AM



    Just to be cautious, I kept an old desktop (1990's) that actually has a working 5 inch floppy drive (5.5 inch?) from yesteryear. It also has a 3 inch floppy reader and a fan, so I have those items as backup for my current desktop (also ancient but working fine, lol).

    Floppies were 8", 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" if I remember correctly.  I remember my first floppy disks, single sided single density.  It was a big deal when they moved to double sided double density.

    I know, I am a dinosaur.    ;-)   I did my first programming on punch cards.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 20, 2022, 09:06:53 AM
    Awesome Slackmax!

    FYI, Western Digital has/had a program where you could ship them old hard drives and they would destroy/recycle them for you. You're supposed to only send like 5 max, I think I sent 30-40 in the box. With a note saying sorry for the excessive number, it was the accumulated stash of an IT geek. It was all the hard drives floating around my parent's house pre-move.


    Just to be cautious, I kept an old desktop (1990's) that actually has a working 5 inch floppy drive (5.5 inch?) from yesteryear. It also has a 3 inch floppy reader and a fan, so I have those items as backup for my current desktop (also ancient but working fine, lol).

    30-40 hard drives is  a lot,   Sibley,  lol.

    Those hard drives had been accumulated over 20+ years. It was a surprisingly small, but deceptively heavy box. And they are gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 21, 2022, 10:36:49 AM


    I know, I am a dinosaur.    ;-)   I did my first programming on punch cards.

    Me too. COBOL on punch cards, lol.   When PL1 came along, that was so cool.

    Every so often I donate one of my programming / IT  manuals to the library. Ebay has them  listed for big bucks, like $30 plus shipping, but I don't know if anyone is buying them, lol. 

    Don't want the hassle of using Ebay.

    I put them on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for local selling, and zero replies, lol.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on August 21, 2022, 10:46:34 AM


    I know, I am a dinosaur.    ;-)   I did my first programming on punch cards.

    Me too. COBOL on punch cards, lol.   When PL1 came along, that was so cool.

    Every so often I donate one of my programming / IT  manuals to the library. Ebay has them  listed for big bucks, like $30 plus shipping, but I don't know if anyone is buying them, lol. 

    Don't want the hassle of using Ebay.

    I put them on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for local selling, and zero replies, lol.
    You can search Ebay for "sold" listings which would tell you if anyone is buying and at what price.  But I agree shipping is a pain.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 21, 2022, 03:16:01 PM


    I know, I am a dinosaur.    ;-)   I did my first programming on punch cards.

    Me too. COBOL on punch cards, lol.   When PL1 came along, that was so cool.

    Every so often I donate one of my programming / IT  manuals to the library. Ebay has them  listed for big bucks, like $30 plus shipping, but I don't know if anyone is buying them, lol. 

    Don't want the hassle of using Ebay.

    I put them on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for local selling, and zero replies, lol.
    You can search Ebay for "sold" listings which would tell you if anyone is buying and at what price.  But I agree shipping is a pain.

    I gave away all my Excel and Word manuals and workbooks years ago.  The programming stuff even earlier.  I didn't even bother to try to sell it.  I just wanted people who were switching to computer record keeping for various groups I was part of to have some support. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on August 21, 2022, 06:49:37 PM
    My parents met over programming cards or whatever they are called :)

    As a millennial , Y'all need to throw that shit away, don't keep old desktops and Kobol manuals!

    Signed,
    My in laws have shoved every computer they've ever owned in their basement and told us their long term plan is to die and make us deal with disposal.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 22, 2022, 06:01:11 AM
    My parents met over programming cards or whatever they are called :)

    As a millennial , Y'all need to throw that shit away, don't keep old desktops and Kobol manuals!

    Signed,
    My in laws have shoved every computer they've ever owned in their basement and told us their long term plan is to die and make us deal with disposal.

    They were generally called punch cards because they had holes punched in them.

    After all my moves I am totally up to date of disposing of expired electronics.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 22, 2022, 08:19:37 AM
    My parents met over programming cards or whatever they are called :)

    As a millennial , Y'all need to throw that shit away, don't keep old desktops and Kobol manuals!

    Signed,
    My in laws have shoved every computer they've ever owned in their basement and told us their long term plan is to die and make us deal with disposal.

    Find 2 people: the collector, and the recycler. You'll be ok.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 22, 2022, 11:49:51 AM
    My parents met over programming cards or whatever they are called :)

    As a millennial , Y'all need to throw that shit away, don't keep old desktops and Kobol manuals!

    Signed,
    My in laws have shoved every computer they've ever owned in their basement and told us their long term plan is to die and make us deal with disposal.

    Find 2 people: the collector, and the recycler. You'll be ok.

    No, just one - the recycler, as in the e-waste recycler.  Anything more is too much effort.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 22, 2022, 11:58:01 AM
    My parents met over programming cards or whatever they are called :)

    As a millennial , Y'all need to throw that shit away, don't keep old desktops and Kobol manuals!

    Signed,
    My in laws have shoved every computer they've ever owned in their basement and told us their long term plan is to die and make us deal with disposal.

    Find 2 people: the collector, and the recycler. You'll be ok.

    No, just one - the recycler, as in the e-waste recycler.  Anything more is too much effort.

    Yeah, I just have connections into the computer collector world, so I can pretty easily divert a bunch of stuff. If you don't, just throw it all in boxes and take it to be recycled.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on August 23, 2022, 05:10:22 AM
    This weekend I disposed of a pair of underwear with those annoying pin prick holes and an old T-shirt with sentimental attachment that was also holey and I’ll fitting at this point.  So long, farewell. 

    I have a couple things listed on Craigslist I’m about to donate to the thrift store if I don’t get some interest before 01 Sept. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 29, 2022, 07:37:52 AM
    Went on another flea market outing and got rid of about ten items, all small to medium size.   Got some socializing in.  Identified about 5 items from flea market inventory I am now desiring to donate, since they have not sold. Put them in a bag I will take to Salvation Army soon.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 29, 2022, 08:09:01 AM
    Several boxes of kitchen stuff from my Mom's apartment went have to campus with DD.  HOpefully DS takes some for his house and then the rest is going to be donated.  I can feel my house getting lighter! Love it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on August 29, 2022, 09:36:24 AM
    We just transitioned our kiddos to bunk beds, which means we were able to pass along our crib (which we'd been using in a toddler bed configuration), mattress, and some crib sheets to some expecting neighbors. (Bonus points for bringing along the kids and talking about how when we no longer need something, we pass it along to those who can use it. Our youngest was very excited and giving the bed to the 'new baby'.)

    Did a once-over on the kids closets and stored clothes (for the youngest to grow into) as we put their room back together post-bunk-bed-building. Pulled a few items for textile recycling and some others for donations, as they're too small.

    Returned a mattress pad we purchased for the bunk beds that we determined we did not need.

    Traded old, too-small soccer cleats for bigger sizes at a local free cleat exchange event.

    Took some very old puzzles to the "out of sight / out of mind" box we have in our basement for toys the kids have aged out of and never play with but somehow refuse to pass along when asked. If we go 3 months without a request, it's gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 30, 2022, 07:42:33 AM
    Just took a bag-o-clutter to salvation army, so I didn't feel the need to declutter today. So instead I started a new project, which is cleaning the grime buildup from years, on the wooden banister rails on my two flights of stairs.

    Using half water, half white vinegar and a rag. It's working! This will be my way of not feeling guilty for not decluttering, for a few days at least.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on August 30, 2022, 07:48:45 AM
    Took some very old puzzles to the "out of sight / out of mind" box we have in our basement for toys the kids have aged out of and never play with but somehow refuse to pass along when asked. If we go 3 months without a request, it's gone.

    I am going to implement this!  Right now what happens is I pull items I think we can donate, the toddler finds them and immediately starts playing with the previously ignored items.  This can be toys, shoes that don't fit, etc., it doesn't really matter. I need a better hiding spot.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 30, 2022, 10:55:32 AM
    Eight more books going out soon to various places and a wrecked camera bag tossed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 30, 2022, 02:36:37 PM
    A variation of decluttering: I swapped over two of my drawers in the hopes that this makes it easier to put away multi-wear items of clothing (jerseys/cardigans) instead of ending up with a woolly floordrobe.

    We are also going to take some worn out but still useable items to the house in NZ at Christmas, which has the benefits of us having a functional house to camp out in as well as creating more space in this house. I think once I get some paint on my grotty workout shirts, I’ll be able to call them done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on August 31, 2022, 08:52:41 AM
    A variation of decluttering: I swapped over two of my drawers in the hopes that this makes it easier to put away multi-wear items of clothing (jerseys/cardigans) instead of ending up with a woolly floordrobe.

    We are also going to take some worn out but still useable items to the house in NZ at Christmas, which has the benefits of us having a functional house to camp out in as well as creating more space in this house. I think once I get some paint on my grotty workout shirts, I’ll be able to call them done.

    hehehe "floordrobe".

    1,000% guilty of that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 31, 2022, 11:02:30 AM
    A variation of decluttering: I swapped over two of my drawers in the hopes that this makes it easier to put away multi-wear items of clothing (jerseys/cardigans) instead of ending up with a woolly floordrobe.

    We are also going to take some worn out but still useable items to the house in NZ at Christmas, which has the benefits of us having a functional house to camp out in as well as creating more space in this house. I think once I get some paint on my grotty workout shirts, I’ll be able to call them done.

    hehehe "floordrobe".

    1,000% guilty of that.

    I'm only slightly ahead of you guys, with a "chairdrobe."
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 31, 2022, 12:07:23 PM
    A variation of decluttering: I swapped over two of my drawers in the hopes that this makes it easier to put away multi-wear items of clothing (jerseys/cardigans) instead of ending up with a woolly floordrobe.

    We are also going to take some worn out but still useable items to the house in NZ at Christmas, which has the benefits of us having a functional house to camp out in as well as creating more space in this house. I think once I get some paint on my grotty workout shirts, I’ll be able to call them done.

    hehehe "floordrobe".

    1,000% guilty of that.

    I'm only slightly ahead of you guys, with a "chairdrobe."

    No floordrobe here. But definitely chairdrobe and beddrobe. So much easier to see what your clothing options are. All safe and sanitary too. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on August 31, 2022, 02:45:59 PM
    Did a few 1:1 swaps and really liking the result. We realized that our existing coffee table was too long for the space and it was actually getting in the way of me working from home (from couch). So I posted it for sale and even gave a generous discount to the buyer but since it was a really nice mid-century modern teak piece that went up in value in the 15 years I owned it - I came out ahead enough to get a simpler coffee table plus finally replace the broken TV stand and broken lamp we had been putting up with for too too many years. It's funny - the stuff doesn't make the room look very different, and it's an upgrade in some ways (less visual clutter, sturdy new pieces), but it's also a bit of a measured downgrade or way to simplify since it is things that will work better for us.

    Oh, also donated a bunch of clothes, sold 2 items and rediscovered a few things I already own so I am not tempted to buy more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 01, 2022, 12:09:13 PM
    A variation of decluttering: I swapped over two of my drawers in the hopes that this makes it easier to put away multi-wear items of clothing (jerseys/cardigans) instead of ending up with a woolly floordrobe.

    We are also going to take some worn out but still useable items to the house in NZ at Christmas, which has the benefits of us having a functional house to camp out in as well as creating more space in this house. I think once I get some paint on my grotty workout shirts, I’ll be able to call them done.

    hehehe "floordrobe".

    1,000% guilty of that.

    I'm only slightly ahead of you guys, with a "chairdrobe."

    No floordrobe here. But definitely chairdrobe and beddrobe. So much easier to see what your clothing options are. All safe and sanitary too.

    I limit my floordrobe to whatever fits on top of the closed lid of my dirty clothes hamper. When it starts to fall over, something has to go into the hamper.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: getsorted on September 01, 2022, 12:54:55 PM
    My floordrobe has dedicated hooks now and it still gives me the delightful-order chills. I need to hang another one for Kiddo's pajamas.

    I read recently that people with ADHD prefer to have things out and visible and I was like, "Ah, that would explain my lifelong obsession with hanging things on hooks."
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on September 02, 2022, 10:02:42 AM
    I'm off to the second-hand bookstore to see if they'll accept my trade-ins.  If not, there's a handy Goodwill store right next door. 
    Once it's out of the house it stays out of the house  :-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 03, 2022, 02:39:23 PM
    Digging through clothes 'hoard' looking for a t shirt, and came across nice pair of tennis shorts I had forgotten about! No need to buy any new clothes now for my recently added activity of Pickleball.

    Yes, I am one of the masses of new pickleball players storming the nation's gyms, lol. It's fun!  But I am killing my tennis shoes playing it. Oh well, that's OK.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 06, 2022, 07:59:47 AM
    Used up another $2.07 on my Barnes and Noble gift card on a toasted bagel with butter. Only $19 left on the card until I can throw it out and save my wallet from exploding.

    I am to the point of keeping some of my cards in the glove box of my car instead of my wallet.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 06, 2022, 08:09:08 AM
    so much stuff we had been storing for our university aged children to take with them to university left the house on the past two weeks - including a couch that we got as a hand me down 11 years ago.  Our living room is so spacious! Our basement floor is visible!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 06, 2022, 04:38:18 PM
    Three bags and a box of kids clothes to the thrift store today!  And another 200 items scheduled to go to the consignment dealer next week.  After this, I'm done with the sales.  Its just not worth the amount of work that goes into it anymore.  e
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on September 08, 2022, 07:34:09 AM
    Gave away a decent-quality rug (that no longer fit in the kids' room due to the aforementioned bunk beds) rather than put it out with bulk trash PU later this month.

    I purchased it a few years ago from a fellow graduate student for $20, so I was happy to pass it along to someone else free-of-charge.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on September 09, 2022, 01:36:38 PM
    I deleted the stuff in my Amazon cart and purchased used instead!  I donated 1 small bag at the thrift store and purchased a robe, a flannel shirt, and 2 fall dresses for $27.  I used a pawn shop consignment type place to sell some old family jewelry that I wasn’t going to ever wear. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 09, 2022, 04:16:39 PM
    It's been awhile, as I've been really busy at work. I like the small & steady drum beat of giving things away, so trying to get back to that.

    -Put 4 necklaces I never wear in the donation pile
    -Received a book from an up & coming/popular author. Will list on Buy Nothing this weekend
    -Found another brand new necklace (gift) that I won't wear. Also listing on Buy Nothing

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 14, 2022, 11:22:19 AM
    Finally got around to cleaning out the wallet. Consolidated 12 little pieces of paper with info on them, into one big piece of paper. Recycled the 12 little pieces. One piece of paper instead of 12, now in wallet. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on September 16, 2022, 07:59:02 PM
    Still decluttering, just not posting as often. Here's what I've gotten rid of:

    A large bag full of plastic shopping bags into the recycling bin in the store
    Three bags/boxes of donations to Goodwill
    Three books to the neighborhood Little library
    Two books out to a friend
    Three clothing items mended/alterd and off the sewing table, back in the closet
    A wheelie bin full of yard waste out of the backyard. Almost all of the overgrown plants are now cut back. The yard looks so much bigger and there's more usable space.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 16, 2022, 09:28:40 PM
    Tossed out 9 cassette tapes
    Have 4 more to give to a friend that turned out to be blank after all these years. Why he wants them is a mystery, but at least they won't go into landfill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 17, 2022, 12:24:57 AM
    Yesterday afternoon, inspired by the pasta shapes thread, I took a bag of bow-tie pasta and two pyrex storage containers to the community pantry in a nearby church. This normally has a decent supply of things in it but it was cleared out other than some baby-rice. So last night, I went through the cupboards and found a few more things that we really weren't getting around to eating and dropped them off too. [The previous donations had already gone]

    The same walk we also put 4 books in a wee free library. The part where we will be moving country in 1-2 years has started sinking in and it's really helping with decluttering decisions and also running down the stuff we have without replacing any that wear out/break.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 17, 2022, 07:26:38 AM
    Finally found a bit of motivation again:
    -Listed 3 items on eBay
    -Put 3 items of clothing in the donation pile
    -Went through more of my eBay pile, and put some fridge magnets in the donation stack

    Baby steps, but nice to make some progress, after a long gap.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on September 18, 2022, 08:25:22 PM
    Tossed a fridge magnet advertising a service I use that came in the mail with the new schedule. I have the number saved in my phone, thanks, I don't need a pickup truck-shaped reminder to live on my fridge.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 18, 2022, 11:15:48 PM
    Four more books out to the street library. If we haven't read Guns, Germs and Steel in three years? We're probably never going to, and if we do want to? It's widely available in libraries.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 19, 2022, 05:35:34 AM
    Finally cleared out the 200 items that were going to the last consignment sale that I plan on being a part of.  I had originally planned on doing one last fall and one last spring, but decided that I was done after this one.  And if the hard work hadn't already been done last year when it got cancelled, I might not have done it either.  Made ~$175, so that was a nice bonus. 


    FIL hired someone to come in and remove a lot of DH's rock collection this weekend.  That was bittersweet.  I think they have a better understanding of where he was mentally, but doesn't make things easier.  There are still piles of his "treasures" that I have to deal with, but I just don't know when I'm going to be able to face it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 19, 2022, 08:03:24 AM
    Finally cleared out the 200 items that were going to the last consignment sale that I plan on being a part of.  I had originally planned on doing one last fall and one last spring, but decided that I was done after this one.  And if the hard work hadn't already been done last year when it got cancelled, I might not have done it either.  Made ~$175, so that was a nice bonus. 


    FIL hired someone to come in and remove a lot of DH's rock collection this weekend.  That was bittersweet.  I think they have a better understanding of where he was mentally, but doesn't make things easier.  There are still piles of his "treasures" that I have to deal with, but I just don't know when I'm going to be able to face it.

    @Sugaree - I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't know your financial situation, but is it an option to hire someone to help you with clearing out DH's stuff?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on September 19, 2022, 08:07:45 AM
    Finally cleared out the 200 items that were going to the last consignment sale that I plan on being a part of.  I had originally planned on doing one last fall and one last spring, but decided that I was done after this one.  And if the hard work hadn't already been done last year when it got cancelled, I might not have done it either.  Made ~$175, so that was a nice bonus. 


    FIL hired someone to come in and remove a lot of DH's rock collection this weekend.  That was bittersweet.  I think they have a better understanding of where he was mentally, but doesn't make things easier.  There are still piles of his "treasures" that I have to deal with, but I just don't know when I'm going to be able to face it.

    @Sugaree - I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't know your financial situation, but is it an option to hire someone to help you with clearing out DH's stuff?

    I can, and my in-laws have offered.  I'm not sure that I'm ready yet. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 19, 2022, 08:42:15 AM
    Went through the cookbooks and cooking magazines.  They are all organized and fit in their space and there is a bankers box less of them distributed between kids, free library and the blue bin.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on September 19, 2022, 10:59:48 AM
    Finally cleared out the 200 items that were going to the last consignment sale that I plan on being a part of.  I had originally planned on doing one last fall and one last spring, but decided that I was done after this one.  And if the hard work hadn't already been done last year when it got cancelled, I might not have done it either.  Made ~$175, so that was a nice bonus. 


    FIL hired someone to come in and remove a lot of DH's rock collection this weekend.  That was bittersweet.  I think they have a better understanding of where he was mentally, but doesn't make things easier.  There are still piles of his "treasures" that I have to deal with, but I just don't know when I'm going to be able to face it.

    @Sugaree - I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't know your financial situation, but is it an option to hire someone to help you with clearing out DH's stuff?

    I can, and my in-laws have offered.  I'm not sure that I'm ready yet.

    And that's perfectly okay. <3
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on September 19, 2022, 05:21:14 PM
    Four more books out to the street library. If we haven't read Guns, Germs and Steel in three years? We're probably never going to, and if we do want to? It's widely available in libraries.

    I got the audio version for DP and he really enjoyed it. He used to do a lot of driving and it lasted him quite a few miles.

    I've gotten rid of 99% of my books by searching each one on the local library site. If they had a copy, great, I can check it out! If they didn't, great, they need my copy! :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 19, 2022, 05:49:32 PM
    Four more books out to the street library. If we haven't read Guns, Germs and Steel in three years? We're probably never going to, and if we do want to? It's widely available in libraries.

    I got the audio version for DP and he really enjoyed it. He used to do a lot of driving and it lasted him quite a few miles.

    I've gotten rid of 99% of my books by searching each one on the local library site. If they had a copy, great, I can check it out! If they didn't, great, they need my copy! :)
    Oh yeah, so many books I am happy to get from the library or own as ebooks. My print collection is now books that are out of print, hard to source/replace, or never published electronically.

    It's also tough because the Sydney library system is...Not Great - every council runs and sources their own collections rather than it being managed as a city's collection so there's a lot of duplication between libraries and the weird books never get bought. [why don't they want to buy and store a 1960s book on the theory of cities just for me? rude]
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on September 20, 2022, 01:08:15 AM
    A problem I have is that the library gets rid of ebooks after a while, I guess they must buy them for a period so if not enough people read them... I was going to get rid of a book but then noticed they no longer owned it (I kept it in my ebook wishlist as a virtual bookshelf). The hard copy ones don't have a big turnover.

    They don't have the shopping book at mine unfortunately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on September 20, 2022, 08:52:26 AM
    I don't know about the Australian market, but in the US the book publishers have pushed very hard for library e-book deals that are not great for the libraries. Customers really want e-books, so the libraries have mostly had to go along with them. And yeah, libraries don't get to "own" ebooks - they're essentially rented for a period of time from the publishers. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 20, 2022, 06:48:00 PM
    Got rid of a random household item today on Buy Nothing. Later in the day, I noticed there was apiece of sports equipment that I've been looking for, offered by someone else. I am about to embark on the retrieval trip.

    At least it is one out, one in, right?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: elderflower100 on September 20, 2022, 09:51:57 PM
    I donated an older large but very nice exercise bike to the hospice resale store. It sold quickly! Felt great and now there is some space in our living area which was perfect for a happy dance!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on September 21, 2022, 01:03:20 AM
    Donated a big bag of DD's uniforms to the school. They resell the uniforms as a fundraiser. Nice to have some closet space back.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 21, 2022, 08:22:58 AM
    DH is reroofing our DD's playhouse with stuff he has found in the garage.  The playhouse is a really good shed.  Once the roof is waterproof again, it is getting kitted out to hold all the garden paraphernalia.  I will go through all the hoard in the house, garage, back porch and consolidate it to just what I actually use.  Looking forward to it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: zygote on September 24, 2022, 02:41:29 PM
    Took a bag of random stuff to my goodwill for the last time. They're closing permanently tomorrow. The other locations in the area are wildly inconvenient for me (no car), so donating is going to get harder in the future. And thrifting, too, but that's not the point of this thread. :P
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on September 25, 2022, 10:18:22 AM
    I used up some cheerful stationery this morning for get well wishes and birthdays.  I threw out 2 dried out markers. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 26, 2022, 07:26:53 AM
    Recycled and tossed out a dozen tidbits from the 'do something with this' pile.

    Decided to donate 5 shirts and some other tidbits I had been wondering about, and put them all in one plastic bag, which I will donate today.

    Slow and steady wins the race.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 26, 2022, 09:01:52 AM
    Last week was super productive. Three car loads got loaded up and out of the garage. E-waste,  all the batteries and old prescriptions, donations,  old lumber scraps, large pieces of Styrofoam.  It feels so good.  And all my garden stuff is consolidated in one place.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 26, 2022, 05:16:14 PM
    My 'natural decluttering through entropy' project is continuing apace - one shirt has got the crunchy elastic cuff problem and another has developed a cluster of tiny holes on the belt-line. (Don't worry - I still have ~50 other shirts to get through.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on September 26, 2022, 05:32:59 PM
    When my husband was away for a few days I had a bit of a tidying effort.  Repacked the freezer, emptied the fridge of all the stuff saved for the worm farm and tidied the pantry cupboard. Ate up all the stuff that had a little bit left, enough for a meal for one but not two. Cleaned some jars of labels and gave them to the food co-op. Was able to stock the cupboard with missing staples and it still looks emptier (in a good way). Putting stuff in ordered rows makes a big difference. Made a list of meals / recipes to use up some stuff.

    Bundled up my fabric recycling and put it in the car, it might stay there a couple of weeks though.  I hate that I have to walk through the mall to get to the shop that takes the recycling, seeing all that tat, bleugh. Normally I just go to the food shops on the periphery.

    I got a new raincoat so now have 4. It sounds ridiculous for Australia but it's been raining non-stop (feels like) for years. One is too hot for here though so I do need to part with it even though it is super cute. That will be hard. One was free and I don't really want it so will be easy! One doesn't really keep me dry but it's good for the dog park.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 26, 2022, 06:40:56 PM
    Went through of a stack of eBay items, and listed them on Buy Nothing. If they haven't sold in a while, I want them out of the house. Have about ten items pending pickup.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 27, 2022, 07:52:49 AM
    Decluttering my TV viewing habits.

    I allow myself only an hour max of watching CSPAN each morning. CSPAN is great, in my opinion, but an hour is enough. TV off, do something else, or even do nothing, but TV is off. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 27, 2022, 08:23:12 AM
    -Gave away 9 lanyards that my son won at a soccer camp two years ago, plus a pair of athletic pants that he's too tall for
    -While going through my eBay listings, realized that a shirt will now fit my 16 y.o, so pulled that out of the pile, and added to the closet.
    -I have people coming for at least four more items.
    -Anything remaining will be donated asap
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on September 27, 2022, 09:25:23 AM
    Decluttering my TV viewing habits.

    I like this idea of "decluttering" your schedule!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on September 29, 2022, 08:28:08 PM
    A large bubble mailer, a manila envelope, and a magazine out. The magazine was mailed to a friend in the envelope. The large bubble mailer went into the trash.

    Oh, one more mailer out in returning a book to a friend.

    I put one meh shirt in the Time Will Tell pile. Actually just the top shelf of my closet where I can't see it, but if I think "where is that pastel plaid shirt, I desperately want to wear it today?!" I can pull it down.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 30, 2022, 01:53:06 PM
    I tossed a pair of jean shorts (worn beyond repair), added several workout tops to the donation pile, and listed an outgrown husband hoodie on eBay. He wears nicer brand than I do, and lost a bunch of weight. We cleaned out his closet, and I donated almost everything, save for a few high end brands.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on September 30, 2022, 02:13:31 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache, congratulations to your DH for losing weight.  I'm in a similar boat with a 31-pound weight loss and reallllyyyy don't want to go pants shopping.

    I cannot believe tomorrow is October already.  Since my last post:

    ~The old HP all-in-one finally failed and is gone.
    ~I've started a major purge here at the office and have tossed 11" worth of outdated flyers, marketing materials, etc. from the bookcase thus far.
    ~Found an old chamber of commerce business card holder and every business card inside was no longer relevant.  Either the person moved, went to work elsewhere, or started their own business.  Tossed the holder and shredded the cards.
    ~The back pantry is finally decluttered and organized enough to accommodate the recent Sam's Club winter stock up.
    ~Finally remembered to install hooks in the back pantry in order to get the broom, Swiffer, etc. off the floor.  Looks much better.
    ~Another magazine will be upcycled to my sister this weekend.
    ~Continuing to save fresh produce scraps for the neighbor's chickens.
    ~Using up older baking ingredients and condiments as much as possible.
    ~Setting up a formal home office using things I already have on hand when applicable including a small garbage can from the very rarely used guest room and green and blue decorative items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 30, 2022, 03:51:49 PM
    @MountainGal - I'm actually envious of him. He didn't really need to lose weight. He has a food allergy, so has to eat a Keto diet. It just happens that the Keto diet excludes almost all food he can't eat. He's lost 20 lbs he didn't need to lose. I'm not quite dedicated enough to go full Keto. And, nice work on all of the clear outs!

    I listed DS16's Halloween costume on BN, and asked DS15 if I can get rid of his many items. Fingers crossed I can get those out of the closet as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 30, 2022, 10:47:10 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache, congratulations to your DH for losing weight.  I'm in a similar boat with a 31-pound weight loss and reallllyyyy don't want to go pants shopping.

    Pants shopping is pants*.


    *Pants = hard pants = undesirable
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on October 01, 2022, 12:25:46 AM
    Got rid of a large bag of clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 01, 2022, 08:13:26 AM
    Giving away Halloween costumes has been approved. So far, given away: old man mask, inflatable unicorn, big bad wolf, treat bag, & all that is pending is the spooky unicorn mask. Glad to get them out of the house, and happy to have saved others money.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 01, 2022, 01:57:06 PM
    Yes, MountainGal, it seems like Sept 1 was only as week ago!

    I spent 2 hours going through old medical and insurance paperwork that has been stacked up in a corner forever.  Was able to get rid of 75% of it, so now I have an additional 3 square feet of clean living room rug to look at.

    Also decided to recycle two old tech books that no one will ever want. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 02, 2022, 07:13:58 PM
    I achieved a sort of milestone today.  I deleted my ad in Facebook for cardstock (thick hard paper that comes in various colors, used for crafts and all sorts of whatnot) . My girl friend left it behind. Lots of it.

    I started selling it 4 years ago on Craigslist. Must have had 20 different customers. Thousands of sheets of the stuff.  Even gave some of it away.

    It's finally all gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on October 02, 2022, 07:28:40 PM
    Congratulations Slackmax. Your journey is amazing to follow.

    I tackled a pile of bills and paper today. I didn’t finish it, but I got through a fair bit of it and what’s left is less of an eyesore.

    Recently we donated all our assorted food storage containers and started over with just a few sizes. Now instead of 5 different sandwich containers with 5 different lids we have one kind.  It’s pretty nice. Things fit much better in the drawer, fridge, and lunch box.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on October 02, 2022, 07:30:20 PM
    Well done @slackmax , it is a great milestone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 02, 2022, 07:35:34 PM
    Thanks, guys.    :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 02, 2022, 10:04:22 PM
    Well done @slackmax !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on October 03, 2022, 02:26:15 PM
    Finally dropped off a bag of odds and sods for donation that's been in my car for weeks.  Also an awful dining light fixture installed by previous owner that we finally switched out last week.   I have no idea who would want it, but I bet someone will.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 03, 2022, 03:09:26 PM
    All Halloween costumes - given away & picked up. Listed three new items on Buy Nothing today. I love making small progress, and cleaning stuff out. Woop!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 03, 2022, 09:12:02 PM
    Congrats @slackmax . End of an era.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 03, 2022, 09:29:51 PM
    Awesome, @slackmax

    I got rid of six boxes, that I'd been saving in case I needed them for eBay sales. I've pretty much stopped selling, because everything we don't want/need is gone. And, I definitely don't need that many boxes, or Amazon mailers. Time to trim things back, & clean up the closet that I've used for mailing supplies.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on October 04, 2022, 06:00:37 AM
    Listed some kids toys on Craigslist. 3 items already gone (1 of which was a large item that needed to be sent by mail, for which I could re-use a cardboard box lingering in the shed- double win!) and hoping that the other items will go as well as people will start their holiday shopping usually in October in the Netherlands (on 1st October, a lot of people get their quarterly child-support-money from the government, so when cash is in....... they start shopping!).

    Cleaned out the kids closets and put all clothes on Craigslist. Hopefully I can sell some of it. The rest will be donated.

    DS will go on school-camp. Packing list included some textile-markers. I found some in a box for him to use and told him he did not have to bother bringing them back home from camp.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 04, 2022, 08:00:42 AM
    The main floor bathroom vanity is large and was stuffed to the gills with stuff.  Had to empty it for the plumbers and voila, only stuff that is needed in a bathroom got put back into the bathroom vanity. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 04, 2022, 08:58:30 AM
    Finished a pantry clean-out yesterday.  For some reason, discarding boxes or jars of open but still good crackers, chips, nuts, etc. seems hardest.  It's typically something that we tried but everyone decided they didn't like.  I wish there was a place to give away this food that's still good but I understand why health regs would not allow that once the seal is broken.
    I used to bring this stuff into work for communal snack but now being retired that's not an option.

    In my dreams there would be a community center where people could drop off this stuff for others- like, here's an open bag of Goldfish crackers still fresh, or even here's a shampoo I tried but don't like.  But given Covid and other spreadable diseases would that be a no-go?
    So much waste.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on October 04, 2022, 09:59:11 AM
    @LaineyAZ, I've had pretty good luck giving away items like that to family and/or neighbors. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on October 04, 2022, 10:14:51 AM
    @LaineyAZ, my local Buy Nothing Group on facebook will regularly have someone doing a pantry clean out and donating old or opened food.  Is it possible that is an option?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Rosy on October 04, 2022, 11:24:43 AM
    The main floor bathroom vanity is large and was stuffed to the gills with stuff.  Had to empty it for the plumbers and voila, only stuff that is needed in a bathroom got put back into the bathroom vanity.

    @Frugal Lizard
    Funny how that always works like a charm - if you have no choice but to remove it and clear out - it does somehow get done - amazing!:)

    That's how my carport just got cleared - hurricane Ian...
    Cleaning up the remainder will be easy once we are done with the garden clean-up.

    Same with all the garden decor - now it is suddenly easy to sort, toss or keep. Had to put it in bins so it wouldn't turn into hurricane projectiles.
    The last hurricane already made me rethink the amount of crap I mean decor that I had accumulated - now I have a lot less and I don't miss any of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 05, 2022, 09:21:24 AM
    @LaineyAZ, my local Buy Nothing Group on facebook will regularly have someone doing a pantry clean out and donating old or opened food.  Is it possible that is an option?

    I'm not on Facebook although I understand there's some groups around the country that are setting up their own websites.  And I definitely share with family but I think I'll branch out to 1-2 neighbors who I think would be receptive to some un-used but still fresh foodstuffs.

    For non-food items, I liked donating to the "Free table" at our local senior center.  Examples: new toothbrushes and dental floss given to me for free at my dental cleanings; magazines; small faux plants; shoes I wore a few times that I decided I didn't like, etc.  They were glad to get all of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on October 05, 2022, 10:01:52 AM
    I'm not on Facebook although I understand there's some groups around the country that are setting up their own websites.  And I definitely share with family but I think I'll branch out to 1-2 neighbors who I think would be receptive to some un-used but still fresh foodstuffs.

    For non-food items, I liked donating to the "Free table" at our local senior center.  Examples: new toothbrushes and dental floss given to me for free at my dental cleanings; magazines; small faux plants; shoes I wore a few times that I decided I didn't like, etc.  They were glad to get all of it.

    I don't currently use facebook either, and that has been a barrier for me as well that the Buy Nothing groups are on facebook. Branching out to neighbors sounds like a great plan, though, and that's really neat that you are able to non-food items to the free table at your local senior center!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on October 05, 2022, 12:00:32 PM
    I achieved a sort of milestone today.  I deleted my ad in Facebook for cardstock (thick hard paper that comes in various colors, used for crafts and all sorts of whatnot) . My girl friend left it behind. Lots of it.

    I started selling it 4 years ago on Craigslist. Must have had 20 different customers. Thousands of sheets of the stuff.  Even gave some of it away.

    It's finally all gone.

    Was the amount you made selling it more than the cost of posting an ad for that long?

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 05, 2022, 02:00:11 PM
    Excellent job, @slackmax!

    In the past I've had 50/50 luck selling or giving away items on Facebook.  A rice cooker, a gently used set of pots and pans, and bar accessories, yes.  A pair of women's barely worn shoes, unused ink cartridges, and collector items?  Not so much.

    I send DH to the shop with extra food, whether it's from purchasing too much, or things I've baked.  One of his co-workers often brings in garden produce or home canned something or other, so it is a good balance. :)

    Speaking of:
    -Recycled 6 ink cartridges at Office Depot
    -Upcycled a magazine to a neighbor
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 05, 2022, 07:48:11 PM
    @LaineyAZ, my local Buy Nothing Group on facebook will regularly have someone doing a pantry clean out and donating old or opened food.  Is it possible that is an option?

    I'm not on Facebook although I understand there's some groups around the country that are setting up their own websites.  And I definitely share with family but I think I'll branch out to 1-2 neighbors who I think would be receptive to some un-used but still fresh foodstuffs.

    For non-food items, I liked donating to the "Free table" at our local senior center.  Examples: new toothbrushes and dental floss given to me for free at my dental cleanings; magazines; small faux plants; shoes I wore a few times that I decided I didn't like, etc.  They were glad to get all of it.


    I'm not on Facebook although I understand there's some groups around the country that are setting up their own websites.  And I definitely share with family but I think I'll branch out to 1-2 neighbors who I think would be receptive to some un-used but still fresh foodstuffs.

    For non-food items, I liked donating to the "Free table" at our local senior center.  Examples: new toothbrushes and dental floss given to me for free at my dental cleanings; magazines; small faux plants; shoes I wore a few times that I decided I didn't like, etc.  They were glad to get all of it.

    I don't currently use facebook either, and that has been a barrier for me as well that the Buy Nothing groups are on facebook. Branching out to neighbors sounds like a great plan, though, and that's really neat that you are able to non-food items to the free table at your local senior center!

    Buy Nothing has an app now. Pretty sure you don't have to be on FB to make and account & log in.

    https://buynothingproject.org/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on October 06, 2022, 12:13:35 AM
    First kids clothing sold! I just have to mail it (in repurposed envelopes/boxes) today and it is gone!
    Had some interest in more toys, so hoping this does get through and I will not be ghosted (again......, this is the bit I hate the most on Craigslist).

    When looking up some manuals, I found several for items that are no longer in our house, so I tossed them.

    Baby steps....... baby steps......

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 06, 2022, 07:57:48 AM
    I achieved a sort of milestone today.  I deleted my ad in Facebook for cardstock (thick hard paper that comes in various colors, used for crafts and all sorts of whatnot) . My girl friend left it behind. Lots of it.

    I started selling it 4 years ago on Craigslist. Must have had 20 different customers. Thousands of sheets of the stuff.  Even gave some of it away.

    It's finally all gone.

    Was the amount you made selling it more than the cost of posting an ad for that long?

    MayDay,   I had a free Craigslist account, so my cost was zero dollars. Facebook also free.   This is a guess, but I must have made at least  $200 on the lot. I sold it for dirt cheap, but I had thousands of sheets to sell.

    Truth is, it was also just something to do for fun, to get out of the house and so on.   

    Most folks would have just donated it all, or recycled it. Which is fine, of course.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 06, 2022, 08:01:46 AM
    Made another pass through the living room, found a AAA tote bag full of old medical receipts, and old vials of pills. Threw out most of the pills, recycled the plastic vials. Recycled all the receipts. Will donate the tote bag. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 06, 2022, 08:33:49 AM
    Made another pass through the living room, found a AAA tote bag full of old medical receipts, and old vials of pills. Threw out most of the pills, recycled the plastic vials. Recycled all the receipts. Will donate the tote bag.

    I've heard veterinarians are appreciative of clean empty pill bottles that they can then use for pet medicines.  But I'm still curious how much of this donation/recycling is still happening since the pandemic?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on October 06, 2022, 10:09:32 AM
    @slackmax, I admire the effort you put into selling the cardstock. That's awesome that it all got "re-homed."

    @LaineyAZ, that's really good to know about vets taking empty pill bottles. Unfortunately, my current pharmacy uses labels that won't really come off, but maybe I'll try soaking them if my vet will take the clean bottles.

    @oneday, thank you for the tip about the Buy Nothing app. I will have to check that out!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 06, 2022, 10:14:15 AM
    @FrugalShrew - I found the labels will lift off pretty easily with some heat.  My heating tool is pretty hot so the first bottle got a little melted.  I like to reuse the bottles for seed storage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 06, 2022, 10:17:33 AM
    Pills shouldn't really be thrown into the garbage, as the ingredients eventually make their way into waterways.  Pharmacies will take them for proper disposal.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on October 06, 2022, 10:30:47 AM
    @FrugalShrew - I found the labels will lift off pretty easily with some heat.  My heating tool is pretty hot so the first bottle got a little melted.  I like to reuse the bottles for seed storage.

    Thanks, Frugal Lizard! (I couldn't figure out how to tag you with the space in your name).

    That's a really helpful tip, since one of my local thrift stores has labels that don't come off either, and those are often stuck on items I can't soak!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 06, 2022, 11:46:17 AM
    For safe disposal of plastic pill bottles, medications, etc., our local police department has a drop box out front. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 06, 2022, 07:52:20 PM
    Pills shouldn't really be thrown into the garbage, as the ingredients eventually make their way into waterways.  Pharmacies will take them for proper disposal.

    Of course you are right, SunnyDays, I forgot about that. Did not know pharmacies take them. Thanks.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 16, 2022, 09:05:33 AM
    -While packing for an upcoming warm weather trip, decided I didn't my pool cover up, so added that to the donation pile
    -Gave away four large containers of flavored almonds, as I recently discovered I have an almond sensitivity, and no one else in my family will eat the seasoned kind.
    -Sold my running watch, as I hadn't turned it on in a year (I use my Apple watch now).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on October 16, 2022, 10:07:34 AM
    @FrugalShrew - I found the labels will lift off pretty easily with some heat.  My heating tool is pretty hot so the first bottle got a little melted.  I like to reuse the bottles for seed storage.
    That is an excellent idea about the seed storage, and will solve my opened paper packet problems.  Thanks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on October 17, 2022, 01:44:08 AM
    Some big volume toys were sold! Also sold a few sets of kids clothing.
    Donated some other kids clothing.

    DH suddenly started to clean the inhouse storage room. He already put two full bags to the trash. I'm just encouraging him to continue (it is mainly his stuff, so I'm happy that he finally gets to it).

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on October 17, 2022, 07:42:03 AM
    Last year I picked up some sleeping bags through Buy Nothing, meaning to donate them to the homeless. To my joy, there was a collection this week and I was able to offload them, along with a small hoard of hotel soaps and shampoos. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 17, 2022, 10:50:25 AM
    DD went through her craft cupboard.  Three bankers boxes to donate of craft supplies she had accumulated.  Now she has a spaceous cupboard with more adult appropriate supplies for making art and crafting.  WOOHOO, her stuff was falling out of the cupboard.  I shall attempt to do the same with my cupboards.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 17, 2022, 11:16:07 AM
    Another day at the flea market, selling. Got rid of one big item, which was a big bag full of lace material. Also several small items.

    Also decided to donate unsold clothes, so have two bags of clothes to donate today.

    Oh, also donating a beer tap, for a minikeg, which will not sell.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 17, 2022, 09:33:49 PM
    It finally, finally happened. Connected with a guy who took a non-functional window a/c unit off my hands. We had been trying to connect for over two weeks. Whee!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 18, 2022, 07:03:12 AM
    It finally, finally happened. Connected with a guy who took a non-functional window a/c unit off my hands. We had been trying to connect for over two weeks. Whee!
    Excellent score, Oneday !  Big, heavy thing gone, and being refurbished, maybe, or recycled.  Congrats !     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on October 19, 2022, 02:02:44 PM
    Outgrown kid jacket passed on to another family.... win win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 20, 2022, 12:14:22 AM
    It finally, finally happened. Connected with a guy who took a non-functional window a/c unit off my hands. We had been trying to connect for over two weeks. Whee!
    Excellent score, Oneday !  Big, heavy thing gone, and being refurbished, maybe, or recycled.  Congrats !   

    Thanks! Victory is mine! 🤣

    He said he is an HVAC tech and will use it for spare parts. So re-use/recycled/upcycled, yay.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on October 20, 2022, 02:19:47 PM
    A different variation on the theme - our house in NZ is getting stocked with excess china, cutlery and linen from my sisters’ houses which helps them declutter and means we don’t have to buy things so we can stay prior to moving there permanently.

    A small one - I’ve been seeing how long I can keep getting face wash out of a tube since I first thought “that’s about to run out I should buy some more”. It’s been two months so far. Yesterday I couldn’t squeeze anymore out so I cut the bottom off and there is at least another week’s worth that I can now access.

    A social one - Ofpym had made a batch of beer before he stopped drinking. We had a friend come over for dinner last night and he drank two bottles and I made beer bread with another bottle so progress is being made. (Next task is to clean and sell the brewing equipment, and we will probably throw in the resealable bottles in with the vats etc)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 22, 2022, 09:18:28 PM
    @mspym I love getting all the product out of a tube. Makes me feel like Capitan Save-The-Planet :)


    Yesterday's doctor visit was the right opportunity to drop off a bunch of expired prescription meds at the pharmacy that is on-site. Found out that they do not take vitamins, but those can be composted. Easy!

    Also finally installed a window screen that had been sitting in the living room for over a month (maybe two). Yay for no clutter in the entryway!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on October 23, 2022, 10:12:21 AM
    Dropped off 4 bags of stuff to St. Vincent de Paul yesterday.

    I'm really trying to reduce the stream of stuff coming in and enjoy what I have (except for thoughtful, considered acquisitions--there are a few things I am in the market for).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 23, 2022, 06:56:06 PM
    I'm really trying to reduce the stream of stuff coming in and enjoy what I have (except for thoughtful, considered acquisitions--there are a few things I am in the market for).

    Same! Have been feeling a bit conflicted about the 3 pieces of furniture recently acquired (MMM cred: they were all free). But together they increase the comfort, functionality and storage capacity of my home. But "thoughtful, considered acquisitions" are my jam.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on October 24, 2022, 04:41:02 AM
    Saturday night a trunk full of random household items were donated to the local thrift shop.  We did NOT go inside. 

    I cancelled my Oct Subscribe n Save with AMZ after inventorying my current stash of supplements and OTC meds. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SEAK on October 24, 2022, 08:25:17 AM
    Mailed 10 of my wife's 20-year old college engineering textbooks to an online used text book dealer for $130. I am also loving the REI Used Trade-In Program; sent off 5 of the kiddos lightly used jackets, pants, and sandals for a $100 Gift Card. And we had my daughter drop off some of her never used art sketch books and supplies to the younger neighbor girls. Productive weekend!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GardenBaker on October 24, 2022, 09:37:44 AM
    Threw away manufacturer boxes from technology purchases (1 apple watch box, 1 ipad box, 1 phone box and 1 laptop box). I have no idea why I have held onto these; I've NEVER needed the boxes. Also tossed an old bed skirt as our new bedframe doesn't require one.

    Decided to clean the bathroom toilet with cleaner on hand instead of buying a separate product specific for toilet bowl cleaning. Trying to use more multi-purpose products.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 24, 2022, 11:10:04 AM
    Mailed 10 of my wife's 20-year old college engineering textbooks to an online used text book dealer for $130. I am also loving the REI Used Trade-In Program; sent off 5 of the kiddos lightly used jackets, pants, and sandals for a $100 Gift Card. And we had my daughter drop off some of her never used art sketch books and supplies to the younger neighbor girls. Productive weekend!

    How is your mail so cheap that it even pays?  Textbooks are heavy as a rule.  I mailed two trade paperbacks by Canada Post to a relative a 3 hour drive away and it cost me $17.00!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SEAK on October 24, 2022, 01:50:41 PM
    Mailed 10 of my wife's 20-year old college engineering textbooks to an online used text book dealer for $130. I am also loving the REI Used Trade-In Program; sent off 5 of the kiddos lightly used jackets, pants, and sandals for a $100 Gift Card. And we had my daughter drop off some of her never used art sketch books and supplies to the younger neighbor girls. Productive weekend!

    How is your mail so cheap that it even pays?  Textbooks are heavy as a rule.  I mailed two trade paperbacks by Canada Post to a relative a 3 hour drive away and it cost me $17.00!

    Dealer we sold them to provided a prepaid USPS shipping label. It is my understanding that sending by media mail (book rate) is cheap for whatever reason.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Omy on October 26, 2022, 11:24:40 AM
    Watched "Tydying Up" and "Sparking Joy" on Netflix. This inspired me to Kondo my closets and drawers. In 24 hours, I've tossed or donated 5 big bags of clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 26, 2022, 05:45:26 PM
    One of the pluses of antenna/free app tv commercials is they give me time to get little tasks done. I ran through the house and gathered up a few items for recycling, including packaging from a gift that had fallen behind a piece of furniture.

    Had a book packaged up to mail back to a friend. She came into town unexpectedly and I was able to give it to her. I tossed the packaging (a reused Amazon mailer). Book out and packaging out.

    Had my new appliance installed and promptly recycled all the packaging and the instruction manual.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 26, 2022, 09:30:37 PM
    Mailed 10 of my wife's 20-year old college engineering textbooks to an online used text book dealer for $130. I am also loving the REI Used Trade-In Program; sent off 5 of the kiddos lightly used jackets, pants, and sandals for a $100 Gift Card. And we had my daughter drop off some of her never used art sketch books and supplies to the younger neighbor girls. Productive weekend!

    Congratulations, SEAK. I have spent hours online, typing in lots of ISBN numbers,  trying to sell my 15 to 25 year old programming and IT textbooks and manuals to no avail.

    May I ask what website you used?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 26, 2022, 09:37:34 PM
    Spent four hours over three days to rummage through a few bags and boxes full of old paper receipts, statements, fliers, photos, etc.  Recycled about half of it, not bad!

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Siebrie on October 27, 2022, 08:12:08 AM
    Took some very old puzzles to the "out of sight / out of mind" box we have in our basement for toys the kids have aged out of and never play with but somehow refuse to pass along when asked. If we go 3 months without a request, it's gone.

    I am going to implement this!  Right now what happens is I pull items I think we can donate, the toddler finds them and immediately starts playing with the previously ignored items.  This can be toys, shoes that don't fit, etc., it doesn't really matter. I need a better hiding spot.
    I'm very late in replying, but I wanted to add my 2cents. My dds (11 and 14) always have drawing material available, and some form of craft material, but all the rest gets its 15 minutes of fame. So: if the Barbies are out, then the Littles Pet shop, playmobil, playkitchen stuff, etc is in the attic. They grow tired of Barbies? The box with Barbies goes in the attic and they get to pick 1 box to come out. It boils down to a swap about once a month. All these types of toys (with manymany parts) are limited to 1 box each; if they get too many parts or items, they have to pick which ones to keep and we donate the rest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 27, 2022, 09:16:10 AM
    Spent four hours over three days to rummage through a few bags and boxes full of old paper receipts, statements, fliers, photos, etc.  Recycled about half of it, not bad!

    Aren't you nervous about any identification info still on the paperwork?  I recycle this stuff too but only after I rip it up so my name, address etc aren't readable.  Can be the most tedious part of the recycle process.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 27, 2022, 11:08:55 AM
    Spent four hours over three days to rummage through a few bags and boxes full of old paper receipts, statements, fliers, photos, etc.  Recycled about half of it, not bad!

    Aren't you nervous about any identification info still on the paperwork?  I recycle this stuff too but only after I rip it up so my name, address etc aren't readable.  Can be the most tedious part of the recycle process.

    I do the same thing.  Don't want to become a victim of identity theft.

    My credit union periodically offers secure shredding, but I never have enough at one time to bother.  This might be something for you to look into, Slackmax, if you have that kind of volume.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 27, 2022, 07:26:49 PM
    Spent four hours over three days to rummage through a few bags and boxes full of old paper receipts, statements, fliers, photos, etc.  Recycled about half of it, not bad!

    Aren't you nervous about any identification info still on the paperwork?  I recycle this stuff too but only after I rip it up so my name, address etc aren't readable.  Can be the most tedious part of the recycle process.

    I rip up any social security numbers I find, but all the papers are for my former girl friend who is in heaven now, and all her accounts are zeroed out, as far as I know. I guess someone could use the ssn, though. 

    The papers go straight into the recycling truck that pulls up to the curb. I like to imagine all the paper stuff gets dumped from the truck into a huge vat where 95% of it is buried deep inside the pile.         
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on October 29, 2022, 06:29:15 AM
    Hello!!

    I am in the early stages of a prolific house decluttering due to a likely move next year. My town has a free store and I gather up items to drop off on the 2 days a week they're open. In addition to all the free stuff I'm donating, I sold a washer / dryer this week, listed a bunch of other stuff that's probably not going to sell and have been working on the "eat up everything in your house" thread for months.

    This past week's drop off haul included: kids size soccer cleats, some crackers we over bought, tea cups, canning jars, a bunch of clothing my youngest kid out grew, some shoes, a corelle white baking bowl (without its nesting sized friend), a kids sized sleeping bag.

    Also hit up a couple clutter spots in the home, threw away a bunch of garbage and recycled some stuff that my hoardery family tends to keep around. (WTF old starbucks frappuccino bottle)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 29, 2022, 07:58:57 AM
    I'd say you've got a good start, Fuzzy Math.  Sounds like you're pacing yourself so you're not in a time crunch.  I hope the family appreciates your efforts and starts to see how living in a less cluttered house can make everyday life easier.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 29, 2022, 01:48:04 PM
    @fuzzy math sound like you are making good progress. You remind me that I need to update the east down your pantry thread.

    Yesterday put away the final bits of Ren Faire season, which had been laying about. Always a bit sad and that's probably why procrastinated.

    But, in rearranging, found I have two pairs of ski bibs. I hardly ski enough to justify sitting one, let alone two. So tossed the pair that were somehow sun bleached.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: seemsright on October 29, 2022, 03:50:02 PM
    Hubby and I are after a much simpler life. I am tired of the endless cleaning and taking care of our stuff. I want less of the stuff. Hubby is on board and we are working all weekend to simplify everything. Getting rid of furniture. Selling what we can. A digital piano got sold for $250 to a Dad that wanted his 6 year old to learn how to play, we threw in a ukulele and a recorder he was in awe. Last night we sold a Wii gaming system with all of the things that go with it to a group of college kids for $100 to use to party all weekend. And trying to sell a RC car that never gets used.

    Simpler living is on the horizon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on October 30, 2022, 08:34:18 PM
    Dropped off a bag of ink cartridges to be recycled at Target. They have been in my trunk for over a year while I looked for a place to recycle them. I finally paid attention to the recycling station in Target and lo, there was a can for them. I dumped the cartridges in and put the plastic bag in the plastic recycling can. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 31, 2022, 06:50:09 AM
    Forced myself to get past the 'I already went through that stuff, and I need to keep it all'  thinking, and the 'clutter blindness' and went through all the stuff on my living room table.

    Sure enough, there was lots of stuff I can now recycle or throw out.

    Got about 3 pounds of paper clutter into the recycling, and relocated  a box worth of stuff off the table to somewhere else. More to go. But good progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 31, 2022, 02:19:46 PM
    Forced myself to get past the 'I already went through that stuff, and I need to keep it all'  thinking, and the 'clutter blindness' and went through all the stuff on my living room table.

    Sure enough, there was lots of stuff I can now recycle or throw out.

    Got about 3 pounds of paper clutter into the recycling, and relocated  a box worth of stuff off the table to somewhere else. More to go. But good progress.

    Ha ha, yes.  Define "need."

    Keep at it, you're doing great.  Do you see/feel a difference in your house yet?  I remember you saying that you were always at 51% of the clutter gone, because more just kept appearing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 31, 2022, 11:46:32 PM
    @slackmax I'm curious about @SunnyDays question as well. Without your dearly departed GF, have things on that front changed?


    Reporting in another textile to the trash. I sleep with two pillows and the lower pillow gets kinda lost and shoved in the crack. I pulled it out to plump up and the case was shredded, absolutely shredded! Not sure how it got that bad without me noticing. So that went to the trash. New case deployed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 01, 2022, 07:48:18 AM
    While I was waiting in the kitchen (inactive meal prep time), I found a ton of food that was nearing expiration date, but we won't eat for various reasons. I'm going to list it all on BN today. I'm thrilled to clean out my pantry, avoid food waste, and put things in the hands of people who will actually use it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 05, 2022, 09:27:47 PM
    Threw away two pairs of shoes. A pair of flipflops that were worn smooth and tended to slip. Another pair of laceup shoes that both had cracks in the soles I discovered when it rained yesterday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on November 06, 2022, 06:22:14 AM
    Sold our piano, since DD has decided she is no longer interested in piano lessons. Also sold my ebike (kept the sturdier mountain bike), and sold a pizza stone and cake pan.

    Next challenge: the storage closet, which is crammed full of…stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 06, 2022, 04:21:34 PM
    Forced myself to get past the 'I already went through that stuff, and I need to keep it all'  thinking, and the 'clutter blindness' and went through all the stuff on my living room table.

    Sure enough, there was lots of stuff I can now recycle or throw out.

    Got about 3 pounds of paper clutter into the recycling, and relocated  a box worth of stuff off the table to somewhere else. More to go. But good progress.

    Ha ha, yes.  Define "need."

    Keep at it, you're doing great.  Do you see/feel a difference in your house yet?  I remember you saying that you were always at 51% of the clutter gone, because more just kept appearing.

    I guess I will say that 52% of the clutter is gone, ha ha.

    Seriously, though, I had some company coming over recently, which motivated me to move stuff from the living room to other rooms, and opened up a nice BIG space of clear and clean carpet in the center. 

    So I can see this nice big opening every day, which is heartening and inspiring. 

     
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 10, 2022, 09:06:06 AM
    Broke a glass and not replacing it. One less glass in the cupboard to worry about.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on November 10, 2022, 10:02:46 AM
    Put some winter stuff up for sale and sold one jacket & one pair of snow-pants.

    Also will be 'gifting' some of the gear to family for Xmas..as part of an attempt at a low-ish-buy Christmas (and because it's stuff they would like & use).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on November 10, 2022, 01:40:49 PM
    Broke a glass and not replacing it. One less glass in the cupboard to worry about.

    I love it when that happens, but I wish I'd break the uglier stuff. It's never the mismatched free branded glass, it's always one from a set. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 10, 2022, 10:07:18 PM
    Tossed out a beet-based sweetener that I got from Mom's pantry before she moved cross country. It was old, opened when I got it. It was kinda sour? Not what I'm looking for in a sweetener, lol
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 11, 2022, 08:55:11 AM
    Broke a glass and not replacing it. One less glass in the cupboard to worry about.

    I love it when that happens, but I wish I'd break the uglier stuff. It's never the mismatched free branded glass, it's always one from a set.

    Ha Ha !  This one was a 14 ounce pilsener glass for beer.  I think I have a whole case of these glasses in the basement somewhere, but I am NOT going to try to find it, lol.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 11, 2022, 03:07:35 PM
    -Immediately returned pants that didn't fit my tall & skinny teens
    -Gave away pants that now fit the teens like capris
    -Gave away a kids cookbook I found, while looking for a recipe
    -Giving away two more outgrown kid jackets today

    My kids are still in the phase where they outgrow clothing. Particularly winter clothing, as sleeve & hem length matter a lot more in jackets & pants, vs shorts & tshirts. These outgrown items always sneak up on us, as we go about 8 months or so being able to wear summer like clothes, so it's always a real shock when they go to find a pair of pants on the first cold day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 12, 2022, 07:49:59 AM
    Challenging myself to get rid of 40 items by Monday - by throwing away, donating, or listing for sale.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on November 12, 2022, 05:41:42 PM
    A couple of months ago I went through a bookshelf and found a dozen books that I was willing to let go of. The box went into the car and traveled around with me for a while. Then went to the garage when we needed trunkspace. Finally, my husband said he was going to the library so I asked him if he'd bring it to their used book sale.  He forgot it, so now the box is in our entrance.  Should we make a separate trip to the library to donate them, or should I just start listing them on Amazon? Most are brand new, rather trendy hardcovers that were gifted to me by well meaning relatives.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 12, 2022, 11:51:16 PM
    Big goal, @NotJen ! I'm rooting for you.


    Today, had several errands in Neighboring Town, so took the 2 pairs of athletic shoes, which were replaced in October, to the shoe recycle place. Thus closing the loop on the One In One Out cycle (finally).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 13, 2022, 08:13:43 AM
    Go, @NotJen !

    @oneday - I had the same thought yesterday. I was wearing my old running shoes, just for running around. I was at kids sporting events for 6+ hours, and realized the shoes need to go into the recycling. I need to make a trip to the shoe recycle place as well. It's not convenient, but I think I have four pair, which is sort of my benchmark for needing to go. Caveat: I have kids that play a lot of sports, and cleats & court shoes for tennis don't last as long as they should.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 13, 2022, 09:28:59 AM
    Big goal, @NotJen ! I'm rooting for you.


    Today, had several errands in Neighboring Town, so took the 2 pairs of athletic shoes, which were replaced in October, to the shoe recycle place. Thus closing the loop on the One In One Out cycle (finally).

    Go, @NotJen !

    @oneday - I had the same thought yesterday. I was wearing my old running shoes, just for running around. I was at kids sporting events for 6+ hours, and realized the shoes need to go into the recycling. I need to make a trip to the shoe recycle place as well. It's not convenient, but I think I have four pair, which is sort of my benchmark for needing to go. Caveat: I have kids that play a lot of sports, and cleats & court shoes for tennis don't last as long as they should.

    I've identified 23 items to go so far.  I noticed I have a lot of old bras for some reason, so I'll go through them.  Need to cull the t-shirt drawer again, I've got a lot in there that I'm only keeping for sentimental reasons.

    One of my items are my last-year's running shoes.  Kept for backup, but I just got my new pair (ugh, I'm using them too much now to make it a full year without replacement), and now this-year's pair is my backup.  But that reminds me that I have my worn-out holey-on-the-top hiking boots in the car right now - so that's another item.  I wonder if Fleet Feet will take them?  Or should they go directly to the trash?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on November 13, 2022, 10:24:51 AM
    I sold three small side tables that I don't have room for in my new place.

    Put some small decor items in the donate box. Open concept means less walls to put stuff on.

    As soon as I read a book now it goes in the donate box. I never re-read books, so they might as well go to someone else. I get them second hand.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: EchoStache on November 13, 2022, 10:51:12 AM
    Sold an Apple TV for $50 today.  Also sold Apple Home Pod mini for $50.  So two items gone for $100.  Makes me happier when I sell big items.  I have some old patio furniture to sell but probably won't happen until Spring :(
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on November 13, 2022, 12:50:52 PM
    Getting an estimate on cleaning out the basement of the house I'm wanting to sell.  Also, dropped off two crates of little kid books for my mom and BIL/SIL to go through for my niece.  Slowly, but surely, getting control over the stuff that I'm drowning in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 13, 2022, 01:21:46 PM
    Returned the cabinet that I bought to replace a crappy built-in. It doesn't fit (which I knew), but when we pulled out the old one we discovered that for once someone did it right, so I can't just make the space wider without opening the wall to mess with studs. Not doing that. So now I need to close the wall, because I give up.

    Have a bag of food items for a donation drive, just have to find said donation drive. I'm assuming there will be something this week.

    I'm planning on getting a kitten next weekend (!!!!), after my Arwen died last month. So have been buying cat toys, kitten food, etc. Need to go through the old cat toys, get rid of anything that's really dead and pull out anything not kitten safe.

    Have also been knocking out the to-do list. Lots of little stuff has been completed. Switched to att fiber for internet, so cleaned up and organized all the wires behind the tv (removing several years of dust in the process). Hung up a decorative lantern. Replaced the fill valve on the toilet. Hung a towel bar. All this has been floating around the house, now it is taken care of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 13, 2022, 06:49:24 PM
    @NotJen - our local Sports Basement will accept athletic shoes for a recycling. They have a large recycling bin at the front of the store. Not sure where else you might be able to find that offers a similar service, but maybe Google can help you find something similar.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on November 14, 2022, 07:28:28 AM
    I've been working on getting some bigger items out of my house.  Unfortunately, the "buy nothing" equivalent Facebook group in my town has started cracking down on people getting items.  People are only allowed to say interested now once a week. :( Had someone say yes on Saturday and then on Sunday during the scheduled pickup window reach out to say that they changed their mind because they want to say yes on something else.

    Still have another few items listed but no takers yet, maybe because of the once/week policy (it used to be once/day).  Might have to find a new source of regifting.

    Also got caught removing an item by the children, so I kept the big stackable cardboard boxes for them for now, even though they don't play with them.  Will remove when they aren't watching later.

    Unfortunately, the house still seems incredibly cluttered, but I'm trying to chip away at it where I can, particularly to make space for the anticipated Christmas influx.  I'm planning to have my older kid pick out a few of plastic trucks/cars to give away as younger sibling doesn't seem to care about them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 14, 2022, 09:46:05 AM
    Dropped the sneakers off in the Fleet Feet bin for recycling.  They said to call back in a few days and they'll let me know if I can leave hiking boots there.  @MaybeBabyMustache Websearch did not reveal any other local recycling options.  I feel like if there were a path to recycle hiking boots, REI would offer it, and they don't. (I'm not 100% convinced my sneakers will actually be recycled, but it was easy to drop them off, just in case.)

    Over the weekend, I listed 3 items for sale on Poshmark (not hoping for much here, but will leave them up for a while and see what happens).

    I threw away 20 items.

    I dropped off 25 items at Goodwill.

    I also requested a t-shirt recycling "kit" from Marine Layer for 3 t-shirts that didn't seem re-sell-able.

    So, 46 items out of the house, and 7 "pending".

    Next goal - 20 more items by the end of the month either listed for sale or out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 14, 2022, 04:22:04 PM
    A couple of months ago I went through a bookshelf and found a dozen books that I was willing to let go of. The box went into the car and traveled around with me for a while. Then went to the garage when we needed trunkspace. Finally, my husband said he was going to the library so I asked him if he'd bring it to their used book sale.  He forgot it, so now the box is in our entrance.  Should we make a separate trip to the library to donate them, or should I just start listing them on Amazon? Most are brand new, rather trendy hardcovers that were gifted to me by well meaning relatives.

    It's easy for me to say, so I will say "just donate them and get them off your worry list!"  .  ANd yes, make the special trip, if it's not too far. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 14, 2022, 04:33:29 PM
    Filled up the blue container for paper recycling, almost to the top. Felt like 30 pounds. Lugged it out to curb.  All just old unneeded documents. Recycle truck came and took it all away.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 14, 2022, 05:42:25 PM
    Filled up the blue container for paper recycling, almost to the top. Felt like 30 pounds. Lugged it out to curb.  All just old unneeded documents. Recycle truck came and took it all away.   
    Hey well done, I know that is a big chunk for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 15, 2022, 08:44:41 PM
    Everyone is making so much progress! Pats on the back all around.

    I finally got the donation box out of the trunk when I tried a new outlet store. There was a Goodwill donation center in the same parking lot. I donated and didn't buy anything. Then, of course, came home and found the handful of items I left on the counter that I meant to tuck in the box. Time to start another box!

    I'm unpacking cold weather clothes this weekend and putting away summer clothes. Maybe there will be some items I can part with during the switch over.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on November 15, 2022, 08:58:13 PM
    An aborted business venture has me listing endless amounts of stuff for sale. I'm a bit over it but not much more to go. There's a lot in the price range that I'd usually just give away for free but I'm trying to claw back some of the wasted cash.

    Anyway, if I can move it all on I will have a lot of free space including one cupboard shelf and a large drawer and much more. Just not sure how long it will take to sell!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 16, 2022, 12:23:14 AM
    Dropped the sneakers off in the Fleet Feet bin for recycling.  They said to call back in a few days and they'll let me know if I can leave hiking boots there.  @MaybeBabyMustache Websearch did not reveal any other local recycling options.  I feel like if there were a path to recycle hiking boots, REI would offer it, and they don't. (I'm not 100% convinced my sneakers will actually be recycled, but it was easy to drop them off, just in case.)

    Over the weekend, I listed 3 items for sale on Poshmark (not hoping for much here, but will leave them up for a while and see what happens).

    I threw away 20 items.

    I dropped off 25 items at Goodwill.

    I also requested a t-shirt recycling "kit" from Marine Layer for 3 t-shirts that didn't seem re-sell-able.

    So, 46 items out of the house, and 7 "pending".

    Next goal - 20 more items by the end of the month either listed for sale or out of the house.

    Hey, you made your goal. Well done!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 16, 2022, 12:34:34 AM
    I’ve realised my barefoot life of the last few years means some of my favourite shoes no longer fit. Time to accept that and donate them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 17, 2022, 12:39:55 AM
    Tossed a holey pillowcase, replaced with brand new :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on November 18, 2022, 11:57:46 PM
    Sold a box of Playmobil, a pair of boots, and some children’s educational materials. Our storage room is starting to look less cluttered. :D

    ETA: Sold a few more toys and knickknacks tonight. I’m happy to be making progress. Made $40.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on November 20, 2022, 08:52:46 PM
    My local "help each other out" FB group had a post where a mom was looking for huge shoes and tall sized clothing for her 4 kids. Fortunately we have lots of huge shoes and tall sized clothing in this home! DH has about 9 pairs of sneakers he wore at various times after a foot surgery and none of them were ever right. I packed up about 15 items I no longer need. So there's a huge load going out tomorrow.

    The local free store is closed this week. Anything else I gather will have to wait until next week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 21, 2022, 09:18:13 AM
    Sold the last of my husband's outgrown hoodies on eBay. It's now in the mail and on its way to someone else.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 21, 2022, 11:46:23 AM
    Decluttered the kitchen table and wiped it down. The whole surface was being 'used' for quick access to medical insurance booklets, previous years' tax records, and literature from the senior center, even some pots and pans.   I just moved it all to other places in the house, hope I remember where, lol.  Was able to recycle a few booklets, and toss out some unused containers.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 21, 2022, 12:44:09 PM
    Worked on the garage this past weekend.  So much straight up garbage! I disassembled old bird feeders to separate plastic from metal. Dumped out seed for birds to eat or compost. Tossed broken this and that.  Still won't hold two cars, but that's OK we only have one car for now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 21, 2022, 09:03:11 PM
    -Went through my underwear & sock drawer. Got rid of stuff I never wear.
    -Found three shirts I'll pass on via Buy Nothing
    -Added a few items to the donation pile
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on November 22, 2022, 11:01:45 AM
    I had sold a pair of skis to an acquaintance in May, but they live prohibitively far enough to not want to ship/or drive and drop off. They also didnt have a problem just waiting till winter when we might meet up on the slopes. I was going to be driving pass their location yesterday finally, and arranged a pick up. It worked out great since it wasn't out of my way and we needed to take a stretching break anyways.

