Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2  (Read 1418989 times)

mspym

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3700 on: June 21, 2020, 02:02:02 AM »
Three books off to a friend's daughter, I've worked out which of my duplicate jerseys I like most and will keep, others are going in the donation pile, along with the hiking boots that hurt my feet (but only after 2 hours which isn't something you can spot in the store). I'm slowly working through my TBR pile and now there are two more books to lend to friends or put in the street libraries.

My latest thing has been thinking over my (objectively beautiful) kitchen aid standmixer. I love it, I don't use it very much so its cost per use is hovering around $70, and it's half a cm too tall to fit in any of the cupboards in the kitchen so instead it takes up an ungodly amount of bench space.


Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3701 on: June 21, 2020, 02:10:46 AM »
Don't your cupboard shelves move, @mspym ? Ours just sit on those bracket pins, so I can adjust as needed. Eg I've got a mini shelf specifically for glass jars that's about the height of a pataks tall curry sauce jar.

Got rid of a box of paints today at the chemical clear out day. Super well organised, only queued for two minutes. And we weren't allowed out of the car because of Covid so they just opened the boot and took it all while we sat there like royals.

mspym

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3702 on: June 21, 2020, 02:32:01 AM »
@Fresh Bread one more thing the builders of this place got wrong. Only two sets of shelves in this kitchen are height-adjustable and they are shallow - deep enough for cups, not for anything sizable, not particularly sturdy (mmmm particle board), and also above the counters so I would need to get on a step stool to lug a 10kg stand mixer in and out, assuming it could fix and didn't break the shelves... Right now I am thinking about clearing off the top of the Billy 2x4 bookshelve in the corner and putting it on top of there. Also .5cm too high to fit inside *that*.

Huzzah for clearing out paints!

Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3703 on: June 21, 2020, 03:03:47 AM »
Yes true, I wouldn't put a stand mixer on our shelves either, it would need to be at the bottom. I've got the breadmaker and slow cooker on one shelf and I bet it will sag in time. We were able to design our own kitchen but due to space/services/window constraints everything is still in the wrong place. Whaddya do.

Raenia

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3704 on: June 21, 2020, 06:02:11 AM »
My stand mixer has pride-of-place on the countertop, but then I use it about every 2-3 days minimum - I bake a lot of bread, and it goes soooo much faster with a dough hook.  And our cost-per-use is 0, since it was a wedding gift.  I think they come in different sizes, if you enjoy having one but this one is too big you might be able to sell it and put the proceeds toward a smaller model.

I switched over my drawers to my summer wardrobe, and put a few things in the donate pile as I went.  Not really a declutter as nothing left the house, but DH finished building some extra shelving in the office/library, and I was able to unpack three more boxes of books.  The library looks great!  Today we plan to buy a curtain rod and hang the curtains my mom gave us for that room, and that'll be another bag gone.  DH has also been working on his pile of papers to scan and discard.  I did some decluttering of old computer files - not very exciting, but necessary.  I wanted to do it before my next back-up.  I burned a candle to use it up.

I still feel like there's stuff everywhere - time to start another pass through the house I guess.  It's a neverending cycle.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3705 on: June 21, 2020, 06:31:50 PM »
We have been machines at filling up our recycle and waste bins.  A neighbour offered some extra capacity in his bin so in went another old soaker hose.  Our water is so hard that the holes become clogged within a couple of years. And I worked in the garden picking rocks.  The homeowner is using the rocks in a crawl space under their kitchen.  Garden is looking so much tidier.

I can't wait until the end of June - that is when we are borrowing a car and trailer and clearing out all the debris.  In the mean time, the debris piles just get bigger.  But the house is feeling so much better.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3706 on: June 22, 2020, 12:10:32 PM »
I'm loving the decluttering at our vacation house. I've listed a few things on a local swap site, and have already made $60. Logistically, I won't be able to get to a donation site more than once, so I'll plan to take a car load, but it's awesome to have people pick up some larger items.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3707 on: June 22, 2020, 04:15:27 PM »
@MaybeBabyMustache, you do such a good job at online sales!  Well done.

