Playing the Minimalism Game

[YupIFreakilyHave]

For the month of October I am challenging myself to playing the 30 Day Minimalism Game as described by various people on their YouTube channels including The Minimalists. I prefer Jolita Bartkus' video on this. I know October has 31 days but the last day is for reflecting on how the month went.

How to Play: On the 1st you declutter one thing, on the 2nd you declutter 2 things, on the 3rd three things and so on. By the end of 30th day, 465 items should have been decluttered. Well, that's the aim.

I've been on this decluttering lark for a few years now so it'll be an interesting project. I'll try to update everyday of what was decluttered and maybe a little story of some of the items. I'm doing this online as a way to hold myself to account but I would welcome anyone who would like to join me.

It starts tomorrow. Eek!

Jolita Bartkus' video:

Well done everyone. @freezerdinners you're on a roll! @teacupdrama lovely to hear from a graduate! @YupIfreakilyhave thanks so much for getting us all going, I'm finding it so helpful.

My target was 23 today. I continued with my fabric stash de-stash. I removed a carrier bag full of barely started projects - more than 23 bits but I'm not going to count the extras.

Ooh, and I braved the area under DS's bed today and found the other half of one of the socks I'd binned yesterday. Minus 1 on the total (boo) but hooray for happy socks.

Nearly forgot today. Just opened the nearest draw and found this stash of tat.

I was at mil’s today and decluttered her cough medicines . 5 half bottles all out of date !

Day 8 - broken crayons, a box, bag of screws, piece of wood, toy car and some other small plastic toys.

@Trumpton a mobile decluttering service!

@redcake
Now there’s a thought !

Gosh @Trumpton and @RedCake I actually think you might be onto something there if you fancy a career change.

Day 9 for me: 5 books (I find it so hard to part with books!!!) and four items from the hosiery drawer.
Bonuses 8 pairs stocking socks and a pair of legwarmers, never worn.

Ooh I wish I had seen this thread last week! I am going to see if I can dig out 55 items tomorrow ... I have a big box in the attic of things to chuck, maybe it will see it's usefulness tomorrow!

Ooo can I please join? Even this late? I'll just start today, on day 9, with getting rid of 9 items. I'll have missed the first 8 days but I'll still have got rid of much more by the end of October than I would otherwise have.

From the make up drawer.
1 Glassed cleaner thingy
2 Old mascara
3 Face cream from Advent calendar , didn’t like.
4 Mirror from cracker
5 Eyebrow pencil
6 Lip salve ,old.
7 Nail file
8 Serum
9 Shower gel mini, it’s a bad dupe.

@Declutterclogs I find books pretty impossible. I'm looking at a shelf of travel guides from 20 years ago - probably useless now but I still not ready to part with them!

@badg3r @DolphinDreams welcome! Hope you both enjoy it as much as I am!

@DolphinDreams and @badg3r welcome! You can do 55 items Badg3r. I found a lot of easy wins in my kitchen.

I'll be back later when I've done my 22.

@Declutterclogs you're continuing the impressive run of bonus items. You might even end up with 2 X 465 things!

Day 9

Various padlocks and keys and key rings (and no, I've never owned a Lexus)

Total: 45 items

I've got out of the habit already after a busy week! Going to jump right in and throw nine things out today. Can't believe it's the 9th October already!

I was telling my mum about this game and she said she wouldn't bother and that I could sort everything out for her once she died.  I decided to not tell her about Swedish Death Cleaning 

Welcome @badg3r @DolphinDreams - hope you enjoy it.

@Trumpton Only 3 things you didn't like from a beauty advent calendar is pretty good going.

Thanks so much - delighted to be joining ! Can't wait to report on my first day.
[whats Swedish death cleaning????]

@YupIFreakilyHave
I sent solid shampoo and conditioner bars to another Mumsneter a few weeks ago !
But I decided not to do Advent calendar this year (can I count that as 24 bonus things )

Cheeky @Trumpton 

I love beauty products. I used to buy lots but it took me years to work out that I hardly used the products. It was the idea of it I liked - the packaging (oh so beautiful), the thought that I would become this well groomed, beautifully turned out individual. I was an advertisers dream really. I realised that I was never going to be this person so now I buy only the very basic (moisturiser, deo and body lotion). It's great for me.

@DolphinDreams It's decluttering but being mindful of what you're leaving behind for family to sort through after your death, with the thought that they will be emotionally exhausted enough without having to go through your things and make decisions. The decluttering process involves talking about it with the family and, perhaps, including them in the actual decisions.

Right im going to try and join back in and catch up ....

I need 4 items from the 5th, then 6, 7, 8 and todays 9. So a total of 34 items ....

• one random too small baby vest
• one broken bath puff
• one old sky remote
• one crap lip balm

Thirty remaining

Yay. Welcome back Those. 🥳 You can do it

Day 8 - a pile of old, never to be used samplers (photo).
Day 9 - a mixture, 1 old phone case, 1 empty perfume bottle, 2 old covid masks, 2 old paint samples and three beer mats

[quote Trumpton]@YupIFreakilyHave
I sent solid shampoo and conditioner bars to another Mumsneter a few weeks ago !
But I decided not to do Advent calendar this year (can I count that as 24 bonus things )[/quote]

Or get a chocolate one and count it as one decluttered thing a day through December

I did think of using my card labels for photos as part of my day 30 items (24 of them, after all).

Welcome to all the new joiners!

Day 9: 6 random pens and pencils, 2 x fashion type headbands, and 1 pair of holey pants (feels like a bad version of the 12 days of Christmas).

I have also done two holiday days to get ahead:

Day 23: From the cupboard by the front door - 19 dog tennis balls (ones he finds and brings home): a frisbee and 3 scabby old rubble bags

Day 24: 22 manky over stretched hair bobbles and 2 hair clips.

We did Kondo a few years ago and I would say we have stayed on top of the clutter. But this is really making me dig out the things that are tidied away that I wouldn’t think about day to day. Also makes me wonder if I had been aiming for 30 things would I have thrown out more dog balls or more hair bobbles/clips. Perhaps I might revisit things towards the end.