Moving Forward With Minimalism

[MinimalistMommi]

This is a new thread following on from the previous 'm' thread on Good Housekeeping!

All Minimalists or aspiring minimalists welcome!

O. M. G. We have drowned under a very high tide of presents! I stuffed most of the dc's toys in the loft xmas eve to make space in the lounge. Just kept a sack of duplo and one of vehicles for familiar stuff to play with (ds is suspected to have ASD).

Currently we have a bath full of presents (they do get moved in the morning for showers and the tree corner of the lounge is stacked high with presents. Some haven't even been unwrapped yet!

Ny plan is to resume the ruthlessness.

Hi everyone, hope you all had a lovely Christmas. soks, I also have to resume the ruthlessness! I already have a carrier bag for charity with Christmas presents in. I feel like a mean, ungrateful person but we had so many duplicates of things there's just no sense in keeping it all. Makes me sad that people have wasted their money :( I guess I have to keep reminding myself of how the charity shop will benefit. On a happier note those family members that listened to me bought lovely useful gifts so we aren't too overwhelmed with stuff. Lots of books, puzzles, games and clothes for which I have space and a specific place. TeaCake, I love your idea of the grandparents contributing to swimming lessons and I think I'll use that next Christmas (and maybe for birthdays too).

delasi, your house sounds lovely and well done for keeping at it over the holiday!

In non-minimalist news, thanks to the Christmas bargains thread I now have something called a present box . It's full of gifts I've picked up for great prices that will be suitable for the zillions of parties the dc attend. So, although not particularly minimalist it will save me a lot of running around and stress when the dc get invited to last minute parties because I can just grab a gift from the box. I've also saved a lot of money :) And I have space for the box in my wardrobe which, after my big clearout was looking rather bare! Tbh I have been resenting most things coming into the house but as I know the gifts will be leaving throughout the year I'm not bothered by it at all.

Hello, I used to post here a long time ago, and would love to rejoin. I am good about constant decluttering and am trying to have a more 'I have enough' attitude, but somehow the house just seems full!
Have taken the Christmas decs down, so it all looks bare nice and clear, and have a couple of charity shop bags to go this afternoon.

Cadence My DM used to have something similar when I was a kid, she would pick up gifts/toys in sales and keep them in a cupboard along with cards and wrapping paper, so whenever I was invited to a birthday party (which, at that age, happens a lot!) she would just whip one out, wrap it up and give me the card to sign. Whilst on the one hand it doesn't sound entirely minimalist, I think that if you're in that situation it's a very good idea and if when DS gets older we end up finding ourselves in the same spot then we'll do the same!

Decided that I also need to declutter some more baby stuff. Realistically I know we're not going to reuse DS' bottles (they are very worn as they were used solidly for about 11mo and DH wants different ones with future DC) so I may as well get rid now, plus I have little weaning pots that I bought in baby buying mode but we did largely BLW and so never used the pots! Likewise with some sippy cups. I've been a lot more considerate on the baby buying front since joining. Hoping to buy the vaccum bags finally! this week, so when I'm packing up baby clothes I'll have another think to see what else could go. I think I have a much more realistic idea now of what I will reuse.

Evening everyone.

Trying to motivate myself to have a really good sort out and clean in the kitchen. I'm feeling pretty tired though. My ears still aren't right ( one is much improved though) despite drops plus antibiotics and I'm only just beginning to realise how poorly and tired I got over the last few weeks! I spent last week with family, but it involved a lot of driving and not really much "time off". Think I might do a version of FLylady - 15 mins sorting followed by an hour lying down!

Hello all. We amazingly stuck to plan and painted the hall, stairs and landing this weekend. Went all white as a) it doesn't get alot of light and b) we're not that good with cutting in. None of our shoes and coats etc have gone back in yet until it's dried properly, so right now it is the epitome of minimalist. I think I'll just sit on the stairs with a glass of wine and admire it for a bit before DH and the DS' get back and spoil it fill the little space with life again

So good to read of everyone's progress and Christmas clutter strategies!

delasi, I opened my vacuum bags today! (from Poundland) and have started to fill them with some of the dcs too small clothes. Can't comment on the quality as far as the suctioning goes as I haven't done that bit yet but they are huge and seem very robust. Thank you again for the recommendation, would never have thought to look in Poundland. Also glad to hear I'm not the only person with a present box .

