Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2  (Read 1249086 times)

Plina

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4500 on: January 04, 2021, 03:47:17 AM »
Do you actually want to scan all those photos? I have one small box of pictures, but I know there's duplicates in there. If you have multiple boxes - how many duplicates or near duplicates, out of focus, or pictures of random places or people that you don't want are in those boxes? Spending some time to decrease the volume will make the move easier, as well as reducing later scanning time.

I did this a couple of years ago with years of worth of paper photos. After spending some time of going through the photos I put a significantly smaller of number of photos into albums. There were a lot of duplicates and photos of people I could not even remember. If I can’t even remember the person in the photo why would I keep it. Now I have ten years of digital photos to sort through and make photo books. I prefer albums and photobooks over digital photos.

Steeze

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4501 on: January 04, 2021, 06:22:46 AM »
Re: photos

I set mine to rotate on my background photos on my PC, iPhone, and TV. That way I can enjoy them more frequently. Also, after culling a lot of my keepsakes, it is nice to now see photos of that stuff occasionally instead of it being locked in a box for years at a time.

@Steeze Can you give a quick guide on how you did this?
I've been talking about it for years but don't know how to get started.

on iPhone, download photos widget (3rd party) in app store. create an album you want to rotate through. set widget to rotate through that album, go to setting, change to 1 minute (lowest) if wanted.

on PC, Settings > Personalization > Background > Slideshow (in drop down) > Browse > Choose folder > Choose Fit > Change picture every 1 minute
on PC, Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen > Screen Saver Settings > Photos > Settings... > Browse > Choose folder

on TV - I have a Google Chrome Cast - Add photos to google photos > add album in Ambient Mode settings

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4502 on: January 04, 2021, 09:33:56 AM »

@Sibley what are your decluttering goals for 2021?


I don't have huge piles of stuff I don't need in the house. Luckily. However, I do have huge piles of rocks outside to dig out and dispose of. Made almost no progress last year. The big declutter challenge however will be my parents. They are planning on selling their house and moving to my area. My mom thinks they're in good shape. My sister and I think they're in better shape than they were a few years ago, but it's still going to be a huge challenge. Including the fact that while mom has decided to get rid of a ton of stuff, it's all sitting in boxes labeled "sell". Combined with them moving and finding a place, normal life/work, etc.... send luck.

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4503 on: January 04, 2021, 10:52:02 AM »
If you just take digital pictures with either your phone/tablet or camera, it's way faster than scanning.  Just spread them out on a table and click on each one individually and you have a digital record.  As you do this, get rid of the  ones you don't want to keep paper copies of.  Simple.

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4504 on: January 04, 2021, 10:33:44 PM »

@Sibley what are your decluttering goals for 2021?


I don't have huge piles of stuff I don't need in the house. Luckily. However, I do have huge piles of rocks outside to dig out and dispose of. Made almost no progress last year. The big declutter challenge however will be my parents. They are planning on selling their house and moving to my area. My mom thinks they're in good shape. My sister and I think they're in better shape than they were a few years ago, but it's still going to be a huge challenge. Including the fact that while mom has decided to get rid of a ton of stuff, it's all sitting in boxes labeled "sell". Combined with them moving and finding a place, normal life/work, etc.... send luck.

Good luck on both the rocks and your parent's move. My former in-laws, both with hoarding tendencies so they sort of encouraged each other, had a moving truck so big that it wasn't able to fit down the street of their new home. They had to last-minute rent a smaller moving van to actually get their possessions into their new home. Whew! I hope it's not like that for you.

SunniD

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4505 on: January 05, 2021, 10:21:43 AM »
I cleared 2 small piles yesterday. I'm a piler. Got rid of a bunch of CD/DVD cases and some old clothes (half going to donation).

I have a pair of very expensive and space hogging ski boots I will try to sell. 

