The march towards Minimalism continues...

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

Hey all, thought I'd make a new thread to encourage us all to keep going on the journey to minimalism!

[delasi]

Hello ladybranston! I'm curious about your gigantic fish tank, you had fish in it previously, right? ...Right?

I'm impressed with all of these digital clear outs, that really is my worst point - I don't think I can even bear to start attempting that for some time I have 5 email addresses... Each one has a specific purpose - 2 are for work (different jobs), 1 is for subs and offers, 1 is for utilities and important subs/education related stuff, and 1 is my proper personal one.

Yep, definitely going to pretend they don't exist for now.

[ladybranston]

delasi

re fishtank: this one didn't actually..at least not at my apartment! my neighbour overheard me last year saying i might want to add another tank to my apartment (have one in my living room) for my bedroom, and pulled this one off the street about a month ago and dropped it off while i wasn't home to decline - my house guests accepted it! i had just decluttered the corner where they then put it so that was a tad annoying.
the road to hell is paved with good intentions etc.

now, as for the tank that's in use - i will give my fish to a friend and will leave the tank on the street - people always take tanks in NYC although i have no idea why! But that can happen much later in the year, closer to the move.

[clearsommespace]

Hello all new and old
I found that article about decision fatigue extremely interesting. Thanks Anatana. Habit and routine definitely make my life easier. Now I know why I found it so ridiculously difficult to choose a new brand of shampoo after the one I usually used was discontinued.
Gently plugging away here. A few bits of clothes and a few books in the 'outbag' and 'outbox'.
Also, has anyone tried photographing their room from all angles and then looking at on screen? I found out by accident this is a good way of spotting clutter that you normally tune out or areas that could look better.

[delasi]

lady I think it's because it's free, we always leave stuff outside of our front door when we no longer need it and it goes really quickly. In our old place you could put something out and it would be gone in under 15mins!

My Project 365 has taken a beating After starting the year with a solid 47 items out, I've now had so much in (essentials, underwear, that kind of thing) that I'm only at the equivalent of 18 out! I count everything except consumables so it's easily done, hoping to have a good clearout soon though of the hotspots so hopefully it will bring that tally back a bit.

This thread has also reminded me to look at my cosmetics. I did the nail stuff last month, finally, but it's my make up that is the worst. I used to work in a beauty hall, which led to a phase in which I bought far too much...

[ladybranston]

delasi...yah that "free" aspect can get you in trouble though! I went through my yarn stash yesterday, it wasn't HUGE like some people's although I felt a bit overwhelmed with it.

I took all the full balls of yarn and ziploc bagged them all according to the amount - 2 red cashmere in one bag etc - and put all the leftover bits into a bag for the charity shop. i'm sure someone is making a scrap yarn blanket or needs bits of wool for their kids arts and crafts. tiny bits i put on my balcony for my local birds to use in their nests - they'll have super luxe condos this spring! As for the usable/full balls, i have a dear friend who knits like a machine and will welcome all the wool/cashmere/etc for her stash. plus then i can visit it whenever i like :)

i also took down all my old uni/college books from the top of the closet and wrote an email to my local high school to ask if they wanted them. i have to put together an inventory with title, condition and publication date over the weekend and then the librarian will decide if she wants them. a friend has already offered to collect them and drop off at the school. whatever she doesn't want i will just send to charity shop.

i'm basically working through my flat front to back, ie my bedroom first, and in a clockwise direction around the room. So next is my bedroom closet!

one last thing - getting rid of the armchair in my bedroom has made me so happy - there is just a bare corner there now! i love GAPS....

[delasi]

lady I like the sound of sweeping through the flat, I might start checking each room by room, having done so much major clearing I need to sort of start from square one and try and look at it without the bias in my mind of having already decluttered it. I just know that we have tons of stuff that serves no purpose.

[ladybranston]

delasi,

it's a technique i've adapted from both my mum and my current housekeeper. my mum always says to work in "sections" - clear one space before the other etc...and my cleaner/housekeeper ALWAYS starts in my master bathroom, then my bedroom, then the guest bathroom then the guest room, finishing up via the lounge and then the kitchen..she basically sweeps herself out of the door hehe :)

[MiniSoksMakeHardWork]

One steam mop in. 3 regular mops and spare heads out.

All the rainbows stuff is now being stored at the church hall thankfully. So under my stairs is looking better. Just need to sort the shoes!

[delasi]

lady I suppose that's logical! I think once we've tackled the bookcase, which will hopefully be some time in the near future and is the last big project, then we will sweep through the flat room by room, starting at the bathroom which was the first room I majorly decluttered.

