Help, tell me to start de-cluttering. I have black bags, I have a cloth skip

[NearlyAHoarder]

I can't face it. I've been watching videos about hoarders all morning and I need to tackle this. The floor all around my wardrobe is just covered up with boxes and bags and other things that won't fit in the wardrobe. I'm a single parent, work ft, I would like to have this tackled before I go back to work or it will hang over me for another year getting worse.

My kitchen is tidy. But for some reason my room is a mess. Part of the problem is that there's not enough space for my things. But then, some people would manage to fit a man and his stuff in to a room this big and have it be tidy??!!!!
It's such a big job. I don't dislike any of my clothes. I do have more than I need though. I feel a bit cross that my house is so small and I'm forced in to the position of having to throw out things that other people with a bigger house and bedroom could keep.
My friend told me to do 90 minutes everyday for 3 days, starting today, and then when I go in to tackle it on 3rd Jan, it'll be a less daunting task.
I'm sorry if it seems like this is a pointless thread. I just have tried all my usual methods of motivation and I'm still in bed thinking about it.
Right, I need to get dressed so that I can run in and out to the skip.

fab progress OP! I'm sure it'll be satisfying to work your magic on the make up.

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. Thank you OP and everyone else who has contributed, you have inspired me and made realise that other people are in a similar position to me.

I desperately need to declutter. I've made a start on my clothes and am hoping to do shoes, coats and linens before too long (full disclosure I actually spent some money on 3 hours with someone you help me to do my clothes), she was fab but I can't afford to do much of it that way.

Would it be ok if I joined the thread please?

I've been broadly following the Konmarie method.

Welcome @freckles20 tomorrow I'm going to post a picture of my skip.
And also a BEFORE picture of the under my stairs. I might need a second skip

OP I have a skip too! I find that people go through it so lots of the contents are not going to landfill.

Keep going - you’re doing so well. The sociology books are hard to part with maybe because they remind you of something you thought you might have done by now? I don’t know. Hope you enjoy chucking them out!!

You're doing a bang up job there @NearlyAHoarder.

In your honour I will have a crack at my airing cupboard tomorrow.

I don't think there's anything in they'd to get rid of (famous last words) but we had unexpected visitors tonight so in my rush to pull out extra bedding it's become more if a higgeldy piggeldy mess than it's ever been.

It's quite likely to all fall on my head when I open the doors.

But on the bright dude it's also emptier than it usually is so less to refold.

Well done OP. I've been doing something similar and am loving the feeling of feeling free once I've got rid of bags of whatever it is. Not sure which country you're in but I've been inspired by this bbc programme:

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00116n2/sort-your-life-out-series-1-episode-1

It's been the exact kick up the bum I've needed.

@NearlyAHoarder inspired by you, I am going to start tackling the bedroom. I am in the midst of losing weight so am giving myself until June to see if my summer dresses fit by then. I've got a friend coming around to help me be ruthless. The stuff that doesn't fit, but should do in a few months will get vaccum packed. For each item, I will ask myself 'if it fits do I love it and does it makes me feel good/is flattering rather' than an item that fits 'just ok, or 'it'll do'.

I am aware I have items,I don;t wear for particular reason ie I need to buy a black vest to wear under a specific top, or the gold dress I never wear because I don't have shoes that go with it. For these types of items, I'll finally write a list of what;s missing and buy them this week.

LOVE your table and chairs @NearlyAHoarder gorgeous.

I did another kitchen drawer today - 'after' pic attached. Sadly no 'before' picture but it was full to the top of the most unbelievable tangle of crap including two further unusable bike locks and a broken power drill.

Salivating for skip pix.

Oh and I've found a charity shop which doesn't seem to have realised they shouldn't be accepting donations! 2 big bags of books and games out.

I love that this thread has got us all moving on our own projects.

I have twice as many teenagers in my house at the moment as usual, and it's pandemonium, but I'm off to tackle the airing cupboard now.

Can you see how full my skip is???

I am going to take a pause and do under the stairs next weekend.

Well done !!

Amazing.

I’m mean but a pause is a day off, not a week.

@NearlyAHoarder congrats on the amount in your skip!!!
How are you feeling mentally at the moment, has your progress made you feel better?

Well done with the decluttering! That is lots of things gone, and space won!
I am on my second round.
I did most of the house before Christmas and felt so good! So much space, and so much easier to clean.
I have started with our hoard of tinned foods. I got them tidy now and nobody is buying any more till we actually need it!,
Next weekend I am doing the pantry and removing any ancient little bags with some bits of pasta left.
The store under the stairs needs doing too

Thank you for the warm welcome .

@NearlyAHoarder your are making fantastic progress!

@MushMonster I really need to follow suit and sort tinned goods and bags with time makings of pasta in. I have a cupboard which is actually rammed with tinned goods- yet tonight DH declared that we didn't have anything to cook dinner with!!

Im starting under the stairs today. Here are before pictures. Its worse than it looks because all the file boxes and shoe boxes could contain documents. I will have to look at everything! Argh. Somewhere in here are the deeds of my house, i hope. The trofast opposite the expedit, all drawers are packed with .... a jumble of art equipment and lego.

I threw out swimming gear for children ten years younger than my dc are now and a whole load of gloves, hats and scarves, and shopping bags. How many bags for life do i need ?!

I never put up after pictures of my room , thought i had 🤔

These look better now as i ordered some smaller straw baskets to match whats on top of wardrobe

My make up. I know it still looks like loads and it is but I got rid of a lot

Well, just paid for the skip to be collected 75 euro. That was 75 euro well spent in my opinion (although it's gone up 7 euro since last March). I am relieved. In 3 to 5 working days it'll be gone.

I am going to go back to the under the stairs tomorrow. It's a difficult section to do.

Excellent update!

Looking much calmer! Think a name change needed... PrettyOrganised??

I've gone through all my file boxes and it was stressful. I knew it would be. I've thrown a lot out. Bank statements from 8 years ago. I found various payroll iPass and excel advanced certificates but I did not find my leaving certificate. In every box I looked in I hoped the deeds of my house would be in it. Very stressful tbh. I found the deeds of my house in the very last box I looked in. I had already mentally prepared myself to ring the solicitor so I was very relieved. I am normally quite strict about being low carb but the last two days I've eaten so much cake and even chocolates that were kicking around since Christmas. Now I can start to just plain clean around the boxes. I'll be having wine later! Low carbing and de-cluttering under the stairs at the same time is a tall order. Back on course with low carb tomorrow.

Some of the things I'd kept! You know when tesco deliver and they give you a list of what they delivered? I had some of those dated 2015