Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2 (Read 1442596 times)

oneday · « **Reply #550 on:** April 17, 2018, 03:55:17 PM »

Quote from: Roadrunner53 on April 17, 2018, 11:27:00 AM

I have no one to hand the wedding dress to and it is dated. It has been in the back of the closet for almost 47 years in a zip bag. It is hard to get rid of it just because I have had such a nice long marriage. It almost seems like a bad omen to get rid of it! LOL!

I tell you what, not having a wedding dress in the back of a closet really has no bearing on my marriage ending in divorce!!!

Mezzie · « **Reply #551 on:** April 17, 2018, 05:36:29 PM »

My husband dropped off a carload at the thrift store. He's doing amazing things in the garage.

Right now I'm only really helping by not buying anything.

Yasha · « **Reply #552 on:** April 18, 2018, 02:20:25 AM »

Decluttered another 50odd things today - mostly empty pots after tipping all the dead plants into the compost, plus a few boxes of tea which I was able to combine together. How do I have so much junk?

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #553 on:** April 18, 2018, 04:29:32 AM »

Quote from: Roadrunner53 on April 17, 2018, 11:27:00 AM

I have no one to hand the wedding dress to and it is dated. It has been in the back of the closet for almost 47 years in a zip bag. It is hard to get rid of it just because I have had such a nice long marriage. It almost seems like a bad omen to get rid of it! LOL!

A friend of mine painted her wedding dress green. It has a nice effect on the various fabrics. I have seen her wearing it once to an opera.

mspym · « **Reply #554 on:** April 18, 2018, 05:47:51 AM »

My wedding dress was a nice linen Laura Ashley dress I found at the Vinnies the weekend before we got married. Now it's on the sewing pile to be turned into a top, because I am Too Messy to be a white linen dress person.

Bike successfully delivered! 10 more ebooks deleted from my library, two actual books in the pile to go to the free library.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #555 on:** April 19, 2018, 07:29:48 AM »

Quote from: mspym on April 18, 2018, 05:47:51 AM

My wedding dress was a nice linen Laura Ashley dress I found at the Vinnies the weekend before we got married.

Now that is planning your marriage carefully. :-)))

oneday · « **Reply #556 on:** April 19, 2018, 03:51:21 PM »

The cycle of clearing out clutter starts again for me! Excited!

I unpacked 1 whole box from my recent move, lol. Used that box to be the donation box, and put in 3 garments that I had used as packing material when packing said box.

Also tossed a pair of shoes which were not that old, but both the uppers & the sole were showing wear (especially the sole). I feel like the shoes I've bought recently have worn out quickly, so I'm going to start tracking when I bought them & see how long they last. Does anyone have any good sturdy-yet-comfortable shoe brand recommendations? Does not need to be "thrifty", TIA.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #557 on:** April 19, 2018, 03:56:30 PM »

I wear Bogs most of each year. They freakin' rock, and if they wear out, the company sends you a new pair!

Got to help a neighbour declutter for some hours today!!!!!!!!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!! #favouritething

RetiredAt63 · « **Reply #558 on:** April 19, 2018, 03:58:42 PM »

My Rockports (men's) are going fine after at least 8 years. My Bogs boots are finally giving up the ghost this year, and I have had them for nearly as long. They were my main winter boots the last few years. My Ecco sandals look almost new and I have had them for years as well. Good shoes last, and most can be resoled.

oneday · « **Reply #559 on:** April 19, 2018, 04:14:16 PM »

Thank you @jooniFLORisploo and @RetiredAt63 for quick & useful recommendations!

Happy Little Chipmunk · « **Reply #560 on:** April 19, 2018, 10:08:07 PM »

This month I organized lumber in the basement so it was all in one place instead being trip hazard piles all over. Which meant that I emptied a big shelf of OTHER stuff and turned it into a wood storage rack and am slowly nibbling through the newly liberated boxes & piles.

