Decluttering Thread 6 - hit those targets before New Year!

[Pigtailsandall]

So the last thread got filled up and I think I seem to have taken it on myself to start a new one every time, lol! I hope everyone finds us because I'm too lazy to tag everyone, but here's few who spring to mind. It also doesn't let me add some people, for some reason

@realfastfoodie
@IndianSummer78
@stealthninjamum
@cornedbeef451
@EllieQ
@Gassylady
@IncessantNameChanger

@nordicmom
@Vinorosso74

Now it's the last push until the holidays to get it all out and done (before new cr*p comes in)

@IncessantNameChanger sorry to hear about your DD.
DP started clearing his paperwork but that seems to have ground to a halt. He's not working at the moment and is job hunting. Now would be the perfect time to do some decluttering.....
A shoebox of crayons went at the weekend via Freecycle.
I now have a second bag to go to the charity shop.
There is a lot of stuff on top of DD's wardrobe which needs sorting. I started by getting rid of an empty trainer box yesterday.

Work was overwhelming yesterday, but I realised at the end of the day I had actually done pretty well.

• 11 hours at work
• tip visit
• charity shop drop off
• load of washing

-Toss app (2 items)

@IncessantNameChanger and @stealthninjamum I can't stand the rude marketplace/Olio crowd. I listed a small sofa we have for £30 which really is a bargain, but I just wanted to get it out. The first person just emailed me saying "willing to buy if delivery is included". For £30?? F**k off.

I've been a bit awol too because dh is abroad for work but I did declutter the sofa over the weekend! I had yesterday off because I just had to get on top of things. I dropped off a vinted sale, some returns, some library books, bought groceries and cooked and even sorted out our shoes and a few problem areas. It was good to have bit of a reset while dc was at school.

Out yesterday/weekend
Sofa
Coat sold on vinted (bulky, so big hurrah)
2 baby books so ratty that I had to bin them
2 bulky toys
8 other kids books
Kids jeans
Kids socks
2 fridge items when I cleaned that
Broken hanger

Total is 169

Tonight's goal after dc sleeps is to go through my Vinted items. I have some stuff listed that have had no interest in months so will take those off and take to charity shop

@IncessantNameChanger I'm so sorry. I think you should scream. I remember holding on to so much pent emotion when I had 2 miscarriages (before dc) and after the second one when I went for the scan and was told there is no heartbeat, I remember feeling a very visceral pain and I wanted to howl - not just cry but howl. I went to do boxing after that. I needed to physically punch something and exhaust myself so much that I'd just collapse. Could you find something else in place of the shopping and hoarding? Running? Run so fast your lungs feel like exploding. It can be very cathartic

@IncessantNameChanger god, I can only imagine how hard that is, and how angry you are. Sending all the hugs and solidarity. @tallsmallmum and @Pigtailsandall, you too. I think finding healthy outlets for rage, stress, tension, grief, is the major challenge of adulthood.

I’m going to try to find one more thing today -I’ve chucked 3 magazines and a Christmas card but that’s just tidying really. Just one thing. And I’m going to try to stop optimising “outs” - some books and clothes can just go to any charity shop. I don’t need to keep trying to find the perfect place for them.

Straw poll time… I have a bunch of nice Xmas kids things… is it worth keeping to put them on vinted later in the year?

If they fit into an existing container and you have room, yes. Dcs outgrown Christmas clothes all go on Vinted when I get them out in Dec. If they are unsold they go to charity.

@IncessantNameChanger sympathies re DD. The path of Sen parenthood is
not an easy one!

re Vinted, I’d agree, if you have a good box, label it and find a good home that isn’t annoying or in the way.

Few more bits from medicines from yesterday out (4).

Two scooters due to be collected later…

4+197=201

Yes I have been toying with starting Karate. I do imagine screaming and punching a lot of people. I'm a shy introvert so there's not much outlet for me. Going to finish the shoes and slippers I started yesterday. That might be all I do.

I'm also looking at my older venting listings. Reducing and reposting. But once I have got to £1 they can go after a week. I don't need the money. I need the space. Got summer bits to sell too.

