Author Topic: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!  (Read 1850073 times)

PMG

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5250 on: October 09, 2017, 10:16:29 PM »
Tiny things

Decanted the last of a roller ball perfume into a teeny tiny sample bottle. Easier to use. Tossed the original.

consolidated and tossed a couple spice jars and medicine bottles. (I think I do this every time I post.  Why am I never done?)

Tossed random packaging.

Took a grocery bag of clothing items to goodwill. Tossed some worn items.

Got out my safety razor and tossed the last disposable.

Down to my last tub of lotion. Last body wash. Last soap. stretching these out for three weeks before international move. Will be so satisfying to just toss them! 




Frugal Lizard

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5251 on: October 10, 2017, 07:41:14 AM »
Garage is now sorted into piles:  e-waste, recycling, building materials for re-store, donations to BFM, list on kijiji, hand me down clothes for neighbours to go through, bottle returns, toxic disposal.  This took two of us six hours. 

Basement is looking so good. - the workout equipment is migrating from various locations in the house and garage to be arranged in a man-cave for hubs and son
Building materials that will come in handy are stored the loft over the garage door in a logical manner.  Hubs found some scraps of baseboard that will fit the small pieces needed in man-cave
Sauna is completely empty - ready for friend to hook it up to the panel and for hubs to finished rebuilding the benches.
Utility room lost three boxes to recycling pile in the garage. Won't say how many more to go.....
Wheelie bins are completely full.  Piles ready to fill neighbour's bins with permission of course - would cost to take to the dump.

Car Jack

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5252 on: October 10, 2017, 08:24:52 AM »
My sister in law flew into town last week.  While lakeside, having a picnic, her and my wife get to talking about the old Barbie dolls they had and some other doll (can't remember the name) and how they're worth so much.  Neither of them have sold a thing in their life while I've literally sold thousands of things between eBay, craigslist and specific forums for things.  I said that none of these dolls are worth anything if they're not willing to actually take action and go out and sell them. 

Meanwhile, the house is slowly but surely being decluttered under my wife's nose.  My college son has 7 week terms and is home for a week between terms.  Lately, he's used his "Mr Research" to find values on his old toys, cards, legos to see what he has and what can sell to help both declutter and bring in some cash.  He's been very successful and under the premise of looking for legos/magic cards/yu-gi-oh! cards which are indeed selling for good money, I covertly fill paper shopping bags in two categories.  #1 is burnables.  If it's paper or wood, it goes in there.  We heat with a wood furnace in the winter, so I'm currently filling that up with a light-off on cool weekend days.  The other bag is plastic toys.  Our town has huge recycling bins that are collected curbside every 2 weeks so I'm able to dump quite a bit into this.  I'm getting rid of on the order of probably 25 gallons of plastic every other week.  Even at that, it's not even noticed.  If the amount of junk starts becoming noticeably light, I've got plastic bins in the basement full of more of these toys and will bring them upstairs to keep the junk level fairly constant.  We had years of in-laws who made visits several times a week and would never think of coming in the door without some junk Wal*Mart plastic shit that would last almost until the end of their visit.  The wife will throw away nothing.

firelight

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5253 on: October 10, 2017, 12:14:10 PM »
Cleared out a few boxes - stuff donated and boxes ready for recycling.

Next on list: baby bottles. Will keep some Dr Browns and give away the rest.

PMG

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5254 on: October 10, 2017, 05:06:08 PM »
The sole of my favorite fall dress shoes split the whole way across, during the middle of a rain storm in the middle of my work day. Sad, but easy to toss.


shadesofgreen

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5255 on: October 11, 2017, 11:04:32 AM »
I gifted a co-worker 2 bottles of scented laundry soap along with some liquid fabric softener. So happy that I know they will use the stuff up and I don't have to deal with heavy scented detergent.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5256 on: October 11, 2017, 11:21:37 AM »
Six boxes of magazines are gone. Why do I keep these things?  They were so damned dusty!
Two pairs of heels that are done - one was 19 years old and disintegrated as I tried to put it on.  The other was always too small.

NoraLenderbee

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5257 on: October 11, 2017, 03:55:43 PM »
Quote
one was 19 years old and disintegrated as I tried to put it on. 

