Decluttering one thing a day - Part 9

[SandAndSea]

Welcome to our 9th thread in the Decluttering One Thing A Day series!

As you might imagine, we aim to get rid of one thing a day (or the equivalent, if we miss a few days).

The idea is that aiming low in this way prevents us from getting overwhelmed. It's also sustainable so helps us to develop effective clutter clearing habits which last.

In reality, many of us have found that once we start, we often get rid of far more than just one thing. (But if we don't, that's OK too.)

Everyone's welcome! We're a friendly and supportive bunch, from aspiring minimalists to full-on clutterbucks! We're also pretty green so you'll find lots of recycling, freecycling, donating and selling.

Previous thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3612006-Decluttering-one-thing-a-day-part-8-the-one-where-we-de-tetris-the-cupboard-of-doom?pg=1&order=

I've struggled with giving away things I've paid for when there's debt to clear too. But honestly, I've had to find the sweet spot between getting things out of the house, dealing with debt and the amount of time it takes up. Our last ebay adventure took an hour of my time sorting, then an hour of DH's time listing, then another hour of my time with the bloody Post Office, for a total income of less than a fiver. It's simply not worth it and it didn't make me feel any better. The lovely frocks I chose to donate directly to a charity shop in an area with a wickedly high deprivation index made me feel much better about the lost money.

Welcome @JustaBadWife and @LivingDeadGirlUK! We still have a Mothercare fireguard in our garage, much to my shame (youngest is 9!)... although, having seen Mothercare are about to go under, perhaps I could sell it as a Heritage Nursery Piece soon? [Grin]

@HungryHazelEyes, we took down Halloween things and raked leaves yesterday too - half an hour in the garden gave us a green bin full of leaves and another pile either for leaf mould or the tip. We're surrounded by mature sycamore, oak, ash and apple trees, so anticipate having to do it again in a few days!

I must try to get things out of the boot of my car into the charity shop today, but it depends so much on parking and it's market day, so I think it unlikely it'll be on today's list.

Happy decluttering, everyone!

I agree with the method of listing on FB for so many weeks lowering the price as the weeks go, then trying on eBay. After eight weeks no one wants my £160 pushchair for ten pounds or 20 gap, joules, Boden clothes for 50p a item. But I tried very method to sell and I know charity shops can sell Boden for £4 each. So I would donate things now. Maybe once I’m in a position to sell each outgrown season of kids clothes as they are finished with, I will try again but it’s sticking point right now.

It’s a sunk cost now

Hungry - I know what you mean. It's been a process for me. Currently, I think that my time is worth more than anything - you could say it's the most precious asset we have. I seem to get to a point now with each item where I just can't invest any more of my life in that thing. I don't want to look back and regret all the time spent dealing with all this.

Another way to look at it: you could put a value on your time - even minimum wage. There comes a point where it's just not worthwhile investing anything more.

I also think of it in terms of giving to my preferred causes - it's a way of giving value to my life and feeling a sense of contribution, rather than focusing on the loss.

Decluttering is also its own reward. Everything is easier and better in a clear house. Life flows.

If you really can't bear the loss. Maybe assign a space in your house and collect all your clutter there and do a car boot or garden sale or have a swapping party.

Just some thoughts.

• random full stop when it should be a comma.

Glad to have helped custardcreamfiend I love having clear surfaces and it does give me a mental lift.

I am in the lucky position that I don't have debts, but I do get a buzz from making money and sometimes don't like giving good stuff away. I think I've being doing this for so long that I know what I can sell so I focus my efforts. In the next couple of weeks I'm going to focus on old toys like jigsaw puzzles and educational games to clear the house a bit before Christmas.

I agree sandandsea that it's our time that matters and originally I spent hours a day on this - but then I spent about ten years not doing it accumulating the crap so it balanced out! Now I save time because I have lots of systems that work but obviously there's always more to be done.

Having said I like clear surfaces today I am going to focus on clearing some spaces in my dining room that have got papers on. The table is completely clear (other than a lovely runner and candle) but papers are sitting on the sideboard. I'm also going to sort out the post table.

I did take Friday off. Over the extended weekend I sorted out and tested 4 electronic toys and got them listed on eBay along with another bundle. I already have some watchers on two of the lots, so fingers crossed.

I also decided just to take the old printer to the "small electrical items" section of the recycling site, and actually got rid of it on Saturday. I've just checked back and I bought the current printer in February 2017, so it has been sitting on the dining room floor since then, using up physical space and head space! But, it's gone now... along with 3 thick manuals which are in the paper recycling.

It is paper bin this week, so I have also gone through a pile of catalogues in the living room unit, and I am working on the piles of magazines/catalogues/mail/junk mail on and around the small table next to my seat on the sofa. It is looking a lot better, but I still have some way to go!

