Decluttering accountability buddies?

[PrettyWitch]

2016 is the year I'm going to get my stuff sorted out properly - but I might need you to help keep on track!

I have a minor shopping addiction, which hinges mostly on books and indie make up/perfume, but does include lots of other things - we moved house six months ago and after a big declutter then, it's starting to get silly again.

I'd like to stop bringing so much stuff into the house, and get rid of at least five items per day until I feel like the house is no longer bursting at the seams!

So, anyone up for keeping me accountable and getting some support with decluttering in return? Maybe we should start with a January no buy? :)

Ha ha yep been there. DH complains but the other day I said "Well that bag of books has been in the car for 6 months."I wanted it to go to the hospice shop because they are hardbacks and like new. They get more for them but I can't taken them because they are too heavy. Dd was there so he said "give them to me and I'll taken them." They were in the hall as he had fetched them out of the car a few days before. I gave him the clothes I was thinking about to taking too. Job done!

I'm glad your going to join in the challenge! I hope I get past day 15. Dh has been rolling eyes at me today. He is expecting another non starter I think. I will show him...

I have a bag at the top of the stairs too but they don't come back into the rooms she lies to herself

The week before Christmas I took a black bag to the tip every day as its right next to Ds school. So there's no excuse for the tip. Charity shop is another matter.

Next town along has two wheelie bins outside as its a local charity shop. I could take stuff down and park outside past 7pm.

Thanks. :) we will keep each other going...to the tip,charity shop, recycling anywhere but our house!

Can I join in please? I have generally been decluttering for a while but I am hoping to ramp things up a little. Christmas certainty set me back a lot but we took the majority of the decorations down yesterday so starting to feel better.

I do like the idea in the article, however think it might possibly limit me at the beginning of the month. Plus I find my decluttering is more sporadic.

I think I'm similar in getting things out of the door I gave a bag full of clothes waiting to go to the charity shop as we speak. I might take it down today.

Like others I think our main areas are kids toys and clothes (for every one). I find it difficult as currently I'm a sahm so have a wardrobe of things I rarely wear but can't afford to get rid of either just in case we have a wedding invite or similar. I have tried numerous times to sell on some dresses with the idea I can use the money for something new but they are still sitting in the wardrobe... they need to go don't they? I think my biggest nemesis is socks (particularly dc's too small socks) what do you do with them? It doesn't seem right to throw a perfectly wearable pair of socks in the recycling, but also can't seem to find anywhere to give thrm away to....

It's getting things out of the house that makes me happy. Into the garage is OK... But out of the house is better ! Otherwise you're just moving stuff around, if you know what I mean. I'm going to drop some too small kids clothes off at the supermarket recycling containers this afternoon. Oh and some football boots too.

Wow, I come off the computer for one day and look at you all! I spent the day decluttering my make up - I pressed several loose shadows so I can get rid of the silly little bags, and condense it all into a nice clean palette. I also got all the washing done so that today I can Kondo all my clothes - wish me luck!

pretty sounds like a good day. I'm currently sitting on the sofa, eating the tail end of 5 packets of nuts, having got back from getting haircuts ready for school this week. Later I'll be hunting for pe kit - I hate that I have no idea where it will be.. At the end of this term I'm going to hang the empty pe bags by the washing machine so they get refilled when everything is washed. I can try, can't I ?

DidI, sounds like some serious biscuit decluttering!

One of the biggest things that stuck with me from the Kondo book was the idea to keep stuff where it is used - you don't put your toothbrush anywhere other than next to the sink! So PE bags by the washing machine sounds good :)

DeathMetalMum, I use old socks for dusting - put them on your hands like mittens and run round the house, then bin them. DP goes through socks really quickly so I rarely need to buy dusters!

I tidied two drawers and put some things back in wardrobe and ran duster over. Now sorting magazines. Still not well so can't do much without feeling awful or horrendous coughing fit.feel pleased with what I have achieved. Little and often. My tree still up as it was put up late23rd so I'm quite enjoying it twinkling and just staying cosy. Planning tomorrow and rest of the week. Could do drawers in sitting room:)

Right I am day four so it's ten things to go tomorrow!