This happened to me at a wedding. I thought the ground was unusually lumpy, and then I noticed chunks of foam rubber on the grass where I'd been walking. Good thing it was a casual wedding.
It happened again just last month--fortunately, before the wedding this time. I guess I *really* don't need white pumps.

PMG

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5258 on: October 11, 2017, 07:12:22 PM »
Returned two small decor pieces I'd borrowed for an event.

Gave away some window plastic and bug spray. I just picked a random friend who owns a large older house and sure enough, he was delighted "I just said last week I need to buy some!"  Satisfying.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5259 on: October 11, 2017, 07:32:04 PM »
A few days of rain, followed by a few days of not feeling 100 per cent, followed by a few days away has resulted in washing overload at my place. I've done four loads in three days, with another in the machine to run tonight.

Last night I did all the folding, which still left about one and a half baskets of ironing.

You would think that with so many clothes not in the wardrobe - because they are in the washing machine, on the line, or waiting impatiently in the ironing basket - the wardrobe would be empty.

But, to my eternal frustration, it's not.

My husband has lost some weight and is working to lose more, so I'm in a holding pattern with his wardrobe, which is fine.

But he also has a heap of jackets from special events (swag through work) that he won't part with.

Forgive me for venting. I'm at work, when I would rather be home putting my house back to rights.

In other news, we just found out my team is moving offices within our building, so a work declutter is on the horizon.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2017, 10:46:50 PM by mustachepungoeshere »

former player

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5260 on: October 13, 2017, 03:50:26 AM »
Took a large antique blanket box to auction yesterday.  I love having the space much more than the storage.

Although I now have a pile of jigsaw puzzles to complete and donate.  (It was the family tradition to do a big jigsaw together over Christmas.)

firelight

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5261 on: October 13, 2017, 09:57:27 PM »
Vent: I've been doing good at decluttering but got into the rabbit hole of selling some of the stuff. I have a lot of people interested but no concrete buyers yet. Not to mention the scammers that want you to ship stuff to them. Everytime I sell I go through this pain and apparently I forget :( hope it sears in memory this time and I don't sell anything more unless it's like for 100% profit.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5262 on: October 14, 2017, 12:00:00 AM »
I currently am having a bit of a panic attack about taking roughly 9 large boxes of various items (decor/clothes/toys) to the thrift shop tomorrow. Lots of like new "valuable" stuff that we could technically try to sell, but the idea of dealing with selling said items just makes me want to hop on the NOPEtopus to NOtown.

And some things were from my childhood/family, so there are stupid FEELINGS attached to them. But they are junk or things I absolutely can't use or even want out in my house!

Will sleep on it and possibly just wait a bit longer, as usually I will end up staring at the boxes/piles and finally get sick to death of looking at it.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5263 on: October 14, 2017, 12:12:58 AM »
Vent: I've been doing good at decluttering but got into the rabbit hole of selling some of the stuff. I have a lot of people interested but no concrete buyers yet. Not to mention the scammers that want you to ship stuff to them. Everytime I sell I go through this pain and apparently I forget :( hope it sears in memory this time and I don't sell anything more unless it's like for 100% profit.

In my experience it differs. Some items only generate messages and scam offers. But we have also sold things quickly for a good price, like three bicycles.

Anatidae V

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5264 on: October 14, 2017, 04:06:43 AM »
I have a pile of things in my courtyard that have been collecting in my shed. We have a verge pickup (council sends people around to take our stuff to the tip). Bye bye, stuff!

Gotta take some other things to the charity donation bins and work out how to get rid of our mostly full box of disposable nappies that don't fit this week. And work out how best to store outgrowth baby things for the next kiddo in 2-3 years.

iris lily

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5265 on: October 14, 2017, 02:17:19 PM »
I currently am having a bit of a panic attack about taking roughly 9 large boxes of various items (decor/clothes/toys) to the thrift shop tomorrow. Lots of like new "valuable" stuff that we could technically try to sell, but the idea of dealing with selling said items just makes me want to hop on the NOPEtopus to NOtown.

And some things were from my childhood/family, so there are stupid FEELINGS attached to them. But they are junk or things I absolutely can't use or even want out in my house!

Will sleep on it and possibly just wait a bit longer, as usually I will end up staring at the boxes/piles and finally get sick to death of looking at it.

