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!!

I'm not going to do it with a pen, there is folders and folders of this stuff.

I'll figure something out!

Got nothing done today as DS2 has been home ill. Just did loads of washing.

I’d just put them in a bucket if hot soapy water for a few hours and give them a swish round

@BertieBotts I have a cocker spaniel you can borrow, he loves shredding stuff...

If you have lots, I'm pretty sure Rymans offer a shredding service where they collect and shred it for you. Not sure how much £ but could be worth a look into.

I'd probably buy a secondhand shredder to add to my clutter problem and resell afterwards.

3 magazines gone to recycling. Total is 387

Five things sold on Vinted but unfortunatlh five things bought on Vinted! Got a pile of brand new teenager jeans to sell which I might do tonight. I have someone coming from socail services tomorrow morning to see if they help me with a free decluttering service. I am feeling overwhelmed because now the kids are sorted it looks like mum might have dementia. I have asked dsis if she will broach poa as a two prong attack but dsis is saying mum is still sharp ( it seems the nhs disagree). I guess I need to see mum, ask about poa myself then let all this stress go. Put myself first for a change. I do seem to be drawn to stress and drama but it's valid when it's your child. My mum might appreciate me trying to save her.

So
In =5
Out =5
Not a great fresh start really.

@BertieBotts I think a shredder might be a good investment. If you get a lot of paper coming through it might be worth it. They're also not very expensive. Or you could rent one/get one free from freecycle and later pass it on again? I take mine to the office at regular intervals.

I still have 4 sentimental boxes to work through but I'll wait until I'm on leave; our loft isn't too bad right now do they can wait. I'm pretty much in the "maintenance declutter" stage, but still keen to see if I can get rid of 2023 items this year. My husband has a lot of old stuff too - if I can get him onboard we can definitely get there. This weekend:

Plastic casing thing for my office chair - no idea what it was meant to do
Tarnished ring
A short story (very cringe) which I wrote at 15!
Ragged microfiber cloth
Plastic container
2 sheet masks donated
6 broken small plastic toys
Recycled a chipped glass
Pair of kids trousers sold on vinted

Two books donated today. I've also cleared a load of rubbish out the living room ready for the decorating to commence tomorrow. Very excited about having a nice new space and hope we can keep it tidy!

No it's not new stuff, it's all old. We get all bank statements electronically now so I don't think we need to keep all the old ones from 2013. Thanks though for the ideas. I will figure something out.

I have a pile of teens jeans to list on Vinted today. Clear the sofas of clutter too. That's my jobs for the morning

Hope you sort out the shredding Bertie.

A few bits done here, completed sticker book, a broken toy, couple of things OH identified that he didn't want. Finally sorted sending old stamps off to get the bar coded ones. Wish the house looked better for my chipping away.

6 things which were trash really have gone from my craft supplies tonight. Total is 393

In = 5
Out = 19

Sold a coat on vinted and a bag of clothes to rag at the tip

Deleted lots of photos on my phone , and have put aside a few items I’ve come across plus reminded DH to list the 3 spare home edit containers on Olio. Fridge will be decluttered since our Ocado delivery is coming . DH is hopefully selling / giving away some sports equipment to a friend at work so I’m earmarking that . DD used up a craft since they’re back from MIL . I will try to encourage her to do some more during the holidays and not just be on the screens before our trip in a week .

Out :
-a small pile of newspapers and magazines to recycling
-old food from the fridge
-1 DD unused school sports top to the second hand uniform sale
-1DD craft kit used up
-1 old electric toothbrush and it’s charger to the collection at the dump
-a piece of DH water sports equipment earmarked to go
-1 stained lampshade to dump

Bought new shoes last week. Was going to add the box to my shoebox stash when I realised... I really don't need another empty shoebox.

So I recycled it!!

(Collecting shoeboxes is a habit for sending BFPO parcels (to friends serving in the current "warzones"))

A few more items tonight ;
-1 DD school atlas to charity
-1 DD finished activity book
-1 DD book she’s not keen on to charity
-a pile of her magazines
-1 nearly finished dot to dot book , both earmarked to go to recycling after this week ,I’ve given her until Monday since she’s got a habit of just collecting things in her shelf or starting yet another book etc ( at least she’s very nearly finished a school library book that can then go bank next term )

And since DH will tomorrow go off to do some water-sports for half a day at the same place where his old little sailing boat is he needs to deal with I will go ahead and earmark it now to sell so I’ll remember to keep on saying to him about it ! He has sold several before it’s just a matter of getting around to it which he is sometimes so hopeless at !

Hello, I'm going to join too! I'm living in a cluttered mess. I've filled 2 vans of stuff for the tip already this year, but still plenty left!

I've donated around 25 craft books to a charity this week. So that has been a good start.

I think I will try for 2023 from this week. And see how I get on!

Went through a box and found one worn old hand towel, got rid of a bobbled jumper and trousers too. Total is 396

No new decluttering since the weekend, but I’ve taken two bags of previously sorted ‘stuff’ (clothes and books, mainly) to the charity bank, plus the bag of DD’s shoes that I sorted through last weekend that were good enough to be donated.

DH has sent me a challenge to declutter 1 thing for each date in April. So 1 on 1st 2 on 2nd etc. challenge accepted.

I've not decluttered much but I have listed a few more things on Vinted - after a promising start, it's gone quiet. I wonder if their algorithm pushes the posts of a new seller for a bit, hoping that after that, people will pay to bump their items?

DH is going through a pile of CDs which have no value, and ripping them to an external hard drive. Excited to see if he can bear to let them go - would certainly make a lot of space if he did!

Me and ds cleared the garden today which I'm not really sure counts but it's cleared lots. We live where they film a lot of money for nothing programs so ds waved at the film crew and we debated bringing the sofa down to keep walking past in shot so had a good laugh.

@Pigtailsandall I find if you list a few times a week people will scroll your things looking for a bundle. Or you can remove and relist them. Screenshot and trim your original photos if needs be.

Out 4 paddling pools!!!!
One paddling pool toy and 5 broken solar lights and half a bramble Bush!
5 pairs of jeans on Vinted. Lots on ins to add at some point too. I bought over a hundred pounds of Pandora beads and rings today at their outlet! Treated myself for a job well done securing a good secondary SEN school for my beautiful son. Because I'm worth it!😁

In =5 (ahem....)
Out = 35

So far gathered to go :
-1 kids old painkiller bottle
-1 my old vitamin bottle
-2 packets of old blood sugar monitor strips
-1 random dirty tennis ball
-1 DD finished book to charity
-1 DD used up engineering box
-3 dry cleaner’s metal hangers to dump metal collection
-2 pairs of old socks
-1 DD stained nightgown to rag bank
-2 souvenir food items from the cupboard either going to my parents next week or consumed if we cancel our trip

I also need to check my older teeth whitening gels in the fridge , I read they last a year and I’m not quite sure when I picked them up , apparently if they’re cloudy they have gotten oxidised and won’t work so I’ll need to have a look . DH promised to list the Olio load when he’s back ,and I’ll fold the clean laundry maybe there’s something that can go from there . I’ve got a bunch of deliveries to deal with since we’re meant to travel and DDs school residential is coming up ( she’s grown out of lots of clothes again )and her birthday too so then lots of cardboard boxes to recycling .

A pair of ds’ shoes out today. Somehow he’s made a hole in both soles. No idea how….

That's impressive! My ds ripped ripped both leather Clark shoes last year. My mind boggled. I also couldn't buy a replacement ( clarks outlet is about 20 miles away) so I had to get some from a clothes bank until I had money to get to the outlet. Midweek isn't great to rip school shoes. These are the current pair