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Original poster

Has anyone Marie Kondo and regretted it?

40 replies

Heirhelp · 01/04/2017 17:32

I am trying to do this but I am not starting with clothes as I am currently losing my baby weight (1 1/2 stone down so far). I am starting with toiletries and although I have got rid of a lot I still have 6 things of body butter and loads of other stuff. A kallax box full. Should I just get rid of it all?

OP posts:
emsyj37 · 01/04/2017 20:17

Yes. Just ditch it. The more I get rid of, the lighter and calmer I feel and the more clearly I can think.

Do you ever use body butter ir do you just mean to and never get round to it?

3luckystars · 01/04/2017 20:19

Get rid of the body butter by using the whole lot tonight. Good luck! Hth.

GreenPeppers · 01/04/2017 20:20

No regret at all TBH.

Thee is no need for so much 'stuff' and once you start clearing tags like this, you realise that you actually don't NEED all that at all.

Catinthecorner · 01/04/2017 20:22

Do you use body butter?

DailyMailFuckRightOff · 01/04/2017 20:24

Get rid, I've never got rid of something and missed it. Except a lovely linen dress, and I think that was left behind on holiday, come to think of it.

FaithAgain · 01/04/2017 20:26

No regrets here. It's made life significantly easier! Can you donate the body butter somewhere? Gift it to someone?

BigApple11 · 01/04/2017 20:28

If it's unopened you can donate to a refuge or foodbank. If it's opened, bin it!

Love51 · 01/04/2017 20:37

I moved from my tiny overcrowded home where I had to Kondo to sell the place / fit the kids in, to a lovely big place a few weeks ago. I'm a bit peeved that I've got rid of some books I thought I had stored. But, only a bit peeved about a few books. If I really want to replace them, I can. 5 books, even at a tenner each, is £50. That £50 to buy me all that extra space I needed in the old home, would be well worth it. And, to be honest, there's only one I'm likely to rebuy, and I'll scour charity shops (well, set my mum on it, she loves a good chazzer!)
So, even though I regret the odd item, it was worth it. I kind of built errors into my calculations - I figured the extra space was worth a few quid. I've also moved into my new house with nothing I don't love (or at least use a lot, eg the sofa)

Love51 · 01/04/2017 20:37

That was a long way to say get rid!

GerdaLovesLili · 01/04/2017 20:43

I kondo'd the damn book. I haven't regretted it once.

HarrietSchulenberg · 01/04/2017 20:54

Years ago I Kondo'd my flat, or "had a bloody good chuck out" as it was known then. I got rid of bags and bags of stuff.
Almost immediately I regretted it. I now hate getting rid of anything (but occasionally do force myself to part with stuff). I then spend the next 6 months looking for an item that I'd forgotten I'd got rid of.
And don't start me on the time I mixed up my only pair of lovely jeans with the ones I was bagging up for the charity shop Angry.

dudsville · 01/04/2017 20:58

I don't regret it, but I wouldn't get rid of things I use. The point is do you use bosy butter. I did a clear out and it's changed how I shop. I'm much smarter in what I bring into my home and less wasteful.

Nan0second · 01/04/2017 20:59

It's the best thing I've ever done. Clothes first does hone the technique though!

GreenPeppers · 01/04/2017 21:13

The thing is with that method is that it's Not about chucking everything out. It's about being very mindful about WHAT you are keeping and what you are getting rid off.
You shouldnt be in a place where you are regretting whatever you have get rid off.
But equally you should be able to get rid of a quite a lot of stuff, because the bottom line is that we don't need all the stuff we have in our houses.

i think it's OK to disagree with her some some stuff, e.g. Books and paperwork.
I personally love books so they aren't part of the things I will get rid off easily.
And recent experience has just taught me that, actually, paperwork IS very I portant and that it's essential to keep some stuff (incl bank statements and so on).
However, having 10 boxes of body butter is excessive and not needed. As she says, they have served their purpose I giving you some pleasure when you bought them. It's now time to get rid of them iyswim.
Most importantly for me is to not buy another one until I actually need it!!

Leeloo2 · 02/04/2017 09:12

As others have said, kondo is about keeping what you love (or brings you joy by being useful).

So if the body butters were gifts but will never be used, then they have served their purpose and give them to friends or put them in the food bank box at your supermarket. If you have bought them and regularly use them then I'd stack them in an obvious cupboard, make yourself 'notice' them and use them up 1 at a time. Each time you shop remind yourself of how many you have and that you don't need more.

