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.

coco. I give a lot to charity shops. Like thelego I find it an easy way of making sure things get re-used. I don't eBay etc stuff because I don't have anything of value and the timetakentosell:income ratio would mean it's not worth it.

I don't buy things second hand but then I don't really buy things much. I will buy to replace or if there is a gap that needs filling eg I needed sandals for the summer which I bought also for a wedding because I only have sensible work shoes and trainers. Are you buying things from charity shops only when you need them?

I don't know that I am a minimalist, or even an aspirant one, (I like paintings and plants and books and blankets too much for one thing) but I am trying (constantly!) to streamline stuff. Am in the process of clearing the cellar, which means I can move the tumble drier in there, which means I can move some stuff out of the tool shed into the space in the garage which the tumble drier occupied....DS just about to go to university, so using this opportunity to declutter and redecorate his bedroom. And this thread has inspired me to take some long-unworn, but still very nice items of clothing to the charity shop. I am not going to wear them again, nor am I going to sell them, so best just part with them.

It does feel never-ending though, and that I am pushing water uphill against my son's preferences and my husband's. WHY does he want to keep all those bloody CDs???? He only ever listens to music via his laptop. (Weeps.)

So thank you for this thread - some great ideas and links here, encouraging me to KOKO.

I also aspire to being minimalist but I’m too much of a hoarder. I do find it easier to get rid of stuff if I can give it to someone - that’s what I did with a lot of my baby / toddler stuff.
Looking forward to reading others tips and stories

I started to focus on buying less. I'd still like less clothes. I'm trying to wear out 2 items for every one bought- could take me years.
Loads of train stations have book corners these days.

I am an aspiring minimalist. I’ve totally failed to get my DH and 2DDs on board however. When I go into take something of the girls to the charity shop (or just throw it out as it’s tatty) my DH will say “ you can’t get rid of that, they play with it’ even if they haven’t for a blooming year. But this thread had inspired me to restart, from tomorrow!!

@Rummikub

I also aspire to being minimalist but I’m too much of a hoarder. I do find it easier to get rid of stuff if I can give it to someone - that’s what I did with a lot of my baby / toddler stuff. Looking forward to reading others tips and stories

This is me too.

2021 is a 'buy no clothes' year for me. I've pressed a lot of my existing wardrobe back into service (weight loss has helped) and I've managed to declutter a fair amount of clothing I wasn't wearing any longer. The hallway is currently full of old DVDs, a broken microwave, a DVD player and assorted cables, tools we don't use, a disassembled IKEA cupboard, ancient saucepans...all of which are going to be loaded into the car today and taken to the recycling centre at 8.30 tomorrow morning.

I've booked an electrician to come and put extra power points and lighting into the cellar and the space I've created will be used for the tumble drier. (Assuming I can get the tumble drier down the cellar steps). It's all bloody hard work, frankly, and doesn't necessarily come without expense, but the reward is a calmer, better organised and (IMO) more beautiful home, so I'm keeping going!

Thanks YupIhave. The Joshua Becker vids are my style. We had a big clear out when the grown up kids left earlier this year after Covid stays. Just about to go back and revisit the more difficult stuff eg the stuff that didn’t sell on market place, booking dump slots etc

Joshua Becker releases a new video every Friday and to be honest some of the more recent ones have helped give me revelations outside of material stuff (like work related).

Currently on way back from holiday but have made a massive list of things to get rid asap when home. Can't wait!

Have also decided to put my foot down on soft toys. We have loads cos DS2 kind of likes them but we could easily reduce by 50% just by getting rid of DH's old ones!!!! They take up so much space. I didnt mind before cos they often had soft toy fights but they're throw too strong now...

This thread keeps falling off my list! I've done diddly squat but will have some time next week. Determined to purge some stuff!

@mdh2020

Once you start getting rid of books it gets easier. We started with a few and then it was ‘if we gave X away, why keep this?’ We have reduced over 3000 books to 3 shelves. We decided not to keep them just because we once loved them and got rid of loads simply because books used to be printed in much smaller font sizes that are difficult to read. There is an article in The Times today about being minimalist and it suggests that you put everything in boxes and then only keep what you have to take out of the boxes over the next couple of weeks. Everything else can go. The other idea is to pick up an object and decide whether or not it makes you happy.

