Author Topic: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016  (Read 93271 times)

Ready2Go

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #250 on: April 07, 2016, 02:47:53 PM »

3/28 Heading to the finish...
- More Ebay this week. Now up to $923 in sales. So amazing. Trying not to think about what we originally paid for this stuff!
- Clean out of the first floor now complete. Only the basement is left to finish, and it's all stuff that only DH can sort.   DH took vacation today and says he'll finish tonight. Not sure how that can happen but I'm glad he's still engaged.
- Now comes the hard part. Time to get cracking on house repairs. If I can find a handyman who does drywall we might get everything done 'on time'.
15 days to go...

4/7 - Down to the wire
- DH has good intentions, but he is still working away in the basement.  Win: 3 ikea cabinets emptied and set out for freeCycle!  Contents all to recycle or donation centers. Still 2 more cabinets to go.
- Ebay continues to amaze.  DH has brought up more apparently useless stuff and I have been selling on ebay.  I am up to, wait for it, a total of $1153 in ebay sales.   All stuff I was going to either toss or donate.  Who knows what will come out of the last 2 cabinets :)
- Accomplished 1 item on house repair list: replace the front storm door.  I think I will need a second 90 day challenge to do my house repairs.  Which will seriously impact plan to have house on market by June 1.  Arg... I am not good with contractors. This weekend's must do is finish up the list of repairs.

5 days to go...
« Last Edit: April 08, 2016, 07:31:41 PM by Ready2Go »

Need2Save

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #251 on: April 09, 2016, 10:34:34 AM »
Ready2Go - impressive Ebay total!!! 

Thought I would post a little tip.  DH and I are taking a significant trip in a few days.  I want to bring my good Nikon camera so I can take some pictures.  It's possible it will be a very long time if ever I go back to our destination so I don't want to miss the opportunity for scenic shots.  We are only doing carry on bags, which challenges me to find a way to bring my camera in a fashion so it won't get scratched or wet or break a lense or something. However, my regular camera bag is humongous and would take up about 80% of the "personal item" bag I'm bringing with my suitcase with the huge strap and everything.  I wouldn't have room for the other stuff I need to bring in my bag since my suitcase will be full (remember small due to carry on size only).

So -- I took some of the foam and extra bubble wrap that we were storing in the basement and I carefully crafted a liner for my camera and the 2 lenses I'm bringing.  I already had a perfect size pouch for each lense and I found a larger cosmetic size bag with a zipper for my camera!  Now, I can toss all 3 in my large bag and fit plenty of things around them safely with no wasted space.  Plus - none of the pouches look like camera parts. They just look like toiletry or cosmetic bags, so hopefully won't tempt anyone to steal them.

I'm so glad I found a way to bring my camera!!  If I hadn't been focused on the declutter challenge over the last couple of months - I wouldn't have realized I had these perfect sized pouches or think to use my stash of bubble wrap for cushioning!  Small blessings. 

Ready2Go

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #252 on: April 12, 2016, 09:16:40 AM »
4/7 - Down to the wire
- DH has good intentions, but he is still working away in the basement.  Win: 3 ikea cabinets emptied and set out for freeCycle!  Contents all to recycle or donation centers. Still 2 more cabinets to go.
....
5 days to go...

4/11 - Challenge completed!
- Last night DH and I finished the basement. .  We have literally reclaimed 1/3 of the house from junk/clutter. 

Rosey- thank you +1000 for this challenge. We would probably have delayed our moves plans without this.  And my bank account is so improved!

To all - seriously. Check out Ebay before you donate/toss. I still cant believe how much $$ I reclaimed from 'junk'. The whole process was SO much easier from what I recall. Just find your packaging before you list.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #253 on: April 12, 2016, 03:29:07 PM »
START THE TIMER!!!!!

Brother has officially moved! (Well, ish. Some of his stuff is still in his old bedroom. It's a start though!)

So far, we have rearranged the bathroom so that we no longer have the over-the-toilet rack or the little squat shelf in the corner. We got rid of the over the toilet one, and we're using the little shelf in the spare room's closet as storage (HA! We have a spare room now).

I will make a more concerted to-do list soon.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #254 on: April 17, 2016, 07:30:56 AM »
Yay!  It is so much easier when you are not housing other people's stuff. 

Yes, almost all of DD's stuff is gone or going. She hasn't lived here in how many years?  If I can get my small filling cabinet emptied she is taking it, and that means all her paper-work will be gone too.

And what is this empty nest syndrome I hear about?  Is it when those in the empty nest realize they can now stretch without hitting their kids' stuff?

START THE TIMER!!!!!

Brother has officially moved! (Well, ish. Some of his stuff is still in his old bedroom. It's a start though!)

So far, we have rearranged the bathroom so that we no longer have the over-the-toilet rack or the little squat shelf in the corner. We got rid of the over the toilet one, and we're using the little shelf in the spare room's closet as storage (HA! We have a spare room now).

I will make a more concerted to-do list soon.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #255 on: April 17, 2016, 08:10:02 AM »
Yay!  It is so much easier when you are not housing other people's stuff. 

Yes, almost all of DD's stuff is gone or going. She hasn't lived here in how many years?  If I can get my small filling cabinet emptied she is taking it, and that means all her paper-work will be gone too.

And what is this empty nest syndrome I hear about?  Is it when those in the empty nest realize they can now stretch without hitting their kids' stuff?

