The decluttering one thing a day thread - part 12

[AlexTheLittleCat]

For StealthNinjaMum

We’re still here.

After 11 threads my house still isn't tidy!

So join me and a lovely group of mumsnetters who simply get rid of one thing a day and report back. Gradually we’re developing good habits, reorganising ourselves, often improving our mental health and having friendly chatter along the way.

So newbies are welcome, just check in with your news and join in the general chat about recycling, organisation and housework.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3799710-The-decluttering-on-thing-a-day-thread-part-11?pg=1

ALSO many of us have set a target to get rid of 2020 items this year and will report on that.

Gone and got a fresh pair of trousers for him and they have one knee entirely ripped out so I guess they can go in the bin tonight as well. On the downside, I think I might need to buy him some more trousers...

Hello. I need to rejoin this. My clutter is building up again. I've blasted the Utility room today and looks so much better. I've even managed to get the bins in there, creating a lot more space in the kitchen.

Major victory... I even got DH to sort the shoe polish drawer.... Here's the before picture! Not much actually left, but he's at least confirmed he has every sort he needs, decent brushes and enough spare shoe laces for the next polishing session.

I’m on a roll! Sorting out paperwork and I have payslips going back to 2002! Surely I do NOT need to keep these?! Also car insurance, tax and MOT details going back about four cars ago.

Hi again!! I keep dipping in and out if this thread but this is it, now; my house will be decluttered to within an inch of its life!! (Thats the plan, anyway!)

I have a new full time job starting in September after a few years of staying home. We won’t survive if we don’t sort the house!

So- here goes! 😱

Pickled- funnily enough I’ve just been shredding ancient payslips; you have to keep them for 22 months apparently 🤷🏻‍♀️

Some of the payslips I’ve got are from a pub I worked at during the holidays when I was a university student. I’ve no idea why I’ve kept them all these years. All my payslips are very neatly organised in date order but I’ve got every single one since I was about 18/19 and I’m 38!

Wow PickledLilly you could add them all up and find out how much money you have earned over the years!!

Wow!!

Thanks for the tip on “Consumed” we have signed up for Netflix so will check it out. I have sold a few more bits on eBay to post later in the week. All the kids clothes are in bags ready to drop in when the right charity shop opens (barnardos that is in a deprived area and does a good trade in kids clothes) I have also started a bag of books for when the store specialising in books opens. 7 bags of paper/cardboard to recycle later this week!

Everyone’s making great progress! I’m not still although I did get a few outs today - about five books and a few papers, and a couple of bits of toys I’d already decided to chuck.

I’ve come up with a solution to some of those random toys that don’t really have a big category - I’ve been collecting stuff together for Cagletini’s tuff tray and I realised these toys could be in there. Like one big plastic dinosaur and a load of tiny MLP figures.

Also trying to think how we can move the living room around a bit to be more efficient. And Meg I really like the idea of the baskets! I’ll definitely do one for toddler art stuff (and I want to get something to put the bath stuff in for the same reason), and I’ll have a think about how to do the home ed stuff for DS, as if we put anything on the table the toddler will grab it. So I think we probably need something that, while it is portable (so when she’s asleep or out DS can just grab the whole thing), is also accessible while on a high shelf so he can get to a basic pen/pencil/ruler without bringing it down onto the table IYSWIM.

I love “consumed”- am desperate for a new series!

A whole bin bag of shredding - out! 🙌

pickleelily I think it’s ok to throw away payslips but keep all p45s and p60s - although someone in the thread years ago recommended keeping March payslips too I suppose to confirm what the p60 said. The reason is just that some women in the past didn’t get their full pension because their records were lost by the government.

Naturally I avoid that advice and have every single payslip I have ever had and p60 and p45 but they’re all beautifully filed and organised.

Regarding the cookbooks, I don’t use them but I do enjoy looking at them which is why they stay - at the moment. Dd2 is a really slow eater and as i’ve banned phones and gadgets while we’re eating I can look at a cookery book while she eats.

