Join me in getting rid of at least one thing a day decluttering challenge?

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

I am trying to declutter, starting with our loft and garage both of which need some work doing so need to be a lot emptier! After they're done I want to declutter the rest of the house. I've already got rid of loads of stuff but I'm starting to lose motivation alone!

We have quite strict rules for what we can put in rubbish so I'm selling, free cycling, taking stuff to the clothes bank etc. At least one thing a day. I'm hoping to be done by Christmas!

Anyone want to join me?

I attempted to do a car boot sale in the summer and things were left dumped in the house for six weeks until I admitted defeat and charity shopped everything. I don't care about making money off things, I have accepted that it is better to get rid of things than make money, but I do care about waste!

And yes to tapes, we have lots of those that need converting too. I will look into paying for them to be done. I have decided clutter has such a detrimental effect on my mental health and wellbeing that I just need to tackle things and throw money at the problem if I have to!

I've heard, or read, that at the end of a boot sale you should put everything back in the boot and drive straight to a charity shop or collection bin and unload it all there. I don't think I could do it!

I'm going to go through my shoes today. I'll post a photo of what's leaving my house.

Penelope, I could! When I did the charity shop run earlier this year they sent me a note saying how much had been raised from my stuff and although I was pleased it had gone to a good cause, I did think ‘they should have raised more than that for those things!’

Nice to get that note from the charity shops but, yes, I'm sure I'd think that too. I wonder if no note would be better, so we never think of those items again?

Well i made it to the tip yesterday with my xmas carboard and rubbish etc so atleast all thats out my way now. Tried to put rail back up in wardrobe but keeps fallng down gahhh might put some glue in tbe holes and try that way.
Bought a load of decorative twigs etc home from work as they were free but do actually need those they wont end up jus as clutter have vases to put those in once have decorated.
Hows everyones day?x

Took my eye this topic

As a self confessed hoarder for the past 20 odd years. things finally came to a head a few months ago.
I never used to be that bad, but amazon/ebay plus paypal made spending money as easy as ABC. ...especially when I had a massive OD set up !!
In the space of 3mths ebay selling I raised just shy of £6K which has cleared both the OD and credit card bill!! But hasn't made much of an impact on the clutter.

You are all right, it is indeed tough going and seems to take forever. However, I'm hell bent on having it gone by Easter and the money raised will pay for family hols. Over the xmas period I've just turned a blind eye to ALL the sales...I'm now completely switched off and have set my sights on becoming minimalist.
Clear rooms, clear cupboards...I just can't wait
I find it so easy now to ignore offers, not even remotely tempted by anything...yep, I'm feeling smug

doormat that's amazing. What sort of things have you been selling? I can't imagine I would ever get that much - even if I sold everything in my house. I have a few items that might be worth something (old games machines, comic books from the 1980s) but I wouldn't sell them. I think most of my clutter now is paperwork and toys. I would like to be minimalist but there are some things that take time for us to get rid of - for example I must have a dozen half used notepads with lists in and while I would love to throw them away to have the space I know it's wasteful so it will probably take a couple of years to use them. Also like woolstonecraft I have lots of gift bags in a box but I have started using them rather than throwing them away.

I think the most I can hope for is organised rather than minimalist - but I'm getting there and fairly happy with my progress.

Anyway dd1 is outgrowing her clothes and has been promised new ones when she culls her wardrobe. Today she removed a few items which will be given to dd2 when she culls her wardrobe! I removed a few of dd2s trousers so I am hoping to get a couple of bags to the charity shop tomorrow.

StealthNinjaMum Bsically anything and everything of high value
Stuff in the lift from my early teenage years...Old telescopes, binoculars, old camera stuff, camera stuff alone raised a friggin fortune couldn't believe it. I actually found a huge old Tupperware full of out of date 35mm and 120mm roll film, it was all nearing 20yrs out of date! I batched it up into various bags and between the lot raised just shy of £200 quid!!. silly old telescope with cracked lens sold for £90!! old lego sets, old RC Cars from my youth, Tools from garage etc etc I only list when I get the "£1 max selling fee" promotion otherwise its just not worth the hassle. I honestly didn't think it would fetch anything like what it has and to be fair a lot of stuff has taken months to sell...its hard work when working full time but I sick of taking the easy cop out and giving everything to charity....fed up of just throwing money away. But I've learnt my lesson, its sooo easy to buy stuff but a complete PITA trying to get rid afterwards unless its offered free!!

One large bag for life emptied. Paperwork burned and put in recycling bin. Other items put ready to go back to cubs and put in the cool bag ready for when I can get it put away.

I haven't done a photo but 3 pairs of shoes given away, one odd shoe thrown away, 4 detachable inner soles binned, out of season shoes put away. One lone, bit-special flipflop kept in the hope that the other one turns up - so not totally ruthless!

More recycling put out today. 1 bottle sold to recipient. Still not bought more food and am eating through the Christmas stocks.

That's amazing Doormat I think I have probably given away too much good stuff. I used to have some nice clothes that I probably could've sold but I lost weight and gave them all away.

I had intended to take a duvet to a lady who collects them for an animal sanctuary today but I ended up hanging out with dc and just never got round to it.Today I have shoved a couple of bits (dc clothes and an unwanted book on the spare bed to take to a charity shop when school starts.) I also shredded some papers. My aim was to get rid of 365 bags of things this year and I managed about 356 and the other 9 are either in my car or the spare room waiting to be charity shopped! So frustrating to have missed my target but I'll get rid of them in the new year. Then I need to make new targets as I am getting to the point where 1 bag a day isn't possible.

That is a lot of money, Doormat!!

