Author Topic: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!  (Read 1851325 times)

BZB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1650 on: May 12, 2015, 07:30:33 PM »
We are decluttering and packing for an upcoming move. This weekend we dropped off a car hatchback full of stuff to Goodwill.

MsPeacock

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1651 on: May 12, 2015, 07:48:26 PM »
I have been doing a closet purge for a while now - and tonight I got rid of a ton of hangers. I'd been putting them in the guest room and the rack was full, and I still had excess hangers in my bedroom. ZTonight I tossed them in a bag for Goodwill. I am determined that I won't be needing more hangers for myself - so off they go.

Cornelia

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1652 on: May 12, 2015, 07:55:31 PM »
Finally finished the family's clothes today (a 'Life changing magic..' convert too!) and am on to books tomorrow. Clothes took so much time because I went through all the kiddos' 0-4 year stuff, and plan to sell what I can this weekend at a yard sale, and the rest is getting picked up by the Diabetes folks next week. A few vintage things will go on ebay too.

Looking forward to zipping through books as I only buy books if they 'spark joy' otherwise I heart my library. 

Now, if I could only get these pesky kijiji people to buy my chicken tractor and stop asking me if it'll fit in their minivan, or if I could deliver it a three hour drive from here...


tofuchampion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1653 on: May 12, 2015, 10:21:23 PM »
Some big things gone - sold the cosleeper on craigslist and the swing to the consignment shop. $40 total. I listed a bunch of baby clothes on eBay...no bids yet and the auctions end tmrw, so I don't think they'll sell. To Goodwill, then! I also listed an insulated lunch bag, not thinking it would sell, but it's at $10.50 with 7 bids and 3 watchers, so who knows!

Cheers to everyone else decluttering! It's really motivating to read about everyone's progress.

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1654 on: May 13, 2015, 09:42:39 AM »
My closet is starting to look very spacious! 

I took another large batch of clothing to the consignment store yesterday and collected a check for $55 for some items that sold previously.  I was hanging on to skirts and dresses that have not fit me and have not been worn for 2-3 years now and I finally let go of them!  I also sold 5 bags through consignment and got over $250 for them.  I had such a hard time letting them go at the time but now I don't miss them at all and really enjoy using just one bag.  I still kept 3 or 4 others but I may sell them as well.  I really don't know why I ever thought I needed 10 different purses!!!

It is truly liberating to let go of all that stuff.

SisterX

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1655 on: May 13, 2015, 10:52:33 AM »
I don't know if this would help anyone else, but I went through all of my/our papers years ago and got them all into one accordion file by type.  One section holds the most important things: marriage and birth certificates, passports when not in use, that type of thing.  Another section for pet papers and info.  Another section for tax stuff.  Another section for rental leases/housing papers.  Another section for automotive stuff.  Last section for miscellany.  It's been super helpful to me over the years because everything I need is available at a glance and if I didn't make a section for it before, it's obviously not important enough to keep.  It's just one file folder so it doesn't take up a lot of space.  (All together it's about an inch and a half thick.)  I never have to think about, "Where's this?" when it comes to my papers, they're not cluttering up a drawer in my desk...it's bliss, to have well-filed papers.
Now if only I could keep the rest of my desk as tidy as I always keep that drawer!  Working toward that goal.

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1656 on: May 13, 2015, 10:21:23 PM »
I had been waiting for the man to be out by the goodwill donation trucks so I could get a receipt  for my stuff. - rather than drop the things curbside ( as everyone does in our complex ) for anyone to pick through. Reason being I am self-employed and need all the write offs I can get . $700. These are  many items of low value that wouldn't possibly hav sold for muxh, if at all individually so well.

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1657 on: May 14, 2015, 02:21:13 AM »
Even more stuff out!

I purged the bathroom cabinets (err, again). I concentrated on what I wanted to KEEP, and said, 'Whatever fits in this drawer is what I can have'. Previously it was in baskets and bins in a cupboard as well. That really focussed my mind on what I would use, versus what I was keeping 'just in case' and out of guilt for spending the money.

More space and a proper view of what I had made me realise 1) I needed more face cream and 2) i had all the ingredients and tools right there. Because it was no hassle and I didn't have to dig through cabinets to find the coconut oil right at the back, I just whipped up a batch straight away. I usually think of it as a 'Saturday' kind of project that takes up most of the day.

It was done and the jars neatly arranged in the drawer within an hour, including cooling time when I got lots of other things done. Less stuff is definitely equalling more time for me! (And I did get a kick out of finishing a bottle of sweet almond oil and putting it in the recycling! I had FOUR bottles because I kept thinking I didn't have any and buying more - because I couldn't see it in the crammed space. Oh the irony)

wintersun

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1658 on: May 14, 2015, 03:51:33 AM »
I am enjoying reading all the stories on here.  Yesterday I got rid of two shirts, two dresses and a fancy skirt and reorganised my closet again. 

