Decluttering and cost of living?

[heartbroken22]

I have fallen into this trap of not decluttering because I may need it and things are getting expensive. Can someone give me any advice?

Do you mean Advice on how to de clutter?
I’m aiming to start, this suggests just 5 mins at a time, so you don’t get overwhelmed, and to get rid of one item per day.
If I’d started in June, when I first started thinking about it, I’d have removed 127 items by now -254 if DH had done it too!

www.becomingminimalist.com/creative-ways-to-declutter/

I’m very much a ‘I may need it one day’ type of person too but I’ve had to sort DGM & DF homes in the last 3 years and I’m determined my DC won’t have to do it on the same scale with my home. I guess the difficulty is taken items out of the home and making sure you don’t bring things back in!

I think it is better to have less stuff well organised and regularly used.

If you have heaps of unused stuff you have an overhead in mental load, cleaning, insurance, storage and quite possibly cost of buying it again because you can’t find the one you’ve got. By the time you might need the thing it will probably be out of date, not fit, be mouldy or yellow or unfashionable. You could probably replace it at a charity shop, on Ebay etc for not much.

I also have had to deal with mountains of parents stuff and would not wish it on anyone. Try listening to a few of The Declutterhub podcasts. Eg No 200 - Five ways decluttering saves you money.
this one

What sort of things are you meaning? If it's duplicates of things then I would put like items together and choose one to wear out or use up first (e.g. five half done puzzle books - finish one and then you can recycle it).

Or think of the scenario which would have to happen for you to use the item again and then how realistically that is going to happen. Like, if you have a hamster cage - how likely are you to get another pet? That might make it easier to start decluttering without impacting on your financial well-being.

Yes, I was like this. Keeping things incase I needed to sell things. I did get rid of loads of stuff, which has helped.

I gave most of it away. The clutter was overwhelming and I'd never have got around to selling it.

What sort of things are you thinking of decluttering?

I find organising things and grouping the same items together helps. So all my cleaning stuff is together, I didnt have to buy any for months as I was going through the excess. This year I didnt buy suncream as I gathered it all from various places and used it up (still got more!!) Ditto cellotape I havent bought any since I sorted about a year ago, I had so many in various places!

I have a bookcase in my lounge with plastic boxes on, one for sticky things (tape, bluetack etc), measuring and fixing (tape measures, multi screwdriver, command hooks), cat stuff, etc. Under the sink has boxes of different things. In the loft is a birthday box (candles, paper plates, banners, wrapping paper, cards)

I've saved money this year just using up what I have as it's grouped together and getting used rather than me buying new as I cant find the old ones.

As soon as dds outgrow things I get rid. Straight to charity shop or on facebook marketplace.

Be realistic how many of a thing you really need, I decluttered the bedding we had at least 6/7 sets for each bed. That's way too many, we now have 3 per bed (one on, one washed and a spare Incase of illness) Cups and glasses, we don't need loads as we wash up every day and don't have huge parties (if I did I would use paper cups!)

I was like that for years, but it's true that less is more.

I would start with whatever would make most difference - eg the kitchen because then cooking and cleaning up would be easier. Or clothes because you could easily put away clothes and get out what you need. Or books you will almost certainly not pick up again in the next five years.

We have one set of bedlinen on each bed and another set ready to use. Same with towels. I've had the rest stored for too long - I haven't needed it, it needs to go. But it's out of the way in case, and it's been so much better no having piles of never to be used towels and sheets.

Sort out your biggest storage areas first e.g. paid-for storage containers, loft, garage, large walk in cupboards etc. that way you clear the way for more stuff to be stored that you truly want to keep, but out of everyday circulation.

Then sort your next-biggest spaces like your kitchen cupboards, shoe racks, sideboard, bookcases and wardrobes. Store what you want to keep in your newly-created space.

Lastly sure your small spaces… bedside tables, jewellery boxes, desk storage, bathroom cabinet.

Keep ornaments to a minimum and never put anything on the floor that can go somewhere else.

Invest in a few things to make your life easier. If you’re 40 or probably is worth getting large clear plastic boxes for your Christmas decorations.

At all times keep several bags on the go:

Bin
Recycling
Charity
Give-away
Sell

Decluttering is a constant task - I aim to get things out of the house asap and for me that means giving things away for free. I drop outgrown school uniform to the school as they pass it on regularly at a uniform sale which is just donations, I hand down to friends with younger children, rag holey clothes and have a bag/box in the boot for charity shop donations.

For me, the peace of mind of having a clearer house is better than the potential money made. I do sell things that i think I will get more than £10 per item for.

I also sorted so that I can always fine what I need, we have SO many pens for example as I agree, I don't want to get rid of something I might potentially need.

Just make a start somewhere, it gets addictive! Some weeks I try to get something out of the house every day.

I am in the processing of getting a deceased elderly relative's house ready for sale. It's a big house with garage and sheds so lots of storage space. Yesterday I piled up 11 ironing boards, 12 irons and 22 assorted hair dryers/hair straighteners/curling tongs etc..
This was just from the garage. It will take months to do it all! She grew up during WW2 and had the mindset that nothing should ever be got rid of. There are boxes of old curtains in the shed - every curtain she every had since she bought her first house!

I went home determined that my children will not have a task of this magnitude when they are clearing our house!

@BadgerLovesMash do be careful with the sun cream. Most brand expire 12 months after opening so may not offer the protection you think. There will be an indication on the back of the bottle, a little open jar with numbers in, to indicate how long it can be safely used once opened. Eg this one expires 12 months after opening.

Sun creams don't truly expire, they just get less likely to provide the stated SPF after the BBF date.
To get the advertised SPF you have to apply thickly & often, which most people don't do anyway. Since people aren't using them as directed, why start treating the BBF date as only important instruction to follow?

OP: give examples of the 'expensive' but unused things you are struggling to declutter?

I have decluttered before. But the thing which saved me the most money was getting into a minimalist mindset (see Joshua Becker and the Minimal Mom on youtube for encouragement).

I sold loads of stuff (over 1200 euros worth in 8 months) but most importantly I stopped buying things. I stopped buying loads of next size up clothes for the Dc in the sales only to discover their body shape changed or that I had boughttoo many tshirts or trousers. I stopped buying happy meals (pointless toys) and party bag stuff /stocking fillers etc. I thought about any purchases much longer.

Like PP, i decided to use up everything before buying a new one. I had loads of cosmetics and toiletries for example.

I decluttered about 40% of our stuff and haven't regretted anything.

I'm finding with food I tend to buy an average amount rather than stock up like before and there's less food waste. We tend to eat everything up but things could still improve.

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I had an old digital camera, an ipad pencil, couple of ‘ascot’ type dresses and a cashmere cardigan. Made nearly £500 although EBay will have taken its cut.

Now I’m in the swing of selling,I’ve got several old phones. No idea of their passwords etc so how do I get rid of them?

Start small, one drawer or cupboard at a time. And bin or Freecycle what is going out, don’t leave it around or you’ll put it away again

I'm not sure on phones but if you want to avoid fees next time. Try vinted no fees to pay and I've done pretty well on there.