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

[PMG]

Congratulations Slackmax. Your journey is amazing to follow.

I tackled a pile of bills and paper today. I didn’t finish it, but I got through a fair bit of it and what’s left is less of an eyesore.

Recently we donated all our assorted food storage containers and started over with just a few sizes. Now instead of 5 different sandwich containers with 5 different lids we have one kind.  It’s pretty nice. Things fit much better in the drawer, fridge, and lunch box.

[Fresh Bread]

Well done @slackmax , it is a great milestone.

[slackmax]

Thanks, guys.    :)

[mspym]

Well done @slackmax !

[Shinplaster]

Finally dropped off a bag of odds and sods for donation that's been in my car for weeks.  Also an awful dining light fixture installed by previous owner that we finally switched out last week.   I have no idea who would want it, but I bet someone will.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

All Halloween costumes - given away & picked up. Listed three new items on Buy Nothing today. I love making small progress, and cleaning stuff out. Woop!

[oneday]

Congrats @slackmax . End of an era.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Awesome, @slackmax

I got rid of six boxes, that I'd been saving in case I needed them for eBay sales. I've pretty much stopped selling, because everything we don't want/need is gone. And, I definitely don't need that many boxes, or Amazon mailers. Time to trim things back, & clean up the closet that I've used for mailing supplies.

[Dutch Comfort]

Listed some kids toys on Craigslist. 3 items already gone (1 of which was a large item that needed to be sent by mail, for which I could re-use a cardboard box lingering in the shed- double win!) and hoping that the other items will go as well as people will start their holiday shopping usually in October in the Netherlands (on 1st October, a lot of people get their quarterly child-support-money from the government, so when cash is in....... they start shopping!).

Cleaned out the kids closets and put all clothes on Craigslist. Hopefully I can sell some of it. The rest will be donated.

DS will go on school-camp. Packing list included some textile-markers. I found some in a box for him to use and told him he did not have to bother bringing them back home from camp.

[Frugal Lizard]

The main floor bathroom vanity is large and was stuffed to the gills with stuff.  Had to empty it for the plumbers and voila, only stuff that is needed in a bathroom got put back into the bathroom vanity. 

[LaineyAZ]

Finished a pantry clean-out yesterday.  For some reason, discarding boxes or jars of open but still good crackers, chips, nuts, etc. seems hardest.  It's typically something that we tried but everyone decided they didn't like.  I wish there was a place to give away this food that's still good but I understand why health regs would not allow that once the seal is broken.
I used to bring this stuff into work for communal snack but now being retired that's not an option.

In my dreams there would be a community center where people could drop off this stuff for others- like, here's an open bag of Goldfish crackers still fresh, or even here's a shampoo I tried but don't like.  But given Covid and other spreadable diseases would that be a no-go?
So much waste.

[FrugalShrew]

@LaineyAZ, I've had pretty good luck giving away items like that to family and/or neighbors. 

[Josiecat22222]

@LaineyAZ, my local Buy Nothing Group on facebook will regularly have someone doing a pantry clean out and donating old or opened food.  Is it possible that is an option?

[Rosy]

The main floor bathroom vanity is large and was stuffed to the gills with stuff.  Had to empty it for the plumbers and voila, only stuff that is needed in a bathroom got put back into the bathroom vanity.

@Frugal Lizard
Funny how that always works like a charm - if you have no choice but to remove it and clear out - it does somehow get done - amazing!:)

That's how my carport just got cleared - hurricane Ian...
Cleaning up the remainder will be easy once we are done with the garden clean-up.

Same with all the garden decor - now it is suddenly easy to sort, toss or keep. Had to put it in bins so it wouldn't turn into hurricane projectiles.
The last hurricane already made me rethink the amount of crap I mean decor that I had accumulated - now I have a lot less and I don't miss any of it.

[LaineyAZ]

@LaineyAZ, my local Buy Nothing Group on facebook will regularly have someone doing a pantry clean out and donating old or opened food.  Is it possible that is an option?

I'm not on Facebook although I understand there's some groups around the country that are setting up their own websites.  And I definitely share with family but I think I'll branch out to 1-2 neighbors who I think would be receptive to some un-used but still fresh foodstuffs.

For non-food items, I liked donating to the "Free table" at our local senior center.  Examples: new toothbrushes and dental floss given to me for free at my dental cleanings; magazines; small faux plants; shoes I wore a few times that I decided I didn't like, etc.  They were glad to get all of it.