Present box is good until you forget where it is in the loft lol. Dc's are sorted for birthday and Christmas presents next year! Have logged everything on my Xmas spreadsheet so I know what gifts are in there. Will save me buying again.

Hello all - it is I, a former contributor, back under a different guise.

I was doing quite well with managing the house and had decided to focus on other things (myself!), but now I am so done with stuff and I am rejoining in preparation for when the kids go back to school and I can just start chucking.

At the moment we are trying to have a nice time relaxing but actually I am itching to get rid of loads of things and get Christmas stuff away.

My son, bless him, decided he didn't want several of his Christmas presents and instead of trying to convince him to keep them to be polite (to people we hardly see anyway) I am just going to go with it and give them away.

Harriet?

Ah no, sadly not an actual published author, as I believe harriet is?

I'm building. You'll recognise me later by my constant dithering and insistence that it is fine to keep some clothes you haven't worn for ten years.

Last of the seasonal guests left today.

We are invited tonight

Looking forward to a quiet day tomorrow getting the house back in order. Hopefully I will be sensible about what I drink tonight so that I am on full form for getting the house back in order and starting to reduce the stuff again. I don't get headaches or other hangover symptoms but I do sleep badly if I have more than a couple of glasses of wine so pretty useless the following day.

Hello again all Face sounds very sensible of your DS to not just want to keep stuff - I hung onto everything as a child and teen even if I didn't like it!

Feeling a bit more tired and out of sorts lately (no! Come back, super force!) but trying to make sure I do at least one thing each day. So today I went through DS' things and have some clothes (esp. winter specific things) and some other useful items to go to a friend, all in all makes one large jute bag. Still have the cutlery drawer and floor cupboards to sort.

Question for you all: I've had some stuff to list on eBay for a while (things that are worth the effort of selling!), over the next fortnight will be the best time for me to take pics and get them organised but wondering if it's a good time to list? Being the post-festive season I figure that either means lots of people shifting old stuff/unwanted gifts or alternatively everyone's too busy to be eBaying! I'm not too bothered about the prices I get, just want them to actually sell

Hi all!

Have somewhat fallen off the decluttering wagon for several weeks but still managed a pretty minimalist Xmas... at least in comparison to previous years! We were given some presents we weren't expecting at all so they did get a bit of fun tat but I'm really pleased with what we gave them ourselves too - no electronics/batteries/gadgets, and virtually no character stuff. They didn't notice the lack of either and were totally over the moon with the naice things they were given. They still got more than enough so next year I'll be setting limits for amounts of presents, and a proper budget.

In other news we recently worked out that if we save a bit harder, a mortgage might actually be a possibility in another 5 years or so. This is actually amazing as it felt totally unattainable. We've done well saving this year, but next year we will be budgeting much more. I've joined the frugal threads over on Credit Crunch.

I really feel that it's Minimalism that has enabled me to start being more thrifty and not 'needing' to be surrounded by stuff anymore - I am hugely grateful to you all for inspiring me and genuinely changing my life! Happy New Year everyone :)

Hiya Fuzzpig - I saw you over on the credit crunch thread. That is amazing news about your future mortgage - that is an impossible dream in this house. I will certainly be spurring you on this year. My aim is to try and decrease our debts a little. Despite not really buying much or doing much this year we are ending with about the same amount of debt as we started with Just not focused enough.

I don't know much about Ebay Delasi but I would have thought that January mightn't be the best time to sell. All those unwanted Christmas presents! And people not really looking to buy more stuff as they got so much for Christmas? It seems a shame to have it hanging around your house though if you have made the decision to get rid.

Welcome back Face. I will pester you about your unworn clothes of a decade if you kick me in the arse over my six pairs of black heeled boots currently mouldering unworn in the bottom of my wardrobe. Deal?