So far I've weeded 2 shoeboxes full of photos & a large tote of memorabilia and have kept enough to fill 15 scrapbooking pages. Next up 3 more large totes of kid art, journals, precious relics from child hood. <groan>

Had to take a break from looking at paper to do something real: Cleaned the kitchen counters, repaired the grout and sealed it. It looks so much better!

diapasoun · « **Reply #561 on:** April 19, 2018, 10:44:20 PM »

I shredded a pile of old papers today. Beautifully freeing. Goal for tomorrow is to put some books in some nearby little free libraries.

expatartist · « **Reply #562 on:** April 19, 2018, 11:29:12 PM »

Wow everyone you are inspirational! I hope to use your ideas for looking at the many ways to get rid of things that pile up without our noticing.

It's about the time of year when I do a bi-annual "turn my tiny flat upside down" and switch over from winter to summer:
* Linens
* Clothes
* Shoes

I live in a subdivided micro-apartment. Everything's as vertical as possible, most is dual purpose. Clothing is mostly rolled Kondo-style into slender bookshelves at the foot of my bed. A few easily-wrinkled items are hung on a small rack next to it. Socks and unmentionables are rolled then stuffed into a shoe holder on the side of bookshelves. Scented toiletries and often-stinky shoes share a tall shoe shelf with door, about the same size as the bookshelf. Twice a year I pack up clothes/winter linens/shoes, then remove everything from the Japanese-style overhead storage and camphor trunks and do the switch-over. If I don't devote an entire day to it, it can take a week! I've been putting it off but can't for much longer. Your posts are giving me hope ;)

Step37 · « **Reply #563 on:** April 20, 2018, 08:42:13 PM »

I managed to sell a set of dog clipper combs (attach to the clippers to allow custom-length haircuts) that I didn’t end up liking. I found it easier to freehand after all. I added a set of dog nail clippers to the ad, since I had upgraded to a style that was easier to use. I receovered most of my money and they’re out of the house. (Aside from MAKING money on something, this is my favourite kind of decluttering!;)

Now, what else can I list... can’t have ‘nothing’ for sale!

Yasha · « **Reply #564 on:** April 21, 2018, 05:24:48 AM »

Purged an enviro bag full of paperwork, a handful of beach rocks (in a bag now to go back the beach), a few sets of earrings, a bag of ‘to repair’ clothes that have been in that bag for over a year, two books, a set of juggling balls and a bag of rubbish... starting to slow down a little bit but have three days off this week and looking forward to digging a little deeper into the layers of declutterable ‘stuff’.

Cali · « **Reply #565 on:** April 21, 2018, 06:24:56 AM »

I’ve been listing things online and have made some really decent money doing it.

This photo from a RetireBeforeDad.com motivated the heck out of me.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #566 on:** April 23, 2018, 07:16:25 AM »

Declined another batch of furniture.

When people see how minimalist and spacious my place is, they want to fill it up :) Some see it as a wonderful potential depot for the excess in their homes. Since sorting through my boundary needs here and on journal, I’m now solidly good at saying, “We have everything we need now, thank you.” Or, “Our place is now full, we can’t receive any more.” It’s a bit confusing for them, since they just saw what they see as a near-empty space, but so far no one’s found a way to debate this phrase, lol.

What we have does feel like -not just enough but- abundance, and just right. It’s also more than we’ve ever had and I need to give my body time and space to adjust to even this much. I also really love having room to move easily and play, and will keep that!

oneday · « **Reply #567 on:** April 24, 2018, 12:25:23 PM »

@Cali, that photo is inspirational!

@jooniFLORisploo, glad you have found & are enforcing your boundaries on space-filling! I had a similar thing happen to me recently. Family Member found out about my new apartment & immediately started listing out furniture that is in FM's storage unit that "might work" in my place. It's sweet that FM wants me to have a homey place to live, but the amount of times I had to repeat, in a half hour span, "I don't know what I'll need; still dividing up furniture with Mr. X" was really stressing me out!

I decluttered a cardigan on its last legs. It's so worn that one can see through the fabric, and it's not supposed to be that way/doesn't look good that way.

Creative decluttering (re-purposing instead of trashing): Was going to throw these things out, and live with constantly re-arranging the chair covers to actually cover the chair (they get twisted up when you sit on them). Instead, re-purposed the tie down cords that came with the chair covers to actually function with my chairs, which have a thicker than usual seat. Tying two together was enough length to reach down to the legs & secure the chair covers in place at the front of the chair. At the back of the chair, the Velcro straps are long enough to go around already. This means that out of 4 covers, only 2 can be tied down, but I only got 2 of the 4 chairs anyway, so that works!