With the capsule wardrobe are there a winter and summer set of clothes or 33 pieces total?

SisterX, how did you get it down to one accordion file of paper?  Do you keep any bills, etc? 

MonkeyJenga, you are an inspiration. 

Nancy

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1659 on: May 14, 2015, 05:06:02 AM »
I also have one accordion type paper filing system. I don't get paper bills-they are all paperless and available on the internuts. I only keep passports/birth/wedding certificates and tax documents for the last seven years.  All else is scanned and saved to the cloud/hard drive or recycled.

Awesome job, advicist! Would love your face cream recipe. Sounds delicious!

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1660 on: May 14, 2015, 05:46:37 AM »

Awesome job, advicist! Would love your face cream recipe. Sounds delicious!

Sure, it's really easy. Excuse how I've mixed up weights and volumes, it's cobbled together from various recipes and I keep meaning to convert it by working out a volume for the beeswax.

Melt together in a double boiler:
10g beeswax
2 tablespoons each: Coconut oil, sweet almond oil
A few drops rose essential oil
2 Vit e capsules (squeeze the contents out, discard the outer)

(the EO and Vit e capsules are optional really. It was an investment buying these so I didn't use them until I was sure I was going to keep making my own, and everything turned out fine. I use Rose because I have dry skin, you could change for whatever suits yours).

Allow to cool. As soon as you start to see beeswax solidifying at the sides of the bowl start whisking (by hand). This is to evenly distribute the beeswax, otherwise it will form lumps.

When the mixture is fairly cool, but still a little warm to the touch, whisk in (in stages):
1/2 cup Aloe Vera Gel.

You do need the gel. It was easy to buy online and I've seen it at health food stores. Do not mix it in while the oil mixture is hot, or later on it will separate out. But if the oil mixture is totally cold the shock of the cold Aloe will make the beeswax solidify in clumps. You want the oil slightly warm, the aloe at room temperature.

Whisk together until cool. Doesn't take long. Makes two decent sized jars, probably 1 1/2 cups.

Hope you like it! It's quite rich, but not greasy. The aloe was the magic ingredient for me. Every other recipe I tried was so greasy I had to wash my hair after applying it! The aloe vera gel makes the greasiness evaporate away somehow.

starbuck

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1661 on: May 14, 2015, 06:36:25 AM »
I'm trying to let go of some old beauty magazines and am surprisingly having a hard time. They've gone back and forth from throwaway to consider pile. I'm not sure what is making me keep them.... definitely not joy, since once they are in consider pile, I put them out again. But when I see them in clutter pile, I pull them back. :( does anyone else have this issue with anything else? How did you tackle it?

Rip out the pages of things you are interested in keeping.  Throw away the rest.  Later, go through the pile of pages, and realize you don't need any of it :)

I used to do this, but managing binders of ripped out pages was a PITA. Now when there's something I want to refer back to in a magazine, I take a picture of it with my phone and upload it to Pinterest. Or I find the article on the magazine website and add THAT to my pinterest board.

I've also stopped subscribing to magazines...

Emilyngh

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1662 on: May 14, 2015, 06:51:14 AM »
I am enjoying reading all the stories on here.  Yesterday I got rid of two shirts, two dresses and a fancy skirt and reorganised my closet again. 

With the capsule wardrobe are there a winter and summer set of clothes or 33 pieces total?


Up to 4 sets of 33 pieces (33 pieces that you can switch out every 3 months).   Most people probably repeat most items, so they don't have nearly that many, but one could.

Nancy

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1663 on: May 14, 2015, 07:21:38 AM »

Awesome job, advicist! Would love your face cream recipe. Sounds delicious!

Hope you like it! It's quite rich, but not greasy. The aloe was the magic ingredient for me. Every other recipe I tried was so greasy I had to wash my hair after applying it! The aloe vera gel makes the greasiness evaporate away somehow.

Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!

plainjane

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1664 on: May 14, 2015, 07:27:27 AM »
With the capsule wardrobe are there a winter and summer set of clothes or 33 pieces total?

For the capsule, it would probably depend on your weather and personal tolerance for washing.  AFAIK the original 33 pieces was from the 333 wardrobe - 33 pieces for 3 months.  Technically that would be 4 sets, but you're probably going to reuse some pieces in all your capsules.  If I was following this to the letter, I'd probably have two core capsule wardrobes with moderate overlap, and mix&match for the two transition seasons.