I am feeling very chuffed with myself. A massive effort over the last couple of days means that we are only 24 items off our 365 challenge. I'm not going to beat myself up about two dozen things when all those others have left our house. Just been on to We Buy Books and made £50 out of DVDs alone - not even started on the books and CDs. Considering we culled all our DVDs in March and these were the ones we chose to keep I am feeling pretty ruthless! Looking about the house with fresh eyes now and itching to get chucking!

Not the most thrilling of NYE's I suppose, but I am allowed to be dull, I am 28 weeks pregnant. And £50 towards the baby's fund is an evening well spent I reckon. Hope you are all having fun. 2014 is going to be amazing - full of beautiful and useful things and nothing more!

Happy minimal new year to you all. Am stupidly awake so making lists of things which need to be done to keep me on track. My bank account is extremely minimalist (thanks work for the no pay) so am looking to that as inspiration to continue to declutter my life. All the Xmas presents the dc have had and they're all happiest playing with the duplo. At least I can see where I can get rid of things.

Happy new year everyone :)

I'm going to join you all and try doing the 365 things challenge. pixie you're right not to beat yourself up about not getting to exactly 365 things, you've got rid of so much and that's a massive achievement. Also well done on your £50!

delasi, I find clothes sell well on eBay all year round but 'gifty' things tend to sell well towards the end of the year unfortunately. Dh and I were both bought expensive perfume for Christmas that we don't like fussy buggers that we are so we've put them aside to sell in November (hopefully we'll remember!)

face/building, that's brilliant of your ds, well done to him. I also used to hang on to everything when I was younger.

fuzzpig that's great re a mortgage :) I'd also like to thank everyone for this thread . It has changed my life too. I have more space, more time and more money :) Have managed to be migraine free all over Christmas (no mean feet) and it's largely due to you lot!

It's great everyone is so motivated again. Happy New Year!

I'm starting 365 today. Do items in cancel out items out?

Soks I think the banks are up to something I do the payroll at work and I used to be able to schedule payments to leave on holidays and weekends so that it always went out on the 1st, but now I get an error message because it's not a "working day" and payments have to be scheduled for the nearest working day following

Back on topic now pixie That was my concern too, hmm, will have a scout around and a think. The stuff I have to sell is all neatly in a box under the bed so at least it's not in the way. My goal is to be done with selling the stuff by July/August, if there's anything left it will go to charity.

fuzzpig Thanks for mentioning the credit crunch topic, didn't even know it existed! On a budgeting thread now, good to help keep my mind focused on it. I find minimalism and budgeting go hand in hand as you don't want to bring lots of stuff into the house without careful consideration either way.

I think I got a bit ambitious in thinking of doing the bookcase today, so I'm planning on tackling the remaining kitchen stuff instead. Edging ever closer to having to go back to work and uni so conscious of the fact that I have some studying to do... time is disappearing!...

Cadence It's all clothes bar 2 jewellery items so that's good news! Thank you! And congrats on being migraine free, for you

DH has Spent Two days clearing out the garage , Loads of stuff is gone.

Also yet moré clothes from DDs, they grow too fast, their cupboards have been cleared of crápula and usable ítems have been recycled. We don't have charity shops here se we either give away/donate or sell stuff. Hámster paraphanalia has been given away.

Cadence glad you've been migraine free, why don't you put a note in a Diary, calender/phone for Nov 1st To sell the perfume?

Oh, and DH recycled a rug which wasn't consigned To the recycling pile. And neither of us had a melt down over it. This is major progress

Happy New Year To all.

That's great Adorabell.
I remember him being reluctant to let go.
Took a bag of clothes to the recycling bin.

:) Happy New Year and well done to everyone on their achievements. I'm struggling (again) to be motivated but I'm realising just how poorly I've been over the last few weeks so maybe I just need to chill during this week I have off work.

I'm aiming to do project 365 and will update here. 5 things in the charity/freecycle bag so far, and one for ebay.

Where do you keep towels that aren't in use? They always seem homeless here!

Thanks for the optimism delasi but they really didn't pay me massive ongoing issues and backstory but now the new year period is out of the way I will be on to them like a dog with a bone.

Can someone refresh me with the idea of project 365. I can only find info on taking a photo every day when I googled it!

Christmas tree and decorations coming down today.