To ask how you part with your stuff?

[Declutterbug1]

I am having a huge declutter of the house.

For me, what I find hardest is knowing how much money I have wasted over the years on tat.

I know the money is already gone, but there’s part of me that wants to try and make some back as money is tight.

The biggest area I find this hard to part with things is baby clothes. Especially those that are unused and I know could sell. I do re-sell on vinted but then have stuff hanging around until it sells.

Anyone have any tips on getting over this and just parting with it all?

Please share your decluttering secrets with me!

Divide it up into charity shop and bin, and be ruthless.

Imo there’s no money in baby clothes or toys- give away for free on Facebook or a local next door app as one pile.
For me then space is worth more than the stuff- I love a good skip

Had some brilliant buys for baby clothes from Vinted. Some have never been worn. Look at the prices being charged and see it's worth all your effort.

I do a very select pile for selling. They get only a few times being listed.

to give away, I tend to do a big bag on Facebook marketplace- no sorting, take the lot for free, sell it if you can be bothered etc. Someone will be round within the hour guaranteed to pick it up. Charity shops bin a lot of what you donate, I like to think it will actually help someone.

my current strategy is just to go into the loft and do one box, sift through it and either keep or chuck down to the landing, landing pile then gets sorted into list on eBay or give away. It doesn’t go back up. If it doesn’t sell on eBay it goes to charity.

Accept that you lost the money the day you bought the item.

Now you need to decide whether you want to keep "punishing" yourself by a) letting the item clutter up your house and b) letting the item silently remind you of you wasting money every time you see it.

Then you need to accept that we usually attach a "value" to an object that is what we paid for it. But that there is no one out there who will attach the same value to it, as a 2nd hand object.

Then either sell or donate, but get it out the house and you will feel much better.

Finally, learn from this and spend less going forward/be more retrospect in your purchases.

Also watch the minimal mom and joshua becker on youtube - they both have specific videos on this topic.

Good luck

I would sell anything of worth. Then find a local food/clothing bank and ask if they would like some donations.

Can you take a more philanthropic view and thing about all of the people who will benefit from your donations?

I view the value as being donated to charity. I know that's not entirely accurate as it's not almost profit, but it helps me feel better about donating stuff I feel I "should" sell when I just need the space/don't have the time.

• not all profit

I donate most of it to charity and hope that someone else will enjoy them, especially if it is unused or fairly expensive.

I think Invincible has it right.

Whatever we buy, we remember how much it cost, how we felt when we bought it,, and how it was used/not used… No one else will understand or appreciate this.

I've recently had a massive clear out… I've listed quite a few bits on eBay, and have had to reel in my expectations. Just because I think something is worth XXXX, it doesn't mean anyone else will… They might just think it's worth X.

I have a lot of stuff that my kids would still be wearing if it still fitted them. Unfortunately, they might not be in good enough condition to sell, and perhaps not even in good enough condition to go to the charity shop. So I have often put things on the local Facebook pages, or Freecycle. I've made a connection with a woman on Freecycle, who actually distribute things to her local children's group. I usually go to her before listing them online.

So basically: could I sell it for a good price? If yes, eBay. If I could sell it, but not for much – charity shop. If it is in decent condition, but quite worn – Freecycle. Anything that I have emotional attachment to, I keep hold of until I am mentally ready to get rid.

Put it in a bag and shut your eyes. Bin.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy. I have no problems parting with "stuff". Two piles, Charity Shop or Dump. Understand if you want to try and sell stuff, but small cost items are invariably max work for minimum return.

thedecisionlab.com/biases/the-sunk-cost-fallacy

I think of it not as losing items/ money, but as gaining space and peace of mind.

I use the bags that are put through the letterbox. I know they aren’t all from genuine charities but if I no longer want stuff then at least it will used by someone or someone will make money from it.

You could probably sell some stuff if you wanted to. But it is often more work than it's worth. Also won't make you feel any better about what you paid for it.

You could sell unused items in bulk lots but your looking at getting less than 20% back of what you paid for it.

There nothing you can do about what you've already bought, that money has gone. The difference will be how to approach purchases going forwards.

I used to buy thing that 'will do' because it was often cheaper. I then never used the item because it just wasn't what I wanted. I'm now being disciplined and saving a little longer for the thing I actually want.

Accept that the money is gone.

Be selective about what you lost on vinted. People have huge bundles of baby clothes for a few pounds - if you want the space/declutter, it's not worth it in my opinion.

I list for sale brands like frugi, Boden, JoJo, scandi, sometimes marks and Spencer sells well, otherwise, it's in the charity bag or given away locally on Freecycle. High street/supermarket doesn't really sell. Character clothes often do.
Price low as well to shift it.

Give it to charity. Selling it is more hassle and when you give it, you have the joy of knowing that someone else will get good use out of it

I sell something if I can get at least £1 clear profit on it, else it goes to charity shop.

Anglo door step collections come and collect it. This makes it really easy and satisfying. Unless you really have time to be reselling, I doubt the money you can earn is worth your time.

Remember almost all of us have 2 much crap we never used - it’s not just you it’s a culture of overconsumption.

And then focus on the fact that people who can’t afford it really need this stuff.

You've got to decide on what's gd enough to sell, what can go to charity shop or be donated and what's only good for the bin.

If you don't have space to store stuff then put it on eBay/vinted and keep dropping the price until it sells.

You might surprise yourself and feel relief as some of it enters the 'ditch' pile. I just had a quick run around the playroom picking up items my DC haven't played with for well over a year, and put them in a box for 'charity'. Made me wonder why it took me so long.

I try and tell myself that the item has done its job and I was happy to spend that money on it at the time.

doesn’t always work but sometimes it helps.

There is a children’s hospice charity shop near me so they get all my baby stuff, even stuff with tags (not that much but still). They have a nice bit on their website about what certain amounts can fund. I’m so happy for stuff to go there. They get a couple of bags every few months (last baby).

most charities are worthy of course but I love to give children’s stuff somewhere for local ill children. Found it harder to take it just anywhere.

shifting individually is a pain too, how many post office trips can you fit in op?!!

I’m keeping really precious stuff for a duvet/toy in the future.

Thanks all. I have worked on all the bedrooms.

Decided to not faff with selling, so hunting for somewhere local I can donate all the baby stuff too.