 

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4506 on: January 05, 2021, 10:43:45 AM »
I listed an old treadmill on FB Marketplace this morning and immediately got 3 messages - so I obviously priced it too low!  But at least it's out of the house tomorrow.

I also listed a shelving unit that I'm not sure why I still have.  Hopefully this encourages me to take the broken TV to the curb this week, and then all that will be left in my exercise room will be my elliptical (which I still use, though not as much as when I was working), a stool, and some hand weights.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4507 on: January 05, 2021, 11:13:36 AM »
I thought I had thoroughly decluttered in preparation for our move in August.  When I packed up some of our kitchen things, we were still in the process of selling and I didn't know how much room we would have in the new place.    Turns out not so much!   Room for the things I use all the time, no room for things that get used every few years.   The spring pan, bundt pan, double boiler, and multiple cookie sheets are packaged up and waiting for us to come out of lockdown so I can donate them.   

I'm debating about the small food processor I have too - I liked the idea of being the kind of cook that used one, but found out my usual utensils do just fine, and I hate cleaning the thing.  It's not an expensive one, so I'd have no regrets about donating that either.   

RetiredAt63

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4508 on: January 05, 2021, 01:07:10 PM »
I thought I had thoroughly decluttered in preparation for our move in August.  When I packed up some of our kitchen things, we were still in the process of selling and I didn't know how much room we would have in the new place.    Turns out not so much!   Room for the things I use all the time, no room for things that get used every few years.   The spring pan, bundt pan, double boiler, and multiple cookie sheets are packaged up and waiting for us to come out of lockdown so I can donate them.   

I'm debating about the small food processor I have too - I liked the idea of being the kind of cook that used one, but found out my usual utensils do just fine, and I hate cleaning the thing.  It's not an expensive one, so I'd have no regrets about donating that either.   

I bought the cheapest large food processor I could find, because I only use it when I am making relish.  The rest of the year it doesn't even live in the kitchen!  A good knife is efficient and a lot easier to clean.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4509 on: January 05, 2021, 02:30:11 PM »
A good knife is efficient and a lot easier to clean.

Amen! 

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4510 on: January 05, 2021, 06:14:40 PM »
Out of the house so far this week:
-Crystal cake stand (sold on FB marketplace)
-Old ski boots, outgrown by teen (sold on FB marketplace)
-Book (eBay)
-Face mask Christmas gift thing (eBay)
-Returned a few gifts that didn't work out

I need to go through another area & find stuff for my local Buy Nothing group. Things move quickly there.

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4511 on: January 05, 2021, 07:01:06 PM »

@Sibley what are your decluttering goals for 2021?


I don't have huge piles of stuff I don't need in the house. Luckily. However, I do have huge piles of rocks outside to dig out and dispose of. Made almost no progress last year. The big declutter challenge however will be my parents. They are planning on selling their house and moving to my area. My mom thinks they're in good shape. My sister and I think they're in better shape than they were a few years ago, but it's still going to be a huge challenge. Including the fact that while mom has decided to get rid of a ton of stuff, it's all sitting in boxes labeled "sell". Combined with them moving and finding a place, normal life/work, etc.... send luck.

Good luck on both the rocks and your parent's move. My former in-laws, both with hoarding tendencies so they sort of encouraged each other, had a moving truck so big that it wasn't able to fit down the street of their new home. They had to last-minute rent a smaller moving van to actually get their possessions into their new home. Whew! I hope it's not like that for you.

No, thank goodness. Not that bad. But my parents have not made the wisest of financial choices over the years, and are not necessarily being practical or realistic now. So it imposes limitations on dealing with everything.

