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!

Fascinating reading everyone, like a pp said, it's so interesting to see the variety of things that people are decluttering.

@ImFree2doasiwant same! I have a pile of books to work through for me that will easily go into the charity bag, but a huge bookshelf downstairs for the kids and I've got rid of one just a simple 'copy the actions' thing that even 18 month old DD is too big for...
And ive got the Mr men series arriving for DS' birthday soon I guess a point will come where I feel like I can get rid of their Julia donaldson collection. That's years away though

It's been a fairly busy day here, but:

1. A bundle of cloth nappies sold. There were more than 10 items in it, so that's my trump card for today it's parcelled up and ready for sending and by the front door, so as far as I'm concerned, it's gone.
2. Another flask. I swear they multiply overnight.
3. Bath puff thing X 2. I was keeping them for the kids to play with, but they're just clutter.

Now I'm really going to get down to my socks and tights drawer that I claimed I would do a few days ago

@Eileen101 I went through a pile of books with the DC today, the flat square sort. 19 removed to go to the school , and 1 that belongs at Nanny's. No chance of the Julia Donaldson books going, or the matching DVDs!

Day 10

This was a bit of a scramble…it’s becoming more tricky to find stuff to declutter now!

1 - 4 four (cheap) A4 sized posters that arrived creased on delivery
5 - 6 two old cushions
7 coat hanger
8 Care instructions for weighted blanket.

1. Cardboard envelope for recycling

10. Old paper bag lurking in bottom of trunk in spare room.

9
1 - 2 boxes unopened breast milk storage bags collected via Freecycle
2 - cardboard 'tickets' from a kids 'show'
3 - magazine in recycling
4 - magazine in recycling
5 - magazine in recycling
6 - various Aldi leaflets in recycling
7 - child's craft tat (peg doll kit)
8 - huge cardboard 'den' into recycling
9 - leaking biro

10
10 x old cards/letters into recycling (and rest sorted into memory boxes)

Oh dear...

I only managed 2 things today. So tomorrow I will need to do 9+10+11-2. 28! But it won’t actually be an issue as I have loads to clear out. Just need to make sure it happens - don’t want to be playing catch-up for the rest of the month!

Day 11

1. - 4 four “inspirational” postcards given out at a pre-lockdown conference - into recycling

5 - 7 three paint sample colour cards into recycling

1. Lateral flow test cardboard tube holder

9 - 10 two poppies from remembrance day last autumn 11. Unflattering cami top

I assembled this little collection last night but I agree with pp that it is getting much harder now. There is always the loft…

Day 12 - 20
19 books goingbto school thus morning
1 returning to nanny
1 in hand from yesterday.

Still 1 day ahead. Rely REALLY need to tackle the bedroom pile!

I wish I’d kept count now as I feel a slowing down settling in. Agh!!

Today it’s a broken PC monitor going in the bin. I don’t know what else I have to get rid of. I feel like I’m plateauing. Anyone else?

@AgathaMystery could you start counting from today? Have you got a drawer filled with umpteen unusable pens/elastic bands/broken paper clips/etc? They’re usually good for getting rid of a fair bit at once.

I’ve started on my 28-item backlog.

So far I’ve got:

2 small gratin dishes - charity shop
6 scented tea lights - don’t use scented candles anymore - bin as I don’t think a charity shop would want them
1 spent candle lighter - bin
1 jar - we finished a jar of olives yesterday and ordinarily I would keep it in case it comes in handy in future but we have several saved so that’s going straight into recycling.

So that’s 10 so far out of my total for today.

Well done! I could start counting but I am probably well into the many hundreds now. All the drawers are done! Everything is almost done!

Well in that case it’s only natural that you’ll be slowing down!

I am a little bit worried that I’ll run out of things to clear before the end of the month, but if I do then that’ll just be a bonus, really!

Day 11:

• 11 Xbox 360 games to charity , we decided to declutter the Xbox 360 since DS got his last Christmas’s present of PlayStation 5 finally this Christmas and we have enough consoles and this one wasn’t used anymore really

Normally I don’t count ins there are many regularly but my house is getting more and more organised and empty so it’s fine .I will make an exception with this exiting big in ; our deposit from the rental house we handed over end of Nov is finally being returned and nearly all of it ,just a few hundred to cleaning we did do because they had builders in making mess . My DH was convinced we wouldn’t be given this much back although to be fair they should have after all the problems we had there with leaking ceiling etc . Also possibly finally getting on with the landscapers then we’d have lots of ins of trees for the garden.
I’ve been feeling very under the weather feeling like nothings getting done adding just a few bits to my new decluttering list daily which is now around 200. I haven’t counted individual Christmas cards but all of them as one item there would have been over 50 otherwise . Bigger things I do count individually. I have yet to pack away my ornaments or go back to the attic . Right now it’s a struggle to get out of bed it seems

Day 11:

1-8) set of very old fish knives and forks (charity shop)
9-11) special cutlery for serving a cheese board (I have never served a cheese board in my life) - charity shop

Day 11- 23 half used/ gone off / grotty colour nail varnish, body butters, stubby eyeliner sticks, body glitter, hotel shampoo/soap and body glitter! I’m 33 with 3 kids, how on earth am I going to find time to use body glitter

This thread gives me a bit of accountability and that's keeping me going.