[FrugalShrew]

I'm not on Facebook although I understand there's some groups around the country that are setting up their own websites.  And I definitely share with family but I think I'll branch out to 1-2 neighbors who I think would be receptive to some un-used but still fresh foodstuffs.

For non-food items, I liked donating to the "Free table" at our local senior center.  Examples: new toothbrushes and dental floss given to me for free at my dental cleanings; magazines; small faux plants; shoes I wore a few times that I decided I didn't like, etc.  They were glad to get all of it.

I don't currently use facebook either, and that has been a barrier for me as well that the Buy Nothing groups are on facebook. Branching out to neighbors sounds like a great plan, though, and that's really neat that you are able to non-food items to the free table at your local senior center!

[MayDay]

I achieved a sort of milestone today.  I deleted my ad in Facebook for cardstock (thick hard paper that comes in various colors, used for crafts and all sorts of whatnot) . My girl friend left it behind. Lots of it.

I started selling it 4 years ago on Craigslist. Must have had 20 different customers. Thousands of sheets of the stuff.  Even gave some of it away.

It's finally all gone.

Was the amount you made selling it more than the cost of posting an ad for that long?

[MountainGal]

Excellent job, @slackmax!

In the past I've had 50/50 luck selling or giving away items on Facebook.  A rice cooker, a gently used set of pots and pans, and bar accessories, yes.  A pair of women's barely worn shoes, unused ink cartridges, and collector items?  Not so much.

I send DH to the shop with extra food, whether it's from purchasing too much, or things I've baked.  One of his co-workers often brings in garden produce or home canned something or other, so it is a good balance. :)

Speaking of:
-Recycled 6 ink cartridges at Office Depot
-Upcycled a magazine to a neighbor

[oneday]

@LaineyAZ, my local Buy Nothing Group on facebook will regularly have someone doing a pantry clean out and donating old or opened food.  Is it possible that is an option?

I'm not on Facebook although I understand there's some groups around the country that are setting up their own websites.  And I definitely share with family but I think I'll branch out to 1-2 neighbors who I think would be receptive to some un-used but still fresh foodstuffs.

For non-food items, I liked donating to the "Free table" at our local senior center.  Examples: new toothbrushes and dental floss given to me for free at my dental cleanings; magazines; small faux plants; shoes I wore a few times that I decided I didn't like, etc.  They were glad to get all of it.

I'm not on Facebook although I understand there's some groups around the country that are setting up their own websites.  And I definitely share with family but I think I'll branch out to 1-2 neighbors who I think would be receptive to some un-used but still fresh foodstuffs.

For non-food items, I liked donating to the "Free table" at our local senior center.  Examples: new toothbrushes and dental floss given to me for free at my dental cleanings; magazines; small faux plants; shoes I wore a few times that I decided I didn't like, etc.  They were glad to get all of it.

I don't currently use facebook either, and that has been a barrier for me as well that the Buy Nothing groups are on facebook. Branching out to neighbors sounds like a great plan, though, and that's really neat that you are able to non-food items to the free table at your local senior center!

Buy Nothing has an app now. Pretty sure you don't have to be on FB to make and account & log in.

https://buynothingproject.org/

[Dutch Comfort]

First kids clothing sold! I just have to mail it (in repurposed envelopes/boxes) today and it is gone!
Had some interest in more toys, so hoping this does get through and I will not be ghosted (again......, this is the bit I hate the most on Craigslist).

When looking up some manuals, I found several for items that are no longer in our house, so I tossed them.

Baby steps....... baby steps......

[slackmax]

I achieved a sort of milestone today.  I deleted my ad in Facebook for cardstock (thick hard paper that comes in various colors, used for crafts and all sorts of whatnot) . My girl friend left it behind. Lots of it.

I started selling it 4 years ago on Craigslist. Must have had 20 different customers. Thousands of sheets of the stuff.  Even gave some of it away.

It's finally all gone.

Was the amount you made selling it more than the cost of posting an ad for that long?

MayDay,   I had a free Craigslist account, so my cost was zero dollars. Facebook also free.   This is a guess, but I must have made at least  $200 on the lot. I sold it for dirt cheap, but I had thousands of sheets to sell.

Truth is, it was also just something to do for fun, to get out of the house and so on.   

Most folks would have just donated it all, or recycled it. Which is fine, of course.

[slackmax]

Made another pass through the living room, found a AAA tote bag full of old medical receipts, and old vials of pills. Threw out most of the pills, recycled the plastic vials. Recycled all the receipts. Will donate the tote bag. 

[LaineyAZ]

Made another pass through the living room, found a AAA tote bag full of old medical receipts, and old vials of pills. Threw out most of the pills, recycled the plastic vials. Recycled all the receipts. Will donate the tote bag.