By the way, @StealthNinjaMum I owe you a

On a previous thread we had a conversation about claiming PPI, and you convinced me it was worth a try. On the Tuesday evening before the Thursday deadline in August, I hauled out all the mortgage paperwork and put in two sensible claims and a couple of very speculative ones. I reckoned "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" and it was only one evening I had wasted if nothing came of it. Anyway, on Saturday one of the companies got back to me with an offer, so it was definitely worth it! Thanks.

Hey @purplefrog that's awesome! Thanks for telling me

nails I will have to try that. I get discouraged when my friend can post a bunch of her stuff on fb and sell it all for a good price within a day! I will give it a go. Just have to make the time to do it.

Penelope I must have missed those discussions! I will have to go back and have a read.

willow you speak sense when you bring in the cost of my time. I had made caramels/ truffles etc last year and tried selling them, but no-one wants to spend anything decent when something is homemade, I reckon I lost money doing that last year so won't do it again.

Medway I understand that people are so cheap and want things for less (or free)- don't we all? But it is frustrating when you know you've taken care of your things that you're trying to sell.

Sand I have to remember my time is worth more and giving things away will be more rewarding.

Thank you all for your wise words and speaking some sense into me. Sorry for the multiple posts, I wanted to make sure I replied to everyone (Sorry if I missed anyone) but I'm on the app and my memory is terrible!!

I feel like things are getting worse before they get better this week! Got rid of the clothes for recycling and charity bag is now two bags... Our bedroom looks messier than it did too.
Put one item up for sale and another for free so hopefully I can shift them before the end of the week.
I also find selling stuff can be time consuming and I can't be doing with time wasters! We do need some money so cash for items we can sale would be nice. I also don't want to bin stuff which someone can make use of....

vinarosso74 me too. I have lots of piles of crap around me in the dining room and I'm losing the motivation to deal with it. I'm just going to shred a few things and close the door and deal with it later! tomorrow

StealthNinjaMum I seem to keep moving things around as it's stuff to keep but am not sure where to put some of it!

I ground to a halt last week. This often happens when my routine is disrupted. These disruptions are not unexpected or unpleasant events, but for me it feels like being hit by a truck.

Anyway, in amongst it all I caught up with a monstrous laundry pile, and got the kitchen under some kind of control. By no means neat and tidy, but we can walk around without tripping or dodging round piles, and each time there’s a spill or mess I can sweep it up.

My office-in-a-cupboard has stayed tidy, and is nearly free of all toys. Just one large tub to deal with.

My goal is still tidying and sorting, getting everything in the right place then deciding whether it stays. Found some children’s clothes that still have price tags but are now too small. Making up a bag of those for children’s charity.

It's been so long since I've posted that this has fallen off the threads I'm on, but I have been plugging away with small things, mostly bags of clothes. A few ins - couple of long-sleeved T-shirts and jumpers for me, because I only had thermal under layers and was roasting at work now they have finally put the heating on . I've also earmarked a pair of shoes which I haven't worn for ages, and then remembered why, because they shred my left heel every time I put them on - out!

I think it was Penelope upthread who advised working out how much money you would make selling the unwanted stuff and then ask yourself if you would pay that money to be rid of the clutter, which I thought was a great way of thinking about it. I have some nice bits of children's' clothes, party dresses etc. which I keep meaning to put on FB, but realistically looking at what they might go for, and the faff of arranging collection etc., I'm not sure if it's really worth it for a few quid.

I've got quite a few jobs done today, which is a relief. I'm currently willing the washing machine to speed up so I can get the clothes to the launderette and dried before it closes.

Outs:

More financial filing.
A lidded pot.
2 bags of bubblewrap out of the wardrobe, where it's been for over 10 years. I'm still deciding what to do with it tbh. I might bin most of it and add the rest to my 1 bubblewrap stash.

I've also arranged for my 'charity friend' to come round and collect again.

It is hard being out of routine, I feel after half term that I am back where I started. Dirty washing overflowing, clean washing not put away, not 100% unpacked from holiday etc.

I need to do things like get ready for a respite meeting for ds tomorrow, get ready for a interview panel I’m on next week etc but the house is falling behind so it’s a viscous cycle of not coping because of a cluttered house and mind and can’t declutter because my heads a mess. I am stressed about my CIN meeting tomorrow. I was always a bit of a hoarder but both boys being diagnosed with Sen made it a bigger issue. Like “why should I put on this perfect front, my life is mess! Look, see my visualisation of my cluttered mind”

But hey it’s self destructive like drinking, drugs and self harm. Hoarding is my drug of choice I guess.

I need to post a eBay parcel tonight and read up on this interview panel again. But my mind I see wondering to a pile of out grown clothes. It’s a self inflicted destraction.

Anyway back to selling clothes or not that the dress have outgrown but they are still good. Maybe think of the next parent who finds them in a charity shop, how it can’t have a new life, on a child rather than in cupboard. Or maybe let the kids wear things until they are done with rather than buying stuff for best. I don’t know. I can’t practice all my tools all the time. I’m currently deciding to not be so precious about tumble drying and srinking their stuff this winter. It won’t fit next year then 😂

I’m so beyond help. I keep flip flopping between I can’t do this and I can’t give up.