I have put 4 CDs in the charity shop pile today. I have loads left but it’s a start. I also got rid of some socks.

If you are worried about your pension , in fact just for a matter of interest you can go on the government HMRT site and go onto pension forecast And you can find out how many year you have paid and how many more years you need to pay to get a full pension. Also tells you the actual date you will receive it.

I keep just my P60 but I've worked for the same employer for a long time and can get copies online if needed. In fact they only provide paper copies now if you are out of the office for an extended period like mat leave.

Am going to check out some of those programmes next time I need something not too challenging to watch while ironing!

Laneboy random toys are a challenge here too. I basically came up with the same solution as you and created the 'drawer of plastic crap'. We have two sets of plastic drawers which are about 4 inches deep so they hold a good amount.

Out this morning, one dried up highlighter pen, lidless (might explain why it doesn't work!)

Broken plastic kids teapot binned and a heap more ancient payslips in the log burner ready for destruction.

Watched almost a whole episode of hoarders but have been kicked out of the room for DS’ tap lesson, so will have to watch the last bit after!

Not managed any decluttering, today is brought to you by Bastard Uterus 🤣 and focused on home ed too. I did use up some of the cut out pictures from those old magazines though - DS was assembling his poster so I gave them to the toddler to keep her busy and she tried sticking with glue for the first time, she loved it and is very proud of her picture which is mostly animals and planes :o I’ll cut a few pics from the rest of the magazines soon so that’ll be more recycling out.

I sorted through my sewing/thread boxes, and got rid of all the cheap thread that has hardly enough length for a project, and reorganised the rest in homemade card boxes by colour. You’d think I spend my time sewing if you saw the amount of supplies I have, and yet, I hardly ever sew at all (made a few masks recently, but prior to that the last time I sewed was probably 6 months ago)

I also got rid of a couple of cheap knitting gauges that were actually inaccurate.

Still working on the paper, but not finding much to declutter. Mentally making my way towards disposing of entire chunks that are no longer relevant. But when I read the stuff, it keep dragging me back to a familiar place, even though it might be less healthy for me. And I hang on to it, scared of losing myself.

Just to let you all know eBay Have a 2% deal on for 4 days.

MrsT I hear you. Stuff is tangled up with The Past and that is tangled up with Who We Are. 💐

Not sure what I’ll manage today. I watched a second episode of Hoarders though and DH ended up watching most of it too, and we were talking about various aspects of it like the anxiety of someone else making decisions about your own stuff (I absolutely CANNOT let DH declutter without me there - even on bad health days I still need to be watching!)

Nothing done yesterday as I worked a 12 hour shift. I’m an ITU nurse so I’m used to fairly horrible stuff coming through the doors but yesterday just made me cry. I’m spending today hugging my kids and watching Frozen 2.

I’ve started a rag rug kit so I might see if I can cut up some old clothes for that. It feels like decluttering but it’s not. Though the scraps and bits go in the bin so it’s fine is what I’m telling myself

Sounds like a plan roxy take care

Four bags of kids clothes now parcelled up waiting. Our rag bag is full to bursting so will have to start a second of those too unless Roxy you are interested in a rug made largely of holed socks and tatty joggers?!

And Roxy hope you manage to relax a little with your kids [Flowers] I work in theatres and know the feeling you describe, remember you were only involved in try to improve the situation. I have found the free access to Headspace premium (with an NHS email) quite useful.

Roxy and gassylady I hope you both find some respite from your very challenging work. Thank you for what you do for the rest of us.

DS has submitted his last assessed project for this university year and was persuaded to sort his room - a drawer at a time starting last Monday. Two full bin bags of rubbish, a couple of items filed and the remaining books he has finished with ready to go to the charity shop. There are more drawers and cupboards to go, but, now he has started, I think he will keep going. Together with the items that I have been collecting that is 44 outs for today.
832/2020