Edit: its, not it's

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #568 on:** April 24, 2018, 01:23:30 PM »

There is a senior shredding event in May and I have gone thru a lot of places in the house where paperwork accumulates. I think I have finally hoed out the last spot. I have one giant Rubbermaid tote full to the brim with plastic grocery bags full plus two bags that don't fit. They are going to think I went door to door looking for shredding! I threw out a ton of old IRS stuff from the 1990's and forward. I saved 7 years worth. I also had a bunch of paperwork from may last job (2011) that I couldn't bear to throw out till now. So I have made a lot of progress with that crap. I plan to toss out one year of IRS stuff each year after I file. That way I will only have 7 years worth.

I also have started to weed out more stuff for Vietnam Vets. I have a carpet spot cleaner thing I am getting rid of, some skillets I don't use, turtle necks I don't wear, a laundry basket I don't use, a little file cabinet that is cleaned out and pretty useless. Plus, I have some stuff on ebay that is just not moving and I am tired of it sitting on my dining room table. Out it goes. I also have this big ass suitcase that is filled with some hobby junk that I have not been using and I think it is time to purge it out. Then there is another suitcase filled with the hub's clothes that I had grand intentions of selling on ebay but have not done so. They need to go! I also have a bunch of Rubbermaid totes that are empty and not sure what to do with those at this time but they have to go.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #569 on:** April 24, 2018, 04:35:15 PM »

Quote from: oneday on April 24, 2018, 12:25:23 PM

...the amount of times I had to repeat, in a half hour span

That's the piece, yes! I've already said it to each person more than once. They don't hear my words; they see only "space!".

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #570 on:** April 24, 2018, 08:01:32 PM »

I used to work for a food research company and every Friday we had to clean the lab. The lab had block walls that were painted, concrete floors with curved floors tilted to the drains and stainless steel equipment. Each Friday we used a floor scrubber and scrubbed the floors and hand scrubbed the equipment. We sprayed the suds down the drain. I always thought what a great thing that was if I had that in a house! Just soap up the floor and everything else and hose it off down the drain! AWESOME!

Step37 · « **Reply #571 on:** April 24, 2018, 08:57:13 PM »

@Roadrunner53, I would think you’d be able to sell (or give away) the totes on Craigslist or equivalent. You know, for someone else’s storage/hoarding project! They’re not cheap to buy new...
;-)

(On that note, I think I’m going to inherit thousands of totes from my parents one day, so I am hoping for a robust secondary market! My dad thinks that putting stuff into totes and into the garage is “dealing” with it. I have tried to explain that he’s throwing good money after bad to store GARBAGE [seriously. Car magazines, hunting magazines. No order whatsoever = NO value]. Skip the middle step and go straight to the bin. Aaaarrrrggghhh. /rant)

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #572 on:** April 24, 2018, 09:06:36 PM »

Good idea on giving the totes away. We have been bagging up clothing and some small household junk to give to Vietnam Vets. Good organization and they come to your house to pick up. We regularly give to Goodwill too.

I cannot believe how much stuff we have donated over the years and we have so much more! We are only one couple, never had kids but my God, we have more stuff than anyone could believe!

Mongoose · « **Reply #573 on:** April 25, 2018, 01:31:57 PM »

Major housecleaning and decluttering is in progress today. We have a small box each of items to donate, shred, and file so far. Dead printer is headed to recycling. Kids clothes need to be sorted and culled. But mostly things needed to be cleaned and put away in their designated locations. It was all just dropped after we ran out of time and energy doing some house repairs. I really want to excavate the basement as well but I'm not sure we'll get to it today. It's still a mess after we had to move everything to have the furnace replaced.

oneday · « **Reply #574 on:** April 25, 2018, 09:58:38 PM »

Quote from: jooniFLORisploo on April 24, 2018, 04:35:15 PM

Quote from: oneday on April 24, 2018, 12:25:23 PM
...the amount of times I had to repeat, in a half hour span

That's the piece, yes! I've already said it to each person more than once. They don't hear my words; they see only "space!".

I suspect there's no way to get certain people to "hear"/believe this message.