    Also, passed on 4 picture frames via Buy Nothing app.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 22, 2022, 07:09:53 PM
    Got the Christmas decorations out of storage. Last year's decluttering must have worked! Everything I unpacked was something I wanted to keep and fit on the tree. There wasn't a single broken, forgotten, or even 'meh' ornament or decoration!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on November 23, 2022, 07:09:20 AM
    @okisok, that is awesome!

    I gave away a set of candles that aggravate my asthma to my neighbor, and she gave me a pomegranate in return. That was a delicious, unexpected reward for a very small act of decluttering. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 23, 2022, 08:42:22 AM
    I recently moved down to using a travel purse permanently (it's a tiny purse, and fits cross body, freeing up my hands). I love it & don't plan to go back to my other purse. I cleaned it out, & posted it on BN. I'll give it away this weekend. It's a really nice purse, so there's a lot of interest. It always makes me happy to pass stuff along to people who actually want it & will use it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 23, 2022, 09:34:06 AM
    Worked on the garage this past weekend.  So much straight up garbage! I disassembled old bird feeders to separate plastic from metal. Dumped out seed for birds to eat or compost. Tossed broken this and that.  Still won't hold two cars, but that's OK we only have one car for now.

    It's easy for me to keep my garage uncluttered, because I keep my beautiful 1988 GTA Firebird safe from the elements inside the garage. No way I'm putting her outside, lol !   

    It's a one car garage. Only room around the sides and front for any storage.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 23, 2022, 09:43:30 AM
    Worked on the garage this past weekend.  So much straight up garbage! I disassembled old bird feeders to separate plastic from metal. Dumped out seed for birds to eat or compost. Tossed broken this and that.  Still won't hold two cars, but that's OK we only have one car for now.

    It's easy for me to keep my garage uncluttered, because I keep my beautiful 1988 GTA Firebird safe from the elements inside the garage. No way I'm putting her outside, lol !   

    It's a one car garage. Only room around the sides and front for any storage.

    Sweet
    Our garage is two-car.  The builder built it to hold his giant convertible from the 60's plus another car.  It's huge but we have a lot of garage stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 23, 2022, 04:39:30 PM
    Put the empty holiday decoration boxes back in the attic only a few days after I emptied them. I usually leave them hanging out in the living room for several days.

    I read a great tip online that said you could put your regular decor in the empty holiday storage boxes so they are neatly out of the way while the holiday decor is out. When the holiday is over, you switch and put your usual ornaments back out and put the holiday items back in the boxes. Great idea, I just don't have any 'usual decor' to put in the boxes :) But it might help someone out.

    Cleaned out a bathroom drawer and tossed out a stretched out headband.

    It's dark and rainy here so I'm working my way through the tea stash and the wood pile ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on November 23, 2022, 05:58:07 PM
    I read a great tip online that said you could put your regular decor in the empty holiday storage boxes so they are neatly out of the way while the holiday decor is out. When the holiday is over, you switch and put your usual ornaments back out and put the holiday items back in the boxes. Great idea, I just don't have any 'usual decor' to put in the boxes :) But it might help someone out.


    I am someone! I don't have a ton of stuff but I do have some. This is brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 24, 2022, 02:59:24 PM
    Went through a stack of papers and recycled/shredded a lot.  In process of filing the rest.

    Giving away some winter thermals, a pair of never worn gloves, another pair of gloves that I was gifted, a pair of shoes, an old film camera, a magazine rack and some notebooks.  Also going to take a walking boot and a thumb splint to the PT's for rehoming.  I've been keeping them for a few years out of superstition that if I get rid of them, I'll need them again, and I don't want any more broken bones!

    Since it's now winter and I have more time on my hands, I expect to get rid of more over the coming months.  I'm back in the decluttering mindset.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 25, 2022, 08:51:22 AM
    Last winter, I bought new ski pants for my teen, knowing he would be growing out of his old pair. Sure enough, it's almost that time, and I had him try on his current pair. They were about six inches too short. The new pair fit great, so I listed the old ones on Buy Nothing, and had someone pick them up in less than an hour. Youth ski pants go quickly this time of year, and I'm happy to save someone else the expense.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on November 25, 2022, 01:55:04 PM
    Ongoing challenge: get rid of enough books that I don't have book piles on the floor. It's... progressing. Will be bringing another bag of them to the charity shop hopefully tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Minion458 on November 25, 2022, 08:03:44 PM
    My house was SO cluttered in the past. A few years ago I decided to Thanos my things and get rid of half of my stuff. Clothes, books, keepsakes, stuff I'd accumulated over the years...pretty much everything was on the table except for things like furniture and tools. It was so freeing. I still need to be in a special mood to be able to sidestep my emotional attachment to things, but it got easier as I went along. By the end of the year I'd cleared out so much stuff. I kept asking myself things like
    Do I need it?
    Do I actually want it or am I keeping it because it has a memory attached?
    Do I have a place for it?
    If I didn't have this, would I want to buy it now?

    It was hard throwing some things away, but I felt so much better after I did.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ysera on November 25, 2022, 11:48:25 PM
    My house was SO cluttered in the past. A few years ago I decided to Thanos my things and get rid of half of my stuff. Clothes, books, keepsakes, stuff I'd accumulated over the years...pretty much everything was on the table except for things like furniture and tools. It was so freeing. I still need to be in a special mood to be able to sidestep my emotional attachment to things, but it got easier as I went along. By the end of the year I'd cleared out so much stuff. I kept asking myself things like
    Do I need it?
    Do I actually want it or am I keeping it because it has a memory attached?
    Do I have a place for it?
    If I didn't have this, would I want to buy it now?

    It was hard throwing some things away, but I felt so much better after I did.

    Wow! I have been passively decluttering for years, but I love the idea of half. Half would be about right for my living space. *snaps fingers*

    Kudos for your awesome, freeing progress. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 26, 2022, 05:53:00 AM
    Wow...half!

    Last night I found myself alone for the whole evening.  So I finished listening to a long audio book and to keep my hands occupied, I emptied the pantry, washed down the shelves and sorted the food. I wish we had chickens to clean up stale this and that. Three cupboards done. Four to go.
    I needed an empty house with no one around judging my disorganized shopping or hoarding habits.  The next cupboards are not going to be as hard.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on November 26, 2022, 11:51:41 AM
    I went through a bin of papers that have been stacking up, recycled some and organized the rest. It doesn't look like much, but it sure felt good!

    My house was SO cluttered in the past. A few years ago I decided to Thanos my things and get rid of half of my stuff. Clothes, books, keepsakes, stuff I'd accumulated over the years...pretty much everything was on the table except for things like furniture and tools. It was so freeing. I still need to be in a special mood to be able to sidestep my emotional attachment to things, but it got easier as I went along. By the end of the year I'd cleared out so much stuff. I kept asking myself things like
    Do I need it?
    Do I actually want it or am I keeping it because it has a memory attached?
    Do I have a place for it?
    If I didn't have this, would I want to buy it now?

    It was hard throwing some things away, but I felt so much better after I did.

    Wow! I have been passively decluttering for years, but I love the idea of half. Half would be about right for my living space. *snaps fingers*

    Kudos for your awesome, freeing progress. :)

    That is so impressive, @Minion458! And I appreciate your perspective about how even though it's hard in some cases, it's worth it.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on November 27, 2022, 09:05:57 AM

    If I didn't have this, would I want to buy it now?


    This is a next level decluttering question!!! Also difficult since I never want to buy anything :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 27, 2022, 12:17:13 PM
    I am unfortunately cluttering up my house extensively with cat toys. It's hard to walk, never mind vacuum. Got more mousie toys and a cat tree on the way to join the current mess. That's kittens for you.

    However, I did drop off 2 bags of food and hygiene items to a pantry, and am returning 2 items to amazon. Also got the carpet repaired from where Arwen had destroyed it, so living room is almost back to normal. Just need to paint and install the toe molding.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on November 27, 2022, 05:23:10 PM
    I noticed my decade-old IKEA bookshelf has a spit out a screw and one shelf is barely hanging together.  I cleaned off the books and will remove some of the assorted heavy supplies (paint, art stuff) I keep on the shelf in order to repair it next weekend.  I’m pretty proud of my forethought that I labeled the box of screws that we used on this shelf. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: ixtap on November 27, 2022, 06:27:00 PM
    We each went through our clothes a bit as we were putting away the laundry and have a few things to take to Goodwill. Wonder where that is in our new town?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ysera on November 27, 2022, 06:37:43 PM
    Hubby and I donated our old ice hockey gear that we haven't used in >15 years. Both of us had been hanging on to it "just in case" we ever wanted to start playing again, but in reality, that would be very unlikely anymore for a variety of reasons. The gear went to a good cause and left me feeling happy and lighter. Also, if we did somehow ever get into that again, we can buy new gear, which is apparently way nicer these days than the clunky old stuff we donned so very many moons ago. 🤭

    Two giant bags of stuff gone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 27, 2022, 07:37:46 PM
    DP went through his closet and got 1.5 bags of items out. I can toss in the last few items I accidentally left out of the bag last time I donated to fill up the half bag. I'll add the xmas tree stand I no longer need to the pile and get it donated.
    Took the other bag of clothes to a family member.
    One bag of canned goods and assorted items to the little giving box in the next neighborhood over.
    Finally got the last box of dog food unloaded from the most recent shipment and got the box in the recycling.
    Fridge is cleaned out and the last of the holiday leftovers will be consumed before they go bad.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 28, 2022, 08:55:15 AM
    started going through the seed bins, man there were a lot of empty seed packets.  Was I saving them to know what to re-order?  I need to get 3 seed bins plus a shelf of drying seeds consolidated into one or two seed bins so that I can see everything.
    This is going to be tricky as my system of labeling is dodgy at best.  Going to have to run some germination tests to verify what the seeds are exactly.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 28, 2022, 11:07:01 AM
    started going through the seed bins, man there were a lot of empty seed packets.  Was I saving them to know what to re-order?  I need to get 3 seed bins plus a shelf of drying seeds consolidated into one or two seed bins so that I can see everything.
    This is going to be tricky as my system of labeling is dodgy at best.  Going to have to run some germination tests to verify what the seeds are exactly.

    Most seeds are pretty recognizable, no?  Or do you have some obscure veggies?  There's probably a seed recognition app you can use, like there is for birds, bugs etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 28, 2022, 11:45:59 AM
    started going through the seed bins, man there were a lot of empty seed packets.  Was I saving them to know what to re-order?  I need to get 3 seed bins plus a shelf of drying seeds consolidated into one or two seed bins so that I can see everything.
    This is going to be tricky as my system of labeling is dodgy at best.  Going to have to run some germination tests to verify what the seeds are exactly.

    Most seeds are pretty recognizable, no?  Or do you have some obscure veggies?  There's probably a seed recognition app you can use, like there is for birds, bugs etc.
    most are pretty recognizable.  But bok choi, kale varieties, arugula, cabbage and radish are nearly identical.  Since I collected the seeds from my garden, there is a lot of variation in the arugula and kale from the same group of plants.  Since they all germinate quickly, I will plant a flat (and label them well) and sort it all out.  I thought I was planting a healthy bed of kale for the fall, but got bok choi mostly.  A lot of bok choi.  Food pantry was happy to receive it.  Same problem with leeks and scallions.  But I am not going to be donating those seeds to the seed library.

    I have to get a better system for marking plants in the garden so that I can actually read the label when they are all dried up brown pods.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 29, 2022, 12:32:54 PM
    We tried out some dressers that didn't work. I was thinking we may change our mind, so I've been storing them in my closet. We didn't change our minds, so I listed them on FB marketplace, and have 20+ offers. Clearly, wrong price, but I have someone coming by to pay & pick them up. Getting them out of the closet will be a big win, as they take up quite a bit of space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on November 29, 2022, 07:03:32 PM
    Took the donations to the drop off today only two days after I put the bag in the car.

    Broke a cheap tool so into the trash it went. I have a better one but was using the crappy one...ahem...incorrectly.

    Got a newer (but still used) phone as my old one won't be supported soon. I sold the old one and it went into the mail the day after the new one arrived. The case went into the trash. I even shipped the old phone out in the new phone box, so one-in-one-out all around.

    Packed all summer clothes away and unpacked the winter ones. The decluttering went so well during the summer that there wasn't anything that didn't get worn. Now to finish going through the winter items and see if any of them can go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on November 29, 2022, 07:13:45 PM
    Every year I try to do a declutter in late December to be ready for the New Year. It's inspired by a Japanese tradition of doing a deep clean at that time but I never get around to the cleaning! I'm trying to get rid of a bunch of stuff but I'm having no luck. I guess people are spending mainly on gifts but will drop the prices and see what happens.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on November 30, 2022, 12:11:38 PM
    Dropped off a big bag for donation yesterday.  So glad to get that out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on November 30, 2022, 02:50:26 PM
    Next goal - 20 more items by the end of the month either listed for sale or out of the house.

    I procrastinated, but got it done: today I donated 12 items, trashed 7 items, and listed 1 item for sale.

    One item I donated was a big cardboard cutting board (for sewing).  I'm not sure why I didn't get rid of it sooner!  I intend to keep my sewing machine for small projects, but I haven't cut a pattern in a million years.  Probably would have been something worth trying to sell for a few dollars back when I was doing FB Marketplace, but not worth it now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on December 01, 2022, 05:16:14 PM
    I finally swapped 2 dressers that I was thinking about for a long time. The one I had clothes in had such deep drawers that items got lost, even with trays/containers to separate items. The other has hobby supplies and storage in a spare room. They were similarly sized, but with the shallower drawers I had to remove a half dozen clothing items to make it work well - all into the donate/sell box. The other dresser got the hobby supplies with lots of room to spare so I was able to organize those materials better and both will be much easier to use now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 01, 2022, 05:45:17 PM
    In a preventative maintenance moment, Ofpym was sending me links to a five-string bass that was unexpectedly $1100 off and then we talked through it and he worked out that the buy urge was entirely because of the sale and that he'd rather upgrade his upright bass.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 02, 2022, 08:08:07 PM
    Used a tiny little scrap of bubble wrap for an outgoing package.

    I have not completely unpacked since my last move in February. However, what is still packed is taking up a large number of partially empty boxes. The pile of unpacked, empty boxes is smaller. So I've been holding off on passing along the empty boxes and packing material that is not being used now.

    However, after today I think I will hold on to a small/reasonable amount of packing material and boxes, since I have the space. It's nice to be have a supply of packing materials at my fingertips.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 03, 2022, 08:17:58 PM
    My (nice) neighbor got a wood burning stove to help offset heating costs. He uses cardboard to help start the fire. I've been getting a LOT of packages between new kitten and Christmas, so I've been saving that cardboard to give to him. Finally passed it off to him today so giant pile is out of the house.

    I finished painting the upstairs bathroom, so as my reward I got a storage cabinet. It arrived, and I got that setup. In the process was able to get rid of all the temporary containers that had been holding everything (for the past 5 years). Some of it went into the above mentioned cardboard pile, and the plastic set of drawers is going to get cleaned and given to my dad to see if he wants it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 04, 2022, 09:56:14 AM
    Finally got all of our dressers moved around, and now have the large dresser that no one wants/doesn't properly fit in any of our rooms listed on FB marketplace. Fingers crossed we can get it out of our entryway soon!

    As part of the dresser swap, I went through my 16 y.o.'s clothes, & found a bunch of stuff to give away & couple of things to sell. Those are next on the list.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on December 04, 2022, 06:20:11 PM
    Gave away two large cardboard boxes to someone that is moving. Saved me a trip to the recycling depot.

    I decided to try to sell some books on Marketplace. If they don't sell I will just donate them. I am reading more now that I am retired, and usually buy used for $5. If I can sell them for $5, my reading will essentially be free. I am not a good library person. It takes me a while to read a book, then I forget to renew and get a fine. One time I lost a set of DVD's and had to pay for them. I think that is the last time I borrowed anything from the library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 04, 2022, 06:25:39 PM
    One decluttering win: tossed out some leftover pieces of an AC that I got rid of weeks ago.

    Setup for future decluttering wins: using scrap wood, leveled a cabinet. Soon I will finish unpacking and fill up this cabinet, probably will come up with some things to pass on to their next owners
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on December 05, 2022, 08:22:01 AM
    Found some linens in the closet that I'll be donating.  (does anyone really use pillow shams??)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 05, 2022, 08:55:22 AM
    one winter coat and one pair of snow pants no longer in the hall closet!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GardenBaker on December 05, 2022, 09:16:29 AM
    Sold a pair of shoes on Ebay. Listed some seasonal pillows for sale and a cooler that I'm no longer using.
    Donated a dinnerware set.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on December 05, 2022, 09:22:31 AM
    A friend mentioned that she wants to put together a 'tickle trunk' for her child (Canadians will remember it from Mr. Dressup). She is a minimalist so doesn't own random things for her son to dress up in.. I'm gathering up a few things to donate to her (and a coworker was giving away a caterer's coat so I grabbed it for them as well).

    https://sagomini.com/article/imagination-station-an-ode-to-the-tickle-trunk/

    My SO was going to a xmas party with a regift theme so I donated a Royal Tenenbaums dvd :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 05, 2022, 10:11:27 AM
    Went through my flea market inventory and culled 2 plastic grocery bags worth of knickknacks and sundries, will donate them.   Recycled 2 empty cardboard boxes and some old advertising fliers.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 05, 2022, 04:36:35 PM
    I went through a bunch of stuff leftover from failed Buy Nothing pickups, or items that just never went, & have someone coming for the entire bunch. Maybe 20 items in total. Hurrah! Out of the hall closet, where I keep pending BN stuff.

    I still have two groups of items posted, so I'm hoping to get rid of another 10 or so items tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 05, 2022, 08:14:01 PM
    DNFed a book and returned it to the street library. Finally remembered to take two old wiped phones for recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 06, 2022, 12:53:22 AM
    5 boxes of stuff and a small bag of clothes piled up awaiting me to get sufficient motivation to take them to donation points. A pile of non-donatable stuff is slowly growing, destined for council clean up.

    I decided to embrace a decluttering lifestyle nearly 20 years ago. I feel like I am fairly good at not buying/bringing stuff in, but I'm still at it. I think stuff breeds in the night.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 06, 2022, 11:20:48 AM
    @happy - I've been really heavily decluttering for 9 years, and still work at it. On one side, I have kids, and they grow, their interests change, etc. So, that makes sense, but I can't blame it entirely on them. I'd say about 60% of what i declutter is theirs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 06, 2022, 01:47:08 PM
    @happy - I've been really heavily decluttering for 9 years, and still work at it. On one side, I have kids, and they grow, their interests change, etc. So, that makes sense, but I can't blame it entirely on them. I'd say about 60% of what i declutter is theirs.
    MBM I absolutely agree with you. Every phase in a child's life seems to need decluttering when they move onto the next. Fortunately I'm not overly sentimental about keeping things like their first whatever.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 06, 2022, 05:30:27 PM
    I wore a pair of stained leggings for the last time today then disposed of them.  Tomorrow I'll wear a t-shirt from my alma mater for the last time.  It was a low-quality freebie.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on December 08, 2022, 11:48:41 AM

    I am not a good library person. It takes me a while to read a book, then I forget to renew and get a fine. One time I lost a set of DVD's and had to pay for them. I think that is the last time I borrowed anything from the library.

    Do you have access to digital books at your library?   I prefer real (paper) books, but have found that digital is a great option for the problem of forgetting to return or renew in time.   The books just go 'poof' when your time is up.    : )    Since we moved to new town, it's been more convenient for me to get books online rather than to physically go into the library.

    Also most Canadian libraries offer access to Kanopy too - movies, documentaries, series, etc.  All free.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on December 08, 2022, 07:22:54 PM

    I am not a good library person. It takes me a while to read a book, then I forget to renew and get a fine. One time I lost a set of DVD's and had to pay for them. I think that is the last time I borrowed anything from the library.

    Do you have access to digital books at your library?   I prefer real (paper) books, but have found that digital is a great option for the problem of forgetting to return or renew in time.   The books just go 'poof' when your time is up.    : )    Since we moved to new town, it's been more convenient for me to get books online rather than to physically go into the library.

    Also most Canadian libraries offer access to Kanopy too - movies, documentaries, series, etc.  All free.

    And at my library online books are good for 2 weeks. If I can't finish by then, I can turn off my wifi...they can't take it away from you if they can't get to it!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 09, 2022, 10:46:02 AM

    I am not a good library person. It takes me a while to read a book, then I forget to renew and get a fine. One time I lost a set of DVD's and had to pay for them. I think that is the last time I borrowed anything from the library.

    Do you have access to digital books at your library?   I prefer real (paper) books, but have found that digital is a great option for the problem of forgetting to return or renew in time.   The books just go 'poof' when your time is up.    : )    Since we moved to new town, it's been more convenient for me to get books online rather than to physically go into the library.

    Also most Canadian libraries offer access to Kanopy too - movies, documentaries, series, etc.  All free.

    And at my library online books are good for 2 weeks. If I can't finish by then, I can turn off my wifi...they can't take it away from you if they can't get to it!!

    Please don't do that. The library likely only has a set number of digital copies that they're allowed to loan out. If you're sitting on one, its the same as if you're sitting on the physical book.

    Either don't borrow books, remember to renew the book, pay the fines, or figure out how to finish the book within the allotted timeframe.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 09, 2022, 11:03:31 AM
    Please don't do that. The library likely only has a set number of digital copies that they're allowed to loan out. If you're sitting on one, its the same as if you're sitting on the physical book.

    This isn’t true at my library.  After 2 weeks, my book is auto-returned in the library system and is available to the next person.  I can continue to read the book on my e-reader with a few caveats: no Wi-Fi connection (which I never actually turn on), I can’t switch books, and I can’t let the reader shut itself off - otherwise it realizes it’s expired and blocks accesss.

    In fact, I often return my books right after I download them so that the next person gets it even sooner.



    And to bring this back to decluttering, I am also trying to get rid of physical books - I have a bunch from my library store from many years ago, and my goal is to get through maybe 3 of them this month and donate them right away.  I keep postponing my digital holds that come up until I’ve gotten some more books out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 09, 2022, 08:17:18 PM
    A couple of shirts out of winter storage and right into the donate bag.

    I've been opening holiday cards and immediately putting them on the mantel and the envelopes into the recycling, do not stop at the kitchen island, do not pile on the coffee table.

    Speaking of library books, our library no longer charges fines. Your checkout automatically renews until someone else requests it, then you get an email asking to please return it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JAYSLOL on December 09, 2022, 10:55:05 PM
    Took an entire car load of stuff to my local auction house today, glad to have it gone and even better I’ll get a cheque for some amount when it sells in a couple weeks
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 10, 2022, 08:34:54 AM
    I deleted a bunch of old duplicative photos from my comms devices and then un-liked some Facebook pages that I'm no longer nearby to support.  I also boldly chose to delete my Amz browsing history and to turn it off for future use. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 10, 2022, 05:27:57 PM
    A couple of shirts out of winter storage and right into the donate bag.

    I've been opening holiday cards and immediately putting them on the mantel and the envelopes into the recycling, do not stop at the kitchen island, do not pile on the coffee table.

    Speaking of library books, our library no longer charges fines. Your checkout automatically renews until someone else requests it, then you get an email asking to please return it.

    I used up 4 more of my Christmas card stash today (just about unlimited cards, lol). 

    Interesting about your library not having fines. My library dropped the fine for late DVDs from $1.00 per day to 20 cents per day, which surprised me.

    My guess is that they want to people to be very not afraid to check things out, since the lib gets tax $$$ partly based on how much stuff gets checked out. Just a guess.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 12, 2022, 03:43:04 PM
    Yesterday I decluttered/reorganised 3 shelves of my pantry. I've been meaning to do it for a while...I'm pleased with the result:  it improves the work flow quite a lot. And a small bag of clothing was donated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 12, 2022, 07:52:04 PM


    Speaking of library books, our library no longer charges fines. Your checkout automatically renews until someone else requests it, then you get an email asking to please return it.

    I used up 4 more of my Christmas card stash today (just about unlimited cards, lol). 

    Interesting about your library not having fines. My library dropped the fine for late DVDs from $1.00 per day to 20 cents per day, which surprised me.

    My guess is that they want to people to be very not afraid to check things out, since the lib gets tax $$$ partly based on how much stuff gets checked out. Just a guess.

    In 2021, the library system got a grant to cover fines for a year while they did a study about fines v. no fines. There was a huge jump in checkouts and people accessing library items in that year. They decided that since fines were less than 1% of the operating budget and created barriers to access, they did away with them. There are still fines for certain items like DVDs, etc. And if they request the book back and you don't return it for a set amount of time, you still get the price of the book charged to your account and will need to cover it or replace the book.

    In decluttering, I cleaned out under my kitchen sink. I put a small flowerpot into the donate bag and reorganized the cleaners.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on December 13, 2022, 06:41:22 AM
    I also requested a t-shirt recycling "kit" from Marine Layer for 3 t-shirts that didn't seem re-sell-able.

    I finally got my kit, and sent off 5 t-shirts for recycling yesterday.

    And to bring this back to decluttering, I am also trying to get rid of physical books - I have a bunch from my library store from many years ago, and my goal is to get through maybe 3 of them this month and donate them right away.

    1 book read and in the donation pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on December 13, 2022, 01:00:41 PM
    @NotJen - I just looked up Marine Layer! I hadn't heard of it and I definitely have some T shirts to donate!! Thank you!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 13, 2022, 11:13:58 PM
    Finally went through a backlog of mail and papers. A handful went into recycling, another into the shred folder. Some need to be kept until action is completed, and they are serving as a tangible to do list.  But the pile is smaller!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 14, 2022, 08:32:35 AM


    Speaking of library books, our library no longer charges fines. Your checkout automatically renews until someone else requests it, then you get an email asking to please return it.

    I used up 4 more of my Christmas card stash today (just about unlimited cards, lol). 

    Interesting about your library not having fines. My library dropped the fine for late DVDs from $1.00 per day to 20 cents per day, which surprised me.

    My guess is that they want to people to be very not afraid to check things out, since the lib gets tax $$$ partly based on how much stuff gets checked out. Just a guess.

    In 2021, the library system got a grant to cover fines for a year while they did a study about fines v. no fines. There was a huge jump in checkouts and people accessing library items in that year. They decided that since fines were less than 1% of the operating budget and created barriers to access, they did away with them. There are still fines for certain items like DVDs, etc. And if they request the book back and you don't return it for a set amount of time, you still get the price of the book charged to your account and will need to cover it or replace the book.

    In decluttering, I cleaned out under my kitchen sink. I put a small flowerpot into the donate bag and reorganized the cleaners.

    Very interesting about the fines study! Thanks for that info, okisok. 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 14, 2022, 08:37:02 AM
    Five more computer manuals into the recycling bin. About 5 pounds. And I donated their binders to the Salvation Army. They sell them for a buck each. 

    Decluttered my worry list by making a dreaded call to my credit union about some CDs I have there.  A relief. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on December 14, 2022, 02:40:41 PM
    Five more computer manuals into the recycling bin. About 5 pounds. And I donated their binders to the Salvation Army. They sell them for a buck each. 

    Decluttered my worry list by making a dreaded call to my credit union about some CDs I have there.  A relief.
    Great idea @slackmax !  I need to make a worry list of all my procrastinated tasks and then declutter it!

    Yesterday I took 3 boxes of misc bric-a brac to the donation centre. They've been sitting around for months and months. It feels  good to have them gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on December 15, 2022, 05:34:56 AM
    I'm decluttering one of the rooms and for whatever reason we had three backpacks we're not using and are very unlikely to use in the near (or far) future, so just put them up on the local Freecycle forum. There's much more to do but it's small victories that keep you motivated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 16, 2022, 06:36:59 PM
    Another shirt in the donate pile. It seems to live in the clean laundry basket. I took that as a sign that I didn't want to wear it or even put it in the dresser so out it goes.

    I recently lost a pet and finally feel ready to pass on the pet care items. I've got them gathered up and am researching a charity that would use them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 16, 2022, 06:40:48 PM
    I donated a few small bags of clothes to the thrift store this evening.  Most of it was sad flannel shirts that had started piling up.  I only have soft ones hanging in the closet now. 

    While doing other errands I donated to the church that hosts my knitting group some tubes of toothpaste and a bottle of couponed detergent.  I have been on a quest for effective desensitizing toothpaste that won’t discolor my teeth.  I may have found such a thing in nano hydroxyapatite toothpaste, fingers crossed. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 18, 2022, 09:42:52 AM
    -Sold a huge dresser that wasn't a fit for a room for $150. It took forever (it's super heavy & hard to move), but it's out of my foyer! I accepted a smaller offer just to get rid of it.
    -While making a water bottle for my son, I noticed two thermos containers tucked in the back of the "miscellaneous" pantry, which typically holds bottles of alcohol & water bottles. My teens get free lunch at school (which, they never eat), & haven't packed lunches since pre-COVID. My husband & I also work at a place with free lunches, so the Thermos containers hadn't been touched in at least five years. Put them on Buy Nothing, and had someone pick them up an hour later.
    -I always order two pair of new running shoes at this time of year, as they are cheapest. They last until the following year. This year's order came with a free phone holder. I have a different one that I prefer, so also listed that on Buy Nothing, and a neighbor stopped by to pick it up a few minutes later. She's gifting it to her daughter for Christmas. I love that it fulfills a wish, and will get used!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 18, 2022, 05:39:02 PM
    -Sold a huge dresser that wasn't a fit for a room for $150. It took forever (it's super heavy & hard to move), but it's out of my foyer! I accepted a smaller offer just to get rid of it.


    Congratulations on selling the furniture, and even getting over $100 for it! That's very hard to do around here.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 18, 2022, 07:14:32 PM
    -Sold a huge dresser that wasn't a fit for a room for $150. It took forever (it's super heavy & hard to move), but it's out of my foyer! I accepted a smaller offer just to get rid of it.


    Congratulations on selling the furniture, and even getting over $100 for it! That's very hard to do around here.

    It was Pottery Barn, which tends to draw more attention/interest.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 18, 2022, 08:29:16 PM
    Put the Xmas tree stand and the full donation bag in the car. I finally bought an artificial tree so I won't need a stand for a live one anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on December 19, 2022, 12:13:17 PM
    Gave away a cat fountain to a friend. My cats had lost interest in it, and my friend was happy to get it. Win-win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 20, 2022, 12:06:59 PM
    Mended a much-worn item before it became unwearable.

    Finally finished a frustrating sewing project that got derailed. It was supposed to be a thoughtful Christmas gift but had gotten so irritating that it was lying neglected in a corner. Decided to try one more thing to make it work and it *did* so it is now wrapped and under the tree. Bonus, it used up some of the last of a roll of gift paper so there's less to store. Double bonus, it was made of some sentimental fabric that has meaning to the recipient. It was in my fabric stash for ages until I could come up with what to make of it. Now the lid closes on my fabric bin and there's just enough gift wrap to get through next year so I don't need to get any at the after-holiday sales.

    Returned a pair of shoes that weren't quite right, before I wore them. The money is now back in my pocket instead of cluttering up my closet.

    I've mentally marked some items to sell on Marketplace. Posting to stay motivated to do it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 20, 2022, 05:39:16 PM
    I’ve packed up towels, a pot, some door hooks and misc kitchen things to take to our future house. This gets things out of our cupboards and also gives us things to use while we are staying there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 26, 2022, 02:21:53 AM
    Believe it or not, I decluttered on Christmas! Saw a relative who works with an organization to provide warm clothing to the homeless in winter, so gave her the grocery sack full of scarves and hats I've knit. Plus a random baby sweater, and she happens to know someone who just had a baby and would love to have a neon pink cardigan.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on December 26, 2022, 07:51:01 AM
    Believe it or not, I decluttered on Christmas! Saw a relative who works with an organization to provide warm clothing to the homeless in winter, so gave her the grocery sack full of scarves and hats I've knit. Plus a random baby sweater, and she happens to know someone who just had a baby and would love to have a neon pink cardigan.

    That's a wonderful gift.  Related to this, I've read where the reason the homeless cycle through so much clothing is due to the lack of free/inexpensive laundry facilities.  I'm just wishing there would be a solution to that which would enable them to keep usable clothing vs. having to toss items only because they've become too grimy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 26, 2022, 01:24:45 PM
    Believe it or not, I decluttered on Christmas! Saw a relative who works with an organization to provide warm clothing to the homeless in winter, so gave her the grocery sack full of scarves and hats I've knit. Plus a random baby sweater, and she happens to know someone who just had a baby and would love to have a neon pink cardigan.

    That's a wonderful gift.  Related to this, I've read where the reason the homeless cycle through so much clothing is due to the lack of free/inexpensive laundry facilities.  I'm just wishing there would be a solution to that which would enable them to keep usable clothing vs. having to toss items only because they've become too grimy.

    I have, very occasionally, heard of semi trailers outfitted with showers, barber or dental stations and laundry facilities, making the rounds in places like San Francisco and Oakland.

    I imagine it would be hard to carry a clean change of clothes around all the time, even if the facility and supplies were freely available. Along with whatever else one might feel the need to carry.

    It's a tough nut.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on December 26, 2022, 01:41:46 PM
    We have a charity here with washing machines in a van that does the rounds.

    I have two days off to sort the house before the New Year starts. Yesterday I had some hits and misses. Threw out some old holey undies and bagged up some clothing donations. Thought I'd given away a piece of furniture but the person never showed up. Improved some listings on eBay but I'm not even getting views. Sorted out the recycling that needs to be taken somewhere and it's in the car ready. Took everything out the spice shelf, cleaned it up, decanted bags into spice jars - nothing got chucked but it will be much easier to find stuff. I also looked up recipes to use up stuff. Was given a part of shorts and a pair of pants for Xmas but have no room for them...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 26, 2022, 02:11:34 PM
    I did a ton of Christmas baking this year - with a focus on using up ingredients from pantry and freezer. Some of the nuts from the freezer were from a late friend's freezer. Some were perfectly fine, others were just freezer tasting.  Into the compost!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: beekayworld on December 26, 2022, 04:26:28 PM


    Do you have access to digital books at your library?   I prefer real (paper) books, but have found that digital is a great option for the problem of forgetting to return or renew in time.   The books just go 'poof' when your time is up.    : )    Since we moved to new town, it's been more convenient for me to get books online rather than to physically go into the library.

    Also most Canadian libraries offer access to Kanopy too - movies, documentaries, series, etc.  All free.

    Also check and see if your library still charges late fees.  I JUST found out that my city library stopped charging late fees in 2019 and the county system stopped in 2021. 
    After 45 days/108 days the replacement fee is charged to your account but if you return the item the fee is removed.

    "more and many libraries around the country—and the world—are eliminating fines. "

    https://lacountylibrary.org/fine-free/#:~:text=August%2019%2C%202021-,We're%20Fine%20Free!,will%20no%20longer%20be%20charged.

    https://laist.com/news/los-angeles-public-library-ending-late-fees
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on December 27, 2022, 07:42:43 PM
    Dropped off the bag of donations and tree stand. It's become much easier since I found a donation bin at a local shopping center.

    I've sorted through the holiday gift detritus and made a bag for regifting at the next holiday event (divorced parents and late December birthdays stretch the season out for us). Most of the items I received are consumable so I'm very chuffed about that. DP apologized for not having a gift under the tree for me to unwrap and I could not reassure him fast enough that this situation is exactly what I want--no wrapping paper to discard, no awkward unwrapping in front of family, no useless geegaw that I'll toss in the donate bag as soon as I can decently do so.

    I identified some more holiday decor to donate. I thought I would eventually put it out but it was more suitable to my last place than my current home.

    Thanks to this challenge I was able to get through the holiday clearance section without buying any wrapping paper, tags, or bags. One roll of ribbon and one ornament for $4.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 29, 2022, 03:40:24 PM
    Completely cleared off the stairs. The right side half was completely cluttered with flea market stuff. Moved 80 % of it into basement. Recycled,  tossed or donated the other 20%.

    Then started on a corner in the kitchen. Moving a lot of it into other rooms. It's all kitchen stuff, but it is taking up too much room there. Will make a note of where I moved it, in case I ever need it. May never need or want it. When and if I do want it, I hope I remember where I noted its new location. I am noting it in a computer file I keep of 'everything'. I just go into this file and do a search search for what I want, and hope it is there, lol. 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 29, 2022, 06:36:57 PM
    @slackmax if there are kitchen things that you didn’t use or need or know you owned, would you consider getting rid of them instead of storing them in a different room and needing to track their location?

    High fives for clearing the stairs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 29, 2022, 07:05:58 PM
    I imagine that most anything you needed could be found at the flea market, and Slackmax you are very familiar with that space and the people who go there. So if you were to sell/donate those items, and later found that you needed something, you could easily find them or probably ask your contacts to help you find something.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 30, 2022, 08:25:30 AM
    Thanks, guys. My plan right now is to try to sell the kitchen stuff at the flea market this coming Spring when it reopens. I know, it will only get me a few bucks, but at least it is a plan.

    And I am patting myself on the back today, since I donated a few items that I might have been able to sell, just to get rid of them quickly.

    On a related note, a woman I am currently dating wanted to give me a whole kitchen table, perfectly functional,  that her friend is throwing out. I sort of wanted to say yes, to make her happy, but then I realized the table is not needed in my house, and would just be more clutter.  Proving I have the discipline to keep unneeded stuff out of my house.

    The woman says she will donate the table to a store that sells used furniture, called 'Restore'.   I suggested she just let nature takes its course, and let her friend throw it out, but she can't stand to see a usable table get tossed out.  So she will drive across town with the disassembled table in her SUV, to donate it.       

    What a world, lol. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 30, 2022, 12:13:50 PM
    Good job saying no to the table. That is a BIG thing to try to find a place for, especially when you don't need it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 30, 2022, 01:51:29 PM
    Good for you for saying no.

    Her getting it to a Restore is a great idea, someone will be glad to buy it and it raises some money for Habitat For Humanity.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 30, 2022, 09:44:27 PM
    Reduce, reuse, recycle. Donating for reuse is good!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 31, 2022, 11:47:42 AM
    I used up some of my cheerful stationery and adult coloring pages today.  That’s more crappola bric a brac off my too heavy bookshelf.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 01, 2023, 05:58:05 AM
    Went through my half of bathroom vanity. It is a beautiful site for tired or sleepy eyes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 01, 2023, 12:37:15 PM
    I started going through some of the stuff from my mom's house and grabbing random items collecting dust nearby. Going to stop now that I have filled my garbage bins.  There are 5 more hard boxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on January 01, 2023, 01:16:55 PM
    Went through my half of bathroom vanity. It is a beautiful site for tired or sleepy eyes.

    You inspired me, and I cleaned out a bathroom cabinet. So wonderful.  Now I know what's in there AND where it is.  I also know I won't need to buy bandaids for a long, long time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on January 01, 2023, 09:26:36 PM
    Great minds think alike!!! I went through our bathroom cabinets the other day. Consolidated, organized, dated some meds with a sharpie, threw away some packaging and got a better handle on what we have. Based off that process I used up the last of some older hair products. Not necessarily my favorite, but they're gone now and didn't go to waste.

    My local donation site is closed until 2/2. Its a free store and they take stuff that other charities would throw out. So I either have to hold onto stuff or be OK with donating things that may end up in the garbage.

    RIP to a favorite sleep shirt that suffered a bad fate. Rather than do something dumb and gross to try to salvage it, I threw it away. Also threw away some old work shoes since I'm between jobs right now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 02, 2023, 01:54:08 PM
    Recently got a new set of sheets that I like much better than an older set. I washed and dried the older set and posted them on Buy Nothing. Somehow I ended up with three sets of pillowcases with that set so the whole shebang is going out. I only need two sets of sheets so the least favorite it out.

    Cleaned out the bathroom cabinet as mentioned by others here on this thread. Only found one item to toss, so all the previous declutterings have held.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 02, 2023, 03:28:06 PM
    Today I tackled two drawers in the kitchen.  We no longer have an embarrassingly huge collection of bag clips, twist ties, straws, straw wrappers, menchies' plastic spoons and elastics.  I did not know we have 7 pairs of scissors in the kitchen.  But now we don't. 

    I also started working on the seed saving mess.  I save a lot of seeds all still on the plant stalks.  Such a mess now that they are all dry and brittle. And many are mysteries! I shall have to germinate several types as I have a lot of extra kale, bok choi, arugula, cabbage that I could share with the seed library.  They will probably want to know what it is! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 08, 2023, 08:32:43 PM
    The sheet set inspired a lot of BN interest and a lot of rigamarole and excuses and reschedulings and they're still on my porch. I'd much rather give them to someone directly than a charity to sell, but now I'll add them to the xmas decor I culled and will donate the whole lot.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on January 09, 2023, 09:12:57 AM
    DH did a pretty cutthroat cull of our kids' books. We're really focusing on utilizing the library, and we have a kindergartener (burgeoning early reader) on our hands, so a lot of the older baby books and ABC books didn't make the cut. (We do have a 3 year old, but they've beyond mastered the ABCs and will probably start reading independently earlier than their older sibling.) 

    Today, I have someone scheduled to pick up 1) an exercise bike that I received in a BN group and just didn't work for me and 2) a medicine cabinet that was here when we bought the house but does not work for the space. I'm working on selling a really solid, wood chair that we no longer need and giving away the kids' old books/toys. That + finally hanging some of our pictures will accomplish my Q1 "declutter" goals!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 09, 2023, 11:33:46 AM
    Back to listing things on Marketplace as I'm moving in 3 weeks.  Getting rid of nice things I'd like to keep but can't justify at this point.  I don't really want actual cash since I never use cash, but I'm going to make an effort to apply everything I get to moving expenses.

    Last week I sold a nice keyboard I haven't used since I switched exclusively to a laptop.

    Today I listed a heavy duty ladder my mom gave me when I bought my first house, an electric griddle that I use exclusively for making pancakes but can't justify keeping, a mandoline slicer I tried to sell before (I promise I'll donate this time if it doesn't sell), some decorative shelves, a broken laptop for parts, and heavy speaker/receiver equipment (I haven't wanted this for a while, but BF had it hooked up to his big tv).

    In the donate pile are various kitchen containers I haven't used in the apartment, some DVDs, a Christmas puzzle I completed, and an exercise ball.

    I'm sure there will be more...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 09, 2023, 01:04:15 PM
    Having spent the holidays in our future tiny house, I’m now looking around our current place and realising exactly how many things we need to declutter. Sheesh. This is going to be a busy year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 09, 2023, 05:17:02 PM
    I used up some more stationery.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 09, 2023, 07:39:15 PM
    Back to listing things on Marketplace as I'm moving in 3 weeks.  Getting rid of nice things I'd like to keep but can't justify at this point.  I don't really want actual cash since I never use cash, but I'm going to make an effort to apply everything I get to moving expenses.

    Good luck. 

    Every time I have moved I have done a major declutter first, and every time I find more stuff to declutter as I unpack.  It breeds in the moving truck, I swear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 09, 2023, 08:25:32 PM
    Found the last item of a set I wanted to donate.

    Getting some stationery out is a goal this week. I have several holiday thank yous to write and that will take care of a nice stack of cards.

    Trying to coordinate delivery of monstrously large exercise equipment that I was given. It takes up a ton of space and I don't need it anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on January 10, 2023, 08:53:55 AM
    Halfway through a very full drawer, threw out a bag of stuff, also coralling random plugs and cables that are drifting around the house that nobody seems to have ever used.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on January 10, 2023, 07:13:16 PM
    Found a box of very old camping equipment in the shed...most of it is no longer usable and is now in the rubbish bin awaiting collection.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 10, 2023, 08:05:42 PM
    The decluttering process is underway.
    - We've put out a box with various objects on the sidewalk in the hopes someone is interested in any of them. Our kitchen cupboards are marginally clearer now.
    - I'm going to try selling my cute sandals that need less-bricklike feet than I possess and if that doesn't work, then I'll donate them.
    - I've pulled out this season's clothes that I don't wear and they will be walked to the donation bin shortly. [Separate box needed for the winter gear that should go]. I'm being realistic about the condition of the items and binning things that are actually dead.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 13, 2023, 06:13:20 PM
    Someone picked up the sheet set I posted on BN, huzzah! One in one out. There were six pillow cases in the bag that went out so I'm net negative on bedding.

    I posted a dish set that I've been holding on to just in case. It's been months and my new dishes haven't disintegrated or spontaneously shattered all at once, so I can probably let them go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 13, 2023, 08:26:23 PM
    - A friend took some of the kitchen things we were going to donate - wooden salad bowls, small food processor etc.
    - A small bag of clothes was walked to the donation bin last night - exercise *and* decluttering!
    - Ofpym is downstairs selling his brewing equipment *right now*
    - I am about to take Honey for a walk and drop two books into a street library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on January 14, 2023, 02:04:04 PM
    DH did a pretty cutthroat cull of our kids' books. We're really focusing on utilizing the library, and we have a kindergartener (burgeoning early reader) on our hands, so a lot of the older baby books and ABC books didn't make the cut. (We do have a 3 year old, but they've beyond mastered the ABCs and will probably start reading independently earlier than their older sibling.) 

    Today, I have someone scheduled to pick up 1) an exercise bike that I received in a BN group and just didn't work for me and 2) a medicine cabinet that was here when we bought the house but does not work for the space. I'm working on selling a really solid, wood chair that we no longer need and giving away the kids' old books/toys. That + finally hanging some of our pictures will accomplish my Q1 "declutter" goals!

    Wood chair sold; now i'm working on selling our high chair that our kids have officially aged out of. (*sniff sniff*) I'm also discovering a surprising amount of space in our basement as these things move on! :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 14, 2023, 02:11:00 PM
    After the brewing equipment was sold, we took apart the shelves and then went on a bike ride to return the old beer growlers to the breweries we got them from. It was a great way to end a day - nice ride and more things out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 14, 2023, 03:28:40 PM
    I donated a vase, slippers, a couple tops, a knickknack,c and a book to the charity shop.  I returned 3 things to Amazon.  Just vacuumed the floors and feeling good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on January 14, 2023, 07:11:22 PM
    So, I had a realization!  I have read Marie Kondo's books several times and they motivated me to do some decluttering (actually a lot), but I never actually applied her methods.  I've been feeling stalled lately, knowing I have quite a bit more to get rid of, but somehow being stuck in getting items out the door.  I decided to try her precise method, and lo and behold, it worked for me.  I've been through my clothes and books - yet again, I somehow have hard time getting past these categories in any concerted way, and was able to bag up the following:

    -4 sweaters
    -5 shirts
    -2 pairs of socks
    -2 winter coats
    -2 pairs of sandals
    -1 sunhat
    -bunch of underwear
    -7 books
    -5 catalogues
    -2 plastic containers, 7 suit hangers and a box of fabric dye for good measure.

    I also emptied my bedroom closet of pillows and blankets that have now been moved into the spare room, as I am keeping these but don't want them in my closet.  When I get to the bedding category, they will all go into the linen closet which is currently full.  It's a weird L shape because the furnace chimney runs through it, so it's hard to arrange things in, but I'll try to pare it down enough to fit most things.

    I've been finding things to sell along the way, and these are stacked up in various rooms, which is not ideal, but I'd rather they were visible and in the way instead of hidden.  As rooms get emptier I hope to consolidate them all and list them all at once in the spring.

    I'm feeling a little more motivated now, but also a bit discouraged, because there's still more stuff than I realized.  And I'm not a shopper.  Where does it all come from?

    Some of this stuff has already gone, and more will leave the house on Tuesday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 14, 2023, 08:24:30 PM
    @SunnyDays there really is something about getting all the things in one category in the same place at the same time that helps me judge ‘which of these things do I truly love?’

    Today I took another 6 books to the street library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 15, 2023, 07:44:51 PM
    Bag of unneeded food and toiletry items which I did not purchase but still somehow ended up in my house was taken to a local food pantry, they have take-what-you-need-leave-what-you-can box by their door. Also returned some tupperware to my friend. Small, but this was causing major clutter problems on an important little table in my house. Will make my morning less stressful.

    Also returned a gutter downspout component to the store which I didn't need. $7 back and dining room table is cleared.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 16, 2023, 09:17:01 AM
    The drawer below the cutlery drawer is now purged of half its contents! The seed box is also purged of seeds that are too old and no longer germinate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 16, 2023, 10:03:24 AM
    There's been a lot of movement and motivation here!

    A friend cleaned out her closet and offered the culls via videochat so I could choose what I wanted. I cleaned out my closet to prep for new-to-me clothes. I also organized it back by clothing type--i had tried putting the newly washed items at the far right so I'd know that the items on the far left were unworn. But the long-sleeved were mixed with sleeveless, etc. Now there are categories with backwards hangers to mark the unworn.

    I also put a bunch of scarves in quarantine in the top of the closet. This has been an effective way for me to part with little-worn items in the past. If I decide I do want to start wearing scarves again, they are packed away and not given away. But they aren't front and center in the closet when I'm not really wearing them anymore. It will most likely be that I don't pull a single one out and I can donate the lot in six months. One scarf didn't survive the wash so that decision was made for me! And it went straight to the trash and not into the 'maybe I can make something else out of this' pile.

    Tossed two promo face masks. I saved one that I really like and my job has tons if I need more.

    I finally finished a furniture project! The chair and the detritus are out of the corner and turned into useful items. Scraps are tossed and now I have a beautiful, comfortable office chair instead of a nagging sense of guilt in that room.

    Handmade birthday gift is with the recipient and another pile of materials is out of my house. Alas, the scrap pile did grow a bit.

    I mended a shirt, darned a pair of socks, and got some other small sewing projects off the desk and back into the clothing rotation. Today I'm going to finish a simple project that will get some more fabric and notions out of the sewing dump and into the world where it will be useful.

    Order of organizational items came and they actually worked in the space! Promptly organized the bathroom  drawers and put the shelf together. All packaging went straight to outside bins, no sitting around in a corner for months.

    But my xmas tree and decorations are still out. Ugh, I really need to break all that down. Maybe I'll find some more items I can part with...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 16, 2023, 10:16:15 AM
    I went through my bag of gift bags, chose a few to keep, but mostly separated out bags/boxes that are sturdy enough to donate, and some to trash.

    Threw away 3 container tops to containers I definitely no longer have.  I will not keep any mismatched tops when I move, but haven't gone through it all yet.

    Shredded all my to-shred documents.  I try once a year to take them to a mass shred event, but missed last year.

    Hit a wall with selling on Marketplace - made $370 on the broken computer, ladder, griddle, and half the audio equipment.  Not much interest in the rest of the audio equipment, shelves, chairs, or kitchen stuff, but I'll leave it up and keep dropping prices to see what I can get out of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 16, 2023, 03:55:52 PM
    After some deep cleaning and deep reflection, I found some more stuff to get out:

    Trashed a single sock
    Packed up the extra set of dishes to donate. Cleaned out the linen storage and used them for packing material. Then got a box of useful family heirlooms out of the living room floor and onto that shelf.
    Dropped off some canned goods to the free giving box
    Took down the holiday door wreath and put it straight in the donation box
    Cleaned out fridge and got all the veggie matter into the compost
    Found another sweater to donate
    Put a pair of holiday pjs in the donate box
    Put item a coworker wants into the car
    Tossed a hammock that was past safe use
    Tossed a small appliance that wasn't working great. I got a replacement as a gift so no need for subpar performance
    Cleaned up the spare room closet and put two boxes in recycling and used a bag for trash
     
    Tasks:

    Hung up a picture that has been leaning against the wall for months
    Scheduled installation of a ceiling fan that has been sitting on the floor
    Got on ThredUp to order a clean-out bag, saw they now charge $14.99 for the privilege of sending your clothes, logged out and put those clothes in the donate box.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 16, 2023, 06:03:30 PM
    I went through my bill box/mail area today.  It felt good.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on January 16, 2023, 07:50:14 PM
    Electronic recycling today, then returned an Amazon order that didn’t work, plus some buy nothing items out the door makes for a happy Weisass
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on January 16, 2023, 08:35:56 PM
    Found local glass and can recycling (separate locations) so I don't have to pack those items up to drive to the next city. Dropped off paper recycling in another city on a trip. I'm working on getting all cardboard out of the home and into large labeled bins (still a major work in progress).

    Working on using up travel toothpastes, tossed a couple kid socks. Returned an extra box of swiffer pads (somehow we have 3 open boxes). Collected all feed and pellet fuel bags in a convenient location so they can be used as garbage bags next. Moved some heavy full items of these types to their correct locations instead of the garage.

    Spent some good time in the garage on Friday. Headed back out there tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GardenBaker on January 17, 2023, 07:59:04 AM
    Sold an old robot vacuum for parts and 2 items of clothing that no longer fit. Three things going to the post office today and out of my house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on January 17, 2023, 08:13:45 AM

    ... And it went straight to the trash and not into the 'maybe I can make something else out of this' pile.


    Oh, you mean this is possible?

    I need help in this precise area...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on January 17, 2023, 10:08:25 AM
    Got someone else's order from Amazon.  They said not to bother returning it, but what am I supposed to do with 12 kid's hairbrushes.  I found a local teacher who wanted them for her treasure box.  Had her meet me at Walmart during the time I was already going to be there to pick up my grocery order. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 17, 2023, 03:15:20 PM
    Got someone else's order from Amazon.  They said not to bother returning it, but what am I supposed to do with 12 kid's hairbrushes.  I found a local teacher who wanted them for her treasure box.  Had her meet me at Walmart during the time I was already going to be there to pick up my grocery order.

    I love this! I had something similar happen with an eBay item that was clearly a gift. We tried to reach out to the seller (it was oddly addressed to us, with our address, though) & came up empty. Just gave it away on BN, and the person was thrilled.

    I put a pair of pants I'll never wear into my donation pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on January 17, 2023, 06:12:38 PM
    Got someone else's order from Amazon.  They said not to bother returning it, but what am I supposed to do with 12 kid's hairbrushes.  I found a local teacher who wanted them for her treasure box.  Had her meet me at Walmart during the time I was already going to be there to pick up my grocery order.

    I love this! I had something similar happen with an eBay item that was clearly a gift. We tried to reach out to the seller (it was oddly addressed to us, with our address, though) & came up empty. Just gave it away on BN, and the person was thrilled.

    I put a pair of pants I'll never wear into my donation pile.

    Did someone maybe buy you the gift via eBay? It's the only explanation I can think of. eBay isn't really set up for gifts so not a great idea unless someone wants to be an anonymous gifter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 18, 2023, 06:23:21 AM
    Dropped a trunk-full of items off at Goodwill yesterday.  Sold the rest of the audio equipment (whew), and have some interest in the picture frames I posted yesterday.  Still trying to convince myself to cull my picture frame collection further.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 18, 2023, 06:57:38 AM
    @Fresh Bread - the package was addressed to my husband, and it was a charm bracelet with several charms. So... I can't imagine it was a gift for him. ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 18, 2023, 01:18:09 PM
    @Fresh Bread - the package was addressed to my husband, and it was a charm bracelet with several charms. So... I can't imagine it was a gift for him. ;-)
    He might want to feel pretty? who can say.

    Today's decluttering is taking Yet More Books to a street library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on January 20, 2023, 08:33:08 AM
    Got someone else's order from Amazon.  They said not to bother returning it, but what am I supposed to do with 12 kid's hairbrushes.  I found a local teacher who wanted them for her treasure box.  Had her meet me at Walmart during the time I was already going to be there to pick up my grocery order.

    I love this! I had something similar happen with an eBay item that was clearly a gift. We tried to reach out to the seller (it was oddly addressed to us, with our address, though) & came up empty. Just gave it away on BN, and the person was thrilled.

    I put a pair of pants I'll never wear into my donation pile.

    Wayfair erroneously sent me a vessel sink one time. After spending a lot of time on the phone with them, they said they didn't want it back. It was quite nice, but I didn't have any use for it. I sold it for $100.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on January 20, 2023, 01:29:51 PM
    Posted an old TV antenna to our BN and have a PU arranged for tomorrow. As part of organizing that, I went through our old "cords, wires, chargers, etc." box and cleared out things we didn't need anymore. A few items were moved so they weren't collecting dust in a box and could actually be used, a few older items were thrown out as we no longer had the electronics they went to.

    Added a pair of kids pants to our textile recycling bag, and two baby books to the "hand me down" bag to be passed along to my BIL and his wife, who are expecting their first in the coming weeks.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 20, 2023, 01:38:09 PM
    I’ve (finally!) cut apart an old top of mine to draft a pattern from and then that will become rags.
    One of our cast iron pans is going to the other house with a boy and he’ll also get another two when he moves out of home/we move to NZ.
    This morning’s walk is dropping some more graphic novels at an emptyish street library.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on January 20, 2023, 07:34:50 PM
    More books put the door to a teacher who will use them in her classroom. This feels good :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 20, 2023, 08:01:36 PM
    Finished a book last night that I won't read again. It's by the door to take to the free library.

    Got a new pair of lounge pants, so took out two pairs with an uncomfortable waistband and put in the donate pile.

    Electrician comes tomorrow to hang a light fixture. That will be one task off the list and one box out of the living room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on January 20, 2023, 08:04:29 PM
    Went through DD’s toy shelf this morning and threw away three bags of trash and broken toys. We also now have two boxes of random puzzles and toys to give away. Our compound may hold a compound-wide yard sale when the weather warms up, so the plan is to fill up several boxes with stuff we don’t want, and put it in our lobby with a “FREE” sign.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 21, 2023, 09:33:47 AM
    My son was very into looming hats for the homeless during COVID. He's now super busy with sports & activities, and hasn't loomed in over a year. Gave away the loom & remaining hats to our neighbor who runs the looming group (and coordinates with the shelters). Gave away all of the yarn to a neighbor on BN, who was starting a knitting group at the local elementary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on January 21, 2023, 10:21:57 AM
    I finally have something to contribute here!

    When we bought our house, we got a bunch of furniture along with it (not our idea... was left by previous owners). Including a desk with empty cavities where drawers used to be, and a health rider exercise ...equipment.

    It's been over a year, but finally this week we threw out the old desk, and then left the health rider on the curb... and someone picked it up. Yay! Maybe someone wanted to use it or maybe it was a scrapper, but in any case, it went on to a new use, and we regained some good floor space.

    Now to figure out if we donate the old hollow core doors to the ReStore or if we should just throw them out...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on January 21, 2023, 03:12:22 PM
    I finally have something to contribute here!

    When we bought our house, we got a bunch of furniture along with it (not our idea... was left by previous owners). Including a desk with empty cavities where drawers used to be, and a health rider exercise ...equipment.

    It's been over a year, but finally this week we threw out the old desk, and then left the health rider on the curb... and someone picked it up. Yay! Maybe someone wanted to use it or maybe it was a scrapper, but in any case, it went on to a new use, and we regained some good floor space.

    Now to figure out if we donate the old hollow core doors to the ReStore or if we should just throw them out...

    Ugh, I feel this hard. When we bought our house in 2021, we loaded up the car so we could take over a load of stuff, mostly cleaning-related, right after close. We opened the garage door to... a FULL garage of leftover stuff the former owners left (things we told at our final walk through had been promised to neighbors - turns out they had no idea what we were talking about). This included an 8'x4' L-shaped desk and a 5'x5' farmhouse window - stuff that would have been VERY pricy to have picked up by our local trash collection. It took some time, but we eventually were able to clean it all out: trash what needed to be trashed and pass along to others things that were worthwhile. I think from the whole garage we kept a Christmas tree (stored in the garage eaves) and an doll-sized umbrella stroller for my kids. We made about $40 off what we were able to hawk, but I would've rather not had the stress of it all.

    Good on you for finally being done and rid of it all - I know it's just one more headache on all those headaches that come with settling into a new home.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 22, 2023, 09:23:37 AM
    Dropped a trunk-full of items off at Goodwill yesterday.  Sold the rest of the audio equipment (whew), and have some interest in the picture frames I posted yesterday.  Still trying to convince myself to cull my picture frame collection further.

    Another load dropped off at Goodwill today.  I started packing and had a strong desire to throw everything away instead of pack it!

    So far, I've sold 12 picture frames, donated 8, and have 7 still up for sale (might add a few more).  It's a drop in the bucket, but still helpful.


    Ugh, I feel this hard. When we bought our house in 2021, we loaded up the car so we could take over a load of stuff, mostly cleaning-related, right after close. We opened the garage door to... a FULL garage of leftover stuff the former owners left (things we told at our final walk through had been promised to neighbors - turns out they had no idea what we were talking about).

    That's awful!  Now it makes sense why the buyer's realtor commended me on how clean the house was at closing.  I mean, I did work hard to get everything basically clean (no way was it 'sparkling'), but I absolutely removed all the stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 22, 2023, 06:13:32 PM
    -Went through a drawer in the bathroom, and cleaned out a bunch of junk.
    -Found a pair of workout pants to sell (new, a gift)
    -Found three (new) items to post on Buy Nothing, from another bathroom drawer cleanout.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on January 22, 2023, 06:46:47 PM
    Had a trip to our old farm a few weeks ago where we cleared out 4 trailer loads of rubbish and stuff we just don't and won't ever use.  All gone, so now we can put everything in cupboards and keep the mice out. 

    When we got home we looked around and hired a trailer...

    2 more loads to the tip.  Lots of things that had been put "behind the shed" or "under the house" because they were too big to get out at the time.  My wife got the cleaning bug and cleaned out files and files of paper that she never looks at.  We have extra space and much less clutter.  I'm very happy now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 22, 2023, 08:42:55 PM
    I finally have something to contribute here!

    When we bought our house, we got a bunch of furniture along with it (not our idea... was left by previous owners). Including a desk with empty cavities where drawers used to be, and a health rider exercise ...equipment.

    It's been over a year, but finally this week we threw out the old desk, and then left the health rider on the curb... and someone picked it up. Yay! Maybe someone wanted to use it or maybe it was a scrapper, but in any case, it went on to a new use, and we regained some good floor space.

    Now to figure out if we donate the old hollow core doors to the ReStore or if we should just throw them out...

    Ugh, I feel this hard. When we bought our house in 2021, we loaded up the car so we could take over a load of stuff, mostly cleaning-related, right after close. We opened the garage door to... a FULL garage of leftover stuff the former owners left (things we told at our final walk through had been promised to neighbors - turns out they had no idea what we were talking about). This included an 8'x4' L-shaped desk and a 5'x5' farmhouse window - stuff that would have been VERY pricy to have picked up by our local trash collection. It took some time, but we eventually were able to clean it all out: trash what needed to be trashed and pass along to others things that were worthwhile. I think from the whole garage we kept a Christmas tree (stored in the garage eaves) and an doll-sized umbrella stroller for my kids. We made about $40 off what we were able to hawk, but I would've rather not had the stress of it all.

    Good on you for finally being done and rid of it all - I know it's just one more headache on all those headaches that come with settling into a new home.

    Not much left at my house when I took possession, the most notable item was the boxed wedding dress. I messaged my realtor, who messaged the seller's realtor and someone came and got that one. There were a few other items which I tossed. But the trash area in the alley was FULL FULL FULL, and I just added to it from moving in. Felt bad for the garbage people that week.

    My parent's house had more left, but not excessive. That was a deceased estate. There was a still a ton that was thrown out, but that was due to renovations. The garbage people I'm sure dreaded that stop for a while, because every week we were putting stuff out and it changed week to week. But there's actually a some things still left in the garage to go away, and I will eventually get my act together to deal with it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on January 23, 2023, 08:25:42 AM
    cleaned out guest room closet.  DS agreed to throw away some outgrown toys and boxed up some favorites that are no longer played with, but not ready to part with.  Have some decorative items, toys and school supplies to list on BNG.  Reorganized closet and dresser and now have a much more inviting usable space.

    There is a funny intersection of minimalism and environmental conservationism that I struggle with.  I like to have fewer items and despise clutter, but I also struggle with "waste" and want to get the full use of items.  I try to repurpose or donate to someone who will actually use things instead of dropping at Salvation Army because I feel like it is just another dumpster and so much winds up in trash anyway.
    Anyone else?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 23, 2023, 12:11:27 PM
    @Josiecat23503 - I struggle with this as well. The two things I try to do to offset this. 1) Don't let things in our house that I'll want to be rid of quickly. Even if it's free, a gift, etc. 2) Try to find the right "match" vs tossing. I use eBay, Buy Nothing, and Goodwill donations, but try to find the right path for stuff. Ebay is good for niche items. Buy Nothing is great for functional or mass market usage. Goodwill is my last stop, if no one wants on Buy Nothing, but the item is still high quality & usable. In that way, I try to avoid waste as much as possible, but it's definitely not perfect.

    As for myself:
    -Listed four items on eBay, after a long break
    -Listed about 15 items on Buy Nothing
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 23, 2023, 02:21:57 PM
    Worked on seed starting zone. There is a lot of junk - literal garbage, making finding the tools I use for gardening impossible to see.  It was a nasty bit of de-cluttering and not entirely done as I had to wash out the tool boxes.  I now have consolidated like with like, composted the compost-ables, recycled so much cardboard and pitched the beyond repair items. All the empty seed packets, sharpies, empty bug spray, bits of string, wire and plant tags are sorted. There are a few items added to the donate pile in the garage.

    All the useable gardening gloves have been washed.  All the holey ones are gone.

    The extra seeds I collected that are identified and germinated successfully are being packed up for donation. Only three remaining mystery seeds to identify.  Their first set of true leaves could be Chinese cabbage, arugula, radish or tatsoi.  A few more days and I should be able to safely label them.

    This is just excellent progress.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 23, 2023, 02:33:50 PM
    Well done, Frugal Lizard! That sounds like great work.

    While I was listening to an all company meeting, I cleaned out our "paperwork" tray. Recycled about 3/4 of it, filed away a few important papers, and found a few gift cards/credits that I'll research & see if they still have value, or if I've already used them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on January 23, 2023, 03:17:56 PM
    Worked on seed starting zone. There is a lot of junk - literal garbage, making finding the tools I use for gardening impossible to see.  It was a nasty bit of de-cluttering and not entirely done as I had to wash out the tool boxes.  I now have consolidated like with like, composted the compost-ables, recycled so much cardboard and pitched the beyond repair items. All the empty seed packets, sharpies, empty bug spray, bits of string, wire and plant tags are sorted. There are a few items added to the donate pile in the garage.

    All the useable gardening gloves have been washed.  All the holey ones are gone.

    The extra seeds I collected that are identified and germinated successfully are being packed up for donation. Only three remaining mystery seeds to identify.  Their first set of true leaves could be Chinese cabbage, arugula, radish or tatsoi.  A few more days and I should be able to safely label them.

    This is just excellent progress.
    You are my hero. You are basically doing the task that I am least excited about doing in my own house. Cheers!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 23, 2023, 03:55:59 PM
    Worked on seed starting zone. There is a lot of junk - literal garbage, making finding the tools I use for gardening impossible to see.  It was a nasty bit of de-cluttering and not entirely done as I had to wash out the tool boxes.  I now have consolidated like with like, composted the compost-ables, recycled so much cardboard and pitched the beyond repair items. All the empty seed packets, sharpies, empty bug spray, bits of string, wire and plant tags are sorted. There are a few items added to the donate pile in the garage.

    All the useable gardening gloves have been washed.  All the holey ones are gone.

    The extra seeds I collected that are identified and germinated successfully are being packed up for donation. Only three remaining mystery seeds to identify.  Their first set of true leaves could be Chinese cabbage, arugula, radish or tatsoi.  A few more days and I should be able to safely label them.

    This is just excellent progress.
    You are my hero. You are basically doing the task that I am least excited about doing in my own house. Cheers!
    Thanks so much. My husband was not appropriately impressed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 23, 2023, 04:37:51 PM
    Worked on seed starting zone. There is a lot of junk - literal garbage, making finding the tools I use for gardening impossible to see.  It was a nasty bit of de-cluttering and not entirely done as I had to wash out the tool boxes.  I now have consolidated like with like, composted the compost-ables, recycled so much cardboard and pitched the beyond repair items. All the empty seed packets, sharpies, empty bug spray, bits of string, wire and plant tags are sorted. There are a few items added to the donate pile in the garage.

    All the useable gardening gloves have been washed.  All the holey ones are gone.

    The extra seeds I collected that are identified and germinated successfully are being packed up for donation. Only three remaining mystery seeds to identify.  Their first set of true leaves could be Chinese cabbage, arugula, radish or tatsoi.  A few more days and I should be able to safely label them.

    This is just excellent progress.
    You are my hero. You are basically doing the task that I am least excited about doing in my own house. Cheers!
    Thanks so much. My husband was not appropriately impressed.

    I'm impressed.  That is a lot of work, and a lot of decision making.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on January 23, 2023, 05:57:57 PM
    4 boxes of stuff left the premises today :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on January 23, 2023, 09:29:50 PM
    Worked on seed starting zone. There is a lot of junk - literal garbage, making finding the tools I use for gardening impossible to see.  It was a nasty bit of de-cluttering and not entirely done as I had to wash out the tool boxes.  I now have consolidated like with like, composted the compost-ables, recycled so much cardboard and pitched the beyond repair items. All the empty seed packets, sharpies, empty bug spray, bits of string, wire and plant tags are sorted. There are a few items added to the donate pile in the garage.

    All the useable gardening gloves have been washed.  All the holey ones are gone.

