Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2  (Read 1249092 times)

diapasoun

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2500 on: May 20, 2019, 01:17:54 PM »
Tried to Oxiclean the pit stains out of a t shirt. No go. I now am decluttering said shirt for rags, at least.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2501 on: May 20, 2019, 02:37:20 PM »
Tried to Oxiclean the pit stains out of a t shirt. No go. I now am decluttering said shirt for rags, at least.

I just bought this stuff called Lysol laundry sanitizer (you use it in the softener cycle) and Out Prowash workwear detergent. Works really good. I have used oxiclean too and doesn't cut the underarm odor.

diapasoun

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2502 on: May 20, 2019, 04:01:37 PM »
Do you find that it works on yellowing, Roadrunner? Or just smell? (The shirt smells fine, it's definitely the bright yellow discoloration that's the issue.)

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2503 on: May 20, 2019, 04:21:56 PM »
-Gave two like new sports bras & workout tanks to a friend
-Had my sister & friend try on a dress. It didn't work for either, so it went into the donation pile

Five items, out of the house!

daffodil2001

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2504 on: May 20, 2019, 05:11:01 PM »
Do you find that it works on yellowing, Roadrunner? Or just smell? (The shirt smells fine, it's definitely the bright yellow discoloration that's the issue.)

I found this recipe for treating discoloration elsewhere on the forums a while ago: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/homemade-oxi-clean-for-armpit-stains/

It brightened up some cotton undershirts that were discolored all over but especially bad in the armpits. It didn’t entirely get rid of the staining but I only did it once for each shirt. It might also give better results if the stains are more fresh. The mixture completely removed discoloration from a white dress (polyester blend I think).

diapasoun

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2505 on: May 20, 2019, 05:19:21 PM »
Yeah... this shirt was pretty old and pretty discolored. (The fabric is decayed a bit where the stains are as well.) I think it is time. :(

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2506 on: May 21, 2019, 05:45:37 AM »
Do you find that it works on yellowing, Roadrunner? Or just smell? (The shirt smells fine, it's definitely the bright yellow discoloration that's the issue.)

Out also makes a fabric whitener. I am currently soaking some whites in it. Don't know if it works good or not yet. The clothes I used the sanitizer in came out smelling good and were all colors.

My hub does a lot of hard work outside and his clothes just get gross! I have also resorted to using Lysol concentrate. That stuff is very concentrated and you only need a tiny capful. Less than a spoonful. It is so strong, I typically use hot water with Lysol and rewash the clothes again to get the strong Lysol smell out. It disinfects the clothes and takes all smells out!

Enigma

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2507 on: May 21, 2019, 09:09:01 AM »
Went through my clothes and realized that they have been shrinking over the past few years.  I just kept hiding them in the back.  I went through my closet and changed everything out.
I had a hodgepodge of mixed underwear, socks, polo shirts, and t-shirts as well.  Found my favorite type of socks, underwear, cotton polo shirts, and t-shirts and got rid of the rest.

It takes a lot less time to find something to wear.  Mostly because it is almost like a uniform setup.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2508 on: May 22, 2019, 06:17:10 PM »
Aaaaaaaages ago I posted in this thread about all the stuff under our spare bed that isn't used. Someone suggested getting rid of it and I was reluctant but I am happy to say that I sold my unused artist easel last night! Took a while to get there but it's gone. I also wanted to sell my photography tripod - used but not in 8 yrs - but hubby wants to hang on as he wants to get into it in retirement.

Also have sold a desk from the study, so now there are three tables in there (two are small folding ones). I've raised the idea of selling the desktop computer we never use but haven't convinced hubby yet. We'll get there.

Also got rid of a never used strainer. There must be other kitchen stuff that can go.

