Author Topic: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!  (Read 1850045 times)

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2800 on: November 15, 2015, 08:06:40 PM »
I declutter the crap out of my kitchen today.  Got rid of lots of old spices and other ingredients we won't use.  The cabinets are so clean and spacious now.

Last week I tried the clothes rolling thing.  I don't like the process but it is nice being able to see everything in the drawer.  Got rid of enough stuff to fit my hamper in the closet so it doesn't have to be out in the room.  Huge box of stuff overflowing ready to go to the thrift store.

The folding has really grown on me. So great to be able to see everything, also fits in drawer so much better. Only things I still do not fold are undergarments, but I do segregate each type in the drawer.

jengod

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2801 on: November 15, 2015, 10:05:36 PM »
I spent part of this week helping a girlfriend clear out her late mother's home. There were three different rooms that were so full of boxes and possessions that you couldn't enter them. I threw away multiple bags of junk mail, catalogs, return address stickers, freebie notepads, business cards and so forth. We didn't even tackle anything that wasn't pure trash, as apparently much of it can be sold in bulk at the estate sale.

Long story short, I don't want to die surrounded by piles of credit card statements from six years ago and clothing I haven't worn in 25 years and junk I don't even remember ordering.

As such, some recent declutter work:
* Packed a bag of weird geegaws for "art tray" at preschool
* Selected three cookbook/garden books to list on Amazon or otherwise release
* Packed a bag for Goodwill including Cuisinart blades, 3 insulated lunchboxes with off-putting logos, a checkbook cover, an extra grater and an extra bottle opener
* Packed up an ugly but ultrawarm blanket for the homeless guy who lives under our nearest freeway overpass
* Poured four expired medications into the worm bin and recycled the plastic containers
* Collected all remaining tampons (I've switched to a menstrual cup) and will drop off in the women's bathroom at the library next time I go
* Tossed out a jar of some unidentifiable, unlabeled spice.
* Recycled 10 or so empty glass jars that I was saving for no particular reason.
* Threw away three Very Special and Important Rocks we'd been saving.
* Tossed gelatin, pectin, coconut milk and condensed milk that has never been used and will presumably not be used in the foreseeable future.
* Composted some frozen food scraps I was saving for smoothies. Let's get through the superexpensive frozen wild blueberries before we start blending up leftover strawberry tops, mmmkay?

Working on:
* I have too many reusable bags. I think I need to release all those with logos (I have a set of 6 or 7 plain black hemp ones that more than suffice for all my grocery needs) but I haven't managed it yet. The ones from Whole Foods have shoulder straps and are organic cotton! Argh. I know better. I'm going to ask my mom if she wants to take them.
* I kept some blackstrap molasses that I think I've had for five years. Added a little to the overnight oatmeal I'm making. It has a lot of iron and nutrients so if I can choke it down in oatmeal I'll let it stay in the house until it's used up.

The struggle is real.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2015, 10:21:08 PM by jengod »

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2802 on: November 15, 2015, 11:22:50 PM »
I spent part of this week helping a girlfriend clear out her late mother's home. There were three different rooms that were so full of boxes and possessions that you couldn't enter them. I threw away multiple bags of junk mail, catalogs, return address stickers, freebie notepads, business cards and so forth. We didn't even tackle anything that wasn't pure trash, as apparently much of it can be sold in bulk at the estate sale.

Long story short, I don't want to die surrounded by piles of credit card statements from six years ago and clothing I haven't worn in 25 years and junk I don't even remember ordering.

As such, some recent declutter work:
* Packed a bag of weird geegaws for "art tray" at preschool
* Selected three cookbook/garden books to list on Amazon or otherwise release
* Packed a bag for Goodwill including Cuisinart blades, 3 insulated lunchboxes with off-putting logos, a checkbook cover, an extra grater and an extra bottle opener
* Packed up an ugly but ultrawarm blanket for the homeless guy who lives under our nearest freeway overpass
* Poured four expired medications into the worm bin and recycled the plastic containers
* Collected all remaining tampons (I've switched to a menstrual cup) and will drop off in the women's bathroom at the library next time I go
* Tossed out a jar of some unidentifiable, unlabeled spice.
* Recycled 10 or so empty glass jars that I was saving for no particular reason.
* Threw away three Very Special and Important Rocks we'd been saving.
* Tossed gelatin, pectin, coconut milk and condensed milk that has never been used and will presumably not be used in the foreseeable future.
* Composted some frozen food scraps I was saving for smoothies. Let's get through the superexpensive frozen wild blueberries before we start blending up leftover strawberry tops, mmmkay?