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4512 on: January 05, 2021, 07:10:24 PM »
Sent a year's worth of personal documents into the shred bin with a satisfying THUMP

Naomi

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4513 on: January 06, 2021, 01:19:48 AM »
I started the 1 thing on day 1, 2 things on day 2, and etc...challenge last year, but quit. idk that i really even have enough stuff to do the entire 30 days.
I started on 1 jan this time and feel like i'm kind of cheating already bc on day 2, i threw away a pair of socks (running socks w/holes) and counted that as 2 things instead of 1 pair.
I'm going to really try tho and see how far i can get.

days 1-5 complete.

chicklets123

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4514 on: January 06, 2021, 08:58:46 PM »
Recycled all the take out containers. The good black ones. Anyone keep these?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4515 on: January 06, 2021, 09:13:18 PM »
Apparently the black ones aren’t recyclable where I live, so I have a small stack in the basement waiting for me to have a bright idea on what to do with them.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4516 on: January 07, 2021, 02:36:56 PM »
Listed a bunch of things on eBay.

Listed a few items on my local Buy Nothing, and have interested people for everything. I will hopefully be getting rid of board games & a bread basket we've never used.

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4517 on: January 08, 2021, 03:36:51 AM »
I am settling in in my new apartment. I had a goal to unpack all the movers boxes in the apartment before New years eve, and I did.

I got rid of a lot of stuff before moving, but found a big bag of kids clothing. Managed to sell a jacket, snow boots and "over-pants" (wind and waterproof to put over regular pants) for a total of $30. Also some special/attractive kids books for a few $ (someone requested to buy them specifically and the kids decided to sell and get the money). It was extremely easy sales, digital payments similar to Venmo and pick up w/o contact.

And then I managed a double whammy :-D. Lots of nice/in really good shape kids clothes that would only fetch a dollar or two each  if anything. Asked my new neighbour who is very nice and has several grandkids of she wanted to take a look, thankfully she did. She took almost all, I am very pleased as there were nice things that could be used a lot more, they are out of my place, and I am building community in my new living area. We are already good friends, but it is good to add to that.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4518 on: January 08, 2021, 07:17:35 AM »
Nice work, @LinneaH ! I'm glad to hear you are settling into your new place. I try & balance giving things away with selling. I do lots of both, & enjoy both processes.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4519 on: January 08, 2021, 08:30:01 AM »
I have been decluttering for years but still thought I had too much stuff. My husband is the opposite. I am divorcing him so started packing. I bought plastic tubs to pack in and all my stuff except for clothes and pictures that hang on the walls fit into 20 tubs. All the rest of the junk is his. Luckily he is buying me out of the house because it would be a nightmare to get rid of all his stuff. I was the only thing standing between the house being a hoarders delight. I will never want to see this beautiful home again because it would be so painful to see it trashed. 

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4520 on: January 08, 2021, 09:16:05 AM »
Ah, Cassie, this just sounds very very hard. I'm sorry that you have to deal with any of it, even if it's the right thing for you to do.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4521 on: January 08, 2021, 12:13:45 PM »
Cassie, I'm so sorry to hear that. Sending you strength as you go through this difficult time.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4522 on: January 08, 2021, 12:30:27 PM »
2-1/2 years ago we decided to sell our house and bought a smaller condo unit. At time we got rid of a lot of stuff but still brought quite a bit to our new place.

I'm about to go on another mission to reduce a lot of the stuff I have in our storage room that haven't seen the light of day since we moved. For some items I post on Kijiji for up to a week (and ignore all the kijijidiots) and if it hasn't sold I donate; other items go straight to donation.

I have 4 totes and a medium tool chest to sort and reduce. My goal is to get to get everything into the 1 tote and the tool chest (which also holds some items other than tools)

happy

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4523 on: January 08, 2021, 01:48:21 PM »
Very sorry to hear your news Cassie. (((hugs)))

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4524 on: January 08, 2021, 04:35:35 PM »
My DIL ruined a couple of baking sheets drying out pine cones.  I had 2 extras that won't fit into the designated baking area of our new house.  Baking sheets are now at DIL's, and I don't have to find a place for them or donate to charity.   Both of us are pleased.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4525 on: January 09, 2021, 05:13:26 AM »
Am attempting to stay out of op shops this month so there will definitely be more stuff going out than coming in. Decluttered 2 novels I won't read again, but they won't physically leave the house till Feb as I just don't trust myself to just drop them off and not go in to browse.