You'll also find when you dig into this that some people include shoes, others do not.  Some include workout gear, others not.  To a certain extent to me it's like the discussions here about whether or not you include your house in your net worth calculation. :)

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1665 on: May 14, 2015, 07:36:28 AM »
Got rid of my "fancy" dresses that I don't wear anymore:
- one I wore to my brother's wedding in 2006 and never again
- one I wore to my masters in bioethics graduation in 2007 and never again
- one I wore to my *cough, don't laugh* law school prom in 2007 and a wedding a few months later and...you guessed it, never again.  Tried this one on last night and it still fits, but it doesn't look as good on me now.  I also noticed it has a stain or yellowing mark on the front somehow that I doubt I'm going to be able get out at this point. 

All of these were hidden away in a giant zip up bag to keep away moths.  Out of sight, out of mind apparently.

Note to self: Don't buy formal gowns or at least only have one at a time.  My only consolation was the last two were fairly cheap.

Sibley

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1666 on: May 14, 2015, 07:37:44 AM »
For my papers, I have a file box with hanging folders. About once a year I go through and clean it out, but since even when it's "full" the box is only half full, I don't care that much.

I do need to go through clothes. I ran out of hangers after a shopping trip (Goodwill!), and while I need the stuff I bought, I don't need other things that I've had for years.

handsnhearts

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1667 on: May 14, 2015, 07:38:33 AM »
Thanks. This is a wonderful recipe. Does it turn out fluffy like whipped cream?  I just bought some new face cream to replace my old one and I tried something cheaper. I don't like  it as much. Your recipe sounds much nicer.


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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1668 on: May 14, 2015, 07:41:18 AM »
So I picked two areas of my house to declutter last weekend. They were possibly the smallest areas I could have picked, but I got them done: the hallway closet and my makeup drawer.

Makeup drawer: I now own NO makeup. I did not have any makeup that I had purchased in the last year. I had some that was purchased in the mid 90s!!!!   It is all gone, and the things left in the drawer (nail polish, nail clippers, hair ties, combs) are all neatly organized.

Hall closet: We got rid of 5 old coats/jackets (well, they are in a Goodwill box, but we have enough storage space that we will hold onto that in a specific location until it is nearer to the season where Goodwill needs coats.).  We moved a few sentimental items to a different storage location that makes more sense.  I threw out an old vacuum that is broken. We broke down 12 cardboard boxes (mostly empty) and put them out for recycling.

Small progress, but I'm pleased.

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1669 on: May 14, 2015, 08:12:56 AM »
Got rid of my "fancy" dresses that I don't wear anymore:
- one I wore to my brother's wedding in 2006 and never again
- one I wore to my masters in bioethics graduation in 2007 and never again
- one I wore to my *cough, don't laugh* law school prom in 2007 and a wedding a few months later and...you guessed it, never again.  Tried this one on last night and it still fits, but it doesn't look as good on me now.  I also noticed it has a stain or yellowing mark on the front somehow that I doubt I'm going to be able get out at this point. 

All of these were hidden away in a giant zip up bag to keep away moths.  Out of sight, out of mind apparently.

Note to self: Don't buy formal gowns or at least only have one at a time.  My only consolation was the last two were fairly cheap.

Your post just gave me an idea... We get invited to a lot of charity dos that are black tie. I live in fear of needing a formal dress at short notice, and keep a few on hand, but as we often go with the same people, I try not to repeat too much. Well, reading what you read, I checked on ebay, and sure enough... I'm watching a couple of GORGEOUS dresses I might be able to pick up for 99p plus postage! I will get one to have 'on hand' and watch for more. I'm never paying full price again! I don't know why I didn't think of this, I've been buying all handbags, shoes, boots, and work suits from ebay for ages. Thank you!

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1670 on: May 14, 2015, 08:19:12 AM »
Thanks. This is a wonderful recipe. Does it turn out fluffy like whipped cream?  I just bought some new face cream to replace my old one and I tried something cheaper. I don't like  it as much. Your recipe sounds much nicer.


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Whipped cream is an excellent description of the consistency. I like my cream fairly thick as I have dry skin. I think it's one of those things where you have to try it, and then adjust to your liking. So more beeswax = more balm like. More oil = greasier (or slippier, depending on how you look at it!). More aloe = more soothing and evaporates more quickly.

Try half the recipe first and go from there. I had a lot of trial and error at the beginning. I had one big batch that separated, so after a few days water started pooling on top of the oils. Gross. That's why I avoid any recipe with water.

Also, this is very important - write down (or make a computer document) what you use and what you do. Especially if you are substituting things, or altering quantities. I then go back and add my thoughts on how well it turned out. I have a document that says things like:

November 2014 - lists full recipe - too greasy.
February 2015 - full recipe - amazing! Love it! But up next time EO as smell is faint.

