Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2  (Read 1249266 times)

okisok

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4050 on: September 07, 2020, 10:02:20 PM »
I took a weeklong break from the internet, so I had a bunch of time to declutter:

-last bits of elastic to a friend to fix a facemask. Mailed them off in some of the stationery stash.

-took apart an old photo album. Mailed some shots to my nephew that had his family in them. Put the rest in an existing memory box. Cover went into trash. Paper pages are being turned into a sketch book. Beaded decoration turned into a doll necklace.

-doll necklace and mended doll's clothes to SO's daughter and out of mending pile.

-reorganized kitchen cabinets and put plastic packeted items into glass jars. Tossed or recycled packaging. Pared down the glass jars to just the Mason or Kerr jars, rest in recycling.

-more stationery out in notes and letters. There's room in that cubby now!

-repurposed a yoga mat strap into a hairclip holder

-put a box on the curb with previously mentioned carving fork, shot glass, sheet, plus added a paper towel holder, sunhat, and bath pillow. SO took the sun hat and the rest was gone in 24 hours

-turned an unfinished sewing project and its scraps into a usable project, down to small scraps. Too-small scraps and threads went into the compost pile (100% cotton).

-came home from a family visit with a trunk load of stuff. Most of it went straight to the recycling bin (old magazines, catalogues, etc). They live in a rural area with very few recycling options, so I'm happy to bring them back and put them in my recycling bin to keep them out of the dump. The trick is to get them out immediately and not leave them in my car or mudroom for days, weeks....

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4051 on: September 08, 2020, 05:27:35 PM »
Once again, a three hour "listening" training (e.g. no face time) resulted in me cleaning out my son's dresser. (His room is my "office.) Found a few things to donate, a few to sell. Also found a bunch of dirty clothes in his soccer bag... he last had a soccer game in February (pre COVID). Sweet lord. Tossed everything in the laundry, hope to salvage stuff.

Sold a few items on eBay - items out of the house, money in.

In non household items, I picked a bunch of jalapenos, and put them out with a free sign to share with neighbors. While I was at it, added giant packages of disposable cups/plates & silverware, leftover from our kitchen remodel. They were gone to other neighbors who are also remodeling or hosting a few socially distanced family meets. Win!

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4052 on: September 08, 2020, 06:11:28 PM »
@shrimpwd sounds like there's a tangle of Family Stuff at your place.  Best wishes for getting that sorted out ASAP!

@Dutch Comfort well done with all the selling!

@okcisok I do the same thing with a family member's recycling 😁

@MaybeBabyMustache I am fascinated and repulsed by what you find in your "office"

The Pile Of Doom is gone! 🥳 In its place is today's mail, which will sit for a few days for decontamination.  This will be an easy pile to get through, so I'm happy to declare No Doom Pile even though there is still a stack rather than a clear spot on the counter.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4053 on: September 08, 2020, 08:40:53 PM »
@oneday - nice work getting rid of the pile of doom!!! Awesome progress.

What I really need to do is move my "office" to another child's room during long call days & start working through his stuff. Because, that guy is a real clutter bug!

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4054 on: September 09, 2020, 08:08:42 AM »
The handyman is here today to work on the utility room. Which means that:

-all the lumber for the new window trim will be installed and not in the way
-the countertop will be installed and not in the way
-the shelving will be cut to length and ready for installation (the brackets are MIA so there will be a hunt later for those)
-the old dryer vent will be gone, hole closed up and the supplies for that used
-leftover drywall can be offered to people
-leftover lumber can be offered to neighbor for his garage work
-unused items purchased for the project can be returned to the store for a refund
-finally, I'll be ready to call the plumber to get the plumbing stuff finished up.

Once I find the shelf brackets, then I can get all the stuff that should be stored in the utility room out of my hall closet and bedroom and kitchen and dining room and properly stored where it belongs.

I'm really excited. :)

Edit:
Handyman is done!
« Last Edit: September 09, 2020, 01:27:44 PM by Sibley »

Poundwise

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4055 on: September 09, 2020, 09:24:02 AM »
@Sibley  The decluttering that comes with finishing a project is very very satisfying!!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4056 on: September 09, 2020, 11:16:55 AM »
The garbage bin was emptied this morning and DH half filled it with more garbage. 
The recycle bin is completely full and won't be emptied for a week.  I am wondering if I can stalk the garbage truck and have a box of recycling ready for a second dump?

