Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2  (Read 1249098 times)

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3150 on: December 02, 2019, 08:24:52 AM »
Several years ago, I bought a bathroom storage cabinet. Then decided I didn't want that style, but managed to lose the receipt, etc. Couldn't return it. But, I did finally manage to list it for sale and sold it last night! It's out of the house!

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3151 on: December 02, 2019, 10:47:04 AM »

-meat baby food. It's called kitty crack for a reason.

I always thought Temptations were cat crack!

For a healthy cat, treats are of course high value. I've never given a healthy cat meat baby food, so it would be an interesting comparison. But Auburn wouldn't eat treats at all, only a little baby food. Sick cats have a very different set of rules.

Can confirm this. Healthy cat is a fierce and stroppy ex feral who doesn't like being touched. Same cat sick asks for mummy cuddles and likes being tucked in his blankie.

LOL!  Whenever my bold he-man asks for cuddles, I'm suspicious, because then he bites me.  I still fall for it though, because I so rarely get to cuddle him.

3 more items out the door:

20. Ragged pair of jeans - fabric recycling
21. Torn runners - garbage
22. Mismatched fork - thrift store

3 more to go to meet my 25 items by Christmas goal.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3152 on: December 02, 2019, 10:55:01 AM »
Two cars are in the garage!  Which means a whole hell of a lot of stuff went out with the garbage and an entire car load went to the thrift store.  Scrap wood is all gone.  It is a beautiful site.  Especially since we had freezing rain and ice pellets during the night.  It is so nice to pull out of the garage with a clean car.


LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3153 on: December 02, 2019, 11:30:54 AM »
Two cars are in the garage!

That's a major achievement! Good job!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3154 on: December 02, 2019, 02:40:58 PM »

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3155 on: December 03, 2019, 07:56:37 AM »
My office / studio is so clean with all the de-cluttering that has occurred in the last few days.  Yesterday I packed up all the photos that I had borrowed for my Dad's memorial and that left three tables bare.  So I washed them.  Now it feels so calming in this room.

Nancy

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3156 on: December 03, 2019, 06:27:06 PM »
I'm listening to Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying up on audiobook to inspire me as I declutter before my move. I read the book and Kondo-d my place years ago, and I have to say that it actually worked.

Anyone else Kondo and like it or dislike it?

Freecycled a bike carrying rack for the car, made a gift bag of bike-related items for a friend who was keen, and donated the microwave. 

MoneyQuirk

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3157 on: December 03, 2019, 08:32:08 PM »
I'm a huge fan of keeping low on clutter!

Recently I found that I could move all my stuff in three suitcases (yes, I don't own much stuff).

While friends sometimes find it disconcerting, I really love the flexibility this offers.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3158 on: December 03, 2019, 09:04:35 PM »
I bought a rain coat for my son back in the summer, and it didn't fit. He didn't mention it until it was out of the return window. I saw it hanging in the closet (with tags) this weekend, & got it listed on eBay. It just sold tonight for $5 more than I paid for it. I'll take it! Junk out (not really, it's very nice, but useless to us) & money in!

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3159 on: December 03, 2019, 11:53:06 PM »
I'm listening to Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying up on audiobook to inspire me as I declutter before my move. I read the book and Kondo-d my place years ago, and I have to say that it actually worked.

Anyone else Kondo and like it or dislike it?

Freecycled a bike carrying rack for the car, made a gift bag of bike-related items for a friend who was keen, and donated the microwave.

I Kondo and I like it. :) Got stuck on Papers, though.  My nemesis.  I went through a second time and got stuck on Papers again.  But some progress was made each time none the less.

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3160 on: December 04, 2019, 05:42:46 AM »
I had to get under the kitchen sink to unclog the drain (gross) and found a few useless things there to toss out. Seven plastic mesh bags and one old plastic clamshell which had contained a water filter. God there is so much other junk there, too! But I can't bring myself to throw it out since it can be used sometime. CLeaning fluids, stain removers, etc, etc.  Maybe I'll donate it sometime.   

