Author Topic: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!  (Read 1850056 times)

Polaria

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3500 on: June 15, 2016, 04:26:07 AM »
From now on I am only buying generic paper which can be used for birthday / Christmas and any gender or age. Simplicity! I tucked the one silver roll and the brown paper used for parcels in with the packing supplies. Feels great.

I've also decided to only use unbleached kraft paper from now on. I personalize the wrapping with a couple of stickers (butterflies, dinosaurs, flowers,...) depending on the interests of the recipient.
Sticker sheets take so less space than wrapping rolls!

Anatidae V

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3501 on: June 15, 2016, 04:31:03 AM »
From now on I am only buying generic paper which can be used for birthday / Christmas and any gender or age. Simplicity! I tucked the one silver roll and the brown paper used for parcels in with the packing supplies. Feels great.

I've also decided to only use unbleached kraft paper from now on. I personalize the wrapping with a couple of stickers (butterflies, dinosaurs, flowers,...) depending on the interests of the recipient.
Sticker sheets take so less space than wrapping rolls!
I like stamps, so I have some ink and a few stamps :) so many nice ways to personalise plain paper!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3502 on: June 15, 2016, 04:37:04 AM »
I have been working on the kitchen cupboards.  There are so many things that I have collected over the years that seem to take up space but parting with them is unbearable.  I have been putting them in a box and going down to the basement.  If they don't come back out from the basement in a reasonable amount of time, then they are going straight into the donation box at Bibles for Missions.

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3503 on: June 15, 2016, 11:24:12 AM »
Finally listed two items on eBay. Been hanging about for months but I couldn't bring myself to donate them knowing they were valuable. Half an hour with this months budget this afternoon made me realise today is the day! So glad they are listed. Had one offer already !

couponvan

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3504 on: June 21, 2016, 12:23:01 PM »
Cousin from CA is here visiting....She said "how do you have so little clutter"....1) I've been reading this thread, 2) I did some KonMari method, and 3) I have a basement hiding place for crap - almost no one in CA has a basement....

Must clean out basement, must clean out basement....


EDITED TO ADD - at least one reader in CA has a basement....
« Last Edit: June 21, 2016, 12:44:13 PM by couponvan »

aFrugalFather

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3505 on: June 21, 2016, 12:31:06 PM »
Cousin from CA is here visiting....She said "how do you have so little clutter"....1) I've been reading this thread, 2) I did some KonMari method, and 3) I have a basement hiding place for crap - no one in CA has a basement....

Must clean out basement, must clean out basement....

I have a basement in CA :P

couponvan

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3506 on: June 21, 2016, 12:42:31 PM »
Cousin from CA is here visiting....She said "how do you have so little clutter"....1) I've been reading this thread, 2) I did some KonMari method, and 3) I have a basement hiding place for crap - no one in CA has a basement....

Must clean out basement, must clean out basement....

UPDATING to "almost no one has a basement in CA...." ;-)

I have a basement in CA :P

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3507 on: June 21, 2016, 05:33:17 PM »
I tossed a baking dish (after it shattered into a million pieces), and a handful of items from the bathroom.

Between me stockpiling sale items, and my husband travelling for work, I'm still losing the war on toiletries. Every time he comes home from overseas he brings four business or first class airline toiletry kits. It saves us money in the long run - I have enough mini tubes of toothpaste to last a year - but I do excited when we finish one and I get to throw it out.

syednaeemul

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3508 on: June 22, 2016, 07:11:02 PM »
Half my clothes are donated, next is to start helping parents to get rid of clutter

halftimer

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3509 on: June 22, 2016, 08:50:48 PM »
A few decluttering successes lately: took 3 big containers of good quality clothes to a swap and only came away with 1 shirt. Then I finally threw out a worn out pair of winter boots, and sold a bunch of hobby equipment. I made $80, and my mom made $100 (she brokered the hobby/craft deal and made up some kits from the items so they would sell for more). I was happy to give her the task and the bigger share of the profits since they are still at the broke and struggling end of the mustachian scale, and I'm suddenly at the more than enough (but not FI by any means) middle of the spectrum.
I have also sorted out another 5 boxes of things that can be donated or sold soon. I'm finding my schedule too hectic to do more at the moment. I really like knowing that all of that stuff will be gone soon, and knowing that I can take my time to dispose of it responsibly. Now with summer here, and the patio table moved outside, and a 6" tall and wide shelf now gone forever from my living room I am enjoying absolute acres of space in our little one bedroom apartment.

