Decluttering Thread 3 - Decluttering on bit at a time

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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

Two makeup bags I never use have gone into the donations bag. Total is 288

@IndianSummer78 thank you xx

I'm going to start more decluttering tomorrow.

Some big things out this week as DH took DD’s old cot and Moses basket stand to a local charity (DD is almost 8 🙈). He offered them her old travel cot as well, but they didn’t need one at the moment (small charity with limited storage space). He also took an old rowing machine to the tip, after getting no interest on FB. It was about 30 years old!

I had found the charity, but he was the one who arranged to drop things off and took stuff there, so I was very grateful. The cot and rowing machine were in the shed, so I think he was motivated by clearing space in there.

I have decluttered precisely one thing this week - a pair of thick black tights that I put on, realised were uncomfortable, and decided to put them in the textile recycling bag rather than keep them ‘just in case’.

I’m counting my items monthly, and the total for Feb was 62 items - about double the total for January!

I've not been on here for a while. Still plodding along mainly with small outs. Bought a new shredder last week so have shredded a small pile of paperwork, as usual I'm waiting for DP to sort his out. Got rid of a few things from our cupboard of doom, we have a travel cot in there which needs to go. DD is 13.
Got a few outgrown items of clothing of DD and I can't decide whether to try and sell them or just charity shop them. We need a new car so could do with all the money we can get but not sure if I can be bothered with the hassle.

ended up having a massive in of a giant toy bunny today coz I am weak 🫥 my daughter has agreed that she'll take it with her when she's much older and leaves home. opened a toy cupboard yesterday overcrowding means they're not all together and saw quite a few bits on could painlessly out so that's good 👍🏽

My slippers went in the bin this morning. DD claimed the massive hole in the sole was "embarrassing".

heartbroken I’m sorry to hear you were sad yesterday, I hope you’re feeling better now.

heart and indiansummer I’m also sorry your families are so awful with presents - hopefully that makes it easier for you to give them away. Since I’ve been doing this I’ve got quite good at giving presents away as soon as they come in - whereas I used to hold onto them for years.

ellieq well done on the baby items, and 62 is a massive achievement.

I have just arranged for ziffit to take away four boxes of books. They’ve been hanging around for ages. Im annoyed with myself as I had scanned in about six piles over the last few months of books and the webuybooks scan has reset itself and they now don’t want the books. It not a big deal it just means I have to take them to charity shops. I love having things picked up from my front door step.

Today there’s just been one out - a used Marks gift voucher and I’ve put some papers in dc’s memory boxes that were lying around in the dining room. I have tried to scan a load of stuff but have possibly put too much in the shredder so I have to attack its blades with a thin screwdriver later to see if I can fix it. I get through so many shredders this way - yet I never learn!

It’s been a while since I last posted.

this week I’ve shifted out:

a handbag
mine of my coats
one of the dcs coats
a water bottle
used up two face masks
a pair of ds’ school trousers
a skirt
calpol syringe
three old toothbrushes

just now jve cleaned out the kids art cart. Spurred on by me opening the understairs cupboard and an entire box of pens falling on me. The dc had helpfully removed the cardboard dividers in said his so the pens were loose.

all pens without lids have been binned.
three colouring books gone
too full up sketch pads
a pot of wax crayons (I hate these - the dc are insistent on doing their art in the tiled floor. Which is also heated…..wax crayons. Nope).

they now have a pot of pencils. A pot of pens (2 of each colour). The rest has been packed up in the garage.

Done a ti trip but everything in it has already been counted.

I've sold 2 items on vinted and am delighted! A handbag and a jacket. My first sales.

Just sold another item, a dress. V nice. Just packaging them all up. Also binned some old strepsils which were out of date. 260 items now and £25 gained.

Haven’t gone back to attic today I’m feeling sick ,and the charity shop hasn’t happened but 4 new dog related items were listed on Olio and should go tomorrow . Then listing more . I’ve gotten a bunch of clothes out of my bedroom though and earmarking some decorative items from the attic I don’t think I want to keep anymore also some flip flops might go I’ll need to have a look at them . I’m feeling good about getting around to removing the clothes and bathrobes . They’ve been there for ages untouched now and most are well used so they can definitely go .