START THE TIMER!!!!!

Brother has officially moved! (Well, ish. Some of his stuff is still in his old bedroom. It's a start though!)

So far, we have rearranged the bathroom so that we no longer have the over-the-toilet rack or the little squat shelf in the corner. We got rid of the over the toilet one, and we're using the little shelf in the spare room's closet as storage (HA! We have a spare room now).

I will make a more concerted to-do list soon.

Ha, yes! My parents downsized and moved out of state after we all left! I actually just recently sent my mom this article: http://www.mlive.com/living/index.ssf/2016/04/memo_to_parents_your_adult_kid.html And thanked her for doing the "emotional heavy lifting" of going through all the old family belongings. None of us kids have stabilized enough to take a bunch of stuff, and I'm the youngest at 27! We're all "wanderers".

---

Successes so far: Mainly so far we're rearranging, rather than decluttering, but it's turning out that's the biggest need. Moved shoes from front door to back door, thus opening up the "entry", giving more room for the dining room table/aka DH's desk. Brother is supposed to come by today to get most of the rest of his stuff... we will still have some of his furniture in the living room, but it fits there okay, so I'm trying to be content with the spare room opening up for now! Assuming that even happens today ;)

To be done:
Shelves in Laundry room- put more in, declutter what is there, rearrange with food storage space
Outdoor storage- wash everything, move racks into spare room, (decide if one rack will stay outside with car washing, etc gear, or if everything will be inside), reorganize bulk food storage on the racks, consolidate hiking gear from living room built ins and camping gear from back of truck
Kitchen- move "pantry" to opposite side of room, replacing the hutch that Brother's food was in and the microwave was on (get rid of Mircowave? Get rid of hutch?), and put an island/counter/butcher block where the "pantry" was, use up old jars of canned food so those mason jars are available for other use, go through tupperware and mugs
Dining room closet- decluttering should happen here! Go through papers, canning supplies, etc, and rearrange/minimize as needed
Master bedroom- go through jewelry, paperwork, books, desk drawer; move desk and book shelf into spare room; go through seasonal clothing, and replace DH's sad hardworn shirts

RetiredAt63

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #256 on: April 17, 2016, 05:06:52 PM »
Great article.  I am in the same boat, my sister and I got a lot of my parents' stuff, and I still have some, and am going to sell most of it.  Silver tea service?  Long gone.  Good china?  I have it because I like it, and my DD likes it so she is getting it before or when I move to BC.  Almost everything else in the house, even stuff she originally thought she wanted (like my huge desk) is now on her "Mommy sell it" list.

Its not just the younger ones that don't want their parents' stuff.  I like clean and spare and light (light in colour, light in weight) - Danish modern for the win.  Older stuff - the simpler art nouveau.  Which is almost nothing I have from my parents.

Yay!  It is so much easier when you are not housing other people's stuff. 

Yes, almost all of DD's stuff is gone or going. She hasn't lived here in how many years?  If I can get my small filling cabinet emptied she is taking it, and that means all her paper-work will be gone too.

And what is this empty nest syndrome I hear about?  Is it when those in the empty nest realize they can now stretch without hitting their kids' stuff?

Ha, yes! My parents downsized and moved out of state after we all left! I actually just recently sent my mom this article: http://www.mlive.com/living/index.ssf/2016/04/memo_to_parents_your_adult_kid.html And thanked her for doing the "emotional heavy lifting" of going through all the old family belongings. None of us kids have stabilized enough to take a bunch of stuff, and I'm the youngest at 27! We're all "wanderers".


Bracken_Joy

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #257 on: April 17, 2016, 05:49:37 PM »
Great article.  I am in the same boat, my sister and I got a lot of my parents' stuff, and I still have some, and am going to sell most of it.  Silver tea service?  Long gone.  Good china?  I have it because I like it, and my DD likes it so she is getting it before or when I move to BC.  Almost everything else in the house, even stuff she originally thought she wanted (like my huge desk) is now on her "Mommy sell it" list.

Its not just the younger ones that don't want their parents' stuff.  I like clean and spare and light (light in colour, light in weight) - Danish modern for the win.  Older stuff - the simpler art nouveau.  Which is almost nothing I have from my parents.

Yay!  It is so much easier when you are not housing other people's stuff. 

Yes, almost all of DD's stuff is gone or going. She hasn't lived here in how many years?  If I can get my small filling cabinet emptied she is taking it, and that means all her paper-work will be gone too.

And what is this empty nest syndrome I hear about?  Is it when those in the empty nest realize they can now stretch without hitting their kids' stuff?
Ha, yes! My parents downsized and moved out of state after we all left! I actually just recently sent my mom this article: http://www.mlive.com/living/index.ssf/2016/04/memo_to_parents_your_adult_kid.html And thanked her for doing the "emotional heavy lifting" of going through all the old family belongings. None of us kids have stabilized enough to take a bunch of stuff, and I'm the youngest at 27! We're all "wanderers".
Wooooow. I had never looked at art nouveau furniture before. It is AWESOME looking. Reminds me of Tolkien, elvish type stuff. So pretty!