    The extra seeds I collected that are identified and germinated successfully are being packed up for donation. Only three remaining mystery seeds to identify.  Their first set of true leaves could be Chinese cabbage, arugula, radish or tatsoi.  A few more days and I should be able to safely label them.

    This is just excellent progress.
    You are my hero. You are basically doing the task that I am least excited about doing in my own house. Cheers!
    Thanks so much. My husband was not appropriately impressed.

    I'm impressed.  That is a lot of work, and a lot of decision making.

    +1!!!  And husbands are silly sometimes...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 24, 2023, 03:19:43 PM
    DP decided to organize the shed and garage this weekend. All on his own, no prompting or dropped hints. He bought a shelf and started purging the trash to make room for the shelf that would hold useful items. We completely filled the wheelie bins! Some books went to the little library but he mostly trashed/recycled items.

    I'm so proud of him. He spent most of the day doing thoughtful decluttering and organizing. He was so happy to find some items he thought he lost and didn't get down on himself for the mess. I managed to be supportive without nagging or strongly suggesting. I was the runner who followed the Dana White advise to 'take it there now'. We didn't make 'trash' 'donate' 'keep' piles--if it was trash it went straight in the bin we pulled up to the door. If it was donate, it went to the car. If it was keep, it went straight to where he would look for that item. He was able to make decisions so much more quickly than when we started 5 years ago. He also was able to declutter so many items he had previously thought he'd keep. The books were huge--normally he never gets rid of them and 6 went out!

    On Sunday evening, I took two boxes and a bag to family members, took useful/new items to the little 'help yourself' box, and a trunk full of donations. All of the holiday decorations boxes went into the attic and out of the garage floor. He is over the moon and so am I!

    Happily, today was trash day so he can go purge some more! He really only stopped because we ran out of trash space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on January 24, 2023, 03:59:40 PM
    DP decided to organize the shed and garage this weekend. All on his own, no prompting or dropped hints. He bought a shelf and started purging the trash to make room for the shelf that would hold useful items. We completely filled the wheelie bins! Some books went to the little library but he mostly trashed/recycled items.

    I'm so proud of him. He spent most of the day doing thoughtful decluttering and organizing. He was so happy to find some items he thought he lost and didn't get down on himself for the mess. I managed to be supportive without nagging or strongly suggesting. I was the runner who followed the Dana White advise to 'take it there now'. We didn't make 'trash' 'donate' 'keep' piles--if it was trash it went straight in the bin we pulled up to the door. If it was donate, it went to the car. If it was keep, it went straight to where he would look for that item. He was able to make decisions so much more quickly than when we started 5 years ago. He also was able to declutter so many items he had previously thought he'd keep. The books were huge--normally he never gets rid of them and 6 went out!

    On Sunday evening, I took two boxes and a bag to family members, took useful/new items to the little 'help yourself' box, and a trunk full of donations. All of the holiday decorations boxes went into the attic and out of the garage floor. He is over the moon and so am I!

    Happily, today was trash day so he can go purge some more! He really only stopped because we ran out of trash space.
    This is awesome! My own spouse does better with cleaning up when they see momentum building. It’s a good feeling,
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 24, 2023, 05:15:05 PM
    Woohoo @okisok that's brilliant stuff! I *love* the take it there now approach and find it super useful. A small amount gone for good is better than a big pile of 'got to get rid of'.

    Today I came home from a walk and saw that my husband had put out all the beer bottles from his old brewing hobby for recycling. If someone takes them in the meantime, more power to them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 24, 2023, 05:23:23 PM
    -Got a bunch of BN stuff out of the house.
    -Found a few more items to list on eBay
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 24, 2023, 06:31:15 PM
    Woohoo @okisok that's brilliant stuff! I *love* the take it there now approach and find it super useful. A small amount gone for good is better than a big pile of 'got to get rid of'.

    Today I came home from a walk and saw that my husband had put out all the beer bottles from his old brewing hobby for recycling. If someone takes them in the meantime, more power to them.

    I've watched several of Dana's youtube videos and it's her take on no mess decluttering. If you get interrupted or lose momentum, you're always at a natural stopping point. There aren't piles for 'take upstairs' or 'donate' or huge piles of stuff you pulled out of a cabinet. The space always looks better than when you started.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgPzjWyVwH0

    Good on your hubby!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 24, 2023, 07:12:28 PM
    Woohoo @okisok that's brilliant stuff! I *love* the take it there now approach and find it super useful. A small amount gone for good is better than a big pile of 'got to get rid of'.

    Today I came home from a walk and saw that my husband had put out all the beer bottles from his old brewing hobby for recycling. If someone takes them in the meantime, more power to them.

    I've watched several of Dana's youtube videos and it's her take on no mess decluttering. If you get interrupted or lose momentum, you're always at a natural stopping point. There aren't piles for 'take upstairs' or 'donate' or huge piles of stuff you pulled out of a cabinet. The space always looks better than when you started.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgPzjWyVwH0

    Good on your hubby!

    Dana is the best, and I've read and watched several over the years.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 25, 2023, 04:15:36 AM
    I threw out some old bottles of eye drops that were living in my fridge’s butter compartment since 2017. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on January 25, 2023, 04:35:48 PM
    I did a pantry clearing of second-tier preference foods, eating some myself instead of buying new stuff and giving away others on Buy Nothing. I found it especially works well taking snacks to in-person work days because then I have no alternative food on hand to eat, and thus responsible planning draco44 from the previous night wins the "what to eat" battle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on January 26, 2023, 02:00:02 PM
    Woohoo @okisok that's brilliant stuff! I *love* the take it there now approach and find it super useful. A small amount gone for good is better than a big pile of 'got to get rid of'.

    Today I came home from a walk and saw that my husband had put out all the beer bottles from his old brewing hobby for recycling. If someone takes them in the meantime, more power to them.

    I've watched several of Dana's youtube videos and it's her take on no mess decluttering. If you get interrupted or lose momentum, you're always at a natural stopping point. There aren't piles for 'take upstairs' or 'donate' or huge piles of stuff you pulled out of a cabinet. The space always looks better than when you started.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgPzjWyVwH0

    Good on your hubby!

    Dana is the best, and I've read and watched several over the years.

    OMG this is life changing. I watched 3 videos and tried out the principles this morning. I love how its all about "do whatever levels you can right now" and that its done in a way that you're never making a mess...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on January 28, 2023, 06:42:56 AM
    When I put the Christmas stuff away I culled a bunch of items that didn't get used and put them in the donate box. I am also donating a ride on toy car that my grand children didn't play with this last visit. When the weather warms up again I will take this stuff to the thrift store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 28, 2023, 07:52:53 AM
    4 more boxes out of the house. One was straight up garbage. I am actually a tad embarrassed by my house keeping.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 28, 2023, 12:38:46 PM
    Very small victory- my friend stayed on her way back from Portugal and since she had flown from cold weather to Sydney at its humid finest I was pleased that a pair of loose linen pants I was going to donate were the perfect size and drapiness for her. She also took the bar of fancy scented soap that triggers my dermatitis. It felt like we both won.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 28, 2023, 01:20:56 PM
    All of my BN items have now been picked up, which is always good. There is one frequent person in our group who is both voracious about being the first to reply & ask for almost anything, and she's flaky on pick up. She lives on my street, so could not be closer, but I often have to remind her to pick up.

    I also listed an additional set of place mats. I picked them up, thinking we might want another option, but they are not a kind we will use. We need washable place mats.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on January 28, 2023, 07:02:57 PM
    Tackled the linen closet and my bedside cedar chest. Got 4 grocery bags of random sheets, pillow cases and kitchen towels. Did my closet and got another 4 grocery bags of clothing. Also have an overflowing box of random items that I've found in bins and closets. They're all waiting to be packed up for when the free store opens on Thurs.

    Organized my gift bags so all the Christmas ones are with the Christmas stuff instead of with the general wrapping supplies. I've been so annoyed with looking for a birthday bag and only ever finding holiday ones!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: NotJen on January 28, 2023, 07:10:34 PM
    3rd trunk full of items to the donation center - mostly things that didn't sell on Marketplace (I made $565 to offset my moving costs, so not bad).  OF COURSE, I forgot 3 things that were on the counter in the kitchen, so I might need to make yet another trip before I leave town.  And after I try to pack up my car tomorrow, who knows what kind of hard decisions I'll have to make!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JAYSLOL on January 29, 2023, 12:15:28 AM
    All of my BN items have now been picked up, which is always good. There is one frequent person in our group who is both voracious about being the first to reply & ask for almost anything, and she's flaky on pick up. She lives on my street, so could not be closer, but I often have to remind her to pick up.


    Probably a 90% chance this person is a hoarder, the other 10% chance being they resell stuff.  Can’t you list the free things as “first come, first served”?   FB buy and sell groups are great sometimes and a huge pain other times with some real mental cases with nothing better to do than cause trouble in groups and take advantage of others. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 29, 2023, 09:29:20 AM
    All of my BN items have now been picked up, which is always good. There is one frequent person in our group who is both voracious about being the first to reply & ask for almost anything, and she's flaky on pick up. She lives on my street, so could not be closer, but I often have to remind her to pick up.


    Probably a 90% chance this person is a hoarder, the other 10% chance being they resell stuff.  Can’t you list the free things as “first come, first served”?   FB buy and sell groups are great sometimes and a huge pain other times with some real mental cases with nothing better to do than cause trouble in groups and take advantage of others.

    We live in a VHCOL area, so it's unusual for someone in our group to truly need things. I think she's a bit of a hoarder, and also someone who lives with a bunch of people of varying needs. I don't think they have a lot of money, and she rarely passes things on to the group (also unusual in our group). Most people give a lot away, even if they pick things up from others. She's my last resort. I only give to her if no one else wants it. I don't know enough about her own situation to be sure, and it's really not my business. I'd prefer it not go to the landfill, so if she says she can use it, I give it to her.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 29, 2023, 04:22:42 PM
    Woohoo @okisok that's brilliant stuff! I *love* the take it there now approach and find it super useful. A small amount gone for good is better than a big pile of 'got to get rid of'.

    Today I came home from a walk and saw that my husband had put out all the beer bottles from his old brewing hobby for recycling. If someone takes them in the meantime, more power to them.

    I've watched several of Dana's youtube videos and it's her take on no mess decluttering. If you get interrupted or lose momentum, you're always at a natural stopping point. There aren't piles for 'take upstairs' or 'donate' or huge piles of stuff you pulled out of a cabinet. The space always looks better than when you started.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgPzjWyVwH0

    Good on your hubby!

    Dana is the best, and I've read and watched several over the years.

    OMG this is life changing. I watched 3 videos and tried out the principles this morning. I love how its all about "do whatever levels you can right now" and that its done in a way that you're never making a mess...

    I'm so glad you found her channel! It really is the MOST helpful decluttering method, especially if you tend to get daunted or interrupted. Even if you only spend a few minutes, the space always looks better than it did when you started!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on January 29, 2023, 04:31:42 PM
    Threw away expensive makeup Youtube convinced me to buy. It wasn't one whit better than my drugstore stuff that is 1/8th of the price. Trashed the cosmetic and the regrets.

    Finally got the holiday items up in the attic. I was having a mental block about getting it done. I sat myself down to think it out, figured out what was wrong, worked through it, and put the stuff away. I gave myself permission to NOT put it away, but my goal was to figure out why I didn't want to. Both goals accomplished. (Full disclosure--I wrapped the tree and put it away still decorated. I love the way it turned out this year and I don't enjoy the process as much as the finished product. We'll see how that goes for next year.)

    Since I did get rid of some holiday items earlier, I had one empty bin I was able to repurpose in my reorganized office. Now to cull the items in the bin until I can close the lid...

    Yet another clothing item mended. One in progress, one more to go.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 30, 2023, 07:32:07 AM
    Some tupperware containers that are not mine but ended up in my cupboard returned.

    Trying to decide about the cases of wet food that I have in the utility room. Originally purchased for Elrond and Arwen who were senior kitties, I now have kittens. I already donated the specifically senior food to the animal shelter but had kept the general adult food. The kittens will be on kitten food for the next 7 months, and even once they switch to adult food there's no guarantee they'll like this food. Its a lot of food - probably 5-6 cases consolidated. I could give some of it to my parents, but they have a lot already and their cat I don't think likes many of the flavors.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 30, 2023, 07:35:00 AM
    I worked on the cold cellar for a bit.  Hoping to finish organizing it over the next week so that I can plan my gardening to match food preservation to match our food consumption.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on January 30, 2023, 08:20:13 AM

    I'm so glad you found her channel! It really is the MOST helpful decluttering method, especially if you tend to get daunted or interrupted. Even if you only spend a few minutes, the space always looks better than it did when you started!

    When I find random items strewn about the house, I've started asking myself where I'd go to look for the item first. And I think about all the time wasted if I had to look for the item and it wasn't in that spot. So its super motivating even from a casual clean up the house to take the item back to its home immediately rather than pile it up with a bunch of other things that are all in the process of being relocated. I feel like I'm saving my future sanity every time I do it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on January 30, 2023, 09:01:12 AM
    All of my BN items have now been picked up, which is always good. There is one frequent person in our group who is both voracious about being the first to reply & ask for almost anything, and she's flaky on pick up. She lives on my street, so could not be closer, but I often have to remind her to pick up.

    I also listed an additional set of place mats. I picked them up, thinking we might want another option, but they are not a kind we will use. We need washable place mats.

    I find that things I am giving away for free often don't get picked up. Super annoying. A lady recently posted on a FB group that she was in need of cereal. I happened to have a box of corn flakes that wasn't opened that I offered to her. You guessed it, she didn't pick them up. She was added to my shit list and I won't be giving anything to her again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 31, 2023, 08:40:52 AM
    Wow, lots of decluttering posts! Way to go, guys!

    My recent accomplishments:  dragged a box out from under a chair, opened it, saw it was full of blank Christmas cards, and moved the whole box upstairs to an already cluttered room. Nice empty space under the chair now.   

    Found some old paper tax records with ssn everywhere. About 50 pages. Burned them up in the charcoal grill. Only took 5 minutes. Not too much smoke.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GardenBaker on January 31, 2023, 09:52:48 AM
    I went through and removed my listings from eBay that have not sold and put those in a large trash bag. I ended up filling the trash bag up and dropped it off at the donation bin. Yay for it not riding around in my car for 6 months :)

    Also, threw away a pair of holey jeans.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on January 31, 2023, 10:30:03 AM
    DP decided to organize the shed and garage this weekend. All on his own, no prompting or dropped hints. He bought a shelf and started purging the trash to make room for the shelf that would hold useful items. We completely filled the wheelie bins! Some books went to the little library but he mostly trashed/recycled items.

    I'm so proud of him. He spent most of the day doing thoughtful decluttering and organizing. He was so happy to find some items he thought he lost and didn't get down on himself for the mess. I managed to be supportive without nagging or strongly suggesting. I was the runner who followed the Dana White advise to 'take it there now'. We didn't make 'trash' 'donate' 'keep' piles--if it was trash it went straight in the bin we pulled up to the door. If it was donate, it went to the car. If it was keep, it went straight to where he would look for that item. He was able to make decisions so much more quickly than when we started 5 years ago. He also was able to declutter so many items he had previously thought he'd keep. The books were huge--normally he never gets rid of them and 6 went out!

    On Sunday evening, I took two boxes and a bag to family members, took useful/new items to the little 'help yourself' box, and a trunk full of donations. All of the holiday decorations boxes went into the attic and out of the garage floor. He is over the moon and so am I!

    Happily, today was trash day so he can go purge some more! He really only stopped because we ran out of trash space.

    That's a huge victory!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 31, 2023, 12:16:11 PM
    Wow, lots of decluttering posts! Way to go, guys!

    My recent accomplishments:  dragged a box out from under a chair, opened it, saw it was full of blank Christmas cards, and moved the whole box upstairs to an already cluttered room. Nice empty space under the chair now.   

    Found some old paper tax records with ssn everywhere. About 50 pages. Burned them up in the charcoal grill. Only took 5 minutes. Not too much smoke.   

    Will you sell the Christmas cards?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 31, 2023, 05:42:49 PM
    I threw away a holey blouse this evening.  It was pre owned when I got it, with a hole in the shoulder.  I wore it about 6 times.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 31, 2023, 07:08:34 PM
    Wow, lots of decluttering posts! Way to go, guys!

    My recent accomplishments:  dragged a box out from under a chair, opened it, saw it was full of blank Christmas cards, and moved the whole box upstairs to an already cluttered room. Nice empty space under the chair now.   

    Found some old paper tax records with ssn everywhere. About 50 pages. Burned them up in the charcoal grill. Only took 5 minutes. Not too much smoke.   

    Will you sell the Christmas cards?

    Actually, I was planning to just keep them and gradually use them up. I did send out six Christmas cards this year. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 05, 2023, 09:40:25 PM
    Organised a free bulky rubbish collection and got rid of some rotten chairs and other stuff that was hanging in our garden. The chairs were on a to-do list to refurbish for years and it's such a relief that they are gone. Also dropped off a bunch of difficult recycling (stuff that needs to be dropped in a special location). Another relief!

    I've dropped the price on some stuff I'm selling. Fingers crossed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: GardenBaker on February 06, 2023, 08:03:50 AM
    Threw away some old bed linens my DH absolutely hated and sold a pair of pants online.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on February 06, 2023, 02:23:19 PM
    I gifted 7 items on local buy nothing group!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 07, 2023, 12:06:04 AM
    Finally let go of my stash of moving boxes and packing material!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 07, 2023, 10:05:38 AM
    Finally let go of my stash of moving boxes and packing material!

    Brave of you, Oneday!  I still have plenty of empty boxes in my basement, lol.

    My recent decluttering : Selected 2 more big technical manuals from work days, and put them out for recycling.

    Identified some areas around the house that can be gone through once again, to find items that I can part with now that I could not easily part with the last  time I went through them.    Attrition, lol. 

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on February 07, 2023, 10:37:40 AM
    Finally let go of my stash of moving boxes and packing material!

    Brave of you, Oneday!  I still have plenty of empty boxes in my basement, lol.

    I agree this is brave. The boxes give me a feeling of security that if I get notice that I need to leave, I can start packing right away. (It doesn't help that last time I moved, even buying moving boxes it was rather a pain to gather them because the stores didn't have many of the size I needed). Haha, you can see why I need this decluttering thread for motivation. Anyway, great job, @oneday!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 07, 2023, 11:25:44 AM
    I feel like I'm all decluttered, and things look good. However, I saw someone in this thread mentioned getting rid of owners manuals, and I think we have several drawers full of them. Thanks for the inspiration - I will add that to the do list.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on February 07, 2023, 11:36:28 AM
    I donated half of my mother's furniture to a local organization that helps resettle refugees.  It was a little painful for me to decide to donate this high-end furniture (including a sofabed that was only a year old), but truly nobody in the family had room for it. 

    But now, I am happy to think how happy the refugees will be this month. As an added bonus, the movers helped me move the two pieces of furniture that I am taking into my own car... they weren't large but surely I would have busted my back trying to hump them in myself!

    We were also able to donate a lot of medical equipment (wheelchair, walkers, rails, crutches) to NuDay Syria (https://www.nudaysyria.org/containers). That felt really effective, especially in light of the recent earthquake in Idlib (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/07/syria-earthquake-aftermath-why-is-situation-so-bad-in-war-ravaged-country-aleppo-idlib)... the items will be en route very soon and thus will arrive sooner than earthquake-inspired donations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on February 07, 2023, 03:31:21 PM
    I'm feeling a little overwhelmed now. I have gotten rid of SO much in the past week, and yet my car is full of stuff from my mother and I will have to make room in my house. Or something.  The low hanging fruit is gone and now it gets hard.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 07, 2023, 03:55:04 PM
    I'm feeling a little overwhelmed now. I have gotten rid of SO much in the past week, and yet my car is full of stuff from my mother and I will have to make room in my house. Or something.  The low hanging fruit is gone and now it gets hard.
    Is there a friend who can help you with going through your mother's stuff and the decisions?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on February 07, 2023, 04:53:32 PM
    I'm feeling a little overwhelmed now. I have gotten rid of SO much in the past week, and yet my car is full of stuff from my mother and I will have to make room in my house. Or something.  The low hanging fruit is gone and now it gets hard.

    You did a great job with the low hanging fruit!!! If you need to take a day or a week or a month to breathe before digging in to the next phase, allow yourself that space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on February 07, 2023, 04:59:07 PM
    I am still riding high off my post Dana K White knowledge!

    I took a whole van full of items to the free store on Saturday. Some of it may have been mentioned before. I only took 3 items in return, and one of them didn't suit my kid's tastes, so it went right back into the free store pile.

    -Since then I've ordered a new dish rack mat (a tiny flat item that covers the sink) and got rid of my larger bulky dish rack where old items just lingered forever. This new thing forces us to put away clean items.
    -Made a mail box out of a sterlite tub, a laminated paper sheet and a couple metal rings. All mail (which normally gets strewn about) goes in here.
    - Have been using my label maker to label bins so we know exactly whats where.
    - After rearranging the sewing stuff, I found some iron on patches and patched up the thighs of my favorite jeans that would have otherwise gone in the trash this week. So far so good!
    - Got the guts to list an item on ebay. I haven't sold anything since about 2005. Sold a vintage band t shirt for $200!!! Got it shipped today.
    - Have been labeling large storage tubs in the garage with duct tape and a sharpie. We're going to be organized for the first time ever, its shocking.
    - Tomorrow a secret donation of legos is going to one of the kid's schools.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 07, 2023, 07:11:50 PM
    Finally let go of my stash of moving boxes and packing material!

    Brave of you, Oneday!  I still have plenty of empty boxes in my basement, lol.

    I agree this is brave. The boxes give me a feeling of security that if I get notice that I need to leave, I can start packing right away. (It doesn't help that last time I moved, even buying moving boxes it was rather a pain to gather them because the stores didn't have many of the size I needed). Haha, you can see why I need this decluttering thread for motivation. Anyway, great job, oneday!

    Thanks @slackmax and @FrugalShrew . TBH it feels less brave and more overdue. It's been a year since I moved. And I am an avowed member of the Craigslist Is For Boxes club :)

    @Poundwise how lovely that some refugees will get some nice things for their landing place rather than cruddy cast offs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 08, 2023, 11:05:52 AM
    I feel like I'm all decluttered, and things look good. However, I saw someone in this thread mentioned getting rid of owners manuals, and I think we have several drawers full of them. Thanks for the inspiration - I will add that to the do list.

    I keep owner's manuals for things that I still have. It gets gone through every year or so when I clean up my file box (often around tax time), so anything I didn't clean up when I got rid of the thing gets cleared out then.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 08, 2023, 02:25:17 PM
    Small but significant declutter- I threw out all the old 3M hooks that our rental house actively rejects and which we won't need in The House That We Own because - heck! we can knock as many holes in the walls or attach a picture rail as we want in that place. I'm also starting to recycle storage jars as they get emptied.

    The procrastination job is actually recycling the electronics - the depot is literally around the corner but is only open on the weekends, when it inevitably slips my mind.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on February 08, 2023, 02:56:04 PM
    Two old rain barrels on the curb through buy nothing today. Happy to see them going to someone else who will use them more reliably than I.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 08, 2023, 03:36:52 PM
    Found a new water bottle & stainless steel tumbler in the kitchen. Origins unknown. They are clearly branded gifts from work, so I've listed them on Buy Nothing. The stainless steel tumbler is particularly nice, but all of us already have them, and I'm not interested in storing more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 08, 2023, 05:00:02 PM
    The procrastination job is actually recycling the electronics - the depot is literally around the corner but is only open on the weekends, when it inevitably slips my mind.

    This reminds me of my last missed opportunity for haz mat drop off. The depot is a few block away from the office, literally on my route to/from the office. Super convenient. But I go to the office so rarely that I don't remember this until I drive by, thinking, "I could have recycled the batteries!" And so I have a bunch of dead batteries at home. le sigh
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 08, 2023, 08:42:00 PM
    Cut up two fabric face masks. Tossed the fabric and used the elastic ear loops as hair ties.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on February 08, 2023, 09:28:02 PM
    I'm feeling a little overwhelmed now. I have gotten rid of SO much in the past week, and yet my car is full of stuff from my mother and I will have to make room in my house. Or something.  The low hanging fruit is gone and now it gets hard.
    Is there a friend who can help you with going through your mother's stuff and the decisions?

    Possibly; my spouse is being pretty supportive now and may be able to help. Today I posted a couple of pieces of my old slightly-broken furniture on Craigslist (replacing with mom's items that are in better shape, even though they don't match my furniture) and am hopeful I can get rid of some of it by the end of the week. Then I will be only half a minivan or so over par.

    Quote from: fuzzymath
    You did a great job with the low hanging fruit!!! If you need to take a day or a week or a month to breathe before digging in to the next phase, allow yourself that space.

    Thank you!  I'm impatient to restore order to my home, which is only just recovering from the stuff I took in three years ago from my mother's first downsizing. I need peace in my home, and having piles of things around is distressing to me. I have complicated feelings about it all.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on February 10, 2023, 01:59:30 PM
    - Found some white Corelle bakeware we don't like and put in the donate pile. It gets utensil markings in it, I prefer clear Pyrex baking stuff.
    - Organized the paper recycling and put it in the garage (it has to be taken to another town we shop in)
    - Donated some sandals I'd bought at a thrift store
    - Grabbed 4 items from the free store, all 4 are going back to the free store due to fit / sizing issues
    - Realized we like our under cabinet mount paper towel dispenser (came with the house) and would never want to use the counter top paper towel holder that's in the garage. Into the donate pile
    - Organized the games on the top shelf of the closet. Found a game that's really suited for younger kids and its being donated
    - Organized our hanging produce basket (that's just a hanging junk drawer). Put all the seed packets with the others, put all DS's scouts pins in a baggie in his dresser.
    - Removed the child latches from DS's dresser and tossed them.
    - Threw away some garbage in the garage
    - FOUND (!!!) DD's pants that have been missing for ages, they were in DS's dresser. DD is going to be angry with him!
    - New packages of shoelaces went into the sewing bin
    - Donated some hand weights that were getting a bit rusty. We have too many hand weights still.
    - DH didn't clean a growler jug that I've been telling him to clean for weeks so its going to the glass recycling today
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 11, 2023, 07:52:42 PM
    Well, I guess I'm cleaning the utility room tomorrow. Mom volunteered dad to help me move the washer/dryer (have to clean underneath them), and then I volunteered her to come play with the kittens while we worked. Which means, I need to get all the crap put away in there.

    So, pulled all the cans of adult cat food out of the pantry. Opened and stacked all 5 cases of kitten food (that was on the counter in the utility room) in the pantry, which will last probably about a month and half. Some of the adult cat food is going to my parents, the rest will go to the shelter. This is probably 5 cases consolidated, and it's all in the utility room right now.

    Also have some laundry going, so I can get that out of the way as well. Various other stuff needs to be put away. Big boombox I think is going back to the goodwill, I got it for working on the house projects, used it, but have a smaller radio now that is easier to move around. Will scrounge around the rest of the house so I can drop off everything at once. I know I've got an old purse I wanted to donate somewhere.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 11, 2023, 09:09:12 PM
    @Sibley What nice parents you have! It's quite satisfying cleaning underneath things that never get moved, especially when you have pets.

    I am busy packing up some craft equipment. Not only did I make back the money I wasted on it (never used it), I now have half a cupboard shelf free & clear. I'm very happy! Not sure what will go on the shelf yet. There's a few contenders.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 11, 2023, 10:39:38 PM
    Finally let go of my stash of moving boxes and packing material!

    A week later, I have  sold the largest book case languishing in the garage.

    Really nice transaction. Buyer was a Craigslist unicorn: patient (second to respond), prompt, coherent emails, didn't negotiate price, offered reasonable delivery fee, paid cash! ❤️
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 12, 2023, 04:49:13 AM
     A whole load of stuff was loaded into the car and is now gone from the garage. Whoot whoot
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on February 12, 2023, 06:33:20 AM
    Big bag of masks, medical supplies, and new winter gear is gone from our storage room and hopefully will be on its way to Turkey for earthquake victims soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on February 12, 2023, 07:32:30 AM
    I finally got some outgrown baby gear listed on eBay. I priced it to sell. Fingers crossed it works because I’d really like to have that closet space back.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on February 12, 2023, 08:21:04 AM
    Pajama-errand morning! (Errands early-morning on the weekends when people without tiny chaos monsters are still sleeping.) DH and I put on "real clothes", the monsters hop in the car in their PJs, and we get shit done. Today this included:
    - a bag of too-small, too-worn-to-give-away clothes to textile recycling.
    - two old electronics to the Home Depot electronic recycling.
    - dropping off 13 library books and Library C, as we plan to visit Library B later today and we wanted to get the books back to their home library ASAP. (Returning them at Library B would take almost a week to get back, as they are separate library systems with reciprocal borrowing privileges.)

    I also pulled a raincoat, a full-zip fleece, and a scarf that were worn exactly ZERO times throughout the past two winter seasons. I'll post them in my BN group to pass along to neighbors who might get some use out of them.

    Used up the last of some gross kitchen cleaning wipes from the former owners. They're smelly and awful, but we needed to clean our garbage bin so they got the job done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 12, 2023, 08:49:38 AM
    My son's ant habitat has been listed on FB marketplace multiple times over the past few years, and finally sold. Hurrah. It's actually quite a few pieces. I need to package it up & get it mailed out, but thrilled that it's gone (almost).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on February 12, 2023, 09:42:47 AM
    small wins this week:

    -took a bunch of periodicals to local little library
    -boxed up outgrown clothes to bring to familial matriarch to be re-distributed to the cousins (we are the oldest cousin on both sides, and MIL has 9 siblings, each with kids and grandkids, so clothes get redistributed quickly!)
    -working through pantry challenge; superbowl snacks tonight will (hopefully) debulk the freezer of junk snacks
    -gave away large baskets not being used via BNG
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 12, 2023, 01:49:35 PM
    Finally let go of my stash of moving boxes and packing material!

    A week later, I have  sold the largest book case languishing in the garage.


    Oh, and forgot to report: the day prior I mostly finished my garage reorg. Completed assembly of second set of storage shelves, tossed "keeper" things on the shelves (not totally willy-nilly, but could use a fine tuning). Quick sweep to get the leaves out. Didn't really get rid of anything, but opened up the space to allow access to the things that do need to go (like the pile 'o boxes). This was the culmination of several days of 10-30 minutes. Altogether with finishing touches still to come, about 3-4 hours work. Go me! 👏
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 12, 2023, 08:04:24 PM
    @Sibley What nice parents you have! It's quite satisfying cleaning underneath things that never get moved, especially when you have pets.

    Well, yes they're nice, but really mom is a softie. Beren has been trying to get into the utility room, and I wouldn't let her until I'd cleaned it. That was mom's motivation.

    The utility room is clean. Moving the washer and dryer was GROSS. OMG, it was bad. I had to let the soapy water soak into the crust for a couple minutes, especially under the dryer. Arwen had peed in there and it had spread underneath, I'd cleaned up what I could and sprayed the enzyme cleaner liberally, but it wasn't the cleanup that was needed.

    Donated the adult cat food to the shelter, I massively underestimated how much I had. There were 10 cases, and a bag that was at probably another 2 cases. I checked a few cans, it would be long expired by the time the kittens are ready for it. Also dropped of a bag of misc items at the thrift store, several purses, couple tops, etc, and the boombox. The counter in there is almost empty.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 12, 2023, 08:15:33 PM
    Identified a pair of pants to be donated. They were given to me and I have so many pairs I'm getting rid of the ones with the least-comfortable waistband.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on February 13, 2023, 07:57:54 PM
    A friend came by for dinner and expressed interest in a new hobby. I had been on the fence about donating a book on that topic, and happily picked it up and gave them the book as a gift.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on February 13, 2023, 08:12:34 PM
    I gave away two playpens and some toys to a lady setting up a day home.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 16, 2023, 07:49:24 PM
    A top and a pair of pants, both knit, with tiny holes. Very frustrating.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on February 17, 2023, 06:26:18 AM
    We keep two bins of hand-me-downs from our eldest for when our youngest ages into them. Yesterday we went through and did a closet switch, which resulted in: one half-emptied bin, a few items for textile recycling, and a small pile of still-quality items to hand down to the youngest cousin.

    We replaced a battery in a handheld vacuum, rather than getting a new vacuum, so the old battery is off to electronic recycling at Home Depot today.

    We moved into our house almost two years ago and still haven't hung all our pictures (for some reason that feels very permanent to me?) so DH and I are going to go through pictures and figure out at least what rooms they should go in this weekend; his mom has offered to hang them on our next visit. (She's VERY project-oriented and always wants to do things like this when she visits - she's literally asked for a project or two in advance of their visit - so we don't feel bad about this.) So that'll be a TON of clutter in our basement finally in a spot where it'll live.... PERMANENTLY :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on February 17, 2023, 06:30:57 AM
    Found a box of unused children-birthday-party-goodies to go into goodie bags. My kids are teens now, so put the whole bunch in 1 go on the Buy Nothing group. Was picked up within 1 hour!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on February 17, 2023, 07:09:31 AM
    Said goodbye to a refrigerator and a microwave this week…. The fridge was sitting around not being used, but still had some life in it(which I have guilt about. But there are reasons.) and the microwave was borrowed to use during a home project. Now we don’t need them, so they left to bring joy to someone else!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on February 17, 2023, 08:55:15 AM
    Returning two clothing items to Amazon that were too hot and scratchy. 

    I attempted to dye a blouse I didn’t care for, the dye didn’t take and instead it’s very raggedy now, so it’s getting decluttered permanently. 

    I’m using up some toiletries slowly but surely. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 17, 2023, 09:27:01 AM
    Sold a platter we brought back from our vacation house, when we sold it. We had the same platter at our house here, but weren't sure if we'd ever have occasion to use two. Nope. Made $25 on FB marketplace, and I think this is the last item from our vacation house (that we plan to get rid of - we have a few things we intend to keep), now gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 17, 2023, 10:41:26 AM
    I have been using a dead coffee maker to make my coffee by boiling water on the stove and pouring it over the coffee grounds in the dead coffee maker. Been doing that for two months. Coffee was OK.

    Yesterday, as I was moving stuff around in the basement, came across two, yes two, functioning coffee makers I had completely forgotten about!

    Eureka! Now I am using one of them to make my coffee, and threw out the dead one.  (There's the decluttering)

    Glad I didn't rush out and buy a new coffee maker. How could I forget I had spares?

    This time I made a note in my computer that I still have one backup coffee maker in the basement, lol.   

    And the new coffee maker tastes better, too. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 17, 2023, 06:12:01 PM
    Finally let go of my stash of moving boxes and packing material!

    A week later, I have  sold the largest book case languishing in the garage.

    Sold the smaller bookcase!

    Buyer annoyed me by showing up 10 minutes early, but was basically shoving the cash at me as soon as I walked out the door, furniture still unseen. Very eager.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: imperfect on February 17, 2023, 07:39:52 PM
    Bracken, I just don't get WTF is filling peoples' garages??  All the houses in our neighborhood are large, and actually most people do park in their garages, but I see some that are just chock full of... what, exactly?

    Tools, gardening supplies, lumber scraps, PVC pipe, halloween decorations, pool supplies, snow chains, car jack, luggage, and a lot of other stuff I can't even remember.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: imperfect on February 17, 2023, 09:01:32 PM
    Bracken, I just don't get WTF is filling peoples' garages??  All the houses in our neighborhood are large, and actually most people do park in their garages, but I see some that are just chock full of... what, exactly?

    Tools, gardening supplies, lumber scraps, PVC pipe, halloween decorations, pool supplies, snow chains, car jack, luggage, and a lot of other stuff I can't even remember.

    Tent, wheelbarrow, sleds, power washer, full size freezer, treadmill, squat rack, weight trees, snow shovel, and still lots more other stuff I didn't notice when I was just out there. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 17, 2023, 09:26:14 PM
    Minor victory - I saw a copy of a book I just got out of the library in one of the little free libraries and left it there. The motivation to get through it would be gone if I removed the return date deadline.

    UPDATE: I am now super pleased I didn’t pick up the book. I am biffing the copy I have back to the library- good writing but did not vibe with me. This makes it one read and two abandoned out of the three books I borrowed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 18, 2023, 09:48:36 AM
    Bracken, I just don't get WTF is filling peoples' garages??  All the houses in our neighborhood are large, and actually most people do park in their garages, but I see some that are just chock full of... what, exactly?

    Tools, gardening supplies, lumber scraps, PVC pipe, halloween decorations, pool supplies, snow chains, car jack, luggage, and a lot of other stuff I can't even remember.

    Tent, wheelbarrow, sleds, power washer, full size freezer, treadmill, squat rack, weight trees, snow shovel, and still lots more other stuff I didn't notice when I was just out there. :)

    Old/extra furniture
    Camping gear
    Bicycles
    Other sports equipment
    All the extra rolls of paper towels from a Costco sized pack
    Cat litter tub
    Random stuff I mean to get rid of but haven't yet
    Fans (in winter)
    Christmas decoration
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on February 19, 2023, 12:00:15 PM
    Donated:

    cleaning wipes
    toothbrushes/toothpaste
    Deodorant that would expire before I ever got around to it
    a few other small things...

    Also, because my partner's mom has been trying to give me things, I sent her the flyer showing what donations they're currently accepting at our library... the flyer noted "bars of soap" since she has extras that she hoped I'd take.

    Hmm I see now that flyer and flier are both acceptable spellings, since I was hesitant over my above sentence.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on February 20, 2023, 11:21:53 AM
    brought a stack of cooking magazines to the little library.  I've already copied the recipes I'm actually going to make from there, so they were just taking up space on my shelf.

    recycled a stack of T shirts to Marine Layer

    have been diligently participating in the "eat all the food in your house" this month and feel like I've made some real progress and it will effect how I shop moving forward.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 20, 2023, 03:27:35 PM
    I was looking in the junk drawer in the kitchen today, for a pair of needle nose pliers. The somewhat stressful electrical project I am working on calls for one.

    I could not believe all the junk in the junk drawer. A perfect time to destress, forget my project for a while, and toss out lots of this stuff. Or at least move into small boxes with labels. 

    I found ten pair of big scissors. Ten !  And about a million paper clips, single or in bags or little boxes.       

    And a thousand twisties for bread bags.

    Not done with it yet. Threw out a lot of twisties and string so far. Moved the scissors into a box. Can sell them at flea market.   

    This will be a satisfying decluttering event. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 20, 2023, 03:39:21 PM
    @slackmax good job on clearing out the junk drawer and I hope you find your pliers soon
    @Josiecat23503 I did that with my cookbooks - I've got one book that I fill with the single recipes from various cookbooks and then I let them go to someone else. It's nice to have the kitchen space back.
    @tygertygertyger nice one redirecting your partner's mom's donation energy

    Sometimes it feels like the only thing we get rid of is books, but then I realise things have been steadily moving from the donation box to other homes. This weekend it was the cast iron grill pan and the dustbuster. I am also abandoning the idea of trying to sell a pair of sandals and I am going to donate them, which is prompting me to prowl around the house looking for other things we can get rid of.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 20, 2023, 05:30:06 PM
    Two spaghettis sauce jars into the recycling. I have plenty of real canning jars and don't need upcycled ones.

    A lidded insulated cup and straw into the donation bag with the pants.

    I did buy a book this weekend, but the plan is to read it and immediately pass it on to my dad. It's only visiting, not staying.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 20, 2023, 06:08:04 PM
    I did two kitchen cupboards today. There was some truly scary food stuffs in there. And we have enough tylenol for years. I composted a bunch of really old tea. The cooking oils and vinegar shelf was beyond disgusting.  It is so spacious and easy to find everything! DD is taking a bunch of tea to the community food pantry.  It is still vacuum sealed and I will never drink all that green tea.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 21, 2023, 06:08:19 PM
    Broke a glass loading the dishwasher and tossed another that was permanently stained.

    Two plastic food storage containers in recycling.

    One shirt that came from the thrift store has been selected to return to the mother ship.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 21, 2023, 06:17:03 PM
    Finally threw out a bra that was way way WAY past the point where you'd be mortified if you were in a car crash and they saw it in hospital. That's my benchmark for when undies need to be thrown out. Still have one in a similar condition but don't have a replacement yet.

    Have found a charity that accepts used bras in great condition and I've pulled out the ones I have probably grown out of. Just need to do a final try on before I send them but that's a PITA. You can't just go by the labelled size as they can be all over the place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 22, 2023, 06:44:39 AM
    Spent another hour on the kitchen junk drawer. The good news is that I got a plastic store bag completely full with crappe like twisties, plastic hanger thingies, cardboard cutout coupons for free pizza, etc. (Actually I recycled the cardboard coupons).

    The 'less good' news is that I had to move lots of the useful stuff into two small boxes, and I put the boxes into a storage room, with labels on them so I know what the heck is in them.  So the junk drawer has 'expanded' its clutter to another room!   But is is neat.  And I can sell it when the flea market opens up. Staplers, scissors, staples. 

    Now I have a nice clean and almost empty junk drawer.   
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on February 22, 2023, 07:01:42 AM
    Spent another hour on the kitchen junk drawer. The good news is that I got a plastic store bag completely full with crappe like twisties, plastic hanger thingies, cardboard cutout coupons for free pizza, etc. (Actually I recycled the cardboard coupons).

    The 'less good' news is that I had to move lots of the useful stuff into two small boxes, and I put the boxes into a storage room, with labels on them so I know what the heck is in them.  So the junk drawer has 'expanded' its clutter to another room!   But is is neat.  And I can sell it when the flea market opens up. Staplers, scissors, staples. 

    Now I have a nice clean and almost empty junk drawer.

    But, and just hear me out here, if a junk drawer is tidied, is it even a junk drawer anymore?

    Best of luck to you in the maintenance of that one. I always love getting things in order... it's keeping them there that is my struggle.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 22, 2023, 08:56:36 AM
    Spent another hour on the kitchen junk drawer. The good news is that I got a plastic store bag completely full with crappe like twisties, plastic hanger thingies, cardboard cutout coupons for free pizza, etc. (Actually I recycled the cardboard coupons).

    The 'less good' news is that I had to move lots of the useful stuff into two small boxes, and I put the boxes into a storage room, with labels on them so I know what the heck is in them.  So the junk drawer has 'expanded' its clutter to another room!   But is is neat.  And I can sell it when the flea market opens up. Staplers, scissors, staples. 

    Now I have a nice clean and almost empty junk drawer.

    But, and just hear me out here, if a junk drawer is tidied, is it even a junk drawer anymore?

    Best of luck to you in the maintenance of that one. I always love getting things in order... it's keeping them there that is my struggle.

    Ha Ha, I'm going to continue to think of it as a junk drawer, so I remember what I don't want it to turn into, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on February 22, 2023, 12:56:30 PM
    @slackmax are you a music fan? You could start calling it "the drawer formally known as the junk drawer" and design a flashy symbol for it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 22, 2023, 06:03:16 PM
    A lidded teapot from IKEA. I searched high and low for the PERFECT TEAPOT for ages until I made a long car trip to the nearest city with an IKEA. I did use it for a while. Then a friend gifted me a lovely vintage Thermos that will keep my hot tea warm for over 6 hours, no cozy required. So the PERFECT TEAPOT that I spend so much mental energy on is now just another thing in my house. Lesson learned.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on February 23, 2023, 06:31:07 AM
    Finally dragged a kitchen table and an elliptical to the curb.  I'd been asking for it to be done for awhile and my late husband wouldn't do it because...reasons.  Also, have dropped two bags of toys off at the thrift store and thrown out a box of old National Geographic magazines.  I'm slowly taking control of my dining room again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 23, 2023, 05:42:30 PM
    @Sugaree I hope you enjoy the increased space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 23, 2023, 06:40:03 PM
    Sent a book and some craft supplies to a friend who wanted them. Craft supplies are still a decluttering opportunity.

    Found a single sock in the rag basket. Used it to wipe down the bathroom counters and threw it away. All of the rags fit neatly in the basket--they aren't spilling out into the cabinet.

    Next up, the weird thin kitchen cabinet where I store random things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: englishteacheralex on February 23, 2023, 06:47:47 PM
    Can't believe I've never shared here, since I love decluttering.

    I had a lot of luck with my 6 and 8 year old on Monday with a new method of decluttering I invented: "The Toy Buy Back". I had a notebook and the kids would bring down stuff from their rooms and I'd tell them how much I'd give them for each item. I kept track in the notebook. They got really excited. Most items were $.5-$.10 but I did give a whole $1 for a couple of huge little kid toys that I've been dying to get rid of for ages.

    We got rid of six paper grocery bags worth of outgrown puzzles, games, books, and toys, as well as a couple of bulky items. At the end of the project, it cost me $10 per kid. They have zero regrets and are super excited about the money. I enjoyed watching them mentally go through the same process I do: would I rather have this or the money?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 24, 2023, 08:29:45 PM
    Welcome @englishteacheralex! And what a great idea to buy yourself out of clutter. Getting those big kids toys out must've been a big relief.

    Used up some stationery. I ordered some personalized stationery with a gift card so I'm trying to use or purge my current box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 24, 2023, 08:57:51 PM
    @englishteacheralex that's genius. Maybe I should try it on my husband, ha!

    I made a new "niggly things" list of things that I never get round to. There's 31 and half involve decluttering or cleaning up in some way. I'm going to try to do one a day - some will take 10 mins and some a couple of hours.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 25, 2023, 09:15:05 AM
    Listed items on Buy Nothing: 2 bowling gift certificates (given out as party favors, we won't use them). Ski helmet & goggles, outgrown by teen son. Have interested folks for everything.

    Sold a pair of sandals on eBay, and those got mailed off today. I love them, but they are terribly uncomfortable, so no reason to keep them.

    I'm continuing to try & declutter my digital life as well, by unsubscribing to one junk email a day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on February 25, 2023, 09:40:10 AM
    IKitchen/fridge clutter: 

    I unearthed a couple small jars that had been pushed to the back of my kitchen cabinet.  I threw out some Saltines that were open since 2018.  Also some pepperoni that had gone discolored...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 26, 2023, 07:05:35 PM
    Cleaned out the arts & crafts cart, tossing bits of paper and things that could've been used for art projects but weren't.

    Rearranged some kitchen cabinets for better storage. Now the awkward thin cabinet houses the large baking sheets and muffin pan instead of wads of plastic bags.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 27, 2023, 05:15:16 PM
    Cleaned out the drawer where we kept a variety of random kitchen items (candles, takeout sauce, etc) & tossed what we won't use, organized what was left, and added all of the cracked pepper to our spice cabinet (in the correct jar).

    Sold the second pair of uncomfortable sandals on eBay.

    Gave away 5 base layers (skiing) that my teen has outgrown.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on February 27, 2023, 06:48:09 PM
    One too-small shirt posted on Marketplace.

    Cleaned out the desk drawers and tossed all the notes scribbled on paper bits, etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 01, 2023, 03:44:49 PM
    A sort of retired friend called her recent efforts “preparing the battlefield” and I love this.  I was motivated to list some miscellaneous Stuff in a couple more places for $20. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 02, 2023, 08:17:02 AM
    Some microdecluttering of a few things lost in 'habituation zones', places I always ignore that have clutter.  Noticed a jar of something on top of a speaker. Cracked it open and it was a dried out sponge of some sort of cleaning solution. 

    Recycled the plastic jar and tossed the sponge.

    Slow and steady the race is won.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 02, 2023, 02:25:48 PM
    I also decluttered the junk drawer and also tackled the stationary drawer.  Got rid of elastics, dead batteries, some Scentsy bars, a few pens, and a bunch of greeting cards.  My motivation has been kind of dismal lately, so just trying to do something, even if it's not very much.  It the time of year that's to blame, I think.  I hate the tail end of winter - I just want to be outside and run out of steam for indoor stuff.  Must keep plugging as best I can though, because there's still stuff to do and once it warms up, it won't get done at all.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on March 02, 2023, 03:57:48 PM
    I decluttered the kitchen table this morning.  Finding cat vomit from overnight on it sure helps focus the mind.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on March 02, 2023, 07:01:28 PM
    Cleared out all of the holey clothes in our little dudes dressers last night…. Bagged up the fabric for the recycler today, and dropped it off. Sent the stuff they grew out of that was still nice to the consignment shop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 02, 2023, 07:02:31 PM
    I decluttered the kitchen table this morning.  Finding cat vomit from overnight on it sure helps focus the mind.
    It’s a real Call to Action, that’s for sure.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 02, 2023, 07:09:14 PM
    Listed four items on Buy Nothing: a bottle of aloe vera (sealed) found in the garage. Origins completely uknown. An eye pillow/gift from a friend that I'll never use. Better to admit that now & send it on to someone who will enjoy it. Two water bottles from a hotel, that somehow made their way home with us. All are spoken for, so junk out!

    I have a pile of things I need to go through this weekend: jeans teen outgrew (sell, because he was a very awkward size - 27x33 & none of my neighbors will fit that?), a couple of posture/back items for my at home desk chair. I exclusively stand, so those can be passed on to others.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 02, 2023, 07:53:07 PM
    I also decluttered the junk drawer and also tackled the stationary drawer.  Got rid of elastics, dead batteries, some Scentsy bars, a few pens, and a bunch of greeting cards.  My motivation has been kind of dismal lately, so just trying to do something, even if it's not very much.  It the time of year that's to blame, I think.  I hate the tail end of winter - I just want to be outside and run out of steam for indoor stuff.  Must keep plugging as best I can though, because there's still stuff to do and once it warms up, it won't get done at all.

    Good for you, SunnyDays.   A cleaned up  junk drawer is a thing of beauty, lol.
    (See my previous post from a few days ago). 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 03, 2023, 01:09:21 PM
    I also decluttered the junk drawer and also tackled the stationary drawer.  Got rid of elastics, dead batteries, some Scentsy bars, a few pens, and a bunch of greeting cards.  My motivation has been kind of dismal lately, so just trying to do something, even if it's not very much.  It the time of year that's to blame, I think.  I hate the tail end of winter - I just want to be outside and run out of steam for indoor stuff.  Must keep plugging as best I can though, because there's still stuff to do and once it warms up, it won't get done at all.

    Good for you, SunnyDays.   A cleaned up  junk drawer is a thing of beauty, lol.
    (See my previous post from a few days ago). 

    Yes, I saw it, that's what inspired me to clean mine!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on March 07, 2023, 05:40:48 PM
    Donated two bar stools, two lamps, a microwave, a pair of curtains and some other small things to the Rotary club as they are collecting things to Ukrainian refugees that are coming to our city.

    Went through a tote with frames and such and pulled some out to get rid of and some I need for an upcoming craft project. Still trying to pare things down from the move, which was almost a year ago, as I have less wall space to hang things on, and less storage room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 07, 2023, 07:48:23 PM
    Two more books put into a street library and I am clearing out G’s old room of various forgotten bits of junk with his blessing. We do *not* need any recorders or participation trophies! Out to the trash they go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on March 07, 2023, 08:32:49 PM
    placed old fishing rods, net and a tackle box on local Buy Nothing Group and they have been gifted to a dad who wants to teach his kids to fish!

    gifted an older bluetooth speaker to a chef to rock out while he cooks on Buy Nothing Group

    Also went through all of our bowls, junk drawers, catchalls, etc and threw away a bunch of flotsam and jetsam, old mail, receipts, keychains etc.  Seriously, where does all the crap come from????
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 08, 2023, 05:13:33 AM
    After 4 moves in 3 years you would think I had no more stuff to get rid of.  But no, I had 2 full boxes of stuff from the most recent unpacking.  They finally made it to the car, sat in it for a few weeks, and got dropped off last week.

    I should start a new box.  I am sure there are more things just taking up space.

    One item gone is a happy story. I know someone online who wanted something.  She couldn't buy one because it was an older version that is no longer made.  I had one and didn't need it.  So it is on its way to BC right now.   :-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on March 08, 2023, 07:23:20 AM
    After another paper purge, I've now got 7 bankers boxes and one plastic tote of photos. 
    That includes everything from birth certificates and deeds and house maintenance/warranty info to 10 years of taxes - I believe that's not too bad for someone in their 60s that's a single person household, but I'm curious about the equivalent numbers for others?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 08, 2023, 10:52:52 AM
    After another paper purge, I've now got 7 bankers boxes and one plastic tote of photos. 
    That includes everything from birth certificates and deeds and house maintenance/warranty info to 10 years of taxes - I believe that's not too bad for someone in their 60s that's a single person household, but I'm curious about the equivalent numbers for others?

    My parents are in their 60s/70s and have I believe 4 boxes of papers.

    One thing they struggle with is if you don't own the house anymore, you don't need the paper anymore (outside of specific key documents). I don't know if that's applicable for you, but just in case that's a blind spot it might help.

    Also, you don't need years of old utility bills.

    Edit: re the photos, that is a different category. My mom has far, far more pictures than you do.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 08, 2023, 11:04:49 AM
    After another paper purge, I've now got 7 bankers boxes and one plastic tote of photos. 
    That includes everything from birth certificates and deeds and house maintenance/warranty info to 10 years of taxes - I believe that's not too bad for someone in their 60s that's a single person household, but I'm curious about the equivalent numbers for others?

    I'm also single and in my 60s, and own a home, and to me, that sounds like a lot.  An awful lot.  I don't use bankers boxes, but everything I have stored in accordion files etc, would probably fit into one, one and a half, tops.  I'll bet you could purge it way down.

    I only keep 7 years worth of tax records and have gotten rid of all the components except the actual return and receipts.  It all makes a stack of about 1" thick.

    House deed etc is kept at the Land Titles Office, warranty info for small things gets tossed, but I do keep manuals for some items.

    Birth certificate is one card.

    For house maintenance, I keep only those things related to major repairs or renos, like shingles, windows etc.  So not much.

    I don't have a lot of photos, because to me, they're just clutter.  Most of what I have is on my computer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 08, 2023, 11:15:51 PM
    After another paper purge, I've now got 7 bankers boxes and one plastic tote of photos. 
    That includes everything from birth certificates and deeds and house maintenance/warranty info to 10 years of taxes - I believe that's not too bad for someone in their 60s that's a single person household, but I'm curious about the equivalent numbers for others?

    When I was in my mid-30's I had 7 banker boxes of paper, but got it down to 2 with a lot of purging and scanning. Now I have 1 box, plus an accordion file. And a system to prevent things going into banker boxes anymore.

    This does not include pictures. That's a whole separate ball of wax. They will someday be scanned and purged. Right now they take up about 2/3 of the closet floor.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on March 10, 2023, 04:59:18 AM
    In my 40s and 50s I had a large study with lined and littered with boxes of paper including a closet full ...maybe 30 or so. I had bills, bank statements and tax returns back to the 1980s. I drastically reduced by successive waves of purges, but then bought more in when I retired at 60 ( various professional papers I had trouble letting go of).  Now in my 60s, I have less than 10 after more rounds.  Its still a work in progress on my to do list to round up any more boxes in the shed and go through them and the ones in the house. I hope to end up with  5 or less.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on March 10, 2023, 07:10:17 AM
    Thanks for the info.
    I actually have 2 houses including a tiny family rental, and I'm unofficial executor for 2 elderly family members, so my storage includes some papers related to that.

    But you've all inspired me to continue to purge.  Goal would be 4 boxes and then investigate photo scanning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 10, 2023, 09:43:47 AM
    ...
    Also went through all of our bowls, junk drawers, catchalls, etc and threw away a bunch of flotsam and jetsam, old mail, receipts, keychains etc.  Seriously, where does all the crap come from????

    Lol.  I went through a box of lotions, ointments, nutrient pills, etc, and threw out some. Lots of old expired stuff. And stuff that dries up even if inside the tightly sealed container.   Flotsam, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 10, 2023, 09:51:59 AM
    After another paper purge, I've now got 7 bankers boxes and one plastic tote of photos. 
    That includes everything from birth certificates and deeds and house maintenance/warranty info to 10 years of taxes - I believe that's not too bad for someone in their 60s that's a single person household, but I'm curious about the equivalent numbers for others?

    On an extreme note, my late hoarder girlfiend left me with massive amounts of paper clutter. I was taking bags after bag of paper to recycling for forever.

    All gone now, but I still have my own paper stuff. Lots of manuals from work, lots of old bills. I toss some of the old bills every year, keep some just to see what the old rate was.

    Also recycle one or two of the manuals every few months. No regrets yet, lol. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 10, 2023, 11:53:03 AM
    After another paper purge, I've now got 7 bankers boxes and one plastic tote of photos. 
    That includes everything from birth certificates and deeds and house maintenance/warranty info to 10 years of taxes - I believe that's not too bad for someone in their 60s that's a single person household, but I'm curious about the equivalent numbers for others?

    On an extreme note, my late hoarder girlfiend left me with massive amounts of paper clutter. I was taking bags after bag of paper to recycling for forever.

    All gone now, but I still have my own paper stuff. Lots of manuals from work, lots of old bills. I toss some of the old bills every year, keep some just to see what the old rate was.

    Also recycle one or two of the manuals every few months. No regrets yet, lol.

    Out of curiosity, what's preventing you from doing a bigger purge, say for example all the old manuals go in recycling at once (or at least, until you fill up the recycling bin)? Logistics?

    I know for my parents, there was a combination of logistical problems and emotional hang-ups that kept them from purging more. Easily 2/3 of everything went away during the move and aside from the tools only a handful of items have been missed. The tools shouldn't have gone, but I was told they had been packed and didn't confirm, plus mom was on an anxiety-spiral over them and dad shut down, so it was just easier to not open that can of worms with everything else going on.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 12, 2023, 08:30:46 AM
    I picked up a few items of clothing for a trip we will be taking for a month, so as per my 1 in/1 out rule, I'll be going through my closet today, and finding items to donate. I've also decided to break my decades long habit of only wearing black &/or navy tops, so I purchased a few colors. It will be fun to trade in some of the black & navy clothes for a pop of color.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on March 12, 2023, 09:39:35 AM
    One grandparent likes to give our daughter Hanna Andersson gift certificates. I had been passing them on to the local free group along with other clothes, however Hanna just created a resale market for used clothes.  Posted 5 items and in one week I sold 2 dresses and 1 pair of pants for $50. $35 cash or $60 in store credit (I jumped on it quickly because I think they'll be dropping store credit from 125% of sale price to 100% after they get enough market traction). I bought everything on sale, so if I go the store credit route, I'll have paid less than $5 for the use of those 3 items. (And she loved them so wore them often.)

    Been working hard to get out the kid items: scads of clothes, potty training items (diaper pail, changing table and pad), 45 kid book - some really fat space taking board books. Redid the area which had held the changing table into a home office nook for me now that I'm wfh 80% time.  This transformation more than anything made me feel like I'm making progress and gives me motivation to continue the good fight.

    Basement is lighter too now: Got rid of a kid armchair (used solely as a stepstool by the kids to climb things they shouldn't - and they haven't even noticed it's gone), bunch of big cardboard blocks, a train set, etc. Brought a bookcase up to the office nook.

    Finally, working on being more careful on bringing in freebie from the local group. Next up bulky item will be the high chair within a few months.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 12, 2023, 10:43:30 AM
    <<
    On an extreme note, my late hoarder girlfiend left me with massive amounts of paper clutter. I was taking bags after bag of paper to recycling for forever.

    All gone now, but I still have my own paper stuff. Lots of manuals from work, lots of old bills. I toss some of the old bills every year, keep some just to see what the old rate was.

    Also recycle one or two of the manuals every few months. No regrets yet, lol.
    >> 
    --------------------------------------

    Then Sibley asked :

    Out of curiosity, what's preventing you from doing a bigger purge, say for example all the old manuals go in recycling at once (or at least, until you fill up the recycling bin)? Logistics?

    I know for my parents, there was a combination of logistical problems and emotional hang-ups that kept them from purging more. Easily 2/3 of everything went away during the move and aside from the tools only a handful of items have been missed. The tools shouldn't have gone, but I was told they had been packed and didn't confirm, plus mom was on an anxiety-spiral over them and dad shut down, so it was just easier to not open that can of worms with everything else going on.
       >>

    Then Slackmax responded :

    My parents were great about getting rid of stuff when they downsized into a new place. I helped them. They were just throwing out lots of good stuff! I rescued some tools for myself, and some electronics, and some records and tapes. 

    I got them to let me sell a lot of it on Craigslist, and they gave me 50% of the profits.

    But, like I said, they were not hoarders or sentimental at all. My mom just recycled a whole lot of old black and white photos of relatives and old friends!

    Unlike my parents, I want to keep some of my stuff for sentimental reasons, and other stuff, like technical manuals,  because I think I can (possibly!)  get some money for it on Ebay or who knows where. I realize the 'getting some money for it' angle is kind of improbable, and would be a big hassle, which is why I allow myself to get rid of the stuff in small allotments every so often.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 12, 2023, 10:51:05 AM
    I let my girl friend reorganize my kitchen closet. It's much neater now and easier to see what is actually there. Plus we found some stuff to throw out and donate. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: seemsright on March 12, 2023, 02:52:13 PM
    I am starting to really design my life and house. I have thrown out all of that I should own mentality. Another 3 bags out of this house. Hubby and I are working on really simplifying this house. We are slowly working ourselves to the extreme minimalist view point. Time to get to our ideal.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 12, 2023, 07:22:47 PM
    My parents were great about getting rid of stuff when they downsized into a new place. I helped them. They were just throwing out lots of good stuff! I rescued some tools for myself, and some electronics, and some records and tapes. 

    I got them to let me sell a lot of it on Craigslist, and they gave me 50% of the profits.

    But, like I said, they were not hoarders or sentimental at all. My mom just recycled a whole lot of old black and white photos of relatives and old friends!

    Unlike my parents, I want to keep some of my stuff for sentimental reasons, and other stuff, like technical manuals,  because I think I can (possibly!)  get some money for it on Ebay or who knows where. I realize the 'getting some money for it' angle is kind of improbable, and would be a big hassle, which is why I allow myself to get rid of the stuff in small allotments every so often.

    I think our brains are wired differently! But I'm glad its working for you.

    The vast majority of what was disposed of from by my parent's wasn't bad, but also not needed. They had the accumulation of decades of china, decorative items, etc, plus whatever was inherited from their parents or other family. Having a few of these items isn't an issue, but they had far more than could reasonably be displayed. A very few items my sister or I took. They had a big estate/yard sale, some bigger items were sold on FB marketplace or similar, and the rest was picked up by someone who resales, so at least it didn't go direct into a landfill. Basically, it was the classic situation that you see lamented upon by Boomers who complain their children don't want their stuff, because their children already have their own households.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on March 12, 2023, 07:42:17 PM
    My parents were great about getting rid of stuff when they downsized into a new place. I helped them. They were just throwing out lots of good stuff! I rescued some tools for myself, and some electronics, and some records and tapes. 

    I got them to let me sell a lot of it on Craigslist, and they gave me 50% of the profits.

    But, like I said, they were not hoarders or sentimental at all. My mom just recycled a whole lot of old black and white photos of relatives and old friends!

    Unlike my parents, I want to keep some of my stuff for sentimental reasons, and other stuff, like technical manuals,  because I think I can (possibly!)  get some money for it on Ebay or who knows where. I realize the 'getting some money for it' angle is kind of improbable, and would be a big hassle, which is why I allow myself to get rid of the stuff in small allotments every so often.

    I think our brains are wired differently! But I'm glad its working for you.

    The vast majority of what was disposed of from by my parent's wasn't bad, but also not needed. They had the accumulation of decades of china, decorative items, etc, plus whatever was inherited from their parents or other family. Having a few of these items isn't an issue, but they had far more than could reasonably be displayed. A very few items my sister or I took. They had a big estate/yard sale, some bigger items were sold on FB marketplace or similar, and the rest was picked up by someone who resales, so at least it didn't go direct into a landfill. Basically, it was the classic situation that you see lamented upon by Boomers who complain their children don't want their stuff, because their children already have their own households.

    Yeah, the restful experience of decluttered space matters more to me than the small amount I might get from selling items slowly.

    Re parents, that's why I like the idea of Swedish Death Cleaning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 13, 2023, 11:11:47 AM
    I too really like the idea of Swedish Death Cleaning. The problem that I ran into with my parents is that it simply wasn't their mindset. They weren't (and aren't) focused on what they will leave behind after they're gone. So, while my mom was perfectly find to get rid of stuff, and did get rid of stuff constantly as I was growing up, in retrospect it really was whatever was outgrown by us kids. That was a massive amount, but it simply didn't touch the boxes and boxes of dishes, mugs, crystal, serving bowls, decorative and functional and otherwise stuff. The only thing that worked to touch that stuff was moving to another state.

    Even then, it wasn't perfect. My mom has at least 8 chairs in the basement of the new house, most of which are not currently functional for one reason or another. Why? Because they belonged to some family member or other.

    We also struggled, HARD, with my mom because she had a very outdated idea of the value of things. It got to the point one day that we were in the living room, packing things to move, and mom thought some Toby mug was worth hundreds of dollars. I pulled out the laptop, went to ebay, found the same mug and looked at actual sold prices for it, which were very much not hundreds of dollars. That was the point at which mom started to realize that her treasured possessions largely did not have monetary value. The next point was when the estate companies didn't want to do an estate sale, we had to DIY it. That really drove home to her that there wasn't value in all her dozens of boxes. If you want to monetize things, that's fine, but you need to be realistic about their actual value.

    --------
    More directly on topic, I cleared out a few things from the garage. Some went to trash, some went to Habitat for Humanity for use. There's more clean up needed, but its cold.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 13, 2023, 03:20:02 PM
    Continuing to find empty seed packets in my seed box. I am also testing the germination on all the really old seed and composting / feeding the birds and squirrels. Surplus collected seed is getting donated to the seed library. I am keeping better records for how much seed I actually can use in the space I have to plant. And which I can collect from this year's garden so I don't have to buy 50 seed packets when I only need 5 plants. I hope to consolidate to one single seed box by the fall.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 13, 2023, 04:30:04 PM
    We've got the food storage levels to the point where it's comfortably contained in the kitchen. No more basement pantry! It feels so much better having less inventory.

    I've also found a material recycling bin so next up is going through the old bedding and the sewing WIPs I am never going to complete because they turned out be a bad idea.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on March 14, 2023, 09:11:25 AM
    Is there a charity that wants socks?   Like, socks that are annoying to wear?

    Smartwool has a Second Cut program where they will accept any used socks and make them into new products. You can either mail them in ir drop them off at participating retailers.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on March 14, 2023, 09:37:30 AM
    Is there a charity that wants socks?   Like, socks that are annoying to wear?

    Smartwool has a Second Cut program where they will accept any used socks and make them into new products. You can either mail them in ir drop them off at participating retailers.


    I have also heard (perhaps from a Bombas commercial) that socks are the most frequently requested item at homeless shelters.  I have no idea if this is true, but it may be a good place to donate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 14, 2023, 08:17:00 PM
    Too small snowpants, a blouse I thought I liked but didn't, and some makeup out. Clothes into the donation bag and makeup in the trash. I was given two new cosmetic items so I tossed the one I had. I'm still up one but not two.

    Cleaned out my car. Do not need more tote bags!

    Got some more stationery out by writing notes.

    As to the personal papers questions, I have one half-empty accordion file and one shoebox of pictures.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 15, 2023, 07:38:31 AM
    My office was tossing a few things from the lost & found in the locker room (gym clothes). I brought them home, washed them, & will give them away on Buy Nothing. I realize this is the opposite of the thread title, but they were perfectly fine & trendy clothes, that someone will surely want. I'm not a size XS sports bra, or I would have been tempted. ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 15, 2023, 09:43:14 AM
    @Josiecat23503 , something about this comment makes me uncomfortable. I see the sarcasm tag, but still...

    I will say that even for us less-well-endowed women, that area is sensitive, and sports bras are much better at reducing friction than ordinary bras.

    Besides, she might have wanted to change back into cleaner, fresher work clothes after a sweaty workout, including undergarments.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on March 15, 2023, 10:49:15 AM
    @oneday, certainly meant no offense; my attempt at humor clearly fell flat.  FTR, I'm a postmenopausal woman who has experienced the ravages of pregnancy, nursing, aging and gravity personally and meant absolutely nothing disparaging.  Comment has been removed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 15, 2023, 02:36:57 PM
    @Josiecat23503 thank you, I appreciate your understanding :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 19, 2023, 08:10:30 PM
    Two bags of donations filled up and ready to drop off.

    Contacted a friend who wears the fancy office clothes I no longer have need of and she's happy to take all of them! (I like to send pictures and get the ok before just shoving a bag at someone who might feel obligated to take it.) It was all fantasy self decluttering--I no longer have the lifestyle or job that necessitates fancy clothes, especially ones that are in a size that is unhealthy for me. It was very emotional for me and I usually don't get emotional about decluttering.

    I've been watching A to Zen Life's YouTube channel and it really helped me get over those feelings. The clothes are going to a good home, even if the final destination isn't with the friend. I made it clear that she doesn't have to keep any of it and is free to pass anything along that she won't wear.

    I also decluttered my office drawers. Tax paperwork is properly filed. I threw away/recycled an employee benefits handbook that was expired, some half-used stickers I won't finish, free address labels, etc.

    I posted three books on Paper Back Swap and one was on a wishlist so it will go out soon. If a book isn't immediately claimed I donate it and remove it from the listings. Two will go to the trade bookshelf at work.

    A finished puzzle went to a friend who a) likes puzzle and b) works in a clinic that sets up puzzle tables for their patients. It was so pretty but so frustrating that I will never attempt it again.