Working on:
* I have too many reusable bags. I think I need to release all those with logos (I have a set of 6 or 7 plain black hemp ones that more than suffice for all my grocery needs) but I haven't managed it yet. The ones from Whole Foods have shoulder straps and are organic cotton! Argh. I know better. I'm going to ask my mom if she wants to take them.
* I kept some blackstrap molasses that I think I've had for five years. Added a little to the overnight oatmeal I'm making. It has a lot of iron and nutrients so if I can choke it down in oatmeal I'll let it stay in the house until it's used up.

The struggle is real.

A slight tangent perhaps, but iv'e also switched to a menstral cup. Greatly diminished waste  & is a big money saver- they supposedly last 10yrs. Excellent switch.

Astatine

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2803 on: November 16, 2015, 03:23:01 AM »
Jengod, I helped a friend with her father's house (borderline hoarder). I came home and threw out so much of my stuff in response. It's eye opening, isn't it.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2804 on: November 16, 2015, 07:18:05 AM »
I have a bunch too, from when they first came out.  I find that I use my 2 nylon pocket shopping bags all the time (they are small enough to live in my purse) and the others only when I need extra bags.  I have been slowly getting rid of the bulky bags, they are useful for holding other give-aways (2fers).
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=62658&cat=2,2260,47776&ap=1
http://www.mec.ca/product/5034-608/cactus-creek-pocket-shopping-bag-unisex/?f=10+50603


Working on:
* I have too many reusable bags. I think I need to release all those with logos (I have a set of 6 or 7 plain black hemp ones that more than suffice for all my grocery needs) but I haven't managed it yet. The ones from Whole Foods have shoulder straps and are organic cotton! Argh. I know better. I'm going to ask my mom if she wants to take them.


ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2805 on: November 16, 2015, 07:48:16 AM »
I am bringing in another batch of stuff to the consignment store today.  I realized that I started to get rid of stuff in my closet about a year ago and managed to reduce the clothing by about half!  I still have some items that could go.  It's a big closet :-)

I'm slowly getting used to wearing my favorites more often.  I have this irrational fear of wearing out my favorite items and not being able to find something I like to replace them.  This causes me to "save" the things I like and wear things I don't really care for.  By the time I get back to the favorites, they either don't fit any more or are out of style.  Where is the logic in this??? 

So I'm trying to focus on wearing my favorites instead, and wearing them more often.  Today, I have on a pair of shoes I adore and a cashmere cardigan that I like a lot.  I wore them last Friday as well.  When I was getting dressed this morning, I had anxious thoughts floating in my head of what I'm going to do when these things wear out and what will people at work think seeing me in the same stuff two Fridays in a row ;-)

I've had to fight this as well over the years (thanks, childhood brainwashing from parents). But, who knows, you could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Or what is your favourite today may no longer be your favourite next year, or your tastes change, or you change size or shape. Wear what you love now. Trust that you will find future favourite things later if needed. The only day that matters is today.

Thank you for this, Astatine, especially the bolded sentence.  I need to focus on that!

Miskalkulation

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2806 on: November 16, 2015, 09:06:29 AM »
Wow, learning so many great ideas.  A couple of months ago, I took the plunge and started cleaning out closets.  I had been saving the kids jeans for years, hoping to do a rag quilt.  Finally, it is halfway done, trying to figure out how to finish it with the pockets in the squares, and incorporating some embroidery flowers into the bottom sash.  Giving it back to the youngest one for Christmas!! Thanks for all the ideas and motivation!

MoustacheKnittah

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2807 on: November 17, 2015, 02:35:39 PM »
Just got Marie Condo's audiobook from the library, after waiting in line..

yesterday (before starting the book)  I managed to donate to a youth shelter 2 items that have value but weren't good for me

Have been doing a Konmari-light of my household. I don't think I want (or need) true minimalism, but it's definitely shifted the way I think about possessions and helped me get rid of a lot of the physical clutter that was also causing emotional clutter.

