I’m doing the 31 Day declutter challenge

[Sallygoroundtheroses]

I’ve done it before but not for a while. Despite a huge effort to declutter last year, the house is looking a bit chaotic again. So 1 item on day 1, 2 on day 2 etc.

I’m off to find an item…

24 books out 14 for chairty, 5 for a friend and 5 in recycling as too damaged for charity

I sold my first thing on vinted! That's exciting! And when going through a cupboard for charity I found some jeans, still with the label on, that I didn't know I had. I have an inkling they might have been too tight, so I'm going to try then on later, and if they still don't fit hopefully they'll make some money on ebay!
I've caught up from the weekend when I was away so couldn't do any by taking lots of clothes to charity, and have 12 left to find for today.

I’ve managed to sell 35 things on Vinted so far, one thing given away on Marketplace, an old broken bedside table to the tip and returned some crutches to a medical recycling place - been meaning to do it for about 6 months.

I’ve been wiped out with the lurgy that’s going round so don’t know how much I’m going to be able to do this week. I’ve got two big bags to photo and put onto Vinted, plus a couple of things to list free on Marketplace.

Going to need to do a big toy declutter this year and trying to consciously not buy things, online shopping is my downfall.

I haven't really done much today, totally forgot. I did give a facial oil to DM and some paperwork back to her that had been languishing in my kitchen for yonks.

I've listed some stuff on Olio, but that was previously listed on FB/vinted and not sold. Might just charity shop it tomorrow, I want it gone!

The things I listed just now are being collected tomorriw, all apart from 1 item. That's a win! They were already counted but still.

I'm doing facebook/vinted, then Olio then charity. If I can be bothered.

another 13 books and 2 items sold total 197 items so a wee bit ahead

I've just done the coat / hat / glove / scarf / shoe cupboard. Felt good!

I've lost track of my numbers and think I'm probably a bit behind but I'm going to carry on from tomorrow anyway rather than letting myself get downcast and giving up altogether. Trying to avoid the "perfect is the enemy of good" trap!

2 change mats, a potty, a boomerang, and 27 items from the hand me down clothes gone (we get them from a few people so there were over 40 T-shirts in age 5-6! Have kept 21 for now but will whittle them down further when we get to that size and I know whether he’s into Lego ninjago/Pokémon/avengers etc.) Am on 232 items now. Everything for the charity shop has gone, have a few bits we are trying to sell and a bag for the rag bin at the supermarket.

However 8 items did enter the building today as bought ds a coat in the next size up for £2.50 and there was free uniform in the playground at school today so got a few bits ready for him to start in September and some for dd in the next size up.

This is my third wave of decluttering in the past year and it’s the first time I feel like it’s making a difference. Some of that is just natural progression of the kids outgrowing stuff but I think also when you go through the process a few times you realise that the same stuff has question marks over it each time and that makes it easier to let it go. I’m also using up toiletries etc, had a perfume I liked but was too strong on me so put that in the bathroom and people use it as air freshener, am finishing off cleaning products. I need to pause some subscriptions to stop a new wave of stuff coming in before this lot is gone!

Yesterday - Nothing

Today - half the contents of a crate, some in the bin (old free CD, old plastic wallet, unrecyclable cards, etc etc), some in the recycling - a load of paper, Christmas cards from 2012 😯, instructions for things we no longer have, old school stuff practice exam papers etc etc. Not sure how to count - was on 194, so will round up to 230 (although would be more if counted individual items).

230/500 Half-way line in sight.

For the first time since Jan 1 st I’ve not had time to do any items decluttering so I’ve unsubscribed and deleted over 17 things from my phone. Hopefully back to physical items
tomorrow .

Ooh I've done another crate (making up for previous days).
9 very old card folders, 6 old plastic pockets, 3 outdated manuals, more outdated instructions x 2, over-used file dividers (3) so 23 more, was 230, now 253 / 500.

Right then, had to miss the last three days as was insanely busy. Caught up today by sending 14 books to the charity shop, photographing and listing 13 more books to sell (I'm counting them as they will just go to charity if they don't sell), chucked an old puzzle book and sent an old pair of jeans to the clothes bank.

I'm up to 195/310 so far and feel quite pleased with progress!

I have had a craft gin club subscription for a while, recently cancelled to save money.
Today I got rid of 12 of the little bottles of half used gin syrups!
Also some out of date garnishes and some random drawer crap.

I'm well over my target but not stopping. The date is a minimum amount but if I have to skip a day or two I think I've got enough banked at 570+ so far...

I'm on 162/153 and it wasn't even a proper declutter, I just wandered round the house with a critical eye. More to go tomorrow. I wonder how long until I'm on first-name terms with the charity shop peeps 😂

Such an inspiring thread!

I’m trying to find the motivation to declutter decorations; Easter/Christmas etc.

I fell into the Instagram trap of having to decorate for each season!

I dudnt get any done today, long day at work. I did though have a bag of stuff collected by an Olio user, and arranged 3 more to be collected Friday. Actually, those were 3 new things so I'll count those!

215/496

A busy week so not been posting much, but slowly chipping away at the decluttering. Up to 155/310 and have some ideas for the next lot of stuff to tackle. V impressed with the progress everyone is making!

Catching up.

day 14: tiered bedside drawer
6 batteries recycled that had been left in the drawer
5 unwanted items from said drawer, now in the bin
1 unwanted, nearly new board game set aside to give away
1 decorate box, kept for at least 10yr a and not used, in the bin
1 big tub of bath toys in the bin

114/496

hope to do another area of sorting and tidying this evening after work.

Plateaued at 250/500. I'm going to be back on it today! 💪

Box of 35 baby items identified to go. Listed on vinted/olio so not actually gone yet but will charity shop it if it doesn’t go by the end of the month. Total up to 268. That’s the last of the obvious stuff so the next 230 odd items is going to be harder!

We still have an office and basement full but aside from 3 boxes of kids clothes for them to grow into, a box of books that are too old for the younger two, a box of playmobil boxes (they still play with the playmobil), some bikes/scooters for the younger two to grow into, the carrycot and car seat that go with the pushchair I’m still using and our camping stuff and suitcases it’s all dp’s stuff! So many tools and bits of wood and car maintenance stuff. And old trophy’s and dvds and cds. So not mine to declutter but I’m hoping he will follow my example one day…

Recycled:

5 bottles of shampoo/conditioner that were duplicates I could decant

Donated:

1 bottle self tanner than doesn’t work for me
1 bottle hair treatment, as above

2 children’s pool toys

Sparkly pink top
Canvas butchers bag
2 x puzzles

Rubbished;
Pair of ripped tights

104/1000

Half a distance learning course I did in 2003 = big pile of paperwork into recycling.
(Unfortunately started reading it and have kept the other half to have a look at....)
Going to count as 3 (I seem to have invented a unit of de-cluttering measurement in my own mind 🙂) so now 256/500.

Posted some thank you cards today and also sent some outgrown board books in my native language to a fellow "expat". Took a high risk approach of removing several items from DS1's room and binning them... So far he hasn't noticed!

180/171 now