Author Topic: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!  (Read 1850088 times)

4alpacas

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #400 on: March 25, 2014, 11:29:14 AM »

Quote
I've been steadily decluttering for the past few years, it's bizarre how much stuff you can store "just in case" you need it for something.
I keep a lot of "just in case" stuff for two reasons. First, a lot of that stuff would be relatively difficult/expensive to obtain if I did need it, versus keeping it in case I need it. The second reason is that I hate to throw away anything, so I always try to find someone who can use something. I make so little trash that I use produce bags as trash bags. I've had people tell me there's no way they could live with a trash can that small, but I honestly can't comprehend what they need to throw away that's bigger than that.

It probably is a good idea to have a backup for some stuff and we do have an extra vacuum cleaner in case one breaks. We have a very small house though so we can't keep a lot of stuff stored and I'm not going pay for storage either. :)

This is a good thought!  We have a lot of back-ups...and we're in a one bedroom apartment.  I should get rid of our just-in-case items to make room for our we-use-it-every-day stuff. 

SisterX

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #401 on: March 25, 2014, 12:14:21 PM »
Great thread. Does anyone have tips for helping someone else get rid of their stuff? Mr Osprey is a hoarder and I am a minimalist. This causes is a great deal of marital strife! We recently moved apartments and I am itching to sell or donate the following:

- Kilograms and kilograms of clothes that are in good condition but far too big and completely against his current aesthetic
- A cupboard filled with electronic equipment and outdated "boys' toys" that he never uses, or that we have duplicates of (e.g. binoculars, old consoles). This cupboard has an imaginary "KEEP OUT NO GIRLS ALLOWED" sign on it.
- Piles of trading cards that keep on multiplying (Magic, The Gathering) - I play just as much as he does but I want to sell what we don't use
- Old textbooks that nobody has read in years... going all the way back to primary school!


I have the same issue!  My husband doesn't seem to see his old electronics as clutter, and his Magic cards have a semi-permanent place on our (broken and unrepairable, but he refuses to take it to the dump) coffee table.  This stuff drives me NUTS!  Especially since he parked an old computer by my desk over a year ago, "just until I can get rid of it".  Now when I bring it up and remind him that it's taking up MY space, he gets irritated.  !!

For my own part, I am having trouble with baby blankets.  We were given roughly 8000 baby blankets for our daughter.  Even worse, my MIL gave us all of my husband's old baby quilts that family had made.  So we've got way, way more blankets than any baby could ever possibly need, even in our cold climate.  But....many of them were actually made by family members.  I feel really, really bad about wanting to get rid of them, but I also know that there are people out there who would love to have them.  A friend of mine works for a counseling/adoption agency, and she said about 10 of her clients are supposed to give birth in the next few months.  (I already donated the disposable newborn diapers we were given, and the wipes.  Yay for removing that clutter!)  Would it really be so terrible to purge a few blankets and give them to a new (usually very, very young and poor) mother?  The only issue I see is that some of these family members do visit regularly, and would notice if some of the blankets were suddenly not there.  Perhaps I should just wait until our girl is out of the age when baby blankets seem "necessary"?

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #402 on: March 25, 2014, 12:35:12 PM »
Great thread. Does anyone have tips for helping someone else get rid of their stuff? Mr Osprey is a hoarder and I am a minimalist. This causes is a great deal of marital strife! We recently moved apartments and I am itching to sell or donate the following:

- Kilograms and kilograms of clothes that are in good condition but far too big and completely against his current aesthetic
- A cupboard filled with electronic equipment and outdated "boys' toys" that he never uses, or that we have duplicates of (e.g. binoculars, old consoles). This cupboard has an imaginary "KEEP OUT NO GIRLS ALLOWED" sign on it.
- Piles of trading cards that keep on multiplying (Magic, The Gathering) - I play just as much as he does but I want to sell what we don't use
- Old textbooks that nobody has read in years... going all the way back to primary school!


I have the same issue!  My husband doesn't seem to see his old electronics as clutter, and his Magic cards have a semi-permanent place on our (broken and unrepairable, but he refuses to take it to the dump) coffee table.  This stuff drives me NUTS!  Especially since he parked an old computer by my desk over a year ago, "just until I can get rid of it".  Now when I bring it up and remind him that it's taking up MY space, he gets irritated.  !!

