Any (aspiring) minimalists about?

[HereticFanjo]

I am a natural clutterbug but aspiring minimalist! I'm about to have a couple of months off work between jobs and with no holidays planned this feels like the time to really go for it on the minimalism front! My income will be dropping substantially so I may need to sell some stuff rather than just donate.

How did you get there if you made the leap to minimalism? I find books and household stuff especially difficult to part with.

Oh well done. Ive almost stopped now but have turned my focus to making the flat nicer, repairing cupboard doors and stuff. Much easier with less clutter

5 more bags of books - now all the books fit on the bookshelves. Very pleased with that.

Realised while sorting that there are some books I'd like to re-read & some I haven't read at all yet, so that should save me some mo way too.

It's never bloody ending. Every time I think I have finally finished a room I look around with suspicious eyes and spot some inoffensive tiny item that I swoop on and chuck in a binbag. My joy when it's a bigger item is still surprising to me.

Even after all the enormous amount of stuff I've shifted already, there is still more to go; it emerges shyly from cupboards and drawers, hoping that the declutter is over and it escaped the Purge.

Does it ever stop? Will I eventually own just a pair of leggings and a T shirt, and sit on a bare floor in an empty room?

I have just read this thread the whole way through

@FitFlops4Me you truly are an inspiration.

I have decided to sort out my clothes and shoes this weekend. First I will get rid of anything I do not wear, does not fit, not longer suits me or is just not right. The charity shop is closed on Monday, but I am aiming on taking 2 bags down on Tuesday.

I have decluttered in the past, but I need to get to the mindset that decluttering is forever ongoing, it is continuous and never 'done and dusted'.

I think decluttering is never ending but i think minumalism, once adopted, requires a lot less regular decluttering.

@InvincibleInvisibility - I agree. Once you've de-cluttered to the point of minimalism, anything new or out of place shows instantly. If I walk in the kitchen and there's something on one of the surfaces I know instantly that it needs putting away. And when you only own 6 mugs it'd be pretty obvious if a newbie turned up and it's like that for everything.

What I'm chucking out now are the cooking implements I thought I might need when I took over running the house (after DH had his stroke). Four months on I know which ones I haven't touched which means they can go. I don't think I'm suddenly going to develop the abilities of a gourmet cook so fancy things (looking at you little flame-thrower thing) would be better off elsewhere.

Next I'll check out my wardrobe and see which summer clothes didn't get worn .......

Tell you what guys, before you know it we'll be the owners of neat, tidy, minimalist homes .........

Another top gone today & some stuff listed on Facebook.

Still feels like a mountain to climb, but when I was sorting the books I did find myself thinking "I won't take that to my Tiny House, so it may as well go now", which is a bit of a mindset change.

The Tiny House is still theoretical, but it's my goal.

The mindset change is a very good point. I have previously decluttered to the point of everything fitting in our cupboards etc. Minimalism for me is that step further so ive found myself with empty cupboards and even getting rid of furniture too which is great.

It's wonderful isn't it? I like the designated space idea and applied it to the Christmas deccies - anything that doesn't fit in the designated storage space can't stay. Made me very thoughtful about which deccies I really like.

I also applied it to my sewing stuff - anything that didn't fit in the ottoman I took to my neighbour to give to her dil whose sister runs a craft club. Thinking of the happy faces who will get the charts, fabrics and kits made me very happy.

@ChampagneCommunist - I love your Tiny House idea. I watch those Youtubes about them and I want one. Or I want one of the tiny Japanese apartments (except I'd hate to live in a city).

I am so happy.
2 items listed on FB and collected
3 bags to the charity shop
1 boot full to the dump

@MissMarplesGoddaughter - well done you! That's a nice lot of stuff to get rid of.

@FlipFlops4Me

Thank you :)

I've just read this article which resounds with me....

amp.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/20/we-need-to-stop-buying-stuff-and-i-know-just-the-people-to-persuade-us?fbclid=IwAR2s6dqBUcy9dLsLWIdLhbuuzmcD6UI29gHquLN1jOwGLcwc5s3n-Whsgn8

Yep, he's absolutely right. Good article - thanks for the link.

I decluttered like an absolute demon and am still doing so. Another two kitchen chairs and a hall stand left home today. It all looks so much more spacious everywhere. I have a giant bin bag in the kitchen that is half full, and a large Asda shopping bag full of kitchenware to go. Of course, now that the Asda bag is full I need to set out another one so I can start collecting crap again.

I have been taking a bag most days to the charity shop, which feels good.

