Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge Part 5

[StealthNinjaMum]

We’re still here!

For 4 threads a group of mumsnetters have been getting rid of just one thing a day. We’ve been throwing out, selling, recycling and giving our stuff away.

But we're still not finished.

Newbies are always welcome to join us. Just get rid of one thing each day and come back here to discuss your progress and get support when it gets hard.

Previous thread here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3298777-Getting-rid-of-one-thing-a-day-decluttering-challenge-Part-4?msgid=81434878

Most of my washing is now up together and I’ve managed to get most of upstairs hoovered.
Another busy evening, we’ve had an order for 25 mugs and 4 money boxes which gets rid of a large volume of DS’s stock.
Once this lot is out, he should be underneath £600 to raise!

Finally managed to wrap up some presents and hand them out. But my biggest win from this was the wrapping paper storage box I purchased earlier in the year that I meant I had it all to hand and managed to use up the ends of two rolls, rather than buying more or using fuller rolls. My DP laughed at the box but I'm stupidly pleased with it.

Well done Keiki I sort of have a wrapping paper system that's working. And well done Gibble'sds. What's he fundraising for? Is it some kind of trip?

Someone asked about Christmas, for the first time I'm not too worried about Christmas and stuff coming in. My bathroom cabinets have plenty of space for toiletries, in fact most rooms have drawers or cupboards that aren't rammed. I had said back in September or October that I hoped to finish the playroom and Room of Doom by the time schools break up that for us that's Friday so I don't think I'll finish. The playroom is usually tidy now as most things have a home but I'm sure I can get rid of a few Orchard type very young games and bits of plastic tat.

Minimal effort in decluttering yesterday as I was focusing on Christmas shopping.I shredded a couple of receipts. Today I'm going to spend half an hour in the playroom.

Minus one item! I ordered Marie Kondo yesterday and it has arrived! It's bigger than I expected, not sure when I'll have the time to read it.

StealthNinja I would have sent you my copy! If anyone would like it PM me. Is that allowed? I think it's this one.

Hi Everyone,

I dropped off a previous thread but looking at moving house sometime in the new year so need to step up the decluttering/sorting.

I've been doing it for every year on and off now (read Kondo last year and did a big declutter and then did bits and pieces afterwards).

I'm trying to work on my mindset now so it doesn't build back up...when I think about buying things I think long and hard about how much I need/will enjoy it. Also, I find it helpful to think of it in terms of every time you acquire an object you also acquire the responsibility of disposing of it so from a planet perspective it can help you not make impulse purchases. I'm far from perfect in this regard but it's an ongoing battle.

Sorry for the essay! It's just that this has been on my mind lately with a move looming.

I think that's allowed to send things on.

I am actually wondering whether to become a professional declutterer as I realise from another thread that it's an actual job. I have always liked helping people and if I could just do two mornings a week it would help with the finances and I could fit it around school runs. I don't see how I can get a full-time job while poor dd2 has so many behavioural problems and needs me.

Oh forgot to add, my thing for this week was another bag of clothes to the charity shop plus some old underwear to dispose of. And a cracked mixing bowl to the bin.

You should check out the APDO site stealth APDO They're the professional body for declutterers plus they appear to run courses and stuff.

stealthninja that sounds like a great job!

Thanks goingonabearhunt that's not an essay at all, all very wise.

It's good that you've sort of 'finished' but are maintaining it. That makes it seem like a diet. I do think of decluttering as being like a diet and I have now lost 9lb on a diet so there's definitely a part of me that is taking control back of my life.

Thank you for the APDO link, that's interesting. I find it hard to believe people can afford to spend £50 an hour on someone to do this stuff. I could afford the course and set up a website but I wonder if there's really the demand. Also my own house still has a lot to do so I would feel like a hippocrit charging people when I haven't finished.

Hmm but tofupanda would you pay someone to do it? I've seen a couple of websites and people seem to charge about £50 an hour. If I could get that it would slot into my life and I could still give dd2 my time and have some money.

stealth I wouldn't pay someone because A: I am skint B: I enjoy decluttering when I actually get around to it
I suspect people who really need help decluttering are the ones who mostly can't afford it. People who are completely overwhelmed by life, those suffering after a bereavement, from depression or other mental illness.
So I don't know what kind of person would pay for it. Someone who is rich and but busy and unable to make decisions?! I also wonder if the demand is there.

Hmm you see I'm not skint and I'm not sure I would pay either - or maybe I would if I had known about such a service. I've spent almost two years doing small bits - but maybe if I'd had someone in for a month it would be done and I'd have decorated. On the other hand I see some women on my Facebook group who outsource everything. Recently someone started a thread saying 'I'd like to clean my bins - who can I get to do this for me?' Now I'm quite pampered and generally not judgemental but that did seem a bit lazy.

It bothers me that people who pay might be the people who can least afford it and are suffering from mental illness. On the other hand maybe I could help?