When the next time comes I copy and paste the recipe but up the EO amount, as I know I'll forget whether I did it and by how much. This is the only way I made improvements, before each batch was different than the last but unrepeatable, whether it turned out good or bad.

handsnhearts

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1671 on: May 14, 2015, 08:30:36 AM »
Thanks. This is a wonderful recipe. Does it turn out fluffy like whipped cream?  I just bought some new face cream to replace my old one and I tried something cheaper. I don't like  it as much. Your recipe sounds much nicer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Whipped cream is an excellent description of the consistency. I like my cream fairly thick as I have dry skin. I think it's one of those things where you have to try it, and then adjust to your liking. So more beeswax = more balm like. More oil = greasier (or slippier, depending on how you look at it!). More aloe = more soothing and evaporates more quickly.

Try half the recipe first and go from there. I had a lot of trial and error at the beginning. I had one big batch that separated, so after a few days water started pooling on top of the oils. Gross. That's why I avoid any recipe with water.

Also, this is very important - write down (or make a computer document) what you use and what you do. Especially if you are substituting things, or altering quantities. I then go back and add my thoughts on how well it turned out. I have a document that says things like:

November 2014 - lists full recipe - too greasy.
February 2015 - full recipe - amazing! Love it! But up next time EO as smell is faint.

When the next time comes I copy and paste the recipe but up the EO amount, as I know I'll forget whether I did it and by how much. This is the only way I made improvements, before each batch was different than the last but unrepeatable, whether it turned out good or bad.

Yes, this is good advice (from the advicist:)  I always ( or most always) track what I'm doing with stuff like this.  I even did it when I was making yogurt. 

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1672 on: May 14, 2015, 08:53:46 AM »
handsnhearts I've learnt to start doing it with recipes too! Sometimes something that seems so obvious at the time (of course I'll halve the salt!) isn't obvious when you try to recreate something. I have a batch of lipbalms I made from one internet recipe or another, assuming I'd be able to find it in my bookmarks. I have no idea which one it is... and now, without a lot of trial and error, I won't be able to make it again :(

3Mer

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1673 on: May 14, 2015, 11:14:17 AM »
After a little bit of a stall out in Feb and Apr (no items recorded on my purge log), I am back in the game.  I am a little more than 1/3 way there to get to 365.  Though I neglected to record some incoming items. 

I'm trying to look at this as being a slow and steady initiative versus doing it all at once.  Slowly but surely, I am getting rid of some unneeded stuff (mostly clothes - it is amazing how much one can accumulate through the years. I'm going to blame my job)

SisterX

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1674 on: May 14, 2015, 11:31:03 AM »
SisterX, how did you get it down to one accordion file of paper?  Do you keep any bills, etc? 

No, I don't keep any bills.  All of those are online only.  I have all my bills set to auto-pay, with the statements coming to my email so I see how much it is, then double-check the amount paid with my credit card statement, also online.  It takes far less time to do that than it did to deal with paper bills, and now I don't have all that paper cluttering up my house, nor do I have to take it to work to shred so it saves me even more time/effort.
I don't keep any receipts, either, because I check it all online.  My parents asked me a while ago how I can possibly keep track of all my spending that way and my first thought was to ask, how much do you think we spend?  Beyond bills and groceries, we don't spend much, so it's easy to remember what we spent and where.  When you only go out to eat once every couple of months, it sticks in your mind.  When you only go shopping when enough of your clothes are falling apart to make (thrift) shopping worthwhile, it sticks in your mind.  Receipts are unnecessary.


On Marie Kondo's advice I went through my second folder, the one full of manuals, and got rid of almost all of them.  I kept just a few which I thought might come in handy at some point, but I could probably get rid of those, as well, and be just fine.  I'm ok with keeping 3 manuals around, though.

3Mer

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1675 on: May 14, 2015, 05:32:29 PM »
Every spring and fall, my city has a "clean-up" week.  Residents can bring all kinds of stuff to dump for free. They even unload for you.  Got rid of a few more bulky items today.  This really is a nice benefit.   

Nancy

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1676 on: May 15, 2015, 04:49:22 AM »
Any quilters/crafters have tips for decluttering patterns, unfinished projects, and fabric/materials? Sorry if this has already been covered. My issue is a quilt I started for a nephew, who is now nearing 2 years old. I keep saying I'm going to get to it, but I haven't sewn in about two years (other than patching). I just don't want to do it, and I'm not sure if I'm even able to do it, but I feel bad not making him a quilt. Also, I'm hesitant to give away all my other supplies because I have a cyclical pattern with hobbies where I'll do something for years then take a few years off then do it again for years. Anyone else in this boat?

swick

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1677 on: May 15, 2015, 05:02:17 AM »
sooo...a MAJOR stumbling block to my cleaning up and getting rid of crap plan was that we had to consolidate two offices and a hobby room when we moved. So I have been stumbling over boxes and random electronic hobby parts, butchered computers, spare parts and having no idea how to organize them or what is important.