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3510 on: June 23, 2016, 02:20:01 AM »
My two ebay items are sold and packed.

I don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, I am pleased I got money for stuff that I didn't want. On the other hand, the fact that I did get money has reinforced the idea that the rest of the stuff in that pile has value, and I should sell it, rather than just donating it.

The effort involved in listing was minimal. Yet still, I find myself resistant to listing the other stuff. Some of it won't 'donate' well, you know? It's specialist hobby stuff which is expensive to buy, but layman will just be like, 'what even is this?'.

I'll set myself a date, and if it isn't sold by then, I will donate.

And everytime I consider taking up a new hobby, I will remind myself how much I struggle with getting rid of working equipment, because if it tortures me this much, it is not worth buying it in the first place.

Anatidae V

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3511 on: June 23, 2016, 02:48:04 AM »
I got rid of our cumbersome knife block. The bench appreciates the space. Also broke two cups, so out they go! Pity they weren't the same set...

On digital clutter, down to ~200 emails in my two personal in boxes from over 500 each, and I've kept it steady! Work inbox has filled up again, but regular filing seems the simple key there. It's so nice to be able to know I'm making a steady difference.

Fig

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3512 on: July 01, 2016, 06:59:12 AM »
Epic decluttering in the Fig house lately. Posting here to remind me how far we've come!

Given to charity shop: lots of stationery, folders and notebooks, wooden box, chair support, other sundry items.

Taken by people in our building: noticeboard, unused calendar, coathangers, large and frankly unattractive plant I've kept for 12 years

Binned/shredded/recycled: unfinished sewing project, unused fabric, more stationery, old wrapping paper, gift bags and ribbons*, beloved but decrepit Doc Martens, about 30 pens/pencils, old jars, old candles and many, many papers. Also a tippy-over vase which broke during whilst awaiting donation; the world is better off without it.
 
Electronics recycling: two computer monitors, toothbrush, old camera, old mp3 player

And yet more things I can't recall. Really enjoying this but still to work through: books (no!), clothes (ugh), sentimental stuff (ouch), kitchen.

* Inspired by theadvicist - thank you!

JLee

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3513 on: July 01, 2016, 02:45:54 PM »
I was looking at my closet last night and realized that, even after packing only what I thought I'd need when I moved cross country (via airline with checked luggage), the majority of clothing occupying my closet never gets worn.

It might be time for another round of clothing disposal!

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3514 on: July 03, 2016, 12:35:29 AM »
My husband's team is moving into a new office on the next couple of weeks, so I've started piling up things: excess cutlery, a collection of stationery items that have been brought home from current office in dribs and drabs, and work-related paperwork. If he needs it for work, he can keep it at work!

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3515 on: July 04, 2016, 02:39:20 AM »
Epic decluttering in the Fig house lately. Posting here to remind me how far we've come!

Given to charity shop: lots of stationery, folders and notebooks, wooden box, chair support, other sundry items.

Taken by people in our building: noticeboard, unused calendar, coathangers, large and frankly unattractive plant I've kept for 12 years

Binned/shredded/recycled: unfinished sewing project, unused fabric, more stationery, old wrapping paper, gift bags and ribbons*, beloved but decrepit Doc Martens, about 30 pens/pencils, old jars, old candles and many, many papers. Also a tippy-over vase which broke during whilst awaiting donation; the world is better off without it.
 
Electronics recycling: two computer monitors, toothbrush, old camera, old mp3 player

And yet more things I can't recall. Really enjoying this but still to work through: books (no!), clothes (ugh), sentimental stuff (ouch), kitchen.

* Inspired by theadvicist - thank you!

Glad to have inspired, and jealous at your epic decluttering!

