AIBU to get rid of 80% of my "stuff".

Get rid of anything you haven't worn in the last year.
Get rid of anything that is faded, needs repairing etc
Get rid of anything, that although nice, is impractical - eg the jewellery that needs cleaning constantly; a bag which doesn't meet your needs
Get rid of anything that is too small. You won't lose weight to fit into it. If you do happen to lose weight in the next year or so you can buy stuff to fit then, which fits in with your new style (as it sounds like you want to change style a bit).

I still have too much stuff but I did do well last year chucking out absolutely loads of things. It either went in the bin if poor quality or went in the charity bin we have in our village.

I’ve been decluttering for a while now, and it feels so freeing. I was looking at photos the other day and was looking at the all the random things scattered in the background (mostly kids toys but also cushions, blankets, ornaments, clothes) - I honestly don’t miss a single thing. I’ve got rid of hundreds maybe thousands of things- and I can only think of two I ever ‘regretted’ getting rid of. One was something I re-bought for about £6 from Amazon, and one was a skirt I’d had years and never worn, and then the perfect opportunity to wear it came up a month or so after getting rid of it- but I just wore something else and it wasn’t a big deal. In the scheme of how amazing my house feels with so much less in, it was well worth those couple of very minor regrets.

What is it you’re worried about? Is it guilt over the cost of things? I’ve found since getting rid of a lot (I give lots always to charity shops as realised I just needed it out, and selling never worked for me)- I am so much more careful about what I spend money on and bring in- so that initial guilt will give way to better decisions in future.

My main challenge is DH is a bit of a hoarder.

So as quickly as I get rid of my stuff, he thinks this clears the way for more of his own stuff so nothing feels 'clearer'

I really want to do this. I've started but there still seems to be huge amounts of stuff.

I didn't see it as a brag, I'd expect a MN brag would be more around I'm the same size I was in my early 20s and these clothes all fit me too well and look too good shall I get rid of them so others don't feel jealous.

Plenty of people accumulate or acquire a few designer pieces over the years, it doesn't mean they're rich. I know not everyone does, but I have Mulberry bags- I bought one with my first graduate pay packet, another when I got a bonus (haven't had one since...), I've had Chanel earrings and other items as a gift. Growing up in poverty I do have to pinch myself at times that I own stuff like this but it doesn't mean I'm overly rich or have a closet brimming with designer things. Someone who doesn't declutter and has probably kept stuff for several decades it doesn't seem that fanciful.

If you don't use it then yes get rid of it! I used to hold onto things "just in case" or save other things for best, but i had a huge sort out and it felt so good.

3 piles:

Recycle
Donate
Sell

I now have more of a capsule wardrobe with really nice quality pieces I love and it was funded by selling old stuff I didn't ever wear and realistically never would again on Vinted. So much more space, all of my clothes/bags etc get regular wear and I don't feel guilty about buying something new as it'll be because I know what I already have and because I genuinely need it. I did the same with DS' toys (with his help) a few years back and he used the money from the big token items to buy a Switch and loved donating other things and the thought of them having a new lease of life.

You will feel so light afterwards, and any guilt associated with getting rid of stuff will dissipate. I did this recently. One positive outcome was that I discovered how many beautiful clothes I had that I’d forgotten about. I keep some items and wore them over summer. The rest I gave to charity and haven’t looked back. I didn’t have time to eBay stuff. I have realised I really don’t need much stuff.

I sold some jewellery at an auction house and said I felt guilty as they were gifts- they advised me to use some of the money to buy one piece that I did love and would wear

Who made you the style expert @RoomOfRequirement ? Have you ever heard of the phrase “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all?”

She might not be.
I know quite a few people who ended in severe debt with all the associated complications of that as a result of chasing a lifestyle they thought they "deserved" but couldn't actually afford...

Go for it!

With the old clothes in particular, even assuming you do lose the weight, that doesn't mean they're worth keeping. Your body shape and lifestyle won't automatically go back to what they were when you bought them, even if the figure on the scales does.