For my own part, I am having trouble with baby blankets.  We were given roughly 8000 baby blankets for our daughter.  Even worse, my MIL gave us all of my husband's old baby quilts that family had made.  So we've got way, way more blankets than any baby could ever possibly need, even in our cold climate.  But....many of them were actually made by family members.  I feel really, really bad about wanting to get rid of them, but I also know that there are people out there who would love to have them.  A friend of mine works for a counseling/adoption agency, and she said about 10 of her clients are supposed to give birth in the next few months.  (I already donated the disposable newborn diapers we were given, and the wipes.  Yay for removing that clutter!)  Would it really be so terrible to purge a few blankets and give them to a new (usually very, very young and poor) mother?  The only issue I see is that some of these family members do visit regularly, and would notice if some of the blankets were suddenly not there.  Perhaps I should just wait until our girl is out of the age when baby blankets seem "necessary"?

Yeah that's a tough one.  There will be more women in need, so to avoid hurting feelings, I'd wait until the blanket season of life is closing before getting rid of them.  Then, I'd write the gifters a note, thanking them again for their gift and telling them you plan to plan it on to a young woman in great need, as described above, but if for some reason they would like it back to let you know within the week.

HAULIN3

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #403 on: March 25, 2014, 02:58:32 PM »
Im struggling with items that my mother gave me or that I got from her house after she passed away. Some of them I really dont like or use, but its still hard to get rid of them.

Read "everything that remains"  a memoir by the minimalists.  It will forever change how you feel about those things.

SisterX

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #404 on: March 26, 2014, 11:38:22 AM »
Great thread. Does anyone have tips for helping someone else get rid of their stuff? Mr Osprey is a hoarder and I am a minimalist. This causes is a great deal of marital strife! We recently moved apartments and I am itching to sell or donate the following:

- Kilograms and kilograms of clothes that are in good condition but far too big and completely against his current aesthetic
- A cupboard filled with electronic equipment and outdated "boys' toys" that he never uses, or that we have duplicates of (e.g. binoculars, old consoles). This cupboard has an imaginary "KEEP OUT NO GIRLS ALLOWED" sign on it.
- Piles of trading cards that keep on multiplying (Magic, The Gathering) - I play just as much as he does but I want to sell what we don't use
- Old textbooks that nobody has read in years... going all the way back to primary school!


I have the same issue!  My husband doesn't seem to see his old electronics as clutter, and his Magic cards have a semi-permanent place on our (broken and unrepairable, but he refuses to take it to the dump) coffee table.  This stuff drives me NUTS!  Especially since he parked an old computer by my desk over a year ago, "just until I can get rid of it".  Now when I bring it up and remind him that it's taking up MY space, he gets irritated.  !!

For my own part, I am having trouble with baby blankets.  We were given roughly 8000 baby blankets for our daughter.  Even worse, my MIL gave us all of my husband's old baby quilts that family had made.  So we've got way, way more blankets than any baby could ever possibly need, even in our cold climate.  But....many of them were actually made by family members.  I feel really, really bad about wanting to get rid of them, but I also know that there are people out there who would love to have them.  A friend of mine works for a counseling/adoption agency, and she said about 10 of her clients are supposed to give birth in the next few months.  (I already donated the disposable newborn diapers we were given, and the wipes.  Yay for removing that clutter!)  Would it really be so terrible to purge a few blankets and give them to a new (usually very, very young and poor) mother?  The only issue I see is that some of these family members do visit regularly, and would notice if some of the blankets were suddenly not there.  Perhaps I should just wait until our girl is out of the age when baby blankets seem "necessary"?

Yeah that's a tough one.  There will be more women in need, so to avoid hurting feelings, I'd wait until the blanket season of life is closing before getting rid of them.  Then, I'd write the gifters a note, thanking them again for their gift and telling them you plan to plan it on to a young woman in great need, as described above, but if for some reason they would like it back to let you know within the week.

Thanks for the advice!  I'll probably end up doing something like this.  And, some of the blankets will definitely be useful when we decide to add a second child to the family, so it's not like I want to get rid of them all.