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4057 on: September 10, 2020, 04:57:31 AM »
@Sibley that sounds wonderful! So much stuff on the way out or to it's proper place!

halftimer

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4058 on: September 10, 2020, 12:38:03 PM »
Cleared up a few more items, and posted some things for sale and finished a few tiny projects that have been staged for months. Very happy to have any small progress.

Now, this may be a topic for a new thread but has anyone else noticed how nice it is to have an empty space in a cupboard or closet so that you have a designated place for things when they are in use and not in use? For example we have a place on the kitchen counter where the electric griddle can plug in, but we also have a spot in the hall closet that is exactly griddle sized so it can easily be put away for the weeks when we won't use it at all. So that our counters can be completely cleared quickly and stay that way as long as we like. Same for the blender and a cake tray - they both fit just under the counter so they are always hidden from view except for when they are actively in use or being cleaned.

I'm also getting our out of season blankets and clothes into a similar set up: winter clothes and blankets need more storage space but they have a designated shelf that is easy to access, and when we put summer things there I do not fill the empty space left over during that season.

I do not like 'deep' storage - so I have a deep kitchen cupboard that is only used in the front half with nothing in the space behind the flour and sugar. Same in the bathroom, the back section is completely empty except for an empty electric toothbrush box in case of warranty concerns later. And one awkward part of the hall closet that goes behind a wall only has the empty box for the humidifier there so we won't need it unless we move.  The hardest to reach high shelves are also empty boxes for DVD player and similar - so if we ever pack up our stuff actually compresses into less space (humidifier and jewellery box and DVD player, etc which normally have their own designated places get put into their placeholder boxes and our closets become 25% less full).

Does anyone have a similar organization hack or tip along these lines?  For example, maybe if I see a sale on a larger package of flour, I'll put it in the empty space behind those dry goods or just leave that empty.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4059 on: September 10, 2020, 02:02:48 PM »
-Sold two workout shirts I didn't like, mailed & out of the house
-Listed another item on eBay (kids shorts, no longer fit)
-Added a few other shirts to the donation pile

I'm really, really digging my much more thoughtful (and smaller wardrobe). I know have more work to do, but it's so much closer to a curated list of all things I enjoy wearing, but for various situations.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4060 on: September 10, 2020, 03:49:41 PM »
I do not like 'deep' storage - so I have a deep kitchen cupboard that is only used in the front half with nothing in the space behind the flour and sugar. Same in the bathroom, the back section is completely empty except for an empty electric toothbrush box in case of warranty concerns later. And one awkward part of the hall closet that goes behind a wall only has the empty box for the humidifier there so we won't need it unless we move.  The hardest to reach high shelves are also empty boxes for DVD player and similar - so if we ever pack up our stuff actually compresses into less space (humidifier and jewellery box and DVD player, etc which normally have their own designated places get put into their placeholder boxes and our closets become 25% less full).

Does anyone have a similar organization hack or tip along these lines?  For example, maybe if I see a sale on a larger package of flour, I'll put it in the empty space behind those dry goods or just leave that empty.

I'm vertically challenged and previously I put items not used frequently up on the top shelves so I didn't have to get a stool to get them down. Now my goal is to have all the top shelves empty, so I never have to do this.


I'm really, really digging my much more thoughtful (and smaller wardrobe). I know have more work to do, but it's so much closer to a curated list of all things I enjoy wearing, but for various situations.

That's great! I'm really reducing my clothes as well. I don't seem to be able to toss a lot in one go, but with persistence and not buying any more, its on the improve. Since I retired I find I am wearing different types of clothes...so I devised a list of  roles that I need my clothes to fulfil eg daily chores in the yard, gym and so on. I hardly wear dressed up clothes at all now. At first I found this liberating, but now after 2 years, and maybe exacerbed even more by covid, I kind of miss this just a bit. I'm sticking to my plan though, and am gradually whittling down those dressy clothes keeping only my absolute favourites. 

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4061 on: September 10, 2020, 09:26:11 PM »
Now, this may be a topic for a new thread but has anyone else noticed how nice it is to have an empty space in a cupboard or closet so that you have a designated place for things when they are in use and not in use? For example we have a place on the kitchen counter where the electric griddle can plug in, but we also have a spot in the hall closet that is exactly griddle sized so it can easily be put away for the weeks when we won't use it at all.

This is my dream! A place for everything, even when everything is not in it's place.