Mr. Swick came into the office last night and said" I want to get this space cleaned up so we can use it!" This is not like him, he is more comfortable in clutter the I am. I JUMPED on the chance and we have at least three boxes of e-waste that we can dispose of! Once I find a place that takes it that is. Soo happy! It's a GOOD day!

Sibley

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1678 on: May 15, 2015, 08:46:28 AM »
Any quilters/crafters have tips for decluttering patterns, unfinished projects, and fabric/materials? Sorry if this has already been covered. My issue is a quilt I started for a nephew, who is now nearing 2 years old. I keep saying I'm going to get to it, but I haven't sewn in about two years (other than patching). I just don't want to do it, and I'm not sure if I'm even able to do it, but I feel bad not making him a quilt. Also, I'm hesitant to give away all my other supplies because I have a cyclical pattern with hobbies where I'll do something for years then take a few years off then do it again for years. Anyone else in this boat?

I do needlepoint, as does my mom. I specifically plan projects to use materials I (or my mom) already have. This is mostly yarn. I also don't buy canvases in advance. My mom is the only one who would buy me a canvas, which helps. Mom has also been trying to use up some of her yarn supply. Between the two of us, we've reduced it by about a third in the past several years (we still have 2 garbage bag-sized cloth bags full of yarn). This is a work in progress clearly.

The next step we need to take is to weed out the yarn that has degraded and isn't usable. Mom is not going to go for this, so I'm just leaving it. It's in her house. I have a huge bag of odds and ends at my house that I'm using for a project, so will get rid of the really small/bad stuff before I give the rest back.

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1679 on: May 15, 2015, 09:10:41 AM »
Any quilters/crafters have tips for decluttering patterns, unfinished projects, and fabric/materials? Sorry if this has already been covered. My issue is a quilt I started for a nephew, who is now nearing 2 years old. I keep saying I'm going to get to it, but I haven't sewn in about two years (other than patching). I just don't want to do it, and I'm not sure if I'm even able to do it, but I feel bad not making him a quilt. Also, I'm hesitant to give away all my other supplies because I have a cyclical pattern with hobbies where I'll do something for years then take a few years off then do it again for years. Anyone else in this boat?

1) Recognize what you won't complete for whatever reason.  Sometimes I start a project I think will be interesting, but isn't and I lose interest and it's hard to finish.  If you almost done you can soldier on, but if you're not, consider confessing to  your sister or brother and offering it to them if they want to finish it.  Otherwise, you can give away to a quilting group that donates quilts.  e.g. my mom makes quilts for her church that they give away to those in need of comfort (just had major surgery, etc.) or in need (they donate to Lutheran World Relief).

2) Cull out scraps not really good for anything (too small or unsuitable).  Cull out fabric you no longer like.  Give away on craigslist or to a friend.

3) Set a project for what's left and slowly work through it.  It should be more enjoyable because it's material and projects you're more interested in and enthused about.

4) Impose a moratorium on new materials coming in until you've worked down what's left.

I find I go in cycles of working on projects.  So I'm ok taking a lengthy break (it's been a few years since I've done cross-stitch, but I've made 3 quilts during that time), but I don't allow myself to buy anything new in the meantime then until I've finished the old projects.  This helps cut down on the stockpiles.

Nancy

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1680 on: May 15, 2015, 05:54:30 PM »
Thank you! This is exactly what I needed. I didn't know people would finish partially completed quilts. I feel better knowing the beautiful fabric will get used up and will potentially go to someone in need. Also, it's liberating to think about allowing myself to give up on the quilt, to say that I don't always have to be a super duper producer if it doesn't match what I want to be doing.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1681 on: May 17, 2015, 04:53:34 AM »
I read the Kondo book too. :) I followed a lot of her ideas and my house is far less cluttered. I am thinking about moving house so we have packed some stuff into boxes ready to move and everything feels a lot more organised. I love her samosa carrier bag idea!

Villanelle

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1682 on: May 17, 2015, 05:14:51 AM »
New to the thread.

We've got an international move coming up in less than 4 months, and another one 8 months later, and I'm trying to really organize and purge. 

Every week day, I do at least one area--costume jewelry or one shelf in the linen closet or my warm weather sweaters.  Sometimes I'll end up doing 2 or 3, but committing to one area keeps me from feeling overwhelmed. 

The pile of "donate" is growing faster than I can haul it out.  Still tons of progress needed, but this feels a little different than past efforts where I end up getting rid of a few sweaters with holes and a kitchen gadget I've never used. It's less of a struggle for some reason, and I don't feel like I'm sacrificing or forcing myself to get rid of stuff.  I look at a thing and feel nothing as a toss it. 

