How brutal are you with chucking things out?

[Frostythesnowman1]

I feel like my head is going to explode

I have 6 year old twins. The amount of stuff we have is just ridiculous. I want to have a massive sort out or clothes & toys, I’ve got toys they no longer play with piled up in the garage and bags and bags of clothes that no longer fit. I keep it because I think I’ll sell it at the next NCT sale or put it on Facebook/vinted but honestly I just do not have the time.

I’m borrowing a small van from work next week and I’ll be loading up all of the toys and visiting various nurseries/playgroups to drop off the toys (I have contacted them all previously)

I’m then going to drop off all the bags of clothes at the charity/clothes banks

i find the idea of this kind of liberating but I’m also terrified that I “should” try and sell it.

does anyone else sell stuff and if so how do you find the time? I work 3 days a week and we have full on weekends with the kids activities. On the days I don’t work it’s filled with housework and taking my elderly dad to hospital appointments.

I suppose my AIBU to ask permission from mumsnet to just get rid of it all and give zero fucks 😂😂

ps the money would be lovely if I did sell stuff but my experience with Facebook/vinted just sucks all joy out of me

I own less than 300 things including every piece of furniture in my house. I never keep anything I don't use.

I used to sell on eBay and it was quite good but the last time I barely broke even so really I was giving things away.

You see overwhelmed and trying to sell things will just be more for you to do. Just give it all away.

Declutter declutter declutter first

Or use someone who sells on vinted for you, and takes a percentage

Once the house is clear, start selling little by little. You won't manage a mountain of STUFF but if you advertise one dress or jumper or teddy at a time, it's easy.

And stick with "one in, one out!" for any new thing

I've got 7 year old twins in a 2 bed flat, so I can't allow things to build up, so a) don't buy excessive toys and clothes and b) clear things out when they either no longer fit or are not used/played with.
Our flat still feels cluttered, but that's because...it's tiny!

that's not super helfpul, I could totally use 300 pairs of shoes and handbags! maybe not on the same day...

I need harsher criteria than "things I use"

I never bother selling stuff. I just think “how much time will this take up?”.

Is it worth spending hours photographing, uploading, replying to dozens of messages, waiting around for it to be collected or posting it for £20? No it is not.

If there’s a car boot sale where you sell as much as you can in one day it might be worth it but otherwise no.

Can't be bothered to sell stuff, trying desperately to get rid of books and clothes and been clearing the top of my wardrobe today ready for decorating next week. Tesco conveniently have a Barnardos charity shop inside as well as a community bookcase and clothing banks in the car park so lots of stuff has gone there today.

I give mine all to charity shops. Selling/giving away is such a PITA because the general public are so rude, disorganised and entitled.

I've just sorted through loads of clothes, most of which I've never worn because either I've gone off them, they don't suit me, or don't fit well. I cannot be bothered with the faffing of selling things on Vinted or anywhere else. Charity shops can have the lot.

I am brutal. But not with small kid stuff. I think you just have to accept things as chaos for a few years.

I grew up in a house of endless stuff. As an adult I'm totally minimalistic

I think for 15 bin bags I'd get rid especially if it's mixed ages in each bag.

Although, I've noticed a lot of bags passed onto my son have things which must have come in sets or are on a similar theme. So for the future, if you get one bag at a time, you could sort the clothes into same-but-different pairs and your DT take it in turns to pick first.
For odd things you could see if you can get a duplicate off vinted if special or keep as a spare if it's boring but useful.

I'm lucky to have a Yodel drop off/InPost locker 10 mins walk away so I Vinted everything which is still in decent nick. I've made £1000 in the last two years, a lot of which is spent on buying the kids' next size up clothes and shoes via Vinted. We still have way too much stuff. Lots of those little plastic toys which I somehow feel I can't just chuck in the bin. I tried leaving a box of stuff outside the house and some did get taken by other families.

@Icanflyhigh there are companies like Ziffit which will give you a bit of money for DBDs, CDs and books and collect them from your house. I got rid of a dozen boxes of stuff that way before our last move

If you make £200 a month selling your family's old clothes I can't imagine how much you actually spend buying clothes?

I like to keep the chain of good stuff going at charity going by donating good stuff. I always find something good when I go in.

Also, passing stuff onto friends is great. I’ve bought barely any clothes for DS, then I pass anything good onto the next kid.

I can't be arsed with eBay and Vinted. Such a ball ache and for a pittance too. And all the piles of things and packaging everything and schlepping to the post office constantly. No thanks.

Last year I booked a table at a children's sale at our local high school. I took loads of baby stuff, toys clothes, equipment etc and I think we made nearly £300. Everything that was unsold I took to the charity shop on the way home. I was happy with that. It wasn't all that much effort and £300 is better than a kick in the teeth.

Ask yourself if the clutter is worth the space it's taking up in your mind. I say that as someone that also struggles with decluttering but I always feel so much calmer and able to function when I have a clear space.

Totally brutal! I used to hang onto things I would sell, but I am honestly SO relieved to see bags of stuff leave the house and loose some clutter I don’t care now and only sell big items! I had a massive declutter before Christmas and it was glorious.

I’m brutal and we are forever listing stuff on our local “don’t dump it” facebook page.

If we have something genuinely worth selling then we might go to the hassle. But everyday stuff we just want gone and happy to donate, offer to anyone who’ll collect, or dump.

Brutal enough that sometimes when I’ve had enough of stuff, I go on a chucking out/tidying spree and then days later end up helping my husband ‘look’ for the items he can’t find anymore.

It's so much effort trying to sell on Vinted etc. for relatively little reward and often lots of hassle. You will feel so much better by taking it to the playgroups and charity shops. Just see it as your annual donation to charity and a good way to help and benefit others. The added bonus is you get lots of space back at home and can get everything tidy.

A win win !

I think at this stage you need to clear the backlog as quickly and efficiently as possible. So that you can then get organized and develop some systems for keeping on top moving forwards.

I agree with others. Unless items are branded clothes don't bring you a lot of money in. Some toys sell some don't. So when am sorting out its always about 3/4 charity and 1/4 put in the to sell drawer.

At the moment i don't sell. There have been times where i did as i was desperate for cash and the desperation meant i made time.
These days i don't list anything worth less then 10quid as its not worth the time. Based on my current situation.

I know our charity shop can't sell Primark or supermarket clothes, it all goes in the rag anyway

Just donate and be mindful of what comes into the house ongoing/ the money has already been spent, the object has serves it purpose, just let it go.

Really!? Why not? How odd!