I am fine without having the "extra" space like you have behind your flour, but I would be sure to put only very rarely-accessed things there.  When I lived alone, I was mostly able to achieve this.  Now that I have a room mate, no dice. She has a different philosophy and a different roster of stuff, especially for the kitchen.  I miss it.

better late

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4062 on: September 10, 2020, 09:40:31 PM »
....
I do not like 'deep' storage - so I have a deep kitchen cupboard that is only used in the front half with nothing in the space behind the flour and sugar. Same in the bathroom, the back section is completely empty except for an empty electric toothbrush box in case of warranty concerns later. And one awkward part of the hall closet that goes behind a wall only has the empty box for the humidifier there so we won't need it unless we move.  The hardest to reach high shelves are also empty boxes for DVD player and similar - so if we ever pack up our stuff actually compresses into less space (humidifier and jewellery box and DVD player, etc which normally have their own designated places get put into their placeholder boxes and our closets become 25% less full).

Does anyone have a similar organization hack or tip along these lines?  For example, maybe if I see a sale on a larger package of flour, I'll put it in the empty space behind those dry goods or just leave that empty.

My Friend (who is the most organized person I’ve ever known) has thin, plastic “lazy Susan’s” in her pantry. She is able to store a good amount while being able to see everything in one turn. It makes good use of the space (especially towards the corner where items can get lost) without anything feeling crammed in there.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4063 on: September 10, 2020, 10:47:22 PM »
Today we threw out 6 different sauces/pastes that we will never use, clearing out just a little more of the fridge. Now we just have things we use regularly taking up the real estate

MyAlterEgoIsTaller

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4064 on: September 11, 2020, 05:13:53 PM »

My Friend (who is the most organized person I’ve ever known) has thin, plastic “lazy Susan’s” in her pantry. She is able to store a good amount while being able to see everything in one turn. It makes good use of the space (especially towards the corner where items can get lost) without anything feeling crammed in there.

A few months ago I first made a small lazy susan in my spices and condiments cabinet, by putting a handful of marbles between 2 cake pans, and it was so miraculously useful that more recently I did the same thing with 2 big round metal serving trays with lips, and I put all my baking ingredients on it, in my previously-stupid-awkward corner cabinet.  It has transformed a previously inconvenient space into something so much better.


I have a new organizing/decluttering problem lately:  it seems that decluttering has become the trendiest stay-home hobby, and all my local thrift stores are overwhelmed to the point of some not accepting new donations at all, and the others having half-hour long waits of mile-long lines of cars to drop stuff off. The animal shelter says no more linens, the little food pantry says absolutely, positively nothing but food. A lot of people around here were making Free piles at the ends of their driveways or roads - but I'm afraid to try that because some people have had other people stealthily dump even more stuff in their free piles!  Anybody else having trouble finding anywhere for their decluttering to go?

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4065 on: September 11, 2020, 08:17:36 PM »
If it's not worth selling, and the donation places won't take it, and you can't give it away - it hurts, but trash it. Try to recycle if you can of course. By product of too much mindless consumption.

lazycow

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4066 on: September 11, 2020, 10:20:02 PM »


I have a new organizing/decluttering problem lately:  it seems that decluttering has become the trendiest stay-home hobby, and all my local thrift stores are overwhelmed to the point of some not accepting new donations at all, and the others having half-hour long waits of mile-long lines of cars to drop stuff off. The animal shelter says no more linens, the little food pantry says absolutely, positively nothing but food. A lot of people around here were making Free piles at the ends of their driveways or roads - but I'm afraid to try that because some people have had other people stealthily dump even more stuff in their free piles!  Anybody else having trouble finding anywhere for their decluttering to go?

Sometimes you have to take the hit and bin things (with a promise to yourself to be more a mindful consumer in the future). We have probably all had to do it at some point. No one is perfect!!
Alternatively, you could post on your local Buy nothing/Pay it forward FB group if there is one? There are lots of clever people out there who will look at each item with fresh eyes and repurpose or reuse things in some way. Good luck.

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4067 on: September 11, 2020, 11:32:21 PM »
Recently combed through 5 boxes of photos looking for baby pics of Sis at her request.  Pulled out a stack of non-photos, mostly postcards.  Today I finished sorting toss, keep (for scanning before tossing) and give to the ex.