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3161 on: December 04, 2019, 05:53:15 AM »
An outdoor arrangement I made for a family member got delivered yesterday.  It was being protected by the large ladder.  Ladder is now folded up and hanging on the wall.  More space in the garage!

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3162 on: December 04, 2019, 08:40:50 AM »
I had to get under the kitchen sink to unclog the drain (gross) and found a few useless things there to toss out. Seven plastic mesh bags and one old plastic clamshell which had contained a water filter. God there is so much other junk there, too! But I can't bring myself to throw it out since it can be used sometime. CLeaning fluids, stain removers, etc, etc.  Maybe I'll donate it sometime.   

Are these things you do use? If not, get rid of them now. Cleaning products don't last forever. If you hang on to them for too long thinking you may donate them later, then you may find when you actually try to donate them that instead you're throwing them out.

I threw out a bottle of Murphy's oil soap this week. I used to use it, but switched to something else and forgot I had the bottle. It had very obviously degraded. I saw it, pulled it out to donate, and then swore and threw it in the trash.

zygote

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3163 on: December 04, 2019, 12:48:14 PM »
I'm listening to Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying up on audiobook to inspire me as I declutter before my move. I read the book and Kondo-d my place years ago, and I have to say that it actually worked.

Anyone else Kondo and like it or dislike it?

I found Marie Kondo very helpful, more for the mindset than the actual method. I get emotionally attached to items very easily, and I like that they bring back memories (good and bad). But thinking through how I want to use my space right now was the turning point. Do I really need to be surrounded by my memories when what I want is to just walk across my (empty!) living room rug and sit down on a (cleared off!) couch at end of the day? When I want to live in a space with less dust to aggravate my allergies? When I want to easily get out/put away the pots and pans I use on a weekly basis? When I want to get dressed quickly in the morning and get out the door? Taking a picture of items that are no longer serving me, thanking them, and getting them out was indeed life-changing for me. I can keep the memories without the items.

My parents are slowly downsizing, and I spent the weekend organizing childhood pictures and mementos and throwing away or donating many of the less meaningful ones. I honestly don't think I could have done it two years ago before I went through the Marie Kondo process. Though my parents are still willing to keep some boxes for me (and themselves) for now, I kept thinking: "Is this something I care enough about to ship to my current city one day and stuff into my small apartment? No? Thank you and good bye."

It's actually made me want to do a refresh of my current apartment, which is currently a mess after being neglected since I got back from the trip and went straight back to work.

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3164 on: December 04, 2019, 10:04:59 PM »
Well one of the two things is an old tablet and I found a place that refurbishes old tech & redistributes it to lower income families, especially to help kids in school, which are increasingly using computers in the curriculum. Plus, it's just a boon to anyone in general to be able to access online resources.  So the tablet will go there.

I found this place when I was looking for how to recycle my old computer, which I *finally* gave some attention, got the files I needed from it, and it's ready to go.  This was hanging around far too long. 

So next week I'll drop those off; posting here for accountability.

So, it took until today, but these things are donated!  The delay was a bit of self-care.  I've been super busy recently, so consciously chose to put off donating these things for a week when things were a bit less hectic.  ANd it's done.  Yay!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3165 on: December 05, 2019, 05:24:37 AM »
Some bulky craft stuff donated.  A box of household stuff for a friend's son who is setting up his own place.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3166 on: December 05, 2019, 06:46:22 AM »
Four bags of bedding etc. gone to the Women's Refuge this morning.  I also sold a lot of my (inherited, I am not a silk scarf person) silk scarves at the WI and donated the proceeds and leftover scarves to them as well.

One young collie and all his stuff imported into the house from the RSPCA.  Still a net gain.

Nancy

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3167 on: December 05, 2019, 07:15:49 AM »
@zygote I totally agree about the mentality change. For me, it was getting over the "this is still useful" mentality and guilt over being wasteful. Fact is, things are wasted if I'm not using them.
@oneday Nice progress! I also keep way more papers than are necessary.

