To bin EVERYTHING and just start over?

[readingismycardio]

Just kidding, obviously, I wish I could!

Recently I realised I have too many objects (clothes, shoes, accesories, bags, anything really), and giving that we're moving next year from a one bed to a three bed (yay!) I want to declutter massively and only take with us things that we actually use and love. So this year, the decluttering has started, I binned, I sold, I donated a shit ton of clothes, bags, perfumes, books, etc, but I still feel like I'm not done with it.

I am in no way aspiring to be a minimalist, but I do like my house to be tidy.

Did you ever feel like you are tired of SO MANY THINGS? What did you do?

Rant over, thank you

I love watching the minimal mom and dana k white etc on youtube they give you so much motivation! Its changed my mindset to buying or keeping stuff as its all more stuff to manage!

Yes when my ex and I split we divided up the linen, stuff in the kitchen everything, and I still had plenty even after half was gone.

We moved to a much smaller house 4 years ago but parts of it still look as if we’ve just moved in. I haven’t been well for months so find it very hard to get motivated. DH & I have made a start by setting aside some time at weekends & trying to focus on just one area or room. It’s easy to get overwhelmed & then not do anything. I actually get quite down about the mess. The charity shops have done very well. When I tackle our bedroom, there will be loads of clothes to send to charity too. I went through a phase of buying stuff I didn’t need & now a lot of it no longer fits me.

The Minimalists documentary says ‘love people, use stuff’
I think it’s good to think like that, use it or you don’t need it basically.
We had a massive (and we didn’t have loads of stuff before) after I had watch that documentary. I still struggle getting DH not to bring stuff into the house but when stuff was leaving even he said it felt great !
We have 3 large drawers and a 2 door wardrobe between DH and I. They fit all of our clothes in. Even with such a small amount of clothes we still end up wearing the same stuff anyway (so could get rid of more). We have 2 duvet sets, as do the children, no more. You only get the have a third set if one of the other sets is ruined and being thrown out. Towels, only enough for the people who love in the house plus about 3 more towels. We got rid of all the mismatched, handed to us towels.

DC’s bedrooms - that’s a h whole other story ! 🤣

Following for help and support. We’re moving back to the U.K. after a decade in the states (in a very big house) and paying for repatriation ourselves so I want to get rid of everything that isn’t sentimental

I’m having such problems just trying to sell stuff though, have it up on OfferUp, Facebook selling pages, Craigslist but barely anything even gets an interest….any tips? I don’t mind if something just doesn’t sell then we’ll give away but could do with every extra penny to save for the move!

@KobaniDaughters - hold a yard sale? Advertise on Nextdoor? Though, to be honest, donating to Goodwill is probably your best option.

I did a huge declutter just a few months ago but again we have clutter everywhere. It's a never ending process which feels exhausting! But I think if I do a declutter every time a room is on the friday focus on Team TOMM then maybe I will keep on top of it - hopefully!

I highly recommend watching joshua becker on YouTube. Calm, clear and concise. Very inspiring.

@FlowerArranger I’m starting to think I should just organise and box up anything that can be sold and hold a yard sale then whatever is left offer to my neighbourhood buy nothing group to take their pickings and donate anything that’s left after that. If I can declutter and sort out the garage at least there’s somewhere to store it all

I am so tired of all the stuff in my house. It takes so much time to sort the stuff to sell, donate, recycle or bin that I lose motivation and give up. All the piles of stuff are still in my house, it feels like I’ll never get rid of it all. I just wish I could hire a skip.

There is so much stuff in my house, it makes me anxious and feels like I can't take a breath! I honestly don't know where to start. It's the children's things that bothered most, there's just so much of it, but I don't feel it's my place tl.just go through it all and get rid, even though they might not miss it if I did. How do you get around that? I've got them involved before, and every item becomes their most favourite you toy ever in the whole wide world 🤔

@hotmeatymilk

YABU to bin unless you mean recycling bin.

Absolutely. Wish I could do it, though. It's just unrealistic 🤣

@violetanemone

Did you ever feel like you are tired of SO MANY THINGS? What did you do?

I guess the simple answer is to declutter, and then stop buying so much stuff!

(The latter is important because otherwise it will all just build up again).

I have stopped buying any clothes which I don't think will last 5+ years and get worn regularly. With bags, I make sure I really really want them, and again usually buy something good quality when I have the money, and then use it to death.

It's very hard to exercise judgement like this with everyday purchases as it takes quite a lot of foresight and effort! But we can only do our best.

Also, I invested in a Kindle, so I am not buying as many paperbacks as I used to. That is a big one for me!

My partner still buys BluRays so they clutter up our shelves, but I think we are all moving towards digital-only media eventually which will be another big step.

Ohhhhh, I love the 5+ years tip for the clothes! Thanks for that!