Now to get the things for the ex back to the photo boxes...I will be giving him at least 2 boxes of photos once I scan the ones I want.  That will be a beautiful day. I keep thinking we are totally disentangled, but there's always one more thing.  I *think* this is really, really the last thing!

halftimer

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4068 on: September 12, 2020, 03:06:08 PM »
Now, this may be a topic for a new thread but has anyone else noticed how nice it is to have an empty space in a cupboard or closet so that you have a designated place for things when they are in use and not in use? For example we have a place on the kitchen counter where the electric griddle can plug in, but we also have a spot in the hall closet that is exactly griddle sized so it can easily be put away for the weeks when we won't use it at all.

This is my dream! A place for everything, even when everything is not in it's place.

I am fine without having the "extra" space like you have behind your flour, but I would be sure to put only very rarely-accessed things there.  When I lived alone, I was mostly able to achieve this.  Now that I have a room mate, no dice. She has a different philosophy and a different roster of stuff, especially for the kitchen.  I miss it.

I'm living the dream! Haha, I guess not quite still I'm still trying to optimize. I definitely agree that rarely-accessed things should go in the awkward places. I just want less awkward places to begin with and I'm trying to create that situation without any renos by pretending they don't exist or putting only 1 well fitted item in any given black hole.

My Friend (who is the most organized person I’ve ever known) has thin, plastic “lazy Susan’s” in her pantry. She is able to store a good amount while being able to see everything in one turn. It makes good use of the space (especially towards the corner where items can get lost) without anything feeling crammed in there.

Great idea for custom lazy Susans - I may have to try that out. I don't have any marbles, but may have a necklace in the house that can be sacrificed for that purpose.

mspym

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4069 on: September 12, 2020, 03:55:29 PM »
Yesterday I took the bag of clothes to the donation bin after one last sweep of my accessories drawer, I added a tie, a big scarf, a necklace and a very nice Pelikan fountain pen that I haven't used in over 7 years. Whatever they get for it will do more good than the space it takes up.

 I also used a nice square scarf and a ribbon that have been floating around my house to wrap up a present (of small delicious consumables) for my friend's birthday.

Oh, and the boys' mum collects vintage pyrex so I could offer her this really great duckegg blue casserole dish that used to be just the right size for me but is way to small for a house of teen boys.

It feels good to let things go to good homes.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4070 on: September 12, 2020, 05:42:51 PM »


Great idea for custom lazy Susans - I may have to try that out. I don't have any marbles, but may have a necklace in the house that can be sacrificed for that purpose.

It doesn't work as well with beads as with marbles.  I had that same idea, but the weirdest thing happens where it works on the first couple turns, but then the beads all orient themselves so that their holes are exactly vertical, and the top pan gets stuck on all the tiny "flat sides" of the beads where the holes are, and then it doesn't turn well.  I got some marbles from the dollar store - a little bag of 30 marbles or so is enough to make 2 or 3 lazy Susans.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4071 on: September 12, 2020, 06:34:50 PM »
My mom took all the old computers up to Best Buy for recycling. 8 of them.

At least they're out of the house.

Goldielocks

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4072 on: September 12, 2020, 08:12:07 PM »
I used up another part can of fence stain that had been cluttering the workshop for a couple of years.  You know, by applying it to the fence.

It takes longer that I would have thought.  and ugh.  One more nearly full can left to go.


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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4073 on: September 14, 2020, 04:22:23 PM »
An old, stained cutting board, a spoon rest, and a pair of shoes were tossed yesterday.  However, the first two items were replaced with new ones.  ;)

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4074 on: September 14, 2020, 08:28:18 PM »
Donated a bunch of jewelry to the friends of library for a sale. It’s so hard to get rid of jewelry so I was so happy to find a good use for my semi precious and costume stuff that I don’t want

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4075 on: September 15, 2020, 07:43:12 AM »
Went through "closet of doom" where i keep boxes & mailing supplies. Determined I had way too much of everything. Broke down all of the boxes. Recycled the majority of them, organized the closet, bagged up all of the packaging/wrapping. Closet looks so much better! Boxes no longer fall on top of me when I open it.

shrimpwd

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4076 on: September 15, 2020, 09:39:22 AM »
The 3-season room is down to only my things!

Now that I have space, I plan on going through every item out there and decide keep/sell/give/toss. I hope to end up with half of what is out there. Some of those items have been stored out there for nearly 4 years, so I shouldn't have trouble with not keeping them.