Nancy

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1683 on: May 17, 2015, 08:32:32 AM »
Sold a wireless keyboard today and listed a bunch of other stuff to sell and donate. I didn't realize how many individual items we had until I started listing stuff for sale and on freecycle. I also noticed that a lot of the posts on Freecycle are offers as opposed to wants, and I'm not getting as many responses as I used to for excellent items. Perchance a sea change in consumption habits? One can hope.

horsepoor

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1684 on: May 17, 2015, 10:26:27 AM »
I did a bit more purging yesterday.  We just got home from two weeks in Peru, and like the previous poster living in the Philippines said, seeing people who have little to nothing really makes you realize your excess.  For some reason I had a box of 5-year old Lowe's receipts and the random keys that came with our house and don't fit any locks. Getting rid of more clothes and shoes, magazines, and a small hydration backpack that I used once when training for a long-distance race.


swick

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1685 on: May 17, 2015, 10:52:59 AM »
I have been enjoying the "life changing art" but there is still stuff that doesn't spark joy that we need to keep - and there is stuff that does that really, I don't need and would probably spark joy for someone else too. I have been using that plus the 80/20 rule as my litmus and it seems to be working really good so far.

Ina  nutshell, we use 20% of our things about 80% of the time. It might not be a perfect 80/20 split, but that isn't really the point. The more I look at using things, the more true I find this, from spices and kitchen utensils, to board games and books. The flip side of this is about 80% of what we own does not spark joy or is not being used.  I have found that using both concepts cuts down on the grey areas and makes purging easier.

PMG

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1686 on: May 17, 2015, 11:38:40 AM »
I froze an inch of water in the bottom of a cottage cheese container.  I sewed up a useless decorative linen "dishtowel" my mom got for me, just made it into a pouch.  I placed the disk of ice inside, smacked it a few times with my kitchen hammer then made myself an iced coffee with my cold brewed coffee and some homemade rum vanilla.  My foodie brother tells me that my ice smashing bag is called a "Lewis bag".  I'm pleased to use what I had on hand and not buy and store and move and throw out another item.  I don't use much ice, but I do love iced coffee.

PMG

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1687 on: May 17, 2015, 07:51:48 PM »
out:

lipstick (yuck)
jewelry cleaner (I used it once, 10 years ago)
eye make up remover (i'll use coconut oil)
throat spray (expired)
emptied and tossed another spool of thread.

Cleaned out the car, loaded it for goodwill. Bags and cooler ready for greocery run. Prepped for trash day.

shew.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1688 on: May 17, 2015, 09:47:09 PM »
Another big load of stuff to the thrift store + another giant trash bag finished the garage cleanup. The garage is our dumping ground, but also one of the biggest workhorse rooms in the house for garden and productive home storage. So when it becomes a complete disaster, there is this knock-on effect. All the unsold crap from the garage sale plus even more purged items have been sitting there for 2 weeks. After a good afternoon of cleaning and tidying, our garage is now, like, a place I'd hang out and spend time. Is that weird?

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1689 on: May 18, 2015, 05:28:53 AM »
Any quilters/crafters have tips for decluttering patterns, unfinished projects, and fabric/materials? Sorry if this has already been covered. My issue is a quilt I started for a nephew, who is now nearing 2 years old. I keep saying I'm going to get to it, but I haven't sewn in about two years (other than patching). I just don't want to do it, and I'm not sure if I'm even able to do it, but I feel bad not making him a quilt. Also, I'm hesitant to give away all my other supplies because I have a cyclical pattern with hobbies where I'll do something for years then take a few years off then do it again for years. Anyone else in this boat?

Yep. I have an elaborate embroidery I started when a niece was born... she turns 4 soon. I don't know WHY I don't like it and want to give it to her, I just don't. It's really almost finished, but I just cannot bring myself to finish it off and send it. Maybe I'm worried she won't appreciate it? That would be a ridiculous reason. And even more ridiculous to throw it in the bin because it might not be appreciated - it definitely won't get that at the dump.

Anyway, the point is it makes me feel bad - to look at it, to think of finishing it and giving it to her. So I am going to get rid of it. Thank you for making me think about it.

As for my craft stash, I am getting much better at only buying stuff I *love*. I don't buy stuff because it's cheap, or useful, or whatever. But I have given myself permission to buy ANY fabric I absolutely love. And that has (strangely) made me buy much much less. Because I know if I can buy anything I want, I don't need to get this 'just in case'. I can wait, and as soon as I see something I absolutely adore (rarer than I thought), I get it.