It doesn’t have to be a big wholesale decision. Sell the bag and see how it feels. If it feels right and empowering, sell some jewellery and so on.

You’ll get feedback along the way and are more likely to make considered decisions vs ditching 80% of your stuff as some grand lifestyle change gesture.

all real silver will polish it will be hallmarked with a lion a date letter and an assay office emblem leopards head for London anchor for Birmingham etc some silver just has .925 this is UK mark for solid silver, anything that has EP/ EPNS/ britannia silver is just silver plated and not silver and if polished too much you can remove all the silver plate then it will be dark underneath, current scrap value of silver is about 50p per gram, if it is not hall marked legally it is not silver

Enjoy the decluttering! I took very little to charity shops, as I prefer items going to a home that needs them directly.

I find junk merchants patrolling streets for pavement stuff, which they then sell.

I just got rid of a lot of stuff, as we are selling our home, mostly clothes and shoes sold on vinted, bigger items sold on facebook, more expensive items sold on ebay. Some items were put out on the kerb with a note to take them (loads of plant pots, excess compost bags, several small shelving units, books, some kids toys, all gone within a day). Enjoy the decluttering! I took very little to charity shops, as I prefer items going to a home that needs them directly.

I started with larger items, to free up space, actual and mental space. Also I kept going through stuff and putting it all in the one designated room, which became a packing and postage room for a while, meaning the rest of the house was getting cleared up even before the things were gone.

Do it. You won't regret it.

Ever since I took on the thankless task of clearing out my (hoarder) mum's house 2 years ago I am determined I won't pass on the same burden to my own DC so have been steadily decluttering ever since. The more I get rid of, the easier the process becomes.

During this process I have (coincidentally) lost weight and dropped 3 dress sizes. Even so, I don't regret the clothes I gave away because I didn't think they would ever fit me again. It's been a pleasure to buy new things and my style has completely changed.

The decluttering is still a work in progress but one rule I've found helpful is the one in, one out rule. For every new thing I buy something old has to be sold or donated or binned. It really focuses my mind when I see something I would like to think what I would give away in order to have it? I've just bought a lovely pair of Superga trainers but in order to have them an old pair of Skechers had to go. And I've actually found that quite often it ends up being one thing in, two or three things out. So the quantity of stuff I have is gradually reducing but the average 'niceness' and personal value of what I keep is increasing.

Once you get over the initial shock of parting with things you have held onto for years it's a joyous and somewhat addictive process.

I did it i even put a post up about it called the deep clean not many replies 😆.
But i did get rid of so much and i dont miss a thing .
I got brutal with my home i just had crap laying around clothes i was never gonna put on .
Now i have space less crap and clutter i only have what i use it feels great .

Take the ring into Cartier. They will clean & re-polish it (for a fee probs!) Get a verbal valuation &, if it's then worth it, a written valuation for insurance.

Do it! Watch The Minimalists, they have great "rules" and I find watching their videos helps me to not buy more stuff I don't need, in addition to motivating me to get rid of clutter. Also keep in mind that stuff being kept and not used can become damaged. I've had shoes crack from not being worn and a really nice leather handbag ruined because I stored it in the garage. Someone could have been loving and using the things you have kept for 7 years..

With the rings. Maybe keep them to give to DC when they are older?

I have a Hobbs skirt I've been waiting to 'fit back into' for 20 years.

It's moved house with me 4 times.

I need to do this too.

Do it.

Be wary of selling things though. Worth it, but give a time limit to sell. If no one's bought it in say 2 or 3 weeks, then unlist and get rid.

Do it!

I did a full kon Marie tidy a few years back. Got rid of 60% of our belongings. So liberating and properly life changing.

The book is well worth a read 'life changing magic of tidying' by Marie Kondo. It might give you the confidence to move forward.

Clothes are the first thing you'd start with anyway and the book helps guide you so that you make sound decisions that you can live with afterwards.