I also have other piles in the house that can now be stored out there (after doing the same process). I think my house is going to look much better once I complete these next few steps.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4077 on: September 15, 2020, 10:54:56 AM »
It's not really a tossing-out so much as a "not acquiring specialized items that might not work at my next rental," but I managed to organize some things that were kind of just in piles in the kitchen (ah, boxes of tea!) by using cardboard boxes as organizing bins. It's not as pretty as a real organizing bin, but it's functional and I can just recycle it when we move out of here instead of trying to fit it into a new setup.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4078 on: September 16, 2020, 06:24:51 AM »
Donated a bunch of jewelry to the friends of library for a sale. It’s so hard to get rid of jewelry so I was so happy to find a good use for my semi precious and costume stuff that I don’t want

I have tons of jewelry I want to get rid of. I have decided to take a lot of it down to a retail store that advertises for people to bring in their unwanted jewelry. I am getting about 20 pieces together for a test run.

I have selected a few nice pieces, some of it Avon, some of it other name brand stuff, whose prices I have estimated by looking at eBay,  to try to sell at a flea market.   Not expecting to get high prices. We'll see.       


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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4079 on: September 17, 2020, 03:32:02 PM »
I took the 'test run' bag of jewelry down to the store, to sell. They gave me $15 for about 20 pieces of costume jewelry. I took the $15. Seemed  fair. They also weighed 4 pieces of Sterling and offered me $5 for that, but I decided to keep the sterling to sell myself.

They also tested a ring to make sure it was not gold, and identified one of the pieces I thought was 'costume' as sterling.   Good to know.

Tons more jewelry to go. Off to a good start.

Anyone know any tricks to untangling thin silver necklace chains, let me know, please, ha ha. I have 2 chains tangled up together.  Can barely see them, even with reading glasses, magnifying glass, and lots of light.   
   

RetiredAt63

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4080 on: September 17, 2020, 05:45:00 PM »
I took the 'test run' bag of jewelry down to the store, to sell. They gave me $15 for about 20 pieces of costume jewelry. I took the $15. Seemed  fair. They also weighed 4 pieces of Sterling and offered me $5 for that, but I decided to keep the sterling to sell myself.

They also tested a ring to make sure it was not gold, and identified one of the pieces I thought was 'costume' as sterling.   Good to know.

Tons more jewelry to go. Off to a good start.

Anyone know any tricks to untangling thin silver necklace chains, let me know, please, ha ha. I have 2 chains tangled up together.  Can barely see them, even with reading glasses, magnifying glass, and lots of light.   
 

For the chains, long nails or a sewing pin.  Grab a spot, jiggle to see if anything works loose, pick at it.  Should kerp you occupied for several hours.   ;-)

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4081 on: September 17, 2020, 08:18:01 PM »
I took the 'test run' bag of jewelry down to the store, to sell. They gave me $15 for about 20 pieces of costume jewelry. I took the $15. Seemed  fair. They also weighed 4 pieces of Sterling and offered me $5 for that, but I decided to keep the sterling to sell myself.

They also tested a ring to make sure it was not gold, and identified one of the pieces I thought was 'costume' as sterling.   Good to know.

Tons more jewelry to go. Off to a good start.

Anyone know any tricks to untangling thin silver necklace chains, let me know, please, ha ha. I have 2 chains tangled up together.  Can barely see them, even with reading glasses, magnifying glass, and lots of light.   
 

For the chains, long nails or a sewing pin.  Grab a spot, jiggle to see if anything works loose, pick at it.  Should kerp you occupied for several hours.   ;-)

I’ve done exactly this, but I put the chains on a flat surface and use 2 pins to pull them apart a bit at a time.  It takes a while, but it works.

better late

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4082 on: September 19, 2020, 10:47:43 PM »
Got everything out of our storage unit to Goodwill and consignment. I can hardly believe it’s finally empty and gone from our life (and from our bill-pay). Oh Happy Dance!!

okisok

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4083 on: September 20, 2020, 03:02:15 PM »
Very impressive! Good for you

better late

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4084 on: September 20, 2020, 10:27:59 PM »
Thanks okcisok and Sun Hat. I am embarrassed at how much we spent on storage facility fees. so very easy to put the stuff in there and so very hard to get it all out and disposed of.

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4085 on: September 21, 2020, 01:23:16 AM »
Got everything out of our storage unit to Goodwill and consignment. I can hardly believe it’s finally empty and gone from our life (and from our bill-pay). Oh Happy Dance!!

Good job! And good for the finances as well.