Well if I can do it so can you!several years ago I sold my baby dolls. I had hauled them feom state to state for 30 years. I loved them but felt it was time to let them go. One went to live in
Japan via ebay.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5266 on: October 14, 2017, 04:13:09 PM »
We have a verge pickup (council sends people around to take our stuff to the tip).

We had ours last week. Put everything out, cheering.

Yesterday I was in the laundry and spotted the blind rack from our previous apartment. Kicking myself for forgetting to put it out.

I'd been waiting a year for council clean-up!

Meesh

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5267 on: October 14, 2017, 05:17:05 PM »
Donated about 7-8 garbage bags of stuff today and it felt so good. Came back with my huge tv that hasn't been hooked up in 5 years. They wouldn't take electronics apparently.

It's also alarming to me that I had 7-8 bags to donate and still feel like I have way too much stuff. Must. get rid of. crap.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5268 on: October 14, 2017, 08:11:52 PM »
We have a verge pickup (council sends people around to take our stuff to the tip).

We had ours last week. Put everything out, cheering.

Yesterday I was in the laundry and spotted the blind rack from our previous apartment. Kicking myself for forgetting to put it out.

I'd been waiting a year for council clean-up!

You need to find a friend in the next clean up suburb on the list who will take it....

Ours is next weekend but I believe I may live further than is appropriate to bin your thing. Can it not squish in the general bin? If it's metal and you pop it on the verge for a day it may be gone by the time you get home.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5269 on: October 14, 2017, 08:34:38 PM »
huge success today. 
One huge van load of stuff donated to bibles for missions.  I don't mind using them because they have folks working there who couldn't get work any where else.
Three shelves put out on the sidewalk and they were gone before we got back from the donation drop off.
Next was scrap metal - the tool library was collecting scrap at a church downtown so it was on the way to my son's friends. 
Then hubs loaded the stuff for the sorting yard.  Shredded paper - two huge bags, three bags of plastic film, random cardboard that didn't fit in our already full bin, e-waste, toxic waste, old medications.
The garage has room for a car now.
One more parking space to clear out still but huge progress.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5270 on: October 14, 2017, 08:40:46 PM »
huge success today. 
One huge van load of stuff donated to bibles for missions.  I don't mind using them because they have folks working there who couldn't get work any where else.
Three shelves put out on the sidewalk and they were gone before we got back from the donation drop off.
Next was scrap metal - the tool library was collecting scrap at a church downtown so it was on the way to my son's friends. 
Then hubs loaded the stuff for the sorting yard.  Shredded paper - two huge bags, three bags of plastic film, random cardboard that didn't fit in our already full bin, e-waste, toxic waste, old medications.
The garage has room for a car now.
One more parking space to clear out still but huge progress.

Being able to park your car in the garage is massive, congrats!

Sibley

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5271 on: October 14, 2017, 08:47:56 PM »
Finally got the old light fixture out of my house. I'd replaced it, and it's been sitting around for a month waiting for me to take it to Habitat for Humanity. Someone else will like it. Not me!

Also dropped off some stuff to the hazardous waste collection event today. Most of that stuff went earlier this summer, but I'm happy to get rid of the small bag too.

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5272 on: October 14, 2017, 11:34:18 PM »
Finally got the old light fixture out of my house. I'd replaced it, and it's been sitting around for a month waiting for me to take it to Habitat for Humanity. Someone else will like it. Not me!

Also dropped off some stuff to the hazardous waste collection event today. Most of that stuff went earlier this summer, but I'm happy to get rid of the small bag too.

As one who regularly volunteers there, WE DO!!

Obligatory video when I say "WE DO"

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5273 on: October 14, 2017, 11:52:18 PM »
We have a verge pickup (council sends people around to take our stuff to the tip).

We had ours last week. Put everything out, cheering.

Yesterday I was in the laundry and spotted the blind rack from our previous apartment. Kicking myself for forgetting to put it out.

I'd been waiting a year for council clean-up!

You need to find a friend in the next clean up suburb on the list who will take it....

Ours is next weekend but I believe I may live further than is appropriate to bin your thing. Can it not squish in the general bin? If it's metal and you pop it on the verge for a day it may be gone by the time you get home.

Thanks Freshwater, I'll take it home to my parents and let my dad dispose of it.