Mongoose

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #258 on: May 08, 2016, 07:47:32 PM »
I actually did something again! Okay, it was really my Mother's Day present but we cleaned up a horribly cluttered cabinet in the living room to make room for homeschool stuff (organized to boot!). And we made a bit of progress reorganizing/optimizing the office area. None of the items on my list got done but something did!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #259 on: May 08, 2016, 08:06:24 PM »
Working all over the house with little de-clutters here and there.  I am being ruthless about putting stuff back into the kitchen after the total lower cabinet clear out last week.  The laundry room is slightly emptier. We did a huge furniture reorganization at Christmas and slowly I pulling out stuff to give away from the pile I just dropped into the laundry room. An old wardrobe is going to get re-painted and used for the games in the living room.  The broken dryer is up in the garage ready for the scrap dealer.
Our city permits residents to put things out at the street to give away on the three long weekends in May, August and September.  Last fall we got rid of a ton of stuff that way.  I am piling things up in the garage for this in two weeks. Anything broken is getting out of here.  Old toys are going to the cousins or the charity shop.  It is feeling pretty good.

MrsDinero

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #260 on: May 09, 2016, 07:15:11 AM »
I haven't been as productive with the decluttering as I would have liked.  I am stuck on what to do with my old electronics that are so so old no one would want them, but I feel guilty just tossing them in the trash. 

On the good side, I've
- shredded almost 2 garbage bags worth of papers
- pared down the number of towels we keep in the closet, I could probably pare them down even more
- Started going through old boxes, making sure there was nothing personal (account numbers, etc) or of value and then just tossing the rest of the contents
- Purged all my old scrapbooking materials, stickers, etc.

smalllife

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #261 on: May 09, 2016, 07:26:03 AM »
Best buy will take old electronics for recycling in some areas. I believe goodwill partners with somebody else for recycling things that won't sell, but don't quote me on that.

chaskavitch

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #262 on: May 26, 2016, 09:01:20 AM »
I am stuck on what to do with my old electronics that are so so old no one would want them, but I feel guilty just tossing them in the trash. 
As smalllife said, Best Buy takes electronics for recycling.

If yours doesn't you can probably take them to the local hazardous waste disposal site. I wouldn't throw out electronics with the regular household rubbish.

We just found out last weekend that Best Buy charges $25 to take old CRT TVs :(  Our neighbor took ours over there because it was leftover from our joint garage sale, then BROUGHT IT BACK because she didn't know if we'd want to pay to get rid of it.  That sucker has been in our basement since we moved in 3 years ago, and I'm pretty sure it hasn't been used in 8 or 9 years.  I will absolutely pay $25 to have that 2 square feet of space back.

MrsDinero

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #263 on: May 26, 2016, 09:10:02 AM »
I am stuck on what to do with my old electronics that are so so old no one would want them, but I feel guilty just tossing them in the trash. 
As smalllife said, Best Buy takes electronics for recycling.

If yours doesn't you can probably take them to the local hazardous waste disposal site. I wouldn't throw out electronics with the regular household rubbish.

We just found out last weekend that Best Buy charges $25 to take old CRT TVs :(  Our neighbor took ours over there because it was leftover from our joint garage sale, then BROUGHT IT BACK because she didn't know if we'd want to pay to get rid of it.  That sucker has been in our basement since we moved in 3 years ago, and I'm pretty sure it hasn't been used in 8 or 9 years.  I will absolutely pay $25 to have that 2 square feet of space back.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

The closest Best Buy is about 1 hour away.

I recently discovered the Amazon Trade-In program, so I've been slowly sending stuff back through them.  On average I get $25-$35 in Amazon gift cards for my electronic trades. 

I also heard the local dump will host a yearly "bring your old batteries/electronics" day where people can bring their stuff for them to get rid of it instead of dumping it in the trash.    What I can't trade in to Amazon I will hold on to until battery day arrives.

Prairie Gal

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #264 on: May 28, 2016, 04:06:23 PM »
I think I will join this Challenge for June, July & August.

Areas that need decluttering:

Under the basement stairs (I have done some, but there is still a ways to go)
Utility room (ditto)
Family room (DS has a bunch of stuff in there that he left when he moved out)
Garage (ugh! this one is a huge job, partly because I have other people's stuff in there in addition to my own)
Clothes (Double Ugh!)
Office
Bedroom & ensuite bathroom
Laundry room

The timing of this works out perfectly because our town has a weekend in September that you can set out stuff on your lawns for people to take for free. I got rid of a lot of stuff last year that way. I'm going to sell what I can, but what is leftover can go out in Sept.


Mongoose

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #265 on: May 30, 2016, 07:21:15 AM »
I'm happy to report that the previous decluttering "took". Most of the areas have remained cleaned and organized. Yay! I've been on an extended cleaning hiatus but the craziness should be winding down. Time to get back at it (will pick up where I left off).

- fix one drawer in DS's dresser. Cull his clothes (or offer seasonally?)
- clean, organize, and sort kids toy shelves and books. It needs a second round.
- clean up and organize office shelves
- clean, organize and purge office spaces (shelves and two desks)
- sort, file, and organize business paperwork
- find a home for the space heater that's sitting in front of the filing cabinet
- sell crystal glasses and two 35mm cameras
- prime and paint the unfinished drywall ceilings (not really decluttering but it is ugly)
- paint inside the bathroom cabinets (2 bathrooms)
- organize cabinet of kids' art and science supplies
- organize/clean business building
- sort and donate baby items (we have a closet in the basement with literally everything we had for both kids; it needs to be pared down)
- the living room (has become a dumping ground for kids play and art projects)



Rosy

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #266 on: June 02, 2016, 06:41:41 PM »
WELCOME TO THE CHALLENGE Prairie girl and yay for Mongoose picking back up!!!