Trying to find my get-up-and-go today.

Well I left the kitchen chairs and hall stand on the pavement (we all do that in this road) and they were gone a couple of hours later. I don't know which neighbour needed them but I'm really happy that they got something they needed.

Next I need to get the large carrier bag to the charity shop. Must wait for a non-rainy day and have a word with my next door neighbour. (I haven't a car anymore and I can't leave DH long enough to get a bus there and back).

My bedside lamp died last night. I'm quite glad - it's one more thing gone that I can learn to live without.

I watch those Youtube tours of minimalist homes and I'm so envious. I would love to live in a home as minimal as those. Don't think my DH would though.

I'm going to have a spare artificial Christmas tree. The loft clearance men will get it out of the loft at the end of November when they empty the whole loft. Is it worth donating? Do people buy second hand artificial trees? It's in good nick, boxed, with stand and complete.

I'm getting rid of it because it's 6ft tall. DH and I don't want all the deccies we used to have, since our DS and lovely DIL are hosting Christmas. I have bought a small 4ft tree (really beautiful) and that will probably do us for a long time. But should I donate the old one?

Yes I think that’d be nice to do.
Would a charity shop confirm?
Otherwise free cycle or FB?

@FlipFlops4Me
We advertised our 6 ft Christmas tree on the local FB free page and it went to a local primary school.

My mother's sewing machine has gone to a good home. The person messaged me later to say how thrilled she was with it. Lovely to think it will be used instead of being in a cupboard.

I have 4 more bags of clothes ready for the charity shop next week too.

@MissMarplesGoddaughter - I had two sewing machines so I gave the decent one to my DIL and kept the hand cranked ancient Singer which I love dearly. And can use. The modern one just used to run away with me :grin:

@Rummikub - yep, I'll give the tree to the charity shop if they want it. Maybe someone who can't afford a new one will want it, and be able to make their home Christmassy. If the charity shop don't want it my DIL will put it on FB as a freebie.

I'm beginning to wonder if we need two wardrobes. It'd be a big step so I'll think about it for a couple of weeks. I'm in no rush.

OH is getting on board too.

Today he tried on all the trousers in his wardrobe and ended up donating 16 pairs to the charity shop. With assorted other stuff we had 4 bags ready to go, so we took them straight down to the shop. OH now has a selection of trousers and jeans which all fit and all look good. He keeps opening his wardrobe door and remarking on how nice it looks :)

I've just come across this thread while reading posts about minimalism to try and kick start myself to sort out the house after Christmas. So inspirational. Wondering how everyone is doing now and if you've managed to avoid being over run with Christmas stuff?

@Ihaveaskedyouthrice - yep - I kept four archive boxes with deccies in. (And that included the tree deccies and lights). What woudn't fit in the boxes got chucked.

And so I put up the tree, and two vases with the twigs/white lights but didn't really think the room needed anything else. So I'm down to three boxes for next year. And a smaller tree.

I have had to re-buy one thing out of all the things I got rid of. The food processor was old, tired and distinctly very past its best, so it went. I have used part of my office bonus to get a new Ninja food processor. I also bought an Echo Dot because my husband will enjoy being able to ask Alexa to play his choice of music without having to involve me.

But come the new year I've planned another round of passing on, ditching etc. Despite the endless, endless bags and boxes full that I got rid of - there's still more to go.

It'll be fun! And this time it'll be down to the bone.....

Best piece of advice I received was - don't open a drawer, cupboard o or whatever and take out what you don't think you need. Open the whatever, empty it completely and put back what you actually use.

Also, designate a certain amount of space for a certain set of things - such four archive boxes for christmas deccies, and if there are more things than fit in the allotted space don't increase the space, just be more ruthless in your selection of what to keep.

Yes I have managed to keep to minimalism even with Christmas. I got 2 presents for Christmas, both replaced old things that I threw away.

DH got 2 very small presents he wanted.

The DC got a few very well thought out presents and they LOVE them. Haven't noticed any additional clutter from them.

A few more things have been sold and another bag is ready for the charity shop (which doesnt accept during December).

I've unsubscribed from loads of marketing emails. And I'm not buying in the sales as we don't need anything.

Only big new acquisition is a kitten... but all of his food and litter is tidied away in cupboards Ive emptied this year and his stuff doesn't take up too much space. And he's gorgeous.

My next challenge is to try a no spend January (except for groceries)

I also got rid of some more Christmas decorations. Old tinsel that is falling to pieces and is dangerous for a kitten.