Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge: Part 4

[StealthNinjaMum]

And the decluttering continues…

For 3,000 posts we have been slowly transforming our homes from hovels to palaces.

We’re not quite there yet some of us are further than others but we won’t give up until we have a decluttered existence.

We just get rid of one thing a day and report back to showoff for support and to be told off when we’re naughty and bring more clutter back into our homes, gardens, sheds, garages.

As ever newbies are welcome to join us.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3243987-Getting-rid-of-one-thing-a-day-decluttering-challenge-Part-3-Are-we-nearly-there-yet?msgid=79207142

Had a furtle through the spice stocks. Topped up the jars in the cupboard which get used as we're cooking and got rid of a few 'overflow' packets in the larder. 3 packets of star anise open now all into 1.

Welcome pink I use a small filing cube with hanging files and have them for each category...

I'm searching Ebay for a fireproof pouch now! Amazing idea... ooh haha

Hello all! Newbie here hoping I can hop on board this thread to keep me motivated. I'm pregnant and the urge to declutter has arrived.

Today I've scanned loads of books into the music magpie app. Pile of books, about £23. Some scanned at a low price that I know are fairly new and popular so would sell on FB, and those that are just old or not in demand I will drop into charity shop.

Tomorrow my job will be to get a box for the musicmagpie books, a box for charity shop, and advertise some bits on facebook, and get what I can of them OUT of the house!

I'd posted a thread last week about wanting to declutter my whole house, I've not been well so do need to pace myself so this thread seems perfect.

Does anyone have any tips on convincing the more hoarder mentality family members to get on board?? DP for example has lots of cookery books. He's not cracked any of them open so far in the entire 3 years Ive known him. He also has loads of EVERYTHING. DS has asd and is also a hoarder in the making. I may have my work cut out!

Totally sandandsea farm!

I'm currently searching those American barn type signs that swing!

Busy working all day after a bad night so have only decluttered a top I never wear.

Dd returned home and loves her newly sorted bedroom
.

YHIMH My DMum collects loads of things (she's a hoarder I'm convinced) . She went through phases:
Teapots, Cruet Sets,Plants,Cookey Books, Clocks (the clocks was the worst )

I found 6 herb cookbooks . Nobody needs 6 books on how to cook with herbs (there are only a finite number of herbs)

I blitzed them to leave her one herb book, one bakery , and so on .

She doesn't read them, she just likes 'things'

DS went on a surfing trip on Tuesday. He got as far as getting the wetsuit on, carrying his surfboard down to the beach and running into the sea before having an asthma attack which nearly saw him hospitalised. Paramedics took 40 minutes to get to him and lifeguards thankfully looked at him, hauled him into their hut and put him on oxygen. DH and I had a very panicked 2 hour drive to get him and found out an hour in that he was now stable and didn’t need to go to hospital. We picked him and his teacher up and brought them both home as the coach had to leave without them. Consequently I did naff all for the rest of the week- apart from ringing the surf school on Wednesday and paying for a new wetsuit as they cut him out of the other one.
DH has just helped me to move the bureau from the landing into our bedroom so I am going to clean it and create myself a little admin area and a space to keep my makeup etc. The drawers are too tiny for clothes but will work well for stationery and pens and I hope my laptop will fit in one of the drawers.
We have also printed several mugs this week which will all be removed from my car tomorrow and handed over to the recipients.
DS has trashed his bedroom 🤬
Tonight I shall have a bath and actually repaint my trotters which are a disgrace 😱

@YourHandInMyHand - Welcome! (Great name by the way.) Just to say that when I sold some DVDs recently, I sent them off in a box fashioned from an old dishwasher tablets box, rescued from the recycling. (DP's idea and it worked really well.) I thought I'd mention it in case not having a box starts to get in the way for you.
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about other family members. I've found that just doing my thing, over time, like a tortoise plodding along, seems to be doing the job. I've noticed that others often seem to get on board over time in that 'slowly slowly catchy monkey' way.

@Nofilter - It all sounds idyllic.

@Gibble1 - Gosh! So glad that DS is OK. What a relief!

nofilter you said you were having a day off and posted about things that were going and your activities. Not what I call a day off!!

pinkyponk welcome. I have about 10 ring binders and a few plastic boxes for paperwork but up until 6 months ago had literally millions of them. It's work in progress. Most things are filed and organised I just need to shred more of them.

I bought a fireproof box to keep in the loft. It would probably store a ream of A4 paper in it and so has passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates and I found stuff like my degree certificates, even GCSE certificates.

It was a cheaper version of this. I wonder if it is discontinued as I'm sure I only paid about £30 from this site

www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/lchw20101-waterproof-chest.html

So far I haven't put it in the loft because I've been putting stuff in it, I bought it about two months ago. I don't really need anything so tough - I was going to get a plastic one but was concerned a rat or squirrel would get in and eat it.

Well done I'vegotbills one top is all you need!

Hello yourhand I have had the same experience as sandandsea. As I have decluttered and we have got used to a more organised house the other family members have sort of got a bit more on board (we have a long way to go). Dh is the main hoarder and I see that his father hoards. I present dh with things to throw out (like an old top today) and won't let him buy new things unless there's space and he is improving. He does have a study which is pretty disgusting and when his stuff upsets me too much I put it in a bag and hang it on the study door.