Random example: Had been driving around with a purse/bag in my car for about a year - my sister gave it to me stuffed full of yarn she didn't want any more. I gave the yarn to a local craft/makerspace (it wasn't great yarn, but good for teaching), but I couldn't ditch the bag even though it wasn't my taste. This past week, a woman in my community was assembling small bags with toiletries and necessities that could be handed out to women at a local shelter, so I FINALLY had a good place to donate it. Also took two coats that I had been meaning to get rid of but didn't want to just chuck in the regular donation bag, for SOME SILLY REASON. Ok! On to the next thing. I couldn't just give those things away, so I'm glad I was able to gift them to something I felt was more meaningful.

KiwiSonya

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2808 on: November 18, 2015, 12:54:04 AM »
Renewed enthusiasm for decluttering from me since I have changed mindset.  From 'this could come in handy one day' to 'I trust that I'll be able to acquire this (probably secondhand) when the need arises.' I have had such a scarcity mentality when there is no need to - I have a tip shop 5 mins away and have seen everything under the sun there,  and yet I have been buying stuff and storing it in my 80sqm house waiting for some day. The questions have I used it in 6 months and will I use it.in the next 6 tell me all I need ti know. Reckon I can chuck the contents of the attic out with the exception of a couple of bags  of kid things. I'll finish my cuppa then back to it!

MountainGal

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2809 on: November 18, 2015, 12:15:04 PM »
Focused space clearing lately:

A stack of egg cartons went to a friend who owns chickens.

Ping pong balls (purchased for a failed beer pong party several years ago) were sent to a friend who enjoys playing ping pong with his son.

A large bag of non-perishables are ready to be donated to the local Scouts holiday food drive.  A smaller bag of hotel shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. went into the bag as well.

Have sent an email to a local Lions Club member to ask the location of used eyeglasses donation boxes.  Several pair are next to leave the house.  :)

Organized my back up stash of HBAs, including vitamins.  Will refrain from buying anything further until the stash is reduced a bit.

A huge stack of used pots, related containers, etc., (I washed them first) went to my flower shop owning friend for reuse.  Was going to give her several small glass candle holders from our wedding, but decided I am going to try my hand at a windowsill herb garden again.  :)

KiwiSonya

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2810 on: November 18, 2015, 09:22:38 PM »
Freecycled a beautiful old oak dresser that wasn't pulling it's weight in my tiny house. Was a storage vessel but then I got rid of the contents! A lovely young woman moving in with her boyfriend collected it. The look of delight in her face to have secured something so lovely on her budget of zero made my day. Sure I could have sold it but then I wouldn't have the warm fuzzies. It's easy to forget in our abundance that there are others starting out who will really appreciate our lightly used hand me downs.

KiwiSonya

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2811 on: November 18, 2015, 09:23:25 PM »
Freecycled a beautiful old oak dresser that wasn't pulling it's weight in my tiny house. Was a storage vessel but then I got rid of the contents! A lovely young woman moving in with her boyfriend collected it. The look of delight in her face to have secured something so lovely on her budget of zero made my day. Sure I could have sold it but then I wouldn't have the warm fuzzies. It's easy to forget in our abundance that there are others starting out who will really appreciate our lightly used hand me downs.

Practical Magic

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2812 on: November 20, 2015, 09:49:24 PM »
I've had two buyers on ebay fail to pay recently. Annoying! One item I boxed and packed as soon as it was sold, so though I'm tempted to just donate it, I would have to unwrap it first, and it was glass so it's really well packed. I have relisted. The other I have done a second chance offer.

This never used to happen to me on ebay, but I've had it three times this year, and I've been selling less than before. Interesting trend that I hope does not continue.

I've noticed this unfortunate trend toward flakiness with eBay buyers for the past couple years. One thing you can do is go into your Seller Account and set buyer preferences to the strictest settings possible. In my case, I require buyers to have a PayPal account, and a minimum of negative feedback or unpaid items. Also, I block any past deadbeat buyers from bidding on future items. I do think it has helped.
« Last Edit: November 21, 2015, 02:21:26 PM by Practical Magic »

Anatidae V

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2813 on: November 21, 2015, 02:33:52 AM »
My hubby and I spent today sorting lego from other tiny toy pieces, reviewing his sentimental items, and then consolidating his sentimental items to one box. Various other things were gone through at the same time, and now we have a whole extra room in our house!