Out:
-3 old bathrobes and an extra belt
-2 old tank tops
-2 old long sleeved shirts
-3 old knitted trousers
-2 old cardigans
-2 old skirts
-1 old pair of sweatpants
-2 new pairs of sweatpants to charity
-1 hand cream from my stash finished
-1 broken box lid

Box of dinosaurs gone to nephew.
DD couldn't let it go without rescuing one.

Well done on the sales pigtails

Yes stealthninja I happily give away all the present that's unsuitable. I just thank the giver then donate!

Donated today:

• skillet
• ladle
• 2 vegetables spoons
• 2 wooden spoons
• grill tray for oven
• handle for grill tray
• funnel

Total is 297

Have now organised the charity stuff and it’s ready to go in two boxes I’ll work on filling the third this week .
A few more items I’ve decided on now :
-5 pairs of flip flops
-1 table lamp probably on Olio
-1 old dog sniff mat
-2 metal lanterns
-2 metal buckets
-1 chicken wooden ornament
-1 new hand bag
-2 new card holders to sell

Thinking about unboxing rest of my new shoes into the plastic shoeboxes I have left some more of in the attic although storing them in the wardrobes then will take a bit more room . It’ll look neater , I’ll declutter lots of cardboard shoeboxes into recycling maybe 15 or so and I’ll get the empty plastic shoeboxes out of the attic . I guess I’ll have to ask for DH to carry the big box of them down …

I did my shoes last night and got rid of a lot of boxes and a few pairs of shoes .

Out :
-12 shoeboxes
-1 giant cardboard box all to recycling
-2 pairs of new too small shoes in 2 boxes
to sell
-1 pair of old shoes
-1 old dog toy
-2 pairs of old pants to rags

Not managed much this weekend. A toothpaste no one likes and a height chart we don't use. Hoping to do a bit this week but have definitely slowed down. Some bits need a bit of research about best way to get rid which definitely makes me stall

2 pairs of old cheap flipflops
1 outgrown school pinafore dress
1 pair of DD1's pants which have mysteriously developed half a dozen holes in 3 different places
Appointment letter for minor surgery DP had in 2018 (I made an executive decision to shred this because if I'd asked him first he would have wanted to keep it )
5 random bits of paper, old hairbands, broken fidget toy etc

245/2023

Going into the donations bag today is a bedding set of duvet cover and two pillow cases. Total is 299.

Something I just heard on YouTube. Clutter leads to the purchasing of more clutter. This rang true for me. All the furniture I had to obtain to store it in for a start. That's not the end of the world though. What is a problem, is those pet supplies sitting in a small cupboard, belonging to a pet long gone. These items don't expire so I've kept them just in case. Now every time I see them I find myself thinking I should buy another pet so I can use them up. I'd like another pet, but the reason I didn't replace the last one upon its demise was because lack of time made it very difficult to carry out the necessary care and I ideally didn't want to do that any more. Nothing has changed there so getting another pet would be madness. Not only that, I also have nowhere to keep the pet, so I'd have to purchase a home for it. I have no space for that! Which in turn makes me feel guilty about my cluttered home. I've realised that small amount of pet stuff isn't sitting there quite so innocently any more, it's making me feel bad. This week's mission is to get rid of it.

One coat in donation bag
Unused phone case that doesn't fit any phone we have

Random screwed up envelopes

Plus instruction manuals for things in previous houses like the shower...

Some big outs mentally today, leaflets from when I was diagnosed and having my treatment and notes I or DP made at appointments. I don't think it's necessary to keep it all now. I have letters from the doctors and kept some leaflets.
Decided to try selling on Vinted first, so have been getting stuff posted. If no luck then charity shop.

Vinorosso84 that sounds like a huge step to get rid of your notes and leaflets. You’re such a strong woman.

I haven’t been doing any actual new decluttering as I am still shredding my old papers and I found a ‘prefect’ and ‘librarian’ badge that went into dds memory boxes as well as some certificates. They’ve been lying around on the postage table and in the dining room. I have been listening to podcasts in the last week - firstly boring ones on pensions and stuff - but also decluttering like A Slob Comes Clean. Dana sounds like such a nice, relatable person. I think clutterbug also do podcasts so I’ll listen to some of them next.

Obviously that should have been vinorosso74

Haha wish I was an '84 baby!
I've gone through them a few times and like I say everything relevant is in letters, leaflets are available online and from the wonderful Macmillan pod at the hospital.
Looking for more stuff to try and sell to raise funds for the car fund.