    Three lids/rings to a smoothie blender set that I don't use went into the trash. They aren't recyclable and only fit this specific brand so I'm not bothering to rehome them.

    Packaged up some books/magazines to mail to my parents. Reusing a bubble mailer I received a package in.

    Packaged up a pair of jeans I'm sending to a friend by fashioning an old calendar into a mailer.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on March 20, 2023, 06:22:37 AM
    Finally found a place to donate several pairs of old eyeglasses that have been sitting on my hall table for over a year! Apparently my MIL's church takes eyeglasses for donation, so we brought them over when we saw her this weekend to add to her next donation drop. It's a very small thing, but I'm glad to have them out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 20, 2023, 10:25:18 AM
    Had the teens try on all of their shorts, in anticipation of our spring break trip. Some got passed from one kid to another, and six pair are going to BN, all to be picked up in the next day or so.

    Made time to try on all of my stuff for spring break trip (we're going to Dubai during Ramadan, so need very specific stuff). By trying them on, deciding what exactly went together, & what I didn't need, I was able to return a few things, before the return window closed, which saved money & eventual clutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 20, 2023, 06:58:56 PM
    Well, I set a cat scratching board by the door to take out and I must have piqued ALLL the feline interest because 2 out of 3 cats used it in front of me for posing and scratching!  It has some life in it yet. 

    I used up a very weak free sample of ground coffee this morning that was a gift for my charity stitching group members. 

    I used up a weird body wash. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: okisok on March 22, 2023, 07:11:07 PM
    Some very positive feedback on my recent giveaways. Friend wore my favorite of the items I gave away, one I had a really hard time giving up. She went on a sales call and landed a six figure deal (her first)!! And she loves the clothes, so double win.

    Just got a picture from the friend I sent the puzzle to. She has it out at work and patients are working on it and already complete the outside.

    I found one more clothing item I'll offer to the friend. I'm not a blazer-wearer anymore and she is.

    Mailed the book request today, wrapped in pages from a damaged book.

    It's time to get rid of the winter clothes I didn't wear this year, or don't love. I've got a robe in the washer to clean up to donate, plus the shirt I wore today. It was gifted to me, but it has a very high neck in front and a very low back. Before you ask, I tried wearing it backward and it's worse. Off it goes!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 22, 2023, 08:17:33 PM
    We're changing seasons so I'm looking through the things I haven't worn this season or already know I'm unlikely to wear in the next and deciding what is for donation and what is just plain worn out. I've also picked some of my second tier items to leave in NZ next week.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on March 23, 2023, 06:03:37 PM
    Moved 4 bags of baby stuff to a friend’s women’s shelter, and a pile of books to our neighborhood’s little free library box. Now the books we have (mostly) all fit in the shelves again :) I’ve been reading more e-books, which is also helping with book accumulation. Also as my kids grow we’ve found a friend with a baby who wants their outgrown (already hand me down) clothes. It’s fun to keep the items circulating around our friend community.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 24, 2023, 10:26:58 AM
    Finally found a place to donate several pairs of old eyeglasses that have been sitting on my hall table for over a year! Apparently my MIL's church takes eyeglasses for donation, so we brought them over when we saw her this weekend to add to her next donation drop. It's a very small thing, but I'm glad to have them out of the house!

    Thanks for that. I have a lot of old glasses and cases I want to donate. I heard you could sell them online, bit not worth the hassle, probably, lol. So I will donate them.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 24, 2023, 10:46:01 AM
    Finally found a place to donate several pairs of old eyeglasses that have been sitting on my hall table for over a year! Apparently my MIL's church takes eyeglasses for donation, so we brought them over when we saw her this weekend to add to her next donation drop. It's a very small thing, but I'm glad to have them out of the house!

    Thanks for that. I have a lot of old glasses and cases I want to donate. I heard you could sell them online, bit not worth the hassle, probably, lol. So I will donate them.   

    Every optometrist’s office I’ve been in has a box for donations of old glasses.  I’ve been told that the prescription is read and then they are sent off to third world countries.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 25, 2023, 03:57:24 PM
    I successfully freecycled some toiletries today.  I listed several things on CL as well. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 25, 2023, 05:10:13 PM
    Worked on my extensive collection aluminum foil containers. Now to find a place to donate them to. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on March 25, 2023, 05:20:10 PM
    We started unpacking our kitchen today. Despite getting plenty of stuff out the door on the packing end, we have a box full of stuff to donate today, too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 31, 2023, 12:25:11 PM
    Found some very worn but clean clothes in a bag. COuld not find any place that accepts 'clean rags' near me except for a big industrial place about 10 miles away. Too far. So I  put them some in my rag bag for future use, and one I am going to keep to wear as a work shirt.

    Also found some good clean sweaters. One of them fit me, but I didn't like the look.  I know no one will buy them at my flea market, not even for $1, so I donated them to Goodwill.   

    Looked inside a drawer and found clean dish towels! Took them out and put them in the kitchen. That made my girl friend happy.  Also found some stuff to recycle, in same drawer. Cleaned out the entire drawer, told girl friend  she could use it for her stuff.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on April 01, 2023, 06:53:50 AM
    - Moved some furniture around, which resulted in some changes in clothing storage. Found some additional pieces that were hidden/old and took a big bag of textile recycling to the bin.

    - Took our "out of sight" box (specifically the books) to our youngest's daycare, as they requested book donations to refresh the libraries. Win/win!

    - Bulk trash pickup is this month; we've already earmarked an old, broken chair and (if I can't give it away) a low-profile twin box spring that we no longer use since the kids are in bunk beds now.

    - Eyeing the weather for a nice weekend day so we can start spring cleaning on the garage... hopefully this month!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 01, 2023, 02:13:15 PM
    We just finished a week at our house in NZ which resulted in a carport full of things that needed to be taken to the tip - nothing good! Just junk thrown behind the garage by the previous owners and all the shelves and rusty nails Ofpym pulled out of the garage walls. Found a guy who would take it to the tip for us and it was all cleared up before we left. Feels good not looking like a junkyard house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 01, 2023, 10:43:25 PM
    Gave away a shed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on April 02, 2023, 03:21:46 AM
    DS is purging some clothes

    washed a cover for a weighted blanket in anticipation of gifting it on BNG

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on April 02, 2023, 03:38:15 AM
    They aren't out of the house but DH has sent three pairs of jeans to recycling. They were choking up a drawer so I'm very pleased.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nick663 on April 02, 2023, 10:56:27 AM
    Listed 6 items on eBay friday night to keep my 3 month streak of using all free listings alive.

    Sold a t-shirt and a set of basketball cards this morning.  ~$26 in my pocket after shipping/fees and 2 less items around the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 03, 2023, 04:20:15 PM
    Must have had 40 pounds of paper decluttering in the blue box this morning when the recycling truck came and took it away to its new purpose. 

    It was full of old college papers, and 3 big manuals from w*rk days, plus some old unneeded financial reports. 

    Also took some old w*rk documentation that I want to keep for practical reasons,  and put it all in a big bag and took it down to the basement.

    I am moving a lot of stuff around my house lately, and most of it is ending up in the 'computer' room, so a lot of the stuff there that used to have sentimental value for me has less so, and out it goes ! Woohoo !   

    I have discovered a new decluttering principle (at least for me, ha ha) which is  : The more cluttered a room is, the easier it is to find something you are happy to get rid of in it.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on April 04, 2023, 09:17:09 PM
    I'd accumulated two paper grocery-size bags full of bubble wrap and gave them away to someone in my Buy Nothing group who needed packing supplies.

    And ha ha @slackmax for redacting "w*rk" like an expletive.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 08, 2023, 07:20:06 AM
    Did a 'rearrange / recycle' event on a lot of paper bills in the 'computer room'. While doing that, I unearthed some more old technical manuals (3 ring binders)  from w*rk days. I find I no longer have sentimental feelings for them, so I recycled the paper, and donated the binders.

    Also found some more generally useful technical books that I plan on donating to the library.   

    Not waiting for the curbside pickup. Will take the paper to recyc center today, for the satisfaction of 'getting it out of my house' which is big with me.

    The computer room still looks like a disaster area, but I know it has x amount less clutter, lol.   

    Slow and steady wins the race.

    Oh, by the way, found a big glass bottle I was using for beer making in the basement, as I was working on my air handler. Recycled it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on April 08, 2023, 08:23:00 AM
    We have curbside bulk trash pickup next week.  I've asked around for anyone who would like a double-size wooden bedframe but no takers as of yet.
    Plan is to put it outside for pickup where I expect one of the scavengers will grab it before the City truck gets here.

    UPDATE:  I posted the bed frame for free on our Neighborhood Nextdoor forum and I have someone scheduled to pick it up ...  Bed has been picked up.  I got a text later from the woman thanking me because her granddaughter had been sleeping on a mattress on the floor.  I was so glad to have someone get a free bed who really needed it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on April 08, 2023, 04:32:32 PM
    Slackmax - for the old textiles, you can cut them up and use them for stuffing in pet beds. Or you can use them to help stuff draft stoppers for doors. Just in case you know anyone who sews and does stuff like that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on April 09, 2023, 04:56:19 AM
    Did a 'rearrange / recycle' event on a lot of paper bills in the 'computer room'. While doing that, I unearthed some more old technical manuals (3 ring binders)  from w*rk days. I find I no longer have sentimental feelings for them, so I recycled the paper, and donated the binders.

    Also found some more generally useful technical books that I plan on donating to the library.   

    Not waiting for the curbside pickup. Will take the paper to recyc center today, for the satisfaction of 'getting it out of my house' which is big with me.

    The computer room still looks like a disaster area, but I know it has x amount less clutter, lol.   

    Slow and steady wins the race.

    Oh, by the way, found a big glass bottle I was using for beer making in the basement, as I was working on my air handler. Recycled it.

    Loved all of this but my favorite part is the part I bolded above.  Now THAT'S some real progress!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on April 09, 2023, 10:44:32 AM
    Yeah Ladychips, I 100% agree!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 10, 2023, 05:00:01 PM
    As soon as I got home I put my threadbare jeans and socks in the get-outta-here bag. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 11, 2023, 07:11:28 AM
    Slackmax - for the old textiles, you can cut them up and use them for stuffing in pet beds. Or you can use them to help stuff draft stoppers for doors. Just in case you know anyone who sews and does stuff like that.

    Thanks, Sibley. That reminds me, pet rescue centers around here accept certain cloth items for use as bedding for dogs and cats.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 11, 2023, 07:28:49 AM
    Did a 'rearrange / recycle' event on a lot of paper bills in the 'computer room'. While doing that, I unearthed some more old technical manuals (3 ring binders)  from w*rk days. I find I no longer have sentimental feelings for them, so I recycled the paper, and donated the binders.

    Also found some more generally useful technical books that I plan on donating to the library.   

    Not waiting for the curbside pickup. Will take the paper to recyc center today, for the satisfaction of 'getting it out of my house' which is big with me.

    The computer room still looks like a disaster area, but I know it has x amount less clutter, lol.   

    Slow and steady wins the race.

    Oh, by the way, found a big glass bottle I was using for beer making in the basement, as I was working on my air handler. Recycled it.

    Loved all of this but my favorite part is the part I bolded above.  Now THAT'S some real progress!!

    Thanks!  Yesterday I finally got around to at least 'looking at' all the former girl friend's clothes in the closet. I was ignoring them for a long time, thinking I have plenty of clutter that is in plain sight to get rid off before I do the closet.

    But I just felt like getting rid of it. Can't get anything for it by selling it. So I packed up about 20 blouses and jackets into 2 big bags and will donate them today. 

    Now have an additional 2 horizontal feet of closet rack space available.

    Also have a million wearable but somewhat worn shirts of my own in the same closet. Ought to go through them too, and recycle or donate some. Probably never will wear half of them, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on April 11, 2023, 05:11:04 PM
    @slackmax that's brilliant, mate. WRT your shirts - what if you tried the opposite approach? Set a limit, i.e 20-25, and then just keep your top favourites and donate the rest?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on April 12, 2023, 04:58:18 AM
    @slackmax that's brilliant, mate. WRT your shirts - what if you tried the opposite approach? Set a limit, i.e 20-25, and then just keep your top favourites and donate the rest?

    Brilliant idea!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 12, 2023, 07:21:07 AM
    @slackmax that's brilliant, mate. WRT your shirts - what if you tried the opposite approach? Set a limit, i.e 20-25, and then just keep your top favourites and donate the rest?

    Good idea, mspym. I'll consider it. I'm still basking in the glow of getting rid of the two big bags of clothes, lol.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 12, 2023, 01:17:36 PM
    I used to work in a factory years ago and the machines were oily and needed wiping down daily. The company bought barrels of rags for that purpose. Not sure where they got them but maybe GoodWill? No idea. Maybe that could be an idea to make money on old clothes. Cut them up and sell them in bundles on Ebay, Craigslist or elsewhere as rags.

    Some people even make braided rugs with strips of material taken from clothes. Youtube woud probably have video's on how to make them.

    As a side note, one time in the rag barrel we found a pair of mens fruit of the loom underpants! That provided us a day of laughter!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 15, 2023, 12:25:07 PM
    I donated 3 grocery bags of clothes and pillowcases this morning. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JAYSLOL on April 15, 2023, 07:54:49 PM
    Sold a mountain bike and a set of tires today, didn’t need either and glad to have two bulky items gone
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: nessness on April 15, 2023, 08:54:26 PM
    Yay for my Buy Nothing group - I listed a box of clothes, tea set, kids activity kit,  clock, and Christmas decoration and everything was claimed within hours! It's more work than just donating to Goodwill (which I do as well), but I feel better about it.

    I also sold our extra blender, and listed another appliance for sale. I've been slacking on decluttering the last couple months, so I'm happy to be making some progress!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on April 16, 2023, 01:55:57 AM
    I turned my spare bedroom into a sewing room during the pandemic.  No-one has stayed in it since and there is another room with a sofa bed if anyone does want to stay (unlikely, my relatives all now live in the area and friends seem flush with money for AirBbB.  So the mattress has gone to a friend whose daughter needed a better one.  The (disassembled) frame is a good Victorian brass and wrought iron one so needs to go to auction but just having the mattress gone is a significant improvement. I've a few other things that can go to auction too, I've given myself the end of next month for it all to be gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: JAYSLOL on April 16, 2023, 10:09:02 AM
    Also gave away a spare microwave I had to someone who is going to donate it to some people whose home burned down
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on April 16, 2023, 10:56:54 AM
    As I pull out gardening supplies for this season, I am pitching all the broken stuff and any trays/pot/gear that I don't need this year or didn't use last year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on April 16, 2023, 06:21:37 PM
    Did a 'rearrange / recycle' event on a lot of paper bills in the 'computer room'. While doing that, I unearthed some more old technical manuals (3 ring binders)  from w*rk days. I find I no longer have sentimental feelings for them, so I recycled the paper, and donated the binders.

    Also found some more generally useful technical books that I plan on donating to the library.   

    Not waiting for the curbside pickup. Will take the paper to recyc center today, for the satisfaction of 'getting it out of my house' which is big with me.

    The computer room still looks like a disaster area, but I know it has x amount less clutter, lol.   

    Slow and steady wins the race.

    Oh, by the way, found a big glass bottle I was using for beer making in the basement, as I was working on my air handler. Recycled it.

    Loved all of this but my favorite part is the part I bolded above.  Now THAT'S some real progress!!

    Thanks!  Yesterday I finally got around to at least 'looking at' all the former girl friend's clothes in the closet. I was ignoring them for a long time, thinking I have plenty of clutter that is in plain sight to get rid off before I do the closet.

    But I just felt like getting rid of it. Can't get anything for it by selling it. So I packed up about 20 blouses and jackets into 2 big bags and will donate them today. 

    Now have an additional 2 horizontal feet of closet rack space available.

    Also have a million wearable but somewhat worn shirts of my own in the same closet. Ought to go through them too, and recycle or donate some. Probably never will wear half of them, lol.

    An easy(ish) way of choosing amongst a lot of items is to pick two at a time and ask yourself "This one or this one?"  Going through all similar items one time will reduce the quantity by half.  Then go through the ones you were planning to keep another time before putting them back, and you've gotten rid of another half!  Choosing one item from two is much easier than choosing 20 from 100.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 22, 2023, 02:04:49 PM
    I used up an old bottle of witch hazel this morning in the shower when I used it in my hair washing regimen. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on April 23, 2023, 11:33:32 AM
    Got rid of the 5 metal folding chairs that have cluttered a corner of my downstairs foyer for a long time.  I probably didn't ask enough for them, but at least they are gone ! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on April 23, 2023, 12:24:20 PM
    I took down my recycling to the building’s trash room  and a left knickknack on a community shelf that made me sad for another resident to take. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: keepingfocus on April 23, 2023, 01:13:52 PM
    It’s been a decent week for decluttering.
    -One bag of fabric scraps and an unwanted makeup storage box given away via the local freebies group
    -Half a box of 20-year-old paperwork shredded (a hard-fought battle with Chief Clutterbug DH who insists on keeping things like instructions for a boiler we no longer have ‘so I can make a record of it’).
    -An overheight double headboard scrapped (fabric salvaged for reuse elsewhere)
    -Scrap wood from the shed repurposed into a cold frame and some shelving battens for the airing cupboard)
    -Two soup mugs binned (casualties of clumsiness)
    -A box of books and bag of clothes taken to the charity shop
    -Old batteries recycled
    -Broken piece of coving replaced (using up a spare bit stored in the garage)
    -Old corroded radiator put out for scrap (and nicked from the driveway before I even had a chance to phone someone to take it away)
    -Obsolete external wiring ripped out
    -Digital decluttering of old work-related documents and emails
    -More paint and wallpaper used up
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on April 23, 2023, 01:18:23 PM
    Got our donation box out of the house today, it was starting to overflow so we loaded up and took it to a drop point. Need to find a new box before we start getting ready to move, I'm sure we'll be finding all sorts of stuff as we pack.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 03, 2023, 03:42:01 PM
    I got into a groove while digging through a huge cardboard box full of stuff, in the computer room. Four feet by 3 feet by 3 feet tall.

    The same stuff has been in it for years. Moved one third of it into the closet, which now has space since I donated acres of clothes that were there a few days ago.

    Got about 50  books out, and assorted sundries, and donated them all today. Bags and bags-o-stuff gone.

    Now have a nice clean empty box. Might use it to store stuff, might recycle it. Good, either way !     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 03, 2023, 04:07:47 PM
    Progress:
    - we put a couple of boxes of random things out on the curb for a few days and then anything that wasn't taken either got taken to recycling or thrown out
    - Took the broken tv, non-working electronics, misc cords/cables, and the gas heater we haven't used in 6 years to the recycling station this weekend.
    - Eight more books out of the house
    - I've been collecting a bag for donation and will probably drop that off later today.

    @slackmax recycle that box! you can do it!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 03, 2023, 05:44:57 PM
    @slackmax recycle the box and enjoy that extra 4*3 foot space on the floor!

    This week I dropped off a bag of fabric recycling, have found someone who wants my old towels, threw out two bras and have four more ready to donate. I'm planning a wardrobe declutter soon so will have more fabric recycling (I usually wear things til they are dead) but the bin was full so I'll have to find another one. There's just so much waste. I've also made a meal plan that uses forgotten things in the freezer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on May 04, 2023, 01:59:00 AM
    Left 2 hardcovers in the "leave a book, take a book" bookshelf at the local train station. It's weirdly gratifying to see they've vanished the next day/week. Also coralled a big bag full of assorted broken/unused/ancient cables and electronics (including an iPad 2 that still charges) ready for recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Monocle Money Mouth on May 04, 2023, 04:25:29 AM
    Things I've gotten rid of recently

    Collapsable music stand I forgot about 2 collapsable music stands we had in a closet. I sold one already but I'm still waiting to get a nibble on the second one.

    Portable air conditioner My parents bought it for us as a wedding gift since we were planning to rent a house that didn't have air conditioning. We used it for a month at the rental house and a couple of times in the house we bought when the central air conditioning was broken. It's been sitting in the basement untouched since at least 2015.

    Work stuff Back in November of 2020, they had everyone clean out their desks since it looked like we would be working from home indefinitely. I filled up a box, took it home, put it in the closet for when we returned to the office (that never happened), and forgot about it. It was mostly junk like company branded trinkets and outdated training materials. I salvaged whatever paper I could to use as scratch paper and added any metal I could identify to my metal scrap for recycling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on May 04, 2023, 06:41:10 AM
    Bulk trash day came and went - after extended discussion about some bigger items we'd been thinking about we had nothing to put out! I do have three items to list on our local Buy Nothing group, but these are in very good condition and things I THINK people would want - not trash; those are a project for this weekend. (It felt like a real accomplishment that we've gotten our home to a place where everything has a spot and is a meaningful addition to our home.)

    Still working on smaller items - the kiddos' clothes are a constant battle, though my mom is coming in next week and we'll do a big once over and assessment of what they need for the summer. (Her love language is shopping so I try to channel that into items they NEED instead of more plastic crap my kids don't need or want.)

    We did donate three REALLY nice hardback books to our eldest's school library. (Upon getting approval from the librarian - always ask about donating books to libraries beforehand, since most libraries want new-ish copies that will stand up to lots of movement!)

    Hubs went to visit family (including a new baby) and took another bag of hand-me-down stuff out of our "give away or recycle" closet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 04, 2023, 01:42:27 PM
    Left 2 hardcovers in the "leave a book, take a book" bookshelf at the local train station. It's weirdly gratifying to see they've vanished the next day/week. Also coralled a big bag full of assorted broken/unused/ancient cables and electronics (including an iPad 2 that still charges) ready for recycling.
    Hey Vashy,

    About the electronics. I was able to actually sell a couple 30 year old PC's (personal computers) by advertising them on Facebook. I got $10 each. Collectors / computer geeks / tinkerers bought them. I took the hard drives out first.

    Good to know they aren't yet piled up in plastic wrap on a pallet in the Phillipines, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 04, 2023, 01:50:02 PM
    OK, guys. About the huge empty cardboard box. I might keep it. Why? Because I am now 'curating' the stuff in my house, and the huge box would be an easy place to store stuff, and record it on my spreadsheet, as in 'the phone cords are inside a plastic bag, in the huge box'.     So convenient!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: getsorted on May 04, 2023, 02:14:00 PM
    OK, guys. About the huge empty cardboard box. I might keep it. Why? Because I am now 'curating' the stuff in my house, and the huge box would be an easy place to store stuff, and record it on my spreadsheet, as in 'the phone cords are inside a plastic bag, in the huge box'.     So convenient!   

    Entirely reasonable. A good box is a great place to keep all the phone cords you are definitely never gonna use again. ;)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 04, 2023, 03:05:00 PM
    It's also a good place to put all the single random items you are going to give away, but aren't going to make the trip for one item.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on May 04, 2023, 04:25:56 PM
    I'm between 2 spaces right now, living with extended family having started a new job... Old home has my immediate family / pets / things that I haven't moved in carry on luggage yet.
     
    I'm headed back home tomorrow, so I cleaned through the small amount of stuff I have here. Got rid of some receipts, trash, expired papers etc. My few days at home will be spent getting the next load of stuff ready to come back here. Our move is tentatively in June or July.

    I realized I don't like working out in shiny workout shirts, I'd rather just wear ratty cotton t shirts because they breathe better. So those are all going. Also gave a pair of jeans to a family member here, I lost weight and they're not the right fit any more. To be honest I can't even think of what's in the old house any more. The easy stuff was donated ages ago. Each progressive round of donations requires a bit more creativity and thought.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 04, 2023, 06:11:42 PM
    OK, guys. About the huge empty cardboard box. I might keep it. Why? Because I am now 'curating' the stuff in my house, and the huge box would be an easy place to store stuff, and record it on my spreadsheet, as in 'the phone cords are inside a plastic bag, in the huge box'.     So convenient!   





    Entirely reasonable. A good box is a great place to keep all the phone cords you are definitely never gonna use again. ;)

    Sorry, @slackmax, but Sadie makes a good point.  The more places we have to store things, the more things we store, the vast majority of which we are keeping "just in case."  Most likely to never be used and just forcing us to do it all over again in the future.  Major time-waster.  I know, because I've done this myself, lol.

    I'm curious what your strategy was to get rid of acres of clothes?

    I'm back on the decluttering wagon, having found some motivation finally - list of stuff to follow.  Stay tuned.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 04, 2023, 07:11:03 PM
    I’ve drafted patterns from two old favourite tops so I can now recycle the worn out fabric. Soon the storage cabinet will be cleared and then I can get rid of it too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 04, 2023, 07:21:32 PM
    OK, guys. About the huge empty cardboard box. I might keep it. Why? Because I am now 'curating' the stuff in my house, and the huge box would be an easy place to store stuff, and record it on my spreadsheet, as in 'the phone cords are inside a plastic bag, in the huge box'.     So convenient!   





    Entirely reasonable. A good box is a great place to keep all the phone cords you are definitely never gonna use again. ;)

    Sorry, @slackmax, but Sadie makes a good point.  The more places we have to store things, the more things we store, the vast majority of which we are keeping "just in case."  Most likely to never be used and just forcing us to do it all over again in the future.  Major time-waster.  I know, because I've done this myself, lol.

    I'm curious what your strategy was to get rid of acres of clothes?

    I'm back on the decluttering wagon, having found some motivation finally - list of stuff to follow.  Stay tuned.

    SunnyDays, 

    Yes, keep us posted!

    It was easy for me to get rid of the acres of clothes because .....   a combination of being bored (which makes it easier for me to do the 'boring' task of decluttering, ironic, yes)  and the new knowledge that all these clothes are virtually worthless and unsellable, even though clean and pressed, since they are 'not in style'.  I had been ignoring them since they were all in closets and out of sight. 

    Suddenly a row of dresses and blouses and jackets in one closet looked like easy prey. Hey, why not? So I just took them all out, one at a time, checked pockets for gold doubloons, cash, etc, verified that they looked unsellable, then put them into a bags.   

    Another motivator was my realization that I would have new open space, even though in a closet, and it could be used to store other stuff that was currently cluttering a floor somewhere. 

    Possibly another factor was that my former girl friend never wore these clothes, so no sentimental value. Maybe I was keeping them in honor of her memory, anyway.

    Just acres and acres. Bags and bags. Thump, thump, onto the bottom of the donation bin, away they go, hopefully to  new wearers.   

    Another motivator : the fact that my house is still too cluttered, even after what I would term 'significant' rounds of  decluttering. I was just sick of it all, and all those clothes took up a lot of open space that I could gain back.
     
    One more thing. I had my current girl friend confirm that the clothes were unsellable. That helped.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on May 04, 2023, 08:54:27 PM
    checked pockets for gold doubloons
    Did you find any?

    Possibly another factor was that my former girl friend never wore these clothes, so no sentimental value. Maybe I was keeping them in honor of her memory, anyway.
    This is very sweet.<3

    ---
    I dropped off a trunk load of stuff to St. Vinny's 2 weeks ago. Already I have another 1/2 bag full. I have some categories of things I want to get rid of but need to figure out who will take them: magazines (my friends of the library will only accept magazines less than 6 mos old), old medication (my pharmacy won't accept them!!), electronics (some may be working, some not), etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on May 05, 2023, 08:14:34 AM
    In Phoenix you can put magazines into the recycle bins.  And the Staples and Best Buy stores accept old electronics, but of course it's best to double-check what your local stores will do. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 05, 2023, 10:21:30 AM
    Excellent going, @slackmax!  Sometimes things just seem to come together in our minds and we have a new perspective on it all.  I understand the feeling of being sick of it all.  That's what's gotten a lot of stuff out of my house too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on May 05, 2023, 02:32:25 PM
    In Phoenix you can put magazines into the recycle bins.  And the Staples and Best Buy stores accept old electronics, but of course it's best to double-check what your local stores will do.

    Thanks, @LaineyAZ! I'm trying to find places to "re-use," but if I can't then I would look to "recycle." Well, non-working electronics probably are ready for recycling. The issue there is figuring out what works and what doesn't. That's really great to know about Staples and Best Buy!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 05, 2023, 03:35:20 PM
    After a long break in April, I finally listed a bunch of stuff on Buy Nothing, & managed to give it all away (all 10 items), which was also my goal for May. I'm going to aim higher, since we're early in the month.

    Gave away: travel toiletry kits x4, cinch bag, new magazines, two types of unused eye makeup, toy, & a tin that we were gifted.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 05, 2023, 06:09:50 PM
    Already gone or in the process of leaving the house - 12 books, pair of pants, curling iron, calculator, bag of timothy hay, 2nd hat, bottle of perfume, fabric box, picture frame, clock radio, 2 frying pans, 3 DVDs, 1 VHS tape, a belt and a pile of papers, either shredded or recycled.  Oh, and a plant I couldn't be bothered to keep alive, repotted in a candle holder, so that went too.

    I won't miss any of these things, and yet I don't really notice any extra space from their removal either.

    Off tomorrow - bags of yard debris and composting.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on May 06, 2023, 08:00:09 AM
    Thank goodness for quarterly curbside bulk trash pickup.  We'll be putting out some old damaged wooden fence panels, a big broken plastic display case and some broken toys which the City will pick up next week.  It's free, included with our monthly trash bill. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on May 06, 2023, 11:58:44 AM
    Left 2 hardcovers in the "leave a book, take a book" bookshelf at the local train station. It's weirdly gratifying to see they've vanished the next day/week. Also coralled a big bag full of assorted broken/unused/ancient cables and electronics (including an iPad 2 that still charges) ready for recycling.
    Hey Vashy,

    About the electronics. I was able to actually sell a couple 30 year old PC's (personal computers) by advertising them on Facebook. I got $10 each. Collectors / computer geeks / tinkerers bought them. I took the hard drives out first.

    Good to know they aren't yet piled up in plastic wrap on a pallet in the Phillipines, lol.

    Good point! I need to check if anybody might want the iPad 2 - the other stuff is definitely broken, or cables, or tiny-capacity memory sicks...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on May 06, 2023, 04:07:58 PM
    I returned a lamp I had borrowed a couple wks ago.  Also emptied out some cardboard packaging. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 06, 2023, 05:17:33 PM
    We are having a local shredding event and last year they cancelled and the previous year I think because of Covid they didn't have it either. So, I have big ass box of shredding. I emptied out the three areas that are the accumulation areas, now I have to look a bit harder for some more stuff. The box is about the size of a laundry basket and almost full. It is way too heavy to carry so, I have to find some other thing to put the paperwork in. This is a free event at the Senior Center, but they are asking for donations. This is the first time they asked for donations. There is another event thru another organization that is charging $10 a box so I don't mind a donation. I just want to get rid of this mountain of paperwork! I have a paper shredder but this would be the kiss of death for it with all this paperwork!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: keepingfocus on May 07, 2023, 02:58:48 AM
    DH has let go of the carcass of a piece of equipment (after stripping it for spares), some more old boxes, random pieces of foam, and a cheap guitar with a warped neck.
    I've filled another charity shop bag of clothes, shredded more old paperwork, and dug up, divided and potted up some bamboo from the back of the garden which will enable us to reorganise some space (and maybe even make a few £ from selling the plants on Marketplace).





    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on May 07, 2023, 08:21:35 AM
    I was frustrated about something yesterday, and decided to channel my frustration into decluttering.

    In my bathroom/bedroom, I found:
    -8 pair of those socks good for wearing with flats. I wear Rothys, and no longer need those, as you can wash the entire shoe & sole.
    -An unused ear wax kit (no clue where it came from)
    -A container of vitamins (unopened) that we won't use
    -A bunch of makeup brushes I haven't used in years

    Listed them all on Buy Nothing, and they are all spoken for/pending pickup. Hurrah! More junk out of the house.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 09, 2023, 02:22:18 PM
    Took some stuff down to the flea market to sell. Got rid of some medium sized items. An old wooden tennis racket in working condition, with its wooden storage brace  on it.  I had been trying to sell it forever, so it was a landmark event. I only asked  $2 for it. Ha Ha. That's OK.   

    Also sold a nice new-in-box electric meat carving  knife for $7. No way am I ever going to 'maybe use it some day' so it was easy to let go of. I have lots of 'might use it someday' items stored in my house, but the electric knife is not one of them, lol.

    Oh, and a Ray Charles CD for $1.

    Plus lots of other stuff not exciting enough to talk about. Made $57 profit for the day. Woohoo ! Clutter out, cash in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 10, 2023, 07:01:50 AM
    Already gone or in the process of leaving the house - 12 books, pair of pants, curling iron, calculator, bag of timothy hay, 2nd hat, bottle of perfume, fabric box, picture frame, clock radio, 2 frying pans, 3 DVDs, 1 VHS tape, a belt and a pile of papers, either shredded or recycled.  Oh, and a plant I couldn't be bothered to keep alive, repotted in a candle holder, so that went too.

    I won't miss any of these things, and yet I don't really notice any extra space from their removal either.

    Off tomorrow - bags of yard debris and composting.

    Congratulations on getting rid of those many items, SunnyDays.

    I also experience the ' I just donated a whole car full of stuff, and my place looks the same' effect, lol. '  But I know all the stuff is gone, and I feel good about it for a while.   

    Slow and steady wins the race, or something like that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on May 10, 2023, 04:11:18 PM
    Let it be known that I would like to wave a magic wand and all the unnecessary stuff would poof! instantly disappear from my life.
    Tired of decluttering!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 10, 2023, 04:37:10 PM
    Let it be known that I would like to wave a magic wand and all the unnecessary stuff would poof! instantly disappear from my life.
    Tired of decluttering!

    Well technically wands exist but they cost a bit of money. Decluttering is something I enjoy so once I've finished my current round, can I come do yours? *rubs hands gleefully* A warning though: I am ruthless. And also scared of spiders, so there will be occasional screams.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 10, 2023, 04:41:37 PM
    Let it be known that I would like to wave a magic wand and all the unnecessary stuff would poof! instantly disappear from my life.
    Tired of decluttering!

    Well technically wands exist but they cost a bit of money. Decluttering is something I enjoy so once I've finished my current round, can I come do yours? *rubs hands gleefully* A warning though: I am ruthless. And also scared of spiders, so there will be occasional screams.
    Why do material objects have to be so... material? Roundrobin declutter sessions?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 10, 2023, 08:14:18 PM
    Let it be known that I would like to wave a magic wand and all the unnecessary stuff would poof! instantly disappear from my life.
    Tired of decluttering!

    Well technically wands exist but they cost a bit of money. Decluttering is something I enjoy so once I've finished my current round, can I come do yours? *rubs hands gleefully* A warning though: I am ruthless. And also scared of spiders, so there will be occasional screams.
    Why do material objects have to be so... material? Roundrobin declutter sessions?

    Oh yes! We can do your place next!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 13, 2023, 08:21:31 PM
    Made the rounds today. Bag of stuff to Goodwill. Bag of stuff to the animal shelter. Bag of stuff to Habitat Restore (and have another thing now, sigh). Returns to 2 different stores. My to-do list was a mile long, and I crossed off a lot. Not enough of course and will do a few more things before bed because I am on deadline. Family leaves Monday for 3 weeks, so all this stuff HAS to be done.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on May 14, 2023, 09:48:11 AM
    Combined an event yesterday with dropping off practically brand new window treatments (didn't work for the kitchen and wouldn't fit  in any other window) at the Habitat for  Humanity  restore! Also dropped off a bag at the goodwill around the corner. One large long box and one bag of stuff out of the garage!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Vashy on May 14, 2023, 01:50:38 PM
    Gave away some bulky items via the local "buy nothing" group and am grouping various items by type to better tell which ones of those I actually like and want to keep. Still plenty of work to do, but feeling more in control.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on May 14, 2023, 11:01:22 PM
    At the end of April I made a 'niggly list' of 70 things, a lot of which were decluttering. I'm cracking through it and did the bathroom cupboard today. Out went suncream (expiry 2012), bathsalts (don't have a bath) and a couple of other things. Gave it a good clean and rearranged it so the things we use daily are at the front. Revolutionary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 15, 2023, 02:31:09 AM
    Woot woot @Fresh Bread! It was bathroom cabinets and spice drawers that made me implement the one out-one in rule.

    Yesterday I deleted 2200+ emails and tagged and archived another 1000 or so. I don’t need to keep receipts from 2006 for laptops I no longer own! I now have less than 100 in total in my gmail inbox and I’m working through taking any actions needed to clear them.

    Today I realised I had no attachment any more to another five books and took them off to a street library. Six months ago, I was still attached to them but not any more. It’s building a little momentum.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on May 15, 2023, 05:07:22 AM
    I successfully used up some body wash and toothpaste this weekend.  I have a box 4/5 full to go to consignment this week.  I’m awaiting a friend’s contribution to the box first. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on May 15, 2023, 05:15:59 AM
    Two books going to the little library today.

    one set of very well loved cookie sheets going to BNG. (not really a win, because they are being replaced by the beautiful new set my son gave me for mother's day) 

    I am working my way through our toiletries.  We have landed on our preferred products, but I am committed to using up the less desirable products.  Ugh.  At least there haven't been any new purchases for a long time.....

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on May 15, 2023, 05:22:48 AM
    I've started packing for our upcoming move, and I'm hopeful that a lot of decluttering will be coming in the process. Already came across a few novelty glasses that we never use, showed them to DH and got the go-ahead for the donate bin.

    I had hoped to go through clothing as well, but I'm starting to show now, and I don't know if I want to get rid of clothes based on guessing how they'd fit me when I'm not pregnant. Currently all my regular clothes still fit, but just look a bit different on. And things with tight waists are out.

    And of course, I expect a second round of decluttering on the other end, as we unpack and go "why did we even bring this?" or find things that don't go/fit/work in the new place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on May 15, 2023, 06:06:51 AM
    I have been trying to keep really good records of what seeds germinate and what doesn't.  I start with the oldest and keep trying out less old packets until I get enough starts.

    I am also trying super hard to record how many seeds I  actually need.

    I gave quite a few varieties to the seed library.  Ideally I would like all the seeds to fit in one bin.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on May 15, 2023, 02:25:44 PM

    I am working my way through our toiletries.  We have landed on our preferred products, but I am committed to using up the less desirable products.  Ugh.  At least there haven't been any new purchases for a long time....


    If the less desirable products are things like lotions or shampoos, you can just blend them together with the ones you like, to make them less “ugh.”  Or donate to women’s/homeless shelters.  Because life is too precious to waste on things you hate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on May 15, 2023, 02:32:34 PM
    @SunnyDays - you are right!  It's really just the face wash I don't love. It's not terrible but it's not my favorite and I don't feel like it's doing my skin any favors.  Perhaps it will find its way to the buy nothing group....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 16, 2023, 05:23:31 AM
    I successfully used up some body wash and toothpaste this weekend.  I have a box 4/5 full to go to consignment this week.  I’m awaiting a friend’s contribution to the box first.

    Yesterday I used up one sample packet of skin cream, and tossed the wrapper. 3 more sample packets to go !  And then there are many regular tubes of various creams to use up. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 16, 2023, 05:31:28 AM
    Unloaded a few small items by selling them at the flea market. Even sold a clothing item, which is rare. A woman's fishing vest, for $2. Wow, I must be getting an eye for what sells, lol. I have donated tons of clothes. But I try to sell the occasional clothing item that I think might sell.

    The big ugly punch bowl was ignored by everyone again, so I donated it to Salvation Army.   

    Also donated 2 books to library. Didn't even bother trying to sell them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Brystheguy on May 16, 2023, 07:40:27 AM
    My parents moved to an apartment and we cleaned out their house of 30 years in about a week and a half. We moved their furniture to the new place, donated tons of stuff, and sold some things. We got the total from the dumpster company and we filled that dumpster with 4.7 TONS of stuff. It certainly motivated me to go through my own things and get rid of items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 17, 2023, 03:01:29 AM
    Tiny but mighty victory: Ofpym posted to the local letterpress FB group to give away his (broken but repairable) press. The thing is the size of our dog but 198lbs of awkward. Anyway, he’s got two guys super interested and one is arranging for a courier to Brisbane!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: stoaX on May 17, 2023, 04:14:05 AM
    My parents moved to an apartment and we cleaned out their house of 30 years in about a week and a half. We moved their furniture to the new place, donated tons of stuff, and sold some things. We got the total from the dumpster company and we filled that dumpster with 4.7 TONS of stuff. It certainly motivated me to go through my own things and get rid of items.

    4.7 tons!?!   I can't even wrap my head around that. Did you throw their cars into the dumpster?

    Anyway, great job!  Now I'm wondering how much all my useless stuff weighs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LD_TAndK on May 17, 2023, 04:52:31 AM
    My parents moved to an apartment and we cleaned out their house of 30 years in about a week and a half. We moved their furniture to the new place, donated tons of stuff, and sold some things. We got the total from the dumpster company and we filled that dumpster with 4.7 TONS of stuff. It certainly motivated me to go through my own things and get rid of items.

    4.7 tons!?!   I can't even wrap my head around that. Did you throw their cars into the dumpster?

    Anyway, great job!  Now I'm wondering how much all my useless stuff weighs.

    When my wife and I are discussing buying some small thing like a book, I always joke that I'll have to consult our structural engineer first (we live in a three story townhome). I guess in some cases that might be necessary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on May 17, 2023, 06:50:26 AM
    My parents moved to an apartment and we cleaned out their house of 30 years in about a week and a half. We moved their furniture to the new place, donated tons of stuff, and sold some things. We got the total from the dumpster company and we filled that dumpster with 4.7 TONS of stuff. It certainly motivated me to go through my own things and get rid of items.

    4.7 tons!?!   I can't even wrap my head around that. Did you throw their cars into the dumpster?

    Anyway, great job!  Now I'm wondering how much all my useless stuff weighs.

    Paper can get very heavy. Stacks of magazines or just regular typing paper, etc. And books. I think I have removed at least 1,000 pounds of that sort of thing from my house in the last few years.  Maybe even 2,000 pounds!   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on May 27, 2023, 08:44:08 AM
    We are having a local shredding event and last year they cancelled and the previous year I think because of Covid they didn't have it either. So, I have big ass box of shredding. I emptied out the three areas that are the accumulation areas, now I have to look a bit harder for some more stuff. The box is about the size of a laundry basket and almost full. It is way too heavy to carry so, I have to find some other thing to put the paperwork in. This is a free event at the Senior Center, but they are asking for donations. This is the first time they asked for donations. There is another event thru another organization that is charging $10 a box so I don't mind a donation. I just want to get rid of this mountain of paperwork! I have a paper shredder but this would be the kiss of death for it with all this paperwork!

    This just made me remember how much I hate our shredder. Like I will rip stuff by hand not to have to use it. Its going to be donated for sure now thanks! I have access to shredder boxes at work too I can always sneak papers there.

    Great job everyone on your last couple pages of successes! A sober reminder for everyone - one of my in laws has a hoarding disorder. She had a major stroke and now her young adult daughters are trying to clean out the 7 ft high piles of animal waste soaked garbage from the home so their mom can be discharged to somewhere. Obviously no one here is anywhere near like that, but this family member didn't used to be like this. Being able to examine your choices and thoughtfully purge items is a great mental exercise.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 27, 2023, 11:45:30 AM
    My parents moved to an apartment and we cleaned out their house of 30 years in about a week and a half. We moved their furniture to the new place, donated tons of stuff, and sold some things. We got the total from the dumpster company and we filled that dumpster with 4.7 TONS of stuff. It certainly motivated me to go through my own things and get rid of items.

    4.7 tons!?!   I can't even wrap my head around that. Did you throw their cars into the dumpster?

    Anyway, great job!  Now I'm wondering how much all my useless stuff weighs.

    Paper can get very heavy. Stacks of magazines or just regular typing paper, etc. And books. I think I have removed at least 1,000 pounds of that sort of thing from my house in the last few years.  Maybe even 2,000 pounds!

    Ceramics as well can add up. Not as much as paper usually, but I can see accumulating multiple sets of dishes (mother's, grandmother's, MIL, your own, other relatives, etc). Throw in a large wardrobe of clothing, tools, the books/magazines, and an accumulation of unwanted furniture and yeah, I can see it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on May 28, 2023, 01:15:51 PM
    I raced around this morning and filled half the car trunk with clothes, kid furniture, and a few housewares to go to the church tag sale which is coming soon. Unfortunately,  that means all the low hanging fruit is gone, and now we have a vanfull of problematic stuff left... items that need to be cleaned before being given away, games missing a piece that we know we have somewhere, electronics that need their memories wiped, fixable items.  Mr. Poundwise, who is indeed wiser than me, says to just throw it all away... but the eco-warrior in me doesn't want to contribute to the landfill.

    Well, it still feels good to get rid of so much clutter!  Next week I think I will start on the largest item (a big plastic toy easel which is covered with dirt) and then progress to items by decreasing size.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 28, 2023, 02:33:52 PM
    A solid approach @Poundwise - tackling the big things gives you the biggest return of space!

    We continue nibbling away at our belongings - another bag in the donation bin, another couple of books to the free library. I’m still maintaining much lower levels of food inventory so we could get rid of the basement pantry entirely, which makes it easier to track what we have. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: EchoStache on May 29, 2023, 11:36:36 AM
    After moving about 1 year ago, and EXTENSIVELY purging, selling, purging, selling every weekend for months, we still have some straggling "stuff" in the basement of our new house.  We got things paired down to a certain point, and expended so much time and effort with the move and getting the new home situated, that the rest of the "stuff" in the basement, willingly became out of sight, out of mind.

    Took a step to finish up.

    Sold the last remnants of my old high end stereo system yesterday...a pair of speakers for $800.  Those were pretty big floor standing speakers in boxes.

    Today:

    Sold an old 32" Tv for $40

    Sold an old computer chair(think kids cheap gaming chair, used to the point that the material was torn), for $15.  I'm glad it didn't go to the dump!

    So four items gone, three that were quite large, and $855 in my pocket. :)

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on May 29, 2023, 09:46:41 PM
    Nice!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on May 30, 2023, 03:42:25 AM
    I raced around this morning and filled half the car trunk with clothes, kid furniture, and a few housewares to go to the church tag sale which is coming soon. Unfortunately,  that means all the low hanging fruit is gone, and now we have a vanfull of problematic stuff left... items that need to be cleaned before being given away, games missing a piece that we know we have somewhere, electronics that need their memories wiped, fixable items.  Mr. Poundwise, who is indeed wiser than me, says to just throw it all away... but the eco-warrior in me doesn't want to contribute to the landfill.

    Well, it still feels good to get rid of so much clutter!  Next week I think I will start on the largest item (a big plastic toy easel which is covered with dirt) and then progress to items by decreasing size.

    If you don't want money for things, then post as free. At least the things that are just dirty, because the new owner can clean them. That will help a bit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on May 30, 2023, 03:45:58 AM
    Woohoo Ofpym’s old double bass just sold. (Which covers 20% of the cost of the new double bass but think of the space savings…)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 30, 2023, 11:59:36 AM
    Today the Vietnam Veterans Association (VVA) is coming to my house to pick up donations. I have around 15 garbage bags full of stuff and two small carts on wheels. This is just a small amount of clutter I have. The hub is gathering stuff in the garage and I have more...so much more. We have purged and purged and it just seems to find its way back here. We are only two people with so much excess it isn't funny! We have lived in the same house for over 40 years, never moving. Even though we have given tons of stuff to Goodwill, VVA, thrift stores and rented dumpsters over the years, it just finds its way back! The hub used to bring home scrap from work and that was a little of the problem. We want to gather up more stuff and have VVA pick up again soon. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to have an almost empty house! The way we originally started when we first got married. The house sounded hollow due to having next to nothing! Well, I guess we solved that problem!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on May 31, 2023, 08:27:51 AM
    Today the Vietnam Veterans Association (VVA) is coming to my house to pick up donations. I have around 15 garbage bags full of stuff and two small carts on wheels. This is just a small amount of clutter I have. The hub is gathering stuff in the garage and I have more...so much more. We have purged and purged and it just seems to find its way back here. We are only two people with so much excess it isn't funny! We have lived in the same house for over 40 years, never moving. Even though we have given tons of stuff to Goodwill, VVA, thrift stores and rented dumpsters over the years, it just finds its way back! The hub used to bring home scrap from work and that was a little of the problem. We want to gather up more stuff and have VVA pick up again soon. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to have an almost empty house! The way we originally started when we first got married. The house sounded hollow due to having next to nothing! Well, I guess we solved that problem!

    Wow, that's a lot of stuff...is there any one thing that's prompting this latest big purge?  I'm considering doing more in the Fall but my decluttering will be more paper-based.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 31, 2023, 09:46:11 AM
    What prompted this was the fact that I had 15 bags piling up downstairs and it was a mountain of junk that had to go! I am constantly filling bags to donate and this time it got out of control. I should have done this much sooner.

    The hub and I have things that we have had for years and not used. Like a meat slicer, a sandwich maker. I had this hobby where I used record album covers and have a stack of albums with records I want to get rid of. We have a huge industrial type desk that I have hated since the day the hub dragged it home. We plan to rent a dumpster and get rid of it. We have several old tv's to get rid of. Not many donation places take old tv's so they have to go in the dumpster too. I have an old electric typewriter that I loved about 25 years ago and it is in a closet! So much stuff!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on May 31, 2023, 01:27:49 PM
    -managed to gift two bottles of skin cleanser that (ironically) broke me out in acne via BNG

    -declared our original generation Ipod dead so it's gone

    -gave away a speaker for said Ipod on BNG

    -cleaned and reorganized DS's room- he parted with a hefty bag full of broken toys, school work from the prior year, etc.  Giving away a piece of MARVEL art to a neighbor with younger kids, 10 T shirts to fabric recycling

    -took a manila envelope of documents to shred

    -sent Terracycle Envelopes with plastic from skin care products, and food containers for recycling 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on May 31, 2023, 05:51:06 PM
    On a trip and will wear some threadbare and annoying clothes one last time before they go in the trash. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on June 03, 2023, 11:04:15 AM
    Last weekend the state of the house drove me over the edge and I cleaned out the game shelf and all the coats and mittens and hats and whatnot. Got rid of a fair bit. Also stacked the games neatly which freed up a shelf for DS's new hobby of wiring little circuit board things (can't remember the right word). I also organized my closet and got rid of 2 shirts that I theoretically like but avoid wearing.

    I think I will do the hall closet tomorrow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 03, 2023, 03:08:22 PM
    I can't remember if I already said but I took a bag of good bras that are too small to a place that gets them to those who need them.

    Yesterday I did my wardrobe and removed any unflattering colour. I'm looking more washed out as I age so I got my 'colours done' and have a much better idea. To be honest I mainly removed things that have been sat there unworn for years that I needed a push to get rid of, or worn out stuff. There was only two items where I was a bit conflicted and of those I only wore one regularly. So I've got two bags to dispose of - one recycling and one donations. I'm now left with very very little!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 03, 2023, 03:17:17 PM
    @Fresh Bread was getting your colours done a good experience? Would you recommend?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 03, 2023, 06:15:31 PM
    I have too many suitcases. I need to pare down, but I can't yet. The giant silver one I promised to lend to a friend in July. Or June. This summer sometime. But after that I don't think I want to keep it.

    Then I have the small red one. And the big blue one. The medium red one. There's a medium green one which is going to show up in my house this week. I don't know which, if any, will nest. But I do not need all these suitcases.

    I also don't need the partial bag left over from the bathroom floor, nor do we need all the power cube things from the trip. Or the packing cubes. Basically, I need to do a sweep and gather up all the stuff that is not going to be needed, especially from my parent's house, and rehome it. Because whether they know it or not, they won't be traveling much in future. Certainly not internationally.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on June 03, 2023, 07:59:53 PM
    It has been a good week of tidying up.

    All the extra potatoes got donated to the seed library. The cold cellar is emptying out. The crates for sweet potatoes onions squash and potatoes have been cleaned and left out in the heat and sun to sanitize. They are back in the basement, ready for harvest.
    The soft mushy onions got composted. Only the firm onions remain.

    The ginger had sprouted, so I planted it out with the other ginger. The drawer is now delightfully clean. It is so nice to go to that corner of the kitchen and not cringe from the smell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on June 04, 2023, 12:30:52 AM
    @Fresh Bread was getting your colours done a good experience? Would you recommend?
    I had mine done years ago, I went with three friends and had a good time.  It makes clothes shopping very easy as large swathes of what's on offer can be dismissed immediately, and almost everything in my wardrobe goes with everything else so getting dressed is pretty effortless.

    You could probably DIY some of it - mine started by sitting me in front of a well lit mirror and putting first a pink and then an orange large scarf around my neck, it was immediately obvious which I looked better in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on June 04, 2023, 02:53:57 AM
    Got rid of a big ikea bag full of clothes. Church is doing a clothing drive for a local homeless shelter. Also got rid of a bag of hotel toiletries.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 04, 2023, 04:15:56 AM
    @Fresh Bread was getting your colours done a good experience? Would you recommend?
    I had mine done years ago, I went with three friends and had a good time.  It makes clothes shopping very easy as large swathes of what's on offer can be dismissed immediately, and almost everything in my wardrobe goes with everything else so getting dressed is pretty effortless.

    You could probably DIY some of it - mine started by sitting me in front of a well lit mirror and putting first a pink and then an orange large scarf around my neck, it was immediately obvious which I looked better in.

    If you can get into a group session I think it would be good value. It was a bit much for my solo session. I tested the expert as I'm in-between two types and she had a hard time deciding how to tackle it. Eventually she tested by using a particular set and it had three colours in each group. The first was wrong by being too bright - the eye was drawn to the colour and away from my face. The second was much better. But the third brought the colour back to my eyes. The end result seems pretty accurate, I'm drawn to the colours that are 'me' anyway. The problem is finding things in the colours now which are rich but muted.

    It goes beyond colours too. My type apparently prefers natural fibres and hates the feel of anything synthetic. Whereas my husband is happily sat in head to toe 'technical fabrics' right now. There were are few moments of "oh isn't everyone like that?" and finding out that no, they aren't.

    I got a whole booklet about what to wear if you want to achieve a certain effect (e.g. appear taller, slimmer, wider or shorter). We covered hair colours, hair style for my face shape, and what jewelry and make-up to wear too. So in other words, there's added value in speaking to a professional stylist for a couple of hours.

    There are some free apps but I tried two and got two different results, hence going to see someone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on June 04, 2023, 12:55:10 PM
    @Fresh Bread was getting your colours done a good experience? Would you recommend?
    I had mine done years ago, I went with three friends and had a good time.  It makes clothes shopping very easy as large swathes of what's on offer can be dismissed immediately, and almost everything in my wardrobe goes with everything else so getting dressed is pretty effortless.

    You could probably DIY some of it - mine started by sitting me in front of a well lit mirror and putting first a pink and then an orange large scarf around my neck, it was immediately obvious which I looked better in.

    If you can get into a group session I think it would be good value. It was a bit much for my solo session. I tested the expert as I'm in-between two types and she had a hard time deciding how to tackle it. Eventually she tested by using a particular set and it had three colours in each group. The first was wrong by being too bright - the eye was drawn to the colour and away from my face. The second was much better. But the third brought the colour back to my eyes. The end result seems pretty accurate, I'm drawn to the colours that are 'me' anyway. The problem is finding things in the colours now which are rich but muted.

    It goes beyond colours too. My type apparently prefers natural fibres and hates the feel of anything synthetic. Whereas my husband is happily sat in head to toe 'technical fabrics' right now. There were are few moments of "oh isn't everyone like that?" and finding out that no, they aren't.

    I got a whole booklet about what to wear if you want to achieve a certain effect (e.g. appear taller, slimmer, wider or shorter). We covered hair colours, hair style for my face shape, and what jewelry and make-up to wear too. So in other words, there's added value in speaking to a professional stylist for a couple of hours.

    There are some free apps but I tried two and got two different results, hence going to see someone!

    Where did you have it done?

    I am fairly sure I am in the rich but muted or jewel tone family but have a heck of a time actually finding those colors.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 04, 2023, 03:08:13 PM
    It was local to me but I'm in Sydney, Australia. There are usually group sessions at our local adult education centre and online ones too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 04, 2023, 07:06:34 PM
    I "did my colours" many years ago just out of a book, which I've forgotten the name of.  It's pretty easy to do just going online and getting the seasons lists of colours, then testing yourself in good lighting.  I'm a Winter, so need clear colours, and cannot wear brown by any means.  I look like death in anything murky.  It saves a ton of time, effort and money in stores, when you can quickly reject the wrong colours for you.

    It's been hellish hot here for a week solid, and I haven't been feeling well, so I've been sitting in my cool house picking away at more stuff.  So far, I've found a robe, a few shirts, a pair of sandals, a bunch of envelopes and miscellaneous stationery items.  It seems that the more I get rid of, the more [useless stuff] I realize I have.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 04, 2023, 08:00:31 PM
    @SunnyDays My mum could do hers out of a book which I am a bit jealous of. I am somewhere in the warm family but intensity and clarity are TBD. I wish I was a winter because then it would be less problematic to find neutrals [i.e. white, black and navy are all very easy to find and all make me look like death.]

    Decluttering
    - I'm washing an Underarmour hoodie and will donate it once it's clean.
    - A Spanish book that I dislike the format of can go
    - 26 e-books deleted from my library because I don't want to finish them
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 05, 2023, 09:50:49 AM
    @SunnyDays My mum could do hers out of a book which I am a bit jealous of. I am somewhere in the warm family but intensity and clarity are TBD. I wish I was a winter because then it would be less problematic to find neutrals [i.e. white, black and navy are all very easy to find and all make me look like death.]

    Decluttering
    - I'm washing an Underarmour hoodie and will donate it once it's clean.
    - A Spanish book that I dislike the format of can go
    - 26 e-books deleted from my library because I don't want to finish them

    It's easy to get lost in the weeds with colour theory.  You're half way there by identifying warm undertones, now you just have to determine if you're spring or fall, which really are quite different palettes.  But once you have the basic season, it's all irrelevant details after that.  Personal preference comes into play at that point.  Check out HungryWardrobe for a fairly easy breakdown of options.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 05, 2023, 11:11:08 AM
    Sibley wrote :
    I have too many suitcases. I need to pare down, but I can't yet. The giant silver one I promised to lend to a friend in July. Or June. This summer sometime. But after that I don't think I want to keep it.

    Then I have the small red one. And the big blue one. The medium red one. There's a medium green one which is going to show up in my house this week. I don't know which, if any, will nest. But I do not need all these suitcases.

    -----------------------------------------------

    I am looking at my suitcase collection. 2 huge softcovers, 2 medium size hard shells, 2 of those boxy things on rollers. I only need one of each, probably. But I have already donated 4 suitcases before this, so  I choose to rest on my laurels.

    Have you priced luggage at a store lately? $300 for one normal suitcase. Unbelievable. That what Kohl's was asking. I tried to sell some suitcases at the flea market. No one wants them, even for $1.  Something about buyer psychology, I guess.

    I have about $1,000 worth of suitcases here, lol !  They're staying.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 05, 2023, 04:48:37 PM
    @slackmax, why not try to sell your suitcases online?  If you don't need them, whatever you can get for them is better than them just sitting around taking up space, no?  It's possible that some won't sell due to airlines changing their permitted carry-on baggage sizes over the years.  Or, you could use them for storage instead of boxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on June 05, 2023, 08:47:26 PM
    Another idea for extra suitcases in good condition - keep 1 or 2 for your emergency kit stuff. Keep them preloaded or at least close to what you would grab.

    --
    I have been on a big declutter kick recently too. We are planning to move locally by the end of the summer and so I'm reevaluating everything. Already cleared out about 5 boxes worth of things to donate in the last week, and 3 bins to recycle. I like to reuse things, so actually sending something to the garbage or the recycle bin, or even to a generic donation dropoff is tough for me (since I know 80% of donations do not sell and end up getting binned also).

    Once I know the exact layout of our new place I might try to get rid of bigger items too. It's a good start so far, and I will keep picking away at it every day.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 05, 2023, 09:22:21 PM
    Another idea for extra suitcases in good condition - keep 1 or 2 for your emergency kit stuff. Keep them preloaded or at least close to what you would grab.
    @halftimer that is a brilliant idea.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: stoaX on June 06, 2023, 05:25:03 AM
    Another idea for extra suitcases in good condition - keep 1 or 2 for your emergency kit stuff. Keep them preloaded or at least close to what you would grab.

    --
    I have been on a big declutter kick recently too. We are planning to move locally by the end of the summer and so I'm reevaluating everything. Already cleared out about 5 boxes worth of things to donate in the last week, and 3 bins to recycle. I like to reuse things, so actually sending something to the garbage or the recycle bin, or even to a generic donation dropoff is tough for me (since I know 80% of donations do not sell and end up getting binned also).

    Once I know the exact layout of our new place I might try to get rid of bigger items too. It's a good start so far, and I will keep picking away at it every day.

    My most motivated and effective decluttering efforts have always been associated with a move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 06, 2023, 06:33:26 AM
    @slackmax, why not try to sell your suitcases online?  If you don't need them, whatever you can get for them is better than them just sitting around taking up space, no?  It's possible that some won't sell due to airlines changing their permitted carry-on baggage sizes over the years.  Or, you could use them for storage instead of boxes.

    Thanks for the storage idea, SD.  I hadn't thought of that.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on June 07, 2023, 04:38:24 PM
    @slackmax, why not try to sell your suitcases online?  If you don't need them, whatever you can get for them is better than them just sitting around taking up space, no?  It's possible that some won't sell due to airlines changing their permitted carry-on baggage sizes over the years.  Or, you could use them for storage instead of boxes.

    Thanks for the storage idea, SD.  I hadn't thought of that.

    I was about to declutter 3 large suitcases a few weeks ago, then realised if I were packing up stuff to store they'd be a great solution. These days they come with wheels so easy to move. My mother always had old suitcases full of stuff stored under her bed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on June 09, 2023, 07:07:03 PM
    Decluttered for three hours and got rid of six large bags of trash and several cardboard boxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on June 09, 2023, 07:31:35 PM
    I volunteered to clear out the storage units for a not-for-profit. My spare room and garage are now full of stuff to store, sell, give away and sort through. And the storage unit isn't even empty yet. I've got to hurry up and list a few things of my own in the garage to make space for more boxes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 10, 2023, 12:20:25 AM
    We are now moving country in 11 weeks not months so this is now my number 2 priority (#1 is getting a mover)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on June 10, 2023, 03:35:46 PM
    Another small bag going away - some brand new non-absorbent cleaning cloths, a picture, 3 plastic plant pots, 2 bunches of fabric I'll never use and some foam chips.  More of that stuff that seems to make no difference in the look/feel of the house, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on June 10, 2023, 05:56:58 PM
    I listed 2 groupings of health and beauty Stuff on BN this afternoon and donated a packet of antiseptic wipes to a day shelter. 

    I threw away a suspicious ice cream sandwich from the feeezer that had gone crumbly.  I also ate some free chips with my leftover sandwich.  Yummy. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 11, 2023, 11:46:38 AM
    I've really slowed down with decluttering lately, so I set an easy goal in June of decluttering 10 items. Easily did that in one go (gave stuff away on Buy Nothing). I hit the jackpot yesterday. My 16 y.o. son is a clutter bug, and is visiting my parents this week. I trashed so many items, and have two giant bags ready for Buy Nothing today. I need to do another pass on his room, and then I can actually "clean" it. First, I'm just getting rid of enough junk that I can figure out what should be going where.

    My 17 y.o. isn't exactly tidy, but he just doesn't have enough stuff to really make much of a mess. The 16 y.o is an entirely different story.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 11, 2023, 12:03:04 PM
    Since the curbside recycling collection comes tomorrow, I'm going to force myself to spend a half hour (yes, I will time it) to look though my paper 'resources' for stuff to give them. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 11, 2023, 02:40:08 PM
    Hitting the pantry eat-down project: used the last of the dried chickpeas to make a curry, which also used up on of the curry blends and then both jars immediately went into the recycling. We also went through the house making a list of what we wanted shipped from each room which spurred us to take a lots of prints we loved out of frames we disliked and now there are three bins outside full of things that people can take from. And somehow I found another six books that can be donated, from shelves I do a pass through every month.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 11, 2023, 04:52:54 PM
    Hitting the pantry eat-down project: used the last of the dried chickpeas to make a curry, which also used up on of the curry blends and then both jars immediately went into the recycling. We also went through the house making a list of what we wanted shipped from each room which spurred us to take a lots of prints we loved out of frames we disliked and now there are three bins outside full of things that people can take from. And somehow I found another six books that can be donated, from shelves I do a pass through every month.

    There is nothing like an expensive move to make us evaluate what is truly worth keeping.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on June 12, 2023, 08:37:39 AM
    I've really slowed down with decluttering lately, so I set an easy goal in June of decluttering 10 items. Easily did that in one go (gave stuff away on Buy Nothing). I hit the jackpot yesterday. My 16 y.o. son is a clutter bug, and is visiting my parents this week. I trashed so many items, and have two giant bags ready for Buy Nothing today. I need to do another pass on his room, and then I can actually "clean" it. First, I'm just getting rid of enough junk that I can figure out what should be going where.

    My 17 y.o. isn't exactly tidy, but he just doesn't have enough stuff to really make much of a mess. The 16 y.o is an entirely different story.

    This would make me nervous to remove items from a teenager's room without them being there. Is this actual trash, or worn-out clothes or shoes, or ?  If they've already given the okay to discard things like games they've already outgrown, etc. then it should work out fine, but I sure would hate for them to be surprised if something's missing that they wanted to keep.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on June 12, 2023, 10:32:23 AM
    Dropped off 2 paper bags full and a storage bin to the donation center on Saturday. 1 bag had shoes--I've been making the transition to minimalist shoes and slowly phasing out my old shoes. Goodbye pinchy-toed shoes! (I used to think my shoes were pretty good in terms of having a wide toe box, but it turns out there was a whole other level of roomy-toed shoes out there. The daily shoes have been long gone, but I've been a little slower getting rid of special use shoes.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 13, 2023, 01:46:32 AM
    Four books put into street libraries, and three boxes of Free Stuff put out. So far, flippers, a sangria set, a scooter, two lamps and a couple of art books have been taken.

    Good mental health victory: I abandoned I Love Hue 2 at 60% complete. I have solved ~1250 screens and there was another 800 or so to go to “finish” it. I calculated that if I did 11 puzzles a day from now till when we left I could FINISH IT but that would be weird and joyless and completionist of me. So I wiped the aged iPad I was playing this on and now that can be recycled. (Too old for any updates or most apps now). Also I got rid of my scales - or at least have put them out for someone else to pick up, which is where I originally got them from.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on June 15, 2023, 10:37:46 AM
    Our moving plans have moved up, from a planned mid-August move to getting the keys today! We have already cleared out many bags of clothes and garbage and books. Another drop off scheduled today, then we will start the transition. It's a local move and we have a big overlap with both places (not ideal, but it was hard to say no to 2 months free rent) so we will take 5 or 10 boxes over per week, if we feel like it, and if we are already headed to that neighbourhood. This got the quote from the movers down by 25% so it will be well worth it. It wouldn't take long to move everything, but our current place has so many stairs that the big pieces become very tricky. We decided after we moved in (with the help of energetic friends) that we would get movers whenever we moved out in future, and not risk injuring anyone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on June 15, 2023, 11:37:50 AM
    This not a good thing, but I threw out 3/4 of a gallon of milk, the half full sour cream, and all the frozen veggies. Lost power for 12ish hours last weekend. :( Luckily I didn't have much in the fridge or freezer to start with, and I was able to take some things to my parent's house stash in their fridge/freezer. They had limited space so I prioritized the more expensive items. Did not lose any of the meat at least.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on June 15, 2023, 11:43:25 PM
    We have to empty out the old farm house in a weeks or two's time to rent it out.  It hasn't really been viable to rent it until recently.  There is a lot of stuff to dispose of and I am tossing up whether to get a skip in or take stuff to the tip myself.  The tip is free, but is 40kms from the property.  A skip would be quicker.  I am leaning towards prioritising my time and getting the skip, as we will have other things to do, such as install a kitchen in the week we have available.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 16, 2023, 01:02:59 AM
    Yeah @middo! get the skip!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on June 16, 2023, 05:59:55 PM
    I listed 2 groupings of health and beauty Stuff on BN this afternoon and donated a packet of antiseptic wipes to a day shelter. 


    Unfortunately the BNer never made it to my doorstep this week to take my Stuff.  The thrift store is going to receive it tomorrow.  . 

     I am on a mission to use up some yarn this weekend as I just ordered more. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 16, 2023, 06:03:58 PM
    Just put a big bookcase in the Jazz to take to our friend’s place along with some plants. Most of the things we put out on the street were taken - including two wicker baskets - so some more things went out this morning.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on June 16, 2023, 06:19:46 PM
    Finally sold our old window a/c unit. And we sold a play kitchen that we’d garbage-picked thinking we knew kids who would want one. Turned out they were just growing out of that phase, oh well. It needed a small amount of work, and that was completed and we scored some cash for it too. Now for the rest of the garage…
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on June 16, 2023, 06:22:58 PM
    Yeah @middo! get the skip!

    We are thinking this will be the better option.  Time will be more important to us than cost in this exercise.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 17, 2023, 12:30:16 AM
    Yeah @middo! get the skip!