I've been concentrating on using up the fabric stash. For me, that meant pulling out fabric, a pattern, and cutting it out NOW. I don't have to sew it up now, but having it all cut out (and in my new 'work in progress drawer') feels so good. It also means when I want to sew I can get straight to it (I generally dislike cutting out).

I've also been through the stash and sold (on ebay) anything that 1) I bought when I was new to this and didn't understand what I liked / what was good fabric 2) anything I bought online which wasn't what I thought. I recovered about half the cost, and a lot of peace of mind, it was definitely worth it. Good luck taming the craft monster!

tmac

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1690 on: May 18, 2015, 07:10:49 AM »
I witnessed a clutter trainwreck this weekend that I thought I'd share. Maybe it'll be inspiring to someone.

My mother's friend, an artist, is moving -- downsizing from a fairly large townhouse into a small apartment.  So far, so good.

The sale of the townhouse closed on Saturday morning. She needed to be out by the following Friday, which I thought was pretty generous of the new owner. I went over that morning to pick up a drafting table she was giving away. We'd been looking for one for my daughter. All good.

I walked into the seemingly empty house, and turned the corner to see that the floor of her art studio was still covered with stuff -- frames, paint, finished canvases, easels, etc. No place to walk. And the three large closets were full to the ceiling.

Her husband is 90 years old and not able to help, and I couldn't bear to leave my mom and her friend there to deal with it alone, so I stayed. Six hours later, we'd cleared the closets and a 10 x 5 foot space on the floor. I had a load in my car for the Goodwill. My mom's car was full of art supplies.

At 5pm, the new owner called and says she's changed her mind. She needs to be out by the very next day. Much stress. It'll never happen.

As we left, my mom offered to take her painting bag to her house, so she could still paint while getting her own studio set up. The woman turned to me and said, "This'll be great! As long as I have that bag, I'm all set! That's all I need!"

I just slowly turned around and looked at the rest of the stuff in the room. My mom laughed and said, "Oh, you're going to regret saying that! Now she's going to make you get rid of everything else!"

I'd already pushed her enough and the clock was ticking, so I didn't, but it was ridiculous. She could be doing just fine with just that bag and a much smaller stash of supplies. Instead, she has this hugely stressful situation. She was going to have to rent a truck, kill herself to get it loaded and unloaded, then pay for a storage unit because the new place is too small for all of it.

I told my mom later that she is on notice. When she and my dad are ready to downsize, she better have decluttered first. I'll even help. But there's no excuse for this kind of silliness.

Sibley

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1691 on: May 18, 2015, 08:56:04 AM »
Someone's brain waves hit me yesterday! Out of the blue, I sat down and went through my file box. Shredded about 3 inches of paper, threw out another 3 inches.

Then I finally got around to swapping winter for summer clothes (been meaning to do this for several weeks). While I was at it, started setting aside everything that I haven't worn, and knew I wouldn't wear for whatever reason. 3 bags of stuff ready to go to Goodwill, just gotta get them into the car and drop them off.

Hopefully this will continue - spending Memorial Day weekend at my parent's house. My sister will be there too, which is excellent because we're planning on going through the attic and helping to declutter. I'm sure there will be a ton of stuff that will not be eligible to go, but even a car load will help.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1692 on: May 18, 2015, 09:14:25 AM »
Small steps...  I went through my underwear and culled out the uncomfortable (but free) Victoria's Secret items that are too small.  (Why they can't have consistent sizing, I do not know.)  Also culled old items.  Went through my socks and removed a few pairs that were getting threadbare or had holes.  Started going through our closet, and put away tools that were still lingering up there from a project.  Convinced DH to get rid of flip flops given at a wedding.  A very nice idea, but somehow the sizing got terribly off between what the guests told the bride and what we received.

Villanelle

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1693 on: May 18, 2015, 10:01:23 AM »
Worked on the basement today.  I tossed a bunch of old gift bags.  I reuse them, but living away from family, I mail all our presents.  So I've been hauling this bags around for 3 countries and 5 years.  Out!  A few other odds and ends either tossed or added to Mt. Donate, which is quickly becoming quite the landmark in our basement. 

Maybe it's counter-intuitive (or even counter-mustachian), but I find that if I remind myself, "you can always buy another one", it makes it much easier.  If I need a wall clock to replace the one I donated today, and which I've had since college and haven't used in 2 years and probably cost $9.99 at target, I can buy one.  *When I actually need and will use it.*  And that frees me from the "but what if I need it someday?  I'll have wasted $9.99" mentality that causes me to hold on to stuff. 

Zamboni

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1694 on: May 18, 2015, 09:43:47 PM »
I read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying up book and went to work on my own closet since that is where she says to start. Clothes seem like the least of my problems so it was really easy to sack up and donate about 2/3 of my wardrobe this morning. I did keep most of the shoes. Now I just have to get what is left here completely put away . . .