I am back again for the next round:) 2016 will indeed be the year of decluttering! I want room to breathe! Rooms stuffed full of stuff are just not my cup of tea - never were, but hey, you get old and lazy and life happens and other projects top your priority list....

Anyway - here is where I left off:

Quote
Well, my 90 days will be up tomorrow - April 5. It is still bookshelf in the hallway day - nothing has happened at all in the interim. Too much other stuff happening.
The spring gardening and other personal projects ranked higher on my list. Some because they had to be dealt with, like taxes and plumbing problems and harvesting and cooking the bounty from the garden, so it doesn't spoil - some I did for fun like painting three garden trellis and taking time out for sidehustles I wanted to give a try.

RESULT:
I'll need another 90 days if I want to finish up everything on my list. I'm happy with the progress regardless.
Helpful: expected company is not coming, so I will have time to continue my de-cluttering mission.

NEW PLAN:
1. Start the 30 day organizing challenge from Mr. Walsh on youtube - alongside:
2. Tackle the study next - extreme paper tiger invasion - don't stop until done - may take all of April - sigh.
3. Tackle the big shed - actually looking forward to that project, but I really need to do the study first.

I'm not even going to think about any other areas, unless I decide to do a mini project on the spot - to alleviate the pain of paper clutter sorting. Like organizing and cleaning the spice drawer - at least that will give me some pleasure and satisfaction and immediate results:)

Come May 1, 2016 - I'll re-evaluate, for now I am pleased with my progress, but do wish I was further along.
Modify message

So - well, it is now June 2 and I am starting over with another 90 day of purging - de-cluttering and cleaning up.

Started the clock yesterday with my first foray into paper tiger land - the study.
1. Starting off with the first three large bags/boxes of papers, now languishing in the dining room at the moment.
2. Cleaned up the general area, dusted and vaccuumed, but that's just the beginning of the iceberg.
One china cabinet
one desk
a music cabinet
two filing cabinets
two bookcases
one table
six big storage containers filled with papers.

HERE WE GO!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE - LET 2016 BE OUR YEAR OF WINNING THE WAR ON CLUTTER!

Mongoose

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #267 on: June 03, 2016, 08:37:21 AM »
Yay Rosy! I'm so happy you're back in the mix as well!

I am back again for the next round:) 2016 will indeed be the year of decluttering! I want room to breathe! Rooms stuffed full of stuff are just not my cup of tea - never were, but hey, you get old and lazy and life happens and other projects top your priority list....


HERE WE GO!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE - LET 2016 BE OUR YEAR OF WINNING THE WAR ON CLUTTER!


+1000 Begone foul clutter!
« Last Edit: June 03, 2016, 08:40:27 AM by Mongoose »

Mongoose

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #268 on: June 05, 2016, 08:00:56 AM »
I'm happy to report that the previous decluttering "took". Most of the areas have remained cleaned and organized. Yay! I've been on an extended cleaning hiatus but the craziness should be winding down. Time to get back at it (will pick up where I left off).

- fix one drawer in DS's dresser. Cull his clothes (or offer seasonally?) Done.
- clean, organize, and sort kids toy shelves and books. It needs a second round. Done. We even found a small box of stuff to donate.
- clean up and organize office shelves
- clean, organize and purge office spaces (shelves and two desks)
- sort, file, and organize business paperwork
- find a home for the space heater that's sitting in front of the filing cabinet Done.
- sell crystal glasses and two 35mm cameras Sending out Monday. Excited about the prospect for a mini-windfall and less junk in the house.
- prime and paint the unfinished drywall ceilings (not really decluttering but it is ugly)
- paint inside the bathroom cabinets (2 bathrooms)
- organize cabinet of kids' art and science supplies
- organize/clean business building
- sort and donate baby items (we have a closet in the basement with literally everything we had for both kids; it needs to be pared down)
- the living room (has become a dumping ground for kids play and art projects) Done.

Productive weekend. Only worked on it one day but I'm very pleased with progress. Other maintenance and business projects need to take president today.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #269 on: June 05, 2016, 12:38:47 PM »
I never followed up on this. The whole Brother move/not move for a while there... ugh. ANYWAY. He's gone now, and we did WORK.

I feel like I should de-lurk! I've been following this thread since the beginning, but haven't jumped in... I'll tentatively join, because I've already done some decluttering as inspired by this thread! Already done: rehome sewing machine, general decluttering, etc.

Deadline: May 8th, 2016

Challenges: Working too much, living with Brother (who is an absolute clutterbug and lived in a MUCH larger space before moving in with us).
Advantages: we live in a fairly small place (1000sq ft- no basement, attic, or garage) with very little storage (1920s house ftw). Also, DH and I lived in a tiny place until July, and we still have many tiny habits- like sharing one small dresser.