Went kids shoe shopping and took my diary. Ds3 had two new pairs of shoes and wanted slippers so he's already used up 1/3 of yearly quota of new things

But as soon as we left the shoe shop I threw his in the bin. They was past recycling.

I drooled over the girls dresses and only bought some pants for myself. If it's a multi pack is that 1 new item or five?

I feel so guilty I bought some pants - I think taking my diary and noting it made me really think if I needed things. Small steps.

I don't think I could Kondo all my clothes in one day. I have far too much.

I had knickers and socks already done plus wardrobe so just needed to put some evening wear away. Tidied two drawers but kept everything.
I now think ( when shopping) do I want this in my house, is it adding to the clutter and unless it is craft stuff I usually put it back. If I decide I want it I can go back the next week!
1 packet 1 thing in my book just Kondo the knickers.

2boys - great idea to write things down ! The same works for me with food (although I need a better excuse right now!)

How often do you go shopping ? For me, it's about every 1-2 months, with the exception of supermarkets and even then I try and click and collect (no charge plus no temptations). Helps with menu planning too - I want to cut down our food bill and food wastage. Our compost bill is full of the contents of bags of spinach that have died in the bottom of the fridge.

I hardly go to the shops. I try to do online ( my sainburys has clothes in).

I can't really tolerate driving into our large town and parking etc.

But we do go further afield rarely - like getting shoes so try to make a day of it. Went to a favourite outlet and normally mooch about the shops then eat out before driving home. I only went in a few shops as I really knew I would find and buy bargains. It made me feel a bit sad at the time but I'm glad minimal clutter came home.

I buy lots off FB selling pages, eBay and my worse culprit is NCT sales which I do twice a year. I buy than I sell. It's the bargin factor!

I tried to picture what my Dd has at home in storage and that she never going to wear it if I don't stop this.

She is 16 months and I have clothes for her up to 4 years old ( cringe)

Also I have kept most of my boys things. All of them! I am trying to get rid of anything not unisex enough to pass down to Dd.

But part of me hates this as its like saying she is my last baby. But there has to be a last. Think I hoard kids. I think "but I have so much kids stuff so one more child is ok".

To be honest I think I need some CBT to stop my thought process. It's just so comforting. Acquiring that is, not living with it!

Going to really try hard this month. Try to see the other side and that it's worth it and that de cluttering can be comforting ( I hope!)

I sorted 28 magazines tonight. Tore out bits I wanted. Big pile gardening and house ones:) not well enough for work so going to sort card box and think of something else I can do without coughing. Make lists for when I feel better. Room by room!

I did my underwear draw. It wasn't a true Kondo or even finished but it's a start. I will work out from that corner of the room. I could do it properly as only had two hours sleep ( thanks to Dd)

I just think I will thin and tidy / clean as I go ready to do a proper Kondo once I can move around easly. My bedroom is a maze!

Feel disheartened as it took over a hour but looks no different. I mustn't fall into that trap. If i do some every day it will get there!

28 things gone so far. Not so hard yet

Congratulations on the underwear ! I had a massive cull of underwear, ditching things I was keeping just in case.... Just in case what ? In case I didn't do any laundry for 4 weeks ? Unlikely ! So I'm not saving my best undies for that special day that is never going to come, I've started wearing my ridiculously frilly red lace bra on every occasion possible !

I was feeling smug that I had culled my pants when I found another pre pregnancy stash! It's interesting doing it in one pass as then you realise "I have more undies than M&S!"

I couldn't ditch my nursing bras. They don't spark joy but they spark hormones. Hoarding hormones.....

I also resolve to wear my frilly pants more. My wedding ones went ( been married 15 years). I think I wore them five times. What's wrong with me? They haven't fitted for ten years!