Zaga

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #405 on: April 05, 2014, 04:25:53 PM »
Today was an awesome decluttering day at our house!  We went to the basement and filled up DH's car with things for Goodwill, and also gathered a bunch of stuff for the trash.  The trash/recyclables are at the curb, and the donations are dropped off already,  love it!

fallstoclimb

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #406 on: April 09, 2014, 09:58:36 AM »
Something about spring finally arriving has made me a woman with a mission.  I want to get rid of like half the stuff in our house.  We just moved last year so we don't actually have a TON more than we need (and some of it is not worth fighting the DH for), so I am currently focusing on my closet.  I am so motivated but it is still so hard to get rid of clothes!!!!  I keep thinking, 'wait, I never wear this but I should!'.  I really don't have many clothes but I just want LESS in my life right now.  I'm sick of having a hard time picking out outfits. 

My stretch-goal is having everything I could reasonably wear to work fit in one closet, but my closet is a small reach-in -- maybe just 2-2.5 feet across?  I haven't measured -- I currently keep some work t-shirts in my dresser and all my (many) dresses in their own closet (and since they are separate, I rarely wear them, which is dumb.  I want to wear them more).  So I'm not sure if that goal is attainable but I am culling and organizing and seeing where I end up.

smalllife

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #407 on: April 09, 2014, 10:00:56 AM »
Something about spring finally arriving has made me a woman with a mission.  I want to get rid of like half the stuff in our house.  We just moved last year so we don't actually have a TON more than we need (and some of it is not worth fighting the DH for), so I am currently focusing on my closet.  I am so motivated but it is still so hard to get rid of clothes!!!!  I keep thinking, 'wait, I never wear this but I should!'.  I really don't have many clothes but I just want LESS in my life right now.  I'm sick of having a hard time picking out outfits. 

My stretch-goal is having everything I could reasonably wear to work fit in one closet, but my closet is a small reach-in -- maybe just 2-2.5 feet across?  I haven't measured -- I currently keep some work t-shirts in my dresser and all my (many) dresses in their own closet (and since they are separate, I rarely wear them, which is dumb.  I want to wear them more).  So I'm not sure if that goal is attainable but I am culling and organizing and seeing where I end up.

My closet is an 18in rod and everything in a given season fits there.  Granted, I loosely follow Project 333 but I only ever have 5-6 out of "rotation" at a given point in time.  Just wanted to let you know it's possible!  Having fewer options also helps with choice-overload.

fallstoclimb

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #408 on: April 09, 2014, 10:08:32 AM »
Something about spring finally arriving has made me a woman with a mission.  I want to get rid of like half the stuff in our house.  We just moved last year so we don't actually have a TON more than we need (and some of it is not worth fighting the DH for), so I am currently focusing on my closet.  I am so motivated but it is still so hard to get rid of clothes!!!!  I keep thinking, 'wait, I never wear this but I should!'.  I really don't have many clothes but I just want LESS in my life right now.  I'm sick of having a hard time picking out outfits. 

My stretch-goal is having everything I could reasonably wear to work fit in one closet, but my closet is a small reach-in -- maybe just 2-2.5 feet across?  I haven't measured -- I currently keep some work t-shirts in my dresser and all my (many) dresses in their own closet (and since they are separate, I rarely wear them, which is dumb.  I want to wear them more).  So I'm not sure if that goal is attainable but I am culling and organizing and seeing where I end up.

My closet is an 18in rod and everything in a given season fits there.  Granted, I loosely follow Project 333 but I only ever have 5-6 out of "rotation" at a given point in time.  Just wanted to let you know it's possible!  Having fewer options also helps with choice-overload.

Yeah.  I think my real problem is that I am completely unwilling to get rid of my ~15 dresses.  I am (trying to) ruthlessly cull tops, I have a ton of tops that I hate, but every dress I own is perfect for SOME circumstance.  Also work pants (~5 pair) take up a lot of space hanging, I want to fold them but I'm told you should hang nice pants? 

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #409 on: April 09, 2014, 10:44:40 AM »
Something about spring finally arriving has made me a woman with a mission.  I want to get rid of like half the stuff in our house.  We just moved last year so we don't actually have a TON more than we need (and some of it is not worth fighting the DH for), so I am currently focusing on my closet.  I am so motivated but it is still so hard to get rid of clothes!!!!  I keep thinking, 'wait, I never wear this but I should!'.  I really don't have many clothes but I just want LESS in my life right now.  I'm sick of having a hard time picking out outfits. 

