AIBU just to chuck it all in the bin?

[fedupwithit8]

I have two kids under three, have been living in a pigsty for years and am desperate to declutter and live in a more orderly house. I finally got round to sorting out the babies stuff and have a huge pile of things we don’t need anymore - including clothes they’ve grown out of, toys they no longer use, random bits and pieces like car seat inserts, pram seat connectors and more.

I’m desperate to have a clearer, tidier house as we’re wallowing in crap we don’t use. But I simply don’t have time to sort it all out properly and take it to the appropriate places like the charity shop, the dump etc. I’ve been meaning to for months and it’s never happened because we’re just so busy.

AIBU to just shove it all in 5-6 bin bags and get rid? Or should I really try to sort it all properly and dispose of it in better ways so other could potentially make use of it?

Have you got a freecycle group where you live?

www.freecycle.org/

I get in this situation quite regularly as my son grows up from one phase to the next, and when I need to get rid of stuff, I put it all outside the front door, and post a photo on freecycle. The stuff vanishes quite reliably within 48 hours and I meet some very nice people to chat to on the doorstep.

@TintinIsBack

OP, spend the time to dispose of this stuff thoughtfully. It's not asking a lot.

The OP is asking in MN so we ready know she feels uncomfortable doing that. She isn’t unconscious or uncaring.
But stuff has been there for months (if not years) and haven’t been dealt with. So it sounds to me that actually ‘disposing of all the junk thoughtfully‘ is actually asking her too much.
She is obviously not able to Find the time/energy to do it which is why she posted in the first place!

I agree. Sometimes it is just too much to cope with and the stuff just needs to go. She does not have infinite energy and needs to prioritise her own needs.

Put it on FB as a job lot for a car booter. If you don't get any answers and I am sure you will, bin it.
You deserve to live a clutter free life.

I am just in the process of this and was going to start a thread

My MH is awful and my house is cluttered so I’ve bin bagged everything and it will be thrown away and tipped.

I can’t get a skip , I dont drive , charity shops too fussy and selling is hassle

Having been there done that numerous times over the last 7 years (3 kids aged 4, 6 & 7 and baby due in March) Listing items for sale takes a Lot of time and effort in terms of taking decent pics and adding description etc- it never gets done when there's so much random stuff, and just takes up more space in your house adding to the feeling of overwhelm.

Whilst it would be nice to post everything on eBay/fb and make a bit of cash, if you don't reallly need the cash I would say just bundle anything clean and useful for charity shops and drop them off in big bags/boxes- you don't need to sort it or divide into categories so that's quick and easy. And load things into your car boot as you bag/box them that way you have no choice but to drop them off at the charity shop or skip, so it'll get done quicker!

Good luck, and check out The Secret Slob and The Minimal Mom on YouTube for great tips and ideas- I found them really helpful in terms of getting rid of kiddy crap!

Bin rubbish and put all clothes in one of the charity shop bins they have in supermarket car parks.
Your relief at getting the stuff out of the house outweighs the coulda, shoulda, woulda from trying to sell it.

Someone will take it for free as a job lot.

Don't bother sorting or trying to sell. Give it all away, make it clear that it's assorted stuff and will need sifted but that there's a mix of stuff and that it's free. Someone will almost certainly come and take it and sift it for themselves. Don't mess about with trying to sell or anything as that's hugely time consuming.

I understand where you're coming from as I struggle with all the stuff in the house and am on a constant decluttering schedule but sending it to landfill is a shocking waste of resources, for a world we are trying to preserve for our children. The thought of the world going to shit for them is worse for my MH than the act of decluttering.

I would go for the middle ground. Sort everything into bin or charity. Definitely don’t bother trying to sell or give things away.
Put the stuff for charity in your car straight away. Make sure going to the charity shop is the one thing you do at the next opportunity. Pick a nice big one with a car park.

For the clothes - either charity shop, clothes bin at recycling points or free sale on Facebook.

For Facebook try and take a couple of pictures and put it up free. Your old clothes for someone could be their treasure.

Chuck it out! I spent years with stuff in different piles - for when I went to the charity shop, had time to sort it properly. Never happened!
You need it gone now - just put it in the bin. Your well-being is more important so pop it in the bin - today!
By tonight, you will have a much nicer home!

Our tip has a recycle shed where people leave boxes of assorted stuff and the gannets descend and strip it clean.it’S incredible to watch. Like a nature documentary where ants strip a carcass.

Put it on freecycle—even unsorted. People will come and take it away and do the sorting themselves.

I put a load of toys etc out the front of my house with a sign saying “FREE” yesterday. It all went within hours.
Will definitely do this again rather than fb or tip.

You’ll feel incredible when it’s gone.

Check out charities that pick up from the house. I think the British Foundation does and also Salvation Army.
Bin just random crap but bag up clothes, toys etc.
You can also drop stuff at collection points on way to work.

Bin it, but use this experience as a wake up call to stop buying stuff that will cause you grief and will end up in landfill (obviously you had to have car seats etc but kids generally have too many toys/clothes).

Just bin it! Don't give it anymore headspace. It's not doing anyone any good sitting in your house anyway. Then get started on chucking the next lot. Once you've got everything in your house in order draw a line in the sand and resolve to sort charity/bin/sell from that point on.

I’m trying to hold down a full time job with two kids and don’t want to spend what little free time I do have sorting and dealing with loads and loads of stuff

Fair enough you don't have time, but don't forget this job isn't going to take up all your time, it's just a job you need to do. Once it's done, it's done.

If you set a target to do1 hour sessions (no more) spread over a number of days or even weeks, you'd sort it and don't need to feel guilty. Start by putting the whole lot into the spare room, garage, wherever and then nibble away at the job in stages.

You're only limiting yourself because it feels overwhelming but breaking it into bite size chunks will be manageable.

Bin it. You have more important things to do with your time.

It's what I do, life is far too short.

As long as everything is clean, put it in bags and take it to the recycling centre and explain what you have. Most have shops, often run by local charities, and their staff/volunteers will sort it out.

Throwing away clothes that other children could use is not good!

you need to make time op
rainy day job
two bags at a time,
one for the tip one for the clothes bin

Thing is, if you put in on marketplace or where ever as a job lot, someone will come and take it, take out what they want (which could be 1-2 things or nothing) and bin the rest. So you may as well just bin it now and save the trouble.

Same with the baby clothes really. They aren't going to live on forever. I get rid of this stuff in bags but realistically it will be used a few times maybe as day care clothes or messy painting clothes, then binned.

You say it’s 5 to 6 bin bags, that can can whizzed through in a short time. Or just take it all to the tip and put in the clothes bin, they recycle them. Where I live people put items out on their drives and front gate for people to take. It’s really increased since lockdown. I got rid of a chest, wooden pallets and compost bin doing this.

What little shred of hope I have for the future of the planet for my children is dissipating with this thread...