I really could be on hoarding buried alive climbing into a skip to save empty Coke cans one day. Must not let happen.

OK. Is it time to wrestle your undies under control ?

Could you select your favourite, joy sparking 30 pairs ? You didn't know about your pre pregnancy statch. When you found them did you (1) think brilliant, I'm wearing those tomorrow ? (2) think brilliant, I was going to have to do laundry this year now I won't, (3) think, oh I didn't know about these and I didn't miss them or (4) stuff then in a drawer to deal with later ?

I'd choose my favourite 30 pairs. Put the rest in a bag but not out of mind (ie don't lose them!). And now mark in your calendar to pull them out in 30 days time and if you want to keep any, you need to ditch one pair of the chosen 30 (or however many you have).

I have 12 pairs of black pants. I can't say they make me grin from ear to ear, but they are identical, they all fit, and they are folded up neatly in a row. Which (I know I'm sad!) makes me happy (and takes away the decision process!). Oh and I've put a handkerchief with some perfume on it in the same drawer. So they are neatly folded and smell nice. Joy !

Just set aside a day to do it. This works for me when I start faffing. I think of a day the following week then work towards that and keep putting the boxes in the car then take them to wherever. I feel great once I have achieved it. Just don't do it often enough.
Today I sorted some more stuff then decoupaged two boxes. I used cut out flowers from gardening magazines that are going out soon. Covered an A4 box which will be to keep gardening idea pages and an empty round chocolate box. They look really pretty. Think I might do some more this week. I have an IKEA set of little drawers that needs painting so I might decoupage it too.
Made a list today to work through when I can.

I'm reading the Kondo book now. I'm a hoarder by nature, (sentimental items usually), also very fond of books and am forever buying them cheaply secondhand. My house is practically subsiding under the weight of stuff and our spare room is shocking. There is always stuff lying around and no one but me ever puts things back where they should be. I visit other people's houses and always think that they look better than mine and more importantly, 'feel' better. I'm determined to try and get control of it all and would love to be tidier.

MarkRuffalo, I too have piles of stuff hanging about to be eBayed, I realised that one pile had been in my bedroom for five months. Finally listed it and sold some, the remainder now sat in nearest charity shop and I can see that corner. Now busily adding to another pile....

Sentimental too, have some stuff from when I was a kid, my kids stuff like fav toys( they have left home but friend wished she hadn't got rid because she had grandchildren soon after) books yes lots of kids books some like new. We have one floor to ceiling bookcase some in craft room and a small one in one bedroom oh and a slim, tall one in kitchen which is full.
I have friends with houses as messy as mine. I think we all just need a bigger house. I live in a cottage. Daughters stuff still here. I should take any of boys stuff for them to deal with. I don't think there is much...sports trophies and I have made them a memory box each. Item of clothing, toy or too a couple of school books with the idea that if ever i get any grandchildren they would be fun.

I just assimilated all the underwear together so I will try your idea and focus on the pre pregnancy stuff and start wearing. Anything that no longer fits can go. I have put about two stone on since I bought it. Besides I wash clothes every day at least so no need to have about 50 pairs

I have just had a tidy up in my eldest a room. Suddenly feel that the more I do the more I see that needs doing. Feeling quite panicked by it all and upset. I hope this passes.

I might take a picture of my bedroom and make a note to look at it in two months. Hopefully that will spur me on.

I am thinking about getting some CBT. I think hoarding is a distraction from my two middle kids special needs. At these I'm not in denial right?

I think procrastination is so hard to overcome. Sometimes I can find so many things to do instead of facing my biggest job. I'm a list person - unlike ticking things off. BUT I will write down little tasks to achieve them rather than face the big one. I don't know what the answer is. At work I've been given a book to read about it (something along the lines of 'Eat the frog' - you can look it up!). It's natural not to want to do something because you think you'll fail to follow it through, but if you don't start you will never finish. I hate confrontation, but I have a couple of people I need to win around by confronting them. I need to eat the frog !