Decluttering Club thread 2 2022 - trying to reduce stuff a little at a time.

[londonmummy1966]

New thread for those wanting to declutter

Old thread here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4441273-decluttering-club-thread-20-22?pg=1

One out yesterday - a pair of socks that I put on, then discovered there was a hole in one toe, so they went into the textile recycling bag. I also emptied, cleaned, then reorganised the cupboard that the slow cooker used to live in, so make best use of the extra space.

I ended up getting annoyed and upset at DH last night. It wasn’t so much about the decluttering, but about the fact that I feel taken for granted, and all the endless household tasks/ mental load stuff I do that are never appreciated. Lots of little things that have built up, like the way that DH didn’t come up with any plans for Easter weekend, not even something basic like a trip to the big park instead of our local one, and it was all on me.

However, I did discover something really interesting/ strange about his thought process that explains a lot about his attitude to mess! I was getting annoyed because I’d say the house was messy and he’d say ‘no it isn’t’ in a really offended voice, while I’d be looking at the piles of stuff on every surface thinking WTF?

It turns out that he thinks messy would be toys left out all over the floor, cups and plates left lying around, etc, and as we don’t do that, he didn’t think it was messy. I had to explain to him that to me, stuff (papers, random things) left on every surface, and toys put away by stacking them in from of the fireplace or in a bag for life, because they don’t have a proper home, is messy for me, and how him saying it wasn’t messy was just another example of me not feeling that I was being listened to. Not sure it really sunk in, but he’s making more of an effort (as he does every time I get annoyed and upset about the mess and clutter).

@ifonly4 yes join in.

My out this afternoon was a bag-of-bags. Not very exciting but the top of the fridge is now clear

dollypartbaked I think the idea of a trunk on wheels is a good one, or perhaps a storage bench that can be sat on. We have a bench with two compartments, one for each child with sports kits and school equipment in. It might be good for you. My papers are in a small bookcase in my study, I have probably halved the paperwork I have - it’s something I always hoarded. When I get my divorce I will throw even more of it away, especially the box files related to the purchase of this house and a load of payslips. I kept all my payslips and p60s for the last 30 years and recently asked the government how many years I’d paid my stamp for. It turns out there are a couple of years I worked where they’re claiming I didn’t. Luckily I can prove I did with payslips and p60s. When I’ve done that I’m intending to throw out my 30 years of payslips and just keep p60s and p45s.

i am going too slow. My target was 2022 by the end of the year. I’m wondering if I can do it in four weeks. That would be about 30 items a day.

Yesterday I threw away 39 mini eggs, I decided I’d only eat them and I need to lose weight. I also got rid of some old Easter goody bags, scruffy gold crepe paper. This morning I have put aside another 20 books to go.

my main problem is getting it out. I have piles of crap all over the house and am running out of carrier bags to put them in to go to the charity shop! So I’ll go shopping today or tomorrow to buy some more.

wildblue I would love a bag of bags, I’m very jealous of you!

I have building work going behind my house. A block of old garages are being taken down and there are men in hazmat suits removing the asbestos roof so that's ruined my plans to put the washing out today. I'm also bleaching the kids white school tops today. Exciting times... not. I think a few are beyound bleaching we shall see

One more magazine read and decluttered into recycling

Yesterday I finished a small painting job and dumped the paint can. I have a long list of small jobs to get through.
I put a shirt, two books, some toys and a vase into a bag - 10 itwms total - and will drop to the charity shop tomorrow when I am passing. I find if I don't make an out plan for items then they can hang around for ages.

Hi all 👋name change here (Truffle Noir)

I've been doing brill on my Vinted/Facebook/Gumtree sales! I feel like I'm obsessed with listing things though 😁

The website on my phone has went a bit strange - anyone else?

I've dumped a load of old coat hangers that are broken or not needed today ✅

Spent the day prom dress shopping - new in is one huge evening dress

Got back to an email from Thrift+ to say that they have sold an item - under their new T&Cs they take £8 of the proceeds and my charity and I 50p each instead of a £3 each split under the old terms. Galling that they ended up congratulating me on earning 50p for my favourite charity - seems to add insult to injury...😡

@DreamloverTealover mine has changed as well - wonder if it's to force me into downloading the app!

I got rid of an old landline phone and a baby cocoon thingy. My DH seems to be hoarding tech so I'll be badgering him to get rid of some of it.

Tomorrow I will try to get rid of some more baby stuff and maybe start in my bedroom. Such a scattergun approach at the moment!

MN looking v weird on my iPad so not just you. Hope it’s a blip, I hate when it changes!

Could claim lots of sweets and chocolates out today as DD took them into school and clubs for her birthday but then she got gifts so probably an overall loss so will ignore both 😂

Nothing out for me another tiring work day, hopefully tomorrow I’ll get something organised.

Uh and I seem to have to log in every time I go on Mumsnet 😒 might look into the app!

Another one who is stressed by the new look Mumsnet. Why do they have to change it? I haven’t noticed any improvements.

59 books added to the pile to go and lots of stbexh’s are packed. I have packed 7 boxes of his books, CDs, DVDs and cassettes (yes he even hoards cassettes) now. The main book cases are finally half empty. I have got rid of hundreds of books in the last year. Many of today’s are books that I bought at university and never got round to reading so have been really hard for me to get rid of. But they’re going!

That’s great about the books @stealthninjamum I find books very hard to get rid of!

