Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2

[crowinghen]

we are getting ready to move/downsize- lots of stuff to get rid of!
today I'm giving away a bunch of glassware and a griddle- I post on the buy nothing FB page that is local, at least i know someone who wants it is getting it, and I don't have to go through the hassle of trying to donate or sell stuff!

[oneday]

Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

[MayDay]

Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

We have about 10 big tubs in our garage, all empty, from when we moved here. Our house has closets so now we don't need them, hallelujah! But I have a kid leaving for college in 5 years. So I've been debating getting rid of them now or just let them sit in the corner of the garage. I also use them in the garden and break them occasionally so I am leaning towards holding onto them. Probably silly.

[slackmax]

Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

We have about 10 big tubs in our garage, all empty, from when we moved here. Our house has closets so now we don't need them, hallelujah! But I have a kid leaving for college in 5 years. So I've been debating getting rid of them now or just let them sit in the corner of the garage. I also use them in the garden and break them occasionally so I am leaning towards holding onto them. Probably silly.

I vote for keeping them, especially if they can be stacked inside one another. Plus, when one breaks you can be happy to get rid of it, not sad, lol.

[mspym]

Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

We have about 10 big tubs in our garage, all empty, from when we moved here. Our house has closets so now we don't need them, hallelujah! But I have a kid leaving for college in 5 years. So I've been debating getting rid of them now or just let them sit in the corner of the garage. I also use them in the garden and break them occasionally so I am leaning towards holding onto them. Probably silly.

I would hold on to two, to cover potential breakage, and give the rest away. Let them be used by someone. You can get some more from a stranger if and when you need them.

[oneday]

Yesterday, gave a literal carload of boxes and packing material to a Craigslist stranger. Almost all boxes are now unpacked. Many of the remaining things needing homes are storage bins and baskets from the prior apartment that may or may not prove to be useful here. I vow not to keep any useless ones.

We have about 10 big tubs in our garage, all empty, from when we moved here. Our house has closets so now we don't need them, hallelujah! But I have a kid leaving for college in 5 years. So I've been debating getting rid of them now or just let them sit in the corner of the garage. I also use them in the garden and break them occasionally so I am leaning towards holding onto them. Probably silly.

I would hold on to two, to cover potential breakage, and give the rest away. Let them be used by someone. You can get some more from a stranger if and when you need them.

Totes.

I mean, I agree. Yes, store them on Craigslist (if that is an option for you).



Declutter fail yesterday. Drove 15 minutes to give some stuff away, and the recipient had their door closed, garden gate locked, and not responding to emails. Boo. Tried to reschedule for tomorrow, but still no response. This was the first flaky person in my last score of CL encounters. Item is relisted; if the original person comes through, even better.

And got some interest in a futon (frame only) that's been lingering in the carport for a month. They said they would get back to me in a few days, but not holding my breath. BF and I were just contemplating alternative disposal methods, so this would be a money savings if it happens. 🤞

[Fresh Bread]

Sold some shoe racks, yay! I had replaced them earlier in the week for a shoe rack / coat stand combo thing. Now we can hang coats, shopping bags and dog leads in the garage instead of dumping them on top of the shoes. Looks so much neater.

I've got a little craft area going on in the laundry area of the garage. I might put a bit of pegboard on the wall and make it official.

[oneday]

After Fridays fail, today the thing went to someone else who was mighty grateful. That felt good.

And there was interest in a futon frame that's been lingering for a month. Hopefully it will be gone soon.

Edit: the futon is gone, woo!

[slackmax]

Way to go, Oneday !

[PMG]

I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok. 

[oneday]

Way to go, Oneday !

Thanks Slackmax! We'll both just keep chugging along! :)

I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok. 

I've struggled a long time, as well, to strike a balance. Because I'd dearly love to live in one of the beautiful minimalism blogs. But I just can't...I mean, when I leave the house I usually have two large bags of stuff! That's my realistic lifestyle. So after time, it's become clear that one key thing is having easy access to everything. Another is having certain surfaces clear. Another is not having stuff in storage that is just "storage". It needs to be reasonably used/useful. Being able to implement these principles has helped. I hope you find some principles that bring you peace in your environment.

[mspym]

I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok.