    We are thinking this will be the better option.  Time will be more important to us than cost in this exercise.
    Is it an option to hire two dudes and a trailer to take stuff to the tip for you? We did that in NZ and it was worth every penny.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on June 17, 2023, 10:35:06 AM
    Well I've been in the opposite phase lately... we purchased a home in another state. Hubby moved the kids and pets out here and he has to make a trip back to the old home to get it emptied and ready to sell. This home came largely furnished, but we've been buying all the basics (trash cans, place mats, sheets and mattress pads, tons of food, cleaning supplies, any cookware that didn't fit in our personal vehicle on its trip over, etc)

    The home was stocked for a 2 person family who lived here. We have 5 people. There are 6 bowls, 6 plates, 6 coffee mugs etc. Its been really liberating to not have enough at times. The sink and counters can't get piled high with dirty dishes. When we run out of things to eat off of, its naturally time to do the dishes. This has been super helpful for my teens who would otherwise use 2 bowls and a plate for one meal then fail to notice that the kitchen is filthy. Its also making me question my attachment to almost all of our remaining items in the old home. I like the coffee mugs etc. So I'm slowly making a list of things to get purged back at the old home, and wondering how many of an item we really do need.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on June 17, 2023, 12:52:28 PM
    Well I've been in the opposite phase lately... we purchased a home in another state. Hubby moved the kids and pets out here and he has to make a trip back to the old home to get it emptied and ready to sell. This home came largely furnished, but we've been buying all the basics (trash cans, place mats, sheets and mattress pads, tons of food, cleaning supplies, any cookware that didn't fit in our personal vehicle on its trip over, etc)

    The home was stocked for a 2 person family who lived here. We have 5 people. There are 6 bowls, 6 plates, 6 coffee mugs etc. Its been really liberating to not have enough at times. The sink and counters can't get piled high with dirty dishes. When we run out of things to eat off of, its naturally time to do the dishes. This has been super helpful for my teens who would otherwise use 2 bowls and a plate for one meal then fail to notice that the kitchen is filthy. Its also making me question my attachment to almost all of our remaining items in the old home. I like the coffee mugs etc. So I'm slowly making a list of things to get purged back at the old home, and wondering how many of an item we really do need.

    Moving is a real eye-opener.  I didn't think I had a cluttered/stuffed house, but when I moved to an apartment, even after leaving all the house and yard maintenance equipment for the new owners, I had soooo much stuff to get rid of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 17, 2023, 03:14:33 PM
    We now have volunteers for our remaining two large bookshelves, which we will remove closer to the time. Good that they have homes. Also more kitchen things have been taken from the donation pile outside.

    Today I am thinking of pulling out all my clothes and seeing if there is anything more that should be donated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on June 17, 2023, 08:57:56 PM
    Yeah @middo! get the skip!

    We are thinking this will be the better option.  Time will be more important to us than cost in this exercise.
    Is it an option to hire two dudes and a trailer to take stuff to the tip for you? We did that in NZ and it was worth every penny.

    I hadn't thought about that kind of option.  It probably isn't worth it, as most of the stuff will need to be checked by us anyway to make sure we are keeping the important stuff, and only throwing replaceable items.  There is still around 18 years of "stuff" and if you have ever lived on a farm, you would know that things don't get thrown out as much as put in the shed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 18, 2023, 01:12:35 AM
    I am on a mission to use up some yarn this weekend as I just ordered more.

    Oh, I forgot that yarn counts!

    Used up 2 giant balls of yarn donated to me. They are now 2 hats and 2 scarves waiting to go to the person who collects those for distribution in the winter.

    Another 2 normal-sized balls of yarn left the house as a completed scarf and a partial ball of yarn. That scarf goes to a different winter-distribution charity and the yarn went to a friend who wanted to try that type of novelty yarn.

    Also returned the computer & computer bag to the relative who loaned me their old machine while mine was down. Found my two missing transit cards in the computer bag, score!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Linea_Norway on June 19, 2023, 08:05:33 AM
    I am going to move in August or September, so we are going to throw away as much clutter as we can from now.

    Today, I threw away a bunch of milk cartons that I had saved for growing plants in. I also threw away a bunch of plastic pots and trays that I had saved from empty food containers to grow seedlings in. As these were for for free, I can again save up new ones.

    This year I grew a lot of alpine strawberries. I planted out a bunch at our cabin and I still have 40 plants left. I put them on a local Facebook group to sell for 1 euro per plant. I hope that helps.

    I sold one tent. I thought I had it for sale for quite a while, but the ad was waiting for something. I finished the ad today and sold it immediately.

    More posts will follow.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on June 19, 2023, 11:21:55 AM
    Reorganizing paper documents on the floor of the computer room. Boxes, bags, file folders, stacks, etc. Took someone's advice here, and used some suitcases as storage areas.

    Filled one medium sized suitcase completely with used but reusable manila  folders. The full suitcase must weight about 30 pounds! Folders are heavy. Thinking of taking out the 'worst' 50% of the folders and just recycling them, since I will never be able to use them all, and the donation places will just recycle them, since they have been written on already.

    Identified some paper docs that could be recycled during the reorg, and did so already.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 19, 2023, 02:55:57 PM
    @slackmax recycle those manila folders! just do it! they will just be silverfish bait.

    I booked movers yesterday and woke up at 4.32 this morning so I could think about what else we aren't taking and when we should donate/trash things. The boys skateboards went into the Take Me pile this morning and I expect they will go soon.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on June 19, 2023, 03:09:16 PM
    Saturday number two of cleaning out the garage went well. A decorative mirror got taken by someone from the curb. The other items had no takers over the weekend so off they will go to donations. A sizable amount of scrap project wood is gone. That part was harder---"we could use this" syndrome. We only kept the larger and nice pieces of birch ply.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Linea_Norway on June 20, 2023, 06:43:47 AM
    Yesterday I sold 5 small strawberry plants and the lady asked if I sold more. I found 2 small squash plants that I sold her.

    The is also someone interested in adopting my big Yucca palm. And more strawberry plants.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Linea_Norway on June 20, 2023, 09:49:14 AM
    Today I sold my Yucca palm and 10 alpine strawberry plants.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on June 24, 2023, 12:43:12 PM
    At a party I hosted yesterday that was maker space-themed, I set up a small "free corner" and two of my friends took various items from it that I wanted to declutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 24, 2023, 02:37:06 PM
    Yesterday I got to hear two small boys discover the skateboard we had put out in the donation bin

    “Billy, BILLY! It’s a FREE SKATEBOARD!”
    “What???”
    ….rumble of wheels down to the park

    It made me feel good all day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on June 24, 2023, 03:11:50 PM
    Yesterday I got to hear two small boys discover the skateboard we had put out in the donation bin

    “Billy, BILLY! It’s a FREE SKATEBOARD!”
    “What???”
    ….rumble of wheels down to the park

    It made me feel good all day.

    That is SO sweet!!

    Today I finally got rid of three big trash bags of cloth waste. I dropped two of them off at a booth at the farmers' market that says they take textile waste, so they got our socks and clothes that are too ragged to donate. The old blankets and towels went to the animal shelter.  That was 3 cubic yards of space in our home freed!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on June 25, 2023, 01:28:05 PM
    i got DS to go through his pile of trucks (mostly gifted from the neighbor) and although he didn't reach the 50% reduction I asked for, he did cut it by 40%. Which he kept declaring "at least it's something!" I took that as a win. He was much less successful culling the (also donated from neighbor) PJ masks collection, so I'll come back to it in a few months.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 25, 2023, 02:16:34 PM
    On yesterday’s walk I noticed one of the nearby street libraries was half empty so I immediately grabbed an armload of appropriate books and magazines and walked them over. Pretty confident that Dr Seuss will go quickly next to a pre-school.

    We also dropped off a bag of clothes at a charity, took three pot plants and some hangers to our friend’s house, helped her clean out a carload of cardboard boxes to the recycling place and called that good for the day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on June 25, 2023, 04:39:52 PM
    ...
    We also dropped off a bag of clothes at a charity, took three pot plants and some hangers to our friend’s house, helped her clean out a carload of cardboard boxes to the recycling place and called that good for the day.

    Was that really three pot plants, or three potted plants??  :-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 25, 2023, 04:46:21 PM
    ...
    We also dropped off a bag of clothes at a charity, took three pot plants and some hangers to our friend’s house, helped her clean out a carload of cardboard boxes to the recycling place and called that good for the day.

    Was that really three pot plants, or three potted plants??  :-)
    In the Antipodes, they're called pot plants. It's the math/maths of the gardening world.
    No one is getting high off two spider plants and a sedum
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on June 25, 2023, 06:14:07 PM
    I freecycled a pain in the neck vacuum cleaner and almost freecycled some toiletries but I can’t seem to get 100% of takers to show. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on June 25, 2023, 06:31:34 PM
    Did a small desk declutter. Got rid of a handful of papers, tidied up the myriad charging cables on a little container, and rearranged the objects that live on the desk. Not totally clean, as there are still some papers, but much nicer. No longer an anxiety trigger.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2s
    Post by: LeftA on June 25, 2023, 07:30:21 PM
    I’ve never posted in this thread…

    A couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time to purge my whole house. We just have too much stuff!

    Shortly before starting this particular round of purging, I did most of my master bedroom. This included my medicine cabinet, under my sink and several drawers. I ended up with expired medication to bring to the pharmacy and old make up containers to recycle.

    As of the start of the purge, I’ve done the following:

    In the Master Bedroom:
    - purged and organized bracelets and necklaces from my closet.
    -purged and organized 4 out of 6 night table drawers
    - p&o sweaters from large tall dresser
    -p&o 8 out of 12 drawers in large wide dresser (the other 4 were done not too long ago)
    -p&o purses and clutches

    In top floor bathroom
    -p & o under both bathroom sinks


    In office (also spare bedroom)
    -p& o all tall dresser drawers
    -p&o all wide dresser drawers
    -p&o shoes
    -p&o books on top of dresser
    -cleared out a box under bed

    in hall area
    -cleared books from end table

    In child 1’s bedroom
    -cleaned 1 side of closet and the floor so child could be motivated to do rest :)
    -p&o top drawer of dresser

    In child 2s bedroom
    -p&o hangers, top shelf on left and top shelf in middle of closet.
    -helped YDC clear out armoire

    In kitchen
    -p&o all bottom cabinets

    In family room
    -p&o magazines
    -p&o stuff accumulated on top of a storage box
    -p&o cookbooks

    In basement
    -p&o all board games (kid and adult)
    -p&o coats in an armoire
    -p&o desk used by YDC
    - started on the storage area, which will likely take many, many days to address.

    The result of all of this so far, is that I’ve gotten rid of about 20 pairs of adult shoes, 30+necklaces and bracelets, a few bags of adult clothes, > 10 board games, at least 8 boxes of kid’s clothes, 2 garbage bags of stuffed animals and random toys, a bin of old magazines/catalogs and a small kitchen appliance. Not bad, but lots more work to do!

    ETA: I have not sold any of this stuff, a small amount has been thrown out, while the rest has been gifted, donated or recycled.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2s
    Post by: stoaX on June 26, 2023, 04:54:30 AM
    I’ve never posted in this thread…

    A couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time to purge my whole house. We just have too much stuff!

    Shortly before starting this particular round of purging, I did most of my master bedroom. This included my medicine cabinet, under my sink and several drawers. I ended up with expired medication to bring to the pharmacy and old make up containers to recycle.

    As of the start of the purge, I’ve done the following:

    In the Master Bedroom:
    - purged and organized bracelets and necklaces from my closet.
    -purged and organized 4 out of 6 night table drawers
    - p&o sweaters from large tall dresser
    -p&o 8 out of 12 drawers in large wide dresser (the other 4 were done not too long ago)
    -p&o purses and clutches

    In top floor bathroom
    -p & o under both bathroom sinks


    In office (also spare bedroom)
    -p& o all tall dresser drawers
    -p&o all wide dresser drawers
    -p&o shoes
    -p&o books on top of dresser
    -cleared out a box under bed

    in hall area
    -cleared books from end table

    In child 1’s bedroom
    -cleaned 1 side of closet and the floor so child could be motivated to do rest :)
    -p&o top drawer of dresser

    In child 2s bedroom
    -p&o hangers, top shelf on left and top shelf in middle of closet.
    -helped YDC clear out armoire

    In kitchen
    -p&o all bottom cabinets

    In family room
    -p&o magazines
    -p&o stuff accumulated on top of a storage box
    -p&o cookbooks

    In basement
    -p&o all board games (kid and adult)
    -p&o coats in an armoire
    -p&o desk used by YDC
    - started on the storage area, which will likely take many, many days to address.

    The result of all of this so far, is that I’ve gotten rid of about 20 pairs of adult shoes, 30+necklaces and bracelets, a few bags of adult clothes, > 10 board games, at least 8 boxes of kid’s clothes, 2 garbage bags of stuffed animals and random toys, a bin of old magazines/catalogs and a small kitchen appliance. Not bad, but lots more work to do!

    ETA: I have not sold any of this stuff, a small amount has been thrown out, while the rest has been gifted, donated or recycled.

    Wow - good job! I like the abbreviation "P&O" for purge and organize.   Time to get on the P&O railroad!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on June 26, 2023, 08:32:40 AM
    Happy dance, @stoaX!! That must be the greatest feeling to get all that done!

    @Captain FIRE , it sounds like your spouse accomplished much and hopefully it was a positive enough experience that he'll do it again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on June 26, 2023, 01:59:29 PM
    @Captain FIRE , it sounds like your spouse accomplished much and hopefully it was a positive enough experience that he'll do it again.

    Haha I read that and I thought, why are you talking about my husband? D’oh, i mistyped. My six yr old son. DS not DH. I would likely take a different tack with a spouse…
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on June 26, 2023, 02:22:12 PM
    Thanks @stoaX ! It was getting a bit tedious typing out the term giving how long my list is!

    @Poundwise , I have a feeling you meant me and not stoaX. It feels good and yet I have so much more to do!

    @Captain FIRE , I was thinking wow her husband sounds like he’s holding onto his childhood with all those trucks…LOL.

    I decided to list something for sale using FB Marketplace. Wow, now I remember why I give away so much stuff! It does not seem worth the effort to answer all the people interested and arrange for pickup!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on June 26, 2023, 03:42:58 PM
    I was hoping it was a typo otherwise I was wondering if trucks were building out in the yard out back.

    Yesterday Ofpym went through the tools in the basement and a whole set of broken parts and tools are now trashed. I went through some bathroom drawers and threw some more random items out. It was more of a slow and steady day after our weekend blitz
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on June 27, 2023, 04:10:10 PM
    Yesterday and today I worked on the papers in my basement. I’ve kept way too much from the days of paper statements! I cleared up multiple piles, shredding and recycling as appropriate. I also found 2 bags of materials from my conference attending days. There were actually some useful giveaways in there! Embarrassed to say they lay there unused for years!

    I also just dropped off 3 large bags of kids clothes to someone who could use them. Win win.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on June 30, 2023, 07:26:16 AM
    @Poundwise , I have a feeling you meant me and not stoaX. It feels good and yet I have so much more to do!

    Haha, yes!  Good work @LeftA !!

    @Captain FIRE , yeah, I thought perhaps your husband collected broken trucks that he meant to repair!  There's a guy in my neighborhood who angers my other neighbors because he has been hoarding broken classic cars, motorcycles, and boats with the intention of fixing them and selling them. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on June 30, 2023, 07:30:58 AM
    It’s been a busy few days of purging and organizing.

    My cleaning lady left with some fragrances, body washes, necklaces & bracelets, and a bag of clothes. She seemed happy to have them, which feels good.

    I went through most of my basement office. Recycled, shredded and discarded piles of paper.

    Yesterday, I attacked YDC’s closet. So much stuff in there! Recycled a medium sized box of stuff, lots of odds and ends to donate, a few arts games to free cycle to neighbours, and a few broken / torn things to throw out. It was a BIG job, so I still have a small pile to go through this morning.

    Today, I have someone passing by to get a bag of kids books and a neighbour has confirmed she’d like some kid’s clothing.

    It’s so rewarding to start to see all my efforts translate into spaces that are much more organized and clutter-free!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 01, 2023, 09:23:21 AM
    I love a 4 day weekend to get me motivated. The extra time is a huge win.

    1) Cleaned out three tiered tray, where I keep paperwork, bills, & other random miscellany. As expected, it build over time & it was in desperate need of organization. Found $100 of gift cards, as well as a bunch of stuff to file, recycle, etc. Woohoo! It looks so much better. Whenever I'd walk by it previously, it would irritate me. I should have just cleaned it earlier, rather than continually walking past it & being frustrated.
    2) Talked to my teens, and they both agreed to part with their suits. Neither of them can fit into the pants, but I wasn't sure if they wanted any of the other pieces. Nope. Listed on Buy Nothing, and people are expectedly thrilled to have an option for a full suit set (jacket, shirt, vest, tie, pants) in teen sizes. One is gone, and the other is going today. Excellent.
    3) I think I finally have someone coming to pick up a FB set that I've had listed for a long time - a reffing kit, complete with all of the gear & miscellany (flags, coin, stop watch, etc). It will be nice to have that out of the closet.

    Now to keep going & organize the freezer a bit, as well as decide which eBay items I want to keep, donate, & if there's anything new I want to add to the pile of things for sale.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 01, 2023, 05:01:52 PM
    Today’s mission is to get all the tools and various bits and bobs in the basement and discard all the trash and duplicates. We don’t need 28 IKEA Allan wrenches.

    We’ve also got all the books down to the point where they fit on two bookshelves not four so there’s two shelves to get rid of.

    Update: some ad hoc pottering in the kitchen removed three ancient unused vinegars and I found some unused spices that can be donated.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on July 01, 2023, 05:09:49 PM
    DH has been working in the old house purging before the moving truck arrives. We face timed and he put every cup, thermos, and mug on our dining table. Needless to say between kid stuff, sports stuff, bar ware items and every day use things for both coffee and regular beverages, the table was almost covered. We ended up purging about 40% of the items including some of my favorites for reasons of making things simpler (all metal travel mugs must have interchangeable lids, all bar ware or coffee mugs must match). I'm done having eclectic stuff, I just want my items to match and look serene on my open kitchen shelving.

    I've been giving him full rein to get rid of anything else in the home that he deems non worthy, except for a few choice items. The strange thing is at the new house, we don't really have anything but we don't miss much either. I know once all the crap arrives we're going to be cluttered and overwhelmed again :-/ 
    At least DH was being practical and said "we've done the most we can for now, we can unpack and get rid of things once they arrive, it doesn't matter"
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 01, 2023, 06:19:06 PM
    On a road trip and purging some stuff along the way.  I wore a skirt today with droopy waistband elastic and it will be purged to Goodwill.  I also have my mom some first aid brace stuff back that I don’t even remember why she loaned to me. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on July 04, 2023, 12:46:04 PM
    Thank you all for posting. It keeps me motivated to keep going. I have a big house and we’ve all kept too much over the years. Add to that, I have a lot of my stuff from parent’s house - when one of them passed, the other didn’t want to part with all the stuff :( I’m making progress but it does often feel overwhelming.

    On Sunday, I organized the cabinets in my laundry room. So glad I did this as I could never easily access the few tools that I would like to keep there (I.e. a hammer and the most commonly used screwdrivers). I was also able to nicely organize our extra lightbulbs. We have a few now because with all our organizing I had husband buy bulbs for the entire house where they were all burned out - many of our light fixtures take multiple bulbs.

    I also identified and posted 5 separate listing lots to my local freecyle group. All are wanted. 2 have already been collected. 1 will be collected tomorrow. And, arranging pick up for the last 2.

    Today, I went through a box in basement. I had papers from my elementary school years! I’m recycling the majority, but became a bit overwhelmed so left a few folders for another day. Knowing that I kept them all these years makes me feel like perhaps I had some psychological issues?!!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on July 12, 2023, 10:13:37 AM
    Selling DS's bunk bed this morning and a reptile tank. Yeehaw $$ !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 12, 2023, 10:52:09 AM
    Thank you all for posting. It keeps me motivated to keep going. I have a big house and we’ve all kept too much over the years. Add to that, I have a lot of my stuff from parent’s house - when one of them passed, the other didn’t want to part with all the stuff :( I’m making progress but it does often feel overwhelming.

    On Sunday, I organized the cabinets in my laundry room. So glad I did this as I could never easily access the few tools that I would like to keep there (I.e. a hammer and the most commonly used screwdrivers). I was also able to nicely organize our extra lightbulbs. We have a few now because with all our organizing I had husband buy bulbs for the entire house where they were all burned out - many of our light fixtures take multiple bulbs.

    I also identified and posted 5 separate listing lots to my local freecyle group. All are wanted. 2 have already been collected. 1 will be collected tomorrow. And, arranging pick up for the last 2.

    Today, I went through a box in basement. I had papers from my elementary school years! I’m recycling the majority, but became a bit overwhelmed so left a few folders for another day. Knowing that I kept them all these years makes me feel like perhaps I had some psychological issues?!!

    There's nothing wrong with being sentimental. It's when your sentimentality becomes inability to get rid of anything that you run into problems. Just keep at it, bit by bit. You didn't get into this situation over night, and short of a house fire (not recommended) you won't get out of it overnight.

    If you need an example: @slackmax has been working through what seems like an overwhelming amount of stuff, and is making real progress. It is possible.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: keepingfocus on July 12, 2023, 11:25:46 AM
    Last week we got a wait and load skip, and I spent a joyous hour hurling things into it. The garden hasn't been so uncluttered in years!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on July 12, 2023, 06:05:04 PM
    @Sibley , thanks for your post. It's very compassionate.

    I probably make it sound worse than it is. I've had a hectic, fast-paced career for over 20 years. Add in two children and some family health issues and managing the stuff often took a back burner.

    Recently made a career change so I have more time and energy to focus on non-work stuff. And, the children are older are therefore require less time commitment and have also outgrown a lot of stuff.

    I haven't posted in a week. Since then, I've put in consistent effort and have gotten rid of a bunch more stuff.

    -Gave away a few things (a booster seat, doll toys and 4 dining room chairs)
    -Last weekend husband brought a couple of boxes of stuff to donation place
    -Gave away 4 boxes of kid's clothes
    -Recycled more papers
    -The large items collection came by this morning, and picked up what wasn't pilfered by my neighbors (pilfered is too strong a word, I'm pleased that they took the stuff so it could avoid the landfill). What was left was random construction debris, rusted tools and expired car seats. So happy that's not lying around my house anymore!

    I'm taking a break now for a few weeks to focus on a few others things and will pick it up again in early August. I want to enjoy some time outdoors.

    Apart from the spaces I posted about a few posts ago, I made a major dent in our storage area. I would say, I've gotten rid of about 35% of the stuff that was there! The top 2 floors of my house are in great shape, but I need to work on my basement and the rest of the storage area when I get back to it.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Linea_Norway on July 13, 2023, 01:03:47 AM
    Tonight someone will pick up a box of brochures and some other stuff that I had stored for a club. I gave a deadline to August, when we are going to move, but she responded in a few days. One thing less to move.

    We are going away for a few days on a vacation + meeting family there. After that we have 3 and a half weeks left before we get the key to our next house. In that time, we will try to sell lots of stuff. I already have some adds out, like the wine fridge, but we will post the rest on the end of the vacation.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 13, 2023, 07:34:55 AM
    I've made a bit of progress here & there:
    -Gave away three shirts & a pair of shorts. Both were picked up via BN, and didn't work, so I passed them along.
    -Sold a new biking shirt (my son's) on eBay, as it didn't fit him properly


    Also given away via BN:
    -Travel amenity kits (international business travel for work) that were partially used. People love this stuff.
    -A container of RIT clothing dye, mostly unused. Purchased to try to rescue a pair of shoes, but it was a failure.
    -Iron on patches.

    I need to go through my "staging closet" where I keep things that need to be donated, sold or tossed & continue my progress. While the idea of such a closet seems like an opportunity to generate clutter, it's actually helpful. In the moment where I find something that we don't need, I often don't have time to deal with it. And, I prefer to list 7-10 items at a time on BN, vs one by one. This helps me aggregate my items.

    I also made my teen go through his school bag & toss/recycle an enormous stack of papers. More junk out of the house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 15, 2023, 07:48:58 AM
    Thank you all for posting. It keeps me motivated to keep going. I have a big house and we’ve all kept too much over the years. Add to that, I have a lot of my stuff from parent’s house - when one of them passed, the other didn’t want to part with all the stuff :( I’m making progress but it does often feel overwhelming.

    On Sunday, I organized the cabinets in my laundry room. So glad I did this as I could never easily access the few tools that I would like to keep there (I.e. a hammer and the most commonly used screwdrivers). I was also able to nicely organize our extra lightbulbs. We have a few now because with all our organizing I had husband buy bulbs for the entire house where they were all burned out - many of our light fixtures take multiple bulbs.

    I also identified and posted 5 separate listing lots to my local freecyle group. All are wanted. 2 have already been collected. 1 will be collected tomorrow. And, arranging pick up for the last 2.

    Today, I went through a box in basement. I had papers from my elementary school years! I’m recycling the majority, but became a bit overwhelmed so left a few folders for another day. Knowing that I kept them all these years makes me feel like perhaps I had some psychological issues?!!

    There's nothing wrong with being sentimental. It's when your sentimentality becomes inability to get rid of anything that you run into problems. Just keep at it, bit by bit. You didn't get into this situation over night, and short of a house fire (not recommended) you won't get out of it overnight.

    If you need an example: @slackmax has been working through what seems like an overwhelming amount of stuff, and is making real progress. It is possible.

    Yes, it can feel overwhelming. Today I drove some clutter back from my Mom's place. Golf clubs, a roller suitcase, some Christmas stuff, etc. Now the clutter is in my house, ha ha, but I plan to sell it, and if it doesn't sell, will gladly donate it. That's my style. Try to sell, donate after x amount of time.   

    Finally getting some responses about some leftover medical stuff I listed on the internet for free.  But now I have no time to meet the people who want it! Oh well, I told them I would get back to them. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 15, 2023, 04:48:53 PM
    @slackmax - I leave stuff out on our porch, in a bag with folks name on it, and never had any problems with it. Of course, don't know if that would work for you/where you live.

    I listed another 15 items on Buy Nothing, and have takers for all but one item. I haven't gone through my eBay stuff, but need to work on that as well.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on July 16, 2023, 01:42:55 PM
    I filled a bag with clothing I thrifted or obtained for free that was not flattering/fit poorly.  It’s now in the trunk of my car.  I will use up some toiletries my stash this week as the humidity and heat have ramped up and I’m sweating more = more shampooing. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 22, 2023, 01:34:34 PM
    My mom is moving from her apartment into assisted living, so I am decluttering her place at a mad pace, since time matters. Took some stuff in my car, like an 8 by 10 foot persian rug, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

    The interesting thing for me, is that I was able to make myself throw out stuff like retro brown plastic drinking glasses. Could have sold them at the flea market, but not gonna happen. No time. Threw out a lot of stuff.

    She currently lives in an apartment in an independent living setup in a retirement community. 

    I haven't asked ( I should) , but I think the community does not allow people to come in to buy stuff, so I am probably going to get zero dollars for anything here, unless I remove it and sell it outside the community.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on July 22, 2023, 04:29:01 PM
    My mom is moving from her apartment into assisted living, so I am decluttering her place at a mad pace, since time matters. Took some stuff in my car, like an 8 by 10 foot persian rug, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

    The interesting thing for me, is that I was able to make myself throw out stuff like retro brown plastic drinking glasses. Could have sold them at the flea market, but not gonna happen. No time. Threw out a lot of stuff.

    She currently lives in an apartment in an independent living setup in a retirement community. 

    I haven't asked ( I should) , but I think the community does not allow people to come in to buy stuff, so I am probably going to get zero dollars for anything here, unless I remove it and sell it outside the community.   


    Can you take decent stuff to a thrift store so at least it all doesn't end up in a landfill?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on July 23, 2023, 02:56:17 AM
    We took a TV to the tip today.  Bought a new one yesterday from Aldi, as the old one wasn't seeing the remote most of the time.  (It wasn't the batteries, or anything else.  Tried as many fixes as possible).

    Three nearby tips,  went to the wrong one by mistake, but instead of charging for e-waste, it was free.  $57 saving.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Adventine on July 23, 2023, 07:12:06 AM
    My mom is moving from her apartment into assisted living, so I am decluttering her place at a mad pace, since time matters. Took some stuff in my car, like an 8 by 10 foot persian rug, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

    The interesting thing for me, is that I was able to make myself throw out stuff like retro brown plastic drinking glasses. Could have sold them at the flea market, but not gonna happen. No time. Threw out a lot of stuff.

    She currently lives in an apartment in an independent living setup in a retirement community. 

    I haven't asked ( I should) , but I think the community does not allow people to come in to buy stuff, so I am probably going to get zero dollars for anything here, unless I remove it and sell it outside the community.   


    Can you take decent stuff to a thrift store so at least it all doesn't end up in a landfill?


    Alternatively, could you just ask the property management office if it's allowed to have a residents-only garage sale or giveaway? Maybe residents or employees in the retirement community could use the items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Serendip on July 24, 2023, 03:00:16 PM
    Did a big art supply/fabric cleanout so I ave a few big bag of donations to take to the thrift store and feels great especially since I've been given so much over the years (wool, quilting fabric, batting, etc)..
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 24, 2023, 03:11:23 PM
    We just made some dude suuuuuper happy - free drum kit! and Ofpym realised we still had the drum key while they were putting it into the back of the car the dude had called so handed that over too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 24, 2023, 03:19:05 PM
    Sold 4 Berenstain Bears books for $10. Took 3 months of being on Facebook marketplace. Drove 1 mile to meetup place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on July 24, 2023, 07:07:24 PM
    I had tried to give away various craft supplies on Buy Nothing and had no takers. Then miraculously my local library announced it was collecting craft supplies for a community swap event. The librarian gratefully accepted my stash.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 25, 2023, 07:20:56 AM
    I had tried to give away various craft supplies on Buy Nothing and had no takers. Then miraculously my local library announced it was collecting craft supplies for a community swap event. The librarian gratefully accepted my stash.

    Cool.   

    I finally got rid of some boxes of free medical supplies.  Had to drive 6 miles to the meetup place, but she gave me $5 for it !  Icing on the cake. 3 cubic feet of clutter gone.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 25, 2023, 05:37:10 PM
    Even more cane baskets were left outside for takers and they are gone! Along with a couple of backpacks and basketballs. Things are starting to look bare. I don't think I've had this little food in the cupboards since I was at uni.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 26, 2023, 11:14:27 PM
    Realized I could let a lightweight jacket go when I found myself shopping for it's replacement (didn't buy anything, either). While I was in the closet pulling out the jacket, found a second one to add to the "you're outta here" pile. Win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on July 27, 2023, 06:55:04 AM
    Another win for overcoming clutter "blindness" - I still have an iron but these days I only use it every few years for formal clothes.  But I had a specialized metal holder for the iron and a full-size ironing board still hanging on my laundry wall.  I finally realized I could park the iron in the closet and remove the holder from the wall.

    After I removed it I realized it had been protruding from the wall right into my path to my washer, so now I'm not ducking out of the way.  It's the little things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 27, 2023, 11:45:46 PM
    Dog walk with Ofpym at lunchtime with the side-benefit of 3 books put into a street library and good containers and food we will not eat before we leave (peanut butter, mirin, herbal teas, miso) put into the local food pantry.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on July 28, 2023, 05:43:34 AM
    I have complained here in the past about having nowhere to sell or give away old computer technical manuals from w*rk days.   

    Well, it seems there is suddenly a market for 'retro' and 'vintage' computers, computer parts, and even manuals! All things come to he who waits?

    I just sold a box of floppy disks from 1980's or 1990's Windows 3.0 Graphical Environment for $20 to a local person. He wanted me to throw in some old technical manuals, which I happily did.

    I don't know when this 'market' popped up. I have been scouring the internet for years trying to sell this stuff, and suddenly I find these vintage groups out there who are looking for this stuff to buy! And they've been around for years, apparently.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on July 28, 2023, 08:12:08 AM
    I have complained here in the past about having nowhere to sell or give away old computer technical manuals from w*rk days.   

    Well, it seems there is suddenly a market for 'retro' and 'vintage' computers, computer parts, and even manuals! All things come to he who waits?

    I just sold a box of floppy disks from 1980's or 1990's Windows 3.0 Graphical Environment for $20 to a local person. He wanted me to throw in some old technical manuals, which I happily did.

    I don't know when this 'market' popped up. I have been scouring the internet for years trying to sell this stuff, and suddenly I find these vintage groups out there who are looking for this stuff to buy! And they've been around for years, apparently.   

    Awesome! Take advantage of it before they disappear. Off load ALL of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 28, 2023, 03:13:28 PM
    Today, got rid of 50% of all the crap in my garage, in one fell swoop.  Woot!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on July 29, 2023, 04:15:29 PM
    Four books given back into the LFL. While I was there, another reader was browsing the offerings and took one of the books I left. Score one for spreading joy in the world :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 29, 2023, 04:30:07 PM
    Today, got rid of 50% of all the crap in my garage, in one fell swoop.  Woot!

    Well done! Did you do a yard sale or was it just rubbish?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on July 29, 2023, 05:01:45 PM
    Today, got rid of 50% of all the crap in my garage, in one fell swoop.  Woot!

    Well done! Did you do a yard sale or was it just rubbish?

    Thank you!

    It was all rubbish.  I don't do yard sales because the process of setting up the sale actually prevents me from decluttering.  So nowadays I only have 2 modes - give it away to a friend, or toss it.  Simple, clean, easy. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 29, 2023, 07:01:48 PM
    It was all rubbish.  I don't do yard sales because the process of setting up the sale actually prevents me from decluttering.  So nowadays I only have 2 modes - give it away to a friend, or toss it.  Simple, clean, easy.

    I have to admit a bit of a recent breakthrough in my decluttering whereby I have finally let myself send more to landfill. I used to donate things, that were "still good", at least in my mind, but that realistically would not be able to be re-sold. I think I would prefer to donate things rather than toss them because it made me feel less bad about parting with them.  Realistically this is rather unfair, since the charity would then have to dispose of them. I still do try to re-purpose things but have to be strict about this otherwise I just end up with a lot of unfinished projects (aka clutter!).

    Recent examples include a top that contained elastane that dramatically stretched out....I went to donate it, but seriously it was so bad no-one would pay money for it, and it was not suitable even for me to re-purpose to cut up and use as rags. So I tossed it, and make a mental note to be more careful of what I buy. And a very old mixing bowl, that the ceramic on the inside had completely crazed, and visibly absorbed liquid into the clay/porcelain underneath every time I used it. It always came clean to the eye, but I have lots of mixing bowls and realistically sooner or later I was going to have issues with some nasty bacteria lurking in the cracks. It could have been re-purposed to hold a plant but would need a drainage hole drilled for this to work properly. Did I have the right drill bit, and would the bowl break in the process? Also I already have too many pots. In previous times I would have donated this, and I believe it could have been re-sold to some unsuspecting person, who would then have the issue to deal with. So it went to landfill too.

    Unfortunately I spent an awful lot of time and energy overthinking what to do with these 2 objects ( and typing out this post!). I've learnt to  transfer my upbringing programming of never throwing anything out, to the need to re-purpose, recycle or donate unwanted items. This alleviated the guilt.  But I do need to make the decision to just throw something out a bit more quickly.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on July 29, 2023, 10:24:05 PM
    There's just so much stuff in the world that really only the very best stuff is going to get bought secondhand. It's just so cheap to buy new, the average person isn't going to even bother checking the secondhand market. The obviously creates a vicious cycle of more cheap tat being bought and not being able to be passed on. 

    With my stuff, if it's "as new" then I'll try and sell it or take it to a charity shop. Everything else, I'll try listing on freebie groups just to see but if there is no interest after a while then I have permission to dump it or recycle it. I list every random thing because you just never know. e.g. I've got some flip top kombucha bottles ready to list (for free) because people are often looking for those.

    What is important is limiting the stuff that comes in and buying the best quality. Then you have far fewer decisions and chores to do when something needs to leave.

    Obviously that doesn't work when you inherit a bunch of someone else's stuff but I find it much easier to be ruthless with other people's stuff. If it's even the slightest bit dirty, scratched up, musty etc then it's in the rubbish, I'm not cleaning it, and if I'm going through someone else's stuff, chances are it's a borderline hoarding situation and there isn't the space to store stuff that needs mending etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 30, 2023, 05:01:42 AM
    Quote
    What is important is limiting the stuff that comes in and buying the best quality.
    100% agree. Limiting the stuff that comes in is critical. Buying good quality is helpful but doesn't always work out. That mixing bowl was expensive and was a  good quality brand...it was about 35 years old and crazed maybe 20 years ago. Probably I should have tossed it 19 years ago! The top was mostly cotton and not cheap, but I didn't realise the elastane component was going to be so integral to its retaining shape.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on July 30, 2023, 09:06:18 AM
    Dog walk with Ofpym at lunchtime with the side-benefit of 3 books put into a street library and good containers and food we will not eat before we leave (peanut butter, mirin, herbal teas, miso) put into the local food pantry.

    Ah, I should take the one book that keeps going in and out of the donate pile to the street library! Good idea!

    Right now I'm doing the "giant photo purge" but I need to do a food pantry run as well. For the photo purge I'm trying to get 5 boxes of hard copies down to one. This is causing a lot of decision fatigue, so I've needed many breaks. Digitizing it all just makes no sense, I need to cull dramatically first.

    Photos and books are definitely the hardest things for me to throw away. Making it worse, literally every time I see my Mom she verbally reinforces her psychopathy about books and photos as being precious items that must be preserved. It amps my own anxiety about it back up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on July 30, 2023, 03:05:20 PM
    @Zamboni I used to be a book hoarder but over time became more pragmatic about it. RSI in my hands, wrists and shoulders sure helped me not want to hold up a book’s weight unless it was worth it. Some books I am content if I have them on ebook or at the library, a special few I want a physical copy. For some where I thought “maybe that’s worth something”, I looked them up and eh I could get a replacement for <$5 which made it easier to let them go.

    Weird thing that helped me - adding books to a library that has had static content for a while and seeing the books I donated get taken quickly. Made me think someone *did* want my books.

    Re photos, they are the hardest. Start with the duplicates and out of focus ones that should never made it home from the developer. I am going through years of digital photos at the moment and it is tedious.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 30, 2023, 04:10:56 PM
    I'm another reformed book hoarder. My mother taught me that one never ever got rid of books. And I bought into the fantasy of being a bookish nerd. But with the passing of time I realised I almost never re-read books, and had a room full. I have house dust mite allergy and the books collected dust. Since dusting them was very unpleasant  I put it off and  they collected more dust. As my kids grew I culled some of my books to make room for their books and despite mother's voice, nothing terrible happened. So I culled some more. I spend more time on the internet reading that reading books, so I've gradually whittled it down to less than bookshelf.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 30, 2023, 06:53:46 PM
    Re books, most of my fiction is really old stuff that is no longer in libraries - if I want to reread it I have to own it.  This also means that when I look at them on amazon.ca, they are surprisingly expensive, because no one else kept them either.*  But as I look at my books, I am starting to ask myself which ones I will read again?  Which ones can go?  Every book has been read at least twice over the years.

    Totally different rules apply to non-fiction.  Reference materials stay forever**, other stuff still has to pass the will I ever read this again test.


    *Several years ago, when my basement flooded and some books got very wet, the insurance was paying replacement cost.  A few books that I had bought cheap secondhand were now still second hand, but super expensive.  That was very weird.

    ** Unless I know I will never need them again - all the dog training books can go the next time one of my groups has a book sale. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Zamboni on July 30, 2023, 08:54:13 PM
    ^Yeah, that is exactly some of my Mom's psychopathy about books. "You didn't give XYZ book away, right? Because now it is out of print." This gets mentioned about various books she has foisted on me over the years because it was the only way she could bear to part with any.

    Okay, true, books go out of print. But in our world of mass production, if I want to re-buy a specific out of print book, I have always been able to find a copy to buy. I did this with a few of my favorite books from childhood that we had gotten from the children's library. I didn't mind paying what seemed like "a lot" of money because I really wanted to read those few specific books to my children. Hilariously, with 2 notable exceptions, the books my Mom hoarded "for" me all these years were not actually the ones I wanted. She has exactly one other book that I may want some day.

    So I'm not holding onto anything making an assumption that my children want it unless they specifically say "I want that." When I've asked, they haven't wanted anything I've asked about. They both have little piles of precious stuff from their childhoods which I absolutely would have tossed if it was up to me because I wouldn't have realized it had meaning for them. So, it really is true that each person has to do their own decluttering, and that it is against the rules to declutter by giving hand-me-downs to family unless you are CERTAIN that the person really wants it and isn't just accepting it to be polite.

    My Mom downsized her home and she has mailed me many boxes of her hoard without even bothering to ask me about it first. This is totally not cool behavior. I used to let it become part of my clutter out of a sense of weird guilt. I started to dread seeing a new unexpected box on my porch. Towards the end of her doing this I just started taking her junk straight out to the trash or donation center depending upon what it was. She has stopped mailing unannounced packages of clutter, most likely because her financial situation combines with the higher prices for shipping to make it very impractical at this point.

    Perhaps she also has had to find and use most of the $20 bills she had scattered between pages of books all through her home. She thinks she has been very clever in hiding her money in books, by the way. Can't make this stuff up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on July 31, 2023, 12:55:08 AM
    Yikes! @Zamboni , mailing you boxes of clutter is No Fair! My mother hidl her jewellery in the pockets of obscure pieces of clothing, one item per piece of clothing, carefully wrapped up in a tissue. Going through all the crumpled issues in every pocket of both hers and my father's clothing after they had died was tedious. No-one in the family particularly wanted her jewellery but we somehow felt obligated to check nevertheless.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on July 31, 2023, 02:25:48 AM
    For ebook copies of out of print and out of copyright books Faded Page is amazing -

    https://www.fadedpage.com/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on July 31, 2023, 05:18:07 AM
    If you have out of print books that you're decluttering, I highly recommend donating them to Open Library (part of the Internet Archive). I always check to see if they have something yet, before donating books elsewhere. You'll have to pay shipping, but in exchange you'll be contributing to maintaining a record of out of print books that might otherwise be lost - plus if you ever do want to re-read it, it'll be available.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 31, 2023, 06:50:44 AM
    This turned into an excellent discussion!

    Raenia, that is a great idea. 

    Former Player, thanks for the link.

    Zamboni, that is not nice behaviour on your Mom's part.  (You do realize that from a Canadian, not nice is a really negative statement, eh?).  When I was doing my major downsizing for my move, I told DD that I would give her first offer on anything I thought she might want, and she was totally free to say "no".  My feelings would not be hurt, I just needed to get my household contents down to a reasonable amount for the apartment. I would take pictures, and send them to her, she would circle what she wanted and send them back to me - some pictures had everything circled, some had nothing circled.  It worked beautifully, she got what she wanted but nothing extra.  I knew I wasn't giving away something she wanted, and everything left the house either to her or as donations.   


    Taking about stuff, I have already told DD that all my crafting stuff should be either sold or donated to my Guild.   This has come up on Ravelry, someone had the great idea of making a spreadsheet of their equipment, approximate resale value, and all the bits and pieces that go with each big piece of equipment.  That is a great idea, my Artisat came with everything but the handle for the warping beam - I'm sure it got junked as the house was being cleaned out.  Apparently that handle is the most common item to be missing for second hand looms from estates, because the person doing the selling has no idea it goes with the loom.  And yes, the handle is taken off the loom while weaving, it would be really in the way.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on July 31, 2023, 11:38:34 AM
    I just loaded the car trunk full (!) of toys to take to the local thrift store in the morning :) I swear they’re just multiplying in the corners of the e house when we’re not looking…
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on July 31, 2023, 12:25:16 PM
    I went to a neighbor's garage sale and ended up taking a few things from a free pile. Got a 4 ft wobbly christmas tree that will go on my porch. Took 2 thin crummy hot mitts that I regretted almost instantly. Took them to the goodwill along with some old steak knives, a couple clothing items and a (formerly free to us) single cup coffee maker. Trying to deal with my mistakes in a more timely fashion now. If only I can prevent future impulses to bring garbage into the home.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on August 01, 2023, 03:22:20 PM
    I went to a neighbor's garage sale and ended up taking a few things from a free pile. Got a 4 ft wobbly christmas tree that will go on my porch. Took 2 thin crummy hot mitts that I regretted almost instantly. Took them to the goodwill along with some old steak knives, a couple clothing items and a (formerly free to us) single cup coffee maker. Trying to deal with my mistakes in a more timely fashion now. If only I can prevent future impulses to bring garbage into the home.

    IME, you are doing exactly what you need to do in order to "prevent future impulses". Although in my case, I still get the impulses, but it is easier not to give in to them, when thinking about all the work it will take to get rid of them later.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 03, 2023, 07:10:55 AM
    Microdecluttering. 

    Selected 5 of my flea market vinyl records that haven't sold for years, and donated them, along with some non-selling CDs. 

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 03, 2023, 02:24:29 PM
    More micro decluttering- we used up the brown rice so I cleaned the good ant-proof container it was in and we took it to the community pantry along with another large storage container, a packet of garam masala we will not get to in three weeks and a sample of bodywash (I use goat-soap).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 03, 2023, 03:05:36 PM
    I have complained here in the past about having nowhere to sell or give away old computer technical manuals from w*rk days.   

    Well, it seems there is suddenly a market for 'retro' and 'vintage' computers, computer parts, and even manuals! All things come to he who waits?

    I just sold a box of floppy disks from 1980's or 1990's Windows 3.0 Graphical Environment for $20 to a local person. He wanted me to throw in some old technical manuals, which I happily did.

    I don't know when this 'market' popped up. I have been scouring the internet for years trying to sell this stuff, and suddenly I find these vintage groups out there who are looking for this stuff to buy! And they've been around for years, apparently.   

    That is INDEED a score!  Kind of the moment that every hoarder (like me) dreams of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on August 03, 2023, 03:12:28 PM
    I was looking for something else and ended up cleaning out our bathroom cabinets.  Threw out about half of the cruft, and found a lot of old shampoos, etc. which I posted on Craigslist. Somebody is coming to pick them up tomorrow!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on August 03, 2023, 04:00:13 PM
    Gave away 3 of DS's shirts via BNG

    Gave away a set of unneeded floor mats for our Jeep on BNG

    threw away a leaking dressing/condiment container for packing in my lunch box.  Tried to rehab it, put it in a baggie, etc but it was time to admit defeat.

    finished a book so it is going to little free library

    reached out to a lady on BNG who recently requested a weighted blanket but it was gifted elsewhere.....I have one that is not being used and it's time to move it on

    gave away two textbooks to DS's teammate for school next year

    It feels like more has been leaving, but I can't name it all. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on August 04, 2023, 08:49:30 AM
    Prepping for a trip to see family in a few days, so we're in the weird "eat everything perishable in the house" mode. It's a fun time to see what weirdo things we can come up with, but a pain to make everyone something different AND navigate the "I want that too!" complaint from the boys. (I'm waiting for tonight's battle - we only have ONE serving of leftover pasta for someone to eat! The horror!)

    We're also taking a bag of hand-me-downs to the cousins as part of this trip, so we'll finally get that bag out of the hall closet.

    Made the kiddos go through all their various art papers while we were in clean up mode. The Bluey episode "The Dump" is helpful when the kids are horrified that I'm throwing away a paper they drew on for two seconds and then disregarded for a week because the moment I take it away they're like "NO THAT'S MY LIFE'S WORK! MY MAGNUM OPUS! WOULD YOU THROW AWAY BEETHOVEN'S 9TH?" (Or the 6 y/o version of that.) So we've got a pile of kids are headed for the recycling bin to become paper for other kids' future art! (Thanks Bluey!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 04, 2023, 04:22:19 PM
    SMALL
    - Halved the contents of our spice drawer after realising I have limited remaining meals available to use things up here and I am opting for the easiest options to lower my stress.
    - Used the last of the flour to make a no-knead bread dough, which made a great loaf for last night's dinner and the remainder of the dough is hanging out in the fridge for future baking.
    - I'm going to make macaroons to use up sugar and coconut - realised I had donated the unopened vanilla essence yesterday! - and I'll flavour them with mixed spice instead.
    BIG
    - Two bookshelves are out on the street for people to grab.
    - This weekend we're both moving E to his mum's AND packing up a whole lot of stuff for the boys future flats, which will really empty the place out. [This also gives us a room to start putting things in until the movers arrive]
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on August 05, 2023, 02:53:57 AM
    Well done @mspym

    I said upthread that I had emptied an NFP storage unit into my house. I booked a bulky rubbish collection for just over a week's time to give myself a push to sort through it. Recently I sold my vehicle so now I have floorspace in the garage. I went through three boxes of random stuff and made a pile of recycling and pile of bits to squeeze into the NFP premises. I also listed a bunch of stuff for free, hopefully someone wants it. There's actually not much rubbish once you take out the e-waste and the paper.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on August 05, 2023, 03:44:31 AM
    I'm putting together a box of donations for the bric a brac stall at the Church Fete in a week's time.  It's the first fete since the pandemic so there's quite a lot of bits and pieces to go.  The rooms that only have exactly what I want in them are so much nicer to live in.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 05, 2023, 06:14:42 AM
    My sister and I are helping our mom move into assisted living. One of the many chores involved is decluttering her current apartment.

    I moved some of her nice furniture into my already cluttered living room. I find it interesting that my living room does not look more cluttered to me. Still just plain cluttered. 

    Hope to sell some of it, not all of it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on August 05, 2023, 08:21:15 AM
    I’m back from an extended vacation, and thus have not posted for a little while. However, while I was away one of my siblings came to my house and finally purged much of the boxes of stuff they had been storing in my house! It was approximately 20 medium sized boxes!!! I had been hounding said sibling for years, so I’m thrilled that it is gone! There is still a bit more, but they promised to look through it in the future.

    Now back to purging my own stuff…I am back with a renewed sense of purpose to continue the serious purging I had started.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: EchoStache on August 05, 2023, 02:57:37 PM
    Almost done purging the basement.  Listed almost everything on FB marketplace for the last couple months that was left in my basement.  Completely loaded up the trunk and back seat of my car today and made a trip to Goodwill, and took a few items out to the curb with a free sign.

    Now just some general straightening and organizing left to do but no longer have much, if any, extra "stuff" in the house.

    The house and garage are all lean mean fighting machines.  Everything I have now passes the test of "if I didn't currently have this item, would I go out and buy it now", and the answer to that question is yes for basically everything we own.  I have found that is a great question to use when deciding what to keep and what to purge.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 05, 2023, 04:46:59 PM
    Today we move E to his mum’s so while things are a little chaotic by the end of the day the house will be significantly emptier.

    Writing this out made me remember the two cast iron pans he is claiming so that’s even better.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on August 06, 2023, 10:52:38 AM
    Wow, @EchoStache , that’s amazing? How long did it take you to get to this point?

    Yesterday, I did a massive, impromptu purge of all my shirts and dresses in my closet. Also, got rid of a couple of blazers. I got rid of at least 30 pieces of clothing. It feels good to have some space between my clothes now!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on August 06, 2023, 03:01:44 PM
    I successfully dropped off 2 trash bags full of clothes and housewares to my favorite charity thrift shop. 

    I continue using up toiletries with my bathroom plumbing project complete. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: EchoStache on August 06, 2023, 03:50:51 PM
    Wow, @EchoStache , that’s amazing? How long did it take you to get to this point?

    Yesterday, I did a massive, impromptu purge of all my shirts and dresses in my closet. Also, got rid of a couple of blazers. I got rid of at least 30 pieces of clothing. It feels good to have some space between my clothes now!

    Sadly, it was a *tremendous* amount of work that took place over several months preceding a move, then another year after the move.  Before moving, we spent a day every weekend for months purging, selling on FB, and taking car loads to Goodwill.

    This GREATLY reduced the amount of stuff we had to move.  We were very intentional in decorating our new home after the move.  Despite all the purging, we were still left with a surprisingly significant amount of stuff in the basement.  I've been selling on FB for a couple months after taking a break, and hauled away a full carload this weekend which basically got rid of what was left.

    I imagine there is probably some fine tuning left but we are very close to having no extra, unwanted, unused stuff.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on August 06, 2023, 08:27:16 PM
    @EchoStache , I’m not surprised at how much work it was! At least you had a lot less to move. This is a big motivator for me. I don’t plan on moving any time soon, but I also don’t want to be stuck here at any point, because of stuff! I’ve been working on purging for several months and don’t think I’ll be where you are for many more months to go. Congratulations for getting there!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on August 06, 2023, 10:35:24 PM
    I listed a bunch of stuff from the NFP storage for free and it's flying away, yay! I'll have my garage back soon. Just some folding chairs to clean and sell and a few other bits.

    There was so much stuff that was dumped in a storage unit instead of dealing with it or moving it on swiftly to someone else who could use it. Some stuff could have been sold for $ if it hadn't been left to get grubby or if instructions had been recorded. I'm not going to go though every single item asking previous volunteers what it is and does it work.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on August 07, 2023, 05:37:06 PM
    Offered a few men's workout shirts to DS. Picked out a few women's workout shirts I don't like (tech fabric makes me feel like my skin can't breathe), a sweatshirt I've had for prob 10 years, a recently found kids sz 8 t shirt (youngest kid wears a kids 16) and they're all in a donate bag. Mentioned to DH that one of his shirts is looking pretty rough and he took it off on the spot and put it in the trash. Small steps!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on August 08, 2023, 06:43:23 AM
    An idea that may work for others:  our local senior center has a "Free Table."  Anyone can leave new or gently used items.
    I'm donating some new toothbrushes and floss (freebies from my dentist), some never-used water bottles, a decorative birdhouse, a new small backpack, dry erase markers, decorative ribbons, a holiday-themed tray, night light, etc.  I think they'll be popular and snatched up right away.

    Am also donating a wooden hope chest to the thrift store.  It's not being used and is just taking up floor space in an already small room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on August 11, 2023, 05:12:24 AM
    I just listed 2 fairly bulky items on Marketplace. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 11, 2023, 10:16:48 AM
    Out the door - some glass jars, cat toys, a stationery box and a couple of pictures.  Every bit counts, right?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 11, 2023, 03:02:42 PM
    Today we are taking the 2x4 bookshelf, some sewing gear and the last of our plants to my friend’s house. Hopefully we are also dropping off beds at the council recycling. Even more things ready to go to the community pantry. I’ve booked council clean-up for the Monday after we fly out for the two-dog’s worth couch and anything else that we can’t shed any other way.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 11, 2023, 07:15:30 PM
    After 4 moves I keep thinking I've thrown out everything that needs throwing out.  Nope.

    I just threw out my old ironing board.  I had to really force it to open, and I stopped part way, because if it was that hard to open I figured I would never get it closed again.  I guess all the jostling in the various moving vans didn't do it any good.  I've replaced it with a flat ironing pad for use on the kitchen peninsula.  It is more than adequate for the small amount of ironing I do.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on August 12, 2023, 02:25:26 AM
    After 4 moves I keep thinking I've thrown out everything that needs throwing out.  Nope.
    I can believe it! After 2 major clean outs in May and June, the following week I found several more items that needed to be thrown out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 12, 2023, 07:33:10 AM
    After 4 moves I keep thinking I've thrown out everything that needs throwing out.  Nope.
    I can believe it! After 2 major clean outs in May and June, the following week I found several more items that needed to be thrown out.

    I can believe it, you have a house and outbuildings - when I moved out of the last house, I got rid of so much stuff, and that was after having done lots of decluttering.

    It's like peeling an onion, but the layers never end.

    I've also been buying storage things (ouch, but needed) and ditching the non-functional storage items the new things are replacing.  I've bought 2 metal shelving units and 4 wood bookcases since I moved here (I left 2 bookcases behind when I moved here, because they were low and basically unusable), and my organization is finally good.  I no longer wince when I open my bedroom closet door.  I can find all my craft things easily.  My moving boxes are all finally unpacked.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 12, 2023, 02:47:37 PM
    We keep finding more and more things to declutter and I am sure that when everything turns up on the other side there will be a bunch of things we’ll look at and wonder why we brought them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 12, 2023, 04:21:35 PM
    We keep finding more and more things to declutter and I am sure that when everything turns up on the other side there will be a bunch of things we’ll look at and wonder why we brought them.

    You can count on it!  Every time I've moved I've unpacked things and wondered why I moved them.

    Even if something was useful at the old place, it may not work for the new place.  And sometimes you won't know that until after the move.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on August 12, 2023, 06:43:09 PM
    Haha yes, these last 2 cleanups I decluttered a lot of things that I had moved twice. Actually 4 times because I had put them into a storage unit to declutter my property for sale, then moved them out again. They sat mostly unused in the next house, and I moved them again to my current location /facepalm. And they were still in the shed unmoved/unused since I moved here 5 years ago. Obviously I'm a slow learner.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 12, 2023, 07:56:29 PM
    Haha yes, these last 2 cleanups I decluttered a lot of things that I had moved twice. Actually 4 times because I had put them into a storage unit to declutter my property for sale, then moved them out again. They sat mostly unused in the next house, and I moved them again to my current location /facepalm. And they were still in the shed unmoved/unused since I moved here 5 years ago. Obviously I'm a slow learner.

    We should forgive ourselves, because sometimes we just don't know what we will need until after the move.  I got rid of all my gardening gear, for example, when I sold the house  And then I ended up with a 12'x48' allotment garden and had to buy replacement equipment during the lock-down - that was interesting.  So this last move I brought it all with me, and am still waiting for an allotment garden.  The only place I am using any of it is at DD's.  Most of it is sitting in my locker.  I'm still hoping for that allotment garden!    ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 12, 2023, 09:36:02 PM
    In terms of 'continually finding new things to discard', I just looked in E's shower and there's a bunch of discarded shampoo, conditioner and bodywash that will never be used. This is over and above the shampoo/conditioner/soaps in the other two bathrooms. I haven't even looked in the bathroom cabinets yet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 13, 2023, 07:54:49 AM
    Back when I had the house in the country and the little apartment in the city, I had duplicates of a lot of things.  Part of the decluttering journey was to use up all the consumables, and choose from each set of duplicates which I preferred and donate the other.

    It's a good thing laundry detergent doesn't go bad, I haven't bought any in over 2 years and won't be for another year or so.    ;-)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on August 13, 2023, 04:35:22 PM
    Finally got rid of a stack of books we'd been wanting to sell - it had become clear that we were never going to get around to listing them on ebay, so we found a bookstore that takes trade ins and got an offer. Hideously undervalued, of course, but better than the nothing that we were going to get at the rate we were going! The ones the store didn't want went straight in the donation box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Prairie Gal on August 14, 2023, 11:33:19 AM
    I don't have a ton of clutter any more since downsizing and moving last year, but I recently gave away an old TV. That was a tough one because it was old technology and people want the new smart TV's now. Anyway, a lady was looking for one to hook up to a DVD player, so it was perfect for that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 14, 2023, 08:13:48 PM
    I don't have a ton of clutter any more since downsizing and moving last year, but I recently gave away an old TV. That was a tough one because it was old technology and people want the new smart TV's now. Anyway, a lady was looking for one to hook up to a DVD player, so it was perfect for that.
     

    Hey, old tube tv's are somewhat in demand now, due to some retro computer technology craze going on. I see them selling for $25 each.  Who knew ?  Everyone was giving them away 2 years ago, and you were lucky to fins someone to take them, lol.   

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 14, 2023, 08:24:04 PM
    A bit of a win in my months-long juggernaut of decluttering (and actually removing everything from) my mom's apt, since she is moving to assisted living.

    The price to remove a big piece of furniture is $150.  I sold this particular piece for $100. Massive win !  I get a one hundred dollar bill snug in my wallet, and I cheat the junk man out of his $150. I love it. $250 net benefit. 

    I still have 2 more big pieces that have to go, but my deadline is coming up, and my nerves are shot,  so I'm gonna give the junker $300 to take them away.   It has to end sometime.       



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 14, 2023, 08:56:04 PM
    A bit of a win in my months-long juggernaut of decluttering (and actually removing everything from) my mom's apt, since she is moving to assisted living.

    The price to remove a big piece of furniture is $150.  I sold this particular piece for $100. Massive win !  I get a one hundred dollar bill snug in my wallet, and I cheat the junk man out of his $150. I love it. $250 net benefit. 

    I still have 2 more big pieces that have to go, but my deadline is coming up, and my nerves are shot,  so I'm gonna give the junker $300 to take them away.   It has to end sometime.       





    Why not advertise "free for the taking?"  Might save yourself $300.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: middo on August 15, 2023, 02:52:14 AM
    A bit of a win in my months-long juggernaut of decluttering (and actually removing everything from) my mom's apt, since she is moving to assisted living.

    The price to remove a big piece of furniture is $150.  I sold this particular piece for $100. Massive win !  I get a one hundred dollar bill snug in my wallet, and I cheat the junk man out of his $150. I love it. $250 net benefit. 

    I still have 2 more big pieces that have to go, but my deadline is coming up, and my nerves are shot,  so I'm gonna give the junker $300 to take them away.   It has to end sometime.       





    Why not advertise "free for the taking?"  Might save yourself $300.

    Past experience tends to say put a price of $50 on something and people will turn up and haggle.  Put it up for free and they just don't turn up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Monocle Money Mouth on August 15, 2023, 04:29:09 AM
    A bit of a win in my months-long juggernaut of decluttering (and actually removing everything from) my mom's apt, since she is moving to assisted living.

    The price to remove a big piece of furniture is $150.  I sold this particular piece for $100. Massive win !  I get a one hundred dollar bill snug in my wallet, and I cheat the junk man out of his $150. I love it. $250 net benefit. 

    I still have 2 more big pieces that have to go, but my deadline is coming up, and my nerves are shot,  so I'm gonna give the junker $300 to take them away.   It has to end sometime.       





    Why not advertise "free for the taking?"  Might save yourself $300.

    Past experience tends to say put a price of $50 on something and people will turn up and haggle.  Put it up for free and they just don't turn up.

    I've also found this to be true. I've had people no call/no show several times when giving away stuff. It rarely happens when I sell stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Monocle Money Mouth on August 15, 2023, 04:38:26 AM
    I finally sold a guitar I had up for sale for almost 4 years. It's been collecting dust in my closet since 2015 or so. One less thing to move around, clean, and maintain and a few hundred extra bucks to invest.

    I wish 2011 Monocle Money Mouth had been interested in investing. I could have turned the $800 I spent on the guitar into $3,000 instead of $325. Hindsight is 20/20.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on August 15, 2023, 04:53:54 AM
    A bit of a win in my months-long juggernaut of decluttering (and actually removing everything from) my mom's apt, since she is moving to assisted living.

    The price to remove a big piece of furniture is $150.  I sold this particular piece for $100. Massive win !  I get a one hundred dollar bill snug in my wallet, and I cheat the junk man out of his $150. I love it. $250 net benefit. 

    I still have 2 more big pieces that have to go, but my deadline is coming up, and my nerves are shot,  so I'm gonna give the junker $300 to take them away.   It has to end sometime.       





    Why not advertise "free for the taking?"  Might save yourself $300.

    Past experience tends to say put a price of $50 on something and people will turn up and haggle.  Put it up for free and they just don't turn up.

    I've also found this to be true. I've had people no call/no show several times when giving away stuff. It rarely happens when I sell stuff.

    In some neighborhoods free by the curb is very effective especially with a curb alert listing on marketplace.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 15, 2023, 12:33:16 PM
    A bit of a win in my months-long juggernaut of decluttering (and actually removing everything from) my mom's apt, since she is moving to assisted living.

    The price to remove a big piece of furniture is $150.  I sold this particular piece for $100. Massive win !  I get a one hundred dollar bill snug in my wallet, and I cheat the junk man out of his $150. I love it. $250 net benefit. 

    I still have 2 more big pieces that have to go, but my deadline is coming up, and my nerves are shot,  so I'm gonna give the junker $300 to take them away.   It has to end sometime.       





    Why not advertise "free for the taking?"  Might save yourself $300.

    I actually have them listed on FB for free, and also a local buy nothing site.  Spent hours looking for a Goodwill or Salvation Army to pick them up. And other websites that say they take furniture donations. Dead ends everywhere. Very frustrating. Habitat for Humanity will take furniture, but you have to have it out on the curb for them. They will not come in. These are huge and heavy sofas. The CCRC she is in prohibits me from paying an employee here to get them to the curb.

    Just on and on and on, reasons why I can't get rid of it.

    I got some inquiries on Facebook for free, but no one wants to come get it. They want me to deliver it.



     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 15, 2023, 04:09:51 PM
    A bit of a win in my months-long juggernaut of decluttering (and actually removing everything from) my mom's apt, since she is moving to assisted living.

    The price to remove a big piece of furniture is $150.  I sold this particular piece for $100. Massive win !  I get a one hundred dollar bill snug in my wallet, and I cheat the junk man out of his $150. I love it. $250 net benefit. 

    I still have 2 more big pieces that have to go, but my deadline is coming up, and my nerves are shot,  so I'm gonna give the junker $300 to take them away.   It has to end sometime.       





    Why not advertise "free for the taking?"  Might save yourself $300.

    I actually have them listed on FB for free, and also a local buy nothing site.  Spent hours looking for a Goodwill or Salvation Army to pick them up. And other websites that say they take furniture donations. Dead ends everywhere. Very frustrating. Habitat for Humanity will take furniture, but you have to have it out on the curb for them. They will not come in. These are huge and heavy sofas. The CCRC she is in prohibits me from paying an employee here to get them to the curb.

    Just on and on and on, reasons why I can't get rid of it.

    I got some inquiries on Facebook for free, but no one wants to come get it. They want me to deliver it.



     

    I guess this speaks to the enormous glut of used items out there.  Sad that the world has come to this. Another reason to not buy more than absolutely necessary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on August 15, 2023, 05:13:59 PM
    I actually have them listed on FB for free, and also a local buy nothing site.  Spent hours looking for a Goodwill or Salvation Army to pick them up. And other websites that say they take furniture donations. Dead ends everywhere. Very frustrating. Habitat for Humanity will take furniture, but you have to have it out on the curb for them. They will not come in. These are huge and heavy sofas. The CCRC she is in prohibits me from paying an employee here to get them to the curb.

    Just on and on and on, reasons why I can't get rid of it.

    I got some inquiries on Facebook for free, but no one wants to come get it. They want me to deliver it.
    I ran across exactly the same problem when I was trying to get rid of furniture from my deceased parent's house. We were on a time-line and I moved a whole lot of things to my place as I was not familiar with the charities etc near my parent's house. I thought I knew how to dispose of them locally, but like you I got endless dead ends. It was both unexpected and frustrating.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on August 15, 2023, 05:32:52 PM
    A bit of a win in my months-long juggernaut of decluttering (and actually removing everything from) my mom's apt, since she is moving to assisted living.

    The price to remove a big piece of furniture is $150.  I sold this particular piece for $100. Massive win !  I get a one hundred dollar bill snug in my wallet, and I cheat the junk man out of his $150. I love it. $250 net benefit. 

    I still have 2 more big pieces that have to go, but my deadline is coming up, and my nerves are shot,  so I'm gonna give the junker $300 to take them away.   It has to end sometime.       





    Why not advertise "free for the taking?"  Might save yourself $300.

    I actually have them listed on FB for free, and also a local buy nothing site.  Spent hours looking for a Goodwill or Salvation Army to pick them up. And other websites that say they take furniture donations. Dead ends everywhere. Very frustrating. Habitat for Humanity will take furniture, but you have to have it out on the curb for them. They will not come in. These are huge and heavy sofas. The CCRC she is in prohibits me from paying an employee here to get them to the curb.

    Just on and on and on, reasons why I can't get rid of it.

    I got some inquiries on Facebook for free, but no one wants to come get it. They want me to deliver it.



     

    I guess this speaks to the enormous glut of used items out there.  Sad that the world has come to this. Another reason to not buy more than absolutely necessary.

    I can understand it for large, difficult to move items, although it's frustrating. When you can have an incredibly cheap new sofa delivered to your lounge room, why would you deal with the hassle of finding and collecting a second-hand one that might have bed bugs or fleas. Hiring a ute or van or a "man with a van" costs way more than a delivery charge from a store (and often that's free).

    The other difficult items are large bits of furniture that have become obsolete, even if they are nice solid wood. Like huge tv units, since a lot of people mount TVs on the wall now and don't have videos & DVDs and DVD players to store with the TV. CD holders are also destined for the tip!

    I did manage to sell a leather sofa from a well known brand that still stocked something similar. I did some styled photos like from a catalogue & priced it really high. I've bought a second hand leather chair before because it was a high end fake designer one. Sometimes I think that the reason IKEA stuff is easy to move on is because people recognise and know what it is. 

    The only way I'd get rid of our current sofa (from a cheap online store, but only because it was hard to find one small enough for the space!) is to offer it for free with delivery. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 15, 2023, 05:59:56 PM
    Even more things put out on the curb and picked up by strangers. The stream is never ending. We're also at the throw out the half-used things stage. We are also eating some very odd meals to use things up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on August 15, 2023, 06:15:59 PM
    Even more things put out on the curb and picked up by strangers. The stream is never ending. We're also at the throw out the half-used things stage. We are also eating some very odd meals to use things up.

    I love the baked beans on pasta with a side of frozen spinach stage. Your stories make me want to move countries!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 15, 2023, 07:05:29 PM
    Even more things put out on the curb and picked up by strangers. The stream is never ending. We're also at the throw out the half-used things stage. We are also eating some very odd meals to use things up.

    I love the baked beans on pasta with a side of frozen spinach stage. Your stories make me want to move countries!

    Australia is a big country, just move to someplace that will mean a 4 day move, and look at the estimate.  That will be lots of incentive.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on August 16, 2023, 05:22:21 AM
    "Baked beans on pasta with a side of frozen spinach" is such a perfect descriptor of the moving and eating down the pantry!!! I laughed out loud at that!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 17, 2023, 06:54:05 AM
    After 4 moves I keep thinking I've thrown out everything that needs throwing out.  Nope.

