The minimalism game Jan 2022

[ImFree2doasiwant]

The idea is to get rid of 1 item on the 1st of the month, 2 on the 2nd, 3 on the 3rd etc. I hopped on the way of a thread in December but am here to start afresh if anyone want to join in. I might do this in reverse though, starting with 31 today and working back to 1, only because DC are going to their dad's tomorrow 2 fir days so I will have the time to maje a good start at it.

I aim to post updates daily!

Day 4 completed.

(7) magazine
(8) birthday card
(9) baby bodysuit
(10) baby hat

@ImFree2doasiwant

Also, exH took several leads of belongings away! Woop!

That’s excellent!

@Eileen101 I think the cake counts. I'm using up things, toiletries in particular. I had 6 cleansers open. 6! I'm not even a skincare sort of person. I finished 1 yesterday and another will be done in a few days. Its still less clutter. Hand creams too, so many of them!

@AgathaMystery I'm so happy his clutter is going. He's a hoarder in the making. Ds2 told me about where he's living now, I'd almost forgotten the house being covered in pile upon pile of stuff.

Good for you. Does the husband count as one item or do you add each year together as well?

About to do the school run but managed an Xmas ornament I really don’t like. It’s gone forever. I’ve got a really busy day at work so not sure what else I can manage today.

Hey all! I’ve been doing this since Jan 1st and was thinking of starting a thread. I’m glad I randomly found this one and can jump in here instead.

I did 15 items yesterday, ran out of time, but confident I can catch up. I did manage to clean a windowsill, a cutlery drawer, the top shelf of a larder, and have a bowl full of misc clutter from those surfaces to sort today. I probably should just throw them all away but I can't, hence the need for this sort of thread!

I managed to take 5 pairs of DC shoes to the charity shop on the way back from the school run & also recycle a massive decorative basket and an old lamp.

Doesn’t feel a lot today but will aim to hit 10 items by bedtime. Currently on 7.

I need the Xmas tree gone today as well.

Day 4

• 1 old Nintendo DS to electronics recycling
• 1 Nintendo DS case
• 1 Nintendo DS charger
• 1 Mulled Wine chocolate bar that was a gift to food bank

After spending a couple of hours in the attic room last night I did declutter 25 things and I’d say the room is now 1/3-1/2 done . It’s got some sports equipment that’s going to our garage once we’ve built the bike / garden shed and moved bikes and lawnmowers etc there from taking up space so we can put up shelving . Need to make up space for shutters to be put upstairs as well so feels like I’m in a bit of a hurry although shouldn’t take much moving currently to get to both windows to do it . I think I’ll go back up later . Might try to look through a few kids clothes boxes and get rid / consolidate few bits I want to keep . I think I need more large boxes still for the garage as well but medium size are coming today . I really like these ones , I aim to have everything we store in these same ones with labels for a unified neat look.
DD has gone back to school today after nearly a month off so house is more quiet , teenage DS is still here but studying and DH working from his study so he’s doing school runs for me this week which I’m grateful for . Several laundry baskets of clean laundry for me to fold as well ,maybe there’ll be a few outs there ! I think I’m now at about 141 so a lot ahead having started at the low end . Hopefully adding to it today . Trying to psyche myself up for those kids clothes . I have an emotional attachment to them and thrown away so much that it’s getting harder to make decisions but I’m doing it …

Oh , I am asleep still ! I forgot it’s Day 5 so adding

• 1 old kindle of DDs to electronics recycling ,she’s got a newer one so don’t know why we still had this !

I’ve done some shredding this morning and taken the Christmas decs down. They’ve been put away rather than disposed of but still feels like less clutter! And Christmas cards have gone. I realise I’m not counting things but it’s progress so that’s what counts!

I’m not counting either!!

@Nordicmom the attic sounds fairly epic!

It’s quite a big room it’s our seventh bedroom all carpeted and has two windows plus a skylight . We didn’t originally want to use it just for storage and were going to put in a dividing wall but now I’m thinking probably not . We’re planning to get a foosball table for kids up there but first thought was a gym since we’ve given up on a garden building for that purpose . I think we’ll try to see if we can put in a pool .

Decluttered today:

(11-12) baby jumpers
(13-14) baby sleepsuits
(15) hat sold and posted

@Nordicmom

It’s quite a big room it’s our seventh bedroom all carpeted and has two windows plus a skylight . We didn’t originally want to use it just for storage and were going to put in a dividing wall but now I’m thinking probably not . We’re planning to get a foosball table for kids up there but first thought was a gym since we’ve given up on a garden building for that purpose . I think we’ll try to see if we can put in a pool .

Sounds epic!

Has anyone realised that their before/after isn’t much different? My office is the box room. It’s TINY. How could 1 bin bag and over 1 huge IKEA bag of stuff make no difference to how it looks? DH says there is a huge difference but I think I have a ways to go.

I want to do my clothes but I have a problem as I am quite fat and only wear 1/10 of my wardrobe. I don’t believe I will ever fit in any of them again so why can’t I let them go?

Joining late!

Decluttering today:

1 x dress
1 x skirt
2 x bath towels
(All^^ going to textile recycling bank now)
1x set of children's flash cards which my dcs are too old for

I’m going to post here to list what I clear out daily throughout the month.

Catch-up:

1. glass round vase - charity shop
2. old glass jars - recycling
3. ramekins (little ones I’d kept from some kind of supermarket dessert. I’ve used them for several years now but they are no longer useful as I’ve got a couple of slightly bigger ones which are more practical) - bin, as they wouldn’t have been any good cluttering up a charity shop.
4. 3 old dinner plates - cleared out into shed to use as rubble for planting/potting; 1 book - charity shop
5. Christmas decorations/ornaments that I no longer want + 1 cookbook as I bought one in the charity shop and I’m doing 1 in/1 out for all purchases this month - charity shop

Didn’t go back up today I have spent ages folding all the laundry mountain but got another 28 out from that to add to my running total ahead of time since I always struggle with the big no days by now this bring my 3 rd month doing this . Am finishing the towels and sheets then writing addresses on kids thank you cards and if I have any energy I might go down to pack away the ornaments while watching tv

Day 5

1. Out of date packet of Estrella dip mix from 2019
2. Cord for a lanyard. Wrong colour for work so no use to me.
3. Packet of sponge things to put round earbuds
4. Broken lightbulb
5. Instructions for Velvetiser

My total since stopping the last decluttering challenge is now 170! Quite happy with that

@Nordicmum that is an impressive number! I have very limited time after work to do each day’s challenge - I’m getting in a bit of sweat thinking about how long I will need to find 31 items at the end of the month

@LadyMacnet if you get any extras, carry them over, just keep a note abd use them further along in the month.

@Nordicmom you're doing so well especially as it's not your first round!

Total for the month should be 496! This seems like a LOT but I'm hoping I can do it .

Yes I’m putting everything into a big box if I find extras along the way (Unless it’s going straight in the bin) - that way I can process it at a later date and count it toward that day’s total.

It won’t be a problem to do the higher amounts - I’m ‘saving’ batteries in a bag in the big box, these will be counted later in the month. I’m also saving my ‘miscellaneous’ basket/drawer. I’ve got books to clear out too.

Slow progress again today but 3 to charity, 21 items of clothing to recycling, 3 further items uncovered and set aside to return so 27 total hit. Bonus 27 companies unsubscribed from emails and over 1000 emails deleted (ouch).

@SuperDiaperBaby I deleted 72,000 unread emails a few months ago, and unsubscribed from everything.

Oh my goodness the mental clutter that cleared!