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

Gibble - I'm sorry. I didn't take your post in properly. I'm glad he's okay x

NoFilters - I'm off to google cash-size binders. I have no idea but I like the sound of them and would like to keep DH out of the bank account.

Joining you lovely people. We should move house pre Christmas and I don’t want to take the crap with us. Most weeks I’m managing to get rid of a bag full of stuff eBay, local forum, charity shop and non etc DH is coming on board too. Busy couple of weeks at work and looming summer holidays feels like it’s going to limit progress though so starting to feel a bit anxious that we will stall. Will be great to age somewhere to touch base with our progress!

Are they dividers with tabs, NoFilter?

I had a terrible sleep last night and had to have DS onto the sea front for 9am so grabbed my bras to return to M&S. I have managed to park in town, have paid my cheques into the bank and have just treated myself to a cooked breakfast in a little cafe. Got to see the street warden and the plant waterer doing the baskets and having a nice chat.
It’s cost me £6 but what a lovely morning I’ve had!
It’s nearly 10 so M&S will be open soon. Off I pop.

www.ebay.com.au/itm/The-Great-Divide-A-Cash-System-Wallet-with-5-Magnetic-Cash-Envelopes-by-Divvy-U/323349386517?hash=item4b49201515%3Ag%3AqxgAAOSwQb5bSgas&_sacat=0&_nkw=envelope+system&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0

Look at this!! Sorry - should really be another thread

Nofilter I have a family calendar. I buy one every year for about £10. It has 5 columns so one for each of us and spare. I put in all parties appointments in the relevant column. It's inconvenient in that if I'm out and someone asks me if I'm free at a specific time I don't access to my diary in my handbag but generally I don't forget to do essentials.

With finances dh tends to look at bank statements, frown, do a spreadsheet and tells me to spend less! Now that I have all my utilities and admin organised I am intending to look into new utility and insurance companies but I keep reading horror stories from people who have switched and been conned.

I've culled the old PS2 games into ones to keep and ones to not keep. I have 13 listed in bulk on FB but I'll give them to the charity shop this week if no-one wants them on FB.
I haven't found a big thing to get shot of but I'll keep looking.
(Brings thread back to correct topic.....)

I need to join this!

Penelope I went for these as I have recently bought a new purse but they have purses with them all attached inside too.. they are laminated..

https://tinyurl.com/y9ubucym

Stealth thanks for sharing how you do it, it sounds harder to miss something if it's up there on the wall actually...

Oops - Sorry for going off topic I wasn't sure as haven't really ever been part of a mumsnet thread before - is that kind of the rule? Stick to decluttering?

Hi girlfriend welcome!

What are you looking to declutter?

That sounds like a lovely morning gibble - seafront mmmmm!

Sorry, NoFilter - I meant me going off topic with my ebay link, not you

penelope aha all good! Did you see my lovely cash dividers? X

No, it only took me to a sign-up page. Tried twice. Have you got a photo?

@Nofilter - I think a lot of what you're asking is actually pretty relevant here as managing our household admin etc is very much part of the decluttering process. One thing that concerns me is that bullet journals with stickers etc etc are just soo enticing and I think it is very likely that this will just become more stuff for you to manage. (Imagine you'd bought this 2 years ago, would you be posting about getting rid of it now??) I have a basic diary and a notebook which I have used for years and which works for me. (I keep them in order in a box so I can refer back if I need to and I often do.) I use highlighter pens with certain colours for certain things so I can just flick through and find things easily. Sometimes I use post-its to mark pages. This works for me and it's pretty simple. (My one pack of highlighters and post-its have lasted me over a decade.)

Another system which I've been thinking about doing is for birthdays: buy a wallet-book with 12 clear wallets in it. Label them up, one for each month. Put a piece of paper in the front of each: 1-31. Write in all the birthdays for each month. Buy the cards & stamps in advance (diarise to do this once a year) and put them in the relevant wallet. ... I think this could be really helpful but tbh, my current method of reminders on Moonpig and cards kept in a drawer works too, is much simpler and doesn't require a special wallet (and I just don't want to buy unnecessary plastic stuff).

I do think a fire-proof box or something similar seems sensible but tbh, I don't want to spend £50+ on it so I'm still weighing up options.

I think for me, the decluttering process is all about reducing how much extraneous, petty 'stuff' I have to do/manage/clean/look at/trip over etc. It's all about simplifying and creating more space, more peace. It's rarely about buying more.

Tbh, I have to keep reminding myself of this. (I've got a special love for stickers but am trying to be strong.)

(Sorry, I know I'm going on a bit here.) I've been really inspired by the Minimalists. They definitely still buy stuff but it all seems thought out and very good quality. I'd love to know how they organise their admin and what they do about their special documents. Maybe they have them scanned in and stored somewhere so they can easily get the originals replaced if needed?

Well done on selling your stuff. I'm a charity shop person so I donate instead of selling.

I have a woo type theory that the more I donate the better luck I have with my 'finds'. It's working so far although I do spend a lot of time looking for stuff. At the moment I'm searching for an old fashioned soap dish which drains-I'm convinced there's a nice vintage marble/soapstone one there with my name on it.

So far today I've decluttered an old hoody of dds, four rusty razors in the bathroom cabinet and some hazardously holey oven gloves. I'm also rounding up our mankiest towels to take on holiday to a gîte for pool towels which can then become dog towels post holiday. Will then get some new towels and oven gloves guilt free.

All of my adminning is done by google calendar as I can then link different calendars to it etc. I have different colours for different things- everything to do with Scouting is on there as Scouting Purple- family stuff is yellow etc.
We did use Cozi but couldn’t link other calendars tocit but have it linked to google calendars. I am also able to put in locations so if I were to need to drive there, I can use my phone as a satnav.
I bought the largest capacity phone I could due to the amount of admin etc I use it for. It is serving me well.
Back to my decluttering- 4 bras returned to M&S and I bought a nice new emerald green top.
My laptop fits in the bureau. All makeup is in one of the drawers. I just need to go round collecting up envelopes and stamps and notepads to put in there and it will be a nice office area for me.
I found 2 little pots of teeth in amongst my jewellery yesterday. Except that they had opened and scattered teeth everywhere. So I have guessed and put the same amount in each pot. They are another MiL thing and I really never understood why the heck anyone would want to keep teeth? DH is unlikely to let it go though. Perhaps I should give them to the kids? It’s their teeth and DS has his front teeth which he could also put in there.

I also meant to say: GreyCloud, I posted my congratulations on Tuesday for your lovely baby but I didn’t see it when I scrolled back. Perhaps I didn’t hit post?

For organising systems I use a simple 'to do' app on phone and iPad. It stops me getting overwhelmed. I also have a 'lists' app with lots of topics eg

House wish list (home improvements)
Present ideas for everyone
Food ideas (recipe links)
Health habits I'm trying to keep up
Packing lists summer/winter
And so on

I sound organized but I'm not by nature-I just had to get that way to deal with 4 dcs, large house, job etc

IGBTM - You've inspired me to make new lists. I need some for selling, things I need to buy, DIY stuff, shopping list. I'll be back in approximately 7 hours

So far today, I'm getting rid of: 5 tapes (audio books etc), a Buddha head (I bought for the garden which isn't frost resistant) and a glass candle holder (which looks like an ashtray).

I have nearly managed to put away all the washing and have collected the majority of the dishes from upstairs. Another 3 loads of washing (at least) to do before I bring down mine and DD’s bedding to wash. At least it’s hot so the washing is going Whitley Whitley on my beautiful new washing line!