Lots went in recycling, some went in the trash, and an overpriced shore rack/bench (was a whopping $140 when new :( ) is now on Gumtree!

The mounds of paper are next in line...

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2814 on: November 21, 2015, 08:12:04 AM »
I've noticed this unfortunate trend toward flakiness with eBay buyers for the past couple years. One thing you can do is go into your Seller Account and set buyer preferences to the strictest settings possible. In my case, I require buyers to have a PayPal account, and the minimum negative feedback and unpaid items. Also, I block any past deadbeat buyers from bidding on future items. I do think it has helped.

It also doesn't help that eBay almost always sides with the buyer if something goes wrong with the transaction.  Between this and the ever increasing fees, eBay is slowing putting themselves out of business.

horsepoor

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2815 on: November 21, 2015, 09:00:19 AM »
Yeah, I am going to reluctantly list some things in eBay today, but I really hate using it as a seller.  It seems like the Amazon book selling fees have gotten even more atrocious though.  It's really annoying that the shipping fees can't be adjusted, so the seller just has to eat the cost of shipping heavy books.  And what they pay with their buy back policy is a joke. 

Yesterday I sold a horse-related item through Facebook and when the buyer showed up, I pawned off a few other items on her that weren't worth the hassle of trying to sell.  She went away happy and my bag-o-crap shrank by almost half.

FrugalShrew

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2816 on: November 21, 2015, 04:21:32 PM »
Freecycled a beautiful old oak dresser that wasn't pulling it's weight in my tiny house. Was a storage vessel but then I got rid of the contents! A lovely young woman moving in with her boyfriend collected it. The look of delight in her face to have secured something so lovely on her budget of zero made my day. Sure I could have sold it but then I wouldn't have the warm fuzzies. It's easy to forget in our abundance that there are others starting out who will really appreciate our lightly used hand me downs.

This is such a beautiful story! What a wonderful way to let your dresser go.

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2817 on: November 23, 2015, 04:25:02 AM »
Thanks for the tips on reducing ebay time wasters, I'll change my settings.

What annoys me is that, as a buyer, when I click to buy it says, "you are entering a legally binding agreement" yada yada. I have NEVER backed out on buying something, even if I had buyers remorse immediately. And yet, despite this warning when  you click to buy, ebay never makes a buyer go through with a purchase. If someone doesn't pay up... oh well.

I understand from their point of view they don't want to put people off buying through them by aggressively forcing people to pay for stuff they have decided they don't want. But if they're not going to enforce paying, they should at least have a 'Sorry, I changed my mind' button so that sellers know what's going on. As it is I'm sending payment reminders, and waiting for the day I resell something and the original 'buyer' comes back and says, 'But it was promised to me!'.

Prairie Gal

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2818 on: November 23, 2015, 07:01:10 AM »
Unloaded an old rocking chair and a vintage organ that were collecting dust in the basement.

Practical Magic

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2819 on: November 23, 2015, 05:59:06 PM »
Thanks for the tips on reducing ebay time wasters, I'll change my settings.

What annoys me is that, as a buyer, when I click to buy it says, "you are entering a legally binding agreement" yada yada. I have NEVER backed out on buying something, even if I had buyers remorse immediately. And yet, despite this warning when  you click to buy, ebay never makes a buyer go through with a purchase. If someone doesn't pay up... oh well.

I understand from their point of view they don't want to put people off buying through them by aggressively forcing people to pay for stuff they have decided they don't want. But if they're not going to enforce paying, they should at least have a 'Sorry, I changed my mind' button so that sellers know what's going on. As it is I'm sending payment reminders, and waiting for the day I resell something and the original 'buyer' comes back and says, 'But it was promised to me!'.