Aha stealth I did actually start my day off after writing this post and am watching a box set with the fan on and the dog cuddled up to me... DD is out with DM..

Thanks for the info on the box, I'm definitely going to get one for my will and all savings, investments and that kind of thing...

Do you have any other tips on cool storage ideas around the home or a way you do things that might be worth hearing? :-)

sand it's SO satisfying when you get a sale isn't it and then you get the space back too - double bonus haha..

bills that's a really cool thing to do for your DD she'll enjoy that so much having a lovely clean and decluttered environment!

Forgot to ask.

Anybody tried Bullet Journaling? I bought myself a great Life Book a few months ago and I'm slowly working towards using it for everything - in particular I wanted to clearly see my budget for living.

There are people on YouTube who colour code theirs and have stickers for various items - erm I'm not that dedicated but wondered if OPs had any experience with any systems in particular to help with organising?

These planners though!!! They have matching stickers and stuff!

I meant to post this...

@nofilter I use a bullet journal. I use it mostly as a thoughts dumping ground and lots and lots of lists. Lists like
House deep clean
Things to eBay
Things I want, things I need
Holiday packing lists
Things to do before we go on holiday

It's great looking back to see what has been achieved in an amount of time. I'm keeping record of all the things I'm decluttering too so I can look back when I think I want something and realise I don't actually need it. Well, that's the plan anyway. My journal is not one of the pretty one like you see on YouTube or insta. It's more of a black scrawl with the odd underline and boarder in a floro highlighter.

That’s so cool! Which one did you choose to buy?

I distractedly out DDs Wendy house on Facebook marketplace and it's sold within a few hrs - since I already bought her replacement (full size one she can stand up I'm opposed to this one that has a slide for a roof) from Facebook marketplace last week I'm very pleased it's only cost £30! That is Frugal Decluttering haha

DS is away so DH is taking the opportunity to sort out all his cables.
We're recycling some games to the Charity shop (I think Wii games)

Bedding washed, all our duvets went to the laundrette today .

I decluttered all the bedding earlier this year and the duvets/pillows so its easier to wash/dry them in the big machines than have spares and have dirty duvets hanging about (there's a guest duvet and four still wrapped pillows + bedding)

I'm feeling lazy today but am inspired by SandandSea's 'big item' and NoFilter's Wendy House to actually find some big things to get rid of. Putting this here so I have to go and do it.

Gibble I hope ds is OK that must've been stressful for you. (Sorry I missed your post last night).

It's going to be tough to get rid of stuff again as dc are around. I am just about to go into the garden to see if I can get rid of some garden toys. We have an overflowing toy box out there and dc never play with it.

No need for a bullet journal, it would add to the clutter of notepads I already own and I have a filofax somewhere that's all leathery and nice and never used!

Penelope you must do it!! It's really motivated me to list a few more things too - I sold a wool coat overnight, it's from when I was pregnant but actually brand new and I got £40 for it, did want more but it's really bulky and now I can spend that on one of the Erin Condren Life Planners with matching colourful stickers and rose gold binder thingy (not that I really really want it or anything)!

Serious question though... would you splurge on a lovely life planner? One of my biggest issues right now is forgetting really important appointments. It sounds ridiculous but as I have no job, no set times for anything (apart from DD nursery) and I just keep stuff in my head.

Forgot a really important board meeting conference call I just don't know how it slipped my mind?!?

Don't know where to start with it, but it does have, grocery list plus meal planning, budget,birthdays calendar, all of that kind of stuff I forget..

I'd hate to waste money on it though as it's not cheap! But if I actually do use it as it's intended it could help me to improve at remembering and planning things in...

IE this month DD needs a haircut, I could plan that in. Dog vets, all the moving jobs... so even though I don't have a school age child with activities or a job it might still be useful?

I started using my Boxclever one yesterday and wanted all the cute sticker thingys from the YouTube video though!!

And the life planner lady had immaculate nails - and seemed so TOGETHER! Which of course will instantly happen to me when I buy one...

Also... (I'm a bit post heavy aren't I!) I did start this whole complicated envelope system in Feb. Itemised every single outgoing and then made envelopes with budgets. I've since realised there is a lot I don't need to do the cash envelope for - things that amounts don't change so Fuel, Family Items (Clothes, Amazon, Coffee Pods, Toys Etc), Horse.

So I've ordered 4 cash size binders £4.35 from Etsy to go into my lovely Joules purse (first proper purse in 8 years! Why did I never have one exactly?... and will have them for

GROCERIES
DINING (Out and takeaways, lunches as family)
FAMILY (All cash spending not in other categories)
HOUSE (DIY, Gardener, Dog Walker etc)

I'm hoping this will work to keep up the ability to see exactly where we are overspending / try and have a bit left at end of month for savings etc

I was of the mindset that because I didn't keep that up I'd failed in a way. But all the work I did in Feb is not lost I just needed to simplify it... quite positive about that!

Anyone else have any type of ways managing their finances? I know this is declutter thread not frugal but it's kind of relevant isn't it in Decluttering life!

X

70isa I have bedding envy!! That is SO organised!! (Mine is a mid match of half sets and stuffed in drawers in our divan bed!