And also thank you, thank you, thank you for the reminder, I need to cancel my storage unit before month end. This is a small one, needed for house sale. I have used it for the period from when we showed the house until I move (four months) and will be totally emptied by movers on moving day mid-October, so it's not a mentally tough process (which I assume yours was more of). But I absolutely don't want to pay for another month, when it's already empty. Calling them now.

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4086 on: September 21, 2020, 01:19:19 PM »
Progress on projects again...

Gallon of ceiling paint is used up and gone.
Did the spray painting of the gas line (outside), since it was all rusty and ugly. Still ugly, but at least it's protected.
Did the texture stuff in the book room upstairs. That stuff is annoying, makes a huge mess, and it doesn't really match the old texture. So I might just sand it down and live with the difference.

More projects have been progressed, but they haven't resulted in declutter yet. I'll get there.

And gave the baggie of batteries to my mom to take home. Her town accepts batteries in the recycle bin, and I've been forgetting for months to take mine somewhere.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4087 on: September 21, 2020, 03:44:27 PM »
Let's see, I've done the following:
-Bought books at the friends of library sale, but immediately made a pile of keep/sell/donate (it was a genre based grab bag). I'm absolutely ecstatic to have some paper books back, but a few are not my jam. I'll keep the rest & then donate most. Have a few worth selling
-Gave my sister her birthday gift (reusable face scrubs, which I love & wanted to share), so those are now out of the house
-Found a few toys in our garage. Donated a bunch, listed a couple for sale

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4088 on: September 22, 2020, 05:27:16 AM »
Looked around the edges of the garage, and the shelves  ( I have a big open space in the middle for a car) and took out 10 things to sell, and threw out 5.   

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4089 on: September 22, 2020, 06:42:05 AM »
We have been puttering around the house for the last two weeks of our away from the office vacation.  A number of repairs got done and a huge number of items got tossed to more appropriate locations.  Our elderly neighbours have massive garbage bins.  This week we filled our small one and their giant one.  One fully loaded Leaf trunk of stuff went to the restore and another to Goodwill.  There are three huge bags of yard waste.  The giant recycling bin is nearly full as well. 

I am trying to be rigorous about the pantry.  As I do canning recipes and come across multiples of spices (I forgot to cross pickling spice off a grocery list and DH bought it twice) I am consolidating them or tossing something that looks like it moved to this house with us in 2010.  Or survived the 2016 kitchen restoration.

DD started to go through her bins of stuff she left in the basement after we painted her room.  One is empty now.  The other is full of empty binders. 
DH worked on the garage for two days.  We are both guilty of being pack rats there.  And now we are accumulating bicycles. 

Stuff keeps coming out of our house! Occasionally I will look at a closet and think...gee that is a little less packed.  Or I will put something away in its spot.  Or I will find the item I am looking for without having to excavate or dodge an avalanche.

horsepoor

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4090 on: September 22, 2020, 11:38:31 PM »
This weekend I saw a lady who moved her horse out of my boarding stable about six months ago.  When she left, she said I could use her tack locker, because she probably wasn't sure if the move would be permanent, or if she might want to come back.  Her horse is doing well in their new place, with no room for the locker, so I've been meaning to ask if I can buy it from her.  She said I could just have it, but I know she is always short of funds and didn't feel good about that.  The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.  After nagging her a bit, we negotiated a trade for a saddle pad I didn't need and a fly sheet my horse recently outgrew.  Win, win, and two less things in the heap of horse gear I've been sorting through in the basement.

slackmax

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4091 on: September 23, 2020, 07:20:26 AM »


Stuff keeps coming out of our house! Occasionally I will look at a closet and think...gee that is a little less packed.  Or I will put something away in its spot.  Or I will find the item I am looking for without having to excavate or dodge an avalanche.

Ha Ha, isn't it true?   I am continually surprised what I find when going through an area I have already gone through, thinking there was nothing left there to declutter. 

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4092 on: September 23, 2020, 07:34:02 AM »
Awesome trade, @horsepoor

-I went through the "closet of doom" (we stashed a bunch of random kitchen & junk drawer items there, post kitchen remodel & unpacking) yesterday. Found three cutlery organizers that we no longer need & put them in the donate pile.
-Sold three items on eBay. Junk out, cash in.
-Sold an old pogo stick that I discovered in the garage
-Have someone interested in picking up a bike bag

SimpleCycle

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4093 on: September 24, 2020, 02:02:07 PM »
Checking back in after a too long absence.  Sold a chair on Facebook Marketplace, and got rid of a bunch of kids clothes on Buy Nothing.