And, count me in with the rock crowd.  Vice versa, though:  The neighbor kiddos find the most interesting of rocks on our property which they in turn give to me.  ;)

DH and I had a party over the weekend on our lower deck.  The weekend before I cleaned out the deck cupboard, tossed several things including a broken solar light, and relocated a few more.  I also helped DH "unclutter" an old fence by turning it into firewood.  My first time using a reciprocating saw and was very proud of myself.  He's out on medical leave so I'm picking up some of the physical slack.  I used a staple hammer for the first time, too, to put up a sunshade for the party.  Whacking that thing was very satisfying.  :)

Tomorrow:
~A small box to the Goodwill containing a small wine rack, pair of shoes, and a few free toiletry items given to me with a purchase.  I might add a few more things this evening.
~A toner cartridge to the office supply store to be recycled.

~The free with purchase bag mentioned above included a few laundry detergent pods, which I gave to a neighbor since we don't use them.

Prairie Gal

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3708 on: June 22, 2020, 05:00:42 PM »
I got rid of five extra dining chairs today, since I got new ones.

Weirdly, I sold another chair a few days ago, and the lady was supposed to pick it up on Saturday, but still has not showed up or responded to my messages. Not sure what to do about it. I guess since she already sent me an e transfer I will hang on to it for a while, but I sure would like it out of here.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3709 on: June 23, 2020, 01:27:52 AM »
I'm putting a vehicle into a car sharing club to make a bit of easy money (hopefully). Whole nother decluttering area discovered. I didn't know I was storing so much stuff in there! Rags, bags, pens. 3 travel dog bowls.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3710 on: June 24, 2020, 04:59:25 PM »
I'm so frustrated with decluttering at the moment. Yesterday I decided to take the big pile of items, all carefully cleaned and  piled up in the corner of a room into the family store, about 25 mons drive away. On the internet it said open.  so I loaded up the boot and managed to park in the crowded parking zone. Open, yes, but not taking donations at that entrance. Go around the other side of the building. De-parked, went to find the contactless bins on the other side. Nope, no bins and another sign saying not accepting donations at this time.

Now I have a boot load of stuff in the car. I need to find another solution because its not coming back out.

Shinplaster

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3711 on: June 24, 2020, 06:14:26 PM »
We just sold our house, and there are a lot of big furniture items that we are not paying to move.  We'll be downsizing to about half the space we have now, so no need to take it.  I was dreading trying to find new homes for it all - donation centers here are not accepting any large items.   On the off chance the new buyer might want a piece or two, I did up a list and left it for her to think about during the home inspection.   She's taking it all!  Four couches, large wall unit, end tables, bookcases, old CRT TV, and other odds and ends.   Turns out she is not bringing a lot with her either, and is thrilled that several areas will be pretty much furnished for her on possession date.

Although the things will still be in this house, after the end of August they won't be in our house.   : )

RetiredAt63

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3712 on: June 25, 2020, 05:35:52 AM »
We just sold our house, and there are a lot of big furniture items that we are not paying to move.  We'll be downsizing to about half the space we have now, so no need to take it.  I was dreading trying to find new homes for it all - donation centers here are not accepting any large items.   On the off chance the new buyer might want a piece or two, I did up a list and left it for her to think about during the home inspection.   She's taking it all!  Four couches, large wall unit, end tables, bookcases, old CRT TV, and other odds and ends.   Turns out she is not bringing a lot with her either, and is thrilled that several areas will be pretty much furnished for her on possession date.

Although the things will still be in this house, after the end of August they won't be in our house.   : )

That worked out really well for you!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3713 on: June 25, 2020, 06:33:15 AM »
We just sold our house, and there are a lot of big furniture items that we are not paying to move.  We'll be downsizing to about half the space we have now, so no need to take it.  I was dreading trying to find new homes for it all - donation centers here are not accepting any large items.   On the off chance the new buyer might want a piece or two, I did up a list and left it for her to think about during the home inspection.   She's taking it all!  Four couches, large wall unit, end tables, bookcases, old CRT TV, and other odds and ends.   Turns out she is not bringing a lot with her either, and is thrilled that several areas will be pretty much furnished for her on possession date.