My stretch-goal is having everything I could reasonably wear to work fit in one closet, but my closet is a small reach-in -- maybe just 2-2.5 feet across?  I haven't measured -- I currently keep some work t-shirts in my dresser and all my (many) dresses in their own closet (and since they are separate, I rarely wear them, which is dumb.  I want to wear them more).  So I'm not sure if that goal is attainable but I am culling and organizing and seeing where I end up.

My closet is an 18in rod and everything in a given season fits there.  Granted, I loosely follow Project 333 but I only ever have 5-6 out of "rotation" at a given point in time.  Just wanted to let you know it's possible!  Having fewer options also helps with choice-overload.

Yeah.  I think my real problem is that I am completely unwilling to get rid of my ~15 dresses.  I am (trying to) ruthlessly cull tops, I have a ton of tops that I hate, but every dress I own is perfect for SOME circumstance.  Also work pants (~5 pair) take up a lot of space hanging, I want to fold them but I'm told you should hang nice pants?


I would keep the dresses and work pants! I have same issue ( less dresses but more work pants) . They are so hard for me to find, and I would rather keep them in case needed. Who wants to shop for a last minute dress etc for an event? Its more expensive that way. I have some dress pants that Ive had for years, I think the Express and Limited work pants last forever.

4alpacas

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #410 on: April 11, 2014, 11:12:26 AM »
If you have dresses you like, keep them.  I always struggle when I need a dress for an occasion.  So hard to find!

I would definitely hang dress pants.  It's an easy way to keep the ironed "seam" without returning them to the dry cleaner.  Maybe I'm the only one that sucks at ironing.  If so, I don't see why folding is bad.

fallstoclimb

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #411 on: April 13, 2014, 08:42:08 AM »
Lol I don't think I understand how to hang pants in order to keep the seam, but since I usually stuff my pants in a pannier anyway it's probably a lost cause.

I got rid of SO MANY CLOTHES this weekend - 8 paper grocery store bags worth! I had no idea I had so much crap. It actually made me really happy to get rid of all the clothes that no longer fit, in some cases never really fit in the first place, and which made me feel a pang of guilt every time I spotted them. Now I only own clothes that fit and don't make me feel bad and it is amazing. I can't believe I packed and unpacked all of this crap through 3 or 4 moves.

It wasn't until the end when I hit my lounging/scrubby clothes I was able to say things like, "ok, I have 3 pairs of long athletic pants and 2 pairs of gardening jeans,let's cut it down to one of each." I definitely could have been more ruthless with my work clothes and sweatpants but I'm too new of a minimalist to get rid of items that fit and that I wear just because I already have enough of that item. Maybe some day I'll get there.  I do have some gaps in my work wardrobe and when I fill those gaps I'm going to institute a strict one-in, one-out policy.

As penance for staying attached to all this crap, I spent a GORGEOUS day mostly inside sorting through clothes because I wanted to finish this project before going on vacation next week. But I met my stretch goal of all work clothes in my two foot wide closet!!

4alpacas

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #412 on: April 14, 2014, 09:57:56 AM »
Lol I don't think I understand how to hang pants in order to keep the seam, but since I usually stuff my pants in a pannier anyway it's probably a lost cause.

In case you're interested, youtube to the rescue.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_YdPNWvXOI


Squirrel away

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #413 on: April 27, 2014, 03:22:32 AM »
I am trying to get back into decluttering again as I have fallen off the wagon.:)

I have been moving furniture around to make the space a bit less cluttered and just put stuff (I want to keep) away in drawers or cupboards to make everything look more tidy. My house is small, about 600 sq feet I think, so everything needs to be put away to look tidy.

I am trying to use up toiletries instead of just storing them. It shows I don't need to buy certain products again as I don't use them.

I threw away some old earrings yesterday too as they have bent out of shape for some reason, I suspect it happened when one of my dogs jumped against my ear!




Ascotillion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #414 on: April 27, 2014, 06:05:20 AM »
I dug out my two old laptops (one of them from 1997!) and took them to a recycling place today. Next stop, my old games consoles, and then my misc electronics. I think I'll be moving to a cheaper place this year and I want to have as little junk to carry as possible!

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #415 on: April 27, 2014, 06:13:35 AM »
My house is small, about 600 sq feet I think, so everything needs to be put away to look tidy.

Yeah I know what that's like! My apartment is small, so anything lying around looks pretty obvious.