MayDay

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4526 on: January 09, 2021, 05:18:12 AM »
Am attempting to stay out of op shops this month so there will definitely be more stuff going out than coming in. Decluttered 2 novels I won't read again, but they won't physically leave the house till Feb as I just don't trust myself to just drop them off and not go in to browse.

Good idea if you will be tempted! If you can get together more items, there may be a charity in your area who will come pick up from your house, so you aren't tempted! Or I'm sure there is a neighbor who wouldn't mind one or two items thrown in their donation box.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4527 on: January 09, 2021, 08:44:01 AM »
Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

Also found 2 unused, blank calendars in the pile and recycled them.

Having the new counter space and seeing it every day is a nice plus.

A lot of my decluttering lately is consolidating stuff, but keeping it in the house, and out of sight, and taking up less space. Can't throw everything out, lol.   

NotJen

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4528 on: January 09, 2021, 08:52:49 AM »
I sold 5 items yesterday!  3 pickups, and 2 in the mail (though now that I think about it, 3 of those things are video games I sold for my BF, so only actually 2 of my items gone...)  Seems lots of people are enjoying post-holiday shopping this year.

My elderly cat passed this week, so I spent some time gathering and cleaning her things - on Monday I'll drop most of it off at the local humane society - they said they did take donations of goods and food, so hopefully they will be put to good use since I don't intend on getting another cat for a while.  I did sell her water fountain since I thought the shelter might not use it - lots of interest in that on FB Marketplace, it sold fast - I like the idea of another cat enjoying it today.

I threw away her medicines the day after she died - I paused and almost didn't, since it felt wasteful, but the leftovers were not really that much, definitely not worth finding a taker for the non-prescription stuff.  The finality of it was sad, but still the right thing to do.

I'm hoping to go through and declutter some more from the kitchen today - old bottles I noticed under the sink, and a few items from the pantry that haven't seen the light of day in a while.

NotJen

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4529 on: January 09, 2021, 08:54:01 AM »
Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

What's the reason to keep them?

Sibley

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4530 on: January 09, 2021, 09:39:51 AM »
I sold 5 items yesterday!  3 pickups, and 2 in the mail (though now that I think about it, 3 of those things are video games I sold for my BF, so only actually 2 of my items gone...)  Seems lots of people are enjoying post-holiday shopping this year.

My elderly cat passed this week, so I spent some time gathering and cleaning her things - on Monday I'll drop most of it off at the local humane society - they said they did take donations of goods and food, so hopefully they will be put to good use since I don't intend on getting another cat for a while.  I did sell her water fountain since I thought the shelter might not use it - lots of interest in that on FB Marketplace, it sold fast - I like the idea of another cat enjoying it today.

I threw away her medicines the day after she died - I paused and almost didn't, since it felt wasteful, but the leftovers were not really that much, definitely not worth finding a taker for the non-prescription stuff.  The finality of it was sad, but still the right thing to do.

I'm hoping to go through and declutter some more from the kitchen today - old bottles I noticed under the sink, and a few items from the pantry that haven't seen the light of day in a while.

From experience, as long as the items are clean and in decent condition, they can use them. If nothing else, they'll use ratty beds and blankets for sick and injured animals as appearance doesn't matter, just comfort and function.

I'm sorry you lost your kitty. It's hard. :(

MayDay

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4531 on: January 09, 2021, 12:48:45 PM »
Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

What's the reason to keep them?

Also what are annual calendars? Do you mean the regular sort that hangs on the wall and has a page for each month with pictures?

NotJen

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4532 on: January 09, 2021, 01:23:52 PM »
I sold 5 items yesterday!  3 pickups, and 2 in the mail (though now that I think about it, 3 of those things are video games I sold for my BF, so only actually 2 of my items gone...)  Seems lots of people are enjoying post-holiday shopping this year.