Although the things will still be in this house, after the end of August they won't be in our house.   : )


That worked out really well for you!
way to go

ysette9

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3714 on: June 25, 2020, 10:55:43 AM »
Yesterday I sold a little kiddie table and chair on FB marketplace. Today I am giving away a plastic training potty. Both of them gone frees up precious floor space. Onward and upward!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3715 on: June 27, 2020, 06:35:05 AM »
Three big suitcases and some other stuff that I could not sell at the flea market I took over to  the Salvation Army dropoff.  Check those off the list! 

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3716 on: June 27, 2020, 08:19:56 AM »
Sold a mattress that was used a couple of times & has been stored (wrapped in original packaging) in our garage. So happy to have it gone

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3717 on: June 27, 2020, 10:47:41 AM »
Gave away a kiddies room rug (the type with roads, houses etc). It was a bit worn on the back and deemed way to childish by the boys so off on local Facebook buy and sell group it went. A nice lady came to pick it up, I was clear that is was a bit worn (will not show when in place) but she was very happy nonetheless. Also, gave away an Ikea Benno shelf (tall very narrow book shelf, for smaller books, cd, dvds). This was also on local Facebook, which is very reliable, people will come pick up, on time, and be very thankful. Sometimes you get a small piece of chocolate as a nice "thank you", or they will say thanks again when you meet in the local grocery store. I am just happy that someone will pick up what I want to get rid of. Ihave one more Benno up for graps, hoping someone wants it.

I am also waiting for someone to come pick up a larger book shelf, with glass doors. They should be here in 20 minutes, but this is from Facebook Marketplace, where people are much more unreliable. I do hope they will pick up though, this needs to go away for the staging of the house. I do have a back up person, so I am someone optimistic. We'll see.

ysette9

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3718 on: June 27, 2020, 03:09:06 PM »
I have been trying to give away this diaper pail with no success. Buy Nothing didn’t want to touch it and no bites yet on FB Marketplace. I would hate to throw it away but it may come to that.

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3719 on: June 28, 2020, 02:10:12 AM »
Update: The person came (much later than he said) and picked up the big shelf w/glass doors. No problem once he had arrived, he had a truck, I had to help him carry,  but no issues. (Don't you just hate when people come to pick up something large and have a small car...)

And my lovely neighbour, which I will miss dearly when I move, realised we wanted to get rid of the small book shelf, and she was in need of one exactly like that, so I just carried it across the street to her. I also confirmed w/her that I can pick some flowers from her garden for the photographing of the house.

That's two small and one big book shelf out of the house!

Gave away a kiddies room rug (the type with roads, houses etc). It was a bit worn on the back and deemed way to childish by the boys so off on local Facebook buy and sell group it went. A nice lady came to pick it up, I was clear that is was a bit worn (will not show when in place) but she was very happy nonetheless. Also, gave away an Ikea Benno shelf (tall very narrow book shelf, for smaller books, cd, dvds). This was also on local Facebook, which is very reliable, people will come pick up, on time, and be very thankful. Sometimes you get a small piece of chocolate as a nice "thank you", or they will say thanks again when you meet in the local grocery store. I am just happy that someone will pick up what I want to get rid of. Ihave one more Benno up for graps, hoping someone wants it.

I am also waiting for someone to come pick up a larger book shelf, with glass doors. They should be here in 20 minutes, but this is from Facebook Marketplace, where people are much more unreliable. I do hope they will pick up though, this needs to go away for the staging of the house. I do have a back up person, so I am someone optimistic. We'll see.

ItsALongStory

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3720 on: June 28, 2020, 07:42:28 AM »
Finally got rid of my skis and boots. We're moving overseas and they didn't make the cut since we're only taking suitcases and aren't moving to a ski area.

Wife had made well over $7500 selling all of our belongings with over $2k still to come our way from beds etc.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3721 on: June 28, 2020, 10:24:28 AM »
Some awesome progress by others! Nice work. @ItsALongStory - wow! Super impressive.

We're at our vacation house, and I don't list things on eBay from here (no printer, hassle to mail, etc), but I've accumulated a ton of stuff for when we get back to the house.

Also listed a chair on the local Facebook site. Fingers crossed, as I don't want to figure out the logistics of getting rid of it on my own.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3722 on: June 28, 2020, 10:38:55 AM »
Finally got rid of my skis and boots. We're moving overseas and they didn't make the cut since we're only taking suitcases and aren't moving to a ski area.