I think I'll be moving to a cheaper place this year and I want to have as little junk to carry as possible!

Hello, fellow Melburnian! I can totally relate to this as I am moving interstate later this year, and I reeaaally need to cut down my possessions.

Ascotillion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #416 on: April 27, 2014, 08:05:39 AM »
Hi! Are you moving Melbourne to Perth? A friend of mine moved over there for work and earns a nice 1.5x what he was earning here. Good luck there!

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #417 on: April 27, 2014, 08:10:34 AM »
Hi! Are you moving Melbourne to Perth? A friend of mine moved over there for work and earns a nice 1.5x what he was earning here. Good luck there!

Sort of. I'm moving my belongings to Perth but then will be travelling around Asia for several months, after which we'll return to Perth and think about what to do next. More details in my journal if you're interested. ;)

Ascotillion

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #418 on: April 27, 2014, 08:25:51 AM »
I'll check it out! Have you ever read Magic Travel Blog? It's about two Perthians who travel around SE Asia for long stretches, with budget information and advice for frugal travelers.

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #419 on: April 27, 2014, 08:38:26 AM »
I don't think I have - thanks for the link! I had a quick look, I'm about to go to bed but I'll read more when I have time. :D

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #420 on: April 27, 2014, 09:48:09 AM »
Sold three pairs of shoes that I no longer wear on ebay! Made 50 bucks with just an hours work to list them.

Now to list all those card games I never play...

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #421 on: April 27, 2014, 11:06:52 AM »
I have been trying to to stay ahead of the clutter wave, with some success, but it's hard to stem the tide of baby-related things entering the house.  It's like we're in the neap tide of accumulation season.  I'm hopeful that once the little bugger arrives we'll get a better handle on what should stay and what can go.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #422 on: April 27, 2014, 01:48:24 PM »
Cleaning out craft supplies and selling some items - I have been clearing out stock and making wreaths with what I have accumulated. Sold 5 so far in two weeks. I think I have enough materials to make 2 or 3 more. Sold my treadmill (got a gym membership for $19.99 a month up the street from my office). Seems anti-mustachian, but my treadmill was out in a converted garage with no temp control, had no room for it in the house and last month water got into the room, narrowly avoiding ruining the treadmill. So, out it went. It feels great to have more space and to be able to organize.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #423 on: April 27, 2014, 03:58:31 PM »
Got rid of a box of papers at the dump this weekend.

Today I brought over to a friend's 2 yo twins a few items from the boxes my mom dropped off from my childhood, all HUGE hits, so I was pretty pleased with that (even though one item already broken when the toddler tripped and fell, creating huge waterfalls).  Another was even requested to join in the crib for naptime.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #424 on: April 27, 2014, 05:19:25 PM »
I am moving out of my childhood home into a tiny apartment soon! Meaning I have a lifetime's worth of stuff in this room and need to pare it down dramatically. I'm thinking of dedicating an entire day to boxing up "the essentials" and then being violent and unforgiving in donating/dumping the remainder. Does anybody have suggestions from their experience moving out?

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #425 on: April 27, 2014, 06:57:23 PM »
I am moving out of my childhood home into a tiny apartment soon! Meaning I have a lifetime's worth of stuff in this room and need to pare it down dramatically. I'm thinking of dedicating an entire day to boxing up "the essentials" and then being violent and unforgiving in donating/dumping the remainder. Does anybody have suggestions from their experience moving out?

Start today - the process of getting rid of half of what you own takes far more time than you think!

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #426 on: May 09, 2014, 02:17:07 AM »
I'm thinking about selling off a bunch of clothing on Gumtree (sort of Australian's version of Craigslist). These are pretty good brands and still in like new condition. Is it better, for example, to just price everything at $5 and see if people snap them up? Or should I price everything at $10 but say that the price is negotiable (and in the end they might still end up paying $5, which I don't mind but it has the bonus effect that they'll be happier to negotiate and then think they got a bargain)? Just trying to suss out what sort of tactic works better to get buyers.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #427 on: May 09, 2014, 12:17:01 PM »
I am absolutely getting the urge to clear out my closet again. The problem is, I don't feel good just chunking some of this stuff.... but I'm too busy to post up stuff and sell it on ebay.