I will be 80 with 15 Yorkshire terriers and my daughters clothes and cardboard around me on Britain’s worst hoarder documentary. I don’t want that. I feel like it’s calling me.

I have fallen off the thread We went away over half term and before that DC were Ill so decluttering has basically stopped and the house is a disaster zone. Commuting is getting me down too as it’s shortening my evening so much. I’ve been doing it for years but had really forgotten what it’s like while on maternity leave.

Sounds like progress is broadly in the right direction for most of us...going to read through properly in an effort to remotivate myself!

I've had a really productive day today. I sorted through and recycled most of a pile of school letters first thing this morning while I was waiting for the phone to ring with some work for me (I do supply teaching). When there was no call I decided to use my unexpected day off to conquer the clean laundry mountain once and for all. Quite a lot needed ironing because it had been squished into a basket for so long. My iron broke so that's been put in a tip pile. I did have to buy a new one though so one in, one out. I can't bring myself to get rid of the box from the new iron in case it breaks and I need to take it back - it has a 3 year guarantee. Someone please talk some sense into me! I cannot keep an empty box for years just in case I need it can I?

On a more positive note I emptied two boxes and found homes on shelves for the bits in there so that's two boxes into the recycling. I found a hole in a pyjama top so I put that in the clothes recycling bag. I did wobble a bit and thought about keeping it because it's my favourite but it is beyond saving. I also found a broken sunshade thing for the car window in my boot so I binned it. I suspect it has been there for a couple of years at least.

Medway it sounds like you've got a lot on your plate right now. I'm afraid I don't have any good advice but

medwaymum more from me too. It is hard to advise because you have four children and two (apologies if it's more) with SEN so will always have a mountain of the 'temporary' clutter before you start on the more long-term stuff like actual unwanted, unused, forgotten about possessions that clutter your spaces.

I think by 'temporary' I mean the stuff I got rid of yesterday - bottles, batteries, laundry, socks - stuff that clutters up areas but I don't ever count it as clutter because it just shouldn't be there as opposed to an old computer that sat in my garage for ten years because my ex refused to get rid of it!

I suppose - thinking aloud here - I deal with that 'temporary clutter' by finding a 'neat' place for it where I can't see it. So I have about 3 foldable plastic crates and I put washing in them waiting to be put away and they're relatively neat rather than in a pile on the floor. Then when I'm ready I take them up to the bedrooms to put away. And I've mentioned the clipboard I have on the post table with a box where I put letters where I have to do something rather than having them sitting around.

So probably rambling here but I wonder if that's a helpful distinction to people to think the 'temporary' clutter that is inevitable with any home and to think about how we can hide it before it gets stored while we focus on the more long term clutter which is the stuff we just don't need.

Medway that's a great way to look at it, the items we have really aren't serving their purpose if they aren't being used!

You sound like you are really making some headway. Could you be getting overwhelmed? Is the whole family on board yet? They need to realise that since they also live in the house they need to do something, even if it's just to keep one surface clean - that's their job, their part of the house. Or a type of item - like books, toys or shoes for example.

You have good ideas stealth, I need to work on better systems for daily clutter. I have prepared for the interview panel as it’s a new experience for me and a welcome adult world distraction right now.

Hungry - no I need to work on getting the kids on board, dh is a bit better, he cleared the kitchen while I hoovered up after kids bedtime. If he home and I’m busy cleaning it feels better to do it at the same time.

I think I need to breath this week. Unpack, wash etc and outs can be next Monday. I know I want to do a charity run of kids clothes, it’s a big deal to me so i will just sort it this week and load into the car.

I also really need to get a coil fitted to put a full stop on my baby days. It’s just a bit too much. But I don’t want to have a infant school age child in my fifties do I? So why is saying no more babies so hard? I think I make my life hard.

Anyway I’m positive this stuff is going next week. I can be kind to myself this week, no rush.

Six things out tonight so whatever else I’m still on my one a day target, wobbles or not, I will keep on. Wish it was easier to stop procrastinating. I just can’t seem to be kind to myself about this aspect of my life

Anyway I’m positive this stuff is going next week. I can be kind to myself this week, no rush.
That’s great, Medway. Could you put it in the car boot today so that it’s out of your way? That’s what I do. Just keep adding to the boot and eventually get to the charity shop. And ‘eventually’ really can be months sometimes

I cleaned out the fridge this evening, leftovers that won't get eaten (been in there too long). Dinner tonight is leftover chicken tikka masala, so should finish that up. I left work late tonight so didn't make it to the storage unit and charity shop like I had planned. I will try to go on my lunch break tomorrow as I can't go after work. I have everything in my car that needs to go, so wouldn't take much to drop it all off.