Decluttering thread 11

[TidyClutterIsStillClutter]

Whether you’re taking days or decades, whether you’re glacially slow or galloping along, please come here for inspiration, encouragement, and congratulations.

I posted a parcel today so that is one thing out of the house. I still need to do more to tidy and declutter.

Thanks for the book advice everyone.

Vinorosso plenty others will go too. This set is about 7 so taking up a small chunk of space.
Stealth ninja my issue with kindle is I don't like reading on a screen, would be so much easier if I did. I don't have a proper book case or room for one, just piles of books in random places and on shelves etc.
Acheyelbows I never thought about paper mites. That's made me want to seriously reduce all the paper in here! These books have been on the windowsill in the sun, so yellowed, and warped from being dropped in the bath.
Lightattheendofthetunnel that's a good point about the library, they're popular books, I'm sure they'd be in there if I wanted them again.

I'm going to do one last read through then get rid of them.

Random collection from the past few days. I've been decluttering as I go about -

Blunt scissors
Baby sunhat I don't need
17 documents not needed
Old journal filled up
2 junk mail leaflets lingering around
5 catalogues I don't need anything from
Face mask used up
Dress that doesn't fit
Pyjama top with a hole
3 packaging stickers not needed
4 empty cardboard boxes
2 egg holders for the fridge door

Total is 4011

Morning folks - I’m out for nearly the whole day but hoping to get a few bits done tonight. Can’t remember if I mentioned that I’ve sold my kettlebell. It’s being collected this evening.

I've fallen off the decluttering wagon a little in the last month, a combination of being unwell and then on holiday but also partly because I don't have all that much left!

We are moving house at the end of this month so am hoping for a bit of a final push over the next few weeks. Definitely have a few more bits that can be vinted and some more books to go. Also aware that I've bought a few new things over the last few weeks, not surprising as autumn is my favourite season but need to be mindful of what I'm doing and try to keep up my 'one in one out' way of thinking.

Oh, I did sell a necklace on vinted for over £100 which I was very chuffed about as it's just been sat in a drawer, I'm crossing my fingers the sale goes through ok and I don't get scammed as the highest value item I've sold previously is around £50.

I finally got to my Big Box of Crap. It’s full of stuff from my teens and 20s. It’s the last area of the house to be decluttered once (apart from exh’s study but I keep the door closed on that)

Sticking out of the blue folder is an UCCA clearing form from when I didn’t get my uni grades in 1990 so I went a year later. There’s also a postcard from someone who’d gone to New Zealand travelling - but I can’t read their name to see who it is. Both can be shredded. This will be tough. I might sit with my memory box (which is a bit bigger than a shoebox)and only keep things that fit.

I need to be ruthless with a lot of stuff from back then too - such a hoarder! I still have most of my old diaries, some letters, lots of birthday cards etc. I will keep all my baby congratulations, Mothers Day & wedding cards though.

Just thought that my folks still have a fair bit of my stuff at their place, including childhood ornaments & books. I believe my dollshouse is in their loft, although not sure whether I could bear to part with that!

Some years ago, I planned to get my wedding dress professionally cleaned ready to sell but it was quite expensive to do that plus I thought the style might be old fashioned. Really don’t know what to do with it.

I’ve been going through the stuff and so far i have only got rid of a piece of cardboard someone gave me as a joke and my UCCA form. Some of the letters are so funny. I am tempted to get a folder for each person and to send them snippets of the letters to get back in touch. I had some awesome friends and we wrote regularly when we were at different universities. I have a feeling I’m not going to be able to get rid of many of them - but maybe that’s not a bad thing?

@BunnyLover7 how attached are you to the wedding dress? I just gave mine to a charity shop but I was separated so I wanted it out of the house. Some charities will turn it into a gown for a still born baby. I would advertise it somewhere - Facebook/ Vinted and then consider a donation if you don’t sell it.

1028

got rid of 3 birthday age badges no longer needed
cleared out some bunting

total outs 1032

Hey guys, I’d really like to try and come here more often for support and motivation. Considering how much my clutter hurts my head I just don’t understand why I can’t keep on top of it more. (Well, I do, multiple children, multiple major health needs, single parent, no family or friends)…I do try. Must. Try. Harder!
The kids break up for the holidays on Friday and I’d like to tackle a lot over them, but will start small this evening by clearing and organising my living room bookshelves.

