Decluttering Thread 3 - Decluttering on bit at a time

[LivingInaBuildingSite]

Just realised we filled up Thread 2 without a way to link to this one, can’t see that anyone else has started one?

I did drop back the borrowed boots, go me!

didn’t tackle the umbrella pot/dumping ground though

Had a bit of a hectic week so not achieved much. I've also been making good progress using stuff up, some hair products and 2 notebooks. A sheet with a huge rip in it (?!) and some old pyjamas added to the textile recycling bag.

Waiting for person to collect drawers.

losted a table and chairs on fb too. Someone’s willing to pay full price plus extra for delivery (thanks DH!) and is now quibbling re drop off time. We can hire a van at 3. Then have to get back here to get table in van. They’ve said delivery only possible at 330. We’ve said 4 is likely the earliest. Sigh.

Drawers gone.

@PuttingDownRoots 👏👏 on locating the conservatory floor sounds like a big win. Various bits into the textile recycling. Bathroom installation underway so we will be taking the temporary (ie the ten years since we moved!) plastic drawer unit to the charity shop at some point

Continuing with huge living-room cupboard. Came across two sleeping-bags which I'd forgotten about. Might have wasted money replacing them if I hadn't found them.

Decluttered -
Four large and eight small hand gel bottles.

Another book in charity shop pile.
Empty boxes for recycling
Seeing patterns to a friend

I have decided that each bed only needs spare set of bedding, so going to do that now

@IncessantNameChanger thats what we have. One on the bed. One in the cupboard.

I’ve sorted through the garage today. Binned a load of stuff. Sifted more stuff for charity shop.

The bedding is turning into a pita as I can't find some of the matching pillowcases!

Someone gave us bunk beds years but they also gave us a black bag full of bedding. I should have sorted it as soon as we got it. I don't know now if it ever had matching pillow cases. Annoying!

ememem84 you hired a van to sell furniture? That’s really impressive, I hope you got a lot of money for it.

I have listed some toys and also thrown some rubbish out - I found lots of old plastic bits that had been parts of other toy sets, feathers, stones that used to be special, bits of old paper. I’ve also listed a couple of old branded primary school bags to give away as I don’t think anyone would buy them.

I’ve also been going through the freezer and tonight’s dinner will be a roast with stuffings and pigs in blankets that were frozen at Christmas and maybe sprouts although I’m the only one who eats them.

Dh went food shopping today and bought sprouts, he’s the only one that eats them in this house, bought a big bag!

Out:
2 old biscuit tins
1 old wooden box (don’t know where it came from) - both to a friend who wanted them.
filing cabinet collected

lots of cobwebs and dead flies 🤮 from cleaning the bathroom windows behind the shutters, must do more often!

573+4=574/2023

Got inspired by a you tube video to sort clothes. Fed up of having to see past either stuff I don't want to wear or doesn't fit to decide what I do want to wear. Have kept out stuff for this season that fits and that I feel ( reasonably) good in. Got a carrier bag full of stuff for the charity shop. Rest of stuff in a "time will tell if I really want/need this" box that I will also dip into for more summery stuff when the time comes. Have also hung a few summer dresses I do want to keep for now in another cupboard!
Images are of my current wardrobe and the "time will tell" box! I do have some stuff in drawers and a few things in the wash too!

@stealthninjamum it cost DH £30 to get the electric van for 2 hours. We put on the listing we’d deliver for an additional £50. We really wanted it gone!

we have a really good electric van/car hire scheme here. DH booked a van via app picked it up from wherever it was (app told him) and dropped it back nearest to our house (there’s an electric vehicle drop off at our local community centre). So the network works.

anyway. It’s cleared space. And we’ve made people happy because they now have a table and 4 chairs.

DH also used van while he had it to collect his home from work. So win win.

Good job @ememem84 !

I decluttered nothing but a sheet of old passport photos - 91 items so I doubt I'll get to 2023 this year. We are away for a few days now for half term, but I am looking for an inspiration to get me started next weekend. I think I should tackle a big box I know is in the loft. It has shoes and bags. I know I don't use them - theyve been boxed up at least 3 years now

ememem84 that’s really good value, I assumed hiring a van would be a lot more expensive than that. It sounds like you achieved loads, I hope you had a good evening with your feet up.

I’m about to start going through toys again. I think I might be able to sell some Duplo. A few years ago I sold about half of our Duplo but I kept some back because dp had a friend who had toddlers and they were missing tiny bits. Well I might’ve found the bits so if I get time I’ll check the Duplo.

Chest of drawers collected

575/2023.

Tomorrow is the start of my new job, full time, so doubt I’ll get round to doing much for a while but I have a cushion in the numbers as I’ve done about 3 months worth of the target already.

The kids and DH will demolish the old shed in the halfterm and that can go in the skip.
After that things will slow down I’m sure.

Not managed to read back but posting to keep me going. New hot water bottle so old one gone. Anyone else not know they expire?
Lovely toy to charity shop as we don't use it but it does seem a shame.
I have a handbag and scarf for a wedding I went to that hasn't made its way to charity bag. Might start with handbag as it's one to carry and now I have a toddler I like to have my hands free! Hesitating over this one.

DHs birthday so more ins than outs today!

Outs:
A bobbly Crew sweater dress
4 work jackets
4 pairs of knickers that I keep avoiding in the drawer
A sleeveless shirt
3 pairs of trousers

Sounds ruthless but I've been eyeing some of these things for months

Found lots of covid masks in a drawer. Chuck or keep?

Keep one and bin the rest.

How much do they pay?

I'm not a fan of apps and tech

But I could use someone to give me a task most days, yes. Maybe till I find some habits again? I used to be so organised.

I have crossed quite a few tasks off the general boring list today but still groaning at the thought of washing dishes now, I used to find that therapeutic.

Tomorrow night I'm supermarket shopping after work - rock n roll! Then I've got plans for Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday night. But it would be nice to get domestic habits back in to my life so I don't create chaos in the new place.

my boring jobs have resulted in me realising I am maybe not using my space as well as I could. This is the sort of thing I'd love someone to tell me - but I have realised that I've made some wrong choices re horizontal vs vertical storage, for example.

btw I love that you got rid of an "unused unicorn" 😂

pp said about hot water bottles - I didn't know they had a use by date. I bought mum a new one because hers looks like it will spring several leaks any minute but she isn't using the new one!

Stealth bin her old hot water bottle. That’s what I do with the kids things.

today has been successful. I had a root around in airing cupboard and have put 3 small gym towels in the car for just in case we need them. I have a boot organiser now. <preens> I feel so fancy and put together!

two huge bath sheets have been out in charity bag. DH doesn’t use them and I favour the other ones we have. So they’re going.

also two cushions that we no longer had space for.

a pair of trousers I wore for work last week but they weren’t comfy.

we used up bamboo canes and netting today to cat proof our raised beds for planting. Catface has had a habit of going in there digging and shitting. I really want to use the space for veggies this year!

@ImJustMadAboutSaffron the apps don’t pay a huge amount but it is convenient to have them collected from my house. I have sold hundreds of books this way. I can’t really give an average, some books go for as little as 8p but I once sold a Dr Seuss book for about £2 or £3 which seemed weird because it wasn’t anything special. Ziffit tends to give more but then webuybooks bought some of my old university text books and books related to work that I would feel guilty taking to a charity shop because they would never sell them.

@EmmaEmerald you said give you some tasks so how about

you declutter cleaning products ie bottles of cleaning products, scourers, brushes, rags, shoe polish (if you keep it with your cleaning products), maybe laundry liquids and those annoying balls you put it in (of which I have far too many)

Does that inspire you?