My elderly cat passed this week, so I spent some time gathering and cleaning her things - on Monday I'll drop most of it off at the local humane society - they said they did take donations of goods and food, so hopefully they will be put to good use since I don't intend on getting another cat for a while.  I did sell her water fountain since I thought the shelter might not use it - lots of interest in that on FB Marketplace, it sold fast - I like the idea of another cat enjoying it today.

I threw away her medicines the day after she died - I paused and almost didn't, since it felt wasteful, but the leftovers were not really that much, definitely not worth finding a taker for the non-prescription stuff.  The finality of it was sad, but still the right thing to do.

I'm hoping to go through and declutter some more from the kitchen today - old bottles I noticed under the sink, and a few items from the pantry that haven't seen the light of day in a while.

From experience, as long as the items are clean and in decent condition, they can use them. If nothing else, they'll use ratty beds and blankets for sick and injured animals as appearance doesn't matter, just comfort and function.

I'm sorry you lost your kitty. It's hard. :(

In typical cat-fashion, my cats had zero interest in the cat beds I purchased for them.  They've just been sitting around for years, so they still look pretty new after a wash.

I did clean out underneath the kitchen sink, took a few things out of the pantry, and threw away a bunch of old bottles of "product" from the extra bathroom shower that hasn't been used in years.  I listed 5 new things for sale, so it's been a productive day so far.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4533 on: January 10, 2021, 01:12:26 PM »
-Sold two items on eBay (scarf & earrings)
-Gave away a pilates ball I've never used via Buy Nothing group

Planning to list the boys basketball hoop today. It's a full size, and should generate some interest during COVID times

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4534 on: January 10, 2021, 01:13:08 PM »
2-1/2 years ago we decided to sell our house and bought a smaller condo unit. At time we got rid of a lot of stuff but still brought quite a bit to our new place.

I'm about to go on another mission to reduce a lot of the stuff I have in our storage room that haven't seen the light of day since we moved. For some items I post on Kijiji for up to a week (and ignore all the kijijidiots) and if it hasn't sold I donate; other items go straight to donation.

I have 4 totes and a medium tool chest to sort and reduce. My goal is to get to get everything into the 1 tote and the tool chest (which also holds some items other than tools)

I went through the 4 totes + 2 that had camping / outdoor gear in them and ended up with 3 well curated ones. Only kept items that I have used in the past year. I have a box of oil / grease / adhesives / etc to take to our hazardous waste depot next weekend, left a box of odds and ends in our waste room for people in the building to pick through (including  ~15 lbs of random screws and bolts) Gave a couple of empty totes to a friend. Have 7 or 8 items listed for sale.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4535 on: January 11, 2021, 09:37:15 PM »
Between funerals and other bad news this week I had a burst of cleaning adrenaline. (Distraction and activity is my best coping mechanism.) I went through every closet and storage area and made a new consolidated area for things to sell or donate. It was much bigger than expected - more than 50 items! I guess I'm not as much of a minimalist as I thought.
I quickly sent pictures to family members and friends nearby and within a few days had 1/3 of it re-homed, and a few items listed for sale and even more on a local giveaway pile.
Tomorrow I will take more pictures to post items and see what else can be donated to save the extra steps of posting and coordinating with buyers. The extra steps might be good for me though, and a few items have mixed memories associated with them and are good quality or expensive items that should sell well (and I don't want to give them to anyone I know, so I never have to see them again - there I said it).

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4536 on: January 12, 2021, 12:08:27 AM »
(and I don't want to give them to anyone I know, so I never have to see them again - there I said it).