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #428 on: May 09, 2014, 12:45:04 PM »
I'm thinking about selling off a bunch of clothing on Gumtree (sort of Australian's version of Craigslist). These are pretty good brands and still in like new condition. Is it better, for example, to just price everything at $5 and see if people snap them up? Or should I price everything at $10 but say that the price is negotiable (and in the end they might still end up paying $5, which I don't mind but it has the bonus effect that they'll be happier to negotiate and then think they got a bargain)? Just trying to suss out what sort of tactic works better to get buyers.

Depends - what are others pricing it at?  You want to price at the average of everyone else or a bit below others, in order to get interest.  Keep in mind clothing is traditionally harder to sell than things like desks or bureaus.  I'd also avoid saying price is negotiable - if people want to bargain, they will ask you if that's the case.  No need to offer it up in advance.

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #429 on: May 09, 2014, 06:39:04 PM »
Depends - what are others pricing it at?  You want to price at the average of everyone else or a bit below others, in order to get interest.  Keep in mind clothing is traditionally harder to sell than things like desks or bureaus.  I'd also avoid saying price is negotiable - if people want to bargain, they will ask you if that's the case.  No need to offer it up in advance.

Good points. Pricing varies, and with Gumtree, unlike eBay, I wouldn't know if they are successful or not. So I'm actually using the prices of successfully sold items on eBay as guidelines. Yeah, clothing is harder to sell these days, even the better brands, especially compared to years ago. Good for buyers, not so good for sellers!

fallstoclimb

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #430 on: May 20, 2014, 01:55:35 PM »
I just counted and I have 25 pairs of shoes.  25!!!!!   Embarrassingly, this is after getting rid of several pairs, as well. 

1 pair gold/tan flats
1 pair black flats

1 pair black sandals
1 pair brown gladiator sandals

1 pair yellow open-toe heels
1 pair black closed toe heels
1 pair purple closed toe heels
1 pair blue strappy heels (painful, but they are my go-to summer wedding shoes)

1 pair "nice" flip flops
1 pair "shower" flip flops

1 pair tall brown boots
1 pair black cowboy boots (don't fit well, plan to replace these with a better pair of black boots)
1 pair brown ankle boots

1 pair LL Bean boots
1 pair Hunter rain boots
1 pair fashiony snow boots (currently packed away)

1 pair Keen sandals
1 pair Sperrys
1 pair around town low-profile cute sneakers (beat up but versatile)
1 pair Danskos
2 pair running shoes (I no longer run)

1 pair lifting shoes
1 pair paddock boots (for actual horse riding)
1 pair cycling shoes


I think I'm going to toss the yellow open-toe heels, because casual types of heels do not fit into my lifestyle/walking talents, and definitely the shower flip flops.  I don't belong to a gym or anything that would require shower flip flops, and if I ever need them I can buy them for $1. 

The black and purple heels I need to hang on to for work.  Technically I could probably let the purple ones go but they are much more comfortable and I am not ready to do that yet.  The other flats and sandals I wear often to work.

I may own too many boots but I love every pair.

Basically my shoe problem is the same as my wardrobe problem (which has come a long way!!!) -- but I have the hardest time dumping either comfort wear or technical wear.  I love it when clothes and shoes effectively fight the elements or are just really really comfortable. 

Anyway, I am mostly posting to see if I will get encouragement to drop one of the two pairs of running shoes, since I no longer run.  I need to hang on to one pair for physical therapy/ whenever I get into a random cross training mood, but two is probably overkill.  I justify both because the cuter pair, which is the pair I usually grab, are minimalist and therefore the other pair is technically probably better for cross training.  Both pairs are in great shape and a running store helped me pick out the more supportive pair....not that I run anymore. 


LOL wait I forgot I keep 3 pairs of shoes at work.  Soooo make that 28 pairs.  I am so embarrassed.  At least these don't add to the clutter at home!!!