I've heard veterinarians are appreciative of clean empty pill bottles that they can then use for pet medicines.  But I'm still curious how much of this donation/recycling is still happening since the pandemic?

[FrugalShrew]

@slackmax, I admire the effort you put into selling the cardstock. That's awesome that it all got "re-homed."

@LaineyAZ, that's really good to know about vets taking empty pill bottles. Unfortunately, my current pharmacy uses labels that won't really come off, but maybe I'll try soaking them if my vet will take the clean bottles.

@oneday, thank you for the tip about the Buy Nothing app. I will have to check that out!

[Frugal Lizard]

@FrugalShrew - I found the labels will lift off pretty easily with some heat.  My heating tool is pretty hot so the first bottle got a little melted.  I like to reuse the bottles for seed storage.

[SunnyDays]

Pills shouldn't really be thrown into the garbage, as the ingredients eventually make their way into waterways.  Pharmacies will take them for proper disposal.

[FrugalShrew]

@FrugalShrew - I found the labels will lift off pretty easily with some heat.  My heating tool is pretty hot so the first bottle got a little melted.  I like to reuse the bottles for seed storage.

Thanks, Frugal Lizard! (I couldn't figure out how to tag you with the space in your name).

That's a really helpful tip, since one of my local thrift stores has labels that don't come off either, and those are often stuck on items I can't soak!

[MountainGal]

For safe disposal of plastic pill bottles, medications, etc., our local police department has a drop box out front. 

[slackmax]

Pills shouldn't really be thrown into the garbage, as the ingredients eventually make their way into waterways.  Pharmacies will take them for proper disposal.

Of course you are right, SunnyDays, I forgot about that. Did not know pharmacies take them. Thanks.   

[MaybeBabyMustache]

-While packing for an upcoming warm weather trip, decided I didn't my pool cover up, so added that to the donation pile
-Gave away four large containers of flavored almonds, as I recently discovered I have an almond sensitivity, and no one else in my family will eat the seasoned kind.
-Sold my running watch, as I hadn't turned it on in a year (I use my Apple watch now).

[former player]

@FrugalShrew - I found the labels will lift off pretty easily with some heat.  My heating tool is pretty hot so the first bottle got a little melted.  I like to reuse the bottles for seed storage.

That is an excellent idea about the seed storage, and will solve my opened paper packet problems.  Thanks.

[Dutch Comfort]

Some big volume toys were sold! Also sold a few sets of kids clothing.
Donated some other kids clothing.

DH suddenly started to clean the inhouse storage room. He already put two full bags to the trash. I'm just encouraging him to continue (it is mainly his stuff, so I'm happy that he finally gets to it).

[Poundwise]

Last year I picked up some sleeping bags through Buy Nothing, meaning to donate them to the homeless. To my joy, there was a collection this week and I was able to offload them, along with a small hoard of hotel soaps and shampoos. 

[Frugal Lizard]

DD went through her craft cupboard.  Three bankers boxes to donate of craft supplies she had accumulated.  Now she has a spaceous cupboard with more adult appropriate supplies for making art and crafting.  WOOHOO, her stuff was falling out of the cupboard.  I shall attempt to do the same with my cupboards.

[slackmax]

Another day at the flea market, selling. Got rid of one big item, which was a big bag full of lace material. Also several small items.

Also decided to donate unsold clothes, so have two bags of clothes to donate today.

Oh, also donating a beer tap, for a minikeg, which will not sell.   

[oneday]

It finally, finally happened. Connected with a guy who took a non-functional window a/c unit off my hands. We had been trying to connect for over two weeks. Whee!

[slackmax]

It finally, finally happened. Connected with a guy who took a non-functional window a/c unit off my hands. We had been trying to connect for over two weeks. Whee!

Excellent score, Oneday !  Big, heavy thing gone, and being refurbished, maybe, or recycled.  Congrats !     

[rivendale]

Outgrown kid jacket passed on to another family.... win win!

[oneday]

It finally, finally happened. Connected with a guy who took a non-functional window a/c unit off my hands. We had been trying to connect for over two weeks. Whee!

Excellent score, Oneday !  Big, heavy thing gone, and being refurbished, maybe, or recycled.  Congrats !   

Thanks! Victory is mine! 🤣

He said he is an HVAC tech and will use it for spare parts. So re-use/recycled/upcycled, yay.

[mspym]

A different variation on the theme - our house in NZ is getting stocked with excess china, cutlery and linen from my sisters’ houses which helps them declutter and means we don’t have to buy things so we can stay prior to moving there permanently.