One of the things I took from Francine Joy (Jay?) was the idea that putting things away left the space free for whatever you wanted to do next. That you were more likely to do the things you wanted to do now if you didn't have to clear away the last thing before you could. I am much more likely to sew if I don't have to clear bags and other things off my sewing table first.

[middo]

I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok.

One of the things I took from Francine Joy (Jay?) was the idea that putting things away left the space free for whatever you wanted to do next. That you were more likely to do the things you wanted to do now if you didn't have to clear away the last thing before you could. I am much more likely to sew if I don't have to clear bags and other things off my sewing table first.

I have also felt calmer when the house is less messy.  We both are not natural "put-away" people, but when we work at it a bit, the house feels less "busy" to me.  We both enjoy it more even though there is no really significant change, just bare tabletops and nothing on the floor.

[Dutch Comfort]

Box of books is almost empty. Hopefully this week the last few books will be taken to school (if DS and the teacher both test negative for COVID..... fingers crossed....).
The cardbord box was already used for a crafts project by DS, so this will be trashed after he is done with it (usually in 1-2 weeks).
Sold 1 book, will be in the mail today (in re-used Amazon package) and sold a lot of childrens' summer clothing that they have outgrown, which was already picked up by the buyer.

[PMG]

I think we're just slightly messy people. We also use all of our house. That whole empty minimalist look just isn't going to happen for us.  We cook, bake, sew, garden, work from home, read, camp, ride bikes, have pets, have friends...

So I guess I'm so working on coming to a balance between what I imagine our house should look like, and what is feasible and then what is comfortable.  How do we want to spend our time?

All that to say, I took a couple little things to goodwill, I sold another little item on ebay.  I finished a couple projects. And the house is still lived in and a bit disheveled... and... that's ok.

One of the things I took from Francine Joy (Jay?) was the idea that putting things away left the space free for whatever you wanted to do next. That you were more likely to do the things you wanted to do now if you didn't have to clear away the last thing before you could. I am much more likely to sew if I don't have to clear bags and other things off my sewing table first.

I have also felt calmer when the house is less messy.  We both are not natural "put-away" people, but when we work at it a bit, the house feels less "busy" to me.  We both enjoy it more even though there is no really significant change, just bare tabletops and nothing on the floor.

I think what I'm trying to say is that I think we've found our sweet spot.  It's not the magazine spread I envisioned, but it's pretty reasonable. A bit messy, but I'd still invite someone inside.  I'd prefer to have a few minutes warning so I could do a little clean up first, but it wouldn't stop me from having someone in. On busy weeks things pile up a bit more, but we naturally catch things up as we have time and then the clean and clutter balance out. With an intentional clean every once in a while... I think it's alright.

And of course regular maintenance of the incoming mail and randomness, and the seasonal.  And there are places in the house that could be streamlined or have more efficient furniture, but those we're waiting until the right piece come along. 

So now I've got to adjust this picture in my head to our real life and not our aspirational life and get those in harmony, and I am working through it out loud here.  In truth, the hobbies ARE a huge part of our aspirational life, it's just easy to ignore the tools and supplies that go along with those hobbies! We will always have projects in the works, and dishes in the kitchen.  Things will always be fluid. And that's ok. 

Now, if anyone has any good ideas for making cat toys look less like a mess when they are strewn all over the floor, I am all ears.  We've got a pretty basket to put them away in, but cat toys that are put away aren't doing their job, they are only effective when they are strewn about. I guess I need to add them to the picture in my head.

[slackmax]

Looked through a closet stuffed full of clothes and found about 10 pieces I could bring myself to part with. Put them all in a big plastic bag to donate. Not expensive clothes, so no anxiety involved, no sense of loss.  Even found 5 other pieces of clothing elsewhere in the house, and put them in the bag too.

I'll take the bag to Salvation Army today, and hope they are still accepting donations, lol.   The Goodwill store here had a sign out saying 'no donations, please' last time I went there. Yikes.     

[Cassie]

Divorced my cheating husband and packed my stuff which all fits into 33 plastic bins plus the furniture. We sold the house and unfortunately I have to help him get rid of his crap because he doesn’t work fast enough. I packed all his inside crap. Then I hired the teen next door to empty the partial dirt basement, giant shed and garage onto the patios and yard. I filled a huge trailer for the dump in 2 days. I am 66 and my entire body hurts.  Also had a huge moving sale and sold almost everything and made 500. Put stuff out for free in front of the house and most of it is gone. Can’t wait to get this done and live in a neat condo that I bought.