    I just threw out my old ironing board.  I had to really force it to open, and I stopped part way, because if it was that hard to open I figured I would never get it closed again.  I guess all the jostling in the various moving vans didn't do it any good.  I've replaced it with a flat ironing pad for use on the kitchen peninsula.  It is more than adequate for the small amount of ironing I do.

    I just donated an old ironing board. I also had furniture in my car, and as I was pulling into the Salvation Army place, someone ran out saying "No furniture!" He said people were sneaking in furniture, and they had to have someone monitor things. He accepted the ironing board.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on August 17, 2023, 07:10:35 AM
    A family member works as a manager at Goodwill. He said early in the pandemic they had massive piles of furniture and other donations, just enormous amounts. People had nothing but time on their hands so were doing big cleanouts of their houses. The stores had to rent extra dumpsters and pay a lot to haul the extra garbage away. Thus they all changed their policy.  I can imagine dead-of-the-night dropoffs!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on August 17, 2023, 09:12:01 AM
    A family member works as a manager at Goodwill. He said early in the pandemic they had massive piles of furniture and other donations, just enormous amounts. People had nothing but time on their hands so were doing big cleanouts of their houses. The stores had to rent extra dumpsters and pay a lot to haul the extra garbage away. Thus they all changed their policy.  I can imagine dead-of-the-night dropoffs!

    That's interesting that the policy seems to still be in place in at least some locations. It's amazing how much stuff has already been manufactured in the world.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 17, 2023, 03:48:17 PM
    Put the first few items of the stuff I had to take in from Mom's place,  on Facebook  Marketplace.  Took a long time photographing, deciding how to describe stuff, pricing. Actually, quite time consuming.

    Will donate once I get tired of waiting for a buyer.

    Will keep some of the nice wood furniture she had, though. A nice real marble top square end table , even if it's in the middle of real clutter, still jazzes the place up, somehow, lol.   Will be keeping that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on August 18, 2023, 07:14:01 AM
    1. DH and KID1 are taking a not inexpensive trip to Philadelphia to see family, but they're also taking a whole bag of hand-me-downs for the kids' newest cousin, so that's another bag out of the house!

    2. Returning a shirt that didn't fit KID1 (who's growing like a WEED) today.

    3. With DH and KID1 gone for a trip this weekend, I plan to take full advantage and clean the holy heck out of the house, which will definitely result in using up a bunch of miscellaneous cleaning supplies. KID2 and I are also going to eat down the fridge/freezer/pantry.

    4. If we're feeling cute, KID2 and I might take some books to the LFL across the street before school starts and make sure it's robust for the new school year and then head to the library to check out some new books that won't live on our bookshelf.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: halftimer on August 18, 2023, 03:23:13 PM
    I have had lots of decluttering practice lately. Got rid of big and small items before our move across town, and got rid of more after the move. Then a few weeks later overseas family came and started sorting through their boxes that have been in storage for 10 years (not at my place, thankfully!) and I helped them sort, dispose, stage for sale, and rehome some of it. They have made really good progress on that now that they know they will not be living here again any time soon.
    Now, my office is moving. It is just within the building, but everything needs to be touched and boxed and lifted and arranged in the new space - so I was able to find 10 boxes worth of shredding and a few shelves of items that do not need to come with us.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on August 20, 2023, 07:42:36 AM
    I joined this thread 3, maybe 4 years ago after my
    Mom died and I brought many things from her house into my home. But I kept putting off making decisions about selling or donating items. It’s really hard! All these things have been stacked up in the unfinished side of my basement waiting for me to make decisions. Yesterday I finally started to make some progress. I took three carloads of stuff to thrift stores. I still have a long way to go. What I find so difficult is that everything I’m giving away still has value. They are nice things. Furniture, lamps, accessories and barely used toys that my children have out grown. I could sell them but that takes so much effort for very little return so I feel donating is probably the best option. When I take these things to the thrift store drop off I get this huge rush of anxiety when I see the piles and piles of stuff that is left by people. Much of it is probably worthless even second hand. It makes me feel so guilty about what we are doing to the planet with all of this stuff. I also feel bad when getting rid of these very gently used toys that were gifted to my children by relatives and just never got played with.
    It all just makes me feel awful. Any advice?
    Thanks for reading. I just need some support as I move the rest of the storage room along. The goal is to be able to put up a ping pong table for my boys.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 20, 2023, 09:02:45 AM
    I joined this thread 3, maybe 4 years ago after my
    Mom died and I brought many things from her house into my home. But I kept putting off making decisions about selling or donating items. It’s really hard! All these things have been stacked up in the unfinished side of my basement waiting for me to make decisions. Yesterday I finally started to make some progress. I took three carloads of stuff to thrift stores. I still have a long way to go. What I find so difficult is that everything I’m giving away still has value. They are nice things. Furniture, lamps, accessories and barely used toys that my children have out grown. I could sell them but that takes so much effort for very little return so I feel donating is probably the best option. When I take these things to the thrift store drop off I get this huge rush of anxiety when I see the piles and piles of stuff that is left by people. Much of it is probably worthless even second hand. It makes me feel so guilty about what we are doing to the planet with all of this stuff. I also feel bad when getting rid of these very gently used toys that were gifted to my children by relatives and just never got played with.
    It all just makes me feel awful. Any advice?
    Thanks for reading. I just need some support as I move the rest of the storage room along. The goal is to be able to put up a ping pong table for my boys.

    I know that feeling - I had a yard sale once because it was all good stuff and I wanted to recoup a bit of money.  It was a horrible experience, so much work for so little return.

    So for all my moves I have just donated. 

    Left on the roadside donated.  Taken to thrift store donated.  Donated to a dog rescue that runs a permanent yard sale.  Donated big stuff to a place that sets up refugees and people who have had fires (that one got me a tax receipt).  If your things are still good quality someone will appreciate them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on August 20, 2023, 10:07:16 AM
    My grandmother passed away last fall and her house is finally in the process of being sold. 50+ years of life at a single address. She wasn't a hoarder by any means, but with that long of a timeframe, stuff accumulates. Yesterday we went to help empty the house and left with a pickup bed full of things for "donation." The executor has some hoarding tendencies so we just said yes to anything that would fit. About half of it was just old household items in various states of disrepair. Those bags were dropped off at a dumpster (we have access) on our way to a local thrift store.  The rest were gently used clothing items that will hopefully find a second life.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on August 20, 2023, 10:18:40 AM
    I joined this thread 3, maybe 4 years ago after my
    Mom died and I brought many things from her house into my home. But I kept putting off making decisions about selling or donating items. It’s really hard! All these things have been stacked up in the unfinished side of my basement waiting for me to make decisions. Yesterday I finally started to make some progress. I took three carloads of stuff to thrift stores. I still have a long way to go. What I find so difficult is that everything I’m giving away still has value. They are nice things. Furniture, lamps, accessories and barely used toys that my children have out grown. I could sell them but that takes so much effort for very little return so I feel donating is probably the best option. When I take these things to the thrift store drop off I get this huge rush of anxiety when I see the piles and piles of stuff that is left by people. Much of it is probably worthless even second hand. It makes me feel so guilty about what we are doing to the planet with all of this stuff. I also feel bad when getting rid of these very gently used toys that were gifted to my children by relatives and just never got played with.
    It all just makes me feel awful. Any advice?
    Thanks for reading. I just need some support as I move the rest of the storage room along. The goal is to be able to put up a ping pong table for my boys.

    I get it.  So much waste!  We rape the planet to make things, then get rid of perfectly good stuff so we can rape the planet again to make newer/"better"/fancier stuff.  We're all guilty of it, no matter how hard we try.  And the irony of it is that older things are generally of superior quality and made to last generations, but they're no longer in style so we get rid of them in exchange for flimsy things that break in a matter of days, weeks or years.  Every time the cycle repeats itself, everything becomes poorer quality.

    The best we can do is to stop buying things we don't need, keep the old, good stuff and donate the rest to people who will at least use the items instead of buying new.  But I agree, it's really depressing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on August 20, 2023, 11:23:59 AM
    Buy nothing group give aways:
    Weighted blanket
    4 school 3 ring binders
    Scrub caps
    A flavor of tea that I just didn't care for

    Happy to see these items go to good homes!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 20, 2023, 02:22:45 PM
    @BeanCounter in your situation, rather than sending it to a charity shop, I’d contact a refugee organisation or similar for people trying to set up a household. More likely to get taken and used.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dee_the_third on August 20, 2023, 02:29:06 PM
    I joined this thread 3, maybe 4 years ago after my
    Mom died and I brought many things from her house into my home. But I kept putting off making decisions about selling or donating items. It’s really hard! All these things have been stacked up in the unfinished side of my basement waiting for me to make decisions. Yesterday I finally started to make some progress. I took three carloads of stuff to thrift stores. I still have a long way to go. What I find so difficult is that everything I’m giving away still has value. They are nice things. Furniture, lamps, accessories and barely used toys that my children have out grown. I could sell them but that takes so much effort for very little return so I feel donating is probably the best option. When I take these things to the thrift store drop off I get this huge rush of anxiety when I see the piles and piles of stuff that is left by people. Much of it is probably worthless even second hand. It makes me feel so guilty about what we are doing to the planet with all of this stuff. I also feel bad when getting rid of these very gently used toys that were gifted to my children by relatives and just never got played with.
    It all just makes me feel awful. Any advice?
    Thanks for reading. I just need some support as I move the rest of the storage room along. The goal is to be able to put up a ping pong table for my boys.

    These are absolutely valid feelings, and I struggle with them too. One thing that helps me is knowing that these items have utility, and I am releasing them so someone else can appreciate the life they have left. I don’t need three bathroom mats, even though they’re all perfectly good. And somewhere out there is a single parent who had to leave an abusive household and is starting from scratch in their one bedroom apartment and could really use a bath mat (okay, that’s excessively dramatic, but you get the drift). This bath mat can only be appreciated by someone else if I can get myself to give it away. I think I might have gotten that idea from Marie Kondo.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on August 20, 2023, 02:49:37 PM
    I joined this thread 3, maybe 4 years ago after my
    Mom died and I brought many things from her house into my home. But I kept putting off making decisions about selling or donating items. It’s really hard! All these things have been stacked up in the unfinished side of my basement waiting for me to make decisions. Yesterday I finally started to make some progress. I took three carloads of stuff to thrift stores. I still have a long way to go. What I find so difficult is that everything I’m giving away still has value. They are nice things. Furniture, lamps, accessories and barely used toys that my children have out grown. I could sell them but that takes so much effort for very little return so I feel donating is probably the best option. When I take these things to the thrift store drop off I get this huge rush of anxiety when I see the piles and piles of stuff that is left by people. Much of it is probably worthless even second hand. It makes me feel so guilty about what we are doing to the planet with all of this stuff. I also feel bad when getting rid of these very gently used toys that were gifted to my children by relatives and just never got played with.
    It all just makes me feel awful. Any advice?
    Thanks for reading. I just need some support as I move the rest of the storage room along. The goal is to be able to put up a ping pong table for my boys.

    A good thrift store makes a huge difference. There is one by my house that does indeed look as you described. But as a resident of the neighborhood, I have also seen them post a few times on the neighborhood Facebook group about how their back staging area is completely empty and please bring donations by so they can keep the store stocked! I think it's just constant processing so you see a mess of junk but in one day all that gets processed through and onto the shop floor.

    I've seen similar at a food bank that has clothes available. They had an absolute mountain of clothes that i saw in the back while volunteering and said they have a group of ladies who come in a few mornings a week and get the whole mountain sorted and put into the shop area.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jeninco on August 20, 2023, 03:47:37 PM
    We're still clearing stuff our in preparation for a (hopefully) remodel.
    I sent an entire set of revere wear pots, and quite a few nice pans off with DS2, to furnish the kitchen of his rental apartment.
    I cleaned out some glassware (when's the last time we had root beer floats? Do we need special mugs for that? 8 of them?), an old crockpot, and various other kitchen odds and ends.

    I tried to re-organize the pantry, but actually sort of made a mess, so I'm trying to eat down the things we use less frequently so I can have more space for the stuff we do.

    Also took DS's bed and desk to his new place, so at least they're out of OUR house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on August 20, 2023, 05:59:55 PM
    I joined this thread 3, maybe 4 years ago after my
    Mom died and I brought many things from her house into my home. But I kept putting off making decisions about selling or donating items. It’s really hard! All these things have been stacked up in the unfinished side of my basement waiting for me to make decisions. Yesterday I finally started to make some progress. I took three carloads of stuff to thrift stores. I still have a long way to go. What I find so difficult is that everything I’m giving away still has value. They are nice things. Furniture, lamps, accessories and barely used toys that my children have out grown. I could sell them but that takes so much effort for very little return so I feel donating is probably the best option. When I take these things to the thrift store drop off I get this huge rush of anxiety when I see the piles and piles of stuff that is left by people. Much of it is probably worthless even second hand. It makes me feel so guilty about what we are doing to the planet with all of this stuff. I also feel bad when getting rid of these very gently used toys that were gifted to my children by relatives and just never got played with.
    It all just makes me feel awful. Any advice?
    Thanks for reading. I just need some support as I move the rest of the storage room along. The goal is to be able to put up a ping pong table for my boys.

    Just echoing the comments of others...its happened/happening to me too. My parents have died 5 years ago, and I am still dealing with all their stuff. Also my kids have left the nest, so their/our stuff too. When I take goods to the donation centre, our stuff looks a lot better than most of what I see donated, and depending where I go the open bins can be outside, at the mercy of the weather ( I avoid that place if I can).

    I too mostly take the donation route over selling, unless it looks like it will easily repay the effort. I too mourn the trashing of the planet over stuff. I feel bad that I am giving away possessions that my mother loved and assembled over the decades. And I too feel the decision fatigue of having to sift through mountains of stuff.

    But what is the cost of not doing the work? I do not wish to drag all this stuff along with me for my remaining years, or, worse still, leave it to my family to sort out. The best I can do is to a) clear out and donate and hope that these items will bless someone else, and b) try not accumulate more stuff.

    Ping pong with your boys sounds like a worthy goal!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on August 20, 2023, 06:17:06 PM
    I'll always try listing stuff for free before donating because I feel like there will be more eyes on it. Yes it's annoying if people don't show up and the whole process is slower, so it's not an option if you are moving soon, but in the end I think that the item will find it's home sooner that if it's buried in a thrift store. Clothing may be the exception because you often need to feel it, try it on etc.

    And if I can't get rid online in a group of 100k people, chances are the thrift shop won't be able to sell it either and I'm just adding to their landfill bill. If I've tried to move it on with no luck, and then take it to a thrift shop *then* I do feel a bit guilty.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 22, 2023, 10:16:06 AM
    The other thing to keep in mind is just because you think it has value doesn't mean it actually does. There was one day where I sat with my mom as she was trying to decide what to keep, and I ended up pulling up Ebay and checking their sold listings. All these things my mom thought were worth money were selling for $10 or whatever. It was rough for her. To her, they had value. But emotional value is not money value.

    There's a lot of unwanted furniture out there, and it's only getting worse as people downsize or die. There's a real thing where no, your furniture is NOT wanted.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on August 22, 2023, 04:51:07 PM
    Movers are coming tomorrow so we are full steam ahead. Everything is either coming with us, getting thrown out, recycled or out on the street in a donation pile.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on August 22, 2023, 05:09:18 PM
    Gifted three declutter items to a friend over the weekend. She seemed genuinely happy to receive them.

    I heard a great line in a youtube video from Caroline Winkler on decluttering that resonated. She said something like, "It's the getting-rid-of-something part that's hard. The not-having-it part isn't hard. Once it's gone from your life, there's really nothing hard about it."

    Really the whole video was great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAutdhF9MzU
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 24, 2023, 06:26:35 AM
    Continuing saga of moving Mom into Assisted Living. Props to all the kids out there spending huge amounts of time and energy and money to help your parents. It's something you just have to do, and are glad to be able to do for them, but still, it is a tremendous burden (imho).

    Fortunately, my sister is a big help, although our personalities are really conflicting, as we endure this stress.   

    Adding to the stress is the retirement community Mom lives in, and its not too competent admin staff. I have found them dreadful to work with in the past, and my sister has taken that on.   

    I got a letter sent to my home from the CCRC. I have not requested that they contact me. I also got one of my mother's pharmacy bills sent to me as 'in care of' . I have not given anyone permission to do that. Very annoying. No escape, even when I am away from the CCRC, in my own home.

    My sister had a video conference with the long term care insurance company yesterday. When she signed in, someone came on and said the conference was canceled due to the nurse being out sick. Sister has flight scheduled to leave soon.  She insisted they find another nurse, and they did, and the conference went on. This was to assess whether Mom has a need to be in Assisted Living, and qualify for coverage.

    To sum up, kudos to all the other people doing similar things for their parents.       

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on August 24, 2023, 06:50:43 AM
    The other thing to keep in mind is just because you think it has value doesn't mean it actually does. There was one day where I sat with my mom as she was trying to decide what to keep, and I ended up pulling up Ebay and checking their sold listings. All these things my mom thought were worth money were selling for $10 or whatever. It was rough for her. To her, they had value. But emotional value is not money value.

    There's a lot of unwanted furniture out there, and it's only getting worse as people downsize or die. There's a real thing where no, your furniture is NOT wanted.

    Yes! I totally get this. It's hard to have an impartial view on your own crap!
    I've identified four pieces of furniture I think I actually want to try to SELL. Pictures of two are attached (coffee table and side chair). I still like them but I just don't have a place for them as I've either kept things from my mother's house (she was a designer and had nice things) or I'm keeping more functional items for my family.
    So should I try Facebook Marketplace for items like this or a local consignment shop? The consignment shop will keep half the proceeds if I drop the item off to their shop, 60% if they send a truck to pick up the items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 24, 2023, 07:09:07 AM
    The other thing to keep in mind is just because you think it has value doesn't mean it actually does. There was one day where I sat with my mom as she was trying to decide what to keep, and I ended up pulling up Ebay and checking their sold listings. All these things my mom thought were worth money were selling for $10 or whatever. It was rough for her. To her, they had value. But emotional value is not money value.

    There's a lot of unwanted furniture out there, and it's only getting worse as people downsize or die. There's a real thing where no, your furniture is NOT wanted.

    Yes! I totally get this. It's hard to have an impartial view on your own crap!
    I've identified four pieces of furniture I think I actually want to try to SELL. Pictures of two are attached (coffee table and side chair). I still like them but I just don't have a place for them as I've either kept things from my mother's house (she was a designer and had nice things) or I'm keeping more functional items for my family.
    So should I try Facebook Marketplace for items like this or a local consignment shop? The consignment shop will keep half the proceeds if I drop the item off to their shop, 60% if they send a truck to pick up the items.

    BeanCOunter, I got rid of some medical supplies for free on Marketplace. I have sold a lot of stuff on FBM, but some stuff gets very little interest.

    I listed 15 items like antique end tables, antique lamps, modern lamps, folding chairs, et al  that I just moved into my house, from my Mom's place.  Got no interest in any of it, except a ukelele, but it didn't sell anyway. Asking low prices.
    Ironically, I also listed an old folding shelf with a semi-broken shelf, which I disclosed in the ad, with photos, and I got 50 responses in 2 days. I sold it on day 2. Got $10 for it, and one less clutter piece in my house. 

    I took a beautiful marble top end Italian? end- table from my Mom's place, and I'm not even going to try to sell it. It's just too nice. I'm keeping it.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on August 24, 2023, 07:36:25 AM
    @slackmax Briefly, because don’t want to derail this thread by going off topic, but FYI that many states have filial responsibility laws, which are pursued with varying degrees of enthusiasm from time to time. (In other words, some states have bad cases out there where kids had to pay for indigent parents.) This means you may not be able to stop getting bills etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on August 24, 2023, 07:54:37 AM
    The other thing to keep in mind is just because you think it has value doesn't mean it actually does. There was one day where I sat with my mom as she was trying to decide what to keep, and I ended up pulling up Ebay and checking their sold listings. All these things my mom thought were worth money were selling for $10 or whatever. It was rough for her. To her, they had value. But emotional value is not money value.

    There's a lot of unwanted furniture out there, and it's only getting worse as people downsize or die. There's a real thing where no, your furniture is NOT wanted.

    Yes! I totally get this. It's hard to have an impartial view on your own crap!
    I've identified four pieces of furniture I think I actually want to try to SELL. Pictures of two are attached (coffee table and side chair). I still like them but I just don't have a place for them as I've either kept things from my mother's house (she was a designer and had nice things) or I'm keeping more functional items for my family.
    So should I try Facebook Marketplace for items like this or a local consignment shop? The consignment shop will keep half the proceeds if I drop the item off to their shop, 60% if they send a truck to pick up the items.

    BeanCOunter, I got rid of some medical supplies for free on Marketplace. I have sold a lot of stuff on FBM, but some stuff gets very little interest.

    I listed 15 items like antique end tables, antique lamps, modern lamps, folding chairs, et al  that I just moved into my house, from my Mom's place.  Got no interest in any of it, except a ukelele, but it didn't sell anyway. Asking low prices.
    Ironically, I also listed an old folding shelf with a semi-broken shelf, which I disclosed in the ad, with photos, and I got 50 responses in 2 days. I sold it on day 2. Got $10 for it, and one less clutter piece in my house. 

    I took a beautiful marble top end Italian? end- table from my Mom's place, and I'm not even going to try to sell it. It's just too nice. I'm keeping it.   

    Wow. This is helpful data. I have a feeling that FB Marketplace is just too unpredictable. What are the odds that someone really goes through all of those posts looking for a unique side chair? Whereas people go into the consignment store looking for furniture to buy. So maybe even though I only get 50% of the sales it’s more likely to sell?

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on August 24, 2023, 08:03:39 AM
    Or... why not list them on FB for a set period of time, like one week. If they haven't sold, then off to the consignment shop they go!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 24, 2023, 08:08:51 AM
    @slackmax Briefly, because don’t want to derail this thread by going off topic, but FYI that many states have filial responsibility laws, which are pursued with varying degrees of enthusiasm from time to time. (In other words, some states have bad cases out there where kids had to pay for indigent parents.) This means you may not be able to stop getting bills etc.

    Thanks. Yes, it's not exactly a decluttering subject, but thanks. The state is NJ. I know the CCRCs here are required to accept medicaid reimbursement for folks in a CCRC who run out of money.  But not sure if that is for Independent Living, Assisted Living, or Skilled Nursing or all 3.  Or if it has to be a certain type of CCRC.   She is forgetting to pay bills. I visit her once a month and make sure she is paying all her bills.     

     Haven't heard of billing relatives, in NJ. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on August 25, 2023, 07:03:16 PM
    @slackmax Briefly, because don’t want to derail this thread by going off topic, but FYI that many states have filial responsibility laws, which are pursued with varying degrees of enthusiasm from time to time. (In other words, some states have bad cases out there where kids had to pay for indigent parents.) This means you may not be able to stop getting bills etc.

    Thanks. Yes, it's not exactly a decluttering subject, but thanks. The state is NJ. I know the CCRCs here are required to accept medicaid reimbursement for folks in a CCRC who run out of money.  But not sure if that is for Independent Living, Assisted Living, or Skilled Nursing or all 3.  Or if it has to be a certain type of CCRC.   She is forgetting to pay bills. I visit her once a month and make sure she is paying all her bills.     

     Haven't heard of billing relatives, in NJ.

    It may not start as a decluttering topic, but it can certainly end as one. The paperwork, emails, and their stuff can really pile up.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on August 26, 2023, 09:39:01 AM
    Loaded up a small car full of items to Goodwill. They refused to take a folding sewing machine table and a heavy folding wood table. SVO thrift also refused. So I’m probably going to have to pay to have our trash service pick it up. Which makes me angry. Stuff is such a burden!!
    But the stuff I did get rid of- pictures, throw rugs, old storage ottoman and some sterling plated platters and pitcher was a win!

    We still have a long way to go. DH is unwilling to part with his sports trophies from when he was like ten, and any of his very very large baseball card collection. It makes me furious but it’s not worth fighting over. But really? Your childhood trophies?? WHO CARES!!! SMH!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Adventine on August 26, 2023, 10:05:26 AM
    @BeanCounter have you tried posting the items on your local Buy Nothing groups? Someone may be happy to take them off your hands for free.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 26, 2023, 12:36:41 PM
    @BeanCounter have you tried posting the items on your local Buy Nothing groups? Someone may be happy to take them off your hands for free.

    Was it a space issue at the thrift stores?  Those both sound at least as useful as the things that were accepted, so I second the Buy Nothing suggestion.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on August 26, 2023, 01:33:59 PM
    @BeanCounter have you tried posting the items on your local Buy Nothing groups? Someone may be happy to take them off your hands for free.

    Was it a space issue at the thrift stores?  Those both sound at least as useful as the things that were accepted, so I second the Buy Nothing suggestion.

    I believe so! I just posted them on a buy nothing group and my husband put them on the curb so maybe they will be grabbed! If not the pool manager at our swim club said I could slip them into the dumpster late night before pickup.

    I also posted three pieces. Of furniture for sale on our neighborhood Facebook groups. If they don’t sell I’ll email pictures to the consignment shop to see if they are interested in selling.
    I’ve also got a set of Christmas dishes my MIL gave me (who thinks having a set of Christmas dishes to get out and clean is reasonable??) and two silver plate candelabras still in the box (also gifted by the MIL). I want to let them go and all of the attached expectations. I’m hoping the consignment shop will sell them.

    Tiny baby steps of progress!! At least the basement is cool!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on August 27, 2023, 05:44:50 AM
    Well nobody on any of the FB groups seem interested. DH took sewing table and very heavy folding table to the dumpster.

    I’m wondering if this is because I live in a nicer area and we all have too much stuff as it is? We all live in 3,000 sf homes and they are all full of stuff!!!

    The over consumption in the US is really quite disturbing to me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 27, 2023, 06:57:19 AM
    Well nobody on any of the FB groups seem interested. DH took sewing table and very heavy folding table to the dumpster.

    I’m wondering if this is because I live in a nicer area and we all have too much stuff as it is? We all live in 3,000 sf homes and they are all full of stuff!!!

    The over consumption in the US is really quite disturbing to me.

    BeanCounter,  I had to give away a working Singer sewing machine, in a wood cabinet. A very serious-faced young woman came to pick it up, and I put it in her car for her. I don't remember if she even said thank you.

    But the next day I got a glowing email from her thanking me, and that her mom was using it to make clothes to sell, and was very happy with it. 


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on August 27, 2023, 07:01:48 AM
    Ditto on the sewing machine.  A friend donated hers to a local refugee aid group which was teaching the refugees to sew and make an income.  They were thrilled to get it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on August 27, 2023, 07:32:38 AM
    @LaineyAZ and @slackmax I'm glad your results where better than mine!
    I was just trying to give away the folding sewing table. I'm keeping my sewing machine!! I'm actually using it today to hem some uniform shorts for my ten year old who as a soccer player is a bit wider in the rear than he is tall!! Got the shorts free from another mom. :)

    I had always hoped I would use the sewing table more. I received it as a giveaway from a friends mom. But it was just too heavy and difficult for me to get out and setup to make it worth my while. I don't sew enough. when I do I just pop it onto the dining room table or a sturdy card table.

    I'm doing better getting rid of stuff now. Trying to really focus on NOT keeping things for "some day when". If I haven't used it in 5-10 years "some day" isn't coming.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: getsorted on August 27, 2023, 07:37:08 AM
    Made $70 yesterday selling stuff on Marketplace, some of which I actually got for free! Less clutter and some fun money.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on August 27, 2023, 09:19:38 AM
    Experiencing a new negative aspect of decluttering. Now that I have so much of my mom's clutter in my house, I feel like I don't want my girl friend around when I am moving stuff around, and deciding what to toss, save, reuse later, donate, etc.  Doesn't make sense, what harm would she be? Maybe even could help move stuff. But there it is. Hmmm.     I get very tense decluttering, like it is big important thing (and it is) but too tense, maybe.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on August 27, 2023, 09:35:54 AM
    @slackmax , I understand how you feel. I like having a clean and tidy home. I put a lot of effort into it. However, the sorting stuff into piles for donating, gifting and recycling can get overwhelming as it creates clutter.

    I’m having small wins lately. Gave away a kids smock and puzzle this weekend. Both to people who will put them to good use.  I have a small pile for donations that I’m adding to right now. Once it’s worth bringing, DH will do so.

    Last weekend, DH brought a bunch of toxic materials to the city collection, which only takes place twice a year. I’m glad we were able to take advantage of the service this year (as in, we were organized enough). I’ve also been working on getting rid of paper and have made a good dent.

    I just love opening closets and drawers I’ve recently purged and organized. It feels good to realize the benefits of the process so frequently!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 27, 2023, 10:07:40 AM
    @LaineyAZ and @slackmax I'm glad your results where better than mine!
    I was just trying to give away the folding sewing table. I'm keeping my sewing machine!! I'm actually using it today to hem some uniform shorts for my ten year old who as a soccer player is a bit wider in the rear than he is tall!! Got the shorts free from another mom. :)

    I had always hoped I would use the sewing table more. I received it as a giveaway from a friends mom. But it was just too heavy and difficult for me to get out and setup to make it worth my while. I don't sew enough. when I do I just pop it onto the dining room table or a sturdy card table.


    I have my Mom's old Singer sewing table, the kind where the sewing machine is hidden and pops up when you want to sew.  It weighs a ton.  The sewing machine that fit in it is long gone.  My Pfaff definitely doesn't fit in it.

    But it makes a great entryway table.  It is where my purse lives.  The bench that goes with it is great for sitting on to put winter boots on.  The lift up lid hides basics like masks and sunblock and gloves.  And it has drawers.

    It's starting to show its age (it must be almost as old as I am), if I move again I think it will get junked.  But for now it is definitely still useful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Rytrik on August 28, 2023, 12:02:01 PM
    Experiencing a new negative aspect of decluttering. Now that I have so much of my mom's clutter in my house, I feel like I don't want my girl friend around when I am moving stuff around, and deciding what to toss, save, reuse later, donate, etc.  Doesn't make sense, what harm would she be? Maybe even could help move stuff. But there it is. Hmmm.     I get very tense decluttering, like it is big important thing (and it is) but too tense, maybe.

    Marie Kondo covers this exact situation (not wanting to have other people
    around when you're tidying) in Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and mentions
    not having other people around when you're tidying. It's a personal journey.
    Plus, as you've mentioned, you get really tense.

    Worth doing alone when you're figuring out what sparks joy for you.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on August 28, 2023, 12:37:26 PM
    I too am feeling tense about decluttering in front of anyone. I am waiting for my kids to be back at uni so I can privately sort through all the baggage, both literally and metaphorically.

    I have been doing tiny sorts here and there, using just before waste pickup night. And I have been offering my kids stuff left and right and if they don't need it, I am putting it in the box for donations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on August 29, 2023, 07:09:29 PM
    Finally sold a piece of outdoor furniture from FB and got $40 for it which isn’t horrible.  Tomorrow I will return 2 things that are poorly constructed and too wonky in sizing. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on August 30, 2023, 04:38:07 PM
    The process of P&O my whole house - because I decided to do that back in June, is so hard, that I decided to follow some minimalist’s advice. Working on small spaces that have low sentimental value but are ones you use often. This way the progress will be tangible and quick. Yesterday, I worked on 1 kitchen drawer and 1 kitchen shelf. Although, I felt bad at what I had wasted, I felt really good today when I accessed these spaces and they were well organized & clutter-free!

    Meanwhile, DH worked on a second kitchen drawer today.

    I’m thinking of addressing my top nightstand drawer later today. It’s a junk drawer of sorts that needs to be done at least a couple of times per year.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on September 02, 2023, 01:59:00 PM
    Finally took the side chair, coffee table and Venetian screen to the consignment store! Hopefully they will sell. Oh and a silver plated candelabra and candlesticks too!

    Cleaned out a massive amount of gift bags and wrap. Filled up the recycling bin and half a trash can with discards.

    Also took a page box of stuff to Goodwill.

    Very slowly I’m getting this basement storage area under control. It’s becoming less painful to get rid of stuff. I felt a bit panicky at the consignment shop because I still really like those things but I have to let them go because I’m choosing to keep other things that are more functional or I like better. It’s not that I buy too much or am wasteful, I’m just still combining my house and my moms house since she passed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 02, 2023, 04:15:41 PM
    @BeanCounter you can like a thing and still prefer something else. Getting rid of things is hard but once they are gone it’s very easy without them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on September 03, 2023, 08:03:14 AM
    @BeanCounter you can like a thing and still prefer something else. Getting rid of things is hard but once they are gone it’s very easy without them.

    Yep, I've said this to a friend a few times:  You can like it, even love it, but you don't have to own it. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 03, 2023, 08:13:46 AM
    I helped DS16 clean his room a few weeks ago, and approximately 1/3 of his belongings came out of the room. I tossed/recycled what i could, but didn't have time to properly sort for BN or other donations. That's happening this weekend.

    So far, I've listed maybe 40 total items on BN, with more than half of them either picked up or pending pickup. The rest I'll arrange pickup for today, or put in the donation pile. I also noticed that DH had put a bunch of clothing in the donation pile, and I also added that to BN & will hopefully find a taker for his outgrown (shrinking) clothes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on September 03, 2023, 08:46:48 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache , great job! That’s a lot of stuff.

    Since last posting a few days ago, I went through 3 junk drawers! One in my nightstand and the other 2 in the kitchen. They went from pretty much overflowing to less than 30% full. Stuff was recycled, shredded or thrown out (not much in the latter category). Also, a few things were re homed to properly locations in the house. It’s nice to open drawers and find them nicely organized, with only stuff that is needed or wanted.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 03, 2023, 11:47:27 AM
    Finally gave up and admitted that I do not like those tops. Or that dress. Out they go.

    Have several items to return to the store that I bought because they don't fit or don't like. Turns out, square neck tops annoy me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on September 03, 2023, 11:50:49 AM
    Finally gave up and admitted that I do not like those tops. Or that dress. Out they go.

    Have several items to return to the store that I bought because they don't fit or don't like. Turns out, square neck tops annoy me.

    Great work!  Think of how you'll never have to consider square necked shirts again.

    On another note, anyone have tech issues with the Buy Nothing app?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 03, 2023, 01:38:38 PM
    @LeftA - I have one teen who is a clutter bug, and the other has a total spartan looking room. Getting the clutter bug to clean is worthy of a parade! So happy most of the stuff is bagged and out on the porch, awaiting pickup.

    @Sibley - I definitely cannot wear a square necked shirt - makes my shoulders look broad, and they are broad enough to start with. But, yeah, I try to pay attention to favorite neckline & make sure I don't deviate. That's also changed as I've gotten older, and need more ...decolletage coverage, shall we say.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on September 03, 2023, 05:23:36 PM
    This week I was off work for a staycation and one of my goals was to use up some toiletries as I lingered in my long hot shower :) So I successfully used up a bottle of conditioner purchased in 2018 in a large liter bottle.  I used 3 or 4 packets of moisturizer samples.  Tonight I will use up some foot stuff. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 04, 2023, 08:58:23 AM
    Finally sold a piece of outdoor furniture from FB and got $40 for it which isn’t horrible.  Tomorrow I will return 2 things that are poorly constructed and too wonky in sizing.

    I've been having some luck lately selling furniture. In the last few weeks I have sold a slightly broken (disclosed in my ad)  foldable shelf unit for $10, a small antique end table for $15, and a medium size end table with drawers for $25, on Facebook  Marketplace.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 04, 2023, 09:15:20 AM
    Finally took the side chair, coffee table and Venetian screen to the consignment store! Hopefully they will sell. Oh and a silver plated candelabra and candlesticks too!

    Cleaned out a massive amount of gift bags and wrap. Filled up the recycling bin and half a trash can with discards.

    Also took a page box of stuff to Goodwill.

    Very slowly I’m getting this basement storage area under control. It’s becoming less painful to get rid of stuff. I felt a bit panicky at the consignment shop because I still really like those things but I have to let them go because I’m choosing to keep other things that are more functional or I like better. It’s not that I buy too much or am wasteful, I’m just still combining my house and my moms house since she passed.

    Beancounter,  I am also dealing with having my Mom's furniture, high end clothing, etc in my house.  I decided to keep some of the nice furniture. Now deciding what to do with a full length Eddie Bauer leather coat.  Maybe take it to a consignment shop. 

    I get that panicky feeling, too. And a feeling of losing something you don't really have to lose. A feeling of 'there's no good or right way out of this'.  But yes, there is a way out, and you'll forget all about it, and it's not the end of the world, that's the good news. Move towards the light, lol.       

       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 04, 2023, 09:19:47 AM
    90% of what I listed on Buy Nothing is now gone, with the last few stragglers pending pickup. So much junk out of the house. I also went through my pantry, tossed some expired fancy chocolate, and listed the last bag of it (not expired) on BN. Have someone coming for it today. We don't eat it, and I don't want the final bag to be wasted.

    Today, I'm going to go through a few more areas & perhaps take the old shoes to the sneaker recycling shop. Between the four of us, including teens who play multiple sports & both adults running a lot, we have tons of sneakers to be recycled. The shop is not conveniently located, but I so appreciate that they offer this service.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on September 05, 2023, 09:25:32 AM
    Finally sold a piece of outdoor furniture from FB and got $40 for it which isn’t horrible.  Tomorrow I will return 2 things that are poorly constructed and too wonky in sizing.

    I've been having some luck lately selling furniture. In the last few weeks I have sold a slightly broken (disclosed in my ad)  foldable shelf unit for $10, a small antique end table for $15, and a medium size end table with drawers for $25, on Facebook  Marketplace.   

    Furniture can be tricky especially because tastes have changed.  I was watching an episode of Antiques Roadshow where they air the original episode from 2008 and then run a banner underneath with what the current valuation would be today.  The heavy antique furniture that was so highly prized even 15 years ago has plummeted in value. 
    I find myself wondering, did the owners sell at the time and get the highest amount, or did they keep it and are now regretting that they didn't cash in? 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 05, 2023, 09:58:36 AM
    This past weekend was stuff share in our town.

    We put an old sofa out and before I could get the throw cushions out with it - it was claimed. Also passed the same guy a twin mattress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on September 05, 2023, 12:24:28 PM
    I went through my closet, and decided to get rid of all summer things that did not get worn this summer, or that I don't care for anymore, or don't fit properly.  The result was a huge garbage bag full of clothes.   Then I persuaded Mr. SP to go through his summer things, and we ended up with another huge bag.

    When I went to drop them off this morning at Value Village (our closest charity drop off) there was actually a huge lineup of cars waiting to drop off piles and piles of stuff.   I guess everyone decided to declutter over the holiday weekend.  I can see how charity shops refuse to take items - just in the few minutes I was there it was a massive pile going in.

    Once I switch the closets over to winter clothes, I will do this again.  I'm sure there are winter items that are better passed along to someone else.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 07, 2023, 08:44:07 AM
    I had 4 old VHS tapes in the donate corner, but my girl friend saw them and wants to watch them. I have 4 old VCR's in my home.  I know one of them works. We are having 'retro' date nights every so often, watching old tapes. Watched 'The Bourne Identity',  and 'Mr. and Mrs. Bridge'  so far. 

    I had all these tapes out at the flea market, for sale, for years. They are still clear as a bell, picture and sound both. I made sure to keep them out of the sun.

    And yes, I actually got rid of a VCR that didn't work, lol.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 07, 2023, 10:03:17 AM
    Our fridge/freezer wasn't working for a few hours yesterday.
    I triaged all the freezer items to save as much as I could by making enough space in the deep freezer. It was so hot and humid yesterday, and I have been filling the freezers with the harvest haul I was somewhat ruthless on anything that was easily replaceable or realistically: not going to be eaten now that it was re-frozen.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 09, 2023, 11:42:34 AM
    Still hoping to get rid of my 'collectible' old computer stuff. I listed a PC from the 80's on a collector group, and got raves about how desirable it is. But only one person so far is interested in actually buying it, and I would have to ship it to him. We'll see what happens.  Asking $100 for it.   

    Also, I notice a lot of the stuff listed for sale on this group have had the asking prices reduced significantly, some by 40%.

    Hope I haven't missed the boat !

    In other decluttering, I sold 3 small pieces of furniture in the last month. Not bad.

    Am taking a break from the whole thing for a while. May just poke around some more computer collector sites, and try to get in on the craze while it lasts.

    I have a tendency to spend too much time and energy on decluttering and not enough on 'fun' stuff, lol.     
     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on September 09, 2023, 01:23:56 PM
    Small win- sold a shirt of DH's on eBay.  It was one hed received as a gift, but wasn't his taste, so I'm happy to see it going to a new home!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on September 09, 2023, 03:53:11 PM
    Gave away a bag of outgrown children’s clothes today.

    I also decided to make a list room by room of areas in my house that need attention. I included areas I had already completed. The purpose was to be more systematic going forward, but it was also so I can see what I’ve actually accomplished too. The thinking is that this will be motivating. It served its purpose - I have now purged and organized 130 areas in my house and have about 80 to go. Over 60% done is not bad for having started just over 3 months ago.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on September 10, 2023, 07:49:11 AM
    Gave away a bag of outgrown children’s clothes today.

    I also decided to make a list room by room of areas in my house that need attention. I included areas I had already completed. The purpose was to be more systematic going forward, but it was also so I can see what I’ve actually accomplished too. The thinking is that this will be motivating. It served its purpose - I have now purged and organized 130 areas in my house and have about 80 to go. Over 60% done is not bad for having started just over 3 months ago.

    That's great progress, LeftA.  Sounds like you've got a winning formula.
    That's what I hope newbies realize - you can watch all the decluttering videos and read the books, but ultimately the successful strategy is the one that works for you. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 10, 2023, 08:08:21 AM
    A huge decluttering win: DH and his two older brothers along with 85 year old Dad dismantled the ancient trampoline that needed all new netting poles and jumping surface.  A huge part of the front garden is empty. The garden is grown up around it.

    And they took it all away.

    And they also took all the old roofing from the play house. The play house has a new clear polycarbonate roof that will allow me to grow more plants!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: YellowCat on September 12, 2023, 07:53:09 AM
    A huge decluttering win: DH and his two older brothers along with 85 year old Dad dismantled the ancient trampoline that needed all new netting poles and jumping surface.  A huge part of the front garden is empty. The garden is grown up around it.

    And they took it all away.

    And they also took all the old roofing from the play house. The play house has a new clear polycarbonate roof that will allow me to grow more plants!

    This is amazing! I’m sure it makes a huge difference!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on September 12, 2023, 02:06:34 PM
    Gave DD some sample sized toiletry items to take to camp after it was suggested we go buy some. No purchases were made.

    Also I've been organizing all of the bathroom and hall closet areas to group like items together. I now have all dental related items in a nearly full gallon ziplock bag so no one can claim they can't find an item, thus triggering a purchase (can you sense a theme???)

    Threw away some underwear, a tank top after noticing they had lost their stretch. DH has been tossing clothing too. Took all of oldest DS's outgrown clothing and got it sorted into younger DS's storage in his room.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on September 12, 2023, 09:14:06 PM
    Thanks @LaineyAZ !

    If I break down my house by floor, I’ve now got less than 10 spaces to go on each of the top and main floors. The bulk of what is left to do is in my basement and storage area (which is also in the basement). And, even though there is still some work to do there, I’m feeling good about it because I’d estimate that I’ve gotten rid of at least 30 boxes of stuff down there since June. My goal is now to finish off the last of the areas on the main and top floor so by October 1st. Then, I will fully focus on the basement and storage area.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 13, 2023, 11:44:31 AM
    Thanks @LaineyAZ !

    If I break down my house by floor, I’ve now got less than 10 spaces to go on each of the top and main floors. The bulk of what is left to do is in my basement and storage area (which is also in the basement). And, even though there is still some work to do there, I’m feeling good about it because I’d estimate that I’ve gotten rid of at least 30 boxes of stuff down there since June. My goal is now to finish off the last of the areas on the main and top floor so by October 1st. Then, I will fully focus on the basement and storage area.

    Curious how you define a "space". With about 200 spaces, it surely isn't room by room. :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on September 14, 2023, 10:11:51 AM
    @oneday, no I don’t have 200 rooms in my house!

    Since it’s for my own benefit and motivation, I use whatever I feel like to come up with “spaces”. In other words, I’m not too fussed about what I define as a space. For some rooms, it’s a drawer or cabinet, for others it might be an entire dresser or closet.

    Overall, my list of to do’s is being whittled down pretty consistently and I’m quite pleased about that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on September 14, 2023, 04:40:20 PM
    I continue to plod along with my decluttering:
    -each week I ensure the landfill bin is close to full by looking for things that qualify as rubbish.
    -I have lowered the bar on what I will classify as rubbish/raised the bar on the standard of things to donate. This is probably fairer on the charities, and its a hell of a lot easier to just put stuff in the trash. I know, the planet, I feel bad about this but....
    -I have finally cleared my hallway of boxes/storage furniture
    -I decluttered 5 inches of paper and emptied a storage bin in so doing
    -3 items in good order put on the kerb with free signs....an experiment ...let see how it goes.
    -found some more linen and bric-a-brac and put them in my donation box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on September 15, 2023, 12:53:32 AM
    -I have lowered the bar on what I will classify as rubbish/raised the bar on the standard of things to donate. This is probably fairer on the charities, and its a hell of a lot easier to just put stuff in the trash. I know, the planet, I feel bad about this but....

    You've done the right thing! Don't feel bad. You compost, you recycle but there is some stuff that must go to landfill.

    The third choice is keeping the things forever and your house becomes above ground landfill :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on September 15, 2023, 12:59:00 AM
    I had a little pause in the decluttering I'm doing for a NFP because it's mainly hard left that needs cleaning before I can sell it. On Sunday I'll be tackling a couple of areas in their premises so that I can find places to store what's in my garage. That bit I look forward to (rubs hands).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 15, 2023, 02:25:05 PM
    Sold some old 'collector item' computer stuff for $172 to a geek who was in the area and could stop by to buy it. I say 'geek' in a complimentary way.

    Got rid of about 5 cubic feet of stuff.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on September 15, 2023, 03:35:56 PM
    Sold some old 'collector item' computer stuff for $172 to a geek who was in the area and could stop by to buy it. I say 'geek' in a complimentary way.

    Got rid of about 5 cubic feet of stuff.   

    Thats a lot of stuff, well done!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on September 15, 2023, 03:53:32 PM
    -I have lowered the bar on what I will classify as rubbish/raised the bar on the standard of things to donate. This is probably fairer on the charities, and its a hell of a lot easier to just put stuff in the trash. I know, the planet, I feel bad about this but....

    You've done the right thing! Don't feel bad. You compost, you recycle but there is some stuff that must go to landfill.

    I call it green guilt! Its so time-consuming to do everything right!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on September 15, 2023, 04:19:47 PM
    This time while our stuff is on the boat is proving very interesting. Like, I knew I didn't know how I was going to live in this place BUT even the smaller amount of clothes that I did bring? I'm not using half of it! I'm basically wearing gardening gear 85% of the time and the rest of the time, it's jeans + a jersey. All of which is to say, I think a lot of things are going to go into quarantine once they arrive.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on September 15, 2023, 07:17:38 PM
    Today was our neighborhood yard sale day. I did not participate. I watched several of my neighbors drag bunches of stuff out onto their driveway and then, hours later drag most if not all back into their garage. I feel bad for them. Nobody seems to want stuff anymore.
    It did make me feel a tiny bit better for taking my stuff to the consignment store. They marked my stuff really cheap and I’ll only get half of that but at least I didn’t waste my time trying to sell it and I’m not holding onto it anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on September 16, 2023, 03:00:48 AM
    The 3 items I put on the kerb are now gone in less than 3 days! Win! Emboldened by this, I put an old ping-pong table out there. I guess it might take a bit more time to get taken as Its so big.

    This is my new favourite strategy.... reasonably easy ( although I have a really long and steep driveway), I save the items from landfill,  someone actually wants them and I don't waste time dealing with people, who can be changeable.

    I haven't done this before as I live in a rainforest and we've had 3 consecutive years of record breaking rainfall. Now we're close to El Nino, and the next week is forecast to be dry, so the items are less likely to be rain damaged.

    This time while our stuff is on the boat is proving very interesting. Like, I knew I didn't know how I was going to live in this place BUT even the smaller amount of clothes that I did bring? I'm not using half of it! I'm basically wearing gardening gear 85% of the time and the rest of the time, it's jeans + a jersey. All of which is to say, I think a lot of things are going to go into quarantine once they arrive.
    Since I retired and spent much more time outdoors wrestling weeds, I'm basically 95% yard gear.  I've whittled away a lot of my corporate gear, but saved 2 or 3 outfits that are adaptable to different circumstances. Soon they will be so out of date I won't want to wear them anywhere.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on September 16, 2023, 09:11:24 AM
    -I have lowered the bar on what I will classify as rubbish/raised the bar on the standard of things to donate. This is probably fairer on the charities, and its a hell of a lot easier to just put stuff in the trash. I know, the planet, I feel bad about this but....

    You've done the right thing! Don't feel bad. You compost, you recycle but there is some stuff that must go to landfill.

    I call it green guilt! Its so time-consuming to do everything right!

    Yes, time consuming!  Finding a 'right' price for 'collectibles' is a challenge.   I was lucky enough to find some websites that talk about pricing for this old computer stuff. Ebay prices are always way high, for some reason. Even with access to the websites, it takes days to get an answer on some items, about pricing. I had to make up a price for one of the computer items I sold, since the customer was right there, and would not be back, and I didn't have time to ask the website experts. I asked about twice what I would have paid, and he said yes, luckily, lol.   


     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on September 18, 2023, 09:00:51 PM
    I’ve been working on the system I posted about recently. I’ve made good progress and when it comes to my top floor, only have 4 spaces left! I have completed a total of 51 spaces on this floor, so less than 10% to go!

    I’d like to finish by the end of this weekend, but may not, as there are a few spaces I want to do on the main floor too. There are less than 10 to go on that floor.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on September 19, 2023, 12:00:18 PM
    This week I passed along a book to one friend and a puzzle to another, and filled up a bag for the thrift store.

    I call it green guilt! Its so time-consuming to do everything right!

    I totally agree with this. It takes a lot of time and effort to responsibly deal with unwanted stuff. It's just another reason to stop stuff from coming into my house to begin with.

    Today was our neighborhood yard sale day. I did not participate. I watched several of my neighbors drag bunches of stuff out onto their driveway and then, hours later drag most if not all back into their garage. I feel bad for them. Nobody seems to want stuff anymore.

    I'm really surprised to hear this--society to me just seems like everyone wanting more stuff, all the time! I suspect part of the issue could have been that people were pricing things too high. If someone prices their used puzzles at $5 apiece, they don't move very quickly!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on September 21, 2023, 09:28:35 AM
    I worked on 3 areas since posting; my linen closet, a cabinet and a drawer in my children’s bathroom.

    The first space was a LOT more work than I anticipated. But, my linen closet looks amazing now! The sheets and towels are beautifully folded, the shelves are all labeled and there is a lot more space in there. This is great since I have a big house, but a relatively small linen closet. It’s small because of the year the house was built, but also because I took about a foot of it to make space for a shower in the bathroom that’s adjacent to it.

    The cabinet was also a LOT of work! The children have too many personal grooming products so it took some creativity and lots of organization to get that in shape.

    Finally the drawer was luckily much less than work than I expected. Small wins!

    At this point, I have 3 spaces left on my top floor - it would have been 2 but I found one I missed earlier…
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on September 21, 2023, 11:17:55 AM
    This week I passed along a book to one friend and a puzzle to another, and filled up a bag for the thrift store.

    I call it green guilt! Its so time-consuming to do everything right!

    I totally agree with this. It takes a lot of time and effort to responsibly deal with unwanted stuff. It's just another reason to stop stuff from coming into my house to begin with.

    Today was our neighborhood yard sale day. I did not participate. I watched several of my neighbors drag bunches of stuff out onto their driveway and then, hours later drag most if not all back into their garage. I feel bad for them. Nobody seems to want stuff anymore.

    I'm really surprised to hear this--society to me just seems like everyone wanting more stuff, all the time! I suspect part of the issue could have been that people were pricing things too high. If someone prices their used puzzles at $5 apiece, they don't move very quickly!

    I think you might be right on the pricing. But people want cheap NEW stuff it seems.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on September 21, 2023, 11:20:56 AM
    I have worked 1-2 hours every day this week on the basement storage purge. I took another car load to Goodwill- mostly home decor stuff I had no idea I even had. Some things went to the trash.
    The chair and coffee table sold at consignment. I'll receive a $50 check for them. I have a end table and dresser to take to consignment next.
    I have a large center area of the floor cleaned out. We are getting closer to being able to put the ping pong table up!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on September 21, 2023, 11:38:31 AM
    I am feeling so down about a lot of things but the clutter is a thing I can do something about.
    I started on one shelf in the kitchen. Then I did a small cupboard.
    And last night I realized: I don't have to do ALL the clothes. I can do some of the socks. Suddenly I see a new path up the mountain not the sheer rock face I have been standing at the bottom of for months.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on September 21, 2023, 11:45:33 AM
    That’s right @Frugal Lizard! You can do it in parts! Looks like a great start.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on September 21, 2023, 12:39:16 PM
    I am feeling so down about a lot of things but the clutter is a thing I can do something about.
    I started on one shelf in the kitchen. Then I did a small cupboard.
    And last night I realized: I don't have to do ALL the clothes. I can do some of the socks. Suddenly I see a new path up the mountain not the sheer rock face I have been standing at the bottom of for months.

    Progress not perfection is my motto!!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 21, 2023, 01:06:23 PM
    As I told my dad, when you get dressed in the morning and there's a hole in your sock, take them off, throw them out, and get another pair out of the drawer. Sometimes it can be easy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on September 21, 2023, 01:21:06 PM
    I am feeling so down about a lot of things but the clutter is a thing I can do something about.
    I started on one shelf in the kitchen. Then I did a small cupboard.
    And last night I realized: I don't have to do ALL the clothes. I can do some of the socks. Suddenly I see a new path up the mountain not the sheer rock face I have been standing at the bottom of for months.

    Progress not perfection is my motto!!!

    +1
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on September 21, 2023, 02:15:33 PM
    As I told my dad, when you get dressed in the morning and there's a hole in your sock, take them off, throw them out, and get another pair out of the drawer. Sometimes it can be easy.

    Are you crazy!?!?! I can't throw away a dirty sock!!! I can only throw away clean socks!!  My mind scares me sometime...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jeninco on September 21, 2023, 02:49:30 PM
    As I told my dad, when you get dressed in the morning and there's a hole in your sock, take them off, throw them out, and get another pair out of the drawer. Sometimes it can be easy.

    Are you crazy!?!?! I can't throw away a dirty sock!!! I can only throw away clean socks!!  My mind scares me sometime...

    It's not dirty yet! All you did was try it on!
    (My mind parses things the same way as yours, honestly. And since I'm generally the one who folds and puts away clothing, if I find holes in it was I'm folding, it's outahere, man!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 21, 2023, 04:46:16 PM
    As I told my dad, when you get dressed in the morning and there's a hole in your sock, take them off, throw them out, and get another pair out of the drawer. Sometimes it can be easy.

    Are you crazy!?!?! I can't throw away a dirty sock!!! I can only throw away clean socks!!  My mind scares me sometime...

    You are not alone. 🧦
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on September 22, 2023, 07:23:46 AM
    I have worked 1-2 hours every day this week on the basement storage purge. I took another car load to Goodwill- mostly home decor stuff I had no idea I even had. Some things went to the trash.
    ...
    I have a large center area of the floor cleaned out. We are getting closer to being able to put the ping pong table up!

    BeanCounter, I think this is a good reminder that having a goal for a decluttered space can really keep you motivated to get the job done. 

    This week I donated a wooden hope chest and a folding card table.  So happy now to have that empty space.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SEAK on September 22, 2023, 11:17:13 AM
    Recently sold two sets of the kids ski jacket/pants and two of their old hockey sticks. $325 more in the bank account!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BeanCounter on September 22, 2023, 02:31:22 PM
    I have worked 1-2 hours every day this week on the basement storage purge. I took another car load to Goodwill- mostly home decor stuff I had no idea I even had. Some things went to the trash.
    ...
    I have a large center area of the floor cleaned out. We are getting closer to being able to put the ping pong table up!

    BeanCounter, I think this is a good reminder that having a goal for a decluttered space can really keep you motivated to get the job done. 

    This week I donated a wooden hope chest and a folding card table.  So happy now to have that empty space.

    Yes!
    And something I have learned that has helped is to recognize when I’m saving or storing something for my past or future self.
    Past self wants to hold onto too much of my parents or my own memories because if I can go look at that physical momento then that memory is still there. The reality is those memories are always there and digital pictures are enough
    Future self saves things she might need. Just in case. I really like this chair or that coffee table but I can’t use them now because I’m using something else. But I think I should save it because my future self might want it and might not have enough money to buy something.

    Life is better and a whole lot less cluttered if I’m living in today. Today’s self wants to play ping pong with her kids over Christmas break.
    Once I realized why I was holding on to so many things I WASNT USING, it got easier to let go. I will enjoy the clean and clear storage space more than saving those things.

    If you need some help getting started or motivation to continue check out Minimalist Mom on YouTube.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 22, 2023, 03:33:57 PM
    I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on this.

    I have this king size foam mattress topper that I am no long using. It was only used for about two weeks and we didn't like it at all. But it is quite huge and I want to get rid of it frugally. What I really want to do is donate it to Vietnam Veterans who will come to my house and pick up household items. However, I need to package it up somehow. I have considered trying to fold it up somehow and stuff it into a box but it will have to be a really big one. I also have considered buying some lawn and leaf bags and trying to stuff it into a bag after rolling it up. I think both methods are going to be next to impossible. I also thought about cutting it up and throwing it away but it will take a long time to discard it in my garbage can because it is huge. I really hate dealing with people and don't want to advertise it. Has anyone used a vacuum bag to package one of these things? I see on Amazon they have the bags and you attach a vacuum hose to it to suck out the air. This thing has been sitting around too long and I am now at the end of my rope and want it out of here! This thing is a beast!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on September 22, 2023, 03:47:30 PM
    @Roadrunner53 those vacuum bags work well. You'd need help to fold it and get it in there though!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on September 22, 2023, 05:59:53 PM
    I'm realizing I have too many towels, blankets/quilts and pillow cases. I used to have too many kitchen rags/ towels and that allowed them to sit around and get smelly while waiting to do a whole gross washer load. With less now they have to go in with whatever washer load is going and its made life much more simple.

    I plan on counting all the items this weekend then reporting back. Not sure how I will reduce the numbers, but it needs to happen. The kids use towels like its a towel buffet and I think less would be more simple like the kitchen rag solution. We are a family of 5.

    Googling led me to this reddit thread:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/declutter/comments/10161pu/how_many_towels_are_enough_for_a_household_how/
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on September 23, 2023, 05:36:04 AM
    I'm realizing I have too many towels, blankets/quilts and pillow cases. I used to have too many kitchen rags/ towels and that allowed them to sit around and get smelly while waiting to do a whole gross washer load. With less now they have to go in with whatever washer load is going and its made life much more simple.

    I plan on counting all the items this weekend then reporting back. Not sure how I will reduce the numbers, but it needs to happen. The kids use towels like its a towel buffet and I think less would be more simple like the kitchen rag solution. We are a family of 5.

    Googling led me to this reddit thread:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/declutter/comments/10161pu/how_many_towels_are_enough_for_a_household_how/

    My partner likes getting new towels as soon as his are no longer fluffy. We also have a large dog who gets my partner’s downgraded towels, which we use for baths, coming in from rain or snow, etc.  Between us and our large dog, I just counted 15 bath towels at least. Forget about hand towels and other linens… this is a good area to start getting rid of things.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 23, 2023, 09:52:49 AM
    I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on this.

    I have this king size foam mattress topper that I am no long using. It was only used for about two weeks and we didn't like it at all. But it is quite huge and I want to get rid of it frugally. What I really want to do is donate it to Vietnam Veterans who will come to my house and pick up household items. However, I need to package it up somehow. I have considered trying to fold it up somehow and stuff it into a box but it will have to be a really big one. I also have considered buying some lawn and leaf bags and trying to stuff it into a bag after rolling it up. I think both methods are going to be next to impossible. I also thought about cutting it up and throwing it away but it will take a long time to discard it in my garbage can because it is huge. I really hate dealing with people and don't want to advertise it. Has anyone used a vacuum bag to package one of these things? I see on Amazon they have the bags and you attach a vacuum hose to it to suck out the air. This thing has been sitting around too long and I am now at the end of my rope and want it out of here! This thing is a beast!

    I posted mine on FB marketplace for $5. Someone came and got it, no packaging needed. Otherwise, vacuum packing would work. Try calling and asking VV, they may have specific advice.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on September 23, 2023, 09:55:38 AM
    I'm realizing I have too many towels, blankets/quilts and pillow cases. I used to have too many kitchen rags/ towels and that allowed them to sit around and get smelly while waiting to do a whole gross washer load. With less now they have to go in with whatever washer load is going and its made life much more simple.

    I plan on counting all the items this weekend then reporting back. Not sure how I will reduce the numbers, but it needs to happen. The kids use towels like its a towel buffet and I think less would be more simple like the kitchen rag solution. We are a family of 5.

    Googling led me to this reddit thread:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/declutter/comments/10161pu/how_many_towels_are_enough_for_a_household_how/

    My partner likes getting new towels as soon as his are no longer fluffy. We also have a large dog who gets my partner’s downgraded towels, which we use for baths, coming in from rain or snow, etc.  Between us and our large dog, I just counted 15 bath towels at least. Forget about hand towels and other linens… this is a good area to start getting rid of things.

    Re towels - first, hang them to dry before tossing in the laundry hamper. Works wonders for smell. Second, put away half the towels and see what happens. Adjust from there. It'll take longer to figure out how many you need but you'll know that you're actually ok.

    And animal shelters are pretty much always willing to take sheet and towel donations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on September 24, 2023, 05:26:21 AM
    Timely as I just cleaned out the hall closet yesterday and got rid of some sheets!

    We keep two sets sheets per bed in the house. Before we had a cleaning person we kept one set of sheets per bed + one extra set per bed size, so a little less. It has always worked great. Yesterday I found a few old pillowcases and a cute fitted sheet with robots from when the kids were little. Keeping those extra spares is pointless because they smelled so stale I would have had to wash them before putting them on the bed! No thanks.

    For towels we have more than needed to bathe but we seem to need extras often for big spills lolol. We have about 20 bath towels for 4 people. 2 kid towels, 4 guest towels, 3 realllllly old gross towels for gross stuff, and about 8 "normal" bath towels. So I should probably give the realllllly gross ones to a dog rescue and downgrade some of the other ones.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on September 30, 2023, 06:37:19 PM
    My dear decluttering friends,

    I’m down to the absolute last space on my top floor! One measly drawer to go but I’m too tired to finish it today. But, tomorrow I will be done! That’s 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a linen closet and a large landing space ALL DONE!

    Meanwhile, I’ve only got a handful of spaces left on my main floor to go!

    It took me about 4 months, with a 3 week break in the middle to get this far.

    It feels so great to have a much less cluttered, more organized home!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on September 30, 2023, 07:46:04 PM
    Wow, what a testament to your determination. Well done!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on October 01, 2023, 10:44:01 AM
    Wow, what a testament to your determination. Well done!

    Agree - so much of success in life can be just grit and perseverance!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 02, 2023, 06:26:21 AM

    Good job, LeftA ! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 02, 2023, 10:04:39 AM
    Bravo all de-cluttering achievements.

    I am happy to report that two cars fit into our garage. I now have four boxes in my house that I need to open and sort to their correct destinations: recycle bin, garbage or thrift shop. But the onion harvest is all cleaned up and stored, garden tools hanging up and three large containers are full with donations. It was astonishing how many items just need to be taken apart for recycling or waste.

    I have been quizzing the kids whenever they are home: does this fit? does this still work? Many items don't fit or work. Rubber boots that are too small and leaked? Why am I tripping over them still. Why do we have a stash of egg cartons? Fruit baskets?

    The shelves beside the kitchen door are all cleared off. They are my winter fridge expansion zone. It is so convenient to pop something onto the shelf from the kitchen door once the day time temperatures are fridge-like. (We do have to be careful in January that items don't freeze)

    Both offspring have taken their bikes to uni, so my bike and DH electric bike can park in the stand and go in and out of the garage even if both cars are parked inside.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on October 02, 2023, 11:40:01 AM
    Helped a girlfriend clean out her closet this week.   4 trash bags full .... some w tags still on them.   Which represented less than 20 percent of her clothes .. ... wow. I don't know if ALL my clothes would fill up 4 trash bags....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 02, 2023, 12:23:14 PM
    Given that I am tired and sore today from this, I'm claiming it. Even though it isn't my house, family, or problem. If nothing else, it's an incentive for everyone else.

    My friend's mother was a hoarder. Not a dirty/messy hoarder, but too much stuff and never threw anything away. She also was a crafter - sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, cross stitch, home made decorations, etc. And the mother died earlier this year, she was early 60s and died from not taking care of herself.

    My friend and her widowed father are trying to deal with the aftermath. It's not exactly going fast or smoothly, but it is going. They had a massive yard sale this weekend of craft items, and I and other friends helped out. They did sell a good amount of stuff. More could have been gotten rid of, but my friend is stuck in a weird emotional tangle where they have to get rid of all the stuff and she can't get rid of all the stuff. (Yes, we're encouraging her to find a grief support group, she's all around a mess right now.)

    However, here's the part where you can cringe: Atter the sale, there are approximately 20 containers of fabric. Not quilting fabric, that's separate. That doesn't include the 3 containers of sewing notions. Or the 4 of knitting yarns. I don't actually know how many containers of quilting fabric there were, besides at least 4. When I say containers, I mean the 30+ gallon storage tubs.

    This does not include the books, because I took them. All of them. I have approximately 5 boxes of sewing, knitting, cross stitch, and other books in my garage. Which I will be donating to the animal shelter's thrift store for their book sale, unless they don't want them in which case I will donate them to Goodwill.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 02, 2023, 03:02:10 PM
    Your poor friend! Good on you for helping!. I'm still traumatised from clearing out my folks house 5 years ago and they weren't hoarders in the full blown sense.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 02, 2023, 03:16:10 PM
    Wow, Sibley.  Just Wow.  I'm glad you have places to donate the books. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 02, 2023, 03:23:59 PM
    We (crafters) joke about SABLE* but this is a wake up call.  Any groups that would take some of the stuff?

    *Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 02, 2023, 03:28:42 PM
    I have gone through 5 boxes. Three went into recycling.  Three items out of the other two are going into my inventory. The rest plus some items from my china cabinet will be donated after the neighbors have had a go through.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on October 02, 2023, 05:58:10 PM
    @oneday , @LaineyAZ and @slackmax , thank you for your kind words! It’s definitely required consistent effort with countless hours spent purging and organizing.

    I finally did the last space on my top floor. Yay!

    When it comes to my main floor, I’ve had only a few spaces for awhile now. Every time I’d make progress based on my list, I’d discover that I had missed a few spots. So, after doing a bunch of areas, I believe I am now down to 2 things; a compartment in an entryway bench and a stack of papers to go through (a mix of mail and some miscellaneous receipts). The paper always takes awhile!

    On my main floor, I don’t count the garage as that is its own large space. I’m hoping to get to that this weekend. I already spent about 5 hours in there a few weeks ago with help from DH, so a few more hours should do it. It’s a two car garage, with stuff only along the periphery - some shelving and hooks on the wall. But, I also want to sweep and hose it down in anticipation of the long winter…
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on October 02, 2023, 05:59:26 PM
    @Sibley , wow! That’s a lot and a good reminder not to leave such a burden to our loved ones…
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 02, 2023, 07:09:31 PM
    We (crafters) joke about SABLE* but this is a wake up call.  Any groups that would take some of the stuff?

    *Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy.

    My posts on social media to help advertise included something like "you know the phrase she who dies with the most stash wins? She won." It's a joke, but really, it's also a problem of what do you do with all of it?!?

    And yes, there's leads on groups. One woman came yesterday and took a ton of the knitting yarn for a group that makes stuff for cancer patients. (And there were still 4 containers of yarn left!) There's a couple church related groups that take donations as well, so if the contact happens and arrangements are made then a huge chunk of the rest of it can be fairly easily rehomed. The biggest obstacles are my friend, who really needs some therapy, and her dad, who is 72, widowed, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's got ADHD or something. I'm actually surprised that they had the sale this year.

    Ultimately, it doesn't really matter right now if the house is overflowing with stuff. The main living areas are fine, it's not dangerous in anyway. Just don't look in the basement, the closets, the hidden storage area in the living room (really clever actually, its behind a false wall of bookcases), or in the 2 spare bedrooms. It's a huge house, and it is fully furnished with lots of decorative items.

    Wow, Sibley.  Just Wow.  I'm glad you have places to donate the books.

    Yes, that's why I took them. I would have taken more categories but my friend emotionally couldn't handle it, so I didn't push it. The thrift store isn't going anywhere. In retrospect, I wish I would have bagged up a bunch of the fabric remnants and scraps (yes, the mother wouldn't even throw out scraps), and the partial/small amounts of bias tape and trims and just quietly trashed it at my house. No one's going to want that stuff.

