Decluttering in 2017- A carrier bag a day

[Snap8TheCat]

I read about this method in 2015 and gave it a try last year, it was mostly sucessful and I kept a track of what I had got rid of on my phone. It was interesting to look back at the end of the year to realise I missed none of it!

I'd like to do it all again for 2017, perhaps even more committed this year!

I like lots of the other decluttering methods such as KonMarie or Flylady and do incorporate many of their rules but I also know that getting rid of a carrier bag a day is easier for me to fit in to my life.

I'm a childminder working 4 days a week 8-6pm and have 3 dc of my own, 13,10 and 6. Dh is a shift worker so our lives are busy and the house can get out of control quickly with the mindees and my job.

I'm looking for anyone to join me, anyone who likes the idea of decluttering but always feels they fail as they don't have the time. This is literally one carrier bag a day, either a large item like a toy or a quick sort out of a kitchen drawer whilst waiting for the kettle to boil. Just trying to stay on top of the flow of stuff that constantly enters our home.

January 1st and I have got rid of two plants on my kitchen that we're dying. I was desperately trying to keep them alive but realise I'm crap and that and they depress me every time I see them.

Anyone else?

Katymac sounds like you're making good progress! I'm still working my way through the kitchen cupboards and drawers. Getting rid of a few bits as I go, cleaning them then trying to make sure things go back in an organised fashion.
Have an item on Gumtree I hope will go this weekend.
Since starting I have a charity shop bag sitting to be filled. Once one is full, off it goes.

I do a bit here & a bit there - I can't imagine a room being finished (doing a hwole room is scary! but probably better)

Remember I am getting ready to sell so I have a date I need to be finished by

I had a bit of unexpected time this afternoon so I decluttered the recipe books by about half I did a charity shop run the other day, but I've got another A4 paper box full of books to go now.

I also sorted all the loose recipes which were supposed to be in the recipe file but never got filed. I decided the best thing to do was sort them into categories and then put them in document wallets and which I'm more likely to file.

Another job done!

I've not managed anything recently and it may end up being a carrier bag a week. But yesterday. I.e. Friday, I managed to hand over belated Christmas presents to a loved friend and also give her a bag full of stuff that had been given to me that I knww she'd love and I didn't. So I hope that counts...

Today I have been utterly tricking awesome

3 bin bags of clothes for donation. We don't have normal charity shops here, so the 4th bag of dresses (27 of the fuckers, and I still have 12 left) is sorted and ready to be posted as first come first served on the community FB page and stuck outside the front door. They're all Coast, Phase 8, Monsoon, decent high street stuff. I could probably get a fiver a frock for them but I'd rather not have the hassle.

3 carrier bags of crap from the upstairs spare room - 5 draft copies (different time and dates) of my dissertation, anyone? dated 2006, and done before I emigrated. Fuck knows why its here - anyway, its recycled now!

2 unused stereos - CD player with old iPhone docks - donated to my cleaner and one for her 'friend' fuckpiece so they'll be gone when she leaves tonight.

Marked out places on the walls for the two pictures in the downstairs spare room and for the mirror - that's only been leant against the wall for 3 years. Also marked out where I want the new big picture in our bedroom. That's at least only been leant against the wall since Christmas (was my christmas pressie). DH is under strict orders to hang them whilst I'm working tomorrow.

Plan for next week - find local charity for bra donation. I have 37 bras. 37. How the fuck does that happen?! If not, I'll put them to the side and bring them back to the UK for posting to a charity

Finished sorting out kitchen now.
Currently fed up of people on Gumtree, they email, I reply then silence. I could just Freecycle/charity shop but it's sellable stuff and we could do with the cash.

I just sold 2 extremely large sofas (to add to the 2 TV, 1 walkman, 1 iPhone, 1 clock & a small armchair)

DH cleared out 2 bathroom drawers - I cleared out a whole bathroom cupboard & consolidated 2 cupboards down to one, photographed all DD's half used bottles & said I wanted a decision by teatime or they are going in the bin

& just now I did the under bath cupboard......OMG!!!

& Dh's coats (only 3 to throw away!! but still)

I've been sorting out the dcs room today I've made it look worse have got rid of a black sack of crap and a few bits to sell down the bootsale when it opens again. DD is a bit of a hoarder but she done well today getting rid of stuff. Let's hope it continues 😁

Moses basket and stand sold and gone from flat! At least one person wasn't a time waster.

Grr time wasters - I've been selling my sofas since Oct and they finally left the house yesterday!!!

The rest is going later in the week (I hope) it's great when they finally go!!

You all have inspired me to join, we are mid-renovation and just moved in.

Thanks to a spine issue, new baby and laurel and hardy "professional" movers I wasn't able to fully declutter / organise before the move. So now I'm cracking on - this weekend, 4 large bin bags to charity dumpsters (gone) and one large box of baby items ready to go to childrens charity disturbion centre.

I did a bit of ebaying - but now fed up of the moaning from people, all items nearly new and fully described, so just sending it to charity now.

Next on the list - Hippo skip for the end of the month.

A small chair, booster seat, travel cot & buggy have all left the building!!

& loads more books sorted out

3 boxes of surplus kitchen bits to charity, a bag of rubbish, a bag of recycling & an entire black bin bag of half used toiletries in the bin!!

Epic fail today, had a bag all ready to drop into charity shop en route to school. Got to shop and realised bag was still at home!

Oh poor you Vino!! Never mind Tomorrow!!

Sorting through lots of clean laundry and gathered a bag of clothes to get rid of.

Great!

& another carrier bag of clothes gone

Sorted out the shoes cleaning cupboard - which turned out to be a silver cleaning/fabric dyeing/latin shoe spraypainting/minatur bottles of alcohol cupboard & 2 carrier bags layer (one rubbish/one recycling) is a small box under the sink!!!

Another TV & 8 books gone!

Yesterday, three carrier bags of papers.

Today, a huge carrier bag with one set of Laura Ashley curtains, 30 years old, still going strong, one bath bomb making set, one Halloween goblet, one Christmas puzzle, all gone.

Might get a few more papers done today and tomorrow.

Sunday: one double bed + mattress, one dining room table plus four chairs go!!!!

Yes!!!

The stuff I sold last week actually left the house today along with a box & a half of kitchen surplus

Doing great Orlanda!

2 binbags of clothes to charity, another bag for school second hand sale.

Well done May

All my plants are going tomorrow, 2 boxes of plant pots to charity, 1 box to the bin, clothes sorted this week to charity today plus an enormous pile of books & an old mirror

I've had a great day