[SunnyDays]

@PMG, I hear you on the cat toys.  And dog toys and rawhide remnants.  If the cat toys are in their basket, they just take them out at night and the dog toys never get touched if they're in the basket, so I just compromise and sweep them into a floor pile with my foot and call it done.  You have to be realistic, right?  It's home, we live here!

[oneday]

@Cassie sorry about your divorce! It's too bad that the initiating partner often end up doing more than their share of the work, but it's kind of the nature of the beast. I don't regret the extra work I had to put into mine, since it got me where I wanted to be, but it still sucks. Enjoy your neat condo!!

[mspym]

@PMG I can cope with the dog's toys strewn about if they aren't also joined by multiple pairs of discarded shoes (boys) and/or bags (me). I'm pleased you found your sweet spot.

@Cassie I am sorry about your divorce, you are powering through like a champ and your condo is going to be so calming after this.

@slackmax Well done on the clothes. I know this isn't easy but it's impressive that you keep plugging away at this.

[Cassie]

Sun Hat what a awesome idea! Unfortunately, he is still living here until the house closes on the 16th and won’t let anyone touch his junk.  This has cured me of ever living with someone again. I took the furniture that I came into the marriage with and we are splitting what we bought during the marriage. I own more of it than him. I only took half of the bedroom set even though it’s all mine because I don’t want it all.

[NotJen]

Sold 2 big things today: my living room seating, and my beloved elliptical machine. 

I'm really happy the giant elliptical was successfully removed quickly after I listed it, so I don't have to worry about getting rid of it.  But it gave me a "now things are truly different" moment.

[okisok]

Passed on a pair of knitting needles to a friend who wanted a pair.

A friend gave me several books I've been reading. Two that I finished went to the little library. The rest will be passed on to another friend.

Got a free package of cereal at the grocery store on Sunday. Took it to the food pantry today so that I wasn't tempted.

Operation "Deal with the Mail Immediately" is going well. Important items are dealt with as soon as I get them, bills are paid immediately. Junk mail goes straight into the recycling, unless it has a return envelope that I can use to request to be removed from their mailing list.  No more sliding stacks of mail piled up on the desk.

[Sibley]

Now, if anyone has any good ideas for making cat toys look less like a mess when they are strewn all over the floor, I am all ears.  We've got a pretty basket to put them away in, but cat toys that are put away aren't doing their job, they are only effective when they are strewn about. I guess I need to add them to the picture in my head.

I have cat. Cat has toys. Toys are part of the decor. In my case, the cat is only interested in a small number of the total toy basket, so what I've got strewn around isn't bad, but it used to be way worse. Anyone who has a problem with it isn't going to be at my house!

[Sibley]

Read 3 books yesterday. Gave one to a neighbor with instructions NOT to give it back. The other 2 will be donated in some way as well.

[oneday]

Another declutter fail. The ultra-local thrift shop I wanted to donate a box of household goods to only takes donations Fridays and Saturdays. At least the box is in my car and no longer in the entry way. Will try again this weekend, I guess.

[Raenia]

I have a decluttering - let's say "opportunity," that sounds optimistic.  My dad brought a few boxes of stuff for me when he came to visit my sister.  I haven't looked yet, but I think it's mostly books.

Not out of the house yet, but we've decided to donate my camping equipment - tent, sleeping bags, and sleeping pad.  I have come to the realization that we are not the type of people who camp anymore.  Hike yes, sleep on the ground, no.  So the bulky equipment can go to someone who will enjoy it.

I need to recommit to a serious declutter, as we have just decided to sell our house.  I'm sure despite our best efforts we've acquired plenty of stuff since we moved in two years ago, and that stuff needs to be pared down before we move again.  I especially want to focus on stuff that's been stored in the basement, which we haven't needed since moving in.  We'll probably have to downsize some of our furniture as well, sadly.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

We've decided to sell our vacation house (in another state). I'm happy I make decluttering it a regular activity when we're there, but pretty nervous about how I'll get everything out of it during the sale transaction. I'm hoping we will sell it fully furnished. Fingers crossed.