Today I partially unpacked a couple boxes (just getting things I needed) and pulled out the "packing material". All textiles that were to be donated when packing became packing material. Now that I'm finding these textiles, they are going into the donation box. Today I found jeans, 2 napkins, table cloth and a pillow case.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #575 on:** April 25, 2018, 10:04:41 PM »

Apparently so. Despite profoundly clear, direct statements, I had a really hard time of this one today. Person was aggressive in their hope I would take massive stuff so they would have an uncluttered house *and* they would be free of guilt for otherwise garbaging it (instead of organizing appropriate transfer). I just...can't... My home is not a garbage can, not a recycling centre, not a nonprofit service, not a junk transfer station, not an emergency disposal facility...

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #576 on:** April 26, 2018, 04:50:13 AM »

No one if buying the stuff I have put in adds. I have already lowered the price for my bicycle time trial helmet.

I should consider giving some more stuff away for free.

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #577 on:** April 26, 2018, 05:05:35 AM »

I have had some stuff on ebay for almost two months and sold a few things and the rest is not selling at all. UGH, is ebay a ghost town these days?

Dragonswan · « **Reply #578 on:** April 26, 2018, 07:03:50 AM »

Quote from: jooniFLORisploo on April 24, 2018, 04:35:15 PM

Quote from: oneday on April 24, 2018, 12:25:23 PM
...the amount of times I had to repeat, in a half hour span

That's the piece, yes! I've already said it to each person more than once. They don't hear my words; they see only "space!".

Must be nice. I had/have the opposite problem. When I bought my 2700 sq ft house (No facepunches. I love it and it was cheaper than a condo in the city and the commute to an even bigger city is essentially the same.) I only had a 2bdrm apartment's worth of furniture. I asked my mom, pack rat, for a few furniture items and only managed to wrest away one small chest of drawers I had as a child (I'm middle aged now) and an old stereo (circa 1960? the kind that comes as a piece of furniture). I'm still eyeballing her sewing machine and refuse to buy one as I intend to inherit hers while she's still living.

Last year the Great Supervisor (mom) let me start cleaning out the bedroom you can't walk into for the volume of stuff. I took out 13 yard trash size bags (donated to charity), threw away another 4-5 bags and the room still looks like I never touched it. Keep up the good fight declutterers and I'll post again if I mom lets me continue my efforts.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #579 on:** April 26, 2018, 07:10:37 AM »

Quote

Must be nice. I had/have the opposite problem.

No, definitely not nice. Stressful, frustrating, and irritating to be considered a garbage receptacle and have to practically “fight” to be allowed to maintain my space and choices.

Your experience is very common with keepers. If they have excess that others could well use, they’re generally not willing to part with it. If I were to *ask* these same people for some of their stuff, they would be saying no. It’s just when they turn that corner and become downsizers/declutterers, they have an equal lack of concern for us and aim to dump.

Dragonswan · « **Reply #580 on:** April 26, 2018, 07:14:55 AM »

I'm afraid the downsizing will not occur until my parents pass. The task of cleaning everything at once is what I'm hoping to avoid by doing little bits now, and getting a few things that would benefit me now instead of having to buy them.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #581 on:** April 26, 2018, 07:22:22 AM »

Dragonswan, knowing you will inherit a mass of mess can be very stressful for a person, for sure.

Unfortunately, until your parents decide they want to declutter, give, etc, there’s not a whole lot you can do -though it sounds like they’re able to let go of quite a bit more than is usually the case in these situations. If they are still keepers, anything they give you they would likely replace with more stuff anyway.

Personally, I would go ahead and get what you need (from thrift shops) for your home, then plan to spend some more money getting a redistribution service in after they pass.

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #582 on:** April 26, 2018, 07:24:06 AM »

When my Mom passed I found an organization that came to the house with a box truck and took just about everything. There was no room at my house for any of it or very little of it.