I also get frustrated with the toys but I followed Joshua Becker's advice and first tackled all my stuff: clothes, books, shoes, bags, papers, kitchen stuff, towels, bed linen, toiletries....

Then I gradually got DH on board for some joint things and he's even decluttered some of his books and clothes (it helped that I found a shop that buys 2nd hand books in pristine condition).

Then I tackled DC clothes that are too small. And i picked some of their toys they never play with to suggest we sell them and they get the money. Ds1 wasn't keen but DS2 was very enthusiastic.

Luckily our babysitter recently asked me for old clothes/toys to donate to a charity for children in need so that encouraged DS1 to give some too. He liked the praise for being generous to other children who don't have much.

Lastly, i do go through their toys and chuck out random little bits that they never play with. Ive banned happy meals for 3 years now and have donated those toys to charity (if decent, if not bin).

Recently we had a massive tidy of the flat cos it was Ds1s birthday party. Everyone agreed that the flat looked much nicer without stuff all over the surfaces - they all agreed that I was right to have done this decluttering! (Ive been doing it 6 months now)

@FindingMeno totally....my way of minimising future buying is to insist people tell me what they want for Xmas. No more buying OTHER people crap they do not want!

@TotallySuper

Following with interest as I feel like I regularly do this and yet there is still stuff everywhere 🙃

Same. I regularly declutter but it seems like our possessions just breed.

Yes. Only yesterday I was fantasising about hiring a skip (or several) and just loading the entire contents of the house into it

[quote Barnowl25]@RealBecca I love that 'items aren't memories' I am going to start chanting that in my head while I clear my house of piles of crap.[/quote]
Not helpful but I feel completely the opposite!

I have items from my late mother that are very much memories but I've only kept the things I love and try to live by the William Morris quote of only having things which are beautiful or useful.

I go through phases of being utterly ruthless every few years and getting rid of loads.

A pp mentioned a tea set. I had three (don't ask!) and gave them to a friend who was opening up a vintage tea room. Perhaps there's one you could give it to?

@BeefSupreme

I am so tired of all the stuff in my house. It takes so much time to sort the stuff to sell, donate, recycle or bin that I lose motivation and give up. All the piles of stuff are still in my house, it feels like I’ll never get rid of it all. I just wish I could hire a skip.

Can you do one shelf or one drawer a time, at least 3 times a week? You'll get there eventually.

And stop buying stuff. Just don't buy anything unless it's food you are going to eat that week.

@hazelnutpraline

Yes. Only yesterday I was fantasising about hiring a skip (or several) and just loading the entire contents of the house into it

I have semi-serious fantasies about my house burning down and what a relief it would be to not have anything.

Even the things I value and that are precious and could never get rid of, it would be so freeing to be rid of them all.

I've been quite succesful over covid time in decluttering. 35+ black bin bags to the charity shop. An unknown amount of full to the ginnels wheelie bins every other week. And once after a bit of work I had done a huge builder's skip which was filled to the brim with a combination of "stuff" from mine and my neighbour's houses and gardens.

But it's like what I've got left has stretched out like my cat and just filled the space!

I also love the 5 year test for clothes - what a great idea!

@KobaniDaughters

Following for help and support. We’re moving back to the U.K. after a decade in the states (in a very big house) and paying for repatriation ourselves so I want to get rid of everything that isn’t sentimental

I’m having such problems just trying to sell stuff though, have it up on OfferUp, Facebook selling pages, Craigslist but barely anything even gets an interest….any tips? I don’t mind if something just doesn’t sell then we’ll give away but could do with every extra penny to save for the move!

When I sold clothes/bags/accesories I made sure I took great photos, sometimes even put them together as outfits.

@hazelnutpraline

Yes. Only yesterday I was fantasising about hiring a skip (or several) and just loading the entire contents of the house into it

Oh, haven't thought about it that far, but your idea sounds amazing. I feel you!

I’m inspired. I’m going to do one thing a day. Sometimes if that’s just gathering up the Halloween costumes and storing properly (yesterday) and other days a full cupboard then fine. But one thing a day….

@TeapotCollection

We’ve got way too much stuff too!

I don’t have the answer but we are going to have a massive clear out over the winter. We’ve got a mountain of DVDs that’ll probably end up in the bin, which is a shame but they’re just gathering dust

Music Magpie app is great for DVDs (and books and CDs). They won't take everything, but using your phone to scan stuff to work out what you can get a bit of money for is really quick and easy and feels like a game.

I’ve always been very much ‘keep it just in case’ during lockdown 1 I just got so fed up of tidying & looking at stuff all day everyday. I had a huge 3 day sort out, stuck it all on the drive & put a post on a local Facebook group saying it’s all there, don’t message me just come & take what you want.
The stuff filled the whole drive & by the end of the day it was all gone - it was wonderful!
The house is so much easier & nicer now without all the random crap.