I rearranged my underwear drawer, as I realised my resistance to putting away clean bras was because the space I had allocated them was just a teeny bit tight, so there were straps and hooks all competing with each other and getting tangled. I made more space, and now it's easy to put away and select a bra to wear. Success!

However, I also have reluctance when hanging dresses, and I know that is because of a lack of space. My 'wardrobe' has changed in the past few years, I wear fewer separates and more dresses. But my actual wardrobe has remained the same, with most of the space dedicated to half-height hanging. There is plenty of space on those racks, but now not enough on the full-length hanging rail. Ugh.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3516 on: July 04, 2016, 03:09:30 AM »
I definitely identify with the reluctance to put away clothes.

Over the weekend I was staring down two baskets of ironing, with another load of washing on the line, and our sole, small wardrobe is full.

I believe in decluttering over storage solutions, but I think I'm going to have to rearrange things and come up with a better solution.

My decluttering progress for the evening: 10 seconds spent decluttering the freezer. Not food - I check that regularly. But my freezer door was full of ice-packs. Two medicinal gel ice-packs and five (!) cold bricks for the Esky. I don't remember when I last used any of them. One medicinal ice-pack and three cold bricks came out, and two ziplock bags of pumpkin soup went in.

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3517 on: July 04, 2016, 03:21:27 AM »
I definitely identify with the reluctance to put away clothes.

Over the weekend I was staring down two baskets of ironing, with another load of washing on the line, and our sole, small wardrobe is full.

I believe in decluttering over storage solutions, but I think I'm going to have to rearrange things and come up with a better solution.


I agree decluttering > storage solutions. Like you (I think) I'm happy my level of stuff and the choices it affords me, but the place I am keeping it doesn't work for me. As long as you are not creating more storage space to accumulate more, I think reworking it so the space is more in line with your priorities is a good thing. I really don't know how I can go about doing it in my space, but yes, a better solution is necessary.

Pairing down really is leading to living life with 'less resistance'. I owe Marie Kondo a lot!

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3518 on: July 04, 2016, 04:32:34 AM »
I definitely identify with the reluctance to put away clothes.

Over the weekend I was staring down two baskets of ironing, with another load of washing on the line, and our sole, small wardrobe is full.

I believe in decluttering over storage solutions, but I think I'm going to have to rearrange things and come up with a better solution.


I agree decluttering > storage solutions. Like you (I think) I'm happy my level of stuff and the choices it affords me, but the place I am keeping it doesn't work for me. As long as you are not creating more storage space to accumulate more, I think reworking it so the space is more in line with your priorities is a good thing. I really don't know how I can go about doing it in my space, but yes, a better solution is necessary.

Pairing down really is leading to living life with 'less resistance'. I owe Marie Kondo a lot!

My husband's clothes are the main cause of the frustration. He travels overseas for work, so he has a whole drawer full of cold weather gear he wears a few times a year. He has a couple of suits for the handful of occasions that require one. He is given branded/promo merchandise through work which isn't even remotely what I would buy for him (most recently an expensive white Gore-Tex jacket).

I've culled my wardrobe, I'm successfully creating a capsule wardrobe, and I still can't enjoy the fruits of my labour because I share the space with things like 25-30 baseball caps.

Apologies for the rant.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3519 on: July 04, 2016, 08:23:11 AM »

My husband's clothes are the main cause of the frustration. He travels overseas for work, so he has a whole drawer full of cold weather gear he wears a few times a year. He has a couple of suits for the handful of occasions that require one. He is given branded/promo merchandise through work which isn't even remotely what I would buy for him (most recently an expensive white Gore-Tex jacket).

I've culled my wardrobe, I'm successfully creating a capsule wardrobe, and I still can't enjoy the fruits of my labour because I share the space with things like 25-30 baseball caps.