A small one - I’ve been seeing how long I can keep getting face wash out of a tube since I first thought “that’s about to run out I should buy some more”. It’s been two months so far. Yesterday I couldn’t squeeze anymore out so I cut the bottom off and there is at least another week’s worth that I can now access.

A social one - Ofpym had made a batch of beer before he stopped drinking. We had a friend come over for dinner last night and he drank two bottles and I made beer bread with another bottle so progress is being made. (Next task is to clean and sell the brewing equipment, and we will probably throw in the resealable bottles in with the vats etc)

[oneday]

@mspym I love getting all the product out of a tube. Makes me feel like Capitan Save-The-Planet :)


Yesterday's doctor visit was the right opportunity to drop off a bunch of expired prescription meds at the pharmacy that is on-site. Found out that they do not take vitamins, but those can be composted. Easy!

Also finally installed a window screen that had been sitting in the living room for over a month (maybe two). Yay for no clutter in the entryway!

[FrugalShrew]

Dropped off 4 bags of stuff to St. Vincent de Paul yesterday.

I'm really trying to reduce the stream of stuff coming in and enjoy what I have (except for thoughtful, considered acquisitions--there are a few things I am in the market for).

[oneday]

I'm really trying to reduce the stream of stuff coming in and enjoy what I have (except for thoughtful, considered acquisitions--there are a few things I am in the market for).

Same! Have been feeling a bit conflicted about the 3 pieces of furniture recently acquired (MMM cred: they were all free). But together they increase the comfort, functionality and storage capacity of my home. But "thoughtful, considered acquisitions" are my jam.

[Loretta]

Saturday night a trunk full of random household items were donated to the local thrift shop.  We did NOT go inside. 

I cancelled my Oct Subscribe n Save with AMZ after inventorying my current stash of supplements and OTC meds. 

[SEAK]

Mailed 10 of my wife's 20-year old college engineering textbooks to an online used text book dealer for $130. I am also loving the REI Used Trade-In Program; sent off 5 of the kiddos lightly used jackets, pants, and sandals for a $100 Gift Card. And we had my daughter drop off some of her never used art sketch books and supplies to the younger neighbor girls. Productive weekend!

[GardenBaker]

Threw away manufacturer boxes from technology purchases (1 apple watch box, 1 ipad box, 1 phone box and 1 laptop box). I have no idea why I have held onto these; I've NEVER needed the boxes. Also tossed an old bed skirt as our new bedframe doesn't require one.

Decided to clean the bathroom toilet with cleaner on hand instead of buying a separate product specific for toilet bowl cleaning. Trying to use more multi-purpose products.

[SunnyDays]

Mailed 10 of my wife's 20-year old college engineering textbooks to an online used text book dealer for $130. I am also loving the REI Used Trade-In Program; sent off 5 of the kiddos lightly used jackets, pants, and sandals for a $100 Gift Card. And we had my daughter drop off some of her never used art sketch books and supplies to the younger neighbor girls. Productive weekend!

How is your mail so cheap that it even pays?  Textbooks are heavy as a rule.  I mailed two trade paperbacks by Canada Post to a relative a 3 hour drive away and it cost me $17.00!

[SEAK]

Mailed 10 of my wife's 20-year old college engineering textbooks to an online used text book dealer for $130. I am also loving the REI Used Trade-In Program; sent off 5 of the kiddos lightly used jackets, pants, and sandals for a $100 Gift Card. And we had my daughter drop off some of her never used art sketch books and supplies to the younger neighbor girls. Productive weekend!

How is your mail so cheap that it even pays?  Textbooks are heavy as a rule.  I mailed two trade paperbacks by Canada Post to a relative a 3 hour drive away and it cost me $17.00!

Dealer we sold them to provided a prepaid USPS shipping label. It is my understanding that sending by media mail (book rate) is cheap for whatever reason.

[Omy]

Watched "Tydying Up" and "Sparking Joy" on Netflix. This inspired me to Kondo my closets and drawers. In 24 hours, I've tossed or donated 5 big bags of clothes.

[okisok]

One of the pluses of antenna/free app tv commercials is they give me time to get little tasks done. I ran through the house and gathered up a few items for recycling, including packaging from a gift that had fallen behind a piece of furniture.

Had a book packaged up to mail back to a friend. She came into town unexpectedly and I was able to give it to her. I tossed the packaging (a reused Amazon mailer). Book out and packaging out.

Had my new appliance installed and promptly recycled all the packaging and the instruction manual.