    There was an entire BUCKET of threads. Just, omg. And pretty much ALL of it is clean and usable.

    Your poor friend! Good on you for helping!. I'm still traumatised from clearing out my folks house 5 years ago and they weren't hoarders in the full blown sense.

    In 2021 my sister had to clear the rest of my parent's old house after the stuff they were keeping got put on the truck. She definitely got the worst end of that bargain. The bits I handled were hard enough. However, they now live a mile from me, so long term she won.


    Bottom line - declutter. Don't just keep stuff because it "might be useful". That's BS. The world is drowning in stuff, you can get it if you need it. All you're doing is increasing the risk of making the people left after you croak have to deal with your crap. Get rid of it. If you need therapy to help you get rid of it, get the therapy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 02, 2023, 11:12:43 PM
    Quote
    All you're doing is increasing the risk of making the people left after you croak have to deal with your crap. Get rid of it.
    Amen.
    For decades my brother and I watched my folks house get fuller and fuller, and tried to pursued them to declutter to no avail. The family joke went from "there will be a big skip at the top of the drive when you die", to "we'll need a line of skips at the top of the drive". Our frustration grew over time, and, quite frankly, spilled into anger when we had to deal with it after they had both died. I'm probably still angry and if I were American I'd get therapy;).  Its the ultimate act of selfishness to not tidy up after yourself!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 03, 2023, 07:11:32 AM
    I really need to go through my stash soon and decide what to keep and what to donate. 

    I also need to re-read The Swedish Art of Death Cleaning.  It is such an encouraging book.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on October 03, 2023, 06:50:40 PM
    I finished my main floor!

    I went through a total of 104 spaces to be able to now say both my main and top floor are totally purged and organized!

    What I’ve got left:

    - Garage - I plan to complete what’s left this weekend
    - Basement
    - Storage area

    As for the basement, it’s a big project! I have gotten rid of a lot down there, but it’s still a bit daunting. Today I spent just over an hour shredding old papers. I probably got through about 15-20% of the paper that needs to go.

    The storage area has been cleared out of about 60% of what was there before. However, I still need to go through a few boxes and I may decide to keep some stuff from the basement in storage. Although, I’m really going to try hard not to!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on October 04, 2023, 03:29:49 PM
    You're an inspiration @LeftA !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on October 04, 2023, 07:23:52 PM
    Awe thanks @happy!

    My basement is a large space with so much to go through! I have decided to address it by breaking it down into smaller spaces. Today I worked on one of the office spaces. It’s a small enclosed space - about 30 square feet. I worked on it for 90 minutes and only got through about 60% of it. I ended up with a bunch of electronics and papers to recycle and was able to organize much of what I want to keep. The other 40% is mainly more paper that I need to go through. It’s bit of a mess, but I’ll likely have to do a mix if shredding and filing.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 06, 2023, 03:22:47 PM
    Dropped off the books. There were 8 boxes, turns out I can't count. But they are gone. Also dropped off a cooler that I do not need or want, and really have no idea where it came from. Also dropped off some stuff to the animal shelter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on October 06, 2023, 03:34:18 PM
    @Sibley , good job !

    I worked on my office yesterday and almost finished it!

    Then I decided to work on the garage today since it’s supposed to rain tomorrow which was the day I planned to do it. Holy moly! It was so much work!! We took down most almost everything from the shelves, purged and organized it all. I then added labels to the shelves so we can find everything more easily. I did this because I don’t have many bins or containers for it, and am not sure I want to get any. We then swept and hosed the entire garage down. DH also washed and hosed down our large kitchen trash bin, along with a waste paper baskets our kids used for some craft project. So glad that’s done! Mind you, I did bring a few things into the house that need to find new homes and a couple of boxes of stuff that I need to go through (containing stuff that doesn’t belong in the garage). Finally, we’ll have to take a few things out this coming week for the large item garbage collection.

    Now, all I’ve got left is the basement and the storage area.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on October 09, 2023, 05:51:22 PM
    I couldn't bring myself to wait until all the towels were in one place to count them, so I just chose some to donate. Still have at least 14 regular big towels, 5 beach towels and a pet towel left. Family of 5 for reference. Also found a bunch of kitchen rags, some unused hospital surgical towels, flat sheets and pillow cases. All those items went to the humane society. Once other towels get unearthed from the kid's rooms, I'll reevaluate again. Learned on the humane society website that they don't accept quilted bedding so I need to figure out whether to donate or toss those things.

    Gave 2 kid sized down sleeping bags to in laws with small kids. My kids haven't fit in them in years.
    Cleared out about 90% of the remaining moving boxes from our move this summer. Items were dumped in the plastic bins we moved with. Not sorted yet but at least in the correct types of containers now.
    Tossed some old tank tops, underwear and a gross feather pillow that I didn't want to attempt to wash.
    Put some decorative pillow covers and athletic clothing in the goodwill box.
    Repurposed some shoe laces from one kid's shoes meant for the garbage into a different kid's shoes that badly needed new laces.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 11, 2023, 05:55:56 AM
    Good job, guys !

    I have reserved some old sheets for my girl friend to use for cat bedding.  Had been planning on taking them to the animal shelter.

    Finally gave in and recycled a large electronic auto part I had been trying to sell for a long time.

    Sold a few things at the flea market.



     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 11, 2023, 03:00:25 PM
    Hi everyone!  It's been months since I last posted.  This year I've been focusing on dostadning, the Swedish death cleaning:

    -I sold another two boxes of CDs to Decluttr.  A box of DVDs and books are being prepared to ship.
    -Several large bags of blankets and sheets were dropped off at the local animal shelter.  On social media, one adoptable kitten was photographed sitting top of one of the donated sheets.  I love it!
    -Sold my Doc Martens boots to a friend.
    -I've done two Goodwill drop-offs so far this year, and another will happen next week.
    -Tossed two pairs of worn shoes and a pair of holey socks
    -I've given several specific items to specific friends for various reasons.
    -I lost 30 pounds last year, so I gave some rarely worn, too big for me clothing items to a client's co-worker (they were cleaned and neatly folded beforehand).
    -Removed pictures from about two dozen frames, stored the pictures to give to various family members, and gave the frames to a photographer friend of mine.  He will pay it forward by filling the frames with some of his hand-picked photos to the local Meals On Wheels program.
    -Gave a stick horse to someone for their church's daycare.
    -Selling a leather tote to a friend.
    -Going to give a few dragon items to the neighbor kiddos.
    -A bag of stuffed animals will be dropped off at the local police department.
    -A few more Harley Davidson items will be given to friends who still ride.
    -A box of old tax documents, etc. will soon be burned.
    -A pair of shoes bought on a whim and don't fit perfectly will be returned.

    Money earned from all of the above has been going, and will continue to go into, a future vacation cash stash.

    I've space cleared so much someone asked me this morning if I was preparing to move.  I'll take that as a compliment.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on October 11, 2023, 05:06:05 PM
    @MountainGal , wow great progress! I like how you’ve donated and also are making some money for your vacation fund. Also, what a coincidence as I’m currently reading the popular Swedish death cleaning book.

    AFM, I did finish my basement office!

    As for the garage cleanup, the large garbage collection was this morning so a bunch of large cardboard boxes left, along with a few rusted and broken things. Interestingly after deciding NOT to buy any storage containers, someone in my local BNG gifted me 2 large transparent bins!! They’ll be prefect for some of the stuff I decided to keep.

    As previously mentioned, I only have my basement and storage area to go through now. The basement is huge! If I had to guess, I’d say it’s ~1000 square feet. It’s kind of overwhelming, so I decided to break it down into smaller sections. I completed a couple earlier today, bringing the list down to 27 spaces. It’s still a lot, but this approach has me energized!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 16, 2023, 03:36:22 PM
    Thanks, @LeftA!  Great job on finishing your office!  And good for you for not buying more storage bins.

    Saturday I finally dropped off the shoes for today's FedEx pickup.

    Yesterday I went gung-ho on my home office:

    -I put the Goodwill items in my vehicle to drop off this week including a small decorative trunk full of tchotchkes and a bag full of DH's shirts along with a pair of jeans and one other item DH added.
    -Decluttr didn't want any of our books and offered to buy 6 of 12 DVDs for less than $1, so I put a shout out on my FB page.  A friend wants the 4 Louis L'Amour books, a neighbor wants one of the DVDs, and I'll give a different neighbor the cartoon DVD for her kiddo.  The rest will be dropped at Goodwill.
    -4 more picture frames and two Eeyore items will go to my photographer friend (he collects all things donkey, LOL).
    -The bag of stuffed animals is in my vehicle to also drop off this week.
    -I emptied two piggy banks, put the paper money into the vacation jar and will cash in the coins at the bank.  About $25 total.  I saved three Susan B. Anthony $1 coins for the neighbor kiddo's Christmas stockings.

    The office is really taking shape.  :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on October 20, 2023, 07:30:24 PM
    Got rid of a "project" table that I was just not getting around to refinishing, a paper towel holder, some sea shells, and have lined up a few more books to donate.  I also switched around headboards so the 2 bedrooms are now more functional, and discovered that I have way too many quilts and blankets, so will have a go at those later.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 21, 2023, 07:53:05 PM
    Went online and made an appt to drop off a leather coat and a wool coat at a consignment shop. Will be a new experience for me, and will feel good to be doing something with them. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on October 23, 2023, 09:24:22 PM
    I’m still working on my basement. It’s slow going as I’m focusing on the paper category. Unfortunately, some of it isn’t that well organized, so it takes awhile to sort through. Once sorted, the majority has to be shredded, with the balance either needing to be kept as records or I’d like to keep as mementos (a very small % falls in the latter category as I’m finding it easier to let go now). It’s time consuming and feels like a slog. But, I’m trying to focus on the end result to keep me going. On the weekend, DH shredded a whole bag of papers and today I spent almost an hour on the paper.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 24, 2023, 07:22:37 AM
    Actually dropped off the 2 coats at consignment. Supposed to watch my email now to see what they accept, what they sell, how much, etc.

    Two big coats hopefully gone and no selling hassle for me.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 24, 2023, 08:27:34 AM
    Actually dropped off the 2 coats at consignment. Supposed to watch my email now to see what they accept, what they sell, how much, etc.

    Two big coats hopefully gone and no selling hassle for me.
     

    And maybe it'll be a good option for future, at least for some items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on October 24, 2023, 10:06:25 AM
    Moved along two dead-to-me computers to someone who can bring them back to life, two paper grocery sacks full of yarn to a fellow crafter, and five books to a LFL. I hope all these thing bring delight to their new owners.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on October 24, 2023, 03:06:21 PM
    Excellent progress, everyone!

    I delivered the Louis books to my friend, and she was so appreciative!  I told her it makes me feel good to give my belongings to people while I am still on this earth.  Prior to that I dropped off the stuffed animals to the PD.  My policeman friend said first responders do indeed use them.

    The boxes of CDs and books, bag of men's shirts, small trunk full of odds and ends and the camping gear was dropped off at Goodwill.  A printer toner was dropped off at Office Depot for recycling.

    The piggy bank coins totaled $27.07.  I spent $5 on a water (thank you for letting me use your bathroom!) and a restaurant soda (met with someone and this was cheaper than a cocktail and snack) while out doing errands and the rest went into the cruise cash stash.

    The shoe return refund was approved.  Instead of adding it to the cash stash, I may let it sit in my account to pad it since payday is several weeks away.

    We had a TON of food leftover from our annual Halloween party.  I sent DH to work with a box of cookies and a container of cupcakes two different guests brought along with other sweets.  I gave a neighbor a box filled with food including leftover breakfast casserole I made for overnight guests, shrimp, popcorn, and other goodies.

    Next up:  We're turning our guest room into a fully dedicated home gym.  The queen size bed will go bye-bye, side tables and a lamp will be incorporated throughout the rest of the house, and one half of the wall-to-wall closet will be used for hand weight, towel, athletic shoe and jump rope storage.  There are storage cubes (bought at Target 15-ish years ago) in the closet leftover from our previous home's main bedroom walk-in closet.   We already own the exercise equipment, which is currently in three different rooms, so initially this will be a zero-cost project.  I do eventually want to change the flooring and perhaps install some mirrors.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: former player on October 24, 2023, 04:12:13 PM
    I've tried to make a start on a bit of electronic clearing up with a prune of redundant internet logins.  Some have a nice easy "delete this account" but others require a hunt through terms and conditions and even an email request to delete an account and data.  Gawd.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: fuzzy math on October 24, 2023, 04:25:15 PM
    I've tried to make a start on a bit of electronic clearing up with a prune of redundant internet logins.  Some have a nice easy "delete this account" but others require a hunt through terms and conditions and even an email request to delete an account and data.  Gawd.

    Oh gosh this is a neverending task, especially because it doesn't take up physical space and can be lurking out there in the internet indefinitely!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 25, 2023, 08:11:27 AM
    I've tried to make a start on a bit of electronic clearing up with a prune of redundant internet logins.  Some have a nice easy "delete this account" but others require a hunt through terms and conditions and even an email request to delete an account and data.  Gawd.

    This reminds me I meant to sometime go through all the cards and paper notes in my wallet. Need to use up my Barnes and Noble card so I can throw it out. Need to combine all the little paper notes into one clearly printed note. My many psw's and phone nums, userids,  etc.    Wallet is getting bulky.       
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on October 27, 2023, 08:42:28 PM
    Sold a puzzle and a waffle maker. Cleaned out a bunch of papers. Gave away a set of patio chairs. Listed several other 1000 pc puzzles for sale.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on October 27, 2023, 10:34:46 PM
    Sold a puzzle and a waffle maker. Cleaned out a bunch of papers. Gave away a set of patio chairs. Listed several other 1000 pc puzzles for sale.

    Also donated a bag of books, set out a box of household goods with a “free” sign, and sold some books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 28, 2023, 02:04:55 PM
    @MountainGal - very envious on your gym makeover! It sounds great. We currently have a treadmill & an elliptical in a random room in our house. It's a super weird room that I suppose is like an open concept living room, but we never use it. So, it has living room furniture, and then tucked away in the corner is the gym equipment. Not exactly ideal. ;-)

    I haven't been on BN much, as I've been out of town on & off throughout October, but I'm going to see if I can find 10 items to trash/recycle or give away today!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on October 29, 2023, 04:25:48 AM
    I emptied 2 shelves in the a kitchen cabinet and wiped them down.  Then I attempted to organize my few bottles of spices and tea and coffee.  Looks much less chaotic. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 29, 2023, 08:30:08 AM
    Knowing today would be rainy and my awning has been taken down, I went on the deck yesterday and tossed a bunch of junk away. Some old plants, planters, glass vases and a bunch of odd ball crap that had accumulated. I kept saying I would use this and that and the little piles of clutter kept adding up. I bit my lip and just winged the clutter into the garbage bag and it is gone! I tidied up some other junk on the deck too. Once it stops raining I will store some of the other stuff in the shed over the winter.

    So, my next project is going to be interesting. We have this foam bed topper that we used for about a week and it did not work for us so we took it off the bed and put it in another room. It was only supposed to be there temporarily but has been there now WAY, WAY too long and it is making me nuts. It is quite huge and is king size. My plan is to fold it in thirds and roll it in a ball like a jelly roll. I will have to tie it with rope so it won't unfurl. Then I bought this Christmas tree storage bag and will put it in the bag. Next I plan to give it to Vietnam Veterans. Originally I bought some contractor bags but was concerned the bags were still too small for this gigantic bed topper. So, we shall see how this project goes!

    We might get a small dumpster to get rid of some large things like two old grills, some old tv's and other junk. The smallest dumpster costs $295 but we can keep it 10 days which is nice amount of time.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 29, 2023, 12:11:59 PM
    I recently was able to sell some old retro vintage computer books (just $2 each, but hey) to a geek who was buying one of my old computers.

    This has emboldened me to put some more of my retro computer books on the internet for sale (local pickup only, can't be bothered to ship them).

    Even if no one is interested, the happy ending is that I will be OK emotionally with just recycling them.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on October 29, 2023, 12:22:22 PM
    @slackmax , where are you posting them for sale? My brother has left at least 20 of these types of massive books at my house! I want them gone!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on October 29, 2023, 12:33:20 PM
    A bunch of weights just left the garage. A neighbor came and got them. He is a fine carpenter and uses them when clamps don't work.

    A whole bunch of papers found the recycling bin.

    I tidied a lot of gardening stuff.

    Two cars easily fit into the garage.   So much so that the passenger can stay in the car until it is turned off.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on October 29, 2023, 07:03:43 PM
    - Small stack of baby books to one of the LFLs in the area. My kiddos have officially outgrown them, so time to pass them on. 
    - Cycled through the kiddos clothes to make room for some winter items. We were at least net neutral following the one-in, one-out rule, but may have gotten rid of some extra items.
    - We went through the kids' treats from trick or treating so far (i.e. community trick or treat events) to ensure all the treats were appropriately put away (i.e. chips in the snack draw, Taffy away for the grown ups, non-edibles either recycled or put in the mini-toy box, etc.) We'll let them hold on to their spooky things until they lose interest (usually a few days after Halloween) and then recycle all the dumb stuff they get, like plastic spider rings. SIGH.
    - Fixed up some Abuelita hot chocolate that's been lurking in the back corner of our cabinets after this afternoon's soccer game. Used up some nearing-the-end-of-its-days heavy cream to make some whipped cream for the hot chocolate. My favorite kind of decluttering! :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on October 30, 2023, 06:49:52 AM
    @slackmax , where are you posting them for sale? My brother has left at least 20 of these types of massive books at my house! I want them gone!

    I go to a retro / vintage computer group to ask what they are worth, then I post them at the group, and also on facebook marketplace.

    The customer base for these things is minute.  I was lucky to get some one who would be in my area, and he came by to buy this sort of stuff. I hope I get another buyer like him, but who knows.

    It was my ad on Facebook he saw. 

    I sold him an old IBM manual for $2, and 15 old VHS AT&T training tapes for $20. Not a fortune, but I got rid of the stuff, and got at least something for it.  He bought an old non-working pc computer for $100.

    It helps if your 'vintage' stuff is a big well-known name, like IBM, AT&T, etc.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on October 30, 2023, 09:47:20 AM
    @Roadrunner53
    I was able to rehome my foam bed topper. May even have gotten a few bucks for it. Put it out there and see what happens.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rivendale on October 30, 2023, 03:31:24 PM
    @Roadrunner53
    I was able to rehome my foam bed topper. May even have gotten a few bucks for it. Put it out there and see what happens.

    Same here. Only difference was mine was a latex topper. I think I got about $100. (It was king sized).

    In deckuttering news:
    Two big paper grocery bags of outgrown kid clothing passed along to a teammate. 2 pieces of younger kid wall decor (30x40in and 11x14in) pending pickup by a neighbor. She's going to stash it till Christmas. Win! Win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on November 01, 2023, 02:45:00 PM
    @MountainGal - very envious on your gym makeover! It sounds great. We currently have a treadmill & an elliptical in a random room in our house. It's a super weird room that I suppose is like an open concept living room, but we never use it. So, it has living room furniture, and then tucked away in the corner is the gym equipment. Not exactly ideal. ;-)


    @MaybeBabyMustache, thank you!  Our situation was similar:  The stationary bike was in the living room, the treadmill in my home office, and the new-to-us elliptical (DH bought it from one of my friends for $100) was downstairs.  So far, all but treadmill is now in the "gym."  There was a small coffee maker, 4 coffee mugs, filters, etc. for guests, and I was going to give them away.  DH said he will use them on chilly winter mornings when he's doing projects in his man cave.  :)

    @Frugal Lizard, congratulations on fitting both vehicles in the garage!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on November 03, 2023, 10:33:33 PM
    Cleared out a bag of clothes that DD had outgrown. Also gave away several sturdy canvas bags since we have way too many.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 03, 2023, 10:36:40 PM
    Yesterday I managed to break off the arm of my sunglasses and couldn't repair them. Alrighty, I now own one (1) pair of sunglasses and don't need to pick between the two.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on November 06, 2023, 07:02:20 PM
    Three bags out the door to the thrift store, including some boots that were hard to part with. They were so darling, but I can no longer stand for my toes to be squished. I just got a new pair of barefoot shoes, so it was time to finally say goodbye to the boots.

    I ended up donating to the "less desirable" thrift store, keeping in mind KC Davis' advice that "good enough is perfect." I try to donate to the ones who have a broader mission I support beyond just re-use of stuff--but none of them are close by, and they have limited donation hours, and decluttering my house and letting someone else enjoy my things are still good goals to accomplish. So the "good enough" thrift store it is!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 07, 2023, 08:13:44 AM
    Curating stuff today.

    I was so 'stuck' as far as finding stuff to get rid of, that I decided to just walk around the place and make notes about what was where, since that was so much more interesting and didn't involve making decisions. 

    There's so much I totally forgot I had, let alone where it could be found.

    I am recording the locations of the stuff in a file on my computer, and will back it up on a thumb drive. 

    I found a few small things to toss out, and repurpose.     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 07, 2023, 09:35:26 AM
    Curating stuff today.

    I was so 'stuck' as far as finding stuff to get rid of, that I decided to just walk around the place and make notes about what was where, since that was so much more interesting and didn't involve making decisions. 

    There's so much I totally forgot I had, let alone where it could be found.

    I am recording the locations of the stuff in a file on my computer, and will back it up on a thumb drive. 

    I found a few small things to toss out, and repurpose.   

    If you forgot you had it, then do you really need it? My guess is no. Make it go away.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on November 07, 2023, 10:17:50 AM
    Curating stuff today.

    I was so 'stuck' as far as finding stuff to get rid of, that I decided to just walk around the place and make notes about what was where, since that was so much more interesting and didn't involve making decisions. 

    There's so much I totally forgot I had, let alone where it could be found.

    I am recording the locations of the stuff in a file on my computer, and will back it up on a thumb drive. 

    I found a few small things to toss out, and repurpose.   

    I think this was a great way to try and get yourself unstuck--you identified a step that would be helpful in the decluttering process, which felt doable right now, and then you did it!

    And inventorying and knowing what you have and where it lives are independently important, too, because what is the point of having stuff if you don't use it? Appreciate and enjoy the things you do use, and let go of the rest.

    Sometimes I find that my mind needs a few days or few weeks of letting an item marinate subconsciously, in order to make the decision to let it go. So just looking at something and putting it in my mind is often my first step, too.

    Hopefully you can build some momentum from the small things you tossed out and keep going!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 07, 2023, 04:25:53 PM
    Sometimes I find that my mind needs a few days or few weeks of letting an item marinate subconsciously, in order to make the decision to let it go. So just looking at something and putting it in my mind is often my first step, too.

    I do this too. It seems to work automatically without me needing to  make a conscious decision, which is nice, but much slower overall.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 07, 2023, 08:05:33 PM
    We are continuing our New House organising. It's not so much getting rid of things as finding their final home. More art is on the walls, I could actually use my sewing machine the other day without having to move 20 things first, the kitchen ergonomics are falling into place.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on November 08, 2023, 03:11:12 AM
    Sold my sewing machine.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 11, 2023, 08:23:44 AM
    Congratulations, Freedomin5 !

    Interesting self-study this morning for me. I was walking around the hood and saw 2 knobby tired bikes, in good condition, on the curb with a free sign.

    My emotion was one of obligation, not joy. I felt obligated to something, or someone, to take them and sell them at the flea market.

    My mind realized I didn't 'need' to take them, and that they would just be a burden, so I left them there. 

    Burden avoided ! 

    I'll let someone else take them, as their own burden, or, preferably, their own joy, lol.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 11, 2023, 12:35:43 PM
    @slackmax someone gets a free bike! [one of the joys of our pre-move declutter was hearing small kids excitedly yell "hey Billy, BILLY! Free scooters!" followed by the sound of wheels on the footpath]

    We are making slow but steady progress on getting pictures up on walls, reducing the small pile in the corner. We also have a clear dining table to eat at and a small table by the door to put keys and sunglasses down on. It's nice having time to find exactly the right solution instead of just throwing money at whatever solution was available.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 11, 2023, 07:11:10 PM
    My emotion was one of obligation, not joy. I felt obligated to something, or someone, to take them and sell them at the flea market.

    My mind realized I didn't 'need' to take them, and that they would just be a burden, so I left them there. 

    Burden avoided ! 

    Bravo!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 12, 2023, 03:51:50 PM
    DS17 had his final game of club soccer yesterday, which was a bit of an emotional milestone, after ten years & an endless amount of practices, games, tournaments, etc. But, that also meant we could clean out a bunch of stuff!
    -I've already reached out the our club, and they will buy back his uniform (at a tiny, tiny fraction of the cost), to help new players. I will add in the backpack, which has the same number as the jerseys, so the new player will get a complete set. Found a brand new package of uniform socks, and also added those in as well.
    -Went to the "soccer drawer", which has taken up 20% of his dresser for the last ten years, and pulled everything out. Made a large pile to donate, a few things to give away on BN (better matched to specific location + age group, given what's required for club).
    -Decided to turn the "soccer drawer" into the "pants drawer", so had DS17 try on all of his pants. Two pair were too small (we're in California, and the teens will go months between pants wearing) & listed those on BN.
    -Found his most destroyed pair of soccer cleats, and put those aside for shoe recycling. I'll keep his better pair, as he wants to play intramural in college.

    So much stuff out of the house! I will miss the games, but I have 1.5 more years with my other teen, who his his first varsity school game on Friday. When one door closes & all.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 14, 2023, 06:28:06 AM
    Since I am in clothes selling mode, I noticed a nice red coat in my foyer closet, and took it out to give it a look.

    That brought my attention to the fact that I had lots of other old coats and shirts stuffed in there, plus stuff up on the shelf and down below in a basket. For some reason I thought I had already gone through this closet, but no.

    So I spent a couple hours sorting stuff out, washing some of it, throwing some out, and donating some.

    I got one bag of clothes to throw out, and 3 bags of clothes to donate.

    Now the closet is half as full, and also cleaner.

    And reminded myself that I have some nice coats still, that I can wear this winter. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on November 14, 2023, 06:44:05 AM
    Since I am in clothes selling mode, I noticed a nice red coat in my foyer closet, and took it out to give it a look.

    That brought my attention to the fact that I had lots of other old coats and shirts stuffed in there, plus stuff up on the shelf and down below in a basket. For some reason I thought I had already gone through this closet, but no.

    So I spent a couple hours sorting stuff out, washing some of it, throwing some out, and donating some.

    I got one bag of clothes to throw out, and 3 bags of clothes to donate.

    ...

    Speaking of winter clothes to donate, does your local school district have a "free closet" for students?  Ours does, and they specifically asked for sweatshirts, pants and coats.  It's been a great help to local families in need.
    Last winter I read about another district that didn't have this and some kids were walking to school with blankets wrapped around them. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 14, 2023, 01:51:11 PM
    The only places I know of, around here, to drop off a winter coat, are Salvation Army and Goodwill. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 16, 2023, 06:40:50 AM
    This is more anti-decluttering, but at least it's not me. My parents started with 7 bookcases and have overflowed. Getting a cheap bookcase of FB marketplace for them tonight, and I'm sure they'll need another bookcase. Or 3.

    At least when they die and I have to clear the house, a houseful of books is homogeneous enough to easily determine what to do with them, right?

    Edit: Bookcase successfully acquired and transported to parent's house. This should be enough to house all the current books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on November 17, 2023, 04:35:21 AM
    Getting ready to send four boxes of books to my sister, who teaches in a developing country. They’ve been sitting in a giant ikea bag for over a year. Problem is that I’ve run out of suitable boxes. I guess tomorrow morning, I’ll take a walk around the complex and see if any of my spendy neighbors have made purchases recently and are getting rid of medium size boxes. It’ll cost a bit to ship the books, but it’s cheaper than my sister having to purchase the books from overseas, and I’ll consider the shipping costs as a donation to a good cause.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: happy on November 18, 2023, 05:22:32 PM
    Quote
    At least when they die and I have to clear the house, a houseful of books is homogeneous enough to easily determine what to do with them, right?
    Absolutely.  I've found books are the easiest items to declutter. When we had to clear out my folks house we packed them up and put them undercover in the carport and told a few neighbours they were welcome to take anything they wanted. This reduced the huge quantity by about 50%. The rest went to Lifeline, a worthy charity known in my country for raising money by having enormous second hand book fairs.

    The only downside is that boxes of books are heavy.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 18, 2023, 06:04:30 PM
    Listed a bunch of items on Buy Nothing, and cleaned up my coat closet (where I store future BN items). It's nice to see the floor again in there.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on November 19, 2023, 07:00:18 AM
    have 4 trashbags full of clothes to be "redistributed" over the Thanksgiving holiday.  My MIL is one of 10 siblings and there are lots of young adults and grandchildren just starting out. I helped a girlfriend clean out her closets and saved all of the items in good condition to be given away for this redistribution.  I then added to it some items DS has outgrown and some items from my professional wardrobe (that do not see daylight since I FIRE'd).  Hopefully they will make some of the cousins very happy!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 19, 2023, 04:12:06 PM
    awesome work, @Josiecat23503

    Went through another giant pile today. Some of which was BN stuff given to me (e.g. one item out of a few didn't fit, etc) & got all of that posted. I also finally made my way through the stuff I pulled out of DS16's room, when we cleaned it. And, found a few new board games that folks were super excited to pick up, ahead of the long holiday weekend.

    I also went through my stash set aside to list on eBay, and got a bunch of stuff listed. Pulled down some listings & donated a bunch of other stuff.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 22, 2023, 12:56:39 PM
    -Sold a watch on eBay, got that mailed & out of the house.
    -Went through my workout pants drawer (I have a lot, but also work out every day, and have three shorts, capris & full length, to accommodate for seasons). Got rid of five pair, and already have takers for those on BN.
    -Majority of all BN stuff listed over the weekend is now taken, most picked up. The rest will go into our donation pile.

    Goal for today is to find another ten items to list on either BN or eBay.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 24, 2023, 07:04:24 AM
    Since I couldn't decide what to declutter, I spent an hour and half cleaning out the traps under the kitchen sink and one bathroom sink. They were both getting slow. Not exactly decluttering, but related, as a substitute activity. Very satisfying.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 24, 2023, 08:32:19 AM
    Cleaned out & organized drawer that contains bras & swimsuits. Four three bras to give away, and one swimsuit. Everything is now nicely organized & easily accessible.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on November 24, 2023, 09:48:07 AM
    I’m away and donating some of the threadbare casual clothes I wore this week to a Goodwill I drove by.  I’ve also used up a good amount of a weird toothpaste and face wipes. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Freedomin5 on November 24, 2023, 11:35:34 PM
    I mailed another box of books to my sister in Cambodia, who teaches at a school for the poor. We just have one more suitcase of books to send her, and then our storage will be a bit tidier.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 25, 2023, 06:49:08 PM
    I've been giving away bags & bags of stuff on Buy Nothing. Had a bad experience today, where someone made a borderline racial slur about the items I was gifting, which was particularly uncomfortable, as I'd used a photo of my kids (you couldn't see their faces) modeling the items. I LOVE my BN community, and have met so many lovely people, so it was really unfortunate.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on November 26, 2023, 07:29:33 AM
    @MaybeBabyMustache -- I'm so sorry.  That is just awful.  I can't believe the hate that has seeped into our most innocent endeavors (such as donating your household items to another family).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 26, 2023, 12:38:12 PM
    @Josiecat23503 - right? It's sad. But, moving on, because giving things away is great for me, and for others & keeps stuff I don't want out of landfills.

    -Tracked down 2 people who didn't reply to original BN & got there stuff ready to go out today.
    -Find 20 items to recycle, toss or donate today
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on November 28, 2023, 08:47:41 AM
    MY girl friend convinced me to throw out some 'probably fine' stuff from the fridge that was 10 years old or older. I always like to think that stuff lasts forever if it is sealed up in the original container and kept in a fridge. But maybe not.

    In any event, I haven't used it in 10 years, so maybe never will, ha ha. Gone now, no need to worry about using it up. One of the tossed items was a 'glaze' in a plastic bag.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on November 28, 2023, 09:42:46 AM
    MY girl friend convinced me to throw out some 'probably fine' stuff from the fridge that was 10 years old or older. I always like to think that stuff lasts forever if it is sealed up in the original container and kept in a fridge. But maybe not.

    In any event, I haven't used it in 10 years, so maybe never will, ha ha. Gone now, no need to worry about using it up. One of the tossed items was a 'glaze' in a plastic bag.

    Here's the thing. You may be willing to risk food poisoning yourself, but can you can't make that decision for others. If you knowingly used an ingredient that was questionable and someone got sick from it - that's on you. And depending on how sick they got, there could be real consequences.

    So, if you wouldn't be ok with feeding it to your [insert appropriate medically vulnerable loved one], then toss it. Or find someone with a compost bin if you don't have one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 28, 2023, 09:46:39 AM
    I got rid of a box of stuff from my office.

    I started packing up the clothes that I will never wear and got stopped with thoughts of: wonder if my daughter would like this? or it almost fits me, I love it, maybe I can lose the weight. I paused for now on the closet. But I have a large bag half full in there and will continue as I have band width for.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 28, 2023, 10:55:22 AM
    @slackmax yup if you have used it in >1y you are super unlikely to ever use it. Just ditch it and enjoy the extra fridge space. Now, do the pantry?

    We haven’t had any decluttering to do since we are still shy about bringing new things into the house but Ofpym has basically unpacked and organised his art studio in the garage. I still have 20% to go on the sewing room. I keep being distracted by the garden.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 28, 2023, 02:21:04 PM
    @slackmax yup if you have used it in >1y you are super unlikely to ever use it. Just ditch it and enjoy the extra fridge space. Now, do the pantry?

    We haven’t had any decluttering to do since we are still shy about bringing new things into the house but Ofpym has basically unpacked and organised his art studio in the garage. I still have 20% to go on the sewing room. I keep being distracted by the garden.

    Hey, it's early summer there!  Sorting out the sewing room is for days when the weather is bad.  Garden for the win!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 28, 2023, 03:53:15 PM
    @RetiredAt63 i think you overestimate the “summer”-ness of the weather here! I am currently wearing a jersey and jeans😄 it was hosing down yesterday until 5pm!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 28, 2023, 05:11:26 PM
    @RetiredAt63 i think you overestimate the “summer”-ness of the weather here! I am currently wearing a jersey and jeans😄 it was hosing down yesterday until 5pm!


    Rain is a good reason to do indoor sorting.  And the damp makes everything feel colder. 

    Let me dream of someone having late spring weather.   ;-)

    I count 6 months from here.  We are late November almost December so you are our late May almost June.  Which is late spring almost summer.  But late May can be 25 or 20 highs and 20 or 15 lows.  What are you right now? You had rain.  We had snow. 

    Hmm, dug out last May's weather in Ottawa, looks similar to what you are going through.

    https://world-weather.info/forecast/canada/ottawa/may-2023/ (https://world-weather.info/forecast/canada/ottawa/may-2023/)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 28, 2023, 07:46:22 PM
    @RetiredAt63 lows and highs range between 10-20C at the moment. We are apparently a month behind where the weather would normally be (rain patterns) and 2C hotter than average so yay climate change! 

    Today’s task was helping my mum and sister clear out head-height weeds from between the garden beds and the fields so Mum can plant sweetcorn. I got paid in rhubarb.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 29, 2023, 09:18:56 AM
    @RetiredAt63 lows and highs range between 10-20C at the moment. We are apparently a month behind where the weather would normally be (rain patterns) and 2C hotter than average so yay climate change! 

    Today’s task was helping my mum and sister clear out head-height weeds from between the garden beds and the fields so Mum can plant sweetcorn. I got paid in rhubarb.

    Our springs are always variable, but more so of late, so I can empathize.   Rhubarb is good pay.  Here home grown sweet corn is iffy because the masked bandits (raccoons) get it first.  What are your raccoon equivalents.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on November 29, 2023, 11:12:44 AM
    Here home grown sweet corn is iffy because the masked bandits (raccoons) get it first.  What are your raccoon equivalents.
    Hmmm probably rats, stoats and possums (Au version) but they might be chased off by the farm's dogs and cats. [They are all very good at catching field mice]

    Back to decluttering - today we are taking the old rotten posts off the wire fencing we found behind the garage and then placing the fencing so it can be used as tomato supports. This will clear up the garden and behind the garage a bit more. It may also be a day for clearing out more of the thorn bush branches, reducing the bramble-tangle a bit more.

    In 'stopping things coming into the house' news: Ofpym has been suggesting we get a couple more Sistema containers for the kitchen and I am taking the stance that if we have run out of containers, that means we need to eat some of the contents to free them up instead of buying more.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on November 29, 2023, 11:45:56 AM
    In 'stopping things coming into the house' news: Ofpym has been suggesting we get a couple more Sistema containers for the kitchen and I am taking the stance that if we have run out of containers, that means we need to eat some of the contents to free them up instead of buying more.

    Well done, mspym! :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: tygertygertyger on November 29, 2023, 12:14:01 PM
    In 'stopping things coming into the house' news: Ofpym has been suggesting we get a couple more Sistema containers for the kitchen and I am taking the stance that if we have run out of containers, that means we need to eat some of the contents to free them up instead of buying more.

    Well done, mspym! :)

    Oh yes! My partner is suggesting that we increase the size of our bonus freezer, which I think is madness. I think we need to eat the food we have before buying more. Good luck!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 29, 2023, 12:19:23 PM
    I compiled a box of photos both loose and in a variety of frames into one single binder with clear sleeves. I mounted them on black card stock from my collection. I used up all the sleeves I had on hand but I needed to buy more.

    I took the binder to my old Mum. Many of the photos were hers. She loved it. Unfortunately it hadn't occurred to me that I needed to label all the photos. She kept saying "that is a really handsome boy, I don't know who he is, but he is really good looking." It didn't matter who it was, my brothers or my nephews or even my son. But she recognized her graduation photo from 1960 immediately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on November 29, 2023, 07:29:26 PM
    After months of focused effort where I achieved significant process, I’m struggling to find my motivation to complete the last 2 spaces - my basement and my storage area. I have accomplished a lot by doing a mix of recycling, shredding and donating (charity and BN group). I’ve also thrown out a few things. And yet, it feels overwhelming and almost futile. Lately, when I go down to my basement it feels like I’m turning in circles. Either, I can’t focus on one thing (multiple categories and piles of items) and/or I struggle with the decisions that need to be made.

    Anyone have advice to get me back on track?

    Oh, I should mention what is down there is a mix of papers, books, outgrown children’s clothing (considerably whittled down) and miscellaneous sentimental items.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: PMG on November 29, 2023, 07:42:29 PM
    Can you find some ways to create deadlines?  Perhaps you want to go through some sentimental things before Christmas so you can show them to (or give them to) family members?  Is there a library book sale or a clothing drive somewhere that you could use as a reason to get thru those items?

    Or just some good movies to watch while doing the work.

    Or try “body doubling”. Enlist someone to help or share the space with you. Or put on a YouTube decluttering video.

    Or just commit to ten minutes at a time. Or five minutes a day. Slow and steady.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 29, 2023, 08:53:53 PM
    Can you commit to doing one space/spot a day?  Like one foot of a shelf?

    Or Dana K White's no-mess decluttering?  She has lots of blogs and the jumble multiple categories you are dealing with might work well with her method.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Ladychips on November 29, 2023, 08:57:27 PM
    I'm a big fan of using a timer. It's amazing what one can accomplish in 10 minutes. And it doesn't matter what you do because the goal is to work for 10 minutes, not to complete a task.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on November 29, 2023, 10:11:55 PM
    Leave the sentimental items til absolute last (Marie Kondo's advice). They will trip you up. Start with the books and just do a few minutes like Ladychips suggests. I set a timer for 20-30 mins to tidy up my house and that's all I have to do.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on November 30, 2023, 08:39:28 AM
    I filled another box with recycling. I have been learning to watercolour paint for 8 years. Over that time I have done many paintings. Paintings that I thought were fabulous when I did them. I am now soooooo much better. I tossed a 7cm pile of the stash of old work. I kept a 3cm pile. But if I don't look at them again in the next year, I will toss them too. Some of the small paintings that were not bad, I will turn into greeting cards.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on November 30, 2023, 12:24:22 PM
    @LeftA, maybe you just need a break.  Sounds like you’ve reached Decision Fatigue and just plain fatigue.  Give those 2 areas no thought for a few months and just keep the gains you’ve already made.  Once you feel ready again, sort everything into categories first, then deal with each category according to Marie Kondo’s guidelines.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on November 30, 2023, 12:34:58 PM
    Or just some good movies to watch while doing the work.

    Or podcasts, audiobooks or music.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on December 01, 2023, 03:52:07 PM
    @LeftA, maybe you just need a break.  Sounds like you’ve reached Decision Fatigue and just plain fatigue.  Give those 2 areas no thought for a few months and just keep the gains you’ve already made.  Once you feel ready again, sort everything into categories first, then deal with each category according to Marie Kondo’s guidelines.

    Ding ding ding! I think this is what I need to do. I’ve done so much! Appreciating the unbelievable progress I have made with sustained effort over several months is important. Taking a short break I think will do me good. I can then return refreshed with a new sense of motivation.

    Thank you to everyone who weighed in with some advice - it’s much appreciated!

    Meanwhile, I managed to post a small refrigerator on my local BN group and that’s being picked up this weekend. This will leave a nice open corner in my basement, so some progress indeed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 02, 2023, 08:43:37 PM
    I did a huge amount of decluttering today. I can't believe how good the house feels.

    We are going to ask neighbours for some recycling bin space. I filled our giant bin. And still have enough old paper to fill another. Old work files, more bad art and reems of newspaper clippings my mom saved.

    DH took a whole carload to the thrift store. Four boxes of China stuff. A bag of clothes.
    I sorted out tons of photos and reduced two more boxes from my mom's house.  I got through half a bankers box of papers.

    I need not ever buy a bin again. We have a growing collection of empty ones. I will stack them up and store them in the garage for the kids to use for moving. 

    And the best part...all the old, really old dusty and musty cardboard boxes got filled with the donations and left at the thrift store.  I am sure my house smells cleaner with them gone.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 02, 2023, 09:17:25 PM
    For the first time in a long time, I got a significant amount out of the house. Haz mat and e-waste to the county site and household goods (4 boxes) to the thrift store. Feels good, even though I forgot one e-waste thing and still have some stuff to sell.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on December 03, 2023, 07:51:34 AM
    Interesting note:  I watch a YouTube channel of one of the extreme house cleaners.  He said 2 things he always finds a lot of in hoarded households:  empty plastic storage containers and household cleaning supplies. 

    I know this is not a hoarding topic but it's interesting to see that those who are very messy/hoarder-ish are at least somewhat aware and buy containers and cleaning products - maybe as an aspirational goal?  But never actually use them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on December 04, 2023, 05:58:36 PM
    @Frugal Lizard, congratulations that is a lot!

    @oneday, well done!

    @LaineyAZ , that’s interesting about the hoarders. So, should I feel good? I don't have much by way of cleaning products and not too many plastic containers either. However, I do tend to keep lots of empty cardboard boxes just in case. I think it’s because I moved a lot up until I started living with DH. But, given we’ve moved only once since marrying almost two decades ago, maybe it’s okay to let more go!

    So, I got rid of the fridge I mentioned in my last post. And, today I did over 1 hour of paper shredding. I think I underestimated how much time getting rid of all the paper we have is going to take! I estimated I’ve put in about 5 hours for perhaps about 40% of the paper we need to through. That doesn’t include another hour or two that DH has done. The only good thing about this category is that we don’t get much new paper anymore. Therefore, once it’s done, it done!

    Someone mentioned books upthread. This is another big category! I’m starting by identifying some books I know we no longer want and taking them to a store that buys used books. What they don’t buy, I’ll donate. We currently have 4 large bookcases and 1 smaller one. They are not enough for all the books we own! I’d like to purge enough so that the books fit nicely within the confines of our existing bookcases. And yet, that is still likely keeping too much!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on December 04, 2023, 10:31:48 PM
    @LeftA thanks for the recognition!

    Paper is a beast, but you are right. Once done, it is so much easier to keep in control these days.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on December 05, 2023, 04:12:33 AM
    so, it may not be the lowest cost option, but you can take paper to UPS where they weigh it and put it a locked box to be shredded at an industrial facility.  It may help to get it done for a nominal charge. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on December 05, 2023, 06:17:52 PM
    so, it may not be the lowest cost option, but you can take paper to UPS where they weigh it and put it a locked box to be shredded at an industrial facility.  It may help to get it done for a nominal charge.

    Re. shredding, I also suggest poking around your county or city website and seeing if they offer free community shredding services. My current town does this one Saturday a month. My last place I lived had quarterly events. I believe there is a limit per customer of maybe two bankers boxes per time. You drive to the local recycling facility and two staff people are manning this industrial machine that tears through whatever you've got in seconds. And they let you stand there after you hand your paper over so you can see it being shredded in real time. The hardest part is remembering which day of the month you need to go.

    In other news, I found people who wanted my old standing mat, some spices I'll never use, and a bunch of magazines. Yay to gifting people things they want that I'll never use!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on December 05, 2023, 07:15:55 PM
    Thanks for the recommendations re shredding. I already have a good quality shredder and the actual shredding is not that time consuming. It’s the actual going through the paper to decide what should be shredded, what can be recycled and what I need to keep, that takes the most time. Regardless, I can’t see paying for this service, since I could just put it in my works confidential shredding bin, if I really had to.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MountainGal on December 06, 2023, 01:32:01 PM
    @LeftA, I am the same regarding my shredding/burning pile.  There's been a box to be burned in my home office for a few months now.  DH and I keep saying we're going to have a burn party some weekend, but that's about as far as it goes.

    Recent successes:
    -Gave my neighbor kiddos my very large stuffed purple dragon for their room.  Long story, but it was time to let it go.
    -I'm compiling another bag of stuffed animals to give to first responders.
    -What I call the "Cardio Cave" is coming along nicely.  The guest bed and mattresses were broken down and reused elsewhere on our property.  Three old pillows from the former guest bed were tossed.  Two newer ones were placed into a plastic bag to keep dust at bay and stored along with the comforter.  The floor lamp will go into my home office.  Eventually the side table will also go into my office, but first the treadmill still needs to be relocated.  DH and I each put a framed picture of the two of us reflecting health and happiness on display in the room.
    -From the Cardio Cave closet, the never used air purifier given to me for free at a garage sale:  I'm going to ask DH to clean it up so we can use it in the cardio room or to the Goodwill box it goes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jeninco on December 07, 2023, 02:53:54 PM
    Still chugging along at my BIL's house, but I feel like I'm getting a bit more efficient.
    - after 5 weeks or so of going up 2Xweek and doing a couple of loads of laundry each time (then sorting it into trash/goodwill/resale piles) I've ALMOST exposed the bedroom floor. Another visit or two and I can start on the dressers.
    - Ditto, but I've now gotten rid of a significant fraction of the books (threw some out, put some aside for DH to look at, took quite a few to a used bookstore near me).
    - drove back from his town to mine with a carload of stuff, and within three days everything had been properly disposed of.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on December 07, 2023, 03:03:50 PM
    @jeninco , wow why so much clothing on the bedroom floor?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: jeninco on December 07, 2023, 05:24:25 PM
    @jeninco , wow why so much clothing on the bedroom floor?

    1. He was a bit of a hoarder, and didn't like "housekeeping"
    2. He was a late-stage diabetic with wounds on the soles of his feet for the last year or two of his life, and (we just found out) the dryer up there didn't work very well. So rather than standing around (against the advice of the wound-care doctor) and risk loosing a foot, I think he did the very minimum, which sometimes included just buying new shirts/socks/undies and tossing them on the piles.

    Anyhow, typing the previous message reminded me that I'd put a "free" box out by the nearest big street. I went out there, grabbed everything that was left (mostly out-of-date simmering sauces), opened all the jars, poured the contents onto my compost pile, and added the jars and lids to our recycling. NOW everything is dealt with from the last trip up there!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 10, 2023, 07:46:45 PM
    I donated 2 shopping bags to Value Village and acquired a fleecy jacket 1/4 zip pullover and 2 cardigans for $27.99 using my 20% off coupon for donating.  I then passed on the 20% coupon to the customer behind me for her to use also.  Thrifting is no longer cheap.  Nearly everything picked up was double digits and that is crazy for used stuff. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 11, 2023, 09:35:24 AM
    1) Upgraded a few shirts to replace very faded old & worn out versions. Immediately took old ones out of my closet to use for rags.
    2) Similarly, upgraded 15+ year old underwear, and already got those out of my drawer. Sometimes when I upgrade, I hold on to the items I'm replacing for a few months, before I realize I don't need to be doing this. I'm trying to get much better about this habit & make it automatic when I replace something quite needed.
    3) DS16 received a rain jacket for Christmas, as he'd outgrown his previous one. Gave away the outgrown (but high quality, good condition) one on BN.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 11, 2023, 09:41:30 AM
    My roll continued:
    Front hall closet, Linen cupboard, Jam cupboard, DS's side of the bathroom vanity. All sorted, tidied and surplus has been purged.
    My brother mentioned his son was asking for a clarinet for Christmas. Well, I can help you there. (I bought DS a used school band grade clarinet 10 years ago. DD also used it for three years) He is taking all the clarinet books and reeds as well.

    Recycling and landfill bins are nearly full again. The front hall is filling with bags and boxes for donations.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Monocle Money Mouth on December 11, 2023, 12:45:41 PM
    My wife and I took 3 reusable shopping bags of old books to Half Price Books yesterday and got a cool $21.79 for them 😎

    Some of the books we were holding onto were ridiculous. We still had some college text books we never bothered selling back at the end of the semester. They've been following us around for 20 years.

    Getting rid of those books let us de-clutter some shelves that were full and get them reorganized.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 11, 2023, 06:07:38 PM
    Along the same lines as my post above, DS16 needed new ski pants (a Christmas gift), so his old ones are now on BN, with several interested folks. Teen clothes are super hard to find, and I love posting things & making other parents lives easier. Plus, trying to stick to my one in, one out policy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on December 12, 2023, 01:25:05 PM
    I donated 2 shopping bags to Value Village and acquired a fleecy jacket 1/4 zip pullover and 2 cardigans for $27.99 using my 20% off coupon for donating.  I then passed on the 20% coupon to the customer behind me for her to use also.  Thrifting is no longer cheap.  Nearly everything picked up was double digits and that is crazy for used stuff. 


    I’ve pretty much stopped shopping at Value Village because of their ridiculously high prices.  Sometimes they charge as much or more than the item would cost new.
    Do you have a MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) thrift store near you?  Their prices are very low.  Most clothing items are $4 CAD and housewares are practically free.  My local store has huge volumes donated and high turnover of stuff, so I find something almost every time I go, to the point that I’ve cut down my visits because I just don’t need that much stuff.  Tuesday mornings are the best time where I live because they’re closed Sundays and also Mondays to sort stuff, so the Saturday donations are available Tuesday AMs.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 12, 2023, 01:41:48 PM
    My wife and I took 3 reusable shopping bags of old books to Half Price Books yesterday and got a cool $21.79 for them 😎

    Some of the books we were holding onto were ridiculous. We still had some college text books we never bothered selling back at the end of the semester. They've been following us around for 20 years.

    Getting rid of those books let us de-clutter some shelves that were full and get them reorganized.

    May I ask what category of books got bought? Mystery? Cookbooks? Travel? 

    Thanks 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Monocle Money Mouth on December 12, 2023, 02:39:10 PM
    My wife and I took 3 reusable shopping bags of old books to Half Price Books yesterday and got a cool $21.79 for them 😎

    Some of the books we were holding onto were ridiculous. We still had some college text books we never bothered selling back at the end of the semester. They've been following us around for 20 years.

    Getting rid of those books let us de-clutter some shelves that were full and get them reorganized.

    May I ask what category of books got bought? Mystery? Cookbooks? Travel? 

    Thanks

    No problem. There were some comic book trade paperbacks, biographies, history books, song books, music books, reference books, and I think my wife had some novels in there too. They also bought an old jigsaw puzzle.

    We successfully turned several hundred dollars into tens of dollars. We're more careful about the books we actually buy now.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on December 14, 2023, 12:32:35 PM
    We successfully turned several hundred dollars into tens of dollars. We're more careful about the books we actually buy now.

    I'll trade you those tens of dollars for some magic beans!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on December 14, 2023, 02:39:43 PM
    We successfully turned several hundred dollars into tens of dollars. We're more careful about the books we actually buy now.
    That was me and manga. Thousands of dollars spent, recouped a couple of hundred reselling.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Monocle Money Mouth on December 14, 2023, 06:58:51 PM
    We successfully turned several hundred dollars into tens of dollars. We're more careful about the books we actually buy now.

    I'll trade you those tens of dollars for some magic beans!

    Magic beans you say? 🤔
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Monocle Money Mouth on December 14, 2023, 07:04:29 PM
    We successfully turned several hundred dollars into tens of dollars. We're more careful about the books we actually buy now.
    That was me and manga. Thousands of dollars spent, recouped a couple of hundred reselling.

    I had a similar experience with selling my comic book collection composed mostly of early 90's comics. A few had some actual value but most were worth less than the cover price. I had 3 short boxes full of comics and got $150 out of them. I probably spent over $1,000 getting them back when I was a kid.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 18, 2023, 10:32:57 AM
    Sent out four Christmas cards, which I found in my big box-o-cards. But used the last Christmas card. So went into the basement where I thought I had seen a box labeled 'cards'.

    20 minutes later, found out 90% of the boxes there were empty, which is good news, I guess. Didn't find anything labeled 'cards'.

    Found a big moving box with old work manuals and administrative papers, and clerical sundries, so I took it out completely. Nice open space there now.

    Recycled half the contents, and the box itself, relocated the rest of the stuff to a  sell or recycle or donate pile for future.

    Also found a lot of jars I forgot I had, and moved them up to the kitchen for my girl friend to use. Plus, found a box of 3 new hubcaps for my car (forgot I had them) and entered them into my 'house inventory' file. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on December 18, 2023, 11:58:38 AM
    We had "Christmas #1" (our immediate family, since we travel for the holidays) on Sunday. That meant setting out the kiddos' (very small) Christmas Saturday night. While we did that, DH and I just packed up all the gifts we'd be taking on our travels and did a DEEP dive into all our bags/wrapping/etc. Made a pretty good dent and feel much more comfortable with the amount that we have on hand. Also finished off one of our Christmas card packs from... three (?) years ago. 

    Went through kids' stuff in the playroom, since one of their gifts was a "grown up" toy box (the kind of thing that will age with them for linens, etc.) and now we've got a pile of outgrown toys to give away! (We didn't make any progress on stuffies, since KIDDO 1 had an absolute meltdown about getting rid of any. We've put a pin in it for now - it's not worth the fight/trauma for them.)

    This is not explicitly about getting rid of clutter, but a win nonetheless: Monday is garbage/recycling day for us. For this past week we filled ONE (and only one!) 13 gallon garbage bag. (I don't know how much recycling we had, since I didn't take it out, but likely not much more.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 18, 2023, 02:02:21 PM
    Large paper guillotine went directly from my friend's house to SIL's work place.

    Every time I open my linen closet - I feel happy. So neat, so organized!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on December 20, 2023, 07:44:23 PM
    Adding some functionality to my computer setup. Needed 2 additional cables. Just so happened to have them in my stash-o-tech-stuff. Found a use for some of it. Woohoo !
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 21, 2023, 08:14:25 AM
    I can open my freezer without things falling out! Backstory: I had a decently stocked freezer, then I had surgery and my mom and sister decided I needed food, but then I ate less than usual. Perfect storm for an overflowing freezer. For a bit every time I opened it a bag of bread would fall out. This is no longer happening.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on December 21, 2023, 11:22:16 AM
    After posting them unsuccessfully for sale, I donated two kid-size instruments that have been cluttering up my closets, to the music department of my kids' school.  Yay!

    Unfortunately, package after package have been arriving for Christmas. My bedroom is filled with brown boxes.  We are a family that is top heavy on older, childless relatives with few children of gift receiving age. It may sound ungrateful, but I wish the boxes would stop coming.  Plus, I have to wrap them all too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on December 21, 2023, 11:30:54 AM
    @Sibley - that's a big win! My freezer goes through phases like that.

    I gave away four items on BN:
    -3 pantry items we wouldn't use before the expiration date (or potentially ever)
    -A new running shirt that I received as a freebie when ordering running shoes. Doesn't fit properly.

    On a semi related note, I found out that I had about $50 of lost property via the state. Took the time to go through my filing cabinets to find the documentation I needed, uploaded everything to the site, and bonus, recycled some old papers I found while doing the project.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on December 21, 2023, 05:49:59 PM
    does finally giving away all the gifts we've been accumulating all year long count as purging???

    We don't "holiday shop" as much as we identify items for people in our lives all year, store them in the closet or attic and then in December wrap them and distribute them.  So this month we get a sizeable egress of stuff.  There's nothing like the excesses of the holiday season to make me want to get rid of EVERYTHING.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on December 21, 2023, 08:07:41 PM
    does finally giving away all the gifts we've been accumulating all year long count as purging???

    We don't "holiday shop" as much as we identify items for people in our lives all year, store them in the closet or attic and then in December wrap them and distribute them.  So this month we get a sizeable egress of stuff.  There's nothing like the excesses of the holiday season to make me want to get rid of EVERYTHING.

    Ha, I know the feeling!  You win if you give away more than you get.

    Today I successful regifted THREE presents to a friend and her son. She gave me ONE present. So I win. Well technically she gave me four little ones but in terms of total mass, I win. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on December 26, 2023, 11:25:59 AM
    Hey, getting the gifts out of the house counts. Thanks to the cat, all gifts were kept in protective custody, ie my closets. So I have a LOT more room in the closets now.

    I'm also going to replace the artificial Christmas tree. The one I have I bought used 6 years ago and it has always been bigger than I wanted. The old tree is in its box and a FB marketplace ad is up. (Took it down much earlier than usual because of the cat.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on December 27, 2023, 10:47:40 AM
    We are going to be doing some work on the house to insulate more of the areas that remain uninsulated. This means whole areas of storage have to be cleared out at least temporarily.

    DH has been a shredding monster. He is taking the last bankers box to a shredder place, our shredder keeps overheating and is struggling with more than 2 sheets at a time.

    We are now down to one banker's box of papers.

    I have pitched many boxes of duplicate photos and all the photos now fit in one place in the living room attomon. One more box of photo albums to go through. The box is from my Gramma's house but I only got it at Thanksgiving from my aunt. I am going to pull out the photos I want. I will offer it up to my siblings and cousins before I toss.

    I have gone through all the fabrics and notions and yarn and button stash. Much was directly from my Gramma's house. She died in 2000. I didn't even like much of it (or have any intention of making dolls or bridal wear). It is now consolidated into one single bin from four. All to my taste.  In my defense,  DD has been doing crafts for years with the finds from the box.

    DD has been doing a ton of sorting herself. I had to pull everything out of her closet for the energy auditor to get into the attic. Instead of piling it all back in she sorted it and has three huge bins to give away. 

    Our house feels so much lighter! I did not realize how much the overstuffed closets  cupboards shelves and drawers were bringing me down. Opening the linen closet and seeing neat stacks of pillow cases or towels is surprisingly pleasant.  It almost feels like a little voice says: aren't you a together homemaker/responsible adult.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on December 28, 2023, 05:51:26 PM
    This time of year I want to get rid of ALLLL my belongings and start over with 3 flannels and hoodies but alas... 

    I donated a bag of sweaters and I'm working on using up more toiletries as I type.  This weekend may be purgeapalooza. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on December 30, 2023, 07:50:03 AM
    My teens have decided to organize their rooms / go through their clothes. Yesterday, I was able to pass on a bunch of their clothes to a good friend who has similarly aged children! 

    I had also decided not to stress about purging and organizing too much over the holiday break. But, I did go through and organize my pj drawers the other day. I didn’t really get rid of much since I had gone through them a few months ago, but they are much better organized now.

    I’m thinking of going down to my basement today to see if I can make a little progress as it’s been about 3 weeks since I’ve done anything down there. I was sick with a bad cold and didn’t have the energy (and frankly no desire anyway).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 04, 2024, 08:08:37 AM
    4 small frying pans out, 2 to garbage, 2 to donation.  Being replaced with 2 the same size from a brand I really like.  So net loss, 2 frying pans.  Net gain, 2 frying pans I like and will use instead of giving space to 2 frying pans I didn't like and didn't use much.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 04, 2024, 08:13:02 AM
    2 glasses given to someone at work. I don't use them, they're probably 20/25 years old, but they are Disney. And she loves Disney.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 04, 2024, 08:17:19 AM
    2 glasses given to someone at work. I don't use them, they're probably 20/25 years old, but they are Disney. And she loves Disney.

    oops, at first I thought you meant eyeglasses.  Was wondering who would want 20 year old eyeglasses even if they're Disney, but then realized you meant drinking glasses .... duh
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 04, 2024, 08:25:08 AM
    2 glasses given to someone at work. I don't use them, they're probably 20/25 years old, but they are Disney. And she loves Disney.

    oops, at first I thought you meant eyeglasses.  Was wondering who would want 20 year old eyeglasses even if they're Disney, but then realized you meant drinking glasses .... duh

    Yep, drinking glasses. They probably originally came from McDonald's or Burger King or similar.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on January 04, 2024, 09:13:49 AM
    - We have a small box of things we received at Christmas that we're straight up not going to use; I'll be posting on my Buy Nothing group this weekend and hopefully passing them along to someone who WILL use them.

    - Exchanging a sweater I was gifted for an appropriate size; not really "clearing out" but actively ensuring the "stuff" we have is usable.

    - We're doing awesome at eating down our fridge/pantry. Dining out and food spoiling has been a constant battle for me, and we've been really great about being intentional with eating what we have and ensuring our pantry doesn't become a black hole.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sandi_k on January 04, 2024, 05:24:46 PM
    I did a 15 minute "grab and purge" in my closet this afternoon. Anything that I hadn't worn, didn't like the cut or color - went in the pile.

    Our local St. Vincent was "full" on clothes, and declined our bag full. But Goodwill took it!

    Next up: purses and shoes.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 04, 2024, 06:17:18 PM
    A gentleman came by to pick up some stuff that I posted on the Craigslist free section. While he was here, I asked him if he wanted lots of other stuff from our unwanted items pile and he did! So I got rid of at least a cubic yard of stuff including some large potted plants.  We're still not at par though... too much junk came in at Christmas.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Raenia on January 05, 2024, 06:45:13 AM
    Laid out all the scarves and hats we own and went through them. We actually had some hiding in a bin that were mine and my sister's from high school! What fashion choices... Have a nice pile for donation, and a smaller stack that I actually like and expect to wear. DH still needs to go through his side of the pile, but it's significant progress.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 05, 2024, 07:13:21 AM
    I heard on NPR yesterday that the average American has 300,000 items in their home ....! 
    Not sure if that's counting each paperclip or what, but it does continue to motivate to declutter.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 05, 2024, 10:48:06 AM
    I heard on NPR yesterday that the average American has 300,000 items in their home ....! 
    Not sure if that's counting each paperclip or what, but it does continue to motivate to declutter.

    No wonder why it feels like something is breaking every other day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on January 05, 2024, 11:49:40 AM
    Don't know if I posted this earlier but volunteering in an op shop is helping make me resist the lure of the new shiny thing.
    1- we throw out so much stuff! there's just Too Much Stuff in the world
    2- yes *this things* is very very cool but there will be more cool things next time I am working so I don't need to take it home
    3- just being around and handling Material Objects all day makes me a little exhausted and jaded by them. It's like inoculation.

    I am putting together a small pile of things to take in on my next shift.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 05, 2024, 12:15:20 PM
    Going to tackle the storage area under the stairs this weekend. DH just measured it for insulation.
    Tonight is the camping gear. DH built a storage area in the garage for weatherproof items to live when not in use. I will decide what goes in the garage, needs to stay in the house and what needs to be shared with other campers.
    Tomorrow is Christmas undecorating. More than half the decorations didn't see the light of day. Our house was plenty decorated. I will do the sorting when no one is around. What I give away will be missed by no one.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: getsorted on January 05, 2024, 02:36:30 PM
    Don't know if I posted this earlier but volunteering in an op shop is helping make me resist the lure of the new shiny thing.
    1- we throw out so much stuff! there's just Too Much Stuff in the world
    2- yes *this things* is very very cool but there will be more cool things next time I am working so I don't need to take it home
    3- just being around and handling Material Objects all day makes me a little exhausted and jaded by them. It's like inoculation.

    I am putting together a small pile of things to take in on my next shift.

    In college, I worked in a used book store that was run by someone who was a literal hoarder. It cured me of the urge to stockpile books forever. There will always be more books. Mountains of books.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 05, 2024, 03:37:46 PM
    Don't know if I posted this earlier but volunteering in an op shop is helping make me resist the lure of the new shiny thing.
    1- we throw out so much stuff! there's just Too Much Stuff in the world
    2- yes *this things* is very very cool but there will be more cool things next time I am working so I don't need to take it home
    3- just being around and handling Material Objects all day makes me a little exhausted and jaded by them. It's like inoculation.

    I am putting together a small pile of things to take in on my next shift.

    In college, I worked in a used book store that was run by someone who was a literal hoarder. It cured me of the urge to stockpile books forever. There will always be more books. Mountains of books.

    I somewhat curate and keep my old books, because the library doesn't carry them and finding them used can be expensive.  New books - library.  Reference books?  Library first, if I keep it until I can't renew it any more then I buy it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Tyson on January 05, 2024, 04:44:15 PM
    Don't know if I posted this earlier but volunteering in an op shop is helping make me resist the lure of the new shiny thing.
    1- we throw out so much stuff! there's just Too Much Stuff in the world
    2- yes *this things* is very very cool but there will be more cool things next time I am working so I don't need to take it home
    3- just being around and handling Material Objects all day makes me a little exhausted and jaded by them. It's like inoculation.

    I am putting together a small pile of things to take in on my next shift.

    In college, I worked in a used book store that was run by someone who was a literal hoarder. It cured me of the urge to stockpile books forever. There will always be more books. Mountains of books.

    I used to have a scarcity mentality and it definitely contributed to a overstuffed, chaotic home.  So glad I got past that.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 06, 2024, 09:46:12 PM
    Organized and decluttered my parent's house a bit. 2 bags of recyclable, empty containers removed from their house and put in the recycle bin at my house because dad will keep them forever because he might want to use them for something, but he will give to me if I ask for them. And a box which originally held the new door handle and lock but was repurposed to hold the old handle and lock was also snuck out by me and put in my garbage. No idea why it hadn't been tossed in 2021 when the handle was replaced. Moved around a bunch of books, getting a massive stack off my dad's dresser (I was kinda concerned that it was going to fall on him) and onto a bookcase. In the process, organized/consolidated/decluttered 2 shelves of stuff into 1 shelf, determined they need a dresser for storage in the tool room and 1-2 more shelves on a bookcase. Oh, and provided entertainment for their cats in the process.

    Messaged my neighbor, who is a bit of a hoarder, to ask if he had suitable lumber for shelves, and if he had a lead on a dresser. He thinks he has shelf lumber, so I may be able to declutter his garage a bit.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 08, 2024, 03:50:42 PM
    One of my goals for 2024 is to get rid of 500 items from our house, although seeing the post about 300,000 items in our house above suggests I should set the bar higher!

    So far, out of the house, we have (all given away via BN so far)
    -Outgrown ski pants
    -A colander we never use
    -Part of a business class flight amenity kit
    -A scarf
    -A reusable swap (replacement for Qtips). I had a goal a few years back of reducing my single use cosmetic items. I did, but opted for a different solution. This is brand new, and I was able to find someone who had the same goal & wanted to try this.
    -A bread machine + all of the parts
    -2 bags of unopened powdered sugar I bought for a holiday item & didn't end up needing. We never use this, so passing it along before it expires
    -A backpack, found on the bottom of a teen's closet
    -A new running hat (came with an order of running shoes)

    So, 9 items out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 08, 2024, 03:55:24 PM
    I am noticing how much easier it is to look at our stuff and decide to keep or pass along it is getting.  Still getting a great buzz when I open a closet or cupboard and it contains less than it did. I am also really bothered by the overstuffed areas. We must stop buying pantry items and eat what we have. There is no room!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on January 08, 2024, 04:13:46 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache , while I’d like to know the number of items that are leaving my house I find counting too tedious. If I had to estimate, I’d say that last year I got rid of at least 500 items. And, really I’m not aiming for a number but rather to reduce the items we just don’t need or have a use for…
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 09, 2024, 08:48:57 AM
    I go by volume rather than by number. Thus it's a big deal to get rid of a quilt or a treadmill, but not worth my time to go through a stack of letters. 
    However, it makes sense to declutter items that might bear psychological weight or which disrupt organization. Like if my file cabinet gets full, it means I should throw out old utility bills even if they don't take up that much space globally.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 09, 2024, 09:30:33 AM
    It's early in the year, so who knows how things will go as we get along further, but so far I'm finding the tracking motivating. While my ultimate goal is to get rid of things we don't need/use, sometimes the motivation of trying to look more closely at our stuff & come up with ten things in a day leads me to realize we have things we're not using that wouldn't have jumped out at me to start with.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 10, 2024, 06:51:26 PM
    Took everything off the fridge, evaluated if I wanted to keep it. Tossed some old papers, put some photos in the scan pile and put some things back. All the magnets survived :)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MayDay on January 12, 2024, 09:03:08 PM
    I cleaned out the hall closet!

    Threw away a trash bag of stuff (expired OTC meds, etc) and found a few donate items.

