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)

Good evening,
I'm very late to the party but seriously in need of some motivation to declutter our house. Every cupboard is stuffed to the brim with things! I’ve uploaded a lot to Vinted but I still have so much to dig out and get rid of/ sell!
I seriously have an issue, I’ve got so many toys/ gifts that are unopened and now I don’t need them for Christmas as I massively overbought!
I'm hoping that a lot of it can be sold on Vinted/ fb marketplace. But in the meantime please help me stop buying things I don’t need and please help me get this place in some sort of order.
thank you in advance ☺️

Fam I've found that the act of decluttering is helping to curb my shopaholic tendencies. I'm definitely thinking twice before I buy something now. Good luck with your sales. I don't sell because it slows me down.

I went through the hair things tonight. Out goes:

4 x small hair clips
2 x large hair clips
4 x hair clips with fake hair tails attached
2 x head bands

They all get caught up in the hair making them difficult to remove, so they rarely get used.

Also out is 7 pairs of unworn earrings that came as part of sets and one book.

Total is 1747

@IndianSummer78 unfortunately I can't contact any of the people as I'm not on Facebook so have no idea who has made offers.
We live in a small hamlet and it really puts people off collecting once they see the address.

Oh right PissedOff I thought you must share a FB page with DH. That's one of the reasons I stopped selling on FB. I'm in a town but people here are darn weird and if you don't live in the next street they won't collect, quite often. They won't look a place up on a map to see where it is, they won't get public transport if they don't drive even if the item is small (there's a bus stop outside my door!) Etc. It's just a headache. I'm happier now I donate or recycle everything. I find people want something for nothing these days and for you to deliver it too, then they'll take a look and decide if they want it! Also lots of dreamers browsing and collecting pics/info with zero intention of buying. It's ridiculous. Hope you get buyers for your things soon.

Another thing for the donations pile: clip in hair extensions, I bought them out of curiosity but they're too much of a faff. Total is 1748

Another sale collected. Getting there slowly, just a bit at a time. We have one pretty decluttered room now, that was repainted and now is looking a lot better.

@IndianSummer78 yes it's a pain in the arse. We've never used marketplace until a few weeks ago and it's as bad as I've heard.
People offering really low amounts but asking for free delivery an hour drive away 🙄. They don't look at the map and are surprised we're not on their street.

They're expensive, brand new items so can't afford to give them away but considering just putting them back up in the loft and keeping them a few more years until the kids are old enough for them. But the main thing is to learn not to buy things several years too old for the kids as they're a 'bargain' 🤦🏻‍♀️

We have had a couple of trouble free sales though so it's not all bad. I have someone coming to collect an eBay item today too.

PissedOffNeighbour22 - my partner can be a bit like this as well, in that he had very unrealistic ideas about what secondhand stuff will sell for. I listed an unopened inflatable pool seat for babies which he wanted to put at £10, and no one showed any interest. I dropped it to £7 and still nothing, and would happily have donated it at that point, but he now wants to keep it until next year when it's warmer and people are going swimming more!

Did some more decluttering at the weekend and got rid of a binbag of stuff which has gone straight in the wheelie bin. No more room now until bin day on Thursday but I have another binbag on the go waiting. Also have a bag for charity and a bag for textile recycling.

Slow day today as my 4 month old had a very grouchy day today and wouldn't settle anywhere so I've spent all day walking and bouncing them round the house 😖

Binned one item and packaged up two more vinted sales for posting. I'm really grateful I joined this challenge as I'm finally starting to see that this could actually be achievable!!

I hate this site. I was typing a long reply to some of you offering sympathy for having unhelpful partners and I lost it.

I sold a couple of things on marketplace today but then got a message about an item that just said ‘Available?’. It’s connected to a listing that has about four brand new toys so it’s not obvious what they’re asking about. I can’t believe the rudeness of that person. I’m going to ignore it.

Did another stint in the Room of Doom and put an old radio and mp3 player in the recycling bag.

pinknsparkly it’s a great challenge, you might not see the results straight away but one day you’ll do something like open a drawer and realise it’s half empty compared what it used to be like.

Todays tip run two rag filled bags, a broken laundry basket, lots of cardboard packaging, batteries, a few light bulbs and various old brackets etc so more room in the garage. Still have the bag full of washed out plant pots to drop off at the garden centre. Few books and DVDs already to start the next charity shop bag

This is me all over!
I do find that Vinted is much more successful for new items but still get silly offers on items.
thank you @IndianSummer78, well done on getting rid of so many items!

23 items sold on eBay and posted. My dp sold a PlayStation and I've given 2 new baby outfits to my SIL who is expecting her first baby.

Total 1580

I decided to open my own FB marketplace account so I can control my own listings instead of relying on DP. Turns out I can only list 1 item so that was a waste of my time 🙄😑.

At the weekend DP took a boot full of stuff to the tip. The house is definitely looking tidier in general but I think things are just being moved around rooms.

I'm going to try to clear out the utility room this afternoon as I'm off work. It was a dumping ground until we put in kitchen units last year but it's become an unusable dumping ground again 🤦🏻‍♀️

The old ikea day bed given to DD, then being used by Ds2 was collected yey. Not in the best condition but someone wanted it and saved me a trip to the tip.