Major success: We gave away our couch yesterday. It went to a couple of young guys, who seemed super nice and appreciative. We were both sentimentally attached to the couch (it has it's own funny origin story that is part of our story), but I'm glad it's moving on to a new home!

Small success: Our microwave had blocked a kitchen cabinet. With the microwave gone, I opened the cabinet, wondering what was in there and what I'd have to sort to give away/store. Found the cabinet completely empty. Nice!


MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3168 on: December 05, 2019, 07:58:42 AM »
The weather has definitely changed for winter (rain, cooler temperatures, etc), so I've been going through my fall/winter wardrobe & taking the time to identify things I don't think I'll wear. If I'm not prepared to wear it today, I put it in the donation pile right away.

haypug16

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3169 on: December 05, 2019, 08:05:52 AM »
I have made a goal to purge 75% of my belongings. Mr Pug says theres no way I can do this which just motivates me even more to get rid of the majority of my belongings. I have started a journal to inventory what I have donated and what I am keeping so that I can calculate the percentage of what I am purging.

So far I have filled one giant thread up bag to send off and hopefully make a few dollars selling some clothes that I don't wear and 3 other boxes for the thrift store donation.

I recently read the book "the year of less" which has helped me to let go of somethings that I was holding on to just so I could be the type of person that for example has bookshelfs full of books even if I don't plan on reading those books again or ever and even if I did want to ready them I could just go to the library and borrow them.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3170 on: December 05, 2019, 09:59:43 AM »
Marie Kondo helped me with the guilt...this was your great aunt's *thing*.  Well it is ugly or means absolutely nothing to me or whatever...And I could part with all the stuff that I inherited but wouldn't chose to own for any other reason than it once belonged to someone I love.  I had no idea how much I resented some of the items that I inherited because I had to move them every time I moved, or dust them or just even find the space to store them.  It was a release of a stress-or that I didn't know was a stressors.

haypug16

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3171 on: December 05, 2019, 10:48:45 AM »
Mr Pug has this "guilt", he refuses to get rid of anything that once belong to a family member. Most of the stuff is fine, it's nice solid furniture but somethings I don't see any reason to kept other than it once was in his grandmother's house and is now in ours.

MountainGal

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3172 on: December 05, 2019, 03:09:40 PM »
My office / studio is so clean with all the de-cluttering that has occurred in the last few days.  Yesterday I packed up all the photos that I had borrowed for my Dad's memorial and that left three tables bare.  So I washed them.  Now it feels so calming in this room.

Frugal, your sense of calm in this post, and the one prior, on this subject radiates through the screen.   So glad for you.   :)

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3173 on: December 05, 2019, 04:50:31 PM »
@Nancy - progress, always progress.

I kept the box I carried the computer & tablet in yesterday, now it's full of my old ski jacket, a second robe I don't use, some chair pads given to my god knows why and a few smaller items.  Won't have time to get that to the thrift shop or the electrical stuff to the ReStore or the haz mat to the haz mat place this week or maybe next.  I shall pout, for being too busy to have time to get the discarded items to their proper homes.

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3174 on: December 06, 2019, 09:35:18 AM »
Mr Pug has this "guilt", he refuses to get rid of anything that once belong to a family member. Most of the stuff is fine, it's nice solid furniture but somethings I don't see any reason to kept other than it once was in his grandmother's house and is now in ours.

My mom has a similar problem, but very different cause. Her father divorced her mother when she was in college, and he also basically dropped her. Mom had to drop out of college due to lack of money. We suspect that her father's functional abandonment, combined with her mother's early death when I was a baby, resulted in some emotional hangups.

Nancy

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3175 on: December 06, 2019, 05:18:25 PM »
Frugal Lizard, I hear you! I've had a bone china cup and saucer since I was 9 because it was given as a gift after my elderly neighbor passed away. She was a totally rockin' woman and I loved her, but the cup! I feel relieved to be finally giving it away.