One pair of holey socks
One pair of pyjama bottoms

Total is 4013

@Poisonwood I have 4 kids three of whom have SEN it's hard isn't it when it's a busy house.

I'm doing OK still. Just need a spare few days to to unpacknsome random carrier bags on the living room floor. Things like last years school books etc that have come home and never dealt with from before summer

sold and posted 2 items on vinted
got rid of 5 very old bottles of sun cream

total outs 1039

@Poisonwood i didn’t declutter for about 10 years until my youngest was about 7. Just set a timer and do 5 minutes here and there and I find it helpful to do a daily reset where I run around putting things that are out in the right places.

i spent half an hour before dc were up going through more stuff in The Last Box. It’s almost all letters but I did find my poll tax bill from 1991 which is being shredded. I’m finding it harder than I thought as there are letters from a friend who developed an extreme mental illness and died on her own and letters from my mum. I’m no contact with my mum but I know she has dementia. I’m going to throw away what I can but realistically I’ll probably keep 90% of the contents but filed by person so when I meet up with them we can have a laugh at them together.

@stealthninjamum that must be quite a draining emotional declutter, I think you’ve come up with a good organisation system per person.

The autumn/winter months are hard here as smallest DD’s fatigued far more and needs her wheelchair more, I want to be more organised before it’s at its worst. Today I’ve reorganised under the stairs - I bought a great shoe storage unit half price but it’s been sat in the way as everything then needed adjusting for it. Had to get the drill out and reposition coat racks etc but all done.

Thanks @Poisonwood it’s so hard I wish I’d thrown these things out years ago so I wouldn’t have to do it now but I had years of working long hours and kids after I graduated.

i don’t really have the time but I spent another half an hour in the room of doom. I found my 21st birthday card from my grandfather, I think he died about two months after that. I have also got to the layer of the box with letters from my ex boyfriend. I don’t feel ready to read them - how crap is that, he dumped me 32 years ago! I have managed to put loads and loads of birthday and Christmas cards in the shredding pile - including cards from my exh It’s so weird, I got over my exhusband after 20 years together and have no problems shredding cards from him yet I can’t even look at things from a guy I dated for three years over 30 years ago!

Is there anything more satisfying than a random 'you've sold an item on vinted' notification for something that's been on there for months?! Sold a wee bundle last night of completely random stuff, only for a few pounds but I honestly don't care about the money, already got the stuff boxed up and will be dropping off this afternoon! Motivated me to list a few other bits soon as well, there's definitely a link between selling/listing stuff and then selling more as a result, I've found anyway!

Completely agree @kryptonfactor
I sold a bundle of odds and ends this week that had been on since January! Was just planning to take some of it to the charity shop so was nice surprise.

W/E 28/09 (Week 39)
2025 – (1617 + 20 = 1637) = 388 to go

Digital
September photos filed or deleted = 1

Stuff used up and not replaced
Scented candle (not many left now!), herbal tea bags = 2

Recycled/binned
Pillows x 4, quilts x 2, cake tins x 2, stained plastic containers x 2, foil medication packs (recycled at Boots) x 5 = 15

Charity shop
New bag started

Vinted
= 2

Big sort out planned upstairs for next week, so should be a better week to kick off October.

Big trip to Ikea today. Glt rid of a lamp that I should have returned 2.5 years ago - I got some cash for it.
Bought some drawers for a Pax wardrobe to store bed linen and some big bags to store extra duvets.
Recycled 20 big printer cartridges
Left a box of stuff outside my wall and it all went. It's getting a bit addictive!

Day 273 declitter, kis pj's to donation bag
Day 274, kids wellies to donation bag.

We have a lot of t-shirts amd shorts which won't fit next summer. I'll try to cull this weekend

Decluttered under the stairs, a couple of bags of odds and ends from the car had been lurking there. Put new shoe storage in place and filled it up. Also made the area brighter with a plug in wall lamp, so hoping kids will see to put coats and bags away easier.

sold and posted an item on Vinted

total outs: 1040