Goals:
1. Food storage: sort and organize
-inside pantry
-outside shelving
Done. Pantry moved and reorganized. Outside shelving moved into (new) spare room and cleaned up.
2. Kitchen utensil drawer: minimize, organize
Solved by way of adding counter space with a mason jar to hold our wood utensils and an ikea gruntal rail for 5 frequently used items.
3. Laundry room shelving (aka, our "tool shed")
4. Hallway "closet"
-gift shelf
-get Brother's items back to one shelf (and determine where weird smell is coming from in his stuff) This one done by virtue of Brother leaving
5. Dining room "closet"
-at the minimum, reorganize
6. Bathroom cubbies
-meds
-medical supplies
-DH's black hole basket
-Dog supplies
all done
7. Hard stuff:
-jewelry box
-bookshelf in our bedroom
-papers: file box, desk drawer
8. DH's dresser drawers (at the very least, launder and refold everything so that he will wear it) Did this
9. Living room
-Brother's DVDs
-Craigslist items to sell
-Gift bag collection
-Make sure we don't have anything in Brother's bookcases
-Little drawer unit
All done, except the little Drawer unit
10. Go station (where we keep our keys and such) Moved to a better spot and cleaned up
11. My clothing
-closet
-dresser drawer

Well, we did lots, but still some to go. Here is remaining from that list:
1. Laundry room
2. Dining room closet
3. Hard stuff: jewelry, bookshelf, papers
4. Little drawer unit
5. Some of my clothing, work in progress

It's funny, because this is the first time that *adding* furniture actually really helped. We extended our kitchen via some shelves and a big drafting table, now countertop, from ikea. Made a lot more functional space in the kitchen/dining room area.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #270 on: June 05, 2016, 04:13:06 PM »
I'm in. I will do this over June, July and August. I've already done several rounds of intense culling, but there's more to do.

My real challenge is a very sentimental husband who finds releasing items emotionally difficult.

Mongoose

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #271 on: June 05, 2016, 06:41:49 PM »
My real challenge is a very sentimental husband who finds releasing items emotionally difficult.

I recommend moving a lot...hahahahaha..just kidding. It has been the single biggest help in my case for DH deciding to get rid of stuff.

Has he tried taking pictures of sentimental pieces and boxing them up for awhile? We found when we went through the boxes 6 months later that we were much more willing to part with stuff.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #272 on: June 05, 2016, 07:00:43 PM »
My real challenge is a very sentimental husband who finds releasing items emotionally difficult.

I recommend moving a lot...hahahahaha..just kidding. It has been the single biggest help in my case for DH deciding to get rid of stuff.

Has he tried taking pictures of sentimental pieces and boxing them up for awhile? We found when we went through the boxes 6 months later that we were much more willing to part with stuff.

Yep, he says having a photo doesn't help him at all. He's much better than he used to be, but I have to accept that for him to declutter his stuff is a drawn out, painful and emotional process and even then he'll get rid of maybe a third of what I would. He doesn't accumulate much so it's mostly childhood stuff and gifts he's received from loved ones, particularly family members who have passed on (e.g. we're both atheists yet own MANY bibles given to him by a religious grandparent).

He did manage to release a mug that broke recently (had to keep it for a week after it broke to consider it first and say goodbye) which was impressive, because I knew it was really meaningful to him and hard to let go of. Meanwhile, my favourite mug broke the other day and I shrugged and chucked it out. We're very different people when it comes to physical possessions.

One thing that has really helped him has been the Kondo thing of thanking items for their service. That seems to lessen the strong emotional response to releasing something, IF it's not imbued with too much meaning for him already.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #273 on: June 05, 2016, 07:55:17 PM »
My real challenge is a very sentimental husband who finds releasing items emotionally difficult.

I recommend moving a lot...hahahahaha..just kidding. It has been the single biggest help in my case for DH deciding to get rid of stuff.

Has he tried taking pictures of sentimental pieces and boxing them up for awhile? We found when we went through the boxes 6 months later that we were much more willing to part with stuff.

Yep, he says having a photo doesn't help him at all. He's much better than he used to be, but I have to accept that for him to declutter his stuff is a drawn out, painful and emotional process and even then he'll get rid of maybe a third of what I would. He doesn't accumulate much so it's mostly childhood stuff and gifts he's received from loved ones, particularly family members who have passed on (e.g. we're both atheists yet own MANY bibles given to him by a religious grandparent).

He did manage to release a mug that broke recently (had to keep it for a week after it broke to consider it first and say goodbye) which was impressive, because I knew it was really meaningful to him and hard to let go of. Meanwhile, my favourite mug broke the other day and I shrugged and chucked it out. We're very different people when it comes to physical possessions.

One thing that has really helped him has been the Kondo thing of thanking items for their service. That seems to lessen the strong emotional response to releasing something, IF it's not imbued with too much meaning for him already.
Sending internet hugs, HappieratHome.  My DH seems to store memories in objects.  It's as if giving up the object would be giving up the memory of the person forever.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #274 on: June 05, 2016, 08:33:20 PM »
Rezdent that is the perfect description of it!

He still has much less 'stuff' than the typical consumer, and I love that he is so soft-hearted and emotional, so it's not a big issue in our lives :-) just makes decluttering a bit harder.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #275 on: June 06, 2016, 04:34:13 PM »
- fix one drawer in DS's dresser. Cull his clothes (or offer seasonally?) Done.
- clean, organize, and sort kids toy shelves and books. It needs a second round. Done. We even found a small box of stuff to donate.
- clean up and organize office shelves
- clean, organize and purge office spaces (shelves and two desks)
- sort, file, and organize business paperwork
- find a home for the space heater that's sitting in front of the filing cabinet Done.
- sell crystal glasses and two 35mm cameras Done.
- prime and paint the unfinished drywall ceilings (not really decluttering but it is ugly)
- paint inside the bathroom cabinets (2 bathrooms)
- organize cabinet of kids' art and science supplies
- organize/clean business building
- sort and donate baby items (we have a closet in the basement with literally everything we had for both kids; it needs to be pared down)
- the living room (has become a dumping ground for kids play and art projects) Done.

