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!!

Totally get it @heartbroken22 - sometimes I take things to help my folks get rid of them. Sometimes a gift can be a burden. My DM isn’t the kind of hoarder you hear about, because she doesn’t buy much at all, and her house isn’t overflowing but she keep old and broken things and is hugely sentimentally attached to all kinds of junk. It’s been a very careful thing for me, and it sounds the same for you. We have to balance support and our own burdens.

Agree with @RidingMyBike - secondhand or 70% sale on better quality things is definitely worth it. Although don’t discount some of the supermarket brands - nutmeg pyjamas are excellent for example!

Well done @Pigtailsandall - inspiringly ruthless! 😁

♻️ Gathered up all the catalogues hanging around, so that's another 5 things out.
♻️ One to-do list that's finally completed is being recycled.
♻️ One pair of sun faded jeans (faded unevenly from being left out for months somewhere unsuitable) is going.
♻️ Three too small blouses out too.

Total is 555

I've got lots of stuff ready to go, but its not actually left the house. Here's to a productive weekend ladies (and gents).

Wow you guys are so productive!

Can anyone send me their inspirations for a quick method to get going again. I feel like I have stalled.

I also feel like I’m nesting a bit getting stuff for the baby, which is probably ok, I’m not going mad but just bits and pieces add up!

Grab five things out of place every time you leave a room. So cup, tissue, kids toy, paper and pen from coffee table and go put in the sink, bin when go make a drink. But for every room. Make a mental note as you go of a problem area. Set your phone for 15 minutes then tackle that little area. Next day try to find ten things to bin. Just try a few methods and see which ones you like.

When I get stuck, I sort the dc clothes out. They are always outgrowing something!

Realfastfoodie I actually hate decluttering, it makes my head hurt. If I'm stuck I'll just pick something, anything. Pick it up and hold it. Decide what to do with it. Take it to wherever it's meant to be whether that's donation pile, it's designated home or creating a designated home for it. So if I don't do anything else at least I've done that one thing. Once I start it's usually easier to carry on though. The only place I leave a pile of things is on the top/bottom stair and I never go up/down empty handed

Today I've done something amazing. I'm letting go of two baby blankets. They're just sitting there in a box, unused, while things that need a box hang around in piles without a home. Also out this morning is a dress that's too tight and a monstrosity of a pink shiny blazer that had me wondering what I was thinking what I bought it. Total is 559

@Realfastfoodie how do you normally dispose of your decluttered items? On a sunny day I take a box and fill it up with items to put by the roadside - and my goal is to just fill that box.

Our local charity shop is close to a nice cafe, so sometimes I pick up a bag for life, fill that with donate-able items and then go for a nice coffee.

Or you could take a rubbish bag and just look for rubbish and stuff to chuck out, including recycling. Sometimes what work for me is picking up a container to fill and going around the house with that.

Today I sold 2 more Vinted items - they had been on the site for months so I was surprised they sold. Also returned a bag of toys to a friend which I'm counting as 1 thing.

Total is 1012 items

It's been a good day today! My partner has been to the tip with 2 large old broken garden toys and other bits from the garden, two huge cardboard boxes and an old mattress.

I've gifted an ironing board and some of my sons outgrown school shorts on our local free site.

Plus I've chucked a broken bra.

I find Vinted can be a slow burn, I have stuff listed from months and months ago that will suddenly sell, I very much upload and leave.

Thanks so much everyone. Something more bite size to get started with. Ok - I like these tips thank you.

• Rubbish bag to fill with rubbish/recycling
• Find one bag for charity - just fill one bag
• Box out of the front of the house - just fill one box
• Just find one thing today
• 15 minute tidy/sort/declutter one area
• sort kids clothes
• find 5 things and sort into the right place in your house or put into the donate pile.

Thank you, I will try a few as suggested and see which “spark decluttering” 😉

Oh, I also threw away half a bottle of home made Limoncello, I made it in 2015 and it smelled INCREDIBLY potent as I tipped it down the sink :P

Another 24 items of clothing sold on eBay this week. Total now 519.

Hopefully I should soon be able to do a bigger clear out of my older clothes as I've finally got the spare room decorated. This means I can get all the spare clothes out of the various bin bags and vac packs and try to make decisions!

Well done @PissedOffNeighbour22 , @LivingDeadGirlUK and @Pigtailsandall ! Lots of impressive work, and 24 items on eBay is seriously good.

2 empty cardboard boxes and 5 items of clothing gone. Total is 566

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I tried a combination of the “just find one thing that needs to go” and “find one problem shelf and sort it” and it’s really worked today.

57 medicines and first aid cupboard clear out
2 big bags of soft plastic recycling actually taken to the drop off
2 return to sender including 1 parcel

That brings me to:

79 total for June
358 total

2 items sold on Vinted, I'm going into town tomorrow for the Dr's so putting together a bag for the charity shop.

Well done @Realfastfoodie sometimes you just need something to get you out of the funk!
@LivingDeadGirlUK what do you find sells on Vinted? I just sold a Boden kids coat and I think I proved it too low at tenner as it sold immediately. At leat it's gone and contributed to my numbers - 1014 after I also binned a handful of broken pegs, counted as one lot.

3 things sold on Ebay
1 thing gone on Olio

I'm aiming for 4-5 gone per weekend.

I've sold a bit of Boden and Frugi on vinted, usually get a few offers and sell within a day or so for slightly less than listed.

Today I threw away 8 red lipsticks, I've kept one. I never wear red so even the one is sort of pointless.

Listed some big baby stuff on Marketplace but no interest yet!

795 so far this year.

Very slow going here, as always, but today I have put one of my t-shirts and an old throw (from my mum’s house) in the charity bag. Bought DD some new socks yesterday as she pointed out some of her socks are wearing through at the toes, so I’ll go through the old ones tonight.

I’m also trying to find a charity that will take the baby blankets and cot sheets I sorted out several weeks ago, which have been sitting in a bag in the corner of our bedroom since then.

Thanks @Pigtailsandall!

I’ve just had a massive success and sold a bath which is going to be replaced, but I’m going to count it in my numbers anyway as I feel very happy to have sold it rather than given it away or worse binned it 😁

@EllieQ - I suggest googling “baby bank” and your local area, if not then try the local food banks as many do distribute baby supplies too!

Ellie try advertising them as a job lot for £10. I've bought baby blankets this way before

Well done RealFastFoodie on getting over the slump. I honestly hate decluttering it makes my heart sink sometimes but I look around and mentally allocate one drawer or box to be the next area to pass through and slowly psych myself up to it.

I'm getting so ruthless with my wardrobe too. Anything that I put on that isn't instantly and completely comfortable is put in the wash at the end of the day mentally earmarked for decluttering when it's dry

I've got rid of two coats that are slightly too small, which I kept in the last pass over the hallway. Decided I was being ridiculous, just because they suit a certain outfit. I have plenty of others and I'm sure one of them would also suit and actually fit me properly. I still have other coats to declutter elsewhere but I'm not ready to tackle those yet

Two too small babygrows and a top of mine that I looked at and thought I must have been drunk when I bought it, it's hideous

I refuse to feel guilty about the money wasted on all this barely worn stuff but it is stopping me in my tracks when I purchase things. I'm considering now will it still fit if I gain a little weight, will I still want it in my home in 10yrs time etc. Before I'd buy absolutely anything I wanted on a whim without much thought

Total is 571