Apologies for the rant.
I had the same issue (except mine never got rid of anything, so he had shirts that were clearly way out of style).  I have seen so many couples where the husband uses more of the clothes space than the wife.  Where did this myth come from that women have masses of stuff and men have so little?
Years ago when I decluttered, I put tape on the bars right in the middle, and told him this half is yours, that half is mine - because otherwise his stuff would have moved into all the nice space I had cleared.  Maybe if you claim half, and he has to figure out what to do with his?  Things he uses rarely don't deserve prime storage space.  Those of us in variable climates know all about shifting the warm weather clothes and the cold weather clothes twice a year.  I don't need easy access to my -30C coat and boots right now, when the high is 28C  ;-)  He doesn't need easy access to the cold weather gear and the suits, as long as they are stored someplace that will keep them in good shape. I can't help with the baseball caps, I had to live with 15-20 visors (golfers love them, I hate them because the top of my head is not protected from the sun).
I don't know if that was any help, but know you have my sympathy.  ;-)

NinetyFour

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3520 on: July 04, 2016, 03:21:24 PM »
Got rid of 2 blouses, 3 pairs of shorts, 14 t-shirts, 6 books, and a couple other odds and ends today.

Oh, and I broke a plate (and threw it away) a few days ago.  Does that count as decluttering?  :)

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3521 on: July 04, 2016, 07:30:58 PM »

My husband's clothes are the main cause of the frustration. He travels overseas for work, so he has a whole drawer full of cold weather gear he wears a few times a year. He has a couple of suits for the handful of occasions that require one. He is given branded/promo merchandise through work which isn't even remotely what I would buy for him (most recently an expensive white Gore-Tex jacket).

I've culled my wardrobe, I'm successfully creating a capsule wardrobe, and I still can't enjoy the fruits of my labour because I share the space with things like 25-30 baseball caps.

Apologies for the rant.
I had the same issue (except mine never got rid of anything, so he had shirts that were clearly way out of style).  I have seen so many couples where the husband uses more of the clothes space than the wife.  Where did this myth come from that women have masses of stuff and men have so little?
Years ago when I decluttered, I put tape on the bars right in the middle, and told him this half is yours, that half is mine - because otherwise his stuff would have moved into all the nice space I had cleared.  Maybe if you claim half, and he has to figure out what to do with his?  Things he uses rarely don't deserve prime storage space.  Those of us in variable climates know all about shifting the warm weather clothes and the cold weather clothes twice a year.  I don't need easy access to my -30C coat and boots right now, when the high is 28C  ;-)  He doesn't need easy access to the cold weather gear and the suits, as long as they are stored someplace that will keep them in good shape. I can't help with the baseball caps, I had to live with 15-20 visors (golfers love them, I hate them because the top of my head is not protected from the sun).
I don't know if that was any help, but know you have my sympathy.  ;-)

Thank you, that has given me a few things to think about. :)

Astatine

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3522 on: July 05, 2016, 03:31:46 AM »
I'm another woman whose husband has significantly more clothes.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3523 on: July 05, 2016, 04:03:00 AM »
My husband had ... odd clothing habits.

Shopping has always been his mum's favourite - and really only - hobby. But while she would always hunt out bargains for herself, buying expensive pieces on sale, when it came to buying clothes for her sons she was just cheap.

He had some godawful clothes when we met. And it took me until after we were married to get her to stop buying him cheap and nasty clothes.

They were also weird about socks. She didn't believe in her sons and husband owning their own socks; they all had to share. So the socks lived in plastic tubs in the lounge room. The sock collection was pretty pathetic. Occasionally someone would get new socks for Christmas and the boys would fight over them. (I say boys - this was still happening when my husband and his brother were in their 20s. And my FiL was in his 50s and still trying to snaffle the "good socks" from his sons! >.<)

We got married. I bought him socks. He wore the socks, I washed them, folded them, put them in his drawer. When the socks wore out, we bought new ones. Fairly simple process. It blew his mind that socks could be so simple.

So that's a litmus test for me. I don't need anything in my life that is going to suck up so much emotional energy as three grown men fighting over socks.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3524 on: July 05, 2016, 06:54:15 AM »
I'm another woman whose husband has significantly more clothes.

Me too- way more clothes.  Though I mostly buy them... it's just easier to find good stuff, inexpensively for him.