My winter coat is hung up waiting for photos. It cost a fortune but I don't wear it so hopefully I get a few bucks.

soccerluvof4

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2509 on: May 23, 2019, 02:45:04 AM »
Felt so good to get rid of about 25 paint cans from the basement that the homeowner we bought the house from over four years ago left behind. We since painted the entire houses interior so it was time to get rid of EVERY CAN. Some of it was nasty old too!

shadesofgreen

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2510 on: May 23, 2019, 09:50:56 AM »
I got a decent start for more things to go. I used to be into tea sets/pots  when I was younger but they just took up too much room and I donated several. I held onto 2 sets but I am letting go. I just don't get the enjoyment out of them that I used to and so I am hoping someone will appreciate and use them. In that vein I am starting to go through the kitchen. I know that I have baking ware that I can donate and clean out some cubbard space.

My house has exploded around me but I am hopeful that I will be able to get some things done over the long weekend.

Shinplaster

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2511 on: May 24, 2019, 08:16:25 AM »
Huge load to Goodwill this morning.  DS was home on the weekend and sorted through some things - he took a bunch, and was happy to turf the rest.  Good job we have a hatchback - the back area was completely full.

Raenia

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2512 on: May 26, 2019, 11:25:33 AM »
Went though a stack of file folders today and scanned a few things, set aside some others to scan with DH's better quality scanner, and a big pile sent through the shredder.  Emptied out the shredder bin, and I'll aim to do another stack later today and/or tomorrow.  I want to get rid of enough to go down to go down to a single file drawer once we move (currently have a huge ugly double-wide 2-drawer file cabinet that I want to get rid of).

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2513 on: May 26, 2019, 11:48:46 AM »
Have two more giant garbage bags ready for Vietnam Vets. Mostly bedspreads and an afghan. King size so filled the bags quickly. Also, a few other things stuffed in the bags.


RetiredAt63

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2514 on: May 26, 2019, 02:19:32 PM »
Went though a stack of file folders today and scanned a few things, set aside some others to scan with DH's better quality scanner, and a big pile sent through the shredder.  Emptied out the shredder bin, and I'll aim to do another stack later today and/or tomorrow.  I want to get rid of enough to go down to go down to a single file drawer once we move (currently have a huge ugly double-wide 2-drawer file cabinet that I want to get rid of).

Go for it!  I started with 6 drawers stuffed full.  I now have 4 drawers with lot of extra space in each.  It is daunting but doable.

horsepoor

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2515 on: May 27, 2019, 08:54:37 AM »
I'm a bit in shock, buy my husband has declared that he needs to clean out and organize "his" room.  We already have one dedicated guest room that only has storage in the closet, but his room also has a queen bed in it.  I told him we could get rid of that bed, since only once in nine years have we had multiple guests at once.  If that happens again, and we don't want to make someone sleep on the couch, I told him we could get one of the bed-height inflatable mattresses.  Low likelihood of that, but it seemed to reassure him that we didn't need to have a full queen bed taking up space for eternity.  I also told him he could get rid of my ski gear, which I'd been holding onto since my failed attempt to learn to ski ~5+ years ago.

Now that he's started on his own, I'll see if I can help him, as organization is not his strong suit, or something he grew up with.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2516 on: May 27, 2019, 10:05:28 AM »
I have been absent from this thread for a while and you can tell if you come to my house. :)

This weekend we cleaned up the kids' room and shampooed their carpet.  And you know what?  I realized as we moved all their stuff around that I think we've reached a good point of having enough but not too much.  So a few items got put in the donate pile but most of it just got put away because we have space for the reduced amount of stuff we've had since decluttering.

However, upstairs is another story.  We have this buffet with a bunch of drawers that are poorly utilized, and so much stuff piled on top of it.  One of the accumulated piles was for Freecycle, so I listed all that stuff yesterday and most of it is gone.  Still a few pending pick ups.  I also listed a few items on Facebook Marketplace and one of them sold for $60.  Win!

Today I'm going to go through our pantry and living room storage spaces and clear out some stuff.  Hopefully I'll have another good report soon.

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2517 on: May 28, 2019, 05:19:25 AM »
Looking for vacuum cleaner bag to replace the full one, had to empty out a kitchen cabinet, found the bags on the bottom. Was able to bring myself to throw out, recycle, and move into the 'rummage sale' pile about one third of the stuff in the cabinet. Easy pickings. 

