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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel I am constantly fighting a battle against "stuff"

224 replies

Notcontent · 26/12/2013 23:39

I should preface this by saying that i don't have a big house. Just a standard 3 bedroom.

But I feel like I am constantly putting things away, rearranging stuff to find new inventive ways to fit things in and in general trying to keep clutter to a minimum. Of course my dd is a huge contributor to the problem. I sometimes feel like things breed and multiply in her room!! Grin

I did a quick post Christmas Day tidy up today and already have a bag of stuff to take to the charity shop (to make room for new things).

If you don't have a huge house with masses of storage, how do you cope?

OP posts:
TalkieToaster · 30/12/2013 01:22

Hah, I wish, but I think my DP would kill me. 'Oh yes, dear, I invited a complete stranger off the internet to sort through our crap. You don't mind?'

I'm actually using my CBT time to address my inability to keep on top of housework. It's supposed to be for fatigue issues, but they don't bother me so much anymore since I found the physical cause.

I've never been to the Beatles museum, although I did take a friend past a sweet shop that had a portrait of Paul O'Grady made out of jelly beans. #completelyandutterlyoutedmyselfnow

Not4turning · 30/12/2013 01:49

I read some stuff about de cluttering yesterday as I have heaps of clutter.

Apparently, you start small. My quest was the paperwork that I jam next to a heavy vase on the kitchen shelf.

I got my old extending box file out and started. This stuff was about 7 inches thick and I needed less than an inch of it. Next was our corkboard, again loads of stuff for the wood burner.

My next spots will be my cookery books on the kitchen shelf and the following;

Utensils - have doubles just in case
Kitchenware - just have loads that has been used once
All drawers in kitchen, not used in the last year, ta ta

As I said, I am starting small.

RhinestoneCowgirl · 30/12/2013 09:48

I've just sorted through some kitchenware Not4turning. There were several things that I'd been hanging onto because they were still 'good' and I might use them - e.g. a ceramic flan dish that I've maybe used once to make a quiche, but of course I needed to hang onto it because then it will encourage me to make quiches Hmm

The feeling of liberation to pass on stuff like that to the charity shop is wonderful!

Lovebargains · 30/12/2013 10:04

I had a look in my filing cabinet and it is literally stuffed with papers. Last night I threw out about 50-60 papers and manuals for products I got rid of years ago! Shocking. I need a Brew

BraveMerida · 30/12/2013 11:42

But why do we keep on shopping and buying more STUFF though?!

Now I'm getting all conflicted over whether I need that powder blue kitchen aid or not.....Has anyone regretted buying a kitchen aid and have it sit on their work top looking annoying or beautiful but pretty useless?

winkywinkola · 30/12/2013 12:41

I'd get the kitchenaid food processor rather than the mixer. Far more useful.

ARealPickle · 30/12/2013 13:44

We have a magi mix my husband loves that sits on the side, but isn't big enough for dough.

We have my food processor with all the cutty blades but we tend bit to use it.

And a ginormous kenwood which I avoids using as I hate lifting it up and out. ....

I don't need 3

RhinestoneCowgirl · 30/12/2013 14:10

We have a magi mix which is fairly utilitarian looking, but we do use it regularly.

ARealPickle · 30/12/2013 14:18

We use it for all sorts, so it's not going, it's just not enough for baking. ...

Might have to be the food processor that goes!

clearsommespace · 30/12/2013 14:28

Can you get your appliances into the cupboards?
When I was given my Magimix (over 15 years ago) I was told to keep it out otherwise I wouldn't use it. But I use it just as much now it is usually kept in the cupboard.
I'd like to keep the toaster in the cupboard but everyone else disagrees. Instead I have made space in the cupboard so when I am doing the kind of cooking that requires a lot of available workspace, I can put it away.

ARealPickle · 30/12/2013 14:32

We don't have enough cupboard space so I'm trying b to clear some things out. Magi mix is out but kenwood and processor away.

Housemum · 30/12/2013 14:57

My Magimix is in the cupboard and I forget to use it - Kitchen Aid is on worktop but we do make a cake at least once a week.