I sent one camera and the glasses off today. The other camera isn't worth anything. I hope it's worth the shipping and enormous amount of time it took to pack them. Camera quote was around $270. The glasses might be worth $83 each if we correctly identified the pattern and size. I'm a bit nervous about that since we are not glassware experts by any means.

We also make a list of house repairs that need to be done. Most will cost $0 since we have the supplies. I'd love to have the house decluttered and finished this calendar year. That may be too ambitious but it's something to shoot for anyway.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #276 on: June 06, 2016, 04:41:04 PM »
Cleared out the bathroom cabinets yesterday, and pared down the contents of a couple of storage containers so that they fit in just one.

My closet is looking great these days, though I still have shoes and handbags set aside to pass on. I already have a few takers lined up for the shoes, but I feel like I should try to sell (probably on ebay) some of the handbags that have recognisable brands and are in good condition. I just hate selling stuff.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #277 on: June 15, 2016, 01:45:41 PM »
Got notification yesterday that we had correctly identified the glass pattern and condition. $996 check should be on its way. Score!!!

Camera may bring in around $250 if we evaluated it correctly as well. Add the $875 we got from selling scrap metal an we should make around $2200 getting rid of stuff we were tripping over. 😀

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #278 on: June 15, 2016, 07:04:36 PM »
Got notification yesterday that we had correctly identified the glass pattern and condition. $996 check should be on its way. Score!!!

Camera may bring in around $250 if we evaluated it correctly as well. Add the $875 we got from selling scrap metal an we should make around $2200 getting rid of stuff we were tripping over. 😀

That is AWESOME!

_______________________________

Over the last week I've passed on a few items to friends who will use them. I have a stack of shoes set aside for a local MMMer.

What's next? There are a few sentimental items (my items only - no sentimental value for anyone else!) that I will release on the weekend when Mr Happier isn't there to get sad on my behalf about them.

I think the other priority will be to list a handbag or two on ebay to see how I go with selling. Not looking forward to that.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #279 on: June 20, 2016, 02:07:27 PM »
It's not on my list but I'm decluttering cookbooks and recipes today. Hoping to get it down to things we will actually use plus decrease the complexity of meal planning.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #280 on: June 26, 2016, 06:09:27 AM »
$158 coming back to us for a camera we haven't used in over 10 years. And we're lighter by 10 cookbooks plus 2 3" binders of recipes.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #281 on: June 27, 2016, 06:23:40 AM »
Didn't make much progress in June, but did clear a few things out of the garage, and listed two swimsuits for sale, and one sold right away for $20.

I found out our city will come pick up large items for free, so I am going to call them to come pick up a washer & dryer that was my grandparents' that has been stored in my garage forever. Also an old BBQ, and maybe some other stuff if they will take it. Not sure what the limits are.

Once the big stuff is gone I can move a shelving unit in there and start organizing the tools, etc.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #282 on: June 27, 2016, 09:48:06 AM »
Well, let it begin in earnest! We put an offer on a house, and it was accepted. Waiting on inspection, but we should be moving by August 5th. I will need to resist the temptation either OVER or UNDER declutter. We're nearly doubling our square footage. So we already have *less* furniture than we need, but at the same time, I don't want to keep something useless/ugly/broken just to fill space. A hard line to walk!

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #283 on: June 27, 2016, 09:57:23 AM »
I'm  not necessarily doing the 90 day thing but I'm trying to get rid of a car load of stuff each month because I want to RE next year.  So far in the last 2 months I've gotten rid of:
* A full carload of kitchen & household stuff I don't use
* 1/4 of my clothes - none of it worn in years
* about 30 books - old textbooks, paperbacks I had no plan to read.
* Recycled some big boxes that are too large to use but was saving
* Tossed some stuff that no one would want
* Plus, I have several boxes of stuff in my living room that I plan on donating or selling once they are full.
* I'm limiting my weekly grocery spending to $15 for fresh stuff while I try to use up lots of dry, frozen, and canned goods.
* In thinning out the pile of stuff in my spare bedroom I found a dozen boxes of cereal so no need to buy that for the rest of the year!

TOgirl

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #284 on: June 27, 2016, 10:26:38 AM »
Well, I'm late joining the group, but my personal declutter challenge has been ongoing for a couple of months now!

I'm constantly tossing items into our home office, in designated piles - donate, pass to family, recycle, toss.

We did a large garage sale a few weeks ago, brought out almost everything that was hanging around - sold everything for around $2 each...made over $180....and the best part was, we grabbed everything that didn't sell and loaded up the minivan for a huge donation to the thrift store.

I'm starting to feel the creep of items again though, (funny because we haven't brought more in) and am itching to run through the house again to get rid of more. It's addicting to me, and leaves such a great feeling of accomplishment when there is more free space and less items to care for.

So, I'm joining! My key areas are: hallway, family room (where kids toys are located), bedrooms, and office. Depending on how many items I get rid of from those areas, I'll add more.

I have half a bag of items to pass on to friends already, and at least 6-10 items to donate....but I'd like to get to at least 50 items by the end of this week. Getting this part done this week is key, because I'm on vacation for two weeks after that, and want to spend quality time with the kiddies instead of being hell bent on clearing out the house!!

