Decluttering thread 4 - progress rather than perfection

[Pigtailsandall]

Thread 3 got filled up so decided to start a new one - hope everyone can find it!!

nordicmom my stbexh lived in a pit too but as we were buying bigger houses I assumed he’d find a place for his clutter but he just filled the whole space and to be honest it was a relief when he left. About a year ago I started packing his stuff and now have ten boxes of crap including all his books, arts and crafts done in primary school etc. That’s not including his study which I never go in and is so rammed you can’t see the carpet. Meanwhile I’m in a 6/ 7 bedroom house doing all the painting and maintenance thinking we probably won’t get a good price if we sell it now and it’s a bit scruffy. My current project is I’ve been getting tree surgeons to quote as we have some poorly trees that need to come down. That’ll make my life easier as I spend much of the autumn sweeping up leaves. You do need a cleaner. After years resisting I now have one for four hours a week. She doesn’t do all the rooms so you could get one who doesn’t do bedrooms but does all the things I think about doing and never get round to.

I haven’t been here for a while as much of my decluttering is maintenance - so chucking / recycling/ selling stuff as I go about my normal business.

However in the last week I have disposed of a food processor that I never use, a child’s chair,, two scarves and about 25 craft sets/ bits of crafts.

My total is 513. I doubt if I’ll reach 2023 but I am really optimistic that this is the year I ‘finish’ decluttering - I have been saying that for about the past 5 years but I think I’m nearly there now.

I just dropped off 4 vinted packages - a small toy, a top, a dress and a necklace. I enjoy selling stuff, and I think for my slightly addictive personality it gives me a similar buzz to buying.

I tend to sell seasonal stuff, so I wouldn't bother much with jumpers etc atm. I also review what I have listed frequently and after about teo weeks I reduce the price somewhat. After a month I take it down and haul to charity shop, or if it is an expensive piece, maybe reduce further. I started selling stuff about 2 months ago and have made just over £100. Majority has been £4-5 items, but I did sell a dress for £18 and a jacket for £12.

If I had loads of things I probably wouldn't go down the selling route, but my life is pretty much maintenance decluttering now, and maybe trying to reduce my wardrobe a tiny bit.

874 items down now

Pigtails when my health was better and my finances worse, I used to sell too and found I got the buzz as you describe. I'm jaded from it now though, was selling for 20yrs

Stealth Ninja it's such a relief not to be picking up after them any more isn't it

I wasn't saying your husband is awful Nordic, sorry I didn't mean it that way 😔. My ex was the pits and it was an abusive relationship so I'm well rid. Just that I realize how hard it is when you have different opinions of what constitutes clean and tidy. The one with the higher standards always ends up doing more. I know what you mean about not wanting a stranger roaming the house, I'd feel weird too and like I had to join in with the cleaning! But with a big house and a disability I'd get a cleaner, even just for an hour weekly. Figure out what things you wouldn't mind them doing. They'll probably get a lot more done in an hour than you would. Then you've more time for decluttering

Today is not going well. I've done none of the things I should have done. My to-do list is massive for today and I have a headache. Feeling fed up of the hamster wheel of life

We've never had much money so it's quite disheartening seeing how much money I've wasted over the years on clothes/shoes/dvds/books

Also, this. Same here PissedOff. It's making me tackle my shopping addiction

Out went 3 pipettes and one bobbled jumper. Total is 645

A few bits out while I plan more decluttering but haven’t actually managed to get on with it yet . DD will go on a school trip next week though so then I’ll have more time if not energy . Thinking about doing the rest of the two food cupboards , also about going back to the attic .
-2 DD small crop tops
-3 beauty samples
-1 book of mine I don’t want to read more of
-1 broken handheld shower cord from the kids bathroom although this will be replaced
-1 old bottle of kids medicine

I have had quite a few friends and relatives over to stay for each night of the long weekend and I have to say it was a LOT easier to get ready for this since joining you all in the slow declutter. Noticeably less stuff meant a quick floor clean, tidy of the living room, and cleaning the main bathroom was all that was really needed. My kitchen could have been cleaner but this is still a bit of a problem area with clutter. It was just nice to notice that things have become somewhat easier even if I'm still not quite where I would like to be!