1 pair black Clarks -- a good all-around shoe, kept at work so I don't have to always carry shoes on my bike commute
1 pair tall suede brown boots -- don't REALLY zip up all the way but sometimes I wear them anyway, especially if I biked in with sandals and get cold
1 pair black clogs -- in case I'm in a dress or something and forgot shoes

I swear to god I don't even consider myself a shoe person!!

smalllife

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #431 on: May 20, 2014, 01:58:53 PM »
@fallstoclimb:  do you have a base color for your wardrobe?  Black, gray, brown, blue, etc. - a neutral that everything else works with?  I ask because your shoe list makes it seem like you have the rainbow in your closet when in reality you probably reach for the same two or three tones/colors most days . . . . if you focus on the colors that you look best in, the shoe choices should narrow accordingly!


fallstoclimb

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #432 on: May 20, 2014, 02:02:22 PM »
Well, with the exception of the purple and yellow heels, most my shoes are black or brown.  Isn't that normal?  I'm not great with base colors but I have found life simpler when I have both black and brown shoe options -- I got really frustrated not having work appropriate black boots, and was frustrated before I had the brown sandals. 

smalllife

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #433 on: May 20, 2014, 02:07:12 PM »
Well, with the exception of the purple and yellow heels, most my shoes are black or brown.  Isn't that normal?  I'm not great with base colors but I have found life simpler when I have both black and brown shoe options -- I got really frustrated not having work appropriate black boots, and was frustrated before I had the brown sandals.

Right, but how many of your clothes can you wear with both the black and the brown shoes?  That's the root cause.  I don't own any khakis, brown skirts/pants, navy or things that don't go with black shoes* because I don't really look good in the above colors.  The result is that I don't need brown shoes at all and I've eliminated a chunk of clothes that didn't really look good on me to start with. 

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #434 on: May 20, 2014, 02:07:46 PM »
Fallstoclimb, first, I think we all tend to have more shoes than we think we do because of "specialization."  For example, I have a pair of: soccer, softball, water (kayaking), water (sailing), dancing (West Coast swing - foolish purchase) and hiking shoes...  And I haven't gotten rid of my softball shoes, even though I haven't played in 7 years or the dancing shoes I have only worn once since buying 7 years ago.  Yet, I call myself "not a shoe person" because I wear the same pair of work shoes day in and day out. 

I'd cull by the following:
- fit (don't wear something that doesn't fit)
- if worn out
- ones that you don't wear/like

It's ok to keep 2 that do the same job as long as you wear both (and you don't want to throw away a pair and then buy another later to replace the wornout first).  Mostly I'd advice mindful buying in the future.

fallstoclimb

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #435 on: May 20, 2014, 02:27:42 PM »
It's ok to keep 2 that do the same job as long as you wear both (and you don't want to throw away a pair and then buy another later to replace the wornout first). Mostly I'd advice mindful buying in the future.

Yes, absolutely to this.  Thankfully at this point the only shoe I think I need is a decent pair of black boots, probably something ankle height that can be worn with pants or a skirt.  Any other shoe purchases will strictly be of the replacing, one-in one-out variety.  I really hate shopping so I am unclear as to exactly when I acquired all of these shoes.  I think a lot of my wardrobe-clutter problems are due to feeling completely overwhelmed by how to dress professionally, which was a problem for me in my early 20s -- luckily I've more or less figured it out now. 

I've talked myself into boxing up the brown boots that don't quite fit, the extra running shoes, and the black flats which honestly I don't really like, with a date ~ 6 months in the future, and donating them on that date without opening the box.  I don't usually feel like I need to resort to such measures, but, 28 pairs. 

Insanity

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #436 on: May 20, 2014, 06:51:16 PM »
I just counted and I have 25 pairs of shoes.  25!!!!!   Embarrassingly, this is after getting rid of several pairs, as well. 

My wife's uncle owned a shoe store.  They got shoes at below cost a lot of time.  As in her mom paid for them.  It started a bad shoe habit.

She might be down to 40 or 45 now.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #437 on: May 21, 2014, 03:57:27 AM »
I should do this too!

I've got a bunch of old electrical stuff (including an espresso machine), some furniture, and some computer bits that I no longer use. Should just be rid of them :)

I moved a couple of times a year or so ago and there was an awful lot of stuff accumulated from the place (I was in a sharehouse where everyone was leaving). I've got rid of some of it, some of it is in cupboards, and some of it is at my parents' place.

Problem is that some of the stuff is hard to sell. There's only so many people after a USB DAC or old hi-fi equipment :(

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #438 on: May 21, 2014, 04:01:09 AM »
Problem is that some of the stuff is hard to sell. There's only so many people after a USB DAC or old hi-fi equipment :(

You might have to sell them for very cheap or even give them away for free. I would love to make more money out of my stuff but I'm beginning to come to terms with the fact that sometimes it's just easier to donate or freecycle, especially if you just really want to get rid of them.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #439 on: May 21, 2014, 04:11:21 AM »
Problem is that some of the stuff is hard to sell. There's only so many people after a USB DAC or old hi-fi equipment :(

You might have to sell them for very cheap or even give them away for free. I would love to make more money out of my stuff but I'm beginning to come to terms with the fact that sometimes it's just easier to donate or freecycle, especially if you just really want to get rid of them.