Still looking for yard sale places that allow outside vendors (me). They like to make it hard to find them. They advertise for the yard sale, and mention they have x amount of vendors, but never have a phone number listed, so you have to go in person the day of the event, and get the info, for NEXT year. Or go to the site before the event, and bug people for the info.       

Raenia

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2518 on: May 28, 2019, 05:54:54 AM »
Went though a stack of file folders today and scanned a few things, set aside some others to scan with DH's better quality scanner, and a big pile sent through the shredder.  Emptied out the shredder bin, and I'll aim to do another stack later today and/or tomorrow.  I want to get rid of enough to go down to go down to a single file drawer once we move (currently have a huge ugly double-wide 2-drawer file cabinet that I want to get rid of).

Go for it!  I started with 6 drawers stuffed full.  I now have 4 drawers with lot of extra space in each.  It is daunting but doable.

4 more bags of shredded paper out the door after yesterday's sorting!

FireHiker

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2519 on: May 28, 2019, 03:24:59 PM »
I have finally caught up on this loooooong thread...just in time to post some progress myself! We've had this bunk bed we planned to sell for several months. There was a post on facebook last week about a refugee family that needed a bunk bed, so I reached out to the community organizer. They sent a truck out Saturday and in addition to the bunk bed I was able to donate the following (all brand new or barely used): pretty kid's step stool, bike, two scooters, baby doll with stroller, dump truck, Lincoln Logs set. The family includes a newly widowed mother with 4 young children. They could use the bed much more than I need the money I could have gotten for it, and I was glad to pass along the other items as well.

This got me motivated to do some more decluttering this weekend. Like you, Roadrunner53, I donate to VVA all the time because it is so convenient. I keep an itemized list in a notebook and enter everything in It'sDeductible at tax time. Last year it really helped (although taxes were still SO BAD). Actually, it helped so much that my "save everything just in case" husband is now much more open to donating things to get the write off! We've been thinking about downsizing to a smaller house, although it may be a few more years. It will definitely happen eventually, but we always figured it would be when the little kids are older (kids are 7, 9, and 18...going off to college in August). I suggested we start going through everything now as opposed to waiting until we actually move, and he's on board.

This past weekend I decluttered a bunch of stuff: tons of old stuff from my bathroom that will clearly never get used, clothes, 120 hangers (seriously, it doesn't even look like I made a dent in unused hangers in our giant closet...), jewelry, 2 jewelry boxes, an old backpack, about a dozen old children's books. My 7 year old daughter got in on the action and identified about a dozen stuffed animals and 10-20 pieces of clothes, most of which were hand me downs from our neighbor previously. I also got my shred pile caught up again. A few months ago I finally finished shredding the last of boxes and boxes of stuff. There is still a lot of paper to sort through in the office, but I worked on that too, caught up the junk mail and decluttered a box of stuff that has been sitting under my desk for a couple years.

I'm going to try and read and post in this thread a little more because I want the motivation and accountability!

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2520 on: May 28, 2019, 03:37:52 PM »
FireHiker, you are really kicking ass! YAY to you!

As far as claiming donations, since the new tax laws implemented last year, we take the standard deduction so we can't claim anything. BOOOO to that!

That is great you donated to that woman with the 4 children! I would love to know that my donations made someone happy!

The Hoarders show gets my blood pumping to gather up things to get rid of! LOL!

daffodil2001

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2521 on: May 29, 2019, 06:06:27 AM »
I moved in April and am finally done unpacking. Recycling gets picked up every other week, and the bin has been completely full with cardboard boxes each time. We’re getting near the end of the pile now.

We also found two boxes of little things that we decided to donate after seeing how everything fit in the new house. I still need to work on my book collection and papers that need to be scanned before I shred/recycle them but we’re still working on things like putting up curtains. We might take some vacation time soon to work on all the little projects. We haven’t gotten much done on weekends because of graduation parties and weddings to attend.