I'm getting a bit better with what kinds of things to put on the local free site, what will go and what just needs to be donated. I'm finding it's annoying to coordinate handovers, so I'm mostly just putting stuff on there if it's too bulky to easily take anywhere else or momentarily before I just chuck it in the donate bag. This is working well!

Latest surprise is some pinboards and white boards. Snapped up immediately! One person is annoying me because she seems to just want everything instantly and I kind of feel like FFS give somebody else a go lol. However really she is still doing me a favour by taking stuff so I shouldn't really complain!

That’s the dream @LivingDeadGirlUK 👏

That annoys me too @BertieBotts, particularly when you are pretty sure they are selling them on!! But yes i have to just accept it too.

The funny thing is I'm the bloody admin of the group!! So I could have a word with her but I'm too chicken 😆

I think actually I gathered that she has family in Africa and she goes over once a year and donates a load of stuff to nearby families that have very little, so it's a worthy cause and honestly if any other charity was willing to pick stuff up from my house I'd definitely use them. It's just that for me there's a sort of hierarchy of what I'd rather do (which is insane really and I should get over it)

Sell for £££
Give for free/little money to someone I know
Sell for less/with a little more hassle
Give for free to someone I don't know
Give to charity
Recycle

Oh, I’m the same! Reuse better than recycle.

Give to charity comes higher up for me, but charity shops around here don’t take most things.

I do think my obsessive reuse/recycle gets in the way of decluttering though, as I’m reluctant to get rid of things if I can’t find a home for it 🤦‍♀️

Did better when we moved house, so maybe I need to set myself a similar deadline…

I've made a really conscious effort to try and use up items, even of they are not my favourites. Husband enjoys a cooking challenge, so when I find food close to the expiry date I task him with finding a recipe. I'm really working through my toiletries since I have a bit of an issue with over buying skincare stuff. Just finished a body scrub that I didn't particularly love, but it felt good to get some use from it

Love this. Will do a bit of a kitchen blitz later today, will get some bits used up and the toddler will enjoy it I think!

I'm a firm believer in using things up. Finished a sample shampoo and conditioner yesterday.
I used to have loads of sample sized toiletries and fancier stuff. I still have some skincare and perfume samples which I'm slowly getting through.

DD also tidied her room yesterday and got rid of some stuff.

Yes I have gone from two folding crates of toiletries to two shoeboxes. Problem developed when I worked away a lot and collected lots of samples I didn't use plus ended up buying extras to replace forgotten items. Now the only real problem area is eyeshadow, the rest is mostly one in one out. It has been very satisfying to use them up.

I have several vacuum bags of clothes under my bed that I need to go through. Procrastinating.

Any tips for dealing with things like jewellery? I've got some bits and pieces passed on from family that I've managed to gather together into one box. There's also random things like Christening presents - from my Christening so decades ago.

There are a few bits I want to keep but most of it doesn't mean anything to me, it's just got dumped on me.

trying to clean the whole house today nothing expect recycling/rubbish out yet. hopefully soon

Going well with Olio! Stuff I thought no one could possibly want has gone quite quickly.

Riding it's surprising isn't it. I went back to selling for a year during lockdown, advertised absolutely everything I didn't want and was surprised at what sold and what didn't. I think all the shops being shut helped! Jewellery you can either give to charity shop or if it's gold/silver the cash-for-gold places will take it even if it's broken or odd earrings etc.

Today sees a piece of artwork moved from fridge to bin, to make room for another. Also two more pairs of too-small jeans discovered and moved to the donations bag. Total is 648

Well, you guys inspired me and I listed a few items on eBay and one sold immediately! So maybe I won’t give up just yet!