Decluttering one thing a day part 10 - the countdown to a clutter free Christmas

[StealthNinjaMum]

It’s the 10th thread and we’re still here!

We’re a group of mumsnetters who aim to get rid of one thing a day to develop good habits and gradually declutter our lives.

Newbies are welcome, those of us who’ve been here for some time have all seen dramatic improvements in our homes, the way we organise ourselves and even mental health. So if you’re new just check in and update with your progress and join in the general chat about recycling, housework and ways to be organised.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3711883-Decluttering-one-thing-a-day-Part-9?pg=1

I've been dusting and tidying round and have another 3 books to go out.

How do you get 'ruthless' and just get rid?

Practise. Eg. By getting rid of one thing a day and developing alternative habits which serve you.

I think it also helps to explore your feelings on it all. What do you get from keeping those uncomfortable DMs? You need to find a way to feel better about letting things go than you do about keeping things.

Decluttered the car today, I filled up a bag for life of recycling and rubbish (my children are disgusting). Also decluttered my job! Last shift finishes at 8.30pm. Kids between them finished a shampoo, bubble bath and face wash at Bath time. Advertised a stereo for my husband which was sold and collected within minutes.

suzie Eugh I need to do the car. Ds has lost all but one of his “bubbas” (dummy’s) at one time I had 8. I suspect there are some under car seats. So tomorrow I’m getting on the case.

Well done on the car cleaning... mine gets terrible although I’ve started a New year Sunday night ritual to empty everything out of it before a week at work.. see how long that lasts..

I’ve ventured into the understairs cupboard, realised I had enough bags for life to last until I die and tidied up.. only one out but it was a bit late when I went in so might have another clear and now it’s tidy I can work through my old trainers and bin them as they go..

Long day for work tmrw so imagine what be a lot tmrw..

Medway it is so hard getting rid of baby stuff emotionally. I’m trying really hard to be hard and as soon as Ds (7 months) grows out of stuff it goes in the ‘too small’ bag and once it’s full of one size of clothing I go through it all ruthlessly and keep only a couple of bits that I loved for his memory box (I have some clothes from when I was little that are lovely to have with dd). I’ve got a bundle together of fancy brand stuff to try to sell together but I haven’t got around to it and I don’t know if it’ll sell because there seems to be so much fo sale all the time but I want to give it a go before giving up. I’ve also got some maternity and nursing things I need to list but haven’t got around to it.

Re ruthlessness you’ve got to think do I need this? Do I want it taking up space? Why am I keeping it? When will it actually be used?

Nursing chair and footstool have gone, hurrah. My room looks so much bigger!

Our car is a dump, and the house is a tip atm. Off to Ikea today and will not buy stuff I don’t need . I have a list and I’m sticking to it!

junkshoplil I got rid of things gradually so one day i’d declutter a couple of cookbooks, the next month a couple more so I have actually got rid of a lot of stuff but don’t really notice it. I could never have done something as drastic as kondo - I would’ve given up. I’ve got less sentimental and more rational about possessions as I have gone on and realised that I haven’t missed the things i’ve got rid of. I have seen real improvements to my life like having a table I can eat at in the kitchen (it was cluttered before), efficient systems for school bags and hobbies, less spending on items we already own that I can’t find etc....

It sounds stupid but I am more mindful of my day to day activities and what I waste time on and a lot of that can be attributed to inefficient ways of organising myself and clutter. A stupid example is realising I was taking time balancing mugs in the cupboard (and probably had been for years) so I just got rid of a few. Or running around before every bloody party getting stressed because I couldn’t find wrapping paper or scissors or cards so now that stuff is in one place. And I tend to wrap presents days before because I know it will be an easy, non stressful job to find everything. You’ll have your own bits of admin / housework like this that you put off doing and decluttering and organising will make them easier.

I got rid of a top yesterday but then bought another one so didn’t get rid of anything. I am just about to do paperwork in the bedroom.

RIght, while I still feel motivated I am going in dds room. Wish me luck

I put three outgrown items aside for my nephew and will give them away this weekend. I'm getting more ruthless with items and can make faster decisions about what stays and what goes.