Will push the idea to one side and look at getting more conventional jobs - but it's so hard. I still get my daughter dressed in the morning and we're always late. I'm aware that as school gets tougher or she goes through puberty she might refuse to go into school. I'm in an ASD support group and have friends in that position. If only I could be 'flexibly employed' so that I could set my working hours around her.

Sorry to derail the thread.

Sorry to continue to derail, but I always try and work out if it's the best use of time, money, expertise (rather than lazyness), when thinking about doing a job myself or outsourcing. If someone else can do something better than me and I can do some extra work to pay for it I would do it. If paying someone would mean a job gets done more quickly and my life is made easier, therefore reducing stress and freeing me up to do more important things I would do it. I would pay someone if the clutter was detrimental to my life (it isn't at the moment, I just prefer not to have excess).

I've got another gadgety thing going out today. It's still got it's original packaging so will hopefully, be of good use to someone else. Even though it's quite bulky, the cupboard it was in is still full, which really brings home how much STUFF we have here. I feel like I can't get rid of it though because I think I really will need it - it's things like paint, shoe polish, wd40 etc.

I've also come across the cutlery holder from the old dishwasher. I'm going to see if it's better than the current one then one of them is going.

Lastly, I've, finally, got around to emptying one of our cameras so that I can take it to be fixed in time for Christmas. (I'm hopeful.)

Stealth - I've been thinking about this too but also wonder who would pay for it, especially as it's so time consuming and emotional. I actually offered my services to someone yesterday, after he told me he's a hoarder, but he didn't seem interested. I got the feeling he wants to be a hoarder - it's comfy for him. I'm just going to keep going as I am and keep loving it and see what happens.

Evening all.

Not so much decluttering today, but I have tidied two rooms and put the recycling in bags ready to go to the tip. (Plastics aren't collected here so we do it ourselves).

Also was happy last night as DH told me he needed to do Xmas cards for his office people, that used up the remnants of three packs of cards I'd had for a few years! By next year I should have gotten through my stash and can start again with the sales haha - I hasten to add though not in the volumes of years gone by!!

I had no idea people are paid to declutter other people! That sounds amazing, I think I'd get a lot of job satisfaction out of that haha, wouldn't be so hard when it's not your stuff with attachments to it!

Tomorrow I need to have a kitchen sort, lots of little bits everywhere and need a clear table for the weekend!

Interesting thoughts on decluttering. I would pay someone to do it but don’t have £50/hr and most of the clutter is continuous in influx whether it’s kids growing or scouting stuff incoming so it would never end and I’d feel it was wasted money. Also, my MiL sometimes comes to help me and it’s bonding time for us.
Hope ill people are better soon.
DS is fundraising to attend the World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia next year. It costs £3495 per person. We’ve been at it since November last year. After this lot of printing has been paid for, he will have £420 left to raise.
Tonight’s decluttering is a massive box, emptied of stock and squashed for tip tomorrow. Tomorrow, I have lots of stuff going out and then Friday I am dropping off a bag for life bag FULL to overflowing of printed cups and money boxes.
I need to get a bit more sorted and then need to clear out my pyjamas as I have lots of old scruffy looking ones and have 2 pairs for Christmas.
I also have a hole in my sock and 2 pairs to go in bin.

Famous last words! Our mug lady has just ordered more mugs which has only left us with 5 so I’ve ordered another 72. 2 massive boxes arriving on Saturday 🤦🏻‍♀️

@sandandsea I would love it if you offered to help me declutter! But I suppose I'm not really a hoarder - just a lazy person who temporarily got overwhelmed with having a grownup house and messy children and husband.

greenwillow on an earlier thread someone linked to some minimalist YouTube videos and I hated them. I like clear surfaces and some people would find my sitting room uncomfortably minimalist but thats one room in the house that no one is allowed to use. To me the best bit of decluttering is the time I save by finding things straight away and I don't forget to do admin jobs because my paperwork is much better organised. Also I don't buy stuff because I know what I own because it has a home. In the past week I haven't bought four wine gift bags, Christmas cards, sellotape and Christmas wrapping paper because I know where these things live and that I have some already.

I spent some time in the playroom sorting out teasets and toy food to be chucked or go to a charity shop. We have several toy teasets and lots of food so I'll keep a small amount for dd2 although she's getting too old for that sort of thing now.

Started on Mari. It's a nice idea to do it in one go but who really has the time? She's quite critical of the 'one item a day' approach but as most of us know when we get into it it's rarely just one item a day. I often set my timer for 15 minutes and find I've got into the job and spend an hour on it.

Stealth - I literally love the 1 item a day approach. I think it's great! It's really helped me to keep going and, of course, like you, I often do more.

I can really see the difference in my cupboards now. They use to all be stuffed but we have quite a lot of spaces now.

Still more to go though.