FireHiker

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2522 on: May 29, 2019, 05:13:12 PM »
Thanks, Roadrunner53! I really appreciate your encouragement. :) We are still well over the standard deduction at this point (3 kids, high property taxes, lots of donations), but since we could only deduct half of our property taxes (ugh clown house) the new taxes really hurt us. Fortunately all our itemized donations really helped a lot. My mom is a borderline hoarder who saves EVERYTHING but not trash or gross stuff thankfully. She is always giving me "stuff" so now I accept anything she gives me and I donate what I don't want...more tax deductions, and less I'll have to deal with someday because I know my siblings won't help with all the stuff. And I've joined a facebook group for helping local refugees, so hopefully I can find other good stuff to give directly to people who need it. That's not tax deductible but totally fine with me!

I've never seen the Hoarders show but I have the same reaction when I go to my mom's house. I come home and just want to get rid of stuff.

I am struggling with my smaller sized clothes and a drawer of nice bras. They haven't fit in 10 years...I really should just let them go and give myself permission to buy brand new if/when I need a smaller size. I'm not sure why I can't bring myself to let them all go; I did add 3 to the donate pile this weekend though so that's something.

My oldest son graduates high school in two weeks so we'll be doing a clean out of his room soon-ish before he moves across the country for college. He isn't really a keeper of stuff in general, but things do accumulate anyway.

My garage though...it's going to need a ton of work. We have a 3 car garage where one of the spots is tandem and full of stuff. We do park both of our cars in the garage, so it's really only a 1 car garage worth of stuff to deal with. I still have all my old college notebooks too; most of my textbooks have either been sold back or brought to work. I'm an engineer and I have a mostly empty bookshelf in my office, so I don't have a need to deal with the 8 books I have there.

Looking forward to posting more often and getting rid of all the extra stuff!

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2523 on: May 30, 2019, 08:32:37 AM »
FireHiker, Buy several new bras, like 3 at a time and then bag up 3 that don't fit for donation. Keep doing that and in no time you will have nice new fitting bras and the non fitting ones will be gone. Sometimes you have to play mind games with yourself.

I still need to play many mind games! I get rid of a bunch of stuff and next thing I know I buy something. GRRRR!!! I am trying to swap out things when I buy something. Like for instance, I recently bought some non sick cast iron skillets and pans and I LOVE them! So, I had some other cookware I have pulled out to either sell or donate.

Anyone here doing ebay? I have not sold anything for about a year now and I see something about ebay is charging state taxes and they take care of that. Can anyone explain further about that?

Serendip

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2524 on: May 30, 2019, 08:55:28 AM »
Yesterday I was feeling anxious and not-surprisingly I started decluttering and it helped. Often it has to do with relieving pressure to 'do something' with the objects..

-Threw out rescued socks that I planned to make into stuffies (finished one already and kept enough to make one more for a friend  but got rid of about 25 others)
-bagged up heaps of fabric and wool to be donated
-emptied some nice storage boxes which I don't want in my space anymore--to be donated
-making a bag of craft odds & ends

FireHiker

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2525 on: May 30, 2019, 10:06:57 AM »
Roadrunner53 I was actually thinking about that approach this morning. I try to follow a "2 in 1 out" rule these days since there is still so much excess in my house, so that would work eventually. I'll take another look at it again soon I think.

Unfortunately I don't know anything about selling on ebay so I'm no help there. My mom occasionally sells stuff but generally she buys more than she sells (and can afford none of it...sigh).

Tris Prior

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2526 on: May 30, 2019, 12:57:09 PM »
My goal is to get rid of at least 1 item per day. Baby steps! I've been surpassing that.

- Tossed out some broken/falling apart cat toys

- Finally got rid of the two beat-up pairs of sandals that I was saving for dirty chores or garden work. I put them on, went into the garden, and realized the ankle straps were so stretched out I was probably going to trip and twist an ankle. Nope! Not worth keeping.

- A friend is having a big group yard sale sometime this summer and I've been putting aside stuff for that. I have a decent sized box so far, mostly clothing. I was bummed about not participating in our neighborhood yard sale (chiefly because we have an insane downstairs neighbor now and I just didn't want to deal with her freaking out that we were setting stuff out on the front walk/stoop as we don't have a garage). But the forecast looks to be shit, storms all day, so I'm pretty glad I didn't. The neighborhood association was charging $10 for it too!