My Mom's house was small but she had every nook and cranny filled to the brim with things! These two guys worked for hours and hours taking stuff out of the house and filled the entire truck up. They said they had never been to such a small house and hauled out so much stuff! I filled up probably 30 giant trash bags full of clothes. Tied them up and rolled them down staircase. The hub would carry them outside. It was one of the hottest days on earth too. I had a giant dish towel wrapped around my forehead so the sweat didn't roll down my face. It worked like a charm! Had to hire another outfit to pick up some stuff the other organization wouldn't take like mattresses and a chair, love seat and a freezer from the 1940's that weighed 1,000 lbs! They had to get 3 guys to get it out of the basement! It was a beast! My hub had a dumpster delivered and cleaned out the shed and basement. It was a giant dumpster and was filled to the brim!

Dragonswan · « **Reply #583 on:** April 26, 2018, 07:48:07 AM »

Yep. I have what I need now (except that sewing machine) but do have space in the basement I'm intentionally saving for inherited items (though I suspect they're planning to outlive me ;)) When they do pass I intend to look into one of those liquidation places.

Roadrunner53 did you have to pay for your liquidation service? Was the dumpster delivery and pickup a hassle or very expensive?

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #584 on:** April 26, 2018, 03:32:06 PM »

Dragonswan, the dumpster was maybe $350. The deal is they let you have it for maybe a week. Which isn't enough time typically when you work so we rented it so it arrived on a Friday and we had all weekend to fill it. Then we rented it for the following weekend and we had to pay maybe $10 for each extra day. Then the following Monday we had them take it away. So we kept it 10 total days.

The organization we found only charged us $35 and that was for fuel for the truck. It was a bargain for sure.

We also had 1800 got junk and that place was expensive! They charged us to take away a small amount of stuff as much as the $350 dumpster rental. If you have the room, go with the dumpster if you are physically able to load the dumpster. If you are not, 1800 got junk does the job but trust me, they are expensive considering what they take away.

If you have them bring a dumpster, makes sure you tell them to put some wooden planks under the wheels of the dumpster so it doesn't dig into your driveway.

Dumpster delivery was very easy and we had them come first thing in the morning and they were there. No hassles whatsoever. When you are done with the dumpster you just call them and they arrange pick up. If it is a Monday pick up make sure to call them the Friday before.

We went thru our garbage company. The did require payment on the phone and wouldn't add the service to my normal garbage bill.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #585 on:** April 26, 2018, 08:59:26 PM »

The advantages to 1800GotJunk?, as they told me anyway, was

(1) they will do the physical removal - you can just point here and there in the house and they will remove

(2) they will aim to get usable stuff to a thrift, recyclables to recycling, and only actual garbage to the dump.

I love hauling stuff so am happy to do that part, but (2) seems super valuable to me. Is it accurate?

Step37 · « **Reply #586 on:** April 26, 2018, 10:51:25 PM »

Quote from: jooniFLORisploo on April 26, 2018, 07:22:22 AM

Dragonswan, knowing you will inherit a mass of mess can be very stressful for a person, for sure.

I feel physically ill when I think about my parents’ place. 100 acres, a 6000+sg.ft. house, a 5-car garage, a 2-car garage (each with an additional storey of “storage” on top!!), at LEAST a dozen outbuildings . . . And all FULL OF STUFF. Nothing is organized. Some of it is valuable, but I’d say much, much more is junk. I am convinced it will ruin five years of my life to sort it all out. They pay lip service to downsizing but I really don’t think they can be bothered. It makes me sick. I went there for the first time in over six months yesterday (they’d been away all winter), so this is all refreshed in my mind.

No matter how well I can streamline and minimize my own stuff/footprint, I will one day have that to contend with. Yes, I can (and will) hire an auction or some such service, but it will still be very, very hard, as it really bothers me to waste things. I will simply have to get over it.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #587 on:** April 27, 2018, 01:17:36 AM »

Yeah, Step37, hard. I haven't had to deal with that in my own family (there was stuff at two points, but in both instances it all got sorted). Some of my work was in the home of hoarders, though, and it was intense. I can't imagine knowing I'd ultimately be responsible for what you're describing -that's a lot of square footage.

Are family members always handed that task? Or only if the property is willed to you?

I also watched two boyfriends return to super intense clutter (etc) when our relationships ended. I was a bit thrown to realize my presence and activity had kept things well in check, and very sad to realize how difficult it was for them to manage things independently (they are both very happy, however, so it hasn't actually hurt them! they're not concerned with managing things, that was only my schtick -they love the stuff, the more piles the better). I was surprised and perplexed: How does such an intense change in environment happen, and so fast, even with the smartest people and the best of intentions?