MayDay

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3525 on: July 05, 2016, 07:22:09 AM »
I'm another woman whose husband has significantly more clothes.

Me too- way more clothes.  Though I mostly buy them... it's just easier to find good stuff, inexpensively for him.

I have had to break myself of this habit.  I find nice stuff, cheap, for him all the time.  But then It is my fault if he has too much clothing, because I KNOW when I buy it that he will never get rid of it.  So I had to really just stop buying him clothing unless it was to replace really ratty work clothes basically.  That I will insist on throwing away.

When we met the man owned green jeans (and not the trendy hipster kind!) and hot pink gym shorts, because his mother had bought them, and so he had them.  He had never worn them, but it never occurred to him to just TOSS THEM. 

4alpacas

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3526 on: July 05, 2016, 09:02:08 AM »
I'm another woman whose husband has significantly more clothes.

Me too- way more clothes.  Though I mostly buy them... it's just easier to find good stuff, inexpensively for him.
I wish I was the only person buying my husband's clothes.  He buys things in bulk and holds on to the older items.

This weekend, we went through his closet and got rid of a LOT of stuff.  I'm SO excited.  I need to drop them off at the Salvation Army next weekend.

OmahaSteph

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3527 on: July 05, 2016, 12:35:13 PM »
I'm moving in 38 days and have already begun the decluttering, which is surprising to me since we just moved last year and I decluttered then. And a year before that and ditto. We're actually moving to a larger home with one walk-in closet in the master, so Current and I will be sharing a closet instead of each having our own. The last few posts have been helpful in that we'll each probably take a side, and if one can't fit all their stuff in their half of the closet, out it goes!

Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3528 on: July 06, 2016, 03:31:08 AM »
I'm another woman whose husband has significantly more clothes.

Same here. :D I bought some space saving coat hangers recently for him and he has twice as many clothes as I do.

marty998

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3529 on: July 07, 2016, 04:08:13 AM »
Oh my God I had such an epic fail today.

Called up a charity to take away my furniture. They sent a truck around this morning to pick up a lounge, recliner, dining table and chairs, and a mattress.

- Lounge and recliner were "too faded" (bullshit)
- Dining table would not fit through the door... I politely asked them how do you think I got it in the door in the first place?
- They won't take the mattress (fair enough, nobody will want a 15 year old mattress, even if it looks ok)
- Since they didn't take the table, they left the chairs and said "book us again when you disassemble the table"

Bugger

theadvicist

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3530 on: July 07, 2016, 04:19:09 AM »
Oh Marty998 that's so annoying! Hope you sort out a new solution if you're unwilling to work with them again.

I got rid of a pair of shoes. I was keeping them because black formal shoes are always useful, right? Except I had a formal event recently to which I wore a black dress, and the shoes looked ridiculous. Since these things only come up about twice a year anyway, and the one time I had the chance to wear them I rejected them, into the donate box they go.

But I also bought a new pair of trousers, so I don't feel virtuous at all today.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3531 on: July 07, 2016, 05:27:54 AM »
Oh my God I had such an epic fail today.

Called up a charity to take away my furniture. They sent a truck around this morning to pick up a lounge, recliner, dining table and chairs, and a mattress.

- Lounge and recliner were "too faded" (bullshit)
- Dining table would not fit through the door... I politely asked them how do you think I got it in the door in the first place?
- They won't take the mattress (fair enough, nobody will want a 15 year old mattress, even if it looks ok)
- Since they didn't take the table, they left the chairs and said "book us again when you disassemble the table"

Bugger

Hang in there.

It is worth buying back that space in your apartment.

Anatidae V

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3532 on: July 07, 2016, 06:51:51 AM »
Marty998, that is so disheartening. When my Grandma was moving, they didn't even show up! We offloaded most of her things onto Gumtree for free instead.

.x.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3533 on: July 07, 2016, 12:55:45 PM »
I have a little card that says "5 things or 5 minutes" and when I see it I go around and do that.  I either get rid of five things - even if they are five pieces of scrap paper! - or I spend five minutes tidying up.