I have been following this thread for a while for ideas, We need to downsize as the nest has emptied out. I have been ebaying stuff for a few years and have picked all the low hanging fruit so now have to get more inventive. I'm loathe to add to landfill.
Yesterday I did a final trawl of books for Ziffit and Music Magpie. I have about 12 kgs of books in boxes waiting to go now and will get back about £20. I already got £40 from Ziffit a few weeks ago.
I am a member of 5 Freecycle groups and I regularly check the wanted posts. This has helped me get rid of quite a bit of random stuff.
People often post asking for completely off the wall stuff. Old crayons in any condition - I had a drawer full. It was for a teacher who melts them down to do wax art with her class. I got rid of a blow up double bed to a family who were travelling to a big gathering and left it too late to book a hotel. Grandparents took our double bed to use for kids sleeping over.
Our house is going on the market in a few weeks and I need to raise my game a bit. Until we've sold, I can't get rid of too much stuff as the house needs to look 'dressed'. Someone on Freecycle is asking for garden pots to do up a courtyard. I've got plenty but they are tarting up the garden at the moment. It has been an ongoing project for a while now.
Most importantly, I think it has made me much more mindful of not acquiring stuff. I have repurposed things around the home for example whereas before I might have acquired a new item.
It saves a fortune (between that and dry January!).

We had dinner at the table last night.

I didn't even have to clear anything off it first!

147 items sorted into bags for charity, nursery and disability club ready to go from dd room. Not too bad for one hour of being ruthless. I could do another 150 before I can empty it out and properly sort out what’s in drawers and cupboards. I might do that tomorrow. I hate the mess it generates but it will be worth it.

Now to get the bags into the car....

This is four bins bags of those 147 items in a hour!

Welcome mutha it sounds like you’re doing brilliantly.

Good luck medway I avoid my children’s bedrooms!

Just had a brilliant hour. Have emptied two boxes in my bedroom. Lots of papers shredded and others put in different piles. I have put a couple of things in the charity shop box (a hat). Eventually I will have to find homes for the papers but I just want them out of my bedroom first. A lot of them are related to school (sports day, play programmes etc)and I find it hard to chuck these out and pictures / cards from my dc.

We somehow cross posted medway that is an amazing effort, wish you could come to my house!

Today’s outs - can of hairspray which is years old (probably last used when I graduated in 2006....), have put things in recycling. And once Dd goes down for a nap I’m going to tackle the car.

Have also deleted the Facebook app from my phone.

Everyone's doing so well. I have been steadily getting rid of bits and pieces here and there, nothing substantial. I am taking the day off work tomorrow and intend to start preparing for the new carpets. I have saved a number of cardboard boxes to decant the contents of the storage units in the living room and dining room into. So, my aim is to pack up as much stuff as I can, things that definitely won't be used in the next month or so. One wall of the dining room has a large Ikea storage system, including a variety of drawers and cupboards, and my intention is to completely re-organise that when (some, but not all) things are put back. I made a start on getting rid of things from it over the Christmas holidays but didn't get very far.

I took some time last week to get my selling spreadsheets up to date and work out my profits from 2019. My final total, after fees and postage, was just under £700. I am pleased with that. That was made up from 44 items sold on eBay, 2 on Gumtree and one on Facebook. I have posted another small eBay purchase this week, but don't intend to list anything else now until the carpets are done. (I can just picture myself raking through boxes and boxes looking for the item to post!)

Found 4 of ds’ “bubbas” in the car. Wahooo!! And £5.65 in change. Win.

Tackled the kitchen drawers yesterday and found half a dozen things for the charity bag. The kitchen's one of those spaces that never seems to look tidy, no matter how much time I spend in there. Next up is the tupperware cupboard, cookery books, and The Stuff That Lurks On the Top of Cupboards. Mission for tonight!

Thanks for the advice folks much appreciated.

I've photographed a load of stuff to go on Ebay and I'm shortly off to the clothing bank with some clothes including a bulky jacket that never gets worn and is taking up wardrobe space.

I've realised with decluttering its an ongoing process. About five years ago I went through every cupboard and draw in this frenzy of determination to get rid and I did get rid of loads of stuff. It felt great but gradually it all starts to build up again.

Right, I’ve done well, I’ve listed some bits on fb and ebay auctions to start at the week end. If they don’t sell in a week I’ll get rid. It’s all,progress even if I still have So Much Stuff.

Purplefrog what an excellent idea, a selling spreadsheet, I’m going to do that!

Medway that is fantastic!

Stealth well done on bedroom progress.

Outs today--3 bath books given to a friend's baby.

Great progress on this thread!

I've been going through one of my old boxes and have 9 exercise books going out. (It's barely made a dent.)