Ryan from the Minimalists did this the packing party. I would bloody love to do it but ig would work best if you live alone. Would be a great way of extreme minimising.

I started this but have stalled.

I figure with getting rid of books, on the whole, if you get rid of one but later want to re read it, they are cheap enough to pick up second hand. Only keep those that are irreplaceable in your eyes. So for example I have kept my Harry Potter collection, the very first set I read as a teen, some of which are first editions. These are incredibly sentimental and I would never donate. However I did donate my hunger games set which, although I really enjoyed, wasn’t a sentinel collection and actually I would like to reread them now but they aren’t very expensive to pick up again, or borrow from a library so I can do that.
I highly doubt anyone truly has 2000 sentimental books. If you were to reread at a pace of 1 book a week, that would take you over 38years to read them all!

Well I've spent a happy morning going through soft toys, kids clothes (to check they have enough for going back to school - and of course littlest has grown out of loads of stuff) and getting rid of a few other things. Am so chuffed that I don't need to buy any new clothes as I had the size up for DS1 from previous sales and DS2 fits into DS1's old clothes. Yay!

DH is not impressed though and is already rolling his eyes that I'm straight back from holiday and doing this. He says I'm obsessed (but agrees the place looks nicer...).

I am also so thankful that there's a clothes recycling bin 4 minutes walk from my flat. There's only 1 charity shop anywhere near me and that's always closed in August so I'm having to pile up stuff to donate

Its also DS1's birthday soon and of course I'm beginning to think of Christmas. The minimalist mindset is really helping me to focus on what will bring real pleasure to my DC and not getting things just for the sake of it. Quality over quantity etc.

I have totally stalled. Feel paralysed by the size of the task :-(

I've been lurking for progress updates and inspiration. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to turn around my very cluttered space overnight. But I'm trying to keep even a tiny bit of momentum going by listing 2 or 3 items at a time onto the Olio app. I've given various small household/craft items to 6 different people since I started a couple of weeks ago. It's good to know they're going to people who actively want them.

Sorry to hear that OP

Try watching this
m.youtube.com/watch?v=GF1nJ2cr2S4

Its Joshua Becker - what to do when you get stuck decluttering

Loads of people have been there. My main issue was time rather than motivation so I tried to complete small but complete areas that I could look at to feel better

My best one was our "batteries drawer" which was cramed with that plus overflow from the stationery supplies drawer. I sorted them both out. Stationery supply drawer is still very full (we re in France and have to provide every pen and stick of glue etc) bit the batteries drawer is neat with spaces in it! So easy to find what I need now

For those who find it hard to let go of things, I have a couple of ideas. Firstly, if I don't use them/want them in 6 months, they are ready to go. Then because I hate things being wasted, I either give to the charity shop or to Freecycle/local FB (free to collect). I found it really lovely seeing who would be using the things.

@HereticFanjo

I have totally stalled. Feel paralysed by the size of the task :-(

Been here too. Just keep starting.

I gathered together all my IKEA purchases. I have a problem. So I’ve banned myself from going to IKEA. I hope it works ((Feels shame))
I think it’s because I aspire to be organised but don’t do it properly.
My current motivation is the idea of Swedish death cleaning so my dc won’t have to ultimately deal with it.

Oooh brilliant thread. I manage it with our main bathroom-we have one four shelf unit and I manage to keep everything on there and it makes things so much easier to clean. Got rid of most of my cds and books as well-I just chucked ours, shamefully, as I knew I just wouldn’t get round to selling them.

Yes at times I motivate myself to declutter "for the children's sake."
I stop and start.

We actually had a clear out of some old stuff this weekend. I'd suggested clearing a bedroom cupboard so the growing child can have more space for their now much larger clothes. To my shock everyone agreed and what's more went ahead and did it without me. This working together is a once in every 10 year event I should estimate.😉