Perfectly legitimate sentiment. They are your things, and they should not be able to inflict their presence on you if you decide that's how you want it.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4537 on: January 12, 2021, 04:30:19 AM »
Ok I'm in for this.  Family of 4 -- two adults and two teenagers.  We don't have tons of extra stuff, but we could do better.  And I love getting rid of unused things.  My goal is to get rid of 500 objects this year.  So far this month I've already donated a box of outgrown kids' clothes, shoes, and toys (22 items).  I also created an Ebay account yesterday so I could try to sell a few things that might be worth a little money.

A fun one today -- I'm giving away an unused frog dissection kit that my kids never got around to.  It includes all the tools and the preserved frog too.  My neighbor was happy to get it for her two kids.  Should be a cool indoor Covid winter project for them.   

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4538 on: January 12, 2021, 08:43:57 AM »
Ok I'm in for this.  Family of 4 -- two adults and two teenagers.  We don't have tons of extra stuff, but we could do better.  And I love getting rid of unused things.  My goal is to get rid of 500 objects this year.  So far this month I've already donated a box of outgrown kids' clothes, shoes, and toys (22 items).  I also created an Ebay account yesterday so I could try to sell a few things that might be worth a little money.

A fun one today -- I'm giving away an unused frog dissection kit that my kids never got around to.  It includes all the tools and the preserved frog too.  My neighbor was happy to get it for her two kids.  Should be a cool indoor Covid winter project for them.

Your, and your neighbor's, idea of cool indoor projects differ greatly from mine. Dissection days were not good days for me!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4539 on: January 12, 2021, 08:58:28 AM »
Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

What's the reason to keep them?

Also what are annual calendars? Do you mean the regular sort that hangs on the wall and has a page for each month with pictures?

Yes, they are the calendars that hang on the kitchen wall, with big squares for writing in things you want to do, on the bottom, and a big picture on the top. I had classic cars, nature scenes, and flowers.   

The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4540 on: January 12, 2021, 09:09:05 AM »
Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

What's the reason to keep them?

Also what are annual calendars? Do you mean the regular sort that hangs on the wall and has a page for each month with pictures?

Yes, they are the calendars that hang on the kitchen wall, with big squares for writing in things you want to do, on the bottom, and a big picture on the top. I had classic cars, nature scenes, and flowers.   

The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

My mom writes EVERYTHING on her wall calendar.  Walks she took, people over for dinner, appointments.  The old ones have all sorts of stuff about my sister and I growing up - teeth lost, first day of school, and pretty much every other milestone you can think of.

I think she has all of her calendars from like 1982 when she got married.  It's pretty cool to have an exact date for some of these things.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4541 on: January 12, 2021, 11:35:01 AM »
Moved a stack of old annual calendars from the kitchen counter to a bedroom. Now I have some more clean space on the counter.

What's the reason to keep them?

Also what are annual calendars? Do you mean the regular sort that hangs on the wall and has a page for each month with pictures?

Yes, they are the calendars that hang on the kitchen wall, with big squares for writing in things you want to do, on the bottom, and a big picture on the top. I had classic cars, nature scenes, and flowers.   

The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

My mom writes EVERYTHING on her wall calendar.  Walks she took, people over for dinner, appointments.  The old ones have all sorts of stuff about my sister and I growing up - teeth lost, first day of school, and pretty much every other milestone you can think of.

I think she has all of her calendars from like 1982 when she got married.  It's pretty cool to have an exact date for some of these things.

Wow, that's dedication!  I can't imagine keeping track of so much minutia.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4542 on: January 12, 2021, 12:29:06 PM »
I'm in for this!  I have about 4-6 months to sell/give away most of our stuff before we list our house.  Last year I sold about $2k worth of stuff, mostly small items, although a dining set and a generator made up $900 of it.  So far in January I've sold 6 items for $90 and another 3 of my daughter's things for $70 to her.  I just started listing items with shipping and made a mistake on one, but will chalk it up to inexperience. 