Yesterday I got rid of 2 shirts that definitely no longer spark joy, a bra that is too big and when I wear it has weird pouchy wrinkles because of that, a bracelet that had gotten too stretched out (elastic) but from which someone might still like the beads, and a little pcoket book of Pema Chodron.

Since I moved into my new little living space, I tend to think I only have the things I really need.  But when I find that card and look around, it feels so good to be able to look for five little things.  :)

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3534 on: July 07, 2016, 12:59:32 PM »
I have a little card that says "5 things or 5 minutes" and when I see it I go around and do that.  I either get rid of five things - even if they are five pieces of scrap paper! - or I spend five minutes tidying up.

What a wonderful little card! Where did you get this lovely idea?
« Last Edit: July 07, 2016, 03:23:40 PM by FrugalShrew »

.x.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3535 on: July 07, 2016, 01:27:18 PM »
I imagine that I read it in a feng shui de-cluttering book.  I've read about ten of them in the last few years, and imagine it came from one of them.  :)

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3536 on: July 07, 2016, 03:26:28 PM »
Hmm feng shui de-cluttering books sound like a neat genre. I just made myself a "5 Things or 5 Minutes" post-it. At some point I'll have to make a pretty card :)

.x.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3537 on: July 07, 2016, 03:35:38 PM »
I was looking at my closet last night and realized that, even after packing only what I thought I'd need when I moved cross country (via airline with checked luggage), the majority of clothing occupying my closet never gets worn.

It might be time for another round of clothing disposal!

It's amazing with clothes.  I did KonMari my closet before moving, and was sure I was down to just the joy stuff.  Then looked yesterday and realized I still had two shirts I was keeping for poor reasons.  Again and again with the letting go! :)

.x.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3538 on: July 07, 2016, 03:38:17 PM »
Hmm feng shui de-cluttering books sound like a neat genre. I just made myself a "5 Things or 5 Minutes" post-it. At some point I'll have to make a pretty card :)

Some of them were really well written, and some weren't.  They all came from the library, so that's okay. 

And I was just thinking that putting it on a post it would be a great way for me to see the reminder in places that stuff accumulates.  Inside a closet door, bathroom cupboard, kitchen junk drawer.....

KMMK

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3539 on: July 08, 2016, 08:27:14 AM »
We're moving soon and my boyfriend suggested going through Every item this weekend to see what we can get rid of. As a minimalist I'm extremely excited about this. I hate lugging stuff that never gets used around with every move.

Fig

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3540 on: July 08, 2016, 10:17:26 AM »
I've been doing really well clearing out but now I'm at my childhood home facing a big struggle. Just found my college, school and undergrad projects and a lot of old notes and cards. This is hard!

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3541 on: July 08, 2016, 11:27:32 AM »
My planned hiking trip this weekend got cancelled so I think I will spend the weekend doing another purge of my closet and house in general.  I've been at it for a while but it's amazing how many things I decided to keep over the last year that I now realize I don't need at all...

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3542 on: July 08, 2016, 11:56:15 AM »
I've been doing really well clearing out but now I'm at my childhood home facing a big struggle. Just found my college, school and undergrad projects and a lot of old notes and cards. This is hard!

Have you missed ANY of them? If not, clear sign that you don't actually need them anymore.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3543 on: July 08, 2016, 03:10:59 PM »
I've been doing really well clearing out but now I'm at my childhood home facing a big struggle. Just found my college, school and undergrad projects and a lot of old notes and cards. This is hard!

Have you missed ANY of them? If not, clear sign that you don't actually need them anymore.

If there is anything precious there, e.g. if you want to save the handwriting of a grandparent who has passed away, you could photograph or scan them for posterity.

.x.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3544 on: July 08, 2016, 08:15:45 PM »
I've been doing really well clearing out but now I'm at my childhood home facing a big struggle. Just found my college, school and undergrad projects and a lot of old notes and cards. This is hard!

Oh, Fig!  I recently moved and had to figure out what to do with my college papers.  I only went to college at the age of 37, and I'm 44 now.  Those papers were SO HARD for me to get rid of.

I had to really sit and think about why.