I will report back to update, for my own accountability purposes, and to read of others progress as well.


oneday

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #285 on: June 27, 2016, 02:32:03 PM »
Joining! Yesterday was day 1 for me. Got a scanner with a paper feeder and scanned/shred till the shredder bin was full. Plan to repeat this on most days until 7 boxes of paper are condensed into the 2-drawer file cabinet. I hope this won't take the full 90 days, but there are sure to be interruptions.

After the paper monster is dead, I will tackle my knitting hobby/obsession. Then there will be the list of bulky items to sell, then the compact items. Along with this, will continue to keep an donation box and fill it as I come across items casually. I am pretty good with the one in one out rule, but not perfect.

Bulky items:
Bike
painting
Shop vac
Skis
Excess camping gear
Extra dresser

Compact items:
3 cell phones
Books

HappierAtHome

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #286 on: June 27, 2016, 09:11:42 PM »
I've been doing little patches of decluttering, ten minutes at a time when I have time. So it's taking ages considering I don't have all that much clutter, but it feels good to be on top of it and making progress.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #287 on: June 27, 2016, 09:38:33 PM »
My goal is 1000 items, and I just hit 1/3 this weekend. Still have books to sell in the car and two boxes to drop off at goodwill. Most of it was clothes, books, and house junk. I'm getting better at letting go of fancy clothes I never wear. I have 10 vacation days coming up, and those will be spent minimizing and doing some home improvement projects. My new goal has been to clear the top shelf in every kitchen cabinet. I'm trying to really think about what I use regularly. I also emptied two pieces of furniture that I'm not counting yet because they're sitting in the garage. If I counted every paper clip and pencil/pen I got rid of (took to work and left in the supply room), I would probably be at 1000 already. No idea why I hoard office supplies at home.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #288 on: June 27, 2016, 09:41:27 PM »
I'll just add this as well - I took a vacation in May and instead of staying in a hotel, I rented a tiny house via Airbnb. It was the perfect motivation for helping me realize so much of my stuff is just stuff. I've been asking myself, would this make it in my tiny home? And if the answe is no, I'm letting go of it.

oneday

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #289 on: June 28, 2016, 04:24:21 PM »
@GoConfidently: You are not alone!  I hoard office supplies too.  I don't know how many times I have taken things to work.  I use them up there, or they go in the supply cabinet & others do.  Will I ever learn?

Joining! Yesterday was day 1 for me. Got a scanner with a paper feeder and scanned/shred till the shredder bin was full. Plan to repeat this on most days until 7 boxes of paper are condensed into the 2-drawer file cabinet.

Yesterday, day 2 I did nothing due to other obligations.  But realized that as I scanned/shred, some of the items I want to keep in physical format, so I'll have to make room in the file cabinet.  I wanted to start with the visible pile of papers, but the way it was going, I was just starting another pile to put the "keep" items in.

Today, shred several folders worth from the file cabinet, till the bin was full.  Tossed no less than 6 unactivated/expired credit cards! I used to be good at filing & culling annually, that morphed into filing everything, never culling.  Then the file cabinet got full & I started making boxes. The credit cards were from the "file everything" stage.  There will probably be more.

Happy with progress so far!

edit to add the bit about the credit cards.
« Last Edit: June 28, 2016, 04:27:11 PM by oneday »

TOgirl

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #290 on: June 29, 2016, 07:57:45 AM »
Yesterday I had to take a work teleconference from home, so had a full 2 hours in the home office that I rarely use....made the most of the mute button and shredded a whole pile of documents, and tossed a bunch of unused office supplies in the donation pile!

Asked the kids if they wanted anything out of their rooms, to make more space to play - they both asked for toys to be removed!! GOODBYE barbie dream house and equally large fireman play set!!!! Better than the space in their rooms, is the mindset they are picking up, that open space is desirable and collecting things is not!

Hubby also has a couple friends coming by today to take clothing of his that he no longer wears.

I'm thinking my target amount of items to declutter might need to increase, if we keep up this pace!

oneday

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #291 on: June 29, 2016, 09:34:58 PM »
Day 1 June 26: Got a scanner with a paper feeder and scanned/shred till the shredder bin was full.

Day 2 June 27: I did nothing due to other obligations. 

Day 3 June 28: shred till the bin was full.  Found 6 unactivated/expired credit cards

Day 4 June 29: shred till the bin was full.  Found another unactivated credit card, but not sure if the account is still open.  Will have to call them tomorrow. (total 7 credit cards)

edited to add: last day of the challenge for me is Sept 24.

Happy Little Chipmunk

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #292 on: June 29, 2016, 10:15:27 PM »
Hey, better late than never! I need this challenge....

Earlier this year I spent 30 min a day (for 30 days) organizing the basement and posted a photo each day on Instagram. It was amazing how much work I got done and how the photo helped with my accountability! Moved the craft area out of the back 'room' & moved the bandsaw and woodworking tools in. Hooray!

But then I lost steam and the basement continues to look like a hoarder's paradise. And then there's the attic. The attic has the potential to be a lovely workspace/game room, but it is dirty and unloved and has piles of forgotten projects scattered about.

So I'm in! But I'm recovering from a virus, so I'll be ramping up slowly.  I'll take some 'before' photos tomorrow so that come September 30th, I can impress myself. Can't wait to see what I can get done.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #293 on: June 30, 2016, 12:10:17 AM »
Hey, better late than never! I need this challenge....