    It feels glorious every time I go to hunt for a bandaid.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on January 13, 2024, 07:18:34 AM
    Found myself with 4 days in a row where nothing is scheduled and I have nowhere to be. 
    So I've been going through my winter and summer clothes and already have 2 bags to donate and I'm only 1/2 through.

    I've been decluttering in bits and pieces for many months but this feels great doing it in one fell swoop.
    (related:  check out comedian Nate Bargatze on YouTube describing his spat with his wife about the term "one fell swoop" - hilarious!)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on January 13, 2024, 10:50:32 AM
    Found myself with 4 days in a row where nothing is scheduled and I have nowhere to be. 
    So I've been going through my winter and summer clothes and already have 2 bags to donate and I'm only 1/2 through.

    I've been decluttering in bits and pieces for many months but this feels great doing it in one fell swoop.
    (related:  check out comedian Nate Bargatze on YouTube describing his spat with his wife about the term "one fell swoop" - hilarious!)

    @LaineyAZ - Thank you for that reminder.  That bit is hilarious!!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on January 15, 2024, 12:05:31 AM
    I should resume decluttering in earnest. In the meantime, I have a small success to share.

    I had some cups that were part of a gift/promo set, which I gave to coworkers who promised to use them in place of the paper cups they'd been using. So far, they even seem to be using them.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 15, 2024, 05:33:15 PM
    I should resume decluttering in earnest. In the meantime, I have a small success to share.

    I had some cups that were part of a gift/promo set, which I gave to coworkers who promised to use them in place of the paper cups they'd been using. So far, they even seem to be using them.

    @crocheted_stache great double win (declutter & save the planet)!


    I've gone through all my bags and put half a dozen into the donation box (which will be donated when full). Same with water bottles.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 15, 2024, 06:17:13 PM
    We were out of town, so not much progress this weekend. But, today, I gave away a reusable sandwich bag (sandwich skins, I think they are called), & a full package of fiber supplements that my doctor recommended but were not the right solution for me.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rklsoptmst on January 17, 2024, 04:05:59 PM
    Finally sold a 168 piece set of "liberty blue" that was stored in the back barn since 2014 on FB marketplace. Problem was I remember its "worth" from when I owned an antique store, so it took some will to accept the true market value now. Barn space/head space freed up by knowing its gone = priceless!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 17, 2024, 04:33:56 PM
    @rklsoptmst - had to look up "liberty blue", but it's very lovely. Well done getting out of the barn & out of your head!

    I've been under the weather, so not very productive. I did go through our supplies today, and give away a six pack of soap that everyone universally was irritated by (skin irritation, that is) & an organic toilet cleaning product that didn't work with our hard water.

    21/500 (yearly goal) items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Leseratte on January 17, 2024, 05:30:53 PM
    I didn't read the whole thread, so I apologize if it has been posted before...

    I had to clean out my parents house to sell it, where  I actually had to pay some to haul away the stuff...

    Shortly after I stumbled over Jerry Seinfelds take on stuff...

    https://youtu.be/HfYzlSNHapA?si=joo5yGZ0RTAe1EFZ

    Ever since I hardly buy anything, because little Jerry is sitting on my shoulder asking me, if I really want to  spend that much money on  garbage?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 18, 2024, 08:41:24 AM
    Finally sold a 168 piece set of "liberty blue" that was stored in the back barn since 2014 on FB marketplace. Problem was I remember its "worth" from when I owned an antique store, so it took some will to accept the true market value now. Barn space/head space freed up by knowing its gone = priceless!

    Look up sunk cost fallacy, that might help you.

    Doesn't matter what it was worth 10 years ago. What matters is what it is worth today.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 18, 2024, 10:43:00 AM
    I didn't read the whole thread, so I apologize if it has been posted before...

    I had to clean out my parents house to sell it, where  I actually had to pay some to haul away the stuff...

    Shortly after I stumbled over Jerry Seinfelds take on stuff...

    https://youtu.be/HfYzlSNHapA?si=joo5yGZ0RTAe1EFZ

    Ever since I hardly buy anything, because little Jerry is sitting on my shoulder asking me, if I really want to  spend that much money on  garbage?

    @Leseratte funny and depressing!


    Last night I decluttered my spcie drawer. Got rid of a couple jars...why did I have them? I don't make/can my own spices, lol. (the answer is because I love jars and containers unreasonably).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: rockeTree on January 18, 2024, 11:22:14 AM
    Had a planned drop-off for a charity sale and made a last walk through the house - grabbed a couple more books, a flower pot, a puzzle, two knick nacks that I just have because I associate them with people (for whom I have other odds and ends mementoes I like better and that no one else would want, unlike these).
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on January 18, 2024, 09:14:47 PM
    After inventorying my food stash I ate some frozen shrimp 🍤 and a can of Chef Boyardee.   Neither one hit the spot exactly but were nourishment. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on January 19, 2024, 08:09:09 AM
    After a bit of a break, I went down to my basement last night and worked on putting away my Xmas decorations - I had boxed them all up, but hadn’t fully put them away. I also keep some small cardboard boxes that I reuse for wrapping gifts. So, I organized all of that back into the small closet that houses all my wrapping paper and gift bags. I labeled all the containers and organized everything so it’s more accessible. I recycled a small amount too. Finally, I took out the greeting cards and ribbons and put them in another spot that I had previously purged… everything is much more organized now. I also realized I never have to buy any gift bags, ribbons or wrapping paper ever again. I have more than enough!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 19, 2024, 03:15:27 PM
    @oneday - you inspired me to take all of those tiny packages of crushed pepper (that come with pizza) & add them all to our actual crushed red pepper spice container. Six packages gone & put back into use.

    I also found four shirts (two of mine, one from each kid) that won't get worn, and put them in the donation pile.

    25/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on January 19, 2024, 06:38:13 PM
    Great job, @MaybeBabyMustache!! You are inspiring me and I love to see the "ticker" update every few days!

    small progress here: not really getting rid of alot, but instead working through the stockpile of everyday things.  So it's really boring piddly stuff like finished off an old bottle of moisturizer, but I still like to see things leaving the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 20, 2024, 05:57:53 AM
    Last night I loaded up the contents of the deep freezers and pulled out some of the stuff I noticed that we will never eat. I usually save the decluttering to the reloading stage of the annual freezer defrosting. My goal is to get organized enough that I don't need two freezers. It may be unrealistic with the size of garden I have but managing 2 freezers takes a lot more band width.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 20, 2024, 05:03:36 PM
    Thanks, @Josiecat23503 - trying to keep myself motivated as well :-)

    -Sold two new Uniqlo hoodies that didn't fit the teens (bought in Japan, forgot about the sizing difference). $20 earned, and two more items out of the house.

    -27/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 21, 2024, 02:40:07 PM
    Found another of the toilet bowl cleaner that didn't work for us. My BN pickup person hadn't yet stopped by to pick up the other container, so I added the second container to the bag.

    28/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BlueHouse on January 21, 2024, 03:53:12 PM
    but he will give to me if I ask for them.
    I've been doing this with my mom for years.  Now that my mom is closer to dying, I'm finding I want to keep more of her things -- and more of the things she kept from her mom and her aunts. 
    Quote
    And a box which originally held the new door handle and lock but was repurposed to hold the old handle and lock was also snuck out by me and put in my garbage. No idea why it hadn't been tossed in 2021 when the handle was replaced.

    oh my.  I do this.  The first time I did it, I put the cheap ones back on when I moved and brought the newer ones to my new home. 
    The locks I have on my door now are those stupidly expensive electronic locks -- but they break and degrade in the sun.  I already rotated them to extend the life, but when the one on the front door goes, I'm done with that fancy shish.  There was nothing wrong with the old ones, so when these finally die, I'll probably just put the original locks back on.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on January 21, 2024, 10:52:40 PM
    Digging through a pile on it's way to being an organizational system, I realized there is no longer a need for the small, flimsy luggage trolly that was useful on more than one occasion. Into the box!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 22, 2024, 06:27:27 AM
    Heading out of town this am for a work trip, so did a quick sweep of the house to find stuff to get rid of.

    -1 pair of jeans & a pair of gifted flip flops to the donation pile
    -1 shoe box & 1 sunglasses box to the recycling

    32/500 items out of the house in 2024
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Agatha Thrifty on January 22, 2024, 07:28:08 AM
    Realized this weekend I could clear some space by getting rid of my Dilbert books!  That phase of my life is nearly over, and while for some time they helped me find humor and feel camaraderie in my situation, I am now way too demoralized for any of that, and anyway, Scott Adams is a loathsome human being.  So, all 18 lbs of those can go.  Also donating my Dave Barry books - just outgrown/not relevant.

    What stays: Calvin and Hobbes!  I have the full collection, and I am going to ration myself a few pages to read every day, in order, to remind myself of what the next phase of my life can be like.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on January 22, 2024, 08:03:30 AM
    There was a bankers box of old - really really old food in our two deep freezers. Food that I kept during last winter's freezer clean up. (FYI - when it is really cold, I put all the freezer contents out in a screen porch overnight)

    I got them both unloaded, defrosted and cleaned. With a lot of care I was able to consolidate everything into the upright freezer. Except the rice stash and a 20 pound pail of frozen cherries.

    The pail of sour cherries came frozen in 2021 and I didn't deal with it at the time. A 20 pound solid block of cherries in their own juice is a tad inconvenient for whipping up a cherry pie. I had sourced cherries a couple of weeks prior when I was told that my bulk order was not getting filled. Turns out my bulk order of 20# fresh pitted sour cherries was accidentally frozen. We have been eating all the cherries we wanted since without touching this big pail. Until now.

    Now I must sort something out before it warms up. I have some time as they are still frozen in the pail in the porch. It is going to stay below fridge temperature for the week. I am thinking I should try to re-freeze them in 4 cup servings.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on January 22, 2024, 08:12:03 AM
    but he will give to me if I ask for them.
    I've been doing this with my mom for years.  Now that my mom is closer to dying, I'm finding I want to keep more of her things -- and more of the things she kept from her mom and her aunts. 
    Quote
    And a box which originally held the new door handle and lock but was repurposed to hold the old handle and lock was also snuck out by me and put in my garbage. No idea why it hadn't been tossed in 2021 when the handle was replaced.

    oh my.  I do this.  The first time I did it, I put the cheap ones back on when I moved and brought the newer ones to my new home. 
    The locks I have on my door now are those stupidly expensive electronic locks -- but they break and degrade in the sun.  I already rotated them to extend the life, but when the one on the front door goes, I'm done with that fancy shish.  There was nothing wrong with the old ones, so when these finally die, I'll probably just put the original locks back on.

    If you feel the need to save empty peanut butter jars because they came from your mom's house, you need professional assistance to work through whatever is tangled up in your brain.

    If there's nothing wrong with it, then you maybe shouldn't have replaced it. In this case, the old handles and locks were damaged. Besides the fact that they looked terrible they also didn't work well. That house had been neglected for 20 years and it showed.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BlueHouse on January 22, 2024, 07:42:54 PM
    but he will give to me if I ask for them.
    I've been doing this with my mom for years.  Now that my mom is closer to dying, I'm finding I want to keep more of her things -- and more of the things she kept from her mom and her aunts. 
    Quote
    And a box which originally held the new door handle and lock but was repurposed to hold the old handle and lock was also snuck out by me and put in my garbage. No idea why it hadn't been tossed in 2021 when the handle was replaced.

    oh my.  I do this.  The first time I did it, I put the cheap ones back on when I moved and brought the newer ones to my new home. 
    The locks I have on my door now are those stupidly expensive electronic locks -- but they break and degrade in the sun.  I already rotated them to extend the life, but when the one on the front door goes, I'm done with that fancy shish.  There was nothing wrong with the old ones, so when these finally die, I'll probably just put the original locks back on.

    If you feel the need to save empty peanut butter jars because they came from your mom's house, you need professional assistance to work through whatever is tangled up in your brain.
    um, no.  These are things that were personal items or letters from relatives.  Things that in the past I had no interest in.   Letters and photos I digitize, but some things are just kind of cool when you find them and I kind of want to keep them to have someone else find them when I'm gone.  For instance, I just found a bakelite letter opener that was a giveaway from the Fuller Brush man.  And for some reason, I can't seem to get rid of my grandmother's gavel unless I find someone who can use it. 
    Quote
    If there's nothing wrong with it, then you maybe shouldn't have replaced it. In this case, the old handles and locks were damaged. Besides the fact that they looked terrible they also didn't work well. That house had been neglected for 20 years and it showed.
    I wanted keyless electronic locks.  And after someone lost a set of my keys, I had to replace the locks anyway.  I have never been dissatisfied, I just don't want to spend money to replace them.  But I like the keyless part so much that I want to take them with me when I leave.  That's part of why I keep the originals. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 26, 2024, 03:24:15 PM
    While I was traveling for work, one of my FB Marketplace items sold, and DH put it out on the porch. It was a back massager I purchased in desperation during COVID, but did nothing for me. Sold it for $25.

    33/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Poundwise on January 26, 2024, 09:44:46 PM
    um, no.  These are things that were personal items or letters from relatives.  Things that in the past I had no interest in.   Letters and photos I digitize, but some things are just kind of cool when you find them and I kind of want to keep them to have someone else find them when I'm gone.  For instance, I just found a bakelite letter opener that was a giveaway from the Fuller Brush man.  And for some reason, I can't seem to get rid of my grandmother's gavel unless I find someone who can use it. 
    Quote
    @BlueHouse  Have you thought of reaching out the local high school and asking if they have a Mock Trial club? Maybe they could use the gavel!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 27, 2024, 06:26:15 AM
    Recycled about 20 old paper documents. Found a sweatshirt to donate and an old raggedy dress from the former girl friend to throw out. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 27, 2024, 05:21:40 PM
    Listed a bunch of stuff on FB Marketplace, and one item on eBay.

    Went through a bit of our filing, and found two folders that can be shredded. I'm counting it as 15 items, even though there was a lot more individual papers than that.

    48/500 items out of the house My goal for January is 50 items, so I'm on track!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 28, 2024, 08:31:23 AM
    Went through my night stand drawer this morning:
    -Found about 25 cards to recycle
    -Tossed a very expired deodorant (it's the kind for excessive sweating, not just your regular stick deodorant)
    -Also found an old kids art project that I tossed

    I'm counting all of this as 7 items out of the house (5 for the cards, as I try not to count paper as a one for one & 2 for the other items).

    55/500 items out of the house. I've now achieved my January goal of 50!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 28, 2024, 08:37:50 AM
    Counting as decluttering. I was waiting for the perfect day to remove the Christmas lights from my bush. Always too wet, too windy, etc. It was damp today, but I just went ahead and did it. Dried them in the house, then bagged them up, one strand per bag, to minimize the untangling misery. Put the bags in the closet with the other Christmas stuff.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FrugalShrew on January 28, 2024, 07:09:48 PM
    2 bags of stuff to the thrift store, including 2 more pairs of shoes from before I transitioned to barefoot shoes and several pairs of thick winter socks. I now have some wool and alpaca socks that are much warmer.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 28, 2024, 07:13:49 PM
    @slackmax - I'd definitely count that! Well done.

    I went through a few more things today:
    -Tossed three expired OTC medicines. Rinsed containers & recycled.
    -Sold a pair of new running shoes (somehow ordered the wrong size, somehow, & didn't notice until my current running shoes were needing to be replaced. I buy ahead) on eBay. Listed & sold in one day. Probably under priced, but glad to have them out of the house.
    -Listed a few more things on BN
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 29, 2024, 07:31:16 PM
    I'm trying to devote 10-15 mintues/day to small clean ups & an hour on weekends for things that take more time.

    -Sold an ice cream maker, and added in a Ben & Jerrys recipe book
    -Tossed a bunch of expired sunblock
    -Recycled some old Sonicare covers for ones we don't have any more
    -Gave away 3 samples on BN

    73/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on January 30, 2024, 03:33:21 PM
    The Girl Friend was talking about moving plates and glasses  around in the kitchen cabinets, reorganizing. Seemed like a lot of work so I said 'You know, we have way too much stuff here anyway. Why don't I just move half of it upstairs and out of the way?'

    She agreed. I ended up donating some of the never-used and ugly stuff, and moved some upstairs to use later or sell at flea market this Spring.

    Now have some breathing room in those cabinets.

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 30, 2024, 06:02:06 PM
    Nice work, slackmax.

    I had another taker on BN for more toiletries we won't use. (3 mini lotions, 2 dental flosses - we prefer a different type, & one foot lotion).

    79/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 02, 2024, 09:02:36 AM
    Donated three blankets we don't need.

    82/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on February 02, 2024, 02:30:24 PM
    Wow @MaybeBabyMustache -- you are on a tear!!!

    We have only made small bits of progress here; mostly shredding and using up items as opposed to giving them away, but still trimming down the stash while growing the 'stache.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on February 03, 2024, 03:24:34 PM
    - A ripped pair of jeans and a poorly-fitting kids' backpack (swag from daycare that we didn't really want) in the textile recycling bag. [Also a (very old) swimsuit, but that's actually being replaced so I don't feel like it is *technically* decluttering! :)]
    - Gifting our old potty training toilet to a family in our BN group.
    - FINALLY finished an old lotion! I think they one I'm on now was a holiday gift from at least two years ago!

    At this point, I'm feeling pretty great about the amount of "stuff" we have. We definitely have some work to do in our basement, but otherwise we have what we need and not terribly much more. We're not complete minimalists, but we're not exploding at the gills and it doesn't seem there's much that we hold onto that is truly clutter.

    (I do wish we could let go of some more toys that are a bit young for my kiddos, but I want them involved in that process and, honestly, they're not there yet.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 03, 2024, 05:33:44 PM
    Went through my parent's file box and pulled out a stack of paper about 6 inches high that is no longer needed. I had done a full purge in 2021 on that box.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 03, 2024, 08:36:27 PM
    I hosted a gathering at my house & we had a bunch of leftover supplies. (It was a poster making party for senior athletes). I immediately posted the extra glue sticks on BN, bagged up soccer stickers & school logos that can be used for next year & found another parent who will take those, & sent the extra pizza home with other parents.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on February 03, 2024, 08:49:23 PM
    I recycled to a local business some drink thingies I was given by mistake.   Then the end is in sight for a crocheted afghan I’ve been working on since MLK Day that is using a yarn color I’m not crazy about…it’s variegated but not interestingly enough to be pleasing to my eye. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on February 04, 2024, 12:08:40 AM
    Got a couple of previously-listed Buy Nothing gifts the rest of the way out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 04, 2024, 04:04:49 PM
    I haven’t posted here in a bit. I haven’t made significant progress in my basement. However, I did get rid of over 50 pieces of clothing that my youngest outgrew since the beginning of the year. All to a BN group, with some of it going to Ukrainian refuges. I also gave them a piece of kitchenware that was in my storage area. Additionally, my youngest had a little party in the basement yesterday and as she was preparing for it she exclaimed “wow, mommy you’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff!”. This, coupled with being able to easily find all the party decorations, plates, cups, etc. for her made me quite pleased.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 04, 2024, 05:14:50 PM
    @LeftA - nice work!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Captain FIRE on February 05, 2024, 03:34:21 PM
    Victory! I bought my kid a present for Christmas that I then misplaced. No worries, I can give it to him for his birthday, right? I hunted all over, decluttering as I went. Gave up hope only to find it the night before I needed it. Losing things is good motivation to declutter. I managed to find about 5 missing things (including 1 i didn't remember was lost).  Only 1 known missing item remaining to be found, but at this point I'm wondering if I accidentally threw it out. At least that one was only $6

    Some of the items removed from the house include:
    - 26 pairs of kid shoes/boots mostly donated to Ukraine (along with a plastic bag of health care supplies and candles)
    - a garbage bag full of worn out clothing
    - 4 winter jackets, 6 hoodies/sweaters
    - 2 grocery bags of stuffies
    - 1 small box and 2 grocery bags of kid clothing
    - 1 small bag of bath toys
    - ~10 grocery bags of kid toys
    - 1 bag of kid sheets/blankets
    - 1 plastic bag of wall stickers
    - 2 branded lunch bags from a toxic workplace (does NOT inspire joy to look at, so this was a major emotion lift getting it out)
    - some books, nylons and odds and ends to visiting family members
    - thick chair cushion
    - 2 big floor puzzles

    Alas, incoming (from the same free site/neighbors) during this time:
    - 2 grocery bags of toys
    - 4 winter coats
    and a bunch of Christmas/birthday presents

    Saga to continue as this effort while stressful, has ultimately also been inspirational...

    What are your declutter motivations? Mine:
    - Finding lost items
    - Freedom from negative emotions when looking around house
    - More restful house not looking at clutter
    - Easier to clean house
    - More space for kids' new clothes'/interests
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 05, 2024, 04:13:22 PM
    My primary motivation is making it easier to clean/manage, partly because in Sydney you can get mould from the humidity. Add in the salty sea air where I am and the fewer things you have, the fewer things there are to maintain.

    I also love the look of clear surfaces and floors. Unfortunately my husband doesn't!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 05, 2024, 04:53:08 PM
    That's some serious decluttering, @Captain FIRE - well done!

    Went through our filing drawer to find a few tax statements. Found those, but also found our ski season passes that I searched our entire house for before a ski trip a month or so ago. We got them reissued, but I have no idea who they ended up there. I guess I'll shred these. I also found a handful of papers to shred.

    Separately, I listed a luggage tag on eBay, and made more decluttering progress:
    -Found two incomplete deck of cards, which I tossed
    -Gave away two tshirts & a book
    -Recycled an old language lesson book that was marked through

    88/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 05, 2024, 07:13:31 PM
    Thanks @MaybeBabyMustache! You are almost at 100 items gone. Keep it up!

    @Captain FIRE , WTG! That’s some serious purging. I got serious about decluttering when I changed jobs last year and finally had the mental energy and more time to devote to the process. My motivation is to let go of the past and feel less encumbered by the sheer amount of stuff we have. I was someone who kept A LOT and also got stuck with other people’s stuff (for many reasons). Apart from the basement and storage area, my house is now in really good shape - this is after months of purging and organizing one space at a time.


    Today I worked on the my basement staircase. Lots of miscellaneous piles - for example, random stuff from when I decluttered youngest child’s closet a few month ago (!), a pile of papers, empty small boxes, etc. As a result, I’ve got a few things to donate, posted a bunch of stuff on BN that someone wanted - I was sure it was going to go to the landfill! Small amount went to trash or recycling. Feels good to have that done, as it was there for way too long and makes the basement a more inviting space overall.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 05, 2024, 07:50:32 PM
    My DD is borrowing my shredder, she has piles to shred, and plans to keep it for a month or so.  Yay her!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: draco44 on February 05, 2024, 09:01:55 PM
    Today I gave away some music books to a Buy Nothing person who can hopefully use them more than I did. I'm happy to share the wealth and get back to focusing on the hobbies that now take up more of my energy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Frugal Lizard on February 07, 2024, 07:17:40 AM
    DH ended up hauling 2 bankers boxes to staples for shredding.  He had been shredding and shredding with my little shredder. It is now only able to shred one sheet at a time for about 20 minutes tops. It then over heats.

    In the interest of preserving it for the enwry now and then single sheet shred, he paid Staples to shred the rest.

    I refroze 6 4-cup portions of sour cherries. Between a deep lasagne pan of tart cherry crisp and canning a load of cherry juice by hot bath, the 20 pound lump of cherries is now manageable.

    This past weekend I dealt with the sewing machine cabinet. I am going to take the old sewing machine in to see if it can be serviced.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on February 07, 2024, 07:45:11 AM
    A related question:  a retired friend who was downsizing scanned four 4-drawer file cabinets of paper.  She organized them in categories so they could be searched. 
    Everything is now digitized and she was able to get rid of the file cabinets but for those who have done something similar, I'm wondering - Was it worth it?  Do you actually use the digitized files? 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on February 07, 2024, 07:48:58 AM
    Looking for stuff to get rid of. Slim pickings.

    Donated 2 drinking glasses with Superman decals to Goodwill. I was going to sell them for $1 each at the flea market, but decided just to get rid of them.

    Also recycled 5 metal keys I was holding onto, but now am 99.9% sure I won't need them.

    Went through some financial paperwork from years gone by, and found about a half pound worth to recycle.

    Selected a few more technical books I have tried hard enough to sell, will donate them to library.

    Hoping to find one of those 'already decluttered this area' places in the house that now has stuff I can allow myself to get rid of.   
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 07, 2024, 12:26:52 PM
    @RetiredAt63 , how old is your DD? I feel like Gen Y and younger should have so much less paper since so much went digital in the last 20 years…

    @draco44 , that’s a great attitude to have IMO.

    @LaineyAZ , I personally couldn’t be bothered to do that. Once I’m done shredding old papers, I don’t think I will have four drawers. What you need to keep in print is quite limited these days.  I’d rather just keep the filing cabinet that I have and store what I need in it, then have to scan them all and manage them digitally. 

     @slackmax , ah to one day be where you are with the slim pickings!!

    AFM, thanks to who ever mentioned Dana K. White when I posted about being a bit burned out from purging. I took the needed break and then listened to a couple of her videos. It REALLY helped me get unstuck! Yesterday, I decisively went through an entire desk (more like a wall unit & desk combo) in my basement. There is almost nothing in it or on it anymore! It feels so good!

    My donation bag (mainly from throughout the basement) is currently at about 100 items. So a loose tally for the year is now 150 items out of my house since the beginning of 2024.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 07, 2024, 02:18:38 PM
    @RetiredAt63 , how old is your DD? I feel like Gen Y and younger should have so much less paper since so much went digital in the last 20 years…

    She is in her 30s.

    I too love Dana K. White. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 09, 2024, 09:23:56 AM
    I gave away a stack of magazines to a neighbour who is using them for a craft and found a few more things to add to the donate pile, so now I’m at ~170 items gone.

    I’ve spent the last couple of evenings organizing my books and going through papers in the basement. I have identified over 50 books to get rid of. I was going to take them to a used book store that buys books. However, after calling them, I don’t think it’s worth it. They are very selective (likely ti only accept a small portion of mine), don’t pay much for each book and it’s not particularly close to my house. All of the used bookstores in my area seem to have closed…I may just donate them all to my local goodwill type place, although I may try listing some on my BN group first.



    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 09, 2024, 04:51:37 PM
    Since November:


    New:
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 09, 2024, 06:19:12 PM
    -Sold luggage tags
    -Donated back cloth napkins that I picked up on BN, but we never used (we have other sets, and do indeed use cloth napkins)

    97/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on February 09, 2024, 07:01:35 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache- you are crushing it!!

    Super small progress here.  DS had me sell a video game on EBAY for him.  I have identified a raincoat to list.  Had someone on BN group ghost me for some old magazines, but will repost and I'm sure that they will find a home.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on February 10, 2024, 08:22:55 PM
    I certainly should do a counter, someday, but I don't think I have the bandwidth to do that much or that consistently.

    Today's tiny piece of progress: answered an ask in the Buy Nothing group for a small canister. I had one gathering dust in the pantry, holding a little long-overdue grain that badly needed to go. It's clean now. It'll go out tomorrow to a new home a few streets over.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 11, 2024, 03:09:12 PM
    Put a bunch of items in the donation pile, as they didn't get picked up off of BN:
    -2 gym lanyards
    -4 cinch sacks
    -Cropped workout pants
    -Face cloths
    -Yoga mat
    -Ref jersey

    Sold a race shirt on eBay.

    108/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 12, 2024, 07:41:27 AM
    I spent about 5 hours in the basement yesterday. I got a lot done! I went through 10 spaces, purging and organizing as I went. I only had a small (think plastic produce bag) of garbage, I recycled a bunch and identified more to donate. My rough count is 200 donation items since the beginning of the year. DH did a drop off yesterday during the day, so my current donate pile is quite small (~20 items). I also had 3 BN pick ups between Saturday morning and this morning. I’m now down to 9 spaces in my basement - I’d say the vast majority is a mix of papers (will mainly be shredded or recycled) and kid’s clothes and toys. The basement is over 1000 square feet so this is a major accomplishment!

    Once the basement is done, the only spaces left in my house are the storage area and a small cold space. Last year I purged about 30% of my storage area, so at least I’m not starting at the very beginning. Also, I’m truly ready to get rid of A LOT. As for the cold space, I’m doing it in the spring when “large item” trash collection begins again. I also have a few items there that my neighbours may want in our BN group. I’m starting to feel that this project of purging my entire house can be finished this year!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 12, 2024, 01:12:27 PM
    Since November:


    New:

    The stool is not getting any interest on BN, I may have to put it on some other platforms too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 13, 2024, 07:12:30 AM
    @oneday , can you just give the stool to your local goodwill?

    Last night I went into my storage area. I spent over 2 hours in there. I started out strong, but as I progressed I started to get overwhelmed. I didn’t realize what DH and our 2 children stuffed into the space - so many outgrown and mismatched toys! I have a lot more work ahead of me than I thought :(

    I started to get overwhelmed after a while. I was doubting my progress since there is still so much in there…but the 2 large bag of donations, a large pile of recycling and 1/2 of a large trash bag of stuff shows otherwise. I also took before and after pictures, which are helpful to confirm the progress I made. Anyway, this is years’ worth of stuff, so it’s going to take many sessions like yesterday to finish.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 13, 2024, 05:45:15 PM
    DS17 agreed to get rid of some stuff in his closet, so that yielded:
    -10 medals to donation
    -2 plushies to BN

    I also tossed some old toiletries, and recycled the containers.

    123/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on February 13, 2024, 06:44:02 PM
    I went over to my Mum's this morning and we spent a nice hour or so going through her parent's jewellery (almost all costume, now sorted) while she told me stories. I did clear out a solid armload of children's books that all her grandchildren have outgrown, some dusty calendars from 2015 with nothing written in them and a board game that no one has played in 30+ years. So she had a good time and now there is another clear shelf in her house. Just need to do this for every week for the next 10 years :D
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Josiecat22222 on February 14, 2024, 04:24:07 AM
    @mspym- that sounds like a lovely day for both you and your mom!!

    I empathize with the need to help a parent clear out the cupboards.  Every time I visit my Dad, I cannot believe that he still has the beach towels my sister and I picked out 40 years ago.  Every surface is littered with junk.  Not dirty, thankfully, just an accumulation of shit he and his wife buy on Amazon that occupies every horizontal surface.  UGH.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: FireLane on February 14, 2024, 08:10:20 AM
    I have a box in my attic that stores paper tax returns going back over ten years, statements for the mortgage I paid off in 2018, and other old financial papers I've hung onto for no good reason.

    I've started purging them. I'm digitizing the tax returns with the Genius Scan app (thanks @solon for that suggestion, it works great) and shredding the paper copies.

    I doubt if I even need electronic copies of records so old. But it only takes a few minutes, and who knows - on the less than 1% chance I need them again, I'll be glad I went to the trouble.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 14, 2024, 08:56:03 AM
    @mspym- that sounds like a lovely day for both you and your mom!!

    I empathize with the need to help a parent clear out the cupboards.  Every time I visit my Dad, I cannot believe that he still has the beach towels my sister and I picked out 40 years ago.  Every surface is littered with junk.  Not dirty, thankfully, just an accumulation of shit he and his wife buy on Amazon that occupies every horizontal surface.  UGH.

    I sympathize about the junk.

    I still have the beach towel I bought in Hawaii in 2002.  Not quite as old as your Dad's.  It is still in good shape, and has memories, not heading for the donation pile anytime soon.   ;-)

    2 books your Dad might find useful, if he is inclined to actually read them.

    Let it go, by Peter Walsh (yes, from Clean Sweep).
    The Swedish Art of Death Cleaning.  My favourite.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 14, 2024, 09:33:07 AM
    I spent another work day evening in my storage area. This one was much more productive than the previous evening. I focused on purging a number of items that I had been storing and then organizing the rest, including adding labels to items or shelves. I purged about 15 items, but many were larger items so that opened a good amount of space. (count for year is about 215 items gone).

    Now that I’ve made some progress in this large overwhelming space in my house, I’ve broken it down into more specific areas/tasks. In total, there are 33 and I’ve now completed 14 of them.

    For the first time in 20 years, I feel like one day I’ll have a home free of the burden of stuff (including other people’s stuff)! It only took just over 7 months of sustained effort, but I’ll take it! While it’s been a lot of physical effort and time, the biggest thing has been the mental work I’ve done to be able to let so much go!

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 14, 2024, 10:07:02 AM
    @LeftA, what a positive step, and love that you're seeing the vision of how this can soon be for your house!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 15, 2024, 09:41:43 AM
    For the first time in 20 years, I feel like one day I’ll have a home free of the burden of stuff (including other people’s stuff)! It only took just over 7 months of sustained effort, but I’ll take it! While it’s been a lot of physical effort and time, the biggest thing has been the mental work I’ve done to be able to let so much go!

    This is beautiful :)


    In other news, I may follow your advice. There was an issue with a BN person picking up the stool and now it is full of bad feelings. If it's not gone by the weekend, it *will* go to the thrift shop.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 15, 2024, 10:33:07 AM
    Awe, thanks @MaybeBabyMustache and @oneday !

    @oneday , no one needs bad feelings when giving away things!

    Yesterday was a busy workday, but I still managed to get through a few additional spaces in my storage area, bringing the completed spaces to 18 out of 33.

    Also, this morning I opened drawers of a dresser in my basement that I was sure needed purging and was pleasantly surprised to find, all but 2, had already been done! It’s a dresser with 8 small drawers, so was really happy that I don’t have much to do there. Many of the drawers were empty or almost empty which means I could put stuff I want to keep that are in boxes and get rid of them from my storage area!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 16, 2024, 07:10:44 PM
    I had another good day.

    In the basement, I cleared out 3 spaces - 1 was a monster and took a lot of effort. In the storage area, I went through 2 boxes; 1 large and 1 medium. I’ve listed >20 things on my BN group.

    So, now I’m down to only 7 spaces in my basement. I’ve completed over 40 areas here, so I’m finally nearing the end!

    In the storage area, I’ve done 21 areas with 12 more to go. However, I know that it’s going to end up being more than 12 as I continue to make my way through it…
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on February 17, 2024, 07:19:13 AM
    LeftA,
    Fantastic progress and it has to feel great just to see the clean empty spaces.     I'm wondering if you, or others here, ever watch those YouTube videos showing people cleaning out very messy or hoarder houses? 
    I know for some it's too revolting but for others it's inspiring.   Whatever works ...
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 17, 2024, 10:02:55 AM
    Years ago when my Mom was still alive, we would go to the thrift stores to poke around. I would see something nice and would show her and tell her I liked it. She would always tell me to buy it and put it in a corner! I told her Mom, I ran out of corners 20 years ago! Right now I have about 16 garbage bags of stuff I am donating to Vietnam Vets. They were supposed to pick up a few days ago but I cancelled them out due to the snow storm. 16 bags is nothing! I have so much stuff to hoe out!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 17, 2024, 10:45:44 AM
    Bag of clothing and misc items ready to go to thrift store. Bag of stuff ready to go to animal shelter.

    Also stopped being lazy and put some stuff where it belongs, rather than leaving it out.

    There will be a decent amount of stuff leaving the house this week, going to my sister. Including, amusingly enough, multiple bags of plastic grocery bags. Where she lives, single use plastic bags aren't a thing anymore except what else are you supposed to use to clean the litterbox? (That is a real question if you have an answer. I have never figured it out.) So plastic grocery bags from the midwest are going to the east coast.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 17, 2024, 11:44:38 AM
    Including, amusingly enough, multiple bags of plastic grocery bags. Where she lives, single use plastic bags aren't a thing anymore except what else are you supposed to use to clean the litter box? (That is a real question if you have an answer. I have never figured it out.) So plastic grocery bags from the midwest are going to the east coast.

    I have answers!  We haven't had single use plastic bags here for a while.

    I used to use the single use dog poop bags for cleaning the litter box.  I bought the widest I could find, so the scoop fit in easily, no spills.  They don't hold much, so the litter box got cleaned every day.  Then they went in the garbage.

    Here we can put it in the green waste.  So I put a green waste bag in a waste basket and clean into it.  Fold over the bag in between so it doesn't smell.  Put it in the green waste when it is half full (they get heavy and I don't trust the bag to be sturdy enough if it is full).  Works beautifully.

    However, single use plastic bags are great for picking up all the winter dog poop when the snow starts to melt in the yard where the dog has been going all winter.  They are better than kitchen garbage bags because they have handles.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 17, 2024, 01:19:47 PM
    Bag of clothing and misc items ready to go to thrift store. Bag of stuff ready to go to animal shelter.

    Also stopped being lazy and put some stuff where it belongs, rather than leaving it out.

    There will be a decent amount of stuff leaving the house this week, going to my sister. Including, amusingly enough, multiple bags of plastic grocery bags. Where she lives, single use plastic bags aren't a thing anymore except what else are you supposed to use to clean the litterbox? (That is a real question if you have an answer. I have never figured it out.) So plastic grocery bags from the midwest are going to the east coast.

    I use either bread bags or empty zip top cat/dog food bags if they're not too big.  They seal in the smell for a few days and are wide at the top.  Plus, they're going to be thrown out anyway.

    We can no longer access plastic garbage bags either and they went from being a scourge to being valued.  I think long and hard before I use up my remaining few.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 17, 2024, 02:53:38 PM
    Minimal progress, but a little here & there:
    -Donated a bra that doesn't fit
    -Gave away a passport cover on BN
    -Tossed three containers of expired medicine (maybe my mom bought when she was here, years & years ago?). Recycled packaging.
    -Donated a workout tank top. I don't like the cut/fabric, as it chafes when I run.

    128/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 17, 2024, 07:30:01 PM
    Since November:


    New:

    Time to start a new box?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 18, 2024, 09:04:16 AM
    Thanks @LaineyAZ , it does feel good. But, even with getting rid of so much, we still have quite a bit. This is especially true in the basement and storage. However, the last few months I’ve started taking before and after pictures. It really makes the progress very apparent!

    @Roadrunner53 , if 16 bags is nothing, good for you for letting go of such a large amount to start!

    @Sibley , apart from the plastic bags why is so much being sent to your sister? Where I am, plastic bags are not being given out at stores any longer. But, you can still purchase smaller ones for garbages purposes. But, who wants to buy them when you used to be able to get them for free?!

    @SunnyDays , I can relate. I also ration those plastic bags, lol.

    @MaybeBabyMustache , every little bit contents. I might have to abandon the counting items. I was at about 215 items, but then I got rid of a lot of paper - shredded and recycled it. How do you count that?!

    @oneday , lol at “stool of guilt & anger”.

    AFM, I got 3 more things done in the basement yesterday. I gave away a wooden dollhouse, with its accompanying furniture and dolls. I went through a box of papers. And, finally I went through a box of miscellaneous items, mainly papers and small toys. The box had been housed in our family room for years and was recently moved to the basement. This leaves me with ONLY 5 spaces/areas to go in my entire ~1000 square foot basement!! If I break it down into categories of types of things it is: books, rugs and papers. The first two will take awhile because I need to drive to a donation place further away or put them out for large garbage collection which only starts again in April. The paper will be worked on again later today when my youngest wraps up their birthday party - it’s a sleepover and the kids are still sleeping! I’ll likely need a few separate sessions to get through this because of the volume and also my stamina for paper is poor.

    In terms of storage, I’m really excited as I found someone to take the baby clothes and shoes! I’ve got a few boxes of these left (not much of any other age left, thankfully) so this will make room for things I actually want to keep in my storage area.





    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 18, 2024, 09:13:35 AM
    @LeftA - I don't actually count the paper, other than as something representative. For each file I went through & cleaned out, I assigned it a value of "1".
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 18, 2024, 10:04:31 AM
    @Sibley , apart from the plastic bags why is so much being sent to your sister? Where I am, plastic bags are not being given out at stores any longer. But, you can still purchase smaller ones for garbages purposes. But, who wants to buy them when you used to be able to get them for free?!

    I'm going there anyway, so it makes sense to move stuff around as needed. This is stuff that would just be dropped off if she were local, but since she's not it gets stored up until someone is making the trip.

    There's a large bag my mom got for the UK trip last year but otherwise has no need for which my sister can use, so I'm taking that. Everything except the bags will fit into that one bag, so it's not big stuff. Bottle of wine which I do actually like but which is bigger than I will ever drink, so I'm taking it for her to share (it was a gift). I'll be seeing a friend so taking gifts for her and her daughter. Couple random little things that I have which I don't need and sister can use. The bags of bags are by far the bulkiest item. In return, I'll be bringing back some cat stuff which her cat is not interested in, between my 2 and my parent's 2, someone will like it.

    As for the litter box bag ideas - the bread I'm getting the bags are so thin and cheap I'm having to rebag the bread frequently, so they will not work for litter at all. And zip top cat food bags? Haven't seen that, so not an option. I could get the doggie bags but realistically I'd probably end up using more plastic than the actual grocery plastic bags. Don't have green waste pickup in my area. Realistically, if I had to switch I'd get a small trash can with a tight lid, put some sort of really thick trash bag in it and use that for a week at a time. Or, just forego the bag and have to wash the trash can out after dumping it straight into the big can outside.

    Now, off to declutter some dirt in the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 18, 2024, 10:50:46 AM
    Bag of clothing and misc items ready to go to thrift store. Bag of stuff ready to go to animal shelter.

    Also stopped being lazy and put some stuff where it belongs, rather than leaving it out.

    There will be a decent amount of stuff leaving the house this week, going to my sister. Including, amusingly enough, multiple bags of plastic grocery bags. Where she lives, single use plastic bags aren't a thing anymore except what else are you supposed to use to clean the litterbox? (That is a real question if you have an answer. I have never figured it out.) So plastic grocery bags from the midwest are going to the east coast.

    I use either bread bags or empty zip top cat/dog food bags if they're not too big.  They seal in the smell for a few days and are wide at the top.  Plus, they're going to be thrown out anyway.

    We can no longer access plastic garbage bags either and they went from being a scourge to being valued.  I think long and hard before I use up my remaining few.

    Where are you that you cannot access plastic garbage bags and why? What do you put your garbage in?
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 18, 2024, 08:27:29 PM
    Bag of clothing and misc items ready to go to thrift store. Bag of stuff ready to go to animal shelter.

    Also stopped being lazy and put some stuff where it belongs, rather than leaving it out.

    There will be a decent amount of stuff leaving the house this week, going to my sister. Including, amusingly enough, multiple bags of plastic grocery bags. Where she lives, single use plastic bags aren't a thing anymore except what else are you supposed to use to clean the litterbox? (That is a real question if you have an answer. I have never figured it out.) So plastic grocery bags from the midwest are going to the east coast.

    I use either bread bags or empty zip top cat/dog food bags if they're not too big.  They seal in the smell for a few days and are wide at the top.  Plus, they're going to be thrown out anyway.

    We can no longer access plastic garbage bags either and they went from being a scourge to being valued.  I think long and hard before I use up my remaining few.

    Where are you that you cannot access plastic garbage bags and why? What do you put your garbage in?

    Pretty sure SunnyDays is referring to the single use plastic grocery bags, not the kitchen trash bags you buy at the store.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 19, 2024, 09:55:36 AM
    Bag of clothing and misc items ready to go to thrift store. Bag of stuff ready to go to animal shelter.

    Also stopped being lazy and put some stuff where it belongs, rather than leaving it out.

    There will be a decent amount of stuff leaving the house this week, going to my sister. Including, amusingly enough, multiple bags of plastic grocery bags. Where she lives, single use plastic bags aren't a thing anymore except what else are you supposed to use to clean the litterbox? (That is a real question if you have an answer. I have never figured it out.) So plastic grocery bags from the midwest are going to the east coast.

    I use either bread bags or empty zip top cat/dog food bags if they're not too big.  They seal in the smell for a few days and are wide at the top.  Plus, they're going to be thrown out anyway.

    We can no longer access plastic garbage bags either and they went from being a scourge to being valued.  I think long and hard before I use up my remaining few.

    Where are you that you cannot access plastic garbage bags and why? What do you put your garbage in?

    Pretty sure SunnyDays is referring to the single use plastic grocery bags, not the kitchen trash bags you buy at the store.

    Yes, exactly.  Canada banned them last year, along with plastic straws.  We can still buy kitchen trash bags, but they have no handles, so not as useful.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 19, 2024, 10:39:55 AM
    I am in Connecticut, USA and the stores no longer bag groceries in plastic bags either. They passed the law a few years ago. Not all states have passed the law yet.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on February 19, 2024, 10:45:54 AM
    Yes, exactly.  Canada banned them last year, along with plastic straws.  We can still buy kitchen trash bags, but they have no handles, so not as useful.

    And speaking of unintended consequences, what about the elderly or disabled who CAN'T drink from a cup and need a straw to drink safely? What are they supposed to do? Die of dehydration or aspiration?

    I completely understand the problems created by single use plastics. But those single use plastics also solved problems, and sometimes very serious problems. It's not as easy as "ban single use plastic because BAD". If you want to ban the single use plastics, you also need to come up with solutions for all the problems that are suddenly going to pop up again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 19, 2024, 12:17:16 PM
    Yes, exactly.  Canada banned them last year, along with plastic straws.  We can still buy kitchen trash bags, but they have no handles, so not as useful.

    And speaking of unintended consequences, what about the elderly or disabled who CAN'T drink from a cup and need a straw to drink safely? What are they supposed to do? Die of dehydration or aspiration?

    I completely understand the problems created by single use plastics. But those single use plastics also solved problems, and sometimes very serious problems. It's not as easy as "ban single use plastic because BAD". If you want to ban the single use plastics, you also need to come up with solutions for all the problems that are suddenly going to pop up again.

    I do agree on the straws but there is a solution if someone has this issue. On Amazon they sell a travel straw that is collapsible and could hang on a keyring. It also comes with a tiny brush to clean it. If anyone needs this information this is the name of the item on Amazon: Reusable Metal Straws Collapsible Stainless Steel Straws with Cleaning Brush and Storage Case Portable Collapsible Straws with a Case for Travel Home Metal Straws Drinking

    There are a variety of other stainless steel straws on Amazon and other websites. I personally bought some glass straws years back but don't recommend them. Glass is fragile. I wish I had not bought them.

    In the scheme of things, straws don't seem to be the boogie man. There are tons of plastic items that are much larger and have a larger footprint in the landfills.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on February 19, 2024, 01:43:38 PM
    Plastic straws have been replaced with paper ones.  They work fine for a single drink but not beyond that.  Th problem is that unless it's put into recycling, it just ends up in a bought plastic kitchen trash bag, where it still doesn't decompose.  Metal straws are sold a lot of places too.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sandi_k on February 19, 2024, 04:56:30 PM
    We bought rubber straws a couple of years ago at our local BevMo. We toss them in the dishwasher, and cut them in half for shorter cocktail glasses.

    Much better than a paper straw.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on February 19, 2024, 08:54:28 PM
    Cleared up the garage & yard at the weekend. Two bikes to a charity, bunch of metal and cardboard to recycling. Still another couple of days worth of sorting to do but the floor is clear.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LaineyAZ on February 20, 2024, 07:07:02 AM
    Started a pantry clean-out and found tea from 2012 - yikes.   I'd been thinking that tea doesn't really expire but I imagine this stuff might taste like dust. 
    Also found an extra electric kettle that I'm donating to our local senior center.  And a neighbor who recently had a grandchild is going to get some baby toys that my grandchildren have outgrown. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: BlueHouse on February 20, 2024, 07:48:25 AM
    @mspym- that sounds like a lovely day for both you and your mom!!

    I empathize with the need to help a parent clear out the cupboards.  Every time I visit my Dad, I cannot believe that he still has the beach towels my sister and I picked out 40 years ago.  Every surface is littered with junk.  Not dirty, thankfully, just an accumulation of shit he and his wife buy on Amazon that occupies every horizontal surface.  UGH.

    I sympathize about the junk.

    I still have the beach towel I bought in Hawaii in 2002.  Not quite as old as your Dad's.  It is still in good shape, and has memories, not heading for the donation pile anytime soon.   ;-)

    2 books your Dad might find useful, if he is inclined to actually read them.

    Let it go, by Peter Walsh (yes, from Clean Sweep).
    The Swedish Art of Death Cleaning.  My favourite.

    oh my goodness on the towels.  I still have towels I inherited from my grandmother.  She's been dead for 37 years.  I use them for the dog now but they're still in decent shape.

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 21, 2024, 02:47:33 PM
    @BlueHouse ,your post had me calculating how long ago my own grandmothers passed away. 40 years for one and 33 for the other! It seems unbelievable to me that it was already so long ago.

    Since last posting a few days ago, I’ve been working on my storage area and more specifically, children's clothing.

    Yesterday I gave away 3 smaller boxes of older children’s clothing - mainly ages 6-8, with the odd item for 10 year's old. I now have one tote for ages 6-14 and a small box. I think I may cull once more, but these are all my absolute favourite things I’m not ready to let go of yet. I also have the space to keep them.

    But, the really big progress was on baby clothes, that is, from newborn to 3T. I wasn’t ready to let it go initially and then when I finally was, I kept missing the opportunity - the child in question had outgrown these sizes. The stars have finally aligned! After several hours of organizing, the person is supposed to pick up today. I have a very large box, 2 medium sizes boxes and a big reusable bag of clothes ready. I’d say it’s several hundred pieces of clothing!! And, yesterday was probably another 75-100 pieces.

    My rough estimates (excluding paper) is 600 items gone from my house in 2024.







    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 23, 2024, 01:44:04 PM
    It’s been quiet here…

    Since last posting I went through 3 boxes of paper from my storage area. I recycled a lot, shredded a tiny bit and got it down to less than 1 box full! These are papers from all my previous jobs and 22 years of schooling. For a sentimental person I think that’s pretty darn good!

    From my basement, I got rid of some beauty products that I won in a raffle that I’m never going to use. So, my count is 615 items gone in 2024. (I decided not to count paper at all, though will include books in my count).

    I now have 5 areas to go in my basement and 10 in my storage area. In total, I’ve done 205 areas throughout my house since starting last June. The end is in sight!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on February 24, 2024, 09:56:52 PM
    Earlier this week: took a <1" stack of paper to the office where there's a shred bin. I have a shredder at home, but it's awfully slow and tedious for any quantity.

    Today wasn't much for decluttering, but I got the stove top clean after what I'm pretty sure is the last of the canning for the season and put a bunch of stuff away so it's not cluttering up the counter. A couple of overdue fruit ended the day in the compost, and the counters are clean, at least.

    If it counts, we pruned one of our fruit trees.

    And I think I may have talked DH into helping do shorter, more frequent cleaning and decluttering sessions. They'll last until we get busy, tired, or distracted, which is likely not long, knowing us, but maybe we'll make a dent first.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on February 25, 2024, 12:29:50 PM
    @crocheted_stache , you got to do whatever works for you!

    Since last posting a couple of days ago I did the following:
    -Went through a plastic bag full of papers DH had put aside for shredding. TG I did because there were some papers in there that are important! I also Shredded a lot and recycled a ton of papers. This took about 2.5 hours - it was a lot of paper!
    - Drove to the used bookstore - it’s a 25 minute drive and not convenient. But, I had another errand to run that was 2/3rds of the way there making it less wasteful. I only brought about 15 books because they are quite selective. (Though it seems this is more of a recent development because the place looked very disorganized and full of old, dilapidated books!). They took all but 2 and I made a whole 14 bucks, but my goal was to decluttering so I guess it was okay.
    -Organized some of my gift boxes and Xmas decorations - I had recently purged and organized it but made some tweaks.

    Overall, I’m running out of easy things to get done - the majority of the last ~12-15 spaces in my house are about giving away things that are more sentimental and going through the last of the paper. Apart from a small pile, the paper is now all organized and constrained in 2 filing cabinets. I could probably cull more of it but not sure I want to invest the time right now. It might be time to take a short break again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 26, 2024, 05:34:35 PM
    We were out of town last week, so no progress was made. My husband forgot his ski pants & jacket. Luckily, DS18 had an extra jacket, so he wore that. But, he had to buy ski pants. He found an inexpensive pair ($35), and when we got home, I listed them on BN. He now has a check list for his ski stuff, and would really prefer not to wear cheapy ski pants, when he has a nice pair already. That said, the person we are giving them to is just trying out skiing, so it's a perfect option for a beginner.

    I've also sold a few things lately:
    -A Soda Stream
    -Two pair of shoes

    133/500 items out of the house

    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on February 26, 2024, 11:34:21 PM
    Sifted through some of the accumulation on my desk and came up with another handful of stuff to shred/toss. It's slow going. It mostly only looks better compared to how it was before. Most of what remains needs attention beyond just sorting and filing, and the mail is going to come and the next meeting is going to happen.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on February 27, 2024, 11:07:10 PM
    Two smallish items that were already selected for decluttering left my porch this morning with different free group participants, one of whom I think came by bike.  One pair of too-well-loved headphones made it all the way to an e-waste collection bin after sitting around in a "should go out someday" spot for much too long. (The sound was gone in one ear and cutting out in the other, and there was too much glued/snapped-together plastic to be possible to fix.)

    I now have Buy Nothing takers lined up for the next three to five grocery-bag-sized items, depending on what I count as an item.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Dutch Comfort on February 28, 2024, 02:15:22 AM
    Had some spare time last week and cleaned out several items:
    - 2 big bags of clothes went to charity
    - 1 set of 20-year old bedding went to recycling (even charity did not want this)
    - sorted out Lego sets to store for DS
    - 3 bags of trash went out of the attic
    - several items were picked up from the curb by members of the local BN group

    I CAN WALK TO MY DESK AGAIN (instead of almost having to climb to it)!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on February 28, 2024, 03:51:18 PM
    Congrats, @Dutch Comfort that's a great accomplishment!
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on February 28, 2024, 11:18:55 PM
    One tiny victory here: polished off the remaining 3/4 of a thing of so-so dishwasher detergent given to me by a friend who no longer has a dishwasher, and recycled the empty container. I'll never buy this brand, but better to use it up for its intended purpose than cart it off to hazardous waste. We're now working through a second partial thing of a different dishwasher detergent from the same friend. The second detergent is not our usual choice either, but at least it's decent and it fits under the sink.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 01, 2024, 08:43:10 PM
    After redying them Repeatedly I decided my 2 oldest Amazon Basics undershirts could no longer be worn in good conscience.  Also a pair of too tight socks that were irritating. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Bartie Musa on March 02, 2024, 09:10:49 PM
    Bartie Musa - There is truly something to be said for a clean and clutter less environment. Excellent job! I've been cleaning house a little here and there but definitely have more than necessary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on March 03, 2024, 08:11:10 AM
    It’s been a few days since I last posted.

    Have been focusing mainly on paper in the basement. Went through an entire drawer of a filing cabinet and organized important paper. Shredded what wasn’t needed and returned some papers to their rightful owners (no idea why I had other peoples papers!). Also went through another pile of random papers. DH went through some papers too, which I then shredded, recycled or filed. After countless hours of going through paper (always underestimating what is left!), I think we are finally getting close to the end. Right now we have a small box and 2 accordion folders (one with a handle and the other open) left and I think that is it! We likely have some papers in our filing cabinet that we could get rid of, but I’m only going through that as needed (i. e., if what I file newly requires more space than currently available).

    Meanwhile, in my storage area, I got rid of 2 boxes; gave back my sibling a box of his clothing and my mom a box of her greeting cards.


    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 03, 2024, 10:16:46 AM
    Some unwanted de-cluttering here. The cat wanted to play yesterday, while I wanted to sleep in on a Saturday morning. My bedside table lamp was the victim. I'm not sure exactly how she did it, but I was woken up at 7:30 by the massive crash of a crystal lamp shattering into a million pieces on the floor. I then spent a good chunk of the day cleaning the room to get all the glass. Of course, I actually used that lamp and not having it is somewhat problematic, so I will be replacing it.

    I did pull out a sweater that I decided I don't want. I'd gotten one as a test, didn't like it but never got rid of it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 05, 2024, 10:52:57 AM
    Sorry to hear about the lamp, Sibley.

    Today I will spend a half hour, minimum, going through old nostalgia paperwork from my w*rk days. Will no doubt find some that I can recycle. 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Weisass on March 05, 2024, 04:51:02 PM
    Offloaded a mattress (via craigslist for free) and a beanbag (for youth group at church) this week, slowly clearing the way for our oldest boy to get their own room later this year for their birthday.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: midweststache on March 06, 2024, 11:03:48 AM
    Offloaded a mattress (via craigslist for free) and a beanbag (for youth group at church) this week, slowly clearing the way for our oldest boy to get their own room later this year for their birthday.

    We also gave away a twin mattress (for free!) through our BN group yesterday. (Still trying to find takers for the box springs and actual bed... sigh. We may just have a Goodwill trip in our future soon.)
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on March 06, 2024, 02:33:39 PM
    Tossed the pair of sunglasses that broke in half the other day. They were nothing special, and I don't expect to be able to fix them.

    Last half-dozen or so Buy Nothing items went all the way out.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 07, 2024, 07:20:12 PM
    Gave away a curling iron cover & a gallon container of hand sanitizer.

    Went through my closet today & found ten shirts to get rid of. Have someone coming this week to pick them up via BN.

    145/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 10, 2024, 08:36:45 AM
    Now that I'm funemployed, I've realized I don't need as many business casual clothes. I went through my closet again. Found four sweaters to give away.

    I also went through the pantry & tossed some expired food. Gave away one can of white peaches that we will never use.

    Gave away the last liter of expired hand sanitizer. No idea how we ended up with so many during COVID.

    I also gathered up my running belt items, and have that listed on BN.

    149/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 10, 2024, 03:30:25 PM
    I've been on a real tear, with my free time. Woohoo!

    Organized the garage shelves
    -Broke down & recycled five ice packs
    -Listed four boxes of masks on BN
    -Listed three boxes of gloves on BN

    Yard related:
    -Filled the yard waste bin with weeds
    -Filled my smaller bin with ivy I cut down off our fence. The ivy is an ongoing problem

    -Wiped down my freezer
    -Made a list of things to sell on eBay or FB market place
    -Cleaned out my "hair products" drawer, and found a few packages of rubber bands I don't need. Gave those away on BN.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on March 10, 2024, 04:41:53 PM
    Took two large-ish boxes left over from a recent acquisition over to a BN member and neighbor who needs to pack up her kitchen in advance of a remodel. Got to talk to that neighbor about home improvement projects.

    I also made the rounds on my bike and picked up and dropped off a few other items, all consumables, as it happened.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 10, 2024, 05:16:46 PM
    -Filled my smaller bin with ivy I cut down off our fence. The ivy is an ongoing problem

    My parent's house and yard were taken over by ivy. We pulled it out. Got what roots we could, but we knew were missing roots and just needed to remove the bulk. Then the next year, we were able to tackle what grew back. Better job of pulling/digging roots + pouring boiling water on the roots every couple weeks eventually took care of the rest. No chemicals used.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: oneday on March 10, 2024, 09:50:59 PM
    Since November:


    New:

    This was the largest remaining items of ex roomie that I agreed to sell. Yay! Now there is room for the Craigslist dining table that has been on my patio for a few weeks. It needs a good de-spidering first.

    Remaining ex roomie items:
    more video games (next to be listed)
    3 boxes sewing patterns (shipped most valuable patterns to ER to sell herself)
    fleece (listed but probably needs price adjustment)*
    flannel*

    FSM give me strength...


    *each an Ikea bag full
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 11, 2024, 08:21:23 AM
    -Filled my smaller bin with ivy I cut down off our fence. The ivy is an ongoing problem

    My parent's house and yard were taken over by ivy. We pulled it out. Got what roots we could, but we knew were missing roots and just needed to remove the bulk. Then the next year, we were able to tackle what grew back. Better job of pulling/digging roots + pouring boiling water on the roots every couple weeks eventually took care of the rest. No chemicals used.

    The ivy on our property originates from our neighbors side, and they seem very disinterested in trying to get rid of it, unfortunately.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 11, 2024, 05:36:23 PM
    BN folks picked up much of the stuff from my last post. I also found a taker for my running belt + water bottles that go with it, and a pair of new flip flops that I received as a gift.

    I went through my closet & found a work tshirt & hoodie for the donation pile.

    176/200 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 13, 2024, 06:03:08 PM
    Have continued going through our stuff, and finding things to toss, recycle, donate, etc.

    Progress so far:
    -I sold a shirt on eBay.
    -Old cloth napkins (that also served a long life as cleaning rags) finally tossed
    -Gave away a lacrosse ball & a new nail filing tool
    -Noticed we have a ton of red curry paste in a huge container, plus a tiny unopened one that's about to expire. Gave away the tiny container.
    -Donated a queen size duvet, that was taking up a lot of room in a hall closet
    -Not counting for my yearly total, as I just got them at a race (it was freezing on race day, and these were freebies handed out), but gave away hat & gloves.

    187/500 items out of the house
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 13, 2024, 11:50:59 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache duvets do take up a lot of space, don't they. I have a single and a queen to get rid of, both too yucky to give away and my husband hates the thought of them going to landfill. So they take up precious space in our 60sqm apartment! I think they might quietly disappear one day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: mspym on March 14, 2024, 01:24:39 AM
    Today my sister and I labeled 3 storage keepers worth of Mum's excess fabric for a crafting swap-meet. They'd gone through the shelves earlier this week and worked out what she was never going to sew up so now we got it out of her space.

    I also took my great-grandmother's lovely drop-leaf table home for us to clean up and refinish so it'll be a piece of pride again in her house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 14, 2024, 08:00:04 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache duvets do take up a lot of space, don't they. I have a single and a queen to get rid of, both too yucky to give away and my husband hates the thought of them going to landfill. So they take up precious space in our 60sqm apartment! I think they might quietly disappear one day.
    [/quote

    Depending on the type, the animal shelter might take them. Rules vary.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Fresh Bread on March 14, 2024, 10:22:13 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache duvets do take up a lot of space, don't they. I have a single and a queen to get rid of, both too yucky to give away and my husband hates the thought of them going to landfill. So they take up precious space in our 60sqm apartment! I think they might quietly disappear one day.
    [/quote

    Depending on the type, the animal shelter might take them. Rules vary.

    No these are feather, so no go. Take too long to dry.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on March 14, 2024, 11:25:40 PM
    Another inch-thick stack of paper to shred is now all the way out of the house.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Shinplaster on March 15, 2024, 01:54:13 PM

    -Tossed three containers of expired medicine (maybe my mom bought when she was here, years & years ago?). Recycled packaging.

    Just a small PSA re: medications.  Please don't dispose of them in the garbage or down the toilet.    Too many meds end up in our waste water or soil, with undesired effects for all of us.    Most pharmacies (at least in Canada, anyway) will accept expired or no longer needed meds to be disposed of properly.   They keep it in a vault and cooperate with other pharmacies to do a mass incineration once or twice a year.   

    I did a purge of our pantry last weekend.   I'm using an area not really designed for food storage, but it's what I've got in this house. The shelves are too deep, too much height between them, etc., so things tend to get lost at the back and stacked one on top of another.   Lots of things that were long past their best before dates that I had forgotten I even had.   I've got no issue with using some foods past their dates, but products with oil, shortening, that type of thing tend to taste awful if they are years past.   Our garbage bag will be heavy this week. 

    I've decided to cut myself some slack about the waste after mentally beating myself up for a few days.  We moved into this house during the pandemic and I was trying to restock and have some sort of pantry again.  So many things were hard to find, or completely unavailable, so when I found them I kind of went a little overboard.  I am not going to do that again.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 16, 2024, 09:10:26 AM
    Good to know, @Shinplaster . We rarely have medication (luckily, knock on wood), but I can start collecting it until I find a place nearby that will accept it.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on March 16, 2024, 09:57:08 PM
    Tossed a bottle of barbecue sauce and some pre-mixed peanut butter and jelly, both partial and long overdue, even by my standards. I'm not sure where they came from; probably a former roommate or visitor. Cleaned out the bottom drawers and shelf of the fridge, all of which needed a scrub. I haven't scrubbed the entire fridge in a very long time. Instead, I'll pull one shelf or drawer, usually when it's mostly empty. It prevents marathon cleaning sessions, but it also means I get to the easy ones more often.

    Cleaned out the top drawer in the bathroom and tossed a couple partial jars of lotion/cream that were old enough to be iffy, and in any case, I was not still using them. Vacuumed the fuzz out of the drawer, washed the little organizer boxes and my hairbrushes, and put back what I'm keeping.

    Made a few inroads in the seemingly bottomless pile on my desk, too, enough to wipe down part of the surface.

    Now, I just need to keep at it and pick another drawer or shelf the next day.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: crocheted_stache on March 17, 2024, 01:23:19 PM
    Not a lot removed from today's two kitchen drawers, but I did toss some expired "box tops for education." Are those even still a thing? I don't buy many of those products anymore, anyway. I used up a few crinkled paper napkins saved from takeout bags to wipe some of the crumbs and crud out of the emptied drawers. I reorganized the rest as I put it back. Mostly, the kitchen is pretty efficient already, because we use it a lot, but it's been awhile since I got all the way to the bottoms and the backs of drawers and shelves.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on March 17, 2024, 04:11:28 PM
    Worked on the paper category in the basement, again. DH was supposed to go through these last 3 batches, but he is doing it too slowly for my liking. So, I helped it along by doing it one full folder - a small pile was recycled, a fairly large pile shredded and the rest was filed. The latter category was mostly receipt for taxes, mainly years 2016 and 2017. Two more sessions and I should FINALLY be done with paper!!! Excited because the amount of paper was just crazy.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Loretta on March 17, 2024, 05:39:23 PM
    Decluttered some bed linens last week, my closet looks much less overstuffed. I’ll be using up more toiletries this workweek.  I also opened up the Magical Cat Cabinet and opened some catnip gifts my gatos received.  I have to dole out the toys! 
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: slackmax on March 18, 2024, 08:31:58 AM
    'When I get the time' I'm going to look through the boxes in the basement and hope to find a few empty boxes I can jettison. Or put inside other boxes. Just no room left down there any more.  Everything is 'usable' unfortunately. But I have so many empty boxes, I probably can bring myself to recycle some.

    Once I have some more room in the basement I can take some excess chairs from the living room down there.

    Took a large book to the library a few days ago and donated it.



       

     
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 18, 2024, 08:50:02 AM
    Not a lot removed from today's two kitchen drawers, but I did toss some expired "box tops for education." Are those even still a thing? I don't buy many of those products anymore, anyway. I used up a few crinkled paper napkins saved from takeout bags to wipe some of the crumbs and crud out of the emptied drawers. I reorganized the rest as I put it back. Mostly, the kitchen is pretty efficient already, because we use it a lot, but it's been awhile since I got all the way to the bottoms and the backs of drawers and shelves.

    @crocheted_stache - there is now an app, where you upload your receipts. :-)

    -Listed a few items on eBay
    -Continued to make progress in our garage, and found a few things to give away on BN
    -Shredded some checks that we'd deposited
    -Used up pantry items that were expiring soon
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sugaree on March 18, 2024, 09:15:03 AM
    My kid actually agreed to donate/throw out/otherwise dispose of 5 boxes and 3 bags of old toys.  It's usually like pulling teeth to get him to let go of anything.  Now I've got to get that stuff dropped off at the thrift store before he changes his mind....
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: SunnyDays on March 18, 2024, 10:38:45 AM
    After a long pause, I'm back at it again.

    Recent discards are:  7 books, a shower caddy, 4 plastic containers, 4 glass jars, 2 pairs of garden gloves, 2 bracelets, one top, 4 candleholders and a bag of tapers, a fire pot, a tennis racket and 3 tennis balls, 3 stepping stones, 2 straw hats, 2 plants, a bunch of unused paint stir sticks, a door mat, a broken clothes iron, a dog toy and a pair of socks.  None of which will be missed.  I'm realizing that my "click point" per Marie Kondo is much, much lower than I thought.  The more I get rid of, the more I want to get rid of.  I suspect I'm actually pretty minimalist underneath all the rationalizations for keeping things.

    'When I get the time' I'm going to look through the boxes in the basement and hope to find a few empty boxes I can jettison. Or put inside other boxes. Just no room left down there any more.  Everything is 'usable' unfortunately. But I have so many empty boxes, I probably can bring myself to recycle some.

    Once I have some more room in the basement I can take some excess chairs from the living room down there.   


    I played this "shift it around and compact it" game for a long time, until I realized all that stuff was still just being stored and not actually used, or ever likely to be used.  It was all still there, just taking up less space.  Which meant that eventually, I would have to take it all out again and then get rid of it.  It was exhausting.  Now I just let it take up the space, because that way it's in sight and in the way, which motivates me to truly let it go and free up real space.  I've found this to be more efficient in the long run, and a lot less tiring.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: Sibley on March 18, 2024, 10:51:26 AM
    slackmax - if it's easier for you to send boxes off to be used, put a social media post out about free boxes for moving. It's getting into spring, people are more likely to be moving in spring/summer than in winter.

    You get space, they get moving boxes they need. Win-win.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 18, 2024, 02:39:43 PM
    -Listed another item on eBay

    Went through my office laptop bag & gym bag:
    -Recycled some papers & other junk
    -Tossed my shower flip flops (20+ years old now)
    -Threw out some very old toiletries
    -Added remaining toiletries to my travel stash
    -Listed a few things on BN (hair bands, brush & dry shampoo, plus toiletries bag)
    -Added towel back to our cleaning pile

    Stored both bags out of the way, and in the proper place. It feels nice not to have them sitting on the floor of my closet anymore.
    Title: Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
    Post by: LeftA on March 18, 2024, 09:26:27 PM
    @MaybeBabyMustache , you are on fire!