I wouldn't mind doing a total clean up over a few years so long as I weren't also working full-time. That would be too much! But hopefully if the garbage is willed to a person, the property underneath it also is, and one could FIRE and take the time to clean it up, or take out some equity and hire someone to. But I love cleaning so to me that's kinda dreamy. Maybe I'll come help you!!!

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #588 on:** April 27, 2018, 11:04:13 AM »

Quote from: Step37 on April 26, 2018, 10:51:25 PM

Quote from: jooniFLORisploo on April 26, 2018, 07:22:22 AM
Dragonswan, knowing you will inherit a mass of mess can be very stressful for a person, for sure.

I feel physically ill when I think about my parents’ place. 100 acres, a 6000+sg.ft. house, a 5-car garage, a 2-car garage (each with an additional storey of “storage” on top!!), at LEAST a dozen outbuildings . . . And all FULL OF STUFF. Nothing is organized. Some of it is valuable, but I’d say much, much more is junk. I am convinced it will ruin five years of my life to sort it all out. They pay lip service to downsizing but I really don’t think they can be bothered. It makes me sick. I went there for the first time in over six months yesterday (they’d been away all winter), so this is all refreshed in my mind.

No matter how well I can streamline and minimize my own stuff/footprint, I will one day have that to contend with. Yes, I can (and will) hire an auction or some such service, but it will still be very, very hard, as it really bothers me to waste things. I will simply have to get over it.

I'm not in this position, but you have my sympathy. My mom is a very organized person with way too much, but I plan to have a big garage sale, and then recycle the rest. ;-)

One thought you might want to have in mind for when the inevitable happens. Is there a family member (right out of college, high school person, etc) who would be looking for a flexible job? Given the property size, hopefully there is value there, so it sounds like it would be worth your sanity to hire someone to take care of much of it - grouping into piles (keep, donate, sell, ask you for input), etc. Even if this is a fluid plan given no action can be taken yet, it always helps me knowing I have an approach in mind.

RetiredAt63 · « **Reply #589 on:** April 27, 2018, 11:52:57 AM »

This is why I am gradually decluttering and down-sizing my life*. Less for me to look after, and so much less for DD to have to deal with down the road (well down the road, I hope). It wears me out and it is my stuff, what would it be like for her?

*Plus I don't want to be one of those elderly people who cling to the house and yard when they are clearly not capable of managing it all. Or moving from the house to a nursing home and someone having to deal with all my stuff.

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #590 on:** April 27, 2018, 12:27:44 PM »

Yes, 1800 Got Junk will physically take all your crap and you don't have to lift a finger. They charged about $350 and it wasn't more than a pick up truck full and nothing gigantic or big and bulky. Whereas if you are physically fit and can load the dumpster yourself, it will cost about $350 for a gigantic dumpster and you can get about 4 times as much or more. They had it made too because my Husband put everything in a pile in the yard. They really didn't have to do much of anything.

1800 Got Junk claims they do recycling. No clue if they actually do.

If I were some of you and your junk was worth giving away, consider Vietnam Veterans, Goodwill and Salvation Army. Not sure about Goodwill but the other two you can arrange pick up. Call local churches to see if they have needy members who need household crap. I would rather donate something someone can use than trash it. Put an ad in Craigslist and advertise you have a truck load of free stuff. There are lots of people who will resell your junk. Also, my town has a recycling center and you can bring junk there too. They set aside some stuff on tables for freebies.

BlueHouse · « **Reply #591 on:** April 27, 2018, 12:59:25 PM »

Yard sale last weekend and I unloaded thousands of dollars worth of stuff -- much of it was brand new!
I cleared $24.00. It was easy for me to let it go because I've been storing it in my house and garage for 3 years refusing to let it go so cheap. I guess I just had had enough of the stuff.