I feel your frustration, and have never backed out of a sale as a buyer either. I forgot to mention another tactic, which is maybe what you're referring to about payment reminders? If the buyer hasn't paid within 48 hours after the item has been purchased, I open an unpaid item case. It's easy, you just click on the item sold, select Resolve a Problem and I've Sold an Item and Haven't Received My Payment Yet. (Alternatively, when you list your item for sale, you can select to have an unpaid item case opened automatically if the buyer doesn't pay within 48 hours). In previous years that would've seemed pushy as a seller. Nowadays, not at all. It nudges the slow payers to pay sooner and it exposes the deadbeats sooner as well, so you can relist your item, and eBay will refund you for any fees.
« Last Edit: November 28, 2015, 02:45:07 PM by Practical Magic »

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2820 on: November 24, 2015, 03:30:42 AM »

I feel your frustration, and have never backed out of a sale as a buyer either. I forgot to mention another tactic, which is maybe what you're referring to about payment reminders? If the buyer hasn't paid within 48 hours after the item has been purchased, I open an unpaid item case. It's easy, you just click on the item sold, select Resolve a Problem and Haven't Received Payment from Buyer. (Alternatively, when you list your item for sale, you can select to have an unpaid item case opened automatically if the buyer doesn't pay within 48 hours). In previous years that would've seemed pushy as a seller. Nowadays, not at all. It nudges the slow payers to pay sooner and it exposes the deadbeats sooner as well, so you can relist your item, and eBay will refund you for any fees.

Thanks Practical Magic, I will try that next time!

MountainGal

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2821 on: November 25, 2015, 11:49:03 AM »
Lately: 

Tossed a few items from the master bathroom cupboard.

Gave a bottle of hair product back to my hairdresser.  I bought it from her several years ago and used it twice.  $17 down the drain.  :(

Last Saturday spent 4 hours here at the office filing and shredding.  What a grounded feeling to get those tasks complete.  Took several empty boxes to the recycle bin.

Bit the bullet and cut up my favorite, old, holey t-shirt to use for cleaning rags.

It will be interesting to see what I accomplish over the 4 day American holiday weekend.  :)

horsepoor

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2822 on: November 25, 2015, 05:28:57 PM »
Finally sold a saddle on eBay.  I'd had it listed a couple times, sold once, but it fell through due to a listing error on my part.  I was about to donate the damn' thing just to get it out of my sight.  Still have about a dozen things listed on eBay.  I need to find a charitable horse-related organization to donate some of the other stuff to, since it's useful, but not worth enough to deal with the eBay hassle.

I've been reading the Kondo book and it helped me with paperwork today.  I ended up with a big stack that I'm currently feeding into the fire.  I also went through my photo albums, pruned out a bunch of duplicates and stuff I didn't care about so I could consolidate down to two albums.  Found about a dozen books to get rid of.  I also decided to finally get rid of the very nice vintage fondue pot my mom got me ~15 years ago that I've used precisely once.  It always gets tarnished so it isn't so great to display, either.  To my surprise, I opened it up and packed inside were salt and pepper shakers and sake cups I'd completely forgotten about.  My guess is that I packed them that way when we moved to this house.  Which was almost six years ago.  Also threw out about a dozen keys that didn't fit anything; I think most were to our old house, which we sold last year.  I'm off work the next four days and it's going to be cold/rainy/snowy, so I ought to make some great progress.  Friday I am going to get through the file cabinet come hell or high water, and get our 2015 tax documents pulled into one place so we're ready when our W-2's come in this year.  I also want to break down my aquarium and get it and my espresso machine listed on Craigslist this weekend.  Still adding to the donations pile in the garage and shaking my head at the crap I bought back when I earned less than half my current salary. 

meadow lark

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2823 on: November 25, 2015, 11:54:40 PM »
My 3 month report back on Konmaring my house - yes, it has pretty much stuck.  I was thinking about going through my stuff again to declutter, but I don't have much I can think of.  I also have done well for 3 months of implementing bedtime routines and morning routines to keep the house looking good.  I've slacked some the last month because I had bronchitis and no energy, but I am back!

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2824 on: November 26, 2015, 03:25:56 AM »
I am so much more motivated to clean my house since tidying up, anyone else found this? I am also weirdly houseproud - last week I bought some flowers (only £2 but still, I wouldn't usually) and I loved seeing them everyday, and yesterday I replaced them with a houseplant display thing.

I used to think flowers were just an annoyance, having to water, change the water, deciding when to throw them away, then actually discard which fills up the kitchen bin.