As for our own house, I picked up a free book on our local Buy Nothing (bike mechanic repair book for my son) & it came with a bunch of other freebie books. Listed them all on eBay.

Lately a few older eBay listings (months old) have finally sold. My goal for today is to go through all of my listings, update, edit, decide if anything should be donated/listed on Buy Nothing, etc.

I went through my 14 y.o.'s closet, as he's had a recent growth spurt. None of his button up shirts fit, so those will be donated or sold.

[Frugal Lizard]

I found a new owner for the greenhouse potting bench.  Have to wait until May 1 for him to come an get it but he is thrilled!

[SunnyDays]

^^^^
I remember some fashion maven, I forget who, that said “Get rid of half your clothes and you’ll look twice as stylish.”

[NotJen]

On the plus side of getting rid of the elliptical, today I threw away a god-knows-how-old pair of sneakers I used for indoor exercise only.  The sole was about to fall off of one of them, so I certainly got my money's worth.

Also threw away some empty boxes and magazines I tried to sell on eBay, but aren't worth donating and I'm certainly not moving with them (it's crazy what people will buy - I've sold some empty boxes, but not these).

[Car Jack]

I randomly was looking for an app that would buy DVDs and CDs.  Clicked on Decluttr and gave it a shot.  Uses the phone camera to scan the UPC code.  Expect on the order of 19 cents per item.  I have boxes of these things.  CDs, DVDs, games that nobody is using, which I know for sure because they were literally in a box in the basement.  I've made 2 passes so far for something like $16.  Many of these were from a friend whose husband passed away a couple years ago and my wife couldn't say no to her box of unwanted movies.  Probably 3/4 of those were accepted.  They take books as well and have something about taking phones.  I've been rounding up random disks that seem to be all over our house and matching them to the cases to get them in a box and out to UPS.  I'll probably do books next to see how that goes. 

[MaybeBabyMustache]

@Car Jack - good to know about Decluttr. I'll check that out.

@Cassie - sending you good thoughts to get through this process as painlessly as possible. I'm guessing that once you are in your own space in the condo, it will feel like a vacation oasis.

I need to get rid of a bunch of outgrown kid clothes that I gathered up over the weekend. That's on the list for the next few days.

[mspym]

It's time for me to changeover my wardrobe from Summer to Autumn/Winter and I'll use this to review them and work out which ones no longer fit/flatter/thrill and then donate or upcycle.

[NotJen]

Sold my coffee table today.

Also have a giant stack of mattresses and box springs at the curb for collection tomorrow!  I promise I wasn't hoarding mattresses - I have needed to replace mine for a while, but was holding off until I moved.  And the second one was in the guest room, and I'll no longer have a guest room (and it was also very old).  Good riddance!

[oneday]

Another declutter fail. The ultra-local thrift shop I wanted to donate a box of household goods to only takes donations Fridays and Saturdays. At least the box is in my car and no longer in the entry way. Will try again this weekend, I guess.

Well, since the day off the donation refusal, I found two more things to go along with everything else, so not unhappy about being turned away anymore.

Today sold a Brita pitcher and extra filters! April goal is to sell the 10 or so things that might fetch a few bucks, so this was a good start.

[lazycow]

Decided to give away an Easyio yogurt maker that I hadn't used in a year via my local free FB page. I was a little hesitant as I have the room to store it, but thought it would be better for someone to actually use it now.
When the lovely woman came to pick it up I asked if she wanted some indoor plants that I had propagated and had no use for and she took them all. So my porch is less cluttered. Yay.

When I told a friend about the yogurt maker, she said she had 2, and if I ever wanted to make yogurt in the future I could have one. Life has a way of working out. I am a firm believer in the share economy amongst friends and neighbours!

Over the last month I have gotten into every single drawer, shelf and cupboard in my house and released probably 300 more items. It has freed up so much space in my brain and I am loving looking at empty drawers and shelves, and reaching for whatever cooking or cleaning implement, and not having to move items out of the way as everything is within easy reach. It is blissful.