Wife had made well over $7500 selling all of our belongings with over $2k still to come our way from beds etc.

Good for her.  I wasn't able to sell much when I downsized, ended up donating about half a moving van of furniture to charity, plus several car load of stuff to another charity. 

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3723 on: June 29, 2020, 02:38:51 AM »
I have given away a lot of stuff, but yesterday I managed to sell a special item, hobby related, expensive to buy new, difficult to find second hand, and not losing much value when being used. I knew it would keep it's value, but pretty difficult to find a buyer.. So happy I found, not one, but two all of a sudden. This meant I did not have to lower the price, but received the $200 I wanted. Also, it is huge, so we could not bring it easily when we move, so double whammy :-)

I asked the buyer if he wanted a couple of items for free, one related to the hobby, the other two outdoor toys in good condition. My kids have are way too old for these and he had two small very nicely behaving kids in the car, so I asked him without his kids noticing, if he wanted them. He was delighted and so were his kids when he told them. And so was I :-)

(if I ask a parent if they want to take some toys for free, I always make sure their kids do not hear, so the parent can say no w/o the kids noticing) 

ysette9

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3724 on: June 29, 2020, 08:10:01 AM »

(if I ask a parent if they want to take some toys for free, I always make sure their kids do not hear, so the parent can say no w/o the kids noticing)
100% this. Thank you for being considerate.

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3725 on: June 29, 2020, 08:50:44 AM »

(if I ask a parent if they want to take some toys for free, I always make sure their kids do not hear, so the parent can say no w/o the kids noticing)
100% this. Thank you for being considerate.

:-) I have two boys of my own, so I'm trying to help out fellow parents when I can :-D

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3726 on: June 29, 2020, 01:52:15 PM »
Cleaned out our bathroom cart and threw away some toiletries that we were never going to use that were unlikely to be taken on our Buy Nothing group (old and opened).

MountainGal

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3727 on: June 29, 2020, 03:22:33 PM »
Finally tended to the plants here at the office which used up the rest of the bagged potting soil, food spikes, and more of the liquid plant food.  This freed up more room in the storage area, and DH got his two garden tools back.  :)

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3728 on: June 29, 2020, 03:28:17 PM »
I’d like to take a moment to honor Buy Nothing groups everywhere. They are such a godsend. That is how we are getting most of the stuff we identify for decluttering. I also picked up a bag of clothes of the next size up for my baby last night so now he has a whole new wardrobe of too-big stuff instead of his former too-small stuff. I love it.

I have four paper bags lined up neatly outside my front door, all labeled with names of people who will be stopping by to pick up books or unused household things. A+

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3729 on: June 29, 2020, 05:24:22 PM »
Cleaned under the guest bathroom sink. Found the following:
-Handy Manny bandaids (our kids are 13 & 14). Saved for a rainy day
-9 empty travel toothpaste tubes (?!)
-2 used toothbrushes (not ours)
-4 containers of Kids Tylenol, all wildly expired
-A lovely Restoration Hardware soap dispenser, never used. Possibly damaged from sitting forever under the sink, and likely getting occasionally damp
-An empty container of cleaning spray

All gone, minus the soap dispenser, which I'll see if I can bring back to life. The challenge with having others in & out of the house is that no one ever wants to throw anything away, in case it belongs to us or someone else. Therefore, things accumulate!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3730 on: June 30, 2020, 01:21:40 PM »
-Got rid of a chair & two decorative pillows we never use (too "fancy" & light in color, which is not ideal with kids around).
-Found two Japanese fishing floats in the closet. They were my grandparents & no one in the family is attached to them/wants them. I'll take them home & list them on eBay.

I'm in the home stretch of having the majority of the house decluttered & organized!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3731 on: June 30, 2020, 04:44:35 PM »
I'm in the home stretch of having the majority of the house decluttered & organized!

Well Done! That's such an achievement!

Meanwhile I'm plodding along.  DD visited and took home with her the spare lawn mower, a set of flannelette sheets and a small bookshelf. I found a home for a few of the things that were on the bookshelf. I decided to donate a couple of cushions and a matching picture and started to pack up Nanna's tea and coffee set. Got one box done. Sorted and unpacked another box of her possessions, but most of these were keepers.