- Brought some unneeded garden stuff to the community garden and set it out in the "free" area. It's already gone!

I need to list for sale a pet gate that we bought, assembled, and then never used because we discovered in about 5 seconds that it was not going to corral our kittens as we needed it to. I'm putting that off because ugh, dealing with buyers who don't show up, or change what time they're coming over and over again, or argue with my evening/weekend only availability *which I always clearly state in my listing* and demand that I make myself available while I'm supposed to be at work, and then arrive without enough cash, ARGH, do not want. But the thing's brand new and cost like $50 so I don't want to just donate it. I keep putting this off.

What should I do with a very large inkjet printer that I was given, that I am not sure whether or not it works (I suspect not, the owner hadn't used it in years and wasn't sure), and I don't want to buy 4 expensive cartridges of ink to test it out to see if it works? I hate to just toss it. I don't have a car and it's too heavy for me to carry onto the train or else I'd put it in the electronics recycling at work. I could post it as a free item and do porch pickup, I suppose. I actually did that recently for the first time; I live in the city and porch theft is sometimes a problem so I never did that before. But at our current address we haven't had an issue so I tried it and unloaded a big cat bed that the cats ignored. Victory!

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2527 on: May 31, 2019, 05:04:09 AM »
Yesterday I was feeling anxious and not-surprisingly I started decluttering and it helped. Often it has to do with relieving pressure to 'do something' with the objects..


I get that 'decluttering pressure' feeling too. So much of it, it seems like a lifetime task, and nearly impossible.  But getting rid of even one thing takes the pressure off for a day.

I wonder if there is a thing called post-clutter depression.  What does one use his time for once all the clutter is gone? Have to find a hobby, I guess.

Yesterday I was going through old clothes, and found a shirt that was too awkward for a rag, and too torn to wear anywhere, so I brought it to the textile recycling place, since it was on my way to the store. 

Plina

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2528 on: June 01, 2019, 02:59:48 AM »

I am struggling with my smaller sized clothes and a drawer of nice bras. They haven't fit in 10 years...I really should just let them go and give myself permission to buy brand new if/when I need a smaller size. I'm not sure why I can't bring myself to let them all go; I did add 3 to the donate pile this weekend though so that's something.


I read somewhere that organisations that work with homeless are in need for underwear and bras because most of the people don't donate that stuff. Maybe you could look if there is some kind of organization that needs them. At least for me it is easier to get rid of stuff if I donate to a good purpose. Bras also loose elasticity over the years. I decided last year to give away most of my to small clothes because they just took up place in my wardrobe and was a reminder of a smaller me. I gave away everything that did not fit well and saved some suits and a dress that didn't fit. Now I am back again with the weight loss journey and everything that does not fit me until the end of year will be donated after that. I rather have clothes that make me feel well in them that reminders of a smaller me.

Shinplaster

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2529 on: June 01, 2019, 11:18:56 AM »
A local bike club was running an e-waste clean up today.  You could take anything but large appliances or paint in, and they had a disposal company on hand to sort and shred.   All they asked for was a small donation to fund their free bike give away each spring.  I was more than happy to clean out the box in the garage, know it was going to be handled responsibly, and help some kids get some bikes.

Some cities (mine!!) make it really difficult to deal with e-waste - no drop off bins, city won't take it, and the Best Buy that is supposed to take most things is very picky about what they accept.  Today's event was very welcome I think - there were a lot of people dropping things off even at 9am.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2530 on: June 01, 2019, 01:05:04 PM »
@Tris Prior, I’d try Freecycle.  You actually can’t toss a printer in our city, you have to take it to ewaste recycling on Goose Island.  They have limited hours and it’s such a pain.

I Freecycled 22 items last weekend, have 5 or 6 left, and sold three things on Facebook.  I also returned two pairs of shoes that I ordered from Amazon and didn’t fit.  Still more to go through in the dining room area, so I’ll do some today.

Daycare requested a bunch of items, so I ended up ordering a water bottle and posting a few item wanted posts of Freecycle.  I so don’t want to bring more stuff into the house even if it’s going to daycare.