And for me it was that these papers were proof to me that I was smart.  I got excellent marks, and had wonderful comments written on my projects by the profs.  So I held those and read those comments out loud to myself and patted my own back lots.  And then I took a pic with my phone of any of the comments from the profs that I just couldn't part with. 

Then I held those papers to my heart and tried to just imagine all that goodness going right into my skin.  Deep, deep.  So that I wouldn't need the actual papers to prove it to me, anymore, but would have it inside me, carried around inside.

It was still hard!  And I did keep one essay that was particularly pleasing to me.  :)

What do those papers represent for you?  What is it that makes you want to hold on to them? 
I ask that from a curious and very open space - I think those papers have value for us and it's worth thinking about it!

Is it possible to allow yourself to keep one thing that sums that up for you?  Or even two or three things?


mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3545 on: July 09, 2016, 01:22:01 AM »
An opportunity has suddenly presented itself and we might be moving, very soon.

We are still deciding, but while we talk and ponder, I went into full decluttering mode today.

Friends have offered to help us move but I'm intensely uncomfortable with people knowing I have possessions. I mean, obviously they know I own things, but I'm known as the decluttering, anti-stuff girl. My skin crawls at the idea of people helping us move and being ... disappointed in me?

Anyway, I started a new tally (whiteboard marker on a mirror) and I'm down 57 things for the day.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3546 on: July 09, 2016, 01:23:50 AM »
Also, while surveying cupboards ahead of possible move, I realised I have 11 guest towels. We have guests frequently, at the moment we're in the middle of a stretch of having visitors three times in four weeks.

But we've never had 11 extra people stay in our two-bedroom apartment. That seems unlikely.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3547 on: July 09, 2016, 02:06:09 AM »
An opportunity has suddenly presented itself and we might be moving, very soon.

We are still deciding, but while we talk and ponder, I went into full decluttering mode today.

Friends have offered to help us move but I'm intensely uncomfortable with people knowing I have possessions. I mean, obviously they know I own things, but I'm known as the decluttering, anti-stuff girl. My skin crawls at the idea of people helping us move and being ... disappointed in me?

Anyway, I started a new tally (whiteboard marker on a mirror) and I'm down 57 things for the day.
I like opportunities presenting themselves, I see it as payback from the universe for all the rest of the crap.

Feeling uncomfortable about other people knowing details about your possessions is entirely natural: people who have been burgled often say that knowing someone has gone through their belongings is worse than the loss of some of those belongings.  I guess that professional movers can tell some good stories about people's belongings, but at least that is one step removed from the personal.

Regardless, I hope that the decluttering you are doing is for you, not for what other people might think of you as that seems a way to possible future regret.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3548 on: July 09, 2016, 02:16:55 AM »
getting rid of things due to social pressure may backfire.  You are you and it is ok to have some things.  You get to decide.  Maybe this is great motivation but be careful you don't go too far when you aren't personally ready for it.

If that makes sense?

An opportunity has suddenly presented itself and we might be moving, very soon.

We are still deciding, but while we talk and ponder, I went into full decluttering mode today.

Friends have offered to help us move but I'm intensely uncomfortable with people knowing I have possessions. I mean, obviously they know I own things, but I'm known as the decluttering, anti-stuff girl. My skin crawls at the idea of people helping us move and being ... disappointed in me?

Anyway, I started a new tally (whiteboard marker on a mirror) and I'm down 57 things for the day.

DagobertDuck

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #3549 on: July 09, 2016, 04:02:46 AM »
Friends have offered to help us move but I'm intensely uncomfortable with people knowing I have possessions. I mean, obviously they know I own things, but I'm known as the decluttering, anti-stuff girl. My skin crawls at the idea of people helping us move and being ... disappointed in me?

Anyway, I started a new tally (whiteboard marker on a mirror) and I'm down 57 things for the day.

Having to move ALL your stuff is always the moment you fully realize how much stuff you really own. (The last 2 times I moved it really appalled me)

But don't get demotivated by it, just keep calm. Moving can be a nice opportunity to declutter, but it might be wise to wait a little so you can find out what fits for your new place.

 

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