I'm also still folding everything. I had a week off from folding my knickers and decided I do prefer them folded!

One thing I have changed against Kondo's advice is that I have put away my summer clothes. Where I live there is no chance of wearing them, and my wardrobe is so much easier to navigate now. Yes, I could reduce all clothing further, but really, when I'm not going to wear them until May, they are just clutter that makes my life harder.

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2825 on: November 26, 2015, 04:35:41 AM »

Gave a bottle of hair product back to my hairdresser.  I bought it from her several years ago and used it twice.  $17 down the drain.  :(


I would have used it for something else like shaving my legs or using it as laundry detergent.:)

My 3 month report back on Konmaring my house - yes, it has pretty much stuck.  I was thinking about going through my stuff again to declutter, but I don't have much I can think of.  I also have done well for 3 months of implementing bedtime routines and morning routines to keep the house looking good.  I've slacked some the last month because I had bronchitis and no energy, but I am back!


It's weird as I think I have gone through everything and then I look through a cupboard and think why am I keeping this random item?:P

gliderpilot567

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2826 on: November 26, 2015, 11:33:56 AM »
3 huge trash bags full of clothes I no longer wear, some practically new. I donated them two days ago. Probably 60 pounds and several cubic feet of encumbrance gone. Best of all some people who need them will have some clothes to wear.

KiwiSonya

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2827 on: November 26, 2015, 09:52:09 PM »
Great work everyone.  And Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the USA. My last KonMari effort 6 months ago was tentative and I kept lots 'just in case', but after not touching it in the attic  in all that time it can go now. Likewise a huge stacks of books and several boxes of kitchenware. I'm giving a capsule wardrobe a try for the upcoming summer months. I've chosen about 30 items and have bagged the rest to stay in the attic.  Need to negotiate with hubby on photos and knickknacks. He'd happily have lots, I want none so we need to find a middle ground somewhere.  I have decided that plants growing in pots are too high maintenance given that I have plenty of room in garden beds so will be sorting that during rhe Christmas holidays. I have also made a list of things that I would like to upgrade - things that I need and use but where my current object falls short. I figure if I have minimal possessions I should eventually allow myself to have good quality versions.

Prairie Gal

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2828 on: November 27, 2015, 06:53:19 AM »
I am planning to take another swoop through my house this weekend to find some things I can donate to the refugees that will be arriving in my city soon. So far I have a brand new set of measuring cups that I bought once because they were nice and colourful, but obviously didn't need because I have never even taken them out of the packaging. Also some random dishes and plastic containers and a brand new quilt that was an impulse buy. Makes me feel good to think that stuff that I have laying around my house not being used can be used by people that will arrive with absolutely nothing.

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2829 on: November 27, 2015, 07:03:37 AM »
I am planning to take another swoop through my house this weekend to find some things I can donate to the refugees that will be arriving in my city soon.

Very nice.:)

smalllife

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2830 on: November 27, 2015, 07:22:17 AM »
I had been resisting donating my hair dryer for years, but have finally worked up the courage to donate it!  We have a houseguest in the spare room/attic who should be leaving soon and I plan on giving it a thorough look over.  Its been the "place things go to die" storage area, so I want to get everything we actually use on the main floor.

horsepoor

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2831 on: November 27, 2015, 02:52:18 PM »
Cannot believe how much I was able to cut down on crap in our filing cabinets!  It now easily fits into less than half a drawer, and we have a big 4-drawer legal cabinet, so that left space to store some of our other stuff out of sight.  The office is starting to look much less cluttered. 

A big chunk of it was various warranties and instruction manuals, many for items we don't even own anymore.  The rest are available online, so no need to keep a paper copy.  Tax stuff is organized by year for the first time ever, so now I can just grab and chuck the whole file once we no longer need it for records purposes.

The last fish is gone from the aquarium and I'm getting ready to drain the tank and get the whole thing posted to Craigslist.  This one will be nice because it's decluttering a chore/maintenance item from my life permanently.

Keep up the good work everyone!