Today, I dropped items at the Homeless Coalition and donated fabric/sewing stuff to a local crafter. I also went through all of my important papers and tossed a bunch. Onward!
« Last Edit: December 07, 2019, 09:43:35 AM by Nancy »

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3176 on: December 07, 2019, 04:26:02 PM »
A neighbor put a lovely filing box - like a basket weave milk crate - out on the street. It now lives in a corner of my LR and whenever I come across an item I don't need anymore, in it goes. When full, I take it out to the car and donate.

This is working well because I have done several major clean-outs over the past few years and now it is truly down to maybe a box every couple of months.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3177 on: December 08, 2019, 05:53:07 AM »
What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

Guilt trip!

LetItGrow

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3178 on: December 08, 2019, 06:05:51 AM »
What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

Guilt trip!

Recycling bin. No question. No guilt.

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3179 on: December 08, 2019, 07:26:14 AM »
What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

Guilt trip!

Do you have any friend or family that
a) speaks/reads this language
b) have not received these books
c) would have any interest in reading these books

If yes to all questions, ask this person if they one or more of the books.

If no to any of above: I fully agree with LetItGrow - recycle/trash in a way no-one can pick them up. I normally try to give away as much as possible but in this case, you may not want the person find out you have decluttered the books - personal and may be sensitive

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3180 on: December 08, 2019, 09:24:29 AM »
What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

Guilt trip!

Do you have any friend or family that
a) speaks/reads this language
b) have not received these books
c) would have any interest in reading these books

If yes to all questions, ask this person if they one or more of the books.

If no to any of above: I fully agree with LetItGrow - recycle/trash in a way no-one can pick them up. I normally try to give away as much as possible but in this case, you may not want the person find out you have decluttered the books - personal and may be sensitive

No, I know no one who speaks this language

Do libraries take self published books?


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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3181 on: December 08, 2019, 10:21:58 AM »
What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

Guilt trip!

Do you have any friend or family that
a) speaks/reads this language
b) have not received these books
c) would have any interest in reading these books

If yes to all questions, ask this person if they one or more of the books.

If no to any of above: I fully agree with LetItGrow - recycle/trash in a way no-one can pick them up. I normally try to give away as much as possible but in this case, you may not want the person find out you have decluttered the books - personal and may be sensitive

No, I know no one who speaks this language

Do libraries take self published books?
You could try a university which teaches the language, either the main library or the language faculty.

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3182 on: December 08, 2019, 10:46:59 AM »
Take a black marker to the names and donate if possible or recycle.  Then let the "friend" know that while you appreciate the thought, you cannot read the books and don't want him to waste the money of the copy and the mail cost sending you one.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3183 on: December 08, 2019, 11:04:37 AM »
Looking it at it from a practical, volume of clutter perspective, could you not just keep the books together somewhere and know you will recycle them  someday? Seems he/she is only sending you one book per year, no??? 

Or... maybe it would be fun to just toss them all into the municipal recycling bin and yell "I'm  mad as hell and I'm not taking it anymore!!!" to the astonished crowd. 

OK, I may be projecting a bit here, lol.......   

And what would you say if the acquaintance popped in and you didn't have the books around ???   OMG....

Easier just to keep them for now, no ????
 


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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3184 on: December 08, 2019, 05:21:25 PM »
Recycling.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3185 on: December 08, 2019, 05:31:47 PM »
I will keep the books. It is really annoying and until I decide to sell my house and leave I guess I am stuck with them. This person is so kind and even though I have not seen the person in years I could ask for a ride two hours away to an airport and person would do it. I really just can't stomach this person though. It is a love hate situation. Totally weird. There is so much more about this person that I cannot stomach but I will spare you! Nothing perverted!

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3186 on: December 08, 2019, 05:45:19 PM »
I will keep the books. It is really annoying and until I decide to sell my house and leave I guess I am stuck with them. This person is so kind and even though I have not seen the person in years I could ask for a ride two hours away to an airport and person would do it. I really just can't stomach this person though. It is a love hate situation. Totally weird. There is so much more about this person that I cannot stomach but I will spare you! Nothing perverted!

