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.

@InvincibleInvisibility

Ok. Have you got out every pair of shoes you own and put them altogether? Do that now and see what you want to keep. Don't keep any that rub, that hurt, that you always put on and then take off again....

Keep the ones that you always automatically reach for.

Once that is done, bag them up and in the boot of you car for charity clothes bin donation.

Then a cup of tea

Do that with each category of clothes next, one at a time. Coats, hats scarves gloves, tshirts, jumpers, trousers etc.

Have a break in between each category. And only get 1 category out at a time

I like this idea! Might do a general clothing purge. I find it hard to decide whether to donate or sell some stuff. I think probably donate is easiest.

Donate is definitely easiest for clothes.

Ive only sold toys and furniture.

God I would love a declutterer to come to my house but there's no one local. What I have just done instead is sign up to Dana White's course which she is doing with Minimalist Mom and Clutterbug. I really like that combination - the practical strategies of DW, the minimalism of MM and the organisation stuff of Clutterbug. It was expensive ($127) but I'm at the stage of needing a rocket up me. I really like the Slob Comes Clean podcast, it definitely fits with me. I did a serious visible surface clean in the kitchen earlier listening to it so if anyone can reach me it's her!

I'm not sure if Dana White resonates the me. I was listening to the audiobook of decluttering at the speed of life when she was talking about the container concept and it just doesn't make sense to me. She was saying how when decluttering if everything fits into the container then you don't need to do any further decluttering of that thing. But what if you have plenty of space but you just don't want it full of stuff that you're not using??

I think she is very much for the chaotic types like me. I actually find her simplicity helpful.

How is everyone getting on?

We've decided to accept a job overseas, leaving this summer, so my minimalism has really ramped up. I don't want to be moving stuff overseas just to bring it back 3 years later unused or underused. Its in the Caribbean so that adds the possibility of minimalising winter gear, especially for DC2 who won't now be wearing the stuff I kept back after DS1 outgrew it.

Again, my stuff is easy to deal with but DH and the DC.... not so much. DS2 is actually really good at knowing what he loves and what can go. DS1 wants to keep everything.

Today Ive recycled 2 bags of clothes, thrown out a bin bag worth of stuff and sorted another bin bag worth of stuff to donate. Also selling some lego.

Thanks to everyone who has put tips and links on this thread, it's going to help a lot with my decluttering.

I'm in the middle of ADHD assessment which probably explains why I'm still living in chaos many months after starting this thread 🤦‍♀️ But I hope the tips on here will help somebody!

Lurking here to read & catch up. It feels like all I've done for years is move clutter about. I had covid so listed a bin bag full of good stuff on eBay, (it had been sitting & building for 4 years!) & got rid of stuff from the loft. A massive lovely chandelier that we can't fit in this house & a stoke sleepi crib both off to charity as I want them gone.

Got pax wardrobes for built in dressing (box) room today & need to lose about half my wardrobe.for it to work well!

I'm a childminder so have masses of Children's stuff that my own children have outgrown & other work paraphernalia to store.

@HereticFanjo just read your last post. I'm sure that's stressful & hope it's progressing as well as can be

Adhd is hard OP. Both my DC have it but with regards to decluttering have very different approaches.

DS1 likes to have collections of toys he likes - and hates getting rid of anything, even toys he has never played with. However he hasn't collected anything in recent years, just books. So his amount of stuff remains fairly constant.

DS2 likes to collect anything and everything (when he was 3/4 he had a HUGE collection of hairbands and hairslides that he found in the playground 😳) but he accepts getting rid of things especially if they can be sold. You do have to get things out the home quickly though cos he wants to keep every single cardboard box, bubble wrap, notebook in existence. If he was left to his own devices he would permanently increase his "inventory". I tend to leave him the occasional cardboard box but only for a week.

Is there anyone that can cheerlead for you? DH decided to declutter his clothes but was much more effective when I was sitting in the room with him

That's great you supported your husband that way! It's something that really helps me too, having company. My husband is much more on board and supportive since I started the diagnosis process. It helped that it was like reading the story of my life 😂 Unfortunately he's quite busy atm but he's much more understanding now. I'm official now and waiting for meds. They might help!

My ten year old has been on meds for a year now and the difference is fantastic. He loves them and we can really tell when they wear off early evening/any day he hasn't taken them.

It's funny rereading what I wrote about Ds2. There are 2 cardboard boxes on the floor that he's appropriated and when I asked DH if he really needs 2 computer bags (we re moving overseas soon hence the minimalist drive) DS2 (nearly 8) piped up that he'd like one so please show him before getting rid of it

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