The minimalist quiche

[educatingarti]

This is a new thread to replace the minimalist journey one which is nearly full!

[Ponderosa]

Hi BeCool. Good tips, thanks.

The thought of only having 15 pairs of knickers makes me sweat a bit. I'm definitely not ready to chuck so many out yet - they are so pretty and would pass the 'do I love it?' test. Plus I only bought the last ten pairs last week - they were in the sale and I have worn them though! I'd worry that if i only had a few pairs they'd get tatty very quickly and I'd have to buy more.

Just reread my last paragraph - deperate, rambling excuses I know.

However, I've just chucked another three pairs and eyed up another six that will probably go as soon as I'm feeling braver. I've also decluttered today:

My purse of old receipts and out of date coupons
Four more DVDs - I'd like to chuck more but some are DH's and he's not keen to let go. We don't watch them and have Tivo - everything is available on demand is it not?
A few toiletries and a washbag from the wardrobe (of doom)
Used the dregs of a shampoo to clean the toilet bowl as per a suggestion on this thread. Blueberry scented!
Moved three half used face washes into the bathroom to be used up
DS2's nostrils - don't pretend you're not jealous

I hate that I can't see any difference yet. So impatient.

[Ponderosa]

Oh and we're in a two bed so not a great deal of room. But then if I lived in a mansion I'm sure I'd have filled it with junk by now.

[MinimalistMommi]

The DVD thing would really annoy me, if they're not being watched they should go. We got rid of the DVD's here, and it was tough on my DH, I had to push. Of course, we've not 'needed' to watch anything that went. We have kept the children's Disney DVD's.

[Sokmonsta]

I don't think I have that much underwear. But three pregnancies has meant once I've started buying comfy bras to see me through, everything else goes as I'm never the same size after. So I currently have 3 bras which need the wires stitching back in and 4 which I wear. Each bra has two pairs of matching knickers and that's it. But socks! Well I chucked a load a few weeks ago that were getting a little holey. And dh has bought me some more. I probably have far too many as I've easily got enough to last a fortnight or more. But I do have a thing for nice socks. My current stash are all mens (they last so much better) but lovely bright colours

Have stacked the twins' birthdays cards ready to go in their boxes. Our anniversary cards are ready for the kids craft box.

Today I got the bike trailer for the twins. I decluttered the shed on Monday and mowed the lawn so I've now space for the trailer, my bike, to get the mower in and out without risking an injury and a full bin. I was staggered at how many made up, but completely empty boxes has been thrown in there. As they've all got damp/damaged I've chucked the lot.

I'm also considering getting rid of my bargain pushchair. Since the trailer doubles as a stroller, and the only difference is it can't recline, but I do have an umbrella fold double which does, they are essentially the same thing. The trailer can double as my winter pushchair as it has larger tyres and ill go back to using the stroller in a regular basis.

The dd's bike and trike are going into storage as they've just about outgrown them and they will be getting new bikes next month. There's two boxes and a bag of a friend's old baby clothes, which they insisted they wanted back to give to their ex wife. But then didn't have room to store themselves. My offer to deliver it to ex wasn't well received, even though she is/was a friend too. I've also got a bloody great barrel in the garden, also friends. Still annoying the heck out of me as its too big to sit on the path wholly and I don't want it in the way on the patio. That's going to the storage locker too when I go.

Have told the dc their rocking unicorn is going too. Ok so it was a fit of madness on my part but it takes up a lot of room in their tiny bedroom, and ds1 keeps using it to climb into dd1's bed, but then can't get back down. I'm fed up of the arguments so told them tonight, after removing ds1 from dd1's bed for the third time, it would be going tomorrow. We've had tears but alas mean mummy will not be going back on her word.

[LemonBreeland]

Thought I'd better pop in and catch up. I've not had much time to get on here lately.

Like arti said a couple of pages back, I reel like I'm struggling to just keep on top of everyday things atm. I hope to get back into the swing of things when the dc go back to school.

I did manage my 40 items a week lent challenge though. I am really pleased about how many items I have let go of, but it is a little scary that actually there is still so much that I want gone.

I have definitely had a complete mind shift too. We are hoping to move house at some point and in the past I would have discounted modern houses as the rooms are too small and we wouldn't fit everything in. Now I look at it as us having too much stuff, not the space being too small.

I have started on the garden too. Well, a gardener is doing the hard work, but I have cleared 3 big bags of broken toys and plant pots to the dump today.

[BeCool]

Well I've got everything OUT of the filing drawers - they are empty HOORAY!!!

But I still have a large box of papers, now homeless, to do a 2nd edit on. The good news is I still have 2 free drawers in my new 'home office' to put them in. So I need to get a large box of papers down to 2 small drawers with space left.

Questions I hope someone can help me with:

How long to keep payslips? I'm thinking a years worth up to the point you get a P60? (I currently have 11 years worth)

Ditto bank statements - one year? I've shredded most of these anyway & I'm now getting online PDF statements.

Council tax bills - just the current one? And other household bills? Just the current?

My flat is shared ownership and I get endless communication form the housing trust that manages the flat. I'm thinking these can be sorted and scanned & I will keep just the last years worth as hard copies. Luckily we have a fantastic scanner at work.

One more bag for the charity shop today - I'm going to a different one every day.

I slept through the night the last two nights. Last night I slept for 9 solid hours - probably for the first time since halfway through my 1st pregnancy 6 years ago.

Damn I feel good today!!!!

[Sokmonsta]

I've read this:

HMRC suggests you keep your records for at least 22 months from the end of the tax year they relate to. The tax year runs from 6 April to the following 5 April, so keep paperwork until at least 31 January nearly two years later.

Think that was on money saving expert. I'd be tempted to keep p60's for 5 years though. But that was how long I had to keep claims info at work and we did refer back to it on occasion.