Also joined our local buy nothing group and have given away a stack of books, two boxes of Christmas decor and a filing cabinet.  Purged filing cabinet prior to selling and consolidated all the paper records we will keep down to one plastic banker box.  Onto the next closet to sort through and determine whether contents are trash, recycle, give away, try to sell.   

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4543 on: January 12, 2021, 12:41:03 PM »
The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

It's not weird to like looking at old calendars.  I don't like throwing mine away, but realistically there is not a lot of info in them, so they aren't very useful to me.  I do have lots of records on my online calendar that I refer back to frequently.

But you say you may never look at them again.  That indicates to me that they are not worth keeping.

It's fine to keep them if you do think you will look at them somewhat frequently - is there something you could do that wouldn't just be a stack somewhere - like bind the important pages into a book, or put in a 3-ring binder?  Something that's easier to access than a stack of calendars, makes it look like you value them, and encourages you to look at them every once in a while.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4544 on: January 12, 2021, 01:41:30 PM »
Listed another item on eBay (kids cooking set, and the teens have outgrown this)

Listed two more items on Buy Nothing group (new massager I got as a gift, but I have a theragun, and a Fitbit charger that doesn't fit the model I have).

I've posted a basketball hoop that's getting no love, & figure will make a family happy during COVID times. As always, more work to do. I've been in a daily/weekly/monthly decluttering mode for years, and don't go all in (instead I do small things every day, barring a few house wide large initiatives.) & I always find more things. It surprsies me, because we have a pretty minimalist house to start with.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4545 on: January 12, 2021, 01:56:09 PM »
Listed another item on eBay (kids cooking set, and the teens have outgrown this)

Listed two more items on Buy Nothing group (new massager I got as a gift, but I have a theragun, and a Fitbit charger that doesn't fit the model I have).

I've posted a basketball hoop that's getting no love, & figure will make a family happy during COVID times. As always, more work to do. I've been in a daily/weekly/monthly decluttering mode for years, and don't go all in (instead I do small things every day, barring a few house wide large initiatives.) & I always find more things. It surprsies me, because we have a pretty minimalist house to start with.
I started decluttering around 15 years ago and am still at it!  Like you I have kept at it in small ways as well as doing some bigger blitzes. I always have a donation box on the go. I wonder how I can still find stuff, but in that time I have raised 2 kids who go through various growth phases each bringing a need to update stuff, and then received another big wave of stuff when my parents died.

What a peculiar world we live in...stuff just seems to keep arriving and needing to be dealt with. What an enormous waste of time and the planets resources!




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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4546 on: January 12, 2021, 02:04:44 PM »
Listed another item on eBay (kids cooking set, and the teens have outgrown this)

Listed two more items on Buy Nothing group (new massager I got as a gift, but I have a theragun, and a Fitbit charger that doesn't fit the model I have).

I've posted a basketball hoop that's getting no love, & figure will make a family happy during COVID times. As always, more work to do. I've been in a daily/weekly/monthly decluttering mode for years, and don't go all in (instead I do small things every day, barring a few house wide large initiatives.) & I always find more things. It surprsies me, because we have a pretty minimalist house to start with.
I started decluttering around 15 years ago and am still at it!  Like you I have kept at it in small ways as well as doing some bigger blitzes. I always have a donation box on the go. I wonder how I can still find stuff, but in that time I have raised 2 kids who go through various growth phases each bringing a need to update stuff, and then received another big wave of stuff when my parents died.

What a peculiar world we live in...stuff just seems to keep arriving and needing to be dealt with. What an enormous waste of time and the planets resources!

Your last comment about the world we live in - so very true. It's such a waste of time to keep on top of. I try to not let it into my house to start with, but like you, I have kids who go through phases, have their own whims & ideas for birthday/Christmas gifts, etc.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4547 on: January 12, 2021, 02:44:08 PM »
Did the first steps needed for posting some manga on Gumtree - photos & noting the titles/vols. This is going to be my first time attempting to sell anything - I usually give away or donate - but it's mostly just getting out of the house.