Anatidae V

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5274 on: October 15, 2017, 02:31:22 AM »
We went to 2 donation bins today to find one that wasn't stuffed full. We are SO glad to have that stuff gone.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5275 on: October 15, 2017, 06:18:58 AM »
Today I wanted to find out in which year DH and I went to live together. (Needed the information for something.)
I took out the fully stuffed drawer where our living-together contract should have been. But I think I ditched the contract after we got married. I did find the bill, so I know the date.
In the drawer I found lots of things that are just memories. Like school reports from elementary school. And diploma's from dancing championships. And a certificate that I weighed enough to not be a witch. Combined with relevant diplomas from higher education.
I guess when we'll downsize at FIRE this is one of of the personal stuff that we need to remove, just to get less stuff in total and make it easier to move between (rental) houses in the first period. Yes, I understand folks emotions about throwing away childhood memories. I am really not there yet to be rigorous about it. Maybe I should start photographing some of it to store it electronically. Then it can be thrown away later. I'll put the photografing on my todo list.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2017, 06:54:23 AM by Linda_Norway »

Prairie Gal

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5276 on: October 16, 2017, 05:25:39 AM »
Today I wanted to find out in which year DH and I went to live together. (Needed the information for something.)
I took out the fully stuffed drawer where our living-together contract should have been. But I think I ditched the contract after we got married. I did find the bill, so I know the date.
In the drawer I found lots of things that are just memories. Like school reports from elementary school. And diploma's from dancing championships. And a certificate that I weighed enough to not be a which. Combined with relevant diplomas from higher education.
I guess when we'll downsize at FIRE this is one of of the personal stuff that we need to remove, just to get less stuff in total and make it easier to move between (rental) houses in the first period. Yes, I understand folks emotions about throwing away childhood memories. I am really not there yet to be rigorous about it. Maybe I should start photographing some of it to store it electronically. Then it can be thrown away later. I'll put the photografing on my todo list.

I am planning to do this as well. I bought an external hard drive to store the pictures on, but haven't started doing it yet. I'm also planning to store family photos on it, so when I downsize I can get rid of the paper copies.

formerlydivorcedmom

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5277 on: October 16, 2017, 10:38:27 AM »
I'm reading Marie Kondo's book on tidying and although it sounds hokey, am loving the approach of thanking things and releasing them. If I keep it up much longer, I may only have the dog and my bed left in the house soon :)

I just finished the book this weekend.  It's a lovely new perspective, and it is working for practical me.

I started with my dresser this weekend - dumped everything out on the bed and touched each item.  She was right - my reactions to each piece were really different.  I now have about 1/2 of what I started with, and it is folded nicely so I can actually find a pair of socks.  (I found 5 pairs of stockings still in the packaging that I must have bought 5 years ago.  I kept buying because I couldn't find anything.)

I also did a second pass through my closet, and I've already got some items in mind for a third pass.  In total, 2 large bags to Goodwill, 1 large bag to cloth recycling.   

We are recycling a tv whose screen is just about dead, and we decided to sell the treadmill, and, if I really decide I need one, I can find a newer, smaller model on sale later. 

Hubby and I decided the bedroom "feels" different now - we were both calmer now that we've gotten so much stuff out of it. 

While we watched tv last night, I thanked and released 40% of my cd collection.

Husband worriedly asked if he's going to be on the list of things to thank and release.  I told him he brings joy, so he gets to stay.  The kids, well.....   

formerlydivorcedmom

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5278 on: October 17, 2017, 07:24:18 AM »
Any ideas how/where to get rid of perfume, scented lotions, bath salts, and mostly full Scentsy packs?  I cleared out the "things that smell good" category last night and I have a lot of stuff that needs to go away.  Most is unopened; some has been opened and tried once or twice before I realized I didn't like it.

kaypinkHH

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5279 on: October 17, 2017, 07:50:33 AM »
@FDM, have you tried a freecycle/facebook buy and sell group?

Mr.HH has staged our house to move, and now that I see it all empty and cleaned out, it makes me so happy, but also sad, because we don't get to enjoy it in it's clutter free state. Have to remember this when we unpacking...I still feel like we have too much stuff, and want to sort through it even more.

Not sure how much stuff we got rid of in the end, but we definitely moved out with significantly less stuff than what we moved in. We only will be using 2 U-haul Pods (which is the recommended for a 1 bdrm apartment), we technically have a 3 bedroom small house, so it makes me happy that we have way less stuff than the average mover.