Hooray I also sold 3 old bikes!  One is already boomer-ranging back (made a separate thread about that), but it felt good to unload them.

Books are next on the chopping block.

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1695 on: May 19, 2015, 03:57:24 AM »
Worked on the basement today.  I tossed a bunch of old gift bags.  I reuse them, but living away from family, I mail all our presents.  So I've been hauling this bags around for 3 countries and 5 years.  Out!  A few other odds and ends either tossed or added to Mt. Donate, which is quickly becoming quite the landmark in our basement. 

Maybe it's counter-intuitive (or even counter-mustachian), but I find that if I remind myself, "you can always buy another one", it makes it much easier. If I need a wall clock to replace the one I donated today, and which I've had since college and haven't used in 2 years and probably cost $9.99 at target, I can buy one.  *When I actually need and will use it.*  And that frees me from the "but what if I need it someday?  I'll have wasted $9.99" mentality that causes me to hold on to stuff.

I think it's very mustacian! Wasn't it MMM who said, "Let Craigslist store it", or some version of that?

If you keep stuff in your house 'in case' you are paying in mortgage / maintenance / opportunity cost for the space that is holding the stuff. Less stuff = smaller housing costs = mustacian. And since we mustacians only buy used anyway, the cost to rebuy would likely be small (and therefore smaller than the cost of having unused assets sitting around).

All that to say, I find that very liberating too. I also read on a great blog (A Slob Comes Clean), that if you wouldn't know you had one, or where to look for it, get rid, since you'd only buy one when you needed it anyway. A tip from there that has REALLY helped me is, when you want to give something a home, don't ask, "Where should I keep this", but ask "Where would I look for this if I needed it".

I don't know why this was such a breakthrough for me, but I always know where I would LOOK for something, but I struggled over where to put things. No more.

handsnhearts

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1696 on: May 19, 2015, 07:48:21 AM »
I reads slob comes clean too!  Good stuff, but I'm finding this thread and KonMari more useful right now. But I like Noni's perspective on things.


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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1697 on: May 19, 2015, 08:40:39 AM »
Thanks, advicist! I feel the same way about my unfinished projects as you! Feels good not to be the only one. I love your stash busting ideas: cutting out and reserving is an excellent idea, since it's also my least favorite part. Thanks for turning me on to A Slob Comes Clean. She's funny!

I've been trying to give away fabric for free, but no one will take it (is everyone decluttering?). I didn't list out specifics, just big bag of fabric, which probably isn't helping. I'm going to try and sell it on ebay since it's nice stuff.

I sold a backpacking backpack that I had for nearly a decade and used once. Feels so good to be rid of it. It's too large, and if I ever do become a camper/vagabonder, I'd want a smaller pack. Goodbye aspirational self!

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1698 on: May 19, 2015, 09:01:42 AM »
Glad you liked A Slob Comes Clean nancy. I was put off at first by the terrible (sorry, Dana) web design, but in the end read it start to finish because we have the same brain! I seriously get so excited when she posts! Nearly as excited as when new MMMnew posts come out.

And thanks for the kind words, I love all the back and forth on this thread, it's helping me so much.

Villanelle

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #1699 on: May 19, 2015, 10:14:52 AM »
Today's progress is barely noticeable, but every little bit counts.  I have 2 cases (like a tackle box) of old makeup.  Nothing wrong with it.  Colors I ended up not liking, products I didn't care for, etc. I threw out probably 80% of it. 


Less than 4 months until the move, and there's lots to be done, but I love that every day I know I am closer--either a little or a bit more--to being where I want to be. 

I continue to struggle with small appliances.  Currently, we live in Germany so we bought (used) 220v appliances for the stuff we use regularly (microwave, fans, crock pot, water kettle).  All our 110v stuff is in a pile in the basement.  It will go into storage (government paid) while we are in the States for 8 months, and once we get to Japan, it will get used.  But for now, I have all these appliances.  In this case, I don't think it makes sense to sell and re-buy, but it is a damn lot of stuff to store.  Similarly, we have all the 110v extension cords, adaptors, power strips, etc.  Just sitting in a pile, taking up space.  It would be silly to purge them, as they have a concrete use in a set amount of time, but it's a pain to work around them.

In about 3.5 months, I can start selling the 220v stuff.  I'm willing to take a hit on price if I can find someone willing to take all or most of it, rather than having to deal with a couple dozen $10 sales, people flaking, etc.  I'll give away stuff like the lightbulbs (new and used), but some of the rest of it has a decent amount of value. 

And I'm off to check out A Slob Comes Clean!
« Last Edit: May 19, 2015, 10:22:46 AM by Villanelle »