I know, but it's quite hard to give something away when I paid hundreds for it back in the day :(

Maybe I'll go on an eBay rampage this weekend, and at least go through the stuff in plastic tubs in my cupboards/under my bed. I'm sure some of it can be dumped/sold.

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #440 on: May 21, 2014, 04:19:36 AM »
List them a few times on eBay or Gumtree first, and if it doesn't sell after a while and you get tired of putting up the ads over and over again, then you can give it away. The other thing I've heard some people do is get a stall at Camberwell Market, you can share a stall with a friend to split the stall rental cost, though I don't know what kind of stuff sells well there.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #441 on: May 21, 2014, 05:33:12 AM »
List them a few times on eBay or Gumtree first, and if it doesn't sell after a while and you get tired of putting up the ads over and over again, then you can give it away. The other thing I've heard some people do is get a stall at Camberwell Market, you can share a stall with a friend to split the stall rental cost, though I don't know what kind of stuff sells well there.

Not a bad idea. Most of the stereo equipment is still at my parents' place, so I probably won't sell it for a while, but I could sell some other things first.

sleepyguy

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #442 on: May 22, 2014, 09:00:55 AM »
Made some more ground last week!  Donated and setup 4 pcs for a local NFP daycare.  3 full boxes of cloths to  donation bin.

Sadly I still got TONS more stuff to shuffle through.

CommonCents

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #443 on: May 22, 2014, 01:00:55 PM »
Made some more ground last week!  Donated and setup 4 pcs for a local NFP daycare.  3 full boxes of cloths to  donation bin.

Sadly I still got TONS more stuff to shuffle through.

Just focus on the progress you've already made!  You're ahead of where you were, and I bet it feels great.

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #444 on: May 22, 2014, 11:52:32 PM »
I have a small fridge, the freezer seems to work fine but the fridge is a bit inconclusive. Reckon there's any chance of getting money from it? I'm thinking there may be handy people who won't mind getting it for a super cheap price and fixing it up, but then again they might just only want to pick up the ones that are completely free.

JT

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #445 on: May 23, 2014, 03:02:19 AM »
Right! That's all the hint I need!

In the boot of my car are some clothes gathered together for charity. 

This weekend, I shall find a charity bin and drop them in.

Thanks for the thread!

deborah

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #446 on: May 23, 2014, 03:48:29 AM »
I have a small fridge, the freezer seems to work fine but the fridge is a bit inconclusive. Reckon there's any chance of getting money from it? I'm thinking there may be handy people who won't mind getting it for a super cheap price and fixing it up, but then again they might just only want to pick up the ones that are completely free.
I have been offered several like this for free in the past, so I guess completely free.

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #447 on: May 23, 2014, 04:08:36 AM »
Thanks, deborah - I figured that would probably be the easier way to go, too.

Zaga

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #448 on: May 23, 2014, 06:41:22 AM »
I have a small fridge, the freezer seems to work fine but the fridge is a bit inconclusive. Reckon there's any chance of getting money from it? I'm thinking there may be handy people who won't mind getting it for a super cheap price and fixing it up, but then again they might just only want to pick up the ones that are completely free.
Put it at the end of your driveway (if you live someplace that people drive past of course) with a sign on it that says $20.  It will disappear :-)

limeandpepper

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #449 on: May 23, 2014, 06:58:36 AM »
Put it at the end of your driveway (if you live someplace that people drive past of course) with a sign on it that says $20.  It will disappear :-)

Haha, and will there be a $20 note in its place or not?

I live in an apartment block, and we aren't allowed to put stuff out on the sidewalk I don't think... though some people still do it.

Anyway I've put it up on Gumtree giving it away for free, and within like 5 minutes, 2 people have expressed interest! Maybe I should have at least put a $5 tag on it. ;)  Still, pretty happy anyhow, someone who's willing to take it and fix it must be in some ways quite MMM in their approach to life. :)

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!