Car Jack

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5280 on: October 20, 2017, 09:25:16 AM »
Slowly but surely.  College son is home and has made a HUGE dent in the Legos, selling off some more valuable ones, then putting together a 10 pound random piece box and shipping them all out.  Meanwhile, I've been digging through an attic storage area, bringing more legos, burnable crap and Brio stuff out.  Found the one thing I have been searching for....a brio train roundhouse.  Granted, it's not worth much, but this was the one big thing I knew we still had.  Brio stuff now up on craigslist.  Have removed (and burned) a bunch of empty boxes that were in storage.  Why are we storing empty boxes?  Continued baby plastic toys and pieces into the recycling bin (youngest son is 17.....we need baby stuff why?).  Also saving yu-gi-oh! cards and Magic the Gathering cards as college son has found buyers.  Son greeted me when I got home yesterday and said that our upstairs room (where the mess resides) is starting to look like space has opened.  This is good and bad.  If my wife notices, she'll probably go ape shit.  My plan now includes getting a bin of similar crap from the basement, dumping it upstairs and then bringing the container to the recycling center to hide the evidence.  She won't notice basement reduction in crap.

plainjane

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5281 on: October 20, 2017, 09:37:08 AM »
For the unopened lotions and salts - have you tried your local woman's shelter? The women and families there often have to leave on short notice with nothing, and certainly need a bit more joy in their lives as they rebuild.

Also, it is nice for them to get a small care package when they move out to their new homes.

For opened things and perfume, I second Freecycle.

PMG

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5282 on: October 20, 2017, 09:49:21 AM »
Slowly but surely.  College son is home and has made a HUGE dent in the Legos, selling off some more valuable ones, then putting together a 10 pound random piece box and shipping them all out.  Meanwhile, I've been digging through an attic storage area, bringing more legos, burnable crap and Brio stuff out.  Found the one thing I have been searching for....a brio train roundhouse.  Granted, it's not worth much, but this was the one big thing I knew we still had.  Brio stuff now up on craigslist.  Have removed (and burned) a bunch of empty boxes that were in storage.  Why are we storing empty boxes?  Continued baby plastic toys and pieces into the recycling bin (youngest son is 17.....we need baby stuff why?).  Also saving yu-gi-oh! cards and Magic the Gathering cards as college son has found buyers.  Son greeted me when I got home yesterday and said that our upstairs room (where the mess resides) is starting to look like space has opened.  This is good and bad.  If my wife notices, she'll probably go ape shit.  My plan now includes getting a bin of similar crap from the basement, dumping it upstairs and then bringing the container to the recycling center to hide the evidence.  She won't notice basement reduction in crap.

Carjack,  this seems like it could have huge negative impact on your wife's and mental health and your family relationships.  Are you exploring professional help or ways to help her deal with whatever is holding her back and making it so difficult for her to let go of this? 

firelight

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5283 on: October 20, 2017, 12:16:02 PM »
Carjack, I second getting your wife involved sooner than later. It'll keep the trust factor in the relationship intact. I know many people who would freak out if their spouse had been removing stuff from home under their nose without their knowledge..... even if that stuff is pure crap. You know your wife better but if she has so much attachment to this stuff as you say, it's better to get her onboard.

Cassie

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5284 on: October 20, 2017, 01:36:42 PM »
The problem with people that will throw away nothing is that usually therapy is unsuccessful and so is talking to the person. It is a deep seated behavior usually from childhood trauma, not having enough, not feeling good enough, etc.  Yes she may be mad if she finds out but she may never find out.   The person that would like a decent home has some rights too and 9 times out of 10 talking to the hoarder is not going to work.

Anatidae V

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5285 on: October 20, 2017, 04:19:47 PM »
The problem with people that will throw away nothing is that usually therapy is unsuccessful and so is talking to the person. It is a deep seated behavior usually from childhood trauma, not having enough, not feeling good enough, etc.  Yes she may be mad if she finds out but she may never find out.   The person that would like a decent home has some rights too and 9 times out of 10 talking to the hoarder is not going to work.
I'm not sure, even if you're correct about the statistics, that just because it's likely not to work that he shouldn't try at all? That seems rather defeatist and guaranteed to have a bad outcome, instead of maybe him trying for a good outcome?