I am not a big purchaser, and often instigate no- or low-buy months (thanks Reddit subgroup!) so these items are things I have held on to for a long time 'just in case'. As I ony have 1 child left at school I am heading into a different stage in my life and want to be mentally and physically free to prepare for new adventures next year, and make this year as stress-free and organisationally simple as possible. Plus I still want to have time to read all the books without that nagging feeling of 'I need to declutter, organise, clean stuff'. In order to be idle, I need to be efficient.

[MountainGal]

@Cassie , hugs to you and here's to your new ventures!

@Car Jack, thank you for the Decluttr information.  I look forward to addressing my stacks of CDs sometime soon.

Similar to @mspym, it's time to change out clothing from cold to warm weather items.  I look forward to purging items not worn the past 5 months.

Regarding wedding dresses mentioned on the prior page, years ago I sold mine via Craigslist, and to the delight of the buyer, I threw in the jewelry I'd purchased to go with it.  My first wedding ring was sold to a "We Buy Gold" outfit when experiencing a financial hardship during the recession.  The money received for it was insignificant, but I was glad to rid it from my life.

[mspym]

Wardrobe changeover done and it inspired Ofpym to find some shirts and books he is also happy to shed so now today's task is drop off the donations and get them out of the house. Also my friend is happy to take the food processor so that's another thing that can go.

[draco44]

@mspym that's great that your own decluttering efforts inspired Ofpym to let some stuff go too. So satisfying when that happens.

And congrats @lazycow on your huge progress this past month. 300 items! I agree with your sentiment that making space now creates space (mental and physical) later for new adventures and for truly enjoying your relaxation time.

As for myself, a while ago I accidentally ordered two rather than one copies of a book. The cost of each book was small, so I procrastinated with all these vague aspirational "I'll give the spare to a friend and we'll have a virtual book club!" type ideas, but today I got real that I wasn't going to do that (and if I did, I'd want to mutually pick a book with someone). I initiated the return process for the spare, and sent it off today for a refund.

[Weisass]

Looking forward to the dump day in my township next weekend... I’ve never partaken before, but this is the year! Got a big pile I’m gathering in the basement for the trip over so we are good to go when the time comes.

[Freedomin5]

I packed away the winter clothes today and took out the summer stuff. In the process, I filled a large bag with clothing to be donated. Then I cleaned out our storage room and filled two bags of trash. I also posted a few old toys online to give away.

It’s been a productive day.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I sold four pieces of crystal over the last week to the same buyer (FB) after realizing we never use anything like this, even when entertaining. It's great to have them out of the house, and into the hands of people who will enjoy them.

[slackmax]

A question for you guys selling on Facebook Marketplace.

How can I sign up for a Facebook account with a maximum of privacy, just to sell stuff? 

I don't want people to come from everywhere and contact me  when they see I am 'on Facebook'.   

Thanks   

[MaybeBabyMustache]

@slackmax - I'd use a profile picture that's not you (flower, plant, etc) & then not use your actual name for the FB registration. I haven't tried this myself, but assume it would work. (I have an actual FB profile that I don't use much.) Another option is to just dial the privacy settings all the way up, so other people can't see anything. Again, haven't played with this myself, but I know there are a variety of settings.

[Dogastrophe]

Gave away a couple of books, donating two bags of clothes, and sold two lawn chairs this morning ... but we also bought two more comfortable lawn chairs

[zygote]

Finally took two bags to goodwill that have been sitting in our spare room since...before the pandemic. (Don't have a car, so all goodwill trips involve public transit and get regularly procrastinated, even without pandemic-related closures.)

I also took the opportunity to deep clean the spare room, which felt just as good as decluttering. I guess I decluttered lots of dust?

[shadowmoss]

My cat has a Facebook account.  I don't.  That was how I maintain my privacy.

[oneday]

Passed on a half dozen or so masks that don't fit me well to others who they might fit better.

Returned library books, but didn't pick up any more.

Passed on some cat treats that Mr. Kitty turned his nose up to, to a friend with multiple cats. Maybe one of hers will like them.

[Raenia]

Decided to give up my camping gear - tent, two sleeping bags, and a sleeping pad.  Very bulky stuff to store, and I've reluctantly come to the conclusion that we're not camping people anymore.  Hiking yes, sleeping on the ground, no.  So the tent and such can go.  I brought it up to put in the donate pile, and my SIL spotted it and asked to have a few things.  I said of course, gets it out of the house faster and prevents her needing to buy one.