Started sorting through the age 12-18 months clothes today, and got about two-thirds of the way through the box. Kept a couple of things, but have another bag to go to the charity shop. I’m pleased I’ve been able to keep going.

DH is still making a Big Effort to be tidy after me getting upset and angry at the start of the week. We’ll see how long it lasts!

Decluttered a handbag and a necklace and made £230!

Beyond that I really need to get my act together and get things moving.

Any tips? Feeling a bit overwhelmed.

@Sexnotgender just dont use the money to buy more stuff!

No tips from me as I'm all over the place but this thread is keeping me motivated.

I think I am also going to get increasingly cross with my DH @EllieQ as well - unfortunately neither of us are tidy but sorting all the mountain of kids crap always falls to me somehow. Occasionally he'll say we need to sort through their drawers but never actually does anything!

Oh I’m definitely not buying more stuff 😂

I’ve got a zoom call next week with a removals firm to walk round my house 🙈

Definitely buy less stuff going forward, question everything.

Different people find different strategies work for them, and at different times.

DH and I did a lot of Marie Kondo style a few years ago which worked up to a point. And helps with questioning buying new things, do they really spark joy?

I’ve found Dana’s approach better recently, putting things in their home, limiting to a container, if you find something you didn’t know you had, would it have a home somewhere you could find it in the future? Or would you just buy another, if so, get rid.

But tbh, just doing anything is worth it, set a timer, promise yourself a treat after doing X, etc.

I made it to the charity shop this morning, some clothes, unwanted kitchen stuff, jigsaws, etc. plus loads of shopping bags I’ve had in the car boot since helping at a Ukraine donation drop off.
So approximating at 50+ items. Will go for 50 as a round number.

out: 56

Just start. Anywhere. Pick something up, is it an obvious "get rid"? Take it to the bin/recycling/bag for sales/bag for donations. Have the bag for donations by the front door, take it to the place as soon as it's full up. If I'm selling I list everything I've gathered up at the end of the day, it's just convenient for me.

If it needs putting away, put it away instantly. Can't put it away because the place is full? Grab it all, head to any clear space. Pick your favourites, no more than will fit in the place they belong. Decide what's happening with the rest of them, put those where they need to be.

Finding the perfect method is less important than just starting to tackle it. What feels manageable today? One item? Ten? A quick tidy up before you start decluttering? Grabbing recycling and rubbish and putting outside? Checking which clothes don't fit or are worn out? Whatever feels manageable right now just do it without thinking any more about it. It doesn't matter if it's the best place to start or not or if you make more of a mess temporarily, so long as it results in some items leaving the house.

@Sexnotgender I admit I jump about a bit but like what @LivingInaBuildingSite and @WildBlueAndDitzy have said I've been starting with anything I see that isn't in their right "home" or if there isn't a home, thinking about where the home could be or if I need to sell/throw away. It's been working well for me but still a hit overwhelming as I'm jumping different rooms so don't feel like anywhere else re is fully "done"

sexnotgender I started decluttering with obviously awful spots and large items. I couldn’t do a Kondo of getting everything out but would chip at an area but by bit over time. Like cookbooks, I had millions and the first to get rid of was hard. Over the last few years I’ve probably got rid of more than half. Once you realise you don’t miss the stuff it gets easier to get rid of the next batch.

There’ll be a fair amount of what we call ‘tidy up Tetris’ where you tidy something away, find something else, tidy it etc. I’m at the stage where most things have homes and it’s lovely to be organised. (Apart from my room of doom but every so often I spend half an hour in there).

i haven’t found much to go today - some loyalty cards, 5 more books, a clock, six tea light holders.

I decided to actually get the current stuff out of the house so I took four huge bags to the charity shop and have collected some boxes from sainsburys to put books in. I downloaded the music magpie app and scanned books that ziffit and webuybooks hadn’t wanted. To my delight music magpie wanted 15 of them. What’s really annoying is they’re worth just over £1! One book was worth just 1p!

Anyway I’m hoping to have all these boxes of books collected early next week, the moneys less important than getting the stuff out of the house.

Just place marking on the new thread - nice to see the list of tips for getting rid of things has been reinstated.

I can’t remember when I last updated, but I seem to have got my eBay mojo back. I have already sold 19 things this year, which is around twice as many as I did in the whole of 2021. Although some of the things were quite small, it has helped reduce my packaging mountain. I am trying to list at least 3 things every time I get a seller offer.

I have also done a lot of work in the garden (when the weather has been nice) making sure the brown bin has always gone out full.

On the indoor front, I have continued to sort out and shred old receipts, and am trying to clear the piles on the dining room floor, without just moving them intact to another location in the house.

Ds smashed my new lunchbox and coffee cup. He snatched my lunch bag off me after nursery pick up and was swinging it about then threw it in temper when I asked him not to. Ffs.

Definitely think there's something in getting stuff out the house as soon as you can - I sent some bits to oxfam (via collect plus - they send you a bag to do this) and put some really worn down baby bits in the recycling bin today. So two smallish bags have left the house today - feels great!

I hate trying to sell stuff online. I've listed some toys today and if they don't go, I'll be charity shopping them on Saturday (they've been in a box 'to go' for at least two weeks though).

@stealthninjamum Good idea about scanning books, I haven't done that before! But managed to shift a bunch of DVDs using the same method so not sure why it hadn't occurred to me.

Not done much today as DD2 was packing to go back to school but 3 things sold on ebay and packed up to go tomorrow.