Today I've been working but I have managed...

3 empty dvd cases
1 kg of plaster of Paris left by previous owners of my house
1 book
Lots of broken or used pens
A little heart trinket thingy
4 buttons
A Dr who board game - never used
A random earring found in ds's drawer
3 dvds.
A rubbish rubber

I'm keeping a bag for the charity shop in the boot of my car so some things, like books and DVDs, are in there but I'm counting them because they are out of the house.

I'm contemplating getting rid of all my dvds and CDs. Anyone else done this?

4 ill-fitting bras gone for good. I took them to bravissimo for recycling and got 2 new ones.

Computer monitor still in porch. Will Chuck it away tomorrow.

@CherryAndAlmond - yes! They have all gone in our house (CD & DVD) I think 3 yrs ago? Not missed at all.

Changed it up today - dived into my desk. Files and unused cards to the charity shop (11) broken files and folders for the bin (4) piles of Christmas, Birthday and Thank you cards received to recycling (3) added the chipped glass, inspirational book I was never going to read and worn out slippers that were on and under the desk. Makes 21.
I like the target that a daily number sets. I am not close to running out to items!

CDs and DVDs (except a few homemade ones from over the years) all gone here in the last couple of years and no one has noticed.

@CherryAndAlmond we had a cull of CDs and DVDs several years ago but held on to ones we really loved. I think the time has come to see if they can go too.

Although I am finding it harder to identify enough items each day I am still enjoying this minimalism game and I think it is making a difference. Our biggest area to clutter bust is our enormous walk-in loft which is full of precious things from our DCs when they were younger and so many photo albums….

@CherryAndAlmond nearly all CDs and DVDs gone here! Also not missed. We kept my particular favourite film on dvd. I have also kept my favourite artist CDs as we have a cd player in the kitchen and my car. They get listened to as I spend plenty of time in the kitchen and I don't have Spotify. They also get listened to in my car because the cd player is about as high tech as my car gets

Day 12:
4 of DS' t shirts removed and put in the charity bag (and on vinted and eBay just in case).
1 pair exfoliating gloves
2 out of date sun creams
1 moisturiser that's been open roughly forever
1 foot cream sample
1 pair tatty gloves
1 box from most recent phone
Bundle of tights.

Woop, wasn't sure I was going to reach 12 things for today after a busy day with work and kids.
Also posted off some vinted sales but not going to count those as I have counted the actual items on other days

@AgathaMystery you've done amazingly well (and your house can't be as cluttered as mine....)

@Nordicmom I like your approach of just counting a running total. I might do that next month, if I carry on , which I will... hope you're feeling better soon.

@TheGirlWhoLived I did the make up/Hotel freebies etc last year. I got rid of a LOT. Yet I still have green eyeshadow (handy for Halloween) and face glitter...I'm 44

@CherryAndAlmond we don't gave many dvds, just the kids ones but I have LOADS of CDs. I don't think I can!! I listen to them in the car. And sometimes after the DC are in bed.

Today I took a large bag to the charity shop I my lunch hour . Items already counted in the past week but gone for good. Someone collected the dinner set, and I have listed 5 items of kids clothing for sale cheaply with lots of interest! Hopefully sold and £30 made! I will count them tomorrow if they go

Amazing day everyone!!

I lay down for 5 mins whilst WFH today and FELL ASLEEP for 3hrs!! Jesus!

Back to it tomorrow.

Day 12

• 7 books to charity , 1 finished others from my book drawer I just leafed through since I found them boring and hadn’t gotten around to reading them in the past year , now I have 14 books left to read
• 1 board game we have a new version of now so it can go ,we have played it for years
• 2 DS finished puzzles to charity I had been saving for DD but she’s got many and she won’t be able to do them for years so I decided not to keep them cluttering up my cupboards
• 1 bottle opener that came with a Christmas present to charity
• some old food from my snack drawers to bin , a bunch to food bank bag hopefully going there next weekend

I’m now at 200 in total since I finished the last declutter challenge so ahead in days but not halfway yet for the month . Considering I’ve not gone up again to the attic or been looking through things just adding stuff when I notice it except for doing my book drawer and snack drawer last night I’m doing ok I think . It’s a struggle with life atm to get anything done so it’s all a plus