29th 10 out declutterer - hats, shoes, gloves
Vinted out 9 ( 8 dd uniform, 1 my cords)

30th Beaver jumper

Total = 391 out
5 in

I also never have more than 40 listings ( a few are bundles) because more than that doesn't fit into one of the huge ikea bags

Like others have said @Realfastfoodie I'd keep it if you comfortably can. I have 1 big lidded plastic box in the loft, and I only keep however much can fit into it. Selling the coat freed up a lot of space, but i have a few things I'm thinking of selling so it's time to take the oldest stuff to donation. If your items are likely to fetch £1-2 each I probably wouldn't bother.

I listed and sold a pair of boots today. I didn't even have time to put them in the loft. I'd wondered about them for ages because this is the second winter I haven't worn them but it was still hard.

Also sorted all my receipts. Counting the bundle as one thing.

Total is 171

Thanks @IncessantNameChanger - I will set aside a specific box and do this. I like the plan.

Question - if you hide a listing and then unhide, does it show as a new listing (I’m wondering about whether to do the work on the Xmas stuff now…?

No, I think it stays as an old listing. Take the photos now and set up two folders on your phone. Listed. To list. That's what I do as take photos in one session but I list them a few a day. After a while I delete the things I have sold

Thank you @IncessantNameChanger - great advice thank you

The scooter collector came, hooray! They’ve been in the porch for ages as previous person kept me hanging on.

Went through spices, oil, etc. 10 items binned. Even if you can eat some of that stuff OOD it just shows we don’t need them as we never use them. Think sometimes other people buy them for us and DH thinks he’ll use them…

201 +2+10=213

Have also done DS2’s phone call to register for PIP as he’s 16. Started the ball rolling at least.

Do you have somewhere to store them that's currently completely empty and wouldn't be better used to store something you actually want to keep? Are you so poor as to be choosing between heating and eating? If no to these, get rid now

I reckon no, because if you're anything like me you'll forget about them until after the optimum time to sell, and then you'll be too busy with Xmas stuff by that time to get them listed and then you're back to where you are now just a year later. Unless they're really going to make a decent amount of money in which case get a diary reminder to list them set up now and put them properly away until then, not left out in a room to gather dust

I know February isn't officially spring but does anyone else feel driven to make faster progress now the days are slowly lengthening? I really want to have all the decluttering done by next year. I'm sure I could do it if I spent less time scrolling online and more time getting on with it! Maybe not tonight though, I've had a busy day.

@IncessantNameChanger sorry to hear of the added stress with your daughter. I love boxing for cardio at the gym can be very therapeutic repeatedly hitting the bag and imagining it isn’t a bag! 😜

I'm getting ready for dd reintegration meeting tomorrow. However unless they reassure me they can prevent her being escalated, I'm taking her home with me again until I'm satisfied they won't keep on setting her up to fail.

I have a little bag on the back of the door of the living room to put rags / outgrown clothes into. I'm going to count that tonight and get it ready to donate this weekend

I'm putting two children's books into the donations pile. Total is 1860

Right, good points everyone. I’m going to do a mixture of the approaches from @IncessantNameChanger and @IndianSummer78. I definitely don’t need to chase the £1/£2 items (I know I’m lucky to say that, sorry if this sounds thoughtless).

It's not thoughtless RealFastFoodie. If you donate, a charity somewhere (who exists to help others) gets the money from selling your items instead of you, who doesn't need it. To admit you don't need the money and donate to charity or give away free instead is a good thing.

Yes it's fine to not need the money. I don't either. But hoarding is a form.of ocd ( which I find hilarious as a hoarder) do I try to sell my nicer things as its a "rule" which I guess are rituals or compulsions of sorts. In fact trying to sell a Boden £45 kids dress for £5 is good if it sells or doesn't sell. It brings it home that the real cost was buying it originally and its a sunk, lost cost. Whatever it takes to move forward. I think when I get £70 it's now shoe money for the kids, but in reality I probably spent that driving around to post things