Earlier this year I spent 30 min a day (for 30 days) organizing the basement and posted a photo each day on Instagram. It was amazing how much work I got done and how the photo helped with my accountability! Moved the craft area out of the back 'room' & moved the bandsaw and woodworking tools in. Hooray!

But then I lost steam and the basement continues to look like a hoarder's paradise. And then there's the attic. The attic has the potential to be a lovely workspace/game room, but it is dirty and unloved and has piles of forgotten projects scattered about.

So I'm in! But I'm recovering from a virus, so I'll be ramping up slowly.  I'll take some 'before' photos tomorrow so that come September 30th, I can impress myself. Can't wait to see what I can get done.

HLC, I'm pretty sure you can start whenever & just go for 90 days from then...

Pictures are a good idea.  I don't have any visual progress yet, as I am culling out old stuff from the file cabinet so that the new can move in.  But in a week or so, I should start to see a difference in the desk area.

lbdance

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #294 on: June 30, 2016, 03:58:04 AM »
Found this thread. Great motivation reading the success you have all had.
I've been slowly decluttering my house for a while, and always finding more stuff even when going over areas again.

I don't feel like I have a lot of stuff, but having recently had a baby, I feel like I need to be more organised, and make the best use of our space. Also its a change of life, so a great chance to reevaluate whats important, and what example I want to set to my child. I don't have any specific trouble areas at present, went through most of them before the baby was born (whilst reorganising the house), and some of my personal items after having the baby. (Will I ever wear that again??) I have decided I'm going to work through those Peter Walsh videos linked before as a way to motivate myself to fully assess my house. My timeframe is before the end of September to have things organised (as it gives me a one month buffer before returning to part time work at the end of Oct.

Great success today, I worked through about 10 of the videos (from 2013) and it was easy as I had already addressed some of the areas and so it was very quick to redo them. I have started a box to donate which is already half full now, and only a small amount has gone in the trash.

Mongoose

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #295 on: June 30, 2016, 04:11:49 PM »
HLC, oneday is definitely correct. Just jump right in. Time limits are a bit fluid. Love hearing about others' efforts to bring order to their lives.

I'm doing a second round...slowly this time which is frustrating. This weekend my goal is to remove the garbage (literally boxes of garbage and recycling) from our business area. We have been helping my parents seal their garage floor (untextured concrete was hideously slick when shoes were wet). That is taking several of the few weekends that DH has free. So, we probably won't get back to our house fixing/decluttering until the middle of the month.

oneday

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #296 on: June 30, 2016, 10:18:04 PM »

Challenge: June 26 to Sept 24 - First priority is the paper monster

Day 1 June 26: Got a scanner with a paper feeder and scanned/shred till the shredder bin was full.

Day 2 June 27: I did nothing due to other obligations. 

Day 3 June 28: shred till the bin was full.  Found 6 unactivated/expired credit cards

Day 4 June 29: shred till the bin was full.  Found another unactivated credit card, but not sure if the account is still open.  Will have to call them tomorrow. (total 7 credit cards)

Day 5 June 30: shred till the bin was full.  Nothing interesting found.  I am setting up an Action Items folder a la David Allen & GTD.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #297 on: July 01, 2016, 02:39:09 PM »
Jumping back in now that moving day is four weeks from tomorrow! I have been clipping along pretty well, and keeping a list of things that aren't coming with us, but my husband and I are still working on being on the same page about strategy. I'd like to move stuff along before we move, and he's more interested in the unpack-as-needed strategy. Next few weeks should be interesting!

For those of you who enjoyed the Peter Walsh videos, there's a current "21 Day Decluttering Challenge" up on the YouTube channel of Courtney Carver (aka Be More With Less). It's a day-by-day challenge, a little less thematic than the other series, but might appeal to some.

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #298 on: July 02, 2016, 12:29:05 PM »
Gave away an entertainment stand yesterday. It kind of pained me a bit because it was a beautiful piece of furniture, but would only hold a 32" TV. I had been trying to sell it for months, but no takers. Finally decided to just give it away to get it out of the garage.

Sold a set of shabby chic picture frames for $50 that I didn't end up using for my gallery wall.

City picked up old washer, dryer and bbq on Wednesday.

Taking another load of stuff from under the stairs out to the bin.

oneday

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Re: Declutter challenge - 90 days - clean up in 2016
« Reply #299 on: July 02, 2016, 09:33:51 PM »
Challenge: June 26 to Sept 24 - First priority is the paper monster

Day 1 June 26: Got a scanner with a paper feeder and scanned/shred till the shredder bin was full.

Day 2 June 27: I did nothing due to other obligations. 

Day 3 June 28: shred till the bin was full.  Found 6 unactivated/expired credit cards

Day 4 June 29: shred till the bin was full.  Found another unactivated credit card, but not sure if the account is still open.  Will have to call them tomorrow. (total 7 credit cards)

Day 5 June 30: shred till the bin was full.  Nothing interesting found.  I am setting up an Action Items folder a la David Allen & GTD.

Day 5 July 1: chose to do nothing

Day 6 July 2: to make up for yesterday, I went through twice as much today.  Most was shred.  I found 9 more unactivated credit cards (3 were actually debit cards), 16 total.  That should be all, as I am through the bank account folders & credit card folders.  Also found 2 full checkbooks.  Next up is investments.  I will probably scan most of these before shredding.