Tris Prior

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2531 on: June 01, 2019, 01:36:56 PM »
Ugh, I live in Edgewater, I don't want to haul this thing on CTA to Goose Island! I don't even think I can carry it and I don't think it fits in my cart. I've had really bad luck with Freecycle (people never showing up, me sitting here for hours on end waiting for them), but I suppose I could offer porch pickup and if someone other than the intended recipient steals it, oh well, it's out of my house.

I pawned off some unwanted craft fair displays on a crafter friend. Put a box of mailing labels that I didn't need on the "free" table at work - gone.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2532 on: June 01, 2019, 01:55:33 PM »
I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2533 on: June 01, 2019, 03:29:56 PM »
A local bike club was running an e-waste clean up today.  You could take anything but large appliances or paint in, and they had a disposal company on hand to sort and shred.   All they asked for was a small donation to fund their free bike give away each spring.  I was more than happy to clean out the box in the garage, know it was going to be handled responsibly, and help some kids get some bikes.

Some cities (mine!!) make it really difficult to deal with e-waste - no drop off bins, city won't take it, and the Best Buy that is supposed to take most things is very picky about what they accept.  Today's event was very welcome I think - there were a lot of people dropping things off even at 9am.

Good on you, Shinplaster!  Where I live, the city wants $40 for any tv larger than 20 inch diagonal! Yeah, no problem... lol..  I never see TV's lying beside the road, so I guess people are hoarding them in their basements?  Or tossing them into dumpsters at midnight, lol ???  I wish there were a low cost way to get rid of old electronics here.   

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2534 on: June 01, 2019, 03:41:48 PM »
A local bike club was running an e-waste clean up today.  You could take anything but large appliances or paint in, and they had a disposal company on hand to sort and shred.   All they asked for was a small donation to fund their free bike give away each spring.  I was more than happy to clean out the box in the garage, know it was going to be handled responsibly, and help some kids get some bikes.

Some cities (mine!!) make it really difficult to deal with e-waste - no drop off bins, city won't take it, and the Best Buy that is supposed to take most things is very picky about what they accept.  Today's event was very welcome I think - there were a lot of people dropping things off even at 9am.

Good on you, Shinplaster!  Where I live, the city wants $40 for any tv larger than 20 inch diagonal! Yeah, no problem... lol..  I never see TV's lying beside the road, so I guess people are hoarding them in their basements?  Or tossing them into dumpsters at midnight, lol ???  I wish there were a low cost way to get rid of old electronics here.

Wow, that's terrible. Anything our local authority can make decent money from selling to recyclers is free to drop off and we only pay to dump landfill. Plus there's an annual free chemical drop off, otherwise people would be pouring it down the drain.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2535 on: June 01, 2019, 07:19:27 PM »
A local bike club was running an e-waste clean up today.  You could take anything but large appliances or paint in, and they had a disposal company on hand to sort and shred.   All they asked for was a small donation to fund their free bike give away each spring.  I was more than happy to clean out the box in the garage, know it was going to be handled responsibly, and help some kids get some bikes.

Some cities (mine!!) make it really difficult to deal with e-waste - no drop off bins, city won't take it, and the Best Buy that is supposed to take most things is very picky about what they accept.  Today's event was very welcome I think - there were a lot of people dropping things off even at 9am.

Good on you, Shinplaster!  Where I live, the city wants $40 for any tv larger than 20 inch diagonal! Yeah, no problem... lol..  I never see TV's lying beside the road, so I guess people are hoarding them in their basements?  Or tossing them into dumpsters at midnight, lol ???  I wish there were a low cost way to get rid of old electronics here.

Wow, that's terrible. Anything our local authority can make decent money from selling to recyclers is free to drop off and we only pay to dump landfill. Plus there's an annual free chemical drop off, otherwise people would be pouring it down the drain.

Yes.  I have heard people talking about trying to get rid of hard drives or old computers, getting frustrated, and just hiding it in their garbage.  Or sneaking into a McDonald's trash bin or something.   We watched (and unsuccessfully tried to stop) a neighbour pour varsol, roundup, and heaven knows what else into the storm sewer last year.
 