Mel70

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Tackled the garage!
« Reply #5286 on: October 20, 2017, 04:59:47 PM »
Yes, the garage can fit two vehicles now. Gave away books, clothing, furniture, backpacks, and paint. As others have mentioned, I still feel like there is so much more I want to get rid of. One step at the time!

Cassie

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5287 on: October 20, 2017, 05:18:32 PM »
My guess is that he has tried many times through out the years and nothing has worked.   But I agreed if he never tried that he should have.

firelight

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5288 on: October 20, 2017, 10:24:24 PM »
Did a Goodwill run and put together stuff for sales. If they don't sell in a week or two, they'll be donated too. At this point, I'm done with the first pass through home and now have a few areas I need to concentrate on. I can't believe how much we've given away, trashed and sold. Still they keep coming! But we are atleast down to just a few areas needing attention now.

JoJoP

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5289 on: October 21, 2017, 09:49:01 PM »
There's a theme here - I also decluttered my bookshelves this weekend.

I had a few cookbooks where there was one recipe I loved, but I knew I probably wasn't going to make anything else out of it. I photographed the recipe on my phone, printed it out and put it in my recipe binder. Books can now be donated.

I showed my husband what I was keeping, including a book I thought he would never get rid of. (I do not touch his stuff, as I find I can make a huge difference just doing my own, and I don't want to be a nag). Anyway, he saw that book, and said, "oh, you can get rid of that". That would not have happened 18 months ago.

He is really coming round. Since I removed one of our two bookcases he keeps saying, "Oh there is so much space! Doesn't it look great? Oh it's so lovely having so much less stuff". I really think I may be winning the war without fighting a single battle :)

You're an inspiration! 

Linea_Norway

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5290 on: October 22, 2017, 04:06:48 AM »
There's a theme here - I also decluttered my bookshelves this weekend.

I had a few cookbooks where there was one recipe I loved, but I knew I probably wasn't going to make anything else out of it. I photographed the recipe on my phone, printed it out and put it in my recipe binder. Books can now be donated.

I showed my husband what I was keeping, including a book I thought he would never get rid of. (I do not touch his stuff, as I find I can make a huge difference just doing my own, and I don't want to be a nag). Anyway, he saw that book, and said, "oh, you can get rid of that". That would not have happened 18 months ago.

He is really coming round. Since I removed one of our two bookcases he keeps saying, "Oh there is so much space! Doesn't it look great? Oh it's so lovely having so much less stuff". I really think I may be winning the war without fighting a single battle :)

You're an inspiration!

This reminds me of me having too many cookbooks. They still fit onto two shelves of an Ikea Billy book shelf. But there are books that I literally never look into, or do look into, but always put away without inspiration. Time do clean up and throw away those that don't add anything new to alternatives on the internet. Those that I might keep are the ones with general instructions and the ones with inspirational recipies and pictures. And the ones that are most often used.

Sibley

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5291 on: October 22, 2017, 07:41:14 PM »
Pulled out the winter clothes and put away the summer ones last night. Per my usual habit, I evaluated items that could go away. Have a bag of clothes ready for donation. Also gathered the handful of other items that I wanted to dispose of.

There's a box of books that I've been shipping out for my sister (she's selling online). Logistics are fun, thus why I have them instead of her. The remainder will be donated by the end of the year, until then they're out of the way. And once the current ebay listings expire, I'll add the unsold pictures I got from mom's house to the donation pile.

Also, the garage is done for the year! It's been a project all summer, scraping, painting, replacing bad wood, etc. Some parts were left for next year, but everything for this year is done. I spent a little bit of time cleaning out the garage. Filled a bucket with the dirt from the floor, organized some things. I'll have to do some more rearranging and cleaning so I can get the car in this winter, but it's sooooo much better already.

ZiziPB

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5292 on: October 23, 2017, 07:38:32 AM »
Packed two boxes with decor items (a large vase, several candleholders) and entertainment items (charger plates, fancy glasses) to bring to consignment - if they don't want them, they will go to Goodwill.  Also prepped a box of random kitchen and household stuff for donation.
 Reduced two drawers of random papers, office supplies, holiday cards, etc. to one.  Things ended up in a shred pile, the donation pile or went back to the office at work.  A couple of weeks ago, I went through a pile of recipe printouts and clippings and got rid of pretty much everything.  I'm left with just a few favorites that I filed in a recipe book. 