Cookie78

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2832 on: November 30, 2015, 09:50:24 AM »
I am planning to take another swoop through my house this weekend to find some things I can donate to the refugees that will be arriving in my city soon. So far I have a brand new set of measuring cups that I bought once because they were nice and colourful, but obviously didn't need because I have never even taken them out of the packaging. Also some random dishes and plastic containers and a brand new quilt that was an impulse buy. Makes me feel good to think that stuff that I have laying around my house not being used can be used by people that will arrive with absolutely nothing.

This was also a great reason for me to go through my front closet again and get rid of a few more winter jackets that I love but never wear! :)

I'm a red panda

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2833 on: November 30, 2015, 10:46:32 AM »
Organized my sock drawer :) 
Got rid of a few pairs with holes, and a few that the calf was too tight.   Everything now fits nicely, and is arranged in dividers by size.

That makes me happy.

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2834 on: November 30, 2015, 11:03:23 AM »
I've been doing well on my decluttering mission but suffered a self-induced setback recently.  Namely, I've given in to frugal fatigue and did some shopping, primarily for clothes.  A friend also gave me a few sweaters when we were organizing her closet.  So now I feel like I have too much stuff again :-( 

I need to refocus and do some more purging this week.  I don't want to go into the holidays and the new year feeling overwhelmed by my stuff.

NoraLenderbee

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2835 on: November 30, 2015, 02:48:40 PM »
When I did my socks recently, I finally tossed all the singletons whose mate had been lost, including one of a pair of navy blue socks that I rather liked. So what does my husband find in his sock drawer yesterday? The other navy blue sock. Grr.

choppingwood

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2836 on: November 30, 2015, 04:20:51 PM »
When I did my socks recently, I finally tossed all the singletons whose mate had been lost, including one of a pair of navy blue socks that I rather liked. So what does my husband find in his sock drawer yesterday? The other navy blue sock. Grr.

It socks to be you ;)

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2837 on: November 30, 2015, 06:15:41 PM »
When I did my socks recently, I finally tossed all the singletons whose mate had been lost, including one of a pair of navy blue socks that I rather liked. So what does my husband find in his sock drawer yesterday? The other navy blue sock. Grr.

It socks to be you ;)

Ya I did the same thing recently with a pair of fuzzy house socks. Bummer.

former player

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2838 on: December 01, 2015, 01:47:52 AM »
Please can y'all stop enabling my single sock habit?

Fbeyer

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2839 on: December 01, 2015, 03:21:01 AM »
You know happens when all your socks are black? No more singletons. As soon as you can't find or fix whatever is missing/broken. Toss the one you can't fix and you can pair it with the one left over from last time you tossed something out.

Problem solved.

Capsule wardrobes are excellent.

Rural

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2840 on: December 01, 2015, 04:10:54 AM »
You know happens when all your socks are black? No more singletons. As soon as you can't find or fix whatever is missing/broken. Toss the one you can't fix and you can pair it with the one left over from last time you tossed something out.

Problem solved.

Capsule wardrobes are excellent.


 Yes, but this precludes Hello Kitty socks. So far, the primary advantage I have discovered to having tenure is that I get to wear Hello Kitty socks to work anytime I want.


 However, all of my husband's socks match exactly. Not only does this solve the problem with singletons, but it means there's no need to fold his socks, ever.  Fortunately, he's not particularly fond of Hello Kitty.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2841 on: December 01, 2015, 06:30:28 AM »
You know happens when all your socks are black? No more singletons. As soon as you can't find or fix whatever is missing/broken. Toss the one you can't fix and you can pair it with the one left over from last time you tossed something out.

Problem solved.

Capsule wardrobes are excellent.

My husband's socks are all either white or black. But they don't match.
The white socks are all Hanes, and all say the same thing on the package, but when you buy them 5+ years apart, Hanes changes things.  So the ones that have black capital letters on the toes are a little longer than the black lowercase letter ones.  And now the new ones have red letters and more cushioning on the sole.  He can't stand to wear them together, so I STILL have to match socks; and they look nearly identical, which makes it much harder than matching mine, which are all handknit, and therefore crazy colors.

The ones with black capital letters are all about 10 years old now, so I might just throw them out. Most are really ratty and the elastic is pulling out. He's lost a lot to holes over the years (hence the two other styles)

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2842 on: December 01, 2015, 07:00:59 AM »
iowajes I find matching 'similar' socks much harder as well.