I actually have plenty of cupboard space and still quite a few  boxes to be sorted and unpacked, but instead of just dumping stuff in the wardrobes and cupboards I am trying to sort and cull as I go.

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3732 on: July 01, 2020, 12:15:20 AM »
I’d like to take a moment to honor Buy Nothing groups everywhere. They are such a godsend. That is how we are getting most of the stuff we identify for decluttering. I also picked up a bag of clothes of the next size up for my baby last night so now he has a whole new wardrobe of too-big stuff instead of his former too-small stuff. I love it.

I have four paper bags lined up neatly outside my front door, all labeled with names of people who will be stopping by to pick up books or unused household things. A+

Thanks for the endorsement. I'm thinking of starting a BN in my neighborhood. Not sure how well that will go, since we are not supposed to be visiting outside our social bubbles, but maybe I can do the groundwork now and launch it in the future.

What do you think are some of the factors that make your group such a success?

ysette9

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3733 on: July 01, 2020, 07:54:06 AM »
First, all of the handoffs are contactless. People mostly leave things in front of their front doors and then neighbors stop by to pick up. I have found it awesome in this weird time because if anything it can save people a trip to t he store.

As for the momentum... I joined established groups each time so didn’t have to get it started from zero. In my former group I saw that the admin also encouraged us to do a lending library of items, which was cool. Big garden tools and machines, folding tables and chairs for outdoor parties, and the like. That drive more traffic and interest in the group.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3734 on: July 01, 2020, 04:58:42 PM »
@ysette9  thanks for the feedback! Good info, I'm taking notes.

ysette9

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3735 on: July 01, 2020, 05:07:57 PM »
I’m selling the baby’s jumperoo tonight! He mostly wasn’t interested in it for the last month so I decided to get the floor space in the living room back. Naturally, after listing it he took and interest in that toy unlike anything we had seen in a while. Oh well...

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3736 on: July 02, 2020, 01:07:56 PM »
All the piles of junk around the house - including four heavy duty construction bags, the carpet and underpad from two bedrooms and an old play structure are now completely gone.  They are not in the garage, or the back or the side.  Enough to fill the back seat of the car, the trunk, and a 14 foot trailer.  Yippee!

And we did it the mustachian way - borrowed a car and trailer and hauled it all ourselves.  And the metal parts all got separated and sold to the scrap guy so we got some money back.  As the dump is a flat fee we made sure the trailer was full. 

RetiredAt63

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3737 on: July 02, 2020, 03:50:40 PM »
All the piles of junk around the house - including four heavy duty construction bags, the carpet and underpad from two bedrooms and an old play structure are now completely gone.  They are not in the garage, or the back or the side.  Enough to fill the back seat of the car, the trunk, and a 14 foot trailer.  Yippee!

And we did it the mustachian way - borrowed a car and trailer and hauled it all ourselves.  And the metal parts all got separated and sold to the scrap guy so we got some money back.  As the dump is a flat fee we made sure the trailer was full.

That is super progress!   Congratulations.

mspym

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3738 on: July 02, 2020, 05:37:57 PM »
Poking around a bookshelf corner identified 4 cardboard sleeves, 2 plastic envelopes and about 10 misc bits of paper that can all go. Now that corner looks slightly neater. I have 3 books and a magazine to go to the street library. I should properly be more ruthless with my books. I have a pile of 30 manga and 10 books that I need to shed but I don't *quite* feel ready yet to just put them in a street library. I also recently bought some shirts and now (protests from Ofpym regardless) I will throw out the worn out shirts they are replacing.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3739 on: July 02, 2020, 09:23:25 PM »
Today I put a bunch more small household items in the donate box. Threw out a bunch of old nail polish, lotions and whatnot. Yesterday I listed a wall decor thing for sale on FB, but no interest so far, so I might just throw it in with the donations.

Tomorrow I am planning to take about three boxes full of stuff that are in my car to the thrift store. I just have to phone them and make sure they are accepting donations.