I'm changing my mind about repurposing out bookcase... but only for the timebeing. We will be moving, some time soon, once we can find somewhere available, so I want to focus my energy on getting everything as streamlined as possible before moving, rather than moving furniture around!

[ladybranston]

what i hate so far is the "staging"! I am waiting for a friend with a car to take me to the local charity shop - so until then i am stuck with bags and boxes in my spare room...annoying. Especially as I had to relocate some in to my newly beloved gap in the bedroom - i have guests sleeping ni the spare room tonight...grrr! still, hopefully this will give me extra time to collect even more stuff to take....onwards!

[RenterNomad]

I can't remember whether I checked in on any of the earlier threads, but I have been dipping in and out, reading with alternating interest and... jealousy!

I currently have 2 bags ready to go to the charity shop, and 3 to separate hand-me-down recipients (which are now established relationships, like pipelines!). Also, DD has started preschool, so they can have any scruffy hand me downs, cardboard tubes, yoghurt pots, etc.

The main problem is just getting it all out the door while wrangling one or two children (there's less flexibility when a toddler "graduates" to buggylesz walking!)

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

We have decided to fit shelves to our study behind the door and above the closet door which will mean being able to get rid of a white ikea book case with glass doors which is currently lurking there and completely out of place. Will also try to get rid of as many books as poss - it's half term next week so might try to read stuff off that shelf and then donate once I'm done with it.

I have a collection of old hardback children's books which I collected over years and which are worth a fair bit - am currently pondering selling them, but I return to them for comfort reading when I am ill and I worry I'd regret it.

On the other hand, I got rid of 30-40 sainsbury's bags of books to a charity in the summer and haven't missed them once.... but these are special... argh.

[clearsommespace]

I think the answer to that dilemma is a box under the bed or in the loft taped up with the date to see if you miss them over 6 months or a year.

I did the same with some pre-school games this time last year. DCs haven't asked after them once (DH is a board game geek so we have many games better suited to their age group). I have just listed some for sale. I'll give them a couple of weeks and then take to the charity shop. It's hard for me to get there (not so many over here as there are in the UK) so I'm just trying my luck before my next chance to donate.

[evertonmint]

Or save a handful of the really special ones? I have an Agatha Christie collection that I am trying to decide what to do with but there are 5 I know I could never get rid of, for similar reasons to you, and I think that's fine.

[AmberSpyglass]

I'd like to join please! I am finally embracing budgeting, a frugal lifestyle and cutting out pointless, unnecessary spending but I still have so much crap that I don't use or need. It's weighing me down and depressing me. Finding the time to sort through it is so hard though

[clearsommespace]

Hi Amber
Sounds like you are dealing ok with stuff coming in. WRT stuff going out, you don't always need big blocks of time. There were lots of tips on the first few threads. You'll need an 'outbox' to get going:

For example, when the kettle's boiling, look around the kitchen or in the cupboards to find items you don't use
Try to find at least one an item a day to go in your outbox
Scan one shelf of the book/DVD case to find one(s) you won't watch or read again.

If you don't set a big task, it's more motivating to get started. And if you get into the swing of things you can always do more e.g. the whole book case.

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

I might box them up and see if I miss them... I've read them so often I practically know them by heart and I could make about £600 selling them (there's 62 in the series and they usually go for between £10 and £30 each, so potentially could make even more than £600).

DH and I sat down and worked out the debt situation - he had 3 credit cards and an overdraft I didn't know of, it's all out in the open now but it will mean a long haul of debt repayment (I have one CC of £1400 which should be done by March) his are more like £14,000 in total, so over a year of frugal living ahead!

[clearsommespace]

One wine glass out today. Shame it was full of chablis when I broke it
Also some too small shoes to the clothing bank.

[AmberSpyglass]

Some good tips there, clearsomespace, I have loads of Tupperware I could get rid of. Went slightly made buying it for a while, for some reason.

[AmberSpyglass]

Mad, not made!

[CremeEggThief]

Is it the Chalet School collection, MissAnnersley? I kept a few of my favourite ones, but I think if I'd had the entire collection in hardback, I would have found it very, very hard indeed, especially if you do re-read them...

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

creme yes it is, I love them! They take up 3 shelves though.

[CremeEggThief]

The name's a clue! Lucky you, owning the whole collection!

[DeathMetalMum]

and I join even though I don't think dp and I will ever be minimalists we are certainly going through a huge and well needed declutter. We have been in our house for just under 18 months moving a few months before dc2 was born and this is the first time we are finding we have time to do a ruthless declutter.

We have been quite prodictive since christmass tackled some of our storage in the living room and last week I have sorted a corner in the kitchen that has been getting to me for a while. Still a very long way to go but I have dp on boars at the moment so have two pairs of hand at work which is helpfull.