Things I want to tackle this week:
- repost items previously posted on CL that haven't sold
- prepare listings for a few additional items I want to sell
- go through some bins in the basement and prepare items for donation

plainjane

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5293 on: October 23, 2017, 07:48:01 AM »
Contributed 2 bags of clothing to qualify for an upcoming clothing swap.

Finished a container of bubble bath.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5294 on: October 23, 2017, 08:11:26 AM »
Two furniture items posted on kijiji.
One car fits in the garage and I can see how ten items re-homed would permit a second car in the garage as well.  We are so close!

Rosy

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5295 on: October 23, 2017, 05:20:09 PM »
You go Frugal Lizard - success is within your grasp:)

Finally finished clearing out the utility room and sorted out the trash area. It feels so good to have a clear space again.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5296 on: October 23, 2017, 09:28:17 PM »
Two furniture items posted on kijiji.
One car fits in the garage and I can see how ten items re-homed would permit a second car in the garage as well.  We are so close!

That will be an awesome milestone!

formerlydivorcedmom

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5297 on: October 30, 2017, 01:40:52 PM »
Apparently Freecycle/etc are not a thing in the suburb where I live.  I found one FB group with minimal involvement and managed to get rid of all of my perfume (the woman who took them was so grateful - she lost everything during the Harvey floods).

The unopened other things I've put in a bag to bring to the woman's shelter to see if they'll take it.   The rest of the opened things are now sitting in a box near my front door to entice visitors (my ex actually took a bottle of extra-special "swimsuit detergent" that I must have been feverish when I purchased).

We've turned our den into a staging place for Craigslist ads; in addition to stuff we don't want, my kids are piling up toys that they want to sell.  We promised to give them any money their stuff brings in.  Within two hours of that pronouncement, it looked like Toys R Us threw up in the den - and they still aren't done!

We sent 4 bags of non-donation-quality cloth (stained tablecloths, old towels, used socks, etc) to the recycle place.

I got rid of 1/3 of my jewelry.  My daughters took some of the earrings and necklaces I'd had for decades, and the rest can go to the donation center.  I can actually see all of what is left.  No more digging around trying to find something and/or forgetting I owned it.

I am a book hoarder by any definition.  Although H and I went through the bookshelves this summer and gave away more than 100, I did a second pass this weekend.  I have another 67 books to bring to Half-Priced Books, plus 22 I want to read once more and then get rid of.    This is a relatively small portion of my books, but STILL, I'm so proud of me!  Every pass, it gets easier to get rid of stuff (goodbye, Jane Austen "sequels" that my well-intentioned family thought I might one day read).

Linea_Norway

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5298 on: October 30, 2017, 02:31:26 PM »
My DH decluttered the study which he uses for his various projects. He selected a computer screen, two computer mice, a keyboard and a bunch of data cables to be thrown away. I added a stove that the previous owner of our house used to cooking tar, pluss some other electrical stuff that has been waiting in a drawer to be driven away. I drove it all to the local garbage place, as we are not supposed to throw away electral stuff in our bin.

honeybbq

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Re: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter!
« Reply #5299 on: October 30, 2017, 03:57:37 PM »
I need to be in this thread more and decluttering more. I did a little this weekend:

This weekend I found some perfume and perfume samples in my bathroom. I never wear perfume. I gave them away on our FB buy nothing page and they were gone in an hour.

I threw away a bunch of old makeup and filled another bag with 'make up to throw away the next time I decide I don't care about makeup but can't bear to throw away today'.

Maybe this has been asked and answered: Do you guys scan all your old photograph prints? I have all these old photo albums I have pulled the photos out of. But I think I'd like to scan them and make them digital but that seems so overwhelming and time consuming compared to just throwing them in a box. Any ideas?

Another item stumped me. It's a music box from when I was a kid. It seems to no longer work. It was bought in Switzerland (I was born in Europe) so it's a nice antique. I was thinking I would give it to my daughter when I found it wouldn't work. Can these be repaired? Or should I toss it? Anyone know?

Also, any suggestions for people who have plenty of space to store this junk but still want to get rid of it? This is the hard part for me. My junk 'fits' in my closet. But my closet is HUGE. Or kitchen stuff, etc. How can I motivate myself when I can hide everything behind doors and it's still neat?
« Last Edit: October 30, 2017, 04:21:01 PM by honeybbq »