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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2536 on: June 03, 2019, 05:20:42 AM »
I woke up yesterday morning to a friend on FB asking if anyone had a two-drawer filing cabinet that they weren't using.  Why, yes.  As a matter of fact I do.  I had to dig it out of a closet, but she came and picked it up a few hours later.  That also got me motivated to clear out some other stuff and list a kitchen table on FB marketplace. 

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2537 on: June 03, 2019, 05:34:05 AM »
I woke up yesterday morning to a friend on FB asking if anyone had a two-drawer filing cabinet that they weren't using.  Why, yes.  As a matter of fact I do.  I had to dig it out of a closet, but she came and picked it up a few hours later.  That also got me motivated to clear out some other stuff and list a kitchen table on FB marketplace.

It's awesome when you get a bit of momentum going, isn't it?

I got rid of a pan we don't use today on a freebie site. We never used it and it just took up space in the cupboard, silly really.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2538 on: June 03, 2019, 06:23:27 AM »
I woke up yesterday morning to a friend on FB asking if anyone had a two-drawer filing cabinet that they weren't using.  Why, yes.  As a matter of fact I do.  I had to dig it out of a closet, but she came and picked it up a few hours later.  That also got me motivated to clear out some other stuff and list a kitchen table on FB marketplace.

It's awesome when you get a bit of momentum going, isn't it?

I got rid of a pan we don't use today on a freebie site. We never used it and it just took up space in the cupboard, silly really.

That's what I need to work on next.  Part of my problem (aside from a husband with hoarder tendencies) is that I live in my grandparents house and it was fully furnished when I moved in.  There are tons of pots and pans that I rarely use.  I might pull them out for Thanksgiving, but even then I could probably get away with fewer pots and more planning.  Some of them I've never used, and don't really have a sentimental attachment to because I don't recall my grandmother ever using them either.  I also seem to have 1.5 lids for every pot.  I thought I'd done good last year when we pitched a lot of stuff in preparation to move it into storage while the house was being fixed.  Apparently I didn't do as good as I'd thought and they just got shoved back into the cabinets when we moved everything back in.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2539 on: June 03, 2019, 08:40:28 AM »
I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

Yeah - I'm going to do that from now on. In the past, I lived in buildings without any sort of front porch or stoop. Our last building had a small front stoop, but it was in a neighborhood where anything left there would immediately disappear. Which, I guess, would've solved the problem and made stuff disappear from my home? haha.

Dammit - I just realized that I'm pretty sure our old tube TV is still shoved in the back of the closet in Boyfriend's office. Because it is too heavy for us to carry down the stairs. How in hell are we ever going to get rid of that thing? I can't imagine anyone taking that on Freecycle, even if we could carry it. The idea of paying to recycle it PLUS paying for the zipcar to haul it, makes me feel vaguely ill.
(ETA: Looks like there are some pickup services? $$$, though. $180 for them to come out plus $40 for the TV?! Ugh.)
« Last Edit: June 03, 2019, 08:45:51 AM by Tris Prior »

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2540 on: June 03, 2019, 08:55:37 AM »
I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

Dammit - I just realized that I'm pretty sure our old tube TV is still shoved in the back of the closet in Boyfriend's office. Because it is too heavy for us to carry down the stairs. How in hell are we ever going to get rid of that thing? I can't imagine anyone taking that on Freecycle, even if we could carry it. The idea of paying to recycle it PLUS paying for the zipcar to haul it, makes me feel vaguely ill.
(ETA: Looks like there are some pickup services? $$$, though. $180 for them to come out plus $40 for the TV?! Ugh.)

Package deal for whoever gets the office building next?  I knew someone who bought a house and the sleeper sofa came with it. 

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2541 on: June 03, 2019, 11:52:24 AM »
I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

Dammit - I just realized that I'm pretty sure our old tube TV is still shoved in the back of the closet in Boyfriend's office. Because it is too heavy for us to carry down the stairs. How in hell are we ever going to get rid of that thing? I can't imagine anyone taking that on Freecycle, even if we could carry it. The idea of paying to recycle it PLUS paying for the zipcar to haul it, makes me feel vaguely ill.
(ETA: Looks like there are some pickup services? $$$, though. $180 for them to come out plus $40 for the TV?! Ugh.)