Toys are a big problem - doesn't help that there is a big age gap with the youngest 2 so we have toys for 10yo and 5yo around. 10yo is particularly bad at attaching sentimentality to stuff - every toy/game/piece of crappy plastic stuff has a meaning. Drives me mad. I could halve her stuff easily given free reign. Have tried the "donate to charity/help those without" route and the "sell it at the NCT sale and you can have the cash" route to no avail.

Have for the past year only taken books out from library rather than buy, has helped. Have a "read and get rid" pile in the spare room of accumulated books - have given one box so far to charity shop.

Have stopped keeping clothes for "when I have slimmed down" or "in case I get fatter" - unless they are vintage-designer-fabulous (not in my case, my budget is Primark/Tu/M & S!) you can get new more fashionable stuff if/when you need it.

Paperwork - have one filing tray maximum, deal with everything as it comes in the house as nuch as possible. Junk mail straight in recycing bin, anything to pay gets done straight away or set to pay on right date in online banking. School letters about future activities/concert tickets/stuff for relevant dates go on shelf under kitchen notice board in date order. (Have the IKEA magnetic chalkboard with shelf underneath). Keep a set of ring binders for all stuff that you need, I filled it with punched pockets and keep everything in roughly alphabetical order - House insurance, car insurance, mortgage details, driving licence paper copies, all that stuff. Have another folder for receipts/guarantees stapled to the relevant instruction booklet. I also cut down paper by ripping out just the English pages from the instructions and filing those. go through folder once a year chucking out booklets for broken/given away stuff.

Should be decluttering now but am on MN Blush

nickeldonkeyonadustyroad · 30/12/2013 16:20

we keep the kenwood chef on the worktop and use it all the time.
the trick with equipment is that if you have it out and ready to use, you'll use it. if it's in the cupboard it'll just sit there ignored

ARealPickle · 30/12/2013 22:11

We have too dinky a kitchen to keep it out so its in a cupboard. Might be able to find a space near the table though. ...

Do I need all 3??

nickeldonkeyonadustyroad · 30/12/2013 23:35

we hae a very tiny kitchen so everything has to be out!

you don't need all 3. work out what you need from a food processor and keep the one that does that. or chuck them all and get one that fits your requirements.

like, our kenwood chef is ideal for us because we make ssoups, use the jug for chopping and pro essing, we makecakes and mixstuff, wee make pastry, and we've got a grater /shredder attachment which is good for grating/chopping large amounts

ARealPickle · 31/12/2013 07:06

I'm not sure which Ken wood we've got. Mil bought it. We use it for cake mixing mainly - it doesn't have a jug or chopping attachments. It's got a k mixer and a dough hook.

I wonder if I need to buy atachmemts. ..

Lovebargains · 31/12/2013 12:19

I have filled 5 bags today with hangers, dressing gown which I wear once a year, clothes that clearly don't fit and other stuff

It does feel good and I really want to keep it up. I am finally starting to see space!

clearsommespace · 31/12/2013 15:17

Lovebargains, you may have to name change if you're to keep your wardrobe decluttered!

nickeldonkeyonadustyroad · 31/12/2013 15:21

you definitely need the jug.

get rid of the other 2 and buy a jug. Grin

Lovebargains · 31/12/2013 15:31

clearsomespace - that is my problem, you have hit the nail on the head. I love bargains too much. I can't buy just one, I have to clear the shelf Shock

RenterNomad · 31/12/2013 16:03

I can't buy just one, I have to clear the shelf.

DH does this, too. We have shitloads of flippin' washing up sponges from a recent fritz of his (particularly useless multiplication, given we have a dishwasher!)

AHardDaysWrite · 31/12/2013 17:14

Inspired by this thread I filled three binbags of old clothes and toys for the charity shop. Took them down today and they're closed until 3rd Jan! At least I've done it though. What I really need is DH the hoarder to go out for the day, then I can bin loads of stuff. He'll never notice it's gone.

Lovebargains · 31/12/2013 17:30

Way to go AHardDaysWrite, you deserve a Cake

Lovebargains · 31/12/2013 18:47

RenterNomad - I am like your DH, I bought 10 bottles of washing up liquid despite having a dishwasher Blush

Cataline · 31/12/2013 19:26

I found the book Banish Clutter Forever by Sheila Chandra really helpful.

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