Do you ever feel like you just keep de-cluttering and de-cluttering and it doesn't really seem to make much difference?

ysette9

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3740 on: July 02, 2020, 10:14:48 PM »
The problem we have identified is that things come into the house regularly through all sorts of natural processes (shopping, gifts) but there is almost no regular exit process. So mass accumulates (pitting my chemical engineering education to work there!). So decluttering might just be a constant process simply to keep up with the constant inflow.

Personally I think decluttering on a regular rhythm has to be paired with really strict thoughtfulness on what is allowed in to begin with. Easier said than done.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3741 on: July 02, 2020, 11:50:59 PM »
Do you ever feel like you just keep de-cluttering and de-cluttering and it doesn't really seem to make much difference?

At a certain point, you'll start to really see & feel the difference, I bet. 

Plus what ysette9 said.

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3742 on: July 03, 2020, 07:39:25 AM »

Do you ever feel like you just keep de-cluttering and de-cluttering and it doesn't really seem to make much difference?

Yes!  But I can see how much more floor space and shelf space and closet space  I have now compared to before I began the decluttering long ago.  I took pictures. 

 

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3743 on: July 03, 2020, 05:29:07 PM »
I pulled three dresses out of the closet to take to the consignment shop.
Have a doodad to take back to the hardware store.
Have a desk to put on FB.
I'll hold myself accountable by posting here!

ysette9

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3744 on: July 04, 2020, 07:39:48 AM »
My husband did another run of stuff to the storage unit and the living room looks so much better! One more box of electronic crap to sort and one box to go to storage. Then we have to work on some random scattered crap in various rooms, but this gives me hope that we will get there sometime before the point when we will move out.

mspym

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3745 on: July 05, 2020, 01:44:53 AM »
I started off this weekend with just a small pile of clothes to donate and now it's two reasonable size bags full. I think I'm also going to pull out a few more books AND actually take them out to the street library. Heck there are 4 *on my block* so that should be easy enough to do.

also going - a whisk head for our immersion blender - we have a whisk and a whisk head for the stand mixer. Two "non slip" bases/lids for the immersion blender jugs that we have never used in 4 years. And a bottle of bitters that have surprisingly little flavour. It might also be time to discard the makeup that I don't /can't wear (mmmm eyelid dermatitis). Some of these things have somehow survived multiple rounds of purges!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3746 on: July 05, 2020, 07:27:25 AM »
Continuing the "packing for moving-declutter".
Several give-away items up on local Facebook-group now: toys & puzzles that the kids were both really clear the do not want any longer, a largish piece of furniture. In total 8 items, and I have already requests for four of them (including the large furnirture). 

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3747 on: July 05, 2020, 01:10:58 PM »
Do you ever feel like you just keep de-cluttering and de-cluttering and it doesn't really seem to make much difference?

At a certain point, you'll start to really see & feel the difference, I bet. 

Plus what ysette9 said.

True. I guess when it's stuff that is in cupboards, drawers, or put away somewhere it is not going to really show much. A couple of times recently I have stopped myself from buying stuff. I have a hobby of buying old furniture and fixing it up, but I don't really need any more projects right now. I actually threw out a little table that I decided I didn't like enough to re-finish. But, dang, those chairs were cute.

In the past week I took three boxes of household goods, a couple of baskets, and a bag of clothes to the thrift store. So, not only are they out of the house, they are actually out of the car.

I also have two bags of pants/jeans for a friend to go through. Sold a little bike décor thing for $20. Pared down a bunch of empty frames and will list them today.

ysette9

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3748 on: July 05, 2020, 01:20:36 PM »
I have seen on neighborhood groups online that the local thrift shop has lines upwards of 90min to drop off stuff. It appears decluttering is in style here at the moment.

We haven’t donated anything yet and are sticking with FB marketplace and Buy Nothing

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #3749 on: July 05, 2020, 08:06:18 PM »
Need some inspiration here... I had a great all in one Canon color printer/flatbed scanner/fax machine, had it running beautifully with an aftermarket continuous flow ink system, but gradually it died on me. 

What's the best way to get rid of it? I hate to see it go to the landfill, but you'd have to be pretty handy and have lots of time to fix this one.  I'm pretty good at fixing things, and tried a lot of things including replacing the printhead... it would take some radical disassembly and possibly more parts replacement. But it needs to go.