Package deal for whoever gets the office building next?  I knew someone who bought a house and the sleeper sofa came with it.

My friend bought a condo and found 3 old tvs in the storage unit. One was one of the massive, huge ones. No idea what she did with it, but its gone.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2542 on: June 03, 2019, 01:14:14 PM »
1800 GOT JUNK. But they are expensive. There is some other company called JUNK LUGGERS. Never used them.

When I was a kid my Dad would go to a bar and find some strong guys and pay them to move our furniture when we moved a few times. LOL!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2543 on: June 03, 2019, 03:46:00 PM »
I always do porch pickup, people are so flaky about pickups and I don't want to waste my time.

Dammit - I just realized that I'm pretty sure our old tube TV is still shoved in the back of the closet in Boyfriend's office. Because it is too heavy for us to carry down the stairs. How in hell are we ever going to get rid of that thing? I can't imagine anyone taking that on Freecycle, even if we could carry it. The idea of paying to recycle it PLUS paying for the zipcar to haul it, makes me feel vaguely ill.
(ETA: Looks like there are some pickup services? $$$, though. $180 for them to come out plus $40 for the TV?! Ugh.)

Package deal for whoever gets the office building next?  I knew someone who bought a house and the sleeper sofa came with it.

I bought a house and the pool table came with it.  I never thought to specify that they had to take it with them!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2544 on: June 04, 2019, 09:51:31 PM »

I am struggling with my smaller sized clothes and a drawer of nice bras. They haven't fit in 10 years...I really should just let them go and give myself permission to buy brand new if/when I need a smaller size. I'm not sure why I can't bring myself to let them all go; I did add 3 to the donate pile this weekend though so that's something.


I read somewhere that organisations that work with homeless are in need for underwear and bras because most of the people don't donate that stuff. Maybe you could look if there is some kind of organization that needs them.

Thank you for this comment! You motivated me to actually search an Australian bra donation service.

I bought a new (quality) sports bra, ran in it twice and it rubbed holes in my skin both times.

Will now be posting it to this organisation:

Support The Girls Australia
P.O. Box 10717
Southport BC,
Qld, 4215

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2545 on: June 05, 2019, 08:45:35 AM »
Now that the weather is warmer, I'm trying on each of my workout tank tops each day. For those that are too tight, too big, uncomfortable, etc, they are going straight into the donation pile. So far, I've gotten rid of two, with more to come!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2546 on: June 05, 2019, 08:50:16 AM »
Now that the weather is warmer, I'm trying on each of my workout tank tops each day. For those that are too tight, too big, uncomfortable, etc, they are going straight into the donation pile. So far, I've gotten rid of two, with more to come!


I've started using a similar method for my kid's clothes.  I keep a laundry bag in his room and as he's getting dressed in the morning, if it doesn't fit, it goes into the bag for donation/consignment.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2547 on: June 05, 2019, 10:22:39 AM »
Box and bag of miscellaneous items now out of the house and headed for the Church fete jumble stall.  Feels good on several levels.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2548 on: June 05, 2019, 12:59:32 PM »
~3 vases given to a florist friend's business
~8 magazines and egg cartons will leave my life tomorrow.  Oh, and my old 2001 Chevy.  :D

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2549 on: June 05, 2019, 02:19:22 PM »
1800 GOT JUNK. But they are expensive. There is some other company called JUNK LUGGERS. Never used them.

When I was a kid my Dad would go to a bar and find some strong guys and pay them to move our furniture when we moved a few times. LOL!
I had to get rid of stuff, including a large tube tv, in a town where none of these major junk services seem to operate. My gf found some local guys (appeared to be a moonlighting landscaping crew) through one of the usual "local" sites (maybe Craigslist, maybe a different one?) and a few phone calls. They showed up with a pickup and trailer and hauled the lot away. Had to pay extra for the TV, but it was well worth it to be rid of that albatross!