The ongoing kitchen declutter continues - today I found 4 more baking ingredients with best before date >5yrs ago. Often not a problem but it does matter for baking powder etc. It loses effectiveness. [Yeast seems to live forever] We have 8 different cups that we only use for coffee so 4 are put in quarantine. The other small but good task has been starting to label the containers of dry goods, so now no one has to hold up the freekah and the bulgar and ask me which one is which. So that really is decluttering the inventory management task and outsourcing it to the containers.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4548 on: January 12, 2021, 07:05:09 PM »
The reason I kept them is that they are a nice convenient way to reminisce about my life over the years. They have lots of events recorded, events I have forgotten, but that come back to life when I look back over the years with the calendars. Is that too weird? 

By the way, I may never look at them again. They may stay untouched. That's fine with me. But I looked over a few of them as I was moving them, and it brought back good memories, so I decided to keep them.

And they don't take up much space. And no, I don't want to photograph them, then recycle them.   

Also, they are are a nice easy-to-access reference if I want to see exactly when I mailed in a check somewhere, or had some home renovation done, traveled somewhere, etc. A lot of that stuff is on the calendar.

Like I said before, you can't throw everything out. These are worth keeping.

It's not weird to like looking at old calendars.  I don't like throwing mine away, but realistically there is not a lot of info in them, so they aren't very useful to me.  I do have lots of records on my online calendar that I refer back to frequently.

But you say you may never look at them again.  That indicates to me that they are not worth keeping.

It's fine to keep them if you do think you will look at them somewhat frequently - is there something you could do that wouldn't just be a stack somewhere - like bind the important pages into a book, or put in a 3-ring binder?  Something that's easier to access than a stack of calendars, makes it look like you value them, and encourages you to look at them every once in a while.

NotJen, thanks for the time you have spent responding to my post.

I have decided I do value the calendars, since I may refer to them in the future. And, as a practical matter, I just measured the stack, and it is 12 inches by 12 inches by 1.5 inches tall.  I can get rid of 10 times that volume in one small bag of clothing donations, so I'm not worried about the space they are taking up.

Thanks for the idea of putting them into binders, too. But they would only take up more space if I did that. And they are so easy to access as they are, in a chronological stack, so easy to open and flip through, in their natural state.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #4549 on: January 12, 2021, 07:57:17 PM »
The day after Xmas I unloaded the car and sorted through every gift I received. Stuff I would use went to its new home. If it replaced an item I had that was worn out or past use, I threw away the old item. If I wasn't going to use it, I found a new home for it. Some items went to a friend, some got donated. I wrote the thank you notes while the items were fresh in my mind and got them in the mail. Physical and mental clutter OUT.

Purged more Xmas stuff as I was unpacking it and packing it to put away.

I keep my stationery to one small box. It was getting overstuffed, so I packaged up a dozen cards and envelopes and mailed them to a friend who mentioned her lack of stationery.

I read What Your Clutter Is Trying to Tell You and it was fantastic! I thought I'd read all of the helpful info out there--feng shui, minimalism, decluttering, fly lady, etc. This one was about getting to the cause of the clutter, your feelings or past issues that caused sticking points. Only about 100 pages so a quick read. Inspired me to purge books I've had for over 20 years. (Yes, I was an English major in college, but I don't have to hold onto college-bookstore quality paperbacks to prove that. I have a diploma!) I have a box of books to send to a friend and a stack to take to the little library down the street. It's usually pretty bare of books, so it needs some love. Now all of my books fit on the shelf, not piled next to it.

Had to throw. a. book. away. It seemed wrong, but this book was on the floor and soaked up a dog accident. No way to salvage or recycle. Another plus to having all the books on the shelf!

Figured out my favorite workout dvd program is on YouTube. One more DVD out of the house. I purged all the cases last year, so now all the little plastic sleeves fit in a shoebox with room to spare.

Keep the declutter mojo going, my friends!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!