I don't get that reasoning.  What does moving have to do with it?  You haven't seen the person in years, so they're not likely to show up at your house and wonder where the books are.  AND, you don't even like the person!  Seems to me that you're keeping them out of some sort of guilt/obligation because they're nice (too nice)?  What would Marie Kondo say?

mspym

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3187 on: December 08, 2019, 05:56:41 PM »
I will keep the books. It is really annoying and until I decide to sell my house and leave I guess I am stuck with them. This person is so kind and even though I have not seen the person in years I could ask for a ride two hours away to an airport and person would do it. I really just can't stomach this person though. It is a love hate situation. Totally weird. There is so much more about this person that I cannot stomach but I will spare you! Nothing perverted!
Why? If you can't stomach the person and haven't seen them in years, then all the books are doing is make you think of that person, how  you don't like them and that you *should* like them more "because they are so kind" even though you are very unlikely to ask a favour of them. Why keep this energy around?

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3188 on: December 08, 2019, 11:12:12 PM »
I will keep the books. It is really annoying and until I decide to sell my house and leave I guess I am stuck with them. This person is so kind and even though I have not seen the person in years I could ask for a ride two hours away to an airport and person would do it. I really just can't stomach this person though. It is a love hate situation. Totally weird. There is so much more about this person that I cannot stomach but I will spare you! Nothing perverted!
Why? If you can't stomach the person and haven't seen them in years, then all the books are doing is make you think of that person, how  you don't like them and that you *should* like them more "because they are so kind" even though you are very unlikely to ask a favour of them. Why keep this energy around?

+1

And...never as this person for a ride to the airport.  Even if you are desperate.  Cab or rideshare instead.  Don't ask this person for any favors!

I no longer have any tolerance for love/hate relationships.  It's love/love...or begone with ye!

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3189 on: December 09, 2019, 08:13:22 AM »
I know, I am WEIRD about getting rid of the books! The person is around 83 years old and I know the person won't be banging on my door demanding where they are! LOL!  The books are in another room on a bookshelf so they really aren't in the way. But do annoy me!

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3190 on: December 09, 2019, 10:53:17 AM »
This is more of a promise than a I've done it (yet). At my parent's house this week while my mom has surgery/hospital stay. I noticed a box of beef broth in the fridge that expired in 2017. I'm cleaning out the fridge this week.

Cassie

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3191 on: December 09, 2019, 12:13:44 PM »
I am older and used to love decorating for Xmas but I don’t anymore. I got rid of most of the stuff and kept one small box with a few things to put out.

NotJen

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3192 on: December 09, 2019, 12:42:48 PM »
Joining this thread - planning to ramp up getting rid of stuff now that I've quit my job.

Today I dropped off a box at FedEx with 2 textbooks for a reseller.  If it works out, I'll get $95.  If it doesn't, I got 2 books out of my house.

I'm also going to try to list some 'lots' of popular fiction books on eBay today.  I'm not expecting individual titles to be worth selling/shipping, but might be worth it to try.  I've had some success selling my old DVDs.

Any advice for where to donate books that I can't get any money out of?  (I tried searching, but couldn't find a way to see if that's been discussed in this thread.)

Car Jack

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3193 on: December 10, 2019, 07:35:13 AM »
What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

Guilt trip!

What I do (and yes, I really do this)?  I throw them into our wood furnace.  Now it's gone and made some heat for me.



I've ventured into some storage containers in the basement.  First container, a number of books nobody will ever read.  You can guess where they went.  Next were bags and bags of plastic parts for some kind of building game for maybe a 9 year old.  My youngest is 19.  Into the recycling bin minus the plastic bags.  2 cubic feet cleared.  Many, many to go.

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3194 on: December 10, 2019, 07:46:37 AM »
I know, I am WEIRD about getting rid of the books! The person is around 83 years old and I know the person won't be banging on my door demanding where they are! LOL!  The books are in another room on a bookshelf so they really aren't in the way. But do annoy me!

I understand this is not an easy declutter. Let me make a prediction :-) :
You will keep the books for now, but the conversation in this thread will be in you subconscious mind. Some time during the next three months, you will have a moment of clarity and willpower and throw them in the trash. After you have done that, you will feel so much better.