I still have more that I forgot to put out (or couldn't stand getting rid of that much more in one day)

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #592 on:** April 27, 2018, 01:07:32 PM »

Congrats BlueHouse! I bet there were a lot of happy people! I have much more crap to weed out. I am doing a pretty good job but too slowly. I only had one tag sale in my life and it was a horrible experience. I think because I am not a people person and it was overwhelming with so many people all at once bombarding me! Someone stole my Tupperware canister's! Can you believe someone could do that when nothing was very expensive to begin with. Hope they enjoyed them! Plus, at the very end when most of the junk was gone these 3 creepy people drove up the driveway and were checking things out. I had a very bad feeling about them and thank goodness they left. Not sure if they bought anything because it was a long time ago. But never forgot feeling like they were going to steal my money box! Plus, that day was really hot. BLEH, never again!

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #593 on:** April 27, 2018, 01:10:02 PM »

Well done, BlueHouse!!!!!!!!!!! What a terrific feat, to just focus on the primary intention of releasing the stuff. Side income is well and good, but it's got nothing on the wonderful freedom of a clear space and happy home. Way to go!!

Frugal Lizard · « **Reply #594 on:** April 27, 2018, 03:34:29 PM »

Brother in law just came and picked up a bike carrier that we bought four years ago and never installed on our car. He is getting a hitch installed this weekend - and he is going to give us cash what we paid for it.

RetiredAt63 · « **Reply #595 on:** April 28, 2018, 07:24:05 AM »

Quote from: BlueHouse on April 27, 2018, 12:59:25 PM

Yard sale last weekend and I unloaded thousands of dollars worth of stuff -- much of it was brand new!
I cleared $24.00. It was easy for me to let it go because I've been storing it in my house and garage for 3 years refusing to let it go so cheap. I guess I just had had enough of the stuff.

I still have more that I forgot to put out (or couldn't stand getting rid of that much more in one day)

This was my one and only garage sale result, lots of stuff sold and almost no money. I made more on some plants I had potted up than I did on all my stuff. Now I just donate in the first place, so much easier and no disappointment on how little cash I recovered.

Mezzie · « **Reply #596 on:** April 28, 2018, 08:24:18 AM »

I've had ceramic dishes since I moved out of my parents' house a couple decades ago. I used to enjoy the heft, but now my arthritis means what I used to love I now hate -- it's painful to wash dishes and set the table -- so I replaced everything with Corelle. They're not only lighter, they take up way less space and my cupboards look more organized.

The only problem is this: we've done so much decluttering, we don't have any empty boxes lying around for me to put the old dishes in so I can take them to Goodwill! Whoops!

I'll have to grab a box from work on Monday.

Other decluttering on today's agenda:
- shredding a stack of bank and retirement account statements
-cleaning the clutter that has accumulated on the bookshelves (for the first time, it's NOT my clutter! Yay!)
-selling a few books at Bookoff (that money gets to go towards my next tattoo!)
-putting board games back in the game closet

If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll clean off my desk. :)

My husband's work in the garage has been amazing. There's still a lot to be done, but the end is in sight! We are going to have to rent a dumpster for all the cabinet bits he's ripped out, but we're going to wait on that until the very end; we don't want to miss something big.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #597 on:** April 28, 2018, 08:27:45 AM »

Mezzie, all of that sounds so satisfying, mmmmmm..... :)

RetiredAt63 · « **Reply #598 on:** April 28, 2018, 12:06:46 PM »

Mezzie, I have good everyday china (Noritake, definitely fine china*) and ordinary china. An ordinary plate weighs twice what a good china plate does. My wrists definitely appreciate the good china. I only keep the cheap stuff because I can heat leftovers in the microwave on it. ;-) Your Corelle is even lighter, for the win.

*I didn't spend a fortune on this, got it at an estate auction. It was the "good" china for the previous owners, and is my every day china. And the crazy thing is, it is tougher (less breakable) than the cheap stuff.

kaypinkHH · « **Reply #599 on:** April 30, 2018, 09:42:06 AM »

This is such a small thing, but I feel like it makes a difference.

I was gifted a daily calendar in a work secret santa last xmas. Once and a while a particular comic of the day gives me a good chuckle and I was stockpiling my favourites at work. I'm just about to head out on mat leave and I chucked the "favourite" pile into recycling instead of lugging it home. In the past, this would have ended up in a box, in my home office until I finally got around to purging it. Stopped the clutter at the source!

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Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2 (Read 1442596 times)