I'm really struggling with how much clutter we have, and how to get my family to make any effort to clean up after themselves.  My kids are 3 and 5, so definitely old enough to pick up after themselves, but it is always such a struggle.  Same with my spouse, who is okay at actually CLEANING things, but not so great at tidying and keeping tidy.  So I just feel overwhelmed and alone in my desire for a clean house.  Pep talks and tips for getting the family involved appreciated.

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4094 on: September 24, 2020, 03:27:56 PM »
Checking back in after a too long absence.  Sold a chair on Facebook Marketplace, and got rid of a bunch of kids clothes on Buy Nothing.

I'm really struggling with how much clutter we have, and how to get my family to make any effort to clean up after themselves.  My kids are 3 and 5, so definitely old enough to pick up after themselves, but it is always such a struggle.  Same with my spouse, who is okay at actually CLEANING things, but not so great at tidying and keeping tidy.  So I just feel overwhelmed and alone in my desire for a clean house.  Pep talks and tips for getting the family involved appreciated.

If it's left out, try putting it in a box in the closet or something, see what actually is requested/looked for. If it never is, then chances are you can get rid of it. Especially toys, just make them disappear after a while. The less stuff you have the easier it is to keep it neat. My house looks like a disaster because of the cat toys all over. I spend 5 minutes picking them up and it looks 10x better.

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4095 on: September 25, 2020, 04:12:30 AM »
The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.

So I had to google photos of 'tack locker' and now I want one. I don't have a horse, nor do I have any saddles etc. It just looks so neat!
Thank you for letting me expand my vocabulary!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4096 on: September 25, 2020, 06:28:35 AM »
The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.

So I had to google photos of 'tack locker' and now I want one. I don't have a horse, nor do I have any saddles etc. It just looks so neat!
Thank you for letting me expand my vocabulary!
this made me chuckle...
one has to be careful on this page that the opposite of the intended purpose doesn't occur.

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4097 on: September 25, 2020, 07:18:51 AM »
Back story: divorce, house is sold, we are moving to separate places. He is not a hoarder, but a "let's not throw away/donate anything because we might need it some day". I understand that this is a new situation, and that we will both need to individually add some practical items to our separate households but I am also an aspiring minimalist, and I want to try to get rid of a lot of "Just in cases".

Question to this thread: can  I count every thing I say to him "you take it, I don't want it" to my general karma in this Gettting rid of stuff in the move?
I do need some good karma as he is moving out in 7 days, and at least in my opinion, is very late/behind with packing for his move. I am stressed by this.

I will move in 3.5 weeks, and I feel further along, this is also bc I have less stuff to move, but I am also aware that I have a finite amount of time to pack...

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4098 on: September 25, 2020, 07:22:26 AM »
The tack locker is a glorious thing, people.  Everyone else is stuck with trunks that are just bottomless pits of disorganization.

So I had to google photos of 'tack locker' and now I want one. I don't have a horse, nor do I have any saddles etc. It just looks so neat!
Thank you for letting me expand my vocabulary!
this made me chuckle...
one has to be careful on this page that the opposite of the intended purpose doesn't occur.

Oh, don't worry, I am not getting one :-), admiring the neatness in the photos is actually all I need.
However, it did make me start thinking a bit, I am moving and will have a walk in closet/small storage for me and my two kids, and I will aspire to have the same feeling of functional neatness in there. So in that way it is inspiring, but only to make the best of what I have and will have use and need for.

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4099 on: September 25, 2020, 07:48:18 AM »
Back story: divorce, house is sold, we are moving to separate places. He is not a hoarder, but a "let's not throw away/donate anything because we might need it some day". I understand that this is a new situation, and that we will both need to individually add some practical items to our separate households but I am also an aspiring minimalist, and I want to try to get rid of a lot of "Just in cases".

Question to this thread: can  I count every thing I say to him "you take it, I don't want it" to my general karma in this Gettting rid of stuff in the move?
I do need some good karma as he is moving out in 7 days, and at least in my opinion, is very late/behind with packing for his move. I am stressed by this.

I will move in 3.5 weeks, and I feel further along, this is also bc I have less stuff to move, but I am also aware that I have a finite amount of time to pack...

Sure. And what's the plan for when he moves out and doesn't take all the stuff?

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!