I bought 20 packs or whatever of identical socks, same day, same shop etc. They all aged differently! I know this sounds crazy, but it's true. So you end up with them feeling very different to wear, and therefore you want a pair in the same state of worn-ness (especially the elastic at the top. One tight, one loose is unbearable to me, but both of either is fine).

My friend bought me a pack of crazy coloured socks one birthday, and it made matching socks so much easier! Counter-intuitive, but that's my experience.

maco

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2843 on: December 01, 2015, 07:54:33 AM »
iowajes I find matching 'similar' socks much harder as well.

I bought 20 packs or whatever of identical socks, same day, same shop etc. They all aged differently! I know this sounds crazy, but it's true. So you end up with them feeling very different to wear, and therefore you want a pair in the same state of worn-ness (especially the elastic at the top. One tight, one loose is unbearable to me, but both of either is fine).

My friend bought me a pack of crazy coloured socks one birthday, and it made matching socks so much easier! Counter-intuitive, but that's my experience.
There is (or was?) a sock store in Pittsburgh that sold sets of 3 color-coordinating patterned socks.

NoraLenderbee

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2844 on: December 01, 2015, 02:00:02 PM »
You know happens when all your socks are black? No more singletons. As soon as you can't find or fix whatever is missing/broken. Toss the one you can't fix and you can pair it with the one left over from last time you tossed something out.

Problem solved.


That's great if you like to wear the same-looking socks all the time. I enjoy socks in different colors, some dark, some plain, some bright, some patterned. I also have socks in different weights--thin for hot days, thicker for cold days--because they keep my feet comfortable. Managing my socks isn't a problem for me, so I'm not interested in simplifying this one aspect of my wardrobe.

MountainGal

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2845 on: December 01, 2015, 02:09:03 PM »

Gave a bottle of hair product back to my hairdresser.  I bought it from her several years ago and used it twice.  $17 down the drain.  :(


I would have used it for something else like shaving my legs or using it as laundry detergent.:)



Ah.  It wasn't that kind of product.  More like a sticky type spray to help texture while styling.  My hairdresser did end up trading me for a similar priced item.  :D

MountainGal

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2846 on: December 01, 2015, 02:26:36 PM »
You know happens when all your socks are black? No more singletons. As soon as you can't find or fix whatever is missing/broken. Toss the one you can't fix and you can pair it with the one left over from last time you tossed something out.

Problem solved.

Capsule wardrobes are excellent.


 Yes, but this precludes Hello Kitty socks. So far, the primary advantage I have discovered to having tenure is that I get to wear Hello Kitty socks to work anytime I want.


 However, all of my husband's socks match exactly. Not only does this solve the problem with singletons, but it means there's no need to fold his socks, ever.  Fortunately, he's not particularly fond of Hello Kitty.

I love this.  :D

riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2847 on: December 01, 2015, 03:39:25 PM »
You know happens when all your socks are black? No more singletons. As soon as you can't find or fix whatever is missing/broken. Toss the one you can't fix and you can pair it with the one left over from last time you tossed something out.

Problem solved.

Capsule wardrobes are excellent.

When I run out of socks , I will do this, but can't justify buying more when I still have around 20 pairs of socks in good condition. Might add that I mostly wear boots so it doesn't actually matter if they match, so I actually didn't need to toss it. Live and learn . ha

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2848 on: December 02, 2015, 03:43:49 AM »
Oops, I bought a few extra Christmas decorations so I had to free up some space.:D Two of my lamps broke at almost the same time this week so that helped!

I have collected up another bag of clothes for charity and included all the skirts that I will not fit into in the near future.


riverffashion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #2849 on: December 05, 2015, 06:04:58 PM »
Well, I am moving onca again. The easy part is I have less than a carload of stuff to put in my accord. . - minus the bed . pretty good.
However.
Of course I have taken it upon myself to capitalize on this golden opportunity to declutter. :). So far: a couple dozen clothing items out (I am VERY picky and almost never find anything I like, so it is very easy to donate). Half of my sewing/ art supplies stash ( left with a medium sized bag ). A couple makeup bags. A pair of shoes. Several books.some jewelry supplies, rocks, shells. I don't remember what else.
I also recyclabled a large bag of paperwork, etc.