StealthNinjaMum - You might have just missed your target but I would say that 356 items is a massive success! Imagine them in a pile!

I'm not sure where to start today. I might go through my chest of drawers. I only use the top two small drawers (which is really only one full drawer). Yep, that's what I'm going to do. I hope you don't mind me waffling to myself on here. I'm in a different time zone....

Go for it and keep us updated. I know that I should empty my fridge and clean it but instead I'll mumsnet! (It's 11 o'clock and I should go to bed but I am a night owl and get so much more done when dc / dh are in bed).

Wow 356 is amazing!!!!
Im the same alwats get more done at night except tonight am lee ik bed being lazy.
Bought a xl ottoman box for the front room today is fab holds loads of the toys that were annoying me but were new and needed to stay. Although now i realllly want to buy one for my bedroom to lol.
Bought plastic storage drawers but wernt the right size for what i need them for can hopefullly use them in my storage cupboard to organise a few bits. Cant take them back cz cant get then apart now lol.
Really not doing well on sorting out upstairs at the moment think iv just losy my mojo i like coming on here and seeing how everyones getting on though is nice nobody else understands where im coming from in my day to day life. Quite good at hiding clutter etc downstairs so think people think im inventing having thongs to sort out lol x

Quite good at hiding clutter etc downstairs so think people think im inventing having thongs to sort out lol x
Sounds like a very handy talent!

I've shredded a nappy box full of old paperwork today, so that's gone out of the house. I'll refill that box next time I sit in my office and do it again.
I've just cleared out one of my drawrs and ditched four odd socks, forwarded a couple of bikinis to my daughter's room and put four lively bars of soap into the bathroom. I think I could start a soap shop with all the bars I've got!

Grrr. Sorry - the bars of soap are lovely not lively, and now they're in my bathroom drawERs.
Here's a picture, with room for bras. Thrilling stuff!

Haha its true though apart from the xmas toys which i have just hidden in ottoman if you walked in and ignored the shpe and coat mountain in hallway the front room/kitchen doesnt really look messy.
But if you were to pull out the storage boxes or open the food cupboards you would be avalanched upon and never seen again
Upstiars however my bedroom is just the dunping ground for everythinf and storage is bad so its upstiars i need to sort out and orgainse the hidden mess downstairs!
House is really small but theree only me and dd it really shouldn't be so hard!
I cant let go of old toys at all really need to do bootsale think its going to be my only way forward.
I do have a really bad germ phobia so i am always cleaning my house is clean just needs decluttering but i think where i cant let go of things and just churn it from one space to another it wears me down and i give up by the time i get to upstairs.
Once i have less crap to move around cleaning etc should be a breeeze i keep telling myself
Realised that i really hoard food abd cleaning stuff anybody else like this?
Think this is the first place i have lived when i left home with dd and i was terrified of feeling inadequate and running out of food or detergant etc and as there was only me as the adult i felt i needed to bulk buy incase of illness etc and we couldnt go out but i just cant break the habit now so think i need to make a resolution to work my way through whats already in kitchen and use up older cleaning things etc.
Sorry im waffling alot!!

Loving your tidy drawer!! Its crazy how many soaps etc we accumulate haha. I heard someone else say they are going to dtart using things they own rather than saving for best as that day migjt never come or stuff loses its appeal etc by then and it is so true thats one of my top resutions now this year. Have some really nice things then id rather buy a cheap perfume rather than spritz one of the lovely ones i have etc rather than just feel fab and use them!
Good job on the paper work to uour inspiring me keep going have 3 boxes full hidden in my tidy front room to organise that im putting off xx

Wow sorry for the many typos i do know how to spell stairs! Was trying to multitask and failed lol x

Frustrating as it feels like nothing is leaving the house however I found four colouring in books that dds have gown out of that I'm giving to a local preschool. They're now in a bag and I'm adding with incomplete craft sets over the next few days.

Happy new year everybody!

My new years resolutions so far.

1. Always empty out a handbag when I move to the next one.
2. Leave the empty bottles/ used batteries/ lightbulbs in my car so I take them to the supermarket whenever I go.
3. Leave charity shop stuff in the car (same reason)
4. Create a list of the item that have the most homes / get lost and make sure dds/ dh know where to put them. (We have items like my sewing kit/ screwdrivers/ pritt sticks/ sellotape/ craft scissors that can never be found when you want them)
5. The big resolution is to clear the room of doom, file paperwork and start doing things like researching cheaper utility suppliers, organise pension, set up bank accounts for kids
6. Organise computer files.

Yesterday, I filled a small shopping bag with clothes and another one with DH's unwanted books. It's really a drop in the ocean, but I like the way I do feel committed to the one bag a day.
I've realised the thread title is one thing a day, not one bag! Have I mixed up two different threads??!! I don't know what I've done, but I expect my one bag will soon slim down to one thing anyway.
I didn't get the two bags as far as the car but did jump out of bed to put them on the verandah and, therefore, definitely 'out of the house'! It's only a 4m walk; not like having to run downstairs or anything.
Stealth - my stuff definitely has to go to the car too, preferably on the front seat as if it's in the boot it could stay there for a long time and then when I have a look at it I lose my nerve and want to bring it back inside!
Today, I'm going to clear off my front verandah. It should be a cosy, shady sitting spot but it's a bit of an embarrassment with cobwebs, wasps nests and general junk. I'll see if I can fill a bag from the junk on there.
Good luck everyone for today.

I need to see if I can continue the momentum this year!
Happy New Year to all of you fellow declutterers 😁🎉.
Today I decluttered 9 episodes of Bull. And opened my Christmas cheeseboard which was delicious!