If you will use them but don't love all of them, then split using the 2 methods above and regift/use up as appropriate.

Leeloo2 · 02/04/2017 09:17

Oh and when I first kondo-d I was losing baby weight too - I looked at my pre-pregnancy clothes and decided which I'd want to wear if I was that weight/shape now and kondo-d and that I wouldn't want to immediately. So when I'd lost the weight I had a bag of things I actually wanted to wear. Even then some bits didn't suit my post baby shape so had to go, but it was still better than having masses of dross to go through.

Oh and I haven't regretted anything that's gone yet (though I haven't don't the whole house yet). Some things have been hard to say goodbye to, but I'd rather have the space! Smile

silkpyjamasallday · 02/04/2017 10:27

I almost always regret getting rid of stuff, I think I inherited this trait from my own mother, but it has been helpful as she kept ALL my and my DBs baby/childhood things toys,books, clothes even my old cot and they are all now my DDs and I think it will save us a lot of money over the course of her childhood. I'm looking forward to getting all my old things out and having a play!

I never get rid of clothes until they are falling apart, I think having a capsule wardrobe is a nice idea in theory but as you wear things more this way they end up wearing out faster and needing to be replaced frequently if not good quality. I do sort through an lad stuff I don't currently wear (suits blazers and dresses, I'm a bfing sahm) go into vacuum bags and packed away until I will wear them again. I still wear stuff I bought as a young teen and because of the rotation of wearing/storing they have been going strong 10 years or so and still have life left in them.

ParadiseCity · 02/04/2017 10:32

I feel that I work hard enough to pay for a house which includes a loft, therefore if I want to keep all sorts of shite in the loft it harms no one and I will. I have a cloud of love and memories hovering above me whenever I'm at home.

Disclaimer - moved house often as a child and now like having roots in one place.

Original poster
Heirhelp · 02/04/2017 11:04

Our loft is fairly full as DH insists on keeping boxes and everything. His parents are hoarders.

I think a lot of stuff I have is more the lifestyle person I want to be but I am not. Body butters for when I get time to put it on exercise equipment for when I get/make the time/can be bothered.

There is also a lot of crap in my house.

I would rather give things to charity so things are used again and the charity gets money than keeping it just in case.

OP posts:
April241 · 02/04/2017 11:07

I haven't read the book but I do love a good clearout, my sister loves it more as she gets all my bags and makeup! Such a good feeling getting rid of stuff.

blueskyinmarch · 02/04/2017 11:09

My DH and i had a massive Kondo-esque clear out in January. We both agree that we feel much better for it. I can open cupboards and see everything easily and i know all of it is things i love or really need. I have found it very liberating.

Original poster
Heirhelp · 02/04/2017 11:21

I have previously had good clear outs but I always ended up needing to do it again a year later. Maybe I need to be more ruthless.

OP posts:
GreenPeppers · 02/04/2017 12:23

Nope you need to be more ruthless about what you buy rather than about what you are getting rid off.

I get the 'buying stuff for the lifestyle that I will never have'. I have been so guilty of that.
I found that stoping and asking myself if I will ever use said product (the answrbis usuallyna resounding NO) has helped a lot with that.

Wh0Kn0wsWhereTheTimeGoes · 02/04/2017 12:32

I'd regret it. I started reading it and decided it's not for me. I do declutter by area regularly but I do sometimes let something go and then regret it. I love it when I need something obscure unexpectedly for dressing up day or whatever and knowing I've got just the thing tucked away. I also don't find minimalist spaces relaxing, I love shelves full of books etc. Having said that I use the principle of categories for sorting occasionally, so maybe gather up all the stashes of pens in the house, chuck out the ones that don't work or give away some if we've got too many. Definitely couldn't do the full Kondo though.

purplegreen99 · 02/04/2017 22:26

I'm in the middle of Kondo-ing my house at the moment. I've done clothes and almost finished papers, plus done a few kitchen things. As others have said it's not about throwing everything out, more about keeping only the things that you really love or find useful - you decide what you need to keep and the rest goes. A couple of times I've mildly regretted getting rid of something, but that's outweighed by the joy (yes, it really is joy) of having sorted all my clothes and knowing what I've got. Actually what I'm finding is that I can see I need to get rid of more stuff - once it's all organised you can see everything and notice the things that don't get worn or that you always reach for the same 4 t shirts and ignore the other 30!