I have managed to crack the bucket thing we use for umbrellas in the porch so that will have to go, need to get an actual umbrella stand, anyone got one they like?

on night shifts atm so not much getting done apart from that.

I've definitely slowed down now that I've done the most obvious decluttering but still trying to make it a habit. Out in the garden earlier and found a few bits that needed to be thrown/recycled. Listed more items on vinted/eBay but have a lot of things in house waiting to go!

PissedOff if you open a Facebook account you can use marketplace without doing anything extra or paying anything and you can list multiple items. I didn't even know you could use Marketplace without Facebook. Facebook doesn't check anything you can put whatever name, DoB, profile pic of something that isn't you if you like. Nobody needs to know you're on there. You can set it so nobody can search for you by email. Just add some MLM Huns as friends, share some pics of cats or something and write some status updates so you look like a proper person. Otherwise people might think you're a scammer if you advertise from a blank profile.

@LivingInaBuildingSite we have something similar to this in our hallway for umbrellas.
https://www.coxandcox.co.uk/rattan-umbrella-basket/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiApuCrBhAuEiwA8VJ6Ju3TXbsRUDZgz-VvzQd-ay8TvEIu7ychvsiRcUDeGyG8RpJhHBJTHhoC5ewQAvD_BwE

@IndianSummer78 I think I'm just going to delete FB. I don't think it's for me - I don't have time to be making up things just so I don't look like a scammer. I'll stick with eBay as I'm used to it and there's no account limits.

Out this afternoon is a teething mitten, sunglasses, pet camera, spare changing mat, tote bag, Xmas decoration, cat toy, a new toy, lever arch file and some new baby socks. Total now 1590. It's been slow going today and I should be prepping for a job interview but just can't get motivated.

Two more vinted parcels posted. And made a start on wrapping Christmas gifts. Which isn't exactly decluttering but are items that will be leaving the house! And it finished up one roll of wrapping paper which I'm not counting as decluttering 😊

I'm up to 263 so far

I’m not really keeping up with the posts, it’s a bit mad here. @Gassylady - your reply made me laugh and I’m glad I was right on both counts!

I have been photographing, listing, sorting and getting stuff out of the door. I have also got someone coming to take away some paint and building waste so that’s a big improvement. I am trying to keep count, but the main thing is that I’m finding my house again after all the chaos! Crossed fingers and I’ll be over 2023 by the end of the month…!

Have caught up now! Welcome newbies - I’ve only been on this thread since May and it’s really helped, especially the counting. The best tips are to (1) focus on areas which give you grief every day and (2) if you are stuck, just find one item and get it out of your house.

@pinknsparkly - I’m totally counting the presents going out of the house if they are from my present drawer (rather than bought this year). And I think you can count the boxes (at least if you are like me and accidentally hoard cardboard boxes!)

@PissedOffNeighbour22 and @IndianSummer78 - I constantly debate how worthwhile it is to bother selling rather than donating. Giving away for free / to charity or babybank definitely has some advantages. I also didn’t know you could have a marketplace account without having FB. I’m currently selling a buggy, it’s so much work… wondering if baby bank would be easier!

I've been off my game of things actually leaving the house as it was hard whilst my DH was away! Instead I collected things in various piles around the house 😂

Now they've gone it is soooooo satisfying!! 🙌

There's loads left ready to go, probably at least 2 or 3 more bundles like this, but so far these are actually gone from the house (today alone!):

• SnuzPod bedside crib
• 2 x SnuzPod mattresses
• 1 x crib mattress protector
• 3 crib bedsheets
• 5 pairs of children shoes
• 4 pairs of adult canvas shoes
• 3 PJ trousers
• 5 PJ tops
• 1 holey babygrow
• 12 x reusable cloth nappies
• 24x microfibre nappy inserts
• 1 changing mat
• 1 baby towel
• 2 Next2me crib mattress protectors
• 3 Next2me cot bedsheets
• 20 baby vests
• 5 babygrows
• 1 baby dungarees
• 1 baby dress
• 4 pairs of baby trousers
• 4 pairs of newborn socks
• 2 baby t-shirts
• 11 muslins

December running total: 115

@Realfastfoodie I always give away prams/buggies on freecycle (we don't have a baby bank here) but I don't buy expensive ones so I guess it depends how much you spent on it and if you've had your money's worth out of it.

@KCSIE Well done, that must be so satisfying getting rid of such a huge amount in one go.

I forgot this bag too so this is now gone to a mum&baby charity as well:

• 5 rompers
• 3 t-shirts
• 5 long sleeved tops
• 1 shorts
• 2 baby hats
• 1 swim shoes
• 1 dress
• 3 bibs
• 3 leggings
• 1 sweatshirt

December tally: 140 🙌

And this one 😂

• 3 pramsuits
• 3 sleeping bags
• 2 newborn swaddle bags

December tally: 148

RealFastFoodie I never sell now. Used to when I was broke and had no choice. Was usually selling because I needed money, not to declutter. Now I donate, such a relief, no more dealing with idiots.