[BeCool]

Thanks Sokmonster - I'll do that re payslips, though I'll probably keep lots of the P60's.

MSE is a great resource - I'll take a look at that too.

[lolalotta]

Hello!
I'm getting shredder-happy with my paperwork thus morning while DD is at nursery...just wondering is it only the current in-date MOT certificate that I need keep? Can I shred the old ones? Thank you!

[BeCool]

I think you should KEEP ALL MOT certificates.

They are important if you ever sell the car - they are proof that the mileage is genuine for a start. They really help sell a car.

[lolalotta]

Thanks BeCool, I did wonder that? I will file them away safely!

[IamtheOneandYoni]

becool

Your post at 14.10 yesterday is great, quiet day here so going to shift some stuff!

[BeCool]

Cheers IamtheOneandYoni

I have a bag of shredding next to me here at work. Anytime I go anywhere near the shredder I shred something!

[MinimalistMommi]

I've been cleaning and decluttering at the same time, I've been spring cleaning the front room, washing windows, giving it a thorough Hoover, binning stuff as I go. Taking a break right now and then I need to continue into the second reception room, need to do some shredding etc. sometimes I can't believ how much paper passes through this house?!

[educatingarti]

Sorry to go off topic but Dad has taken a bit of a turn for the worse. He is on an IV antibiotic drip for a chest infection. He's also having increasing difficulty swallowing.
I suspect the swallowing thing is to do with the change in his Parkinson's medication as it has been deteriorating since they changed it last week (ironically because he was having problems swallowing the tablets). I spoke to a nurse at the Community Hospital he's in about reviewing the medication but they don't have a doctor on the ward atm and only have access to an emergency Dr so she says "Oh it will be Monday before we can do that." They don't seem to have any sense of being pro-active about things. I feel like Monday isn't good enough but don't know what to do to make it any different!

I'm finding it hard to concentrate on anything. I need to have some lunch and get on with some work though.

[SilentMammoth]

Thinking of you and your family arti. Have you got RL friends to support you as well?

[lolalotta]

Sorry to hear that arti!
Annual car insurance...do I just keep current policy?

[lolalotta]

The same with home contents insurance? Can I shred out-of-date policies? Sorry if this is a daft question!

[BeCool]

I'm currently shredding out of date insurance policies.

Sorry to hear about your Dad arti - considering it's only Thursday waiting until Monday does seem an awful long time to wait to see a doctor.

[lolalotta]

All out of date policies gone, this feels good!!! Filled 3/4s of a bin sack with shredding today ready for recycling!

[educatingarti]

Thank you all for your thoughts. It is much appreciated. Mammoth - I do have rl friends for support as well, thankfully. It's just that I live alone and work from home and sometimes want to just say how things are. I know this isn't the "best" thread to do it on, but I kind of feel I've got to know people a bit on here. I hope nobody minds too much!

I'm trying to speak to the Dr Dad is under at the hospital. I've left a message with his secretary. He hasn't phoned me back today, but I will try his office again tomorrow morning.

at all the shredding going on! I'm trying to persuade myself to take the recycling out. I did get rid of quite a few superfluous sheets of paper from a student's file this afternoon, so I guess that counts a bit!

Oh - we'll need a new thread sometime soon won't we. I wonder what we should call that one!

[Sokmonsta]

Oooh shredders! We had a mammoth shredder at work. I called it Samson It was bloody brilliant and if I was feeling particularly stressed/angry I'd take a stack of shredding and spend a few satisfying minutes watching the sheets disappear into tiny pieces.

Mum took the 3 boxes of mine left in their shed and put them in their conservatory. Pretty much the entire contents went in the bin! I've kept several packs of unopened Xmas cards, a pack of exercise books for the dc and a few odds and ends to work out whether I need to keep them or not. Once the boxes are empty they'll be washed and used in the shed instead of cardboard.

Dh agrees with me getting rid of my bargain pushchair so that's to be either listed or carboot. Not sure which would be better at the moment.

[Ponderosa]

arti best wishes for you and your dad from me too.

I've done nothing today and feel a bit annoyed with myself as DM had toddler DS for the afternoon and I had such great plans but then I ended up staying for a cuppa when I dropped him off and wasted almost two hours.

On a positive note I went to Sainsbos determined not to buy anything I didn't need. I have a bad habit of impulse buying and 'stocking up' on stuff I neither need nor have room to store. So I didn't buy:

Two more big boxes of washing powder that were on offer.

Two more sippy cups for DS1.

Bathroom spray. I'm going to use up the big bottle of Flash I've already got.

Facewash. I am using up the freebies from posh Chrismas sets first.

So I haven't brought any more into the house at least.

[Ponderosa]

Posted too soon.

A question for those of you much further down the road:

Have you found that your lives have become more well organised in other ways? My timekeeping is often terrible and I find it really hard to get ready and out of the house most days. I hate the way it makes me feel about myself and really want to change. Is there a connection? (hopeful)

[BeCool]

No decluttering for me today but I achieved lots of little bits after work and before exP dropped girls off:
Collected new carsest;
4 bags of recycling out of car boot and into street ready for collection;
Repaired dd2 fav book - pop ups had all gone mad. Sorted:
De fluffed (well mainly de haired) the sucker head thing on mini Dyson (it's amazing I have hair left on my head);
Prepared most of picnic/snacks/drinks for our trip on the Thames tomorrow (day off with dc YAY!);
3 things added to charity shop pile;
Kitchen looking gorgeous still!

Ponderosa - I do think there is a knock on effect. For me the biggest change is in myself, my thinking, self belief and organisation. It may look like it is about our physical environment, but certainly the benefits for me are mostly internal. I'm excited to be on this journey.