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3195 on: December 10, 2019, 07:48:18 AM »
What would you do with small books that an acquaintance self publishes then pens a sentimental verse to me inside the book and then signs their name?

I have no interest in these books, but if I were to donate them, my name and the author's name are inside the cover. These books just annoy the crap out of me and seems each year this person publishes another one and sends it to me. As soon as I see the envelope with their handwriting, I know it is another book. Another issue with these books is that they are not written in English and I do not speak the language it is published in. OMG!

I have mixed feeling on this and I think it is thoughtful in a way to 'think' of me to send the books. However, it kind of makes me mad it is clutter that I have no use for! So they sit on a shelf, unread, unappreciated collecting dust.

Guilt trip!

What I do (and yes, I really do this)?  I throw them into our wood furnace.  Now it's gone and made some heat for me.



I've ventured into some storage containers in the basement.  First container, a number of books nobody will ever read.  You can guess where they went.  Next were bags and bags of plastic parts for some kind of building game for maybe a 9 year old.  My youngest is 19.  Into the recycling bin minus the plastic bags.  2 cubic feet cleared.  Many, many to go.

Those plastic things weren't Lego's, were they? Lego's are supposedly sellable these days.  At least on EBay.  About 10 cents per Lego.

I tried on Craigslist and had no responses for 3 weeks, so I donated them all, about 200, to salvation army.

 

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3196 on: December 10, 2019, 07:58:50 AM »
I have easier decluttering going on (i.e. not so much willpower needed) but I am currently lacking energy. Kids are not sleeping well, which affects me. Job searching is taking a lot of time and even more mental energy.
But tomorrow I may have to have all day at home, I hope I can really make some impact. We will meet with a real estate agent next week, and even though this is just a first meeting, where he will give suggestions on what do we need to fix before showing, how do we present the house and approximate selling price, I want to have the house somewhat in order. We are not selling until Feb-March at the earliest though.

I have told my husband (soon to be ex) that we must both do our best to declutter our own stuff before selling and moving and he absolutely agrees but I still think he will have a hard time doing this. We will probably have to rent a storage unit for the showing & selling period, but I hope we can get just a small one.

I have also told him that we need to go through everything "shared" (example: kitchen stuff) before showing the house in spring to see what no-one of us wants to keep/bring to our new places, so we get rid of that as soon as possible. We had a quick conversation about this already but I don't think he is ready to remove anything yet. I will push him.

So tomorrow, either another interview at a job a really want or hopefully a lot of decluttering.

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3197 on: December 10, 2019, 09:23:29 AM »
Joining this thread - planning to ramp up getting rid of stuff now that I've quit my job.

Today I dropped off a box at FedEx with 2 textbooks for a reseller.  If it works out, I'll get $95.  If it doesn't, I got 2 books out of my house.

I'm also going to try to list some 'lots' of popular fiction books on eBay today.  I'm not expecting individual titles to be worth selling/shipping, but might be worth it to try.  I've had some success selling my old DVDs.

Any advice for where to donate books that I can't get any money out of?  (I tried searching, but couldn't find a way to see if that's been discussed in this thread.)

You could try second hand bookstores if you want to trade or sell - they may be interested, depending on what you have.  Or just give to any thrift store.

haypug16

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3198 on: December 10, 2019, 01:58:37 PM »
Dropped off 3 boxes of books, shoes, and clothes to the thrift store over the weekend. Close to 100 items and still more to go.

MountainGal

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3199 on: December 10, 2019, 02:37:23 PM »
Wrapping up the year's totals:

4 boxes of random household items to Goodwill
1 box of gently used stuffed animals to the PD for children involved first responder situations
A bag of 3 barely worn shirts, toiletries and stuffed animal for the woman's shelter
A bag of sheets and a pillow to the animal shelter
$35+ from my coin bank to the PD for a Shop with a Cop fundraiser
Several carefully selected household items to various local friends
Ink and toner cartridges to Office Depot for recycling
50+ pounds paper to the burn pile
A few bags of things thrown out
Dozens of egg cartons to chicken owning friends

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!