Decluttering Thread 12

[TidyClutterIsStillClutter]

Whatever your speed or method, whether it’s a few shelves, a couple of boxes or entire attics, rooms, or garages, come here and share both your successes and your struggles. There’s support and commiserations, and lots of good ideas.

Two books added to the charity bag last night, which made space for a book I got for Xmas to go on the bookshelves. I also threw away the train tickets from a trip to visit family over Xmas, which I’d put down on a chest of drawers in our bedroom (probably as I was unpacking) and they’ve just stayed there.

I think a key issue for DH and I is inertia - something gets put down/ left to sort through later/ put away ‘for now’ and just stays there because we’re busy, or tired, or just can’t be bothered. Not having enough space for things adds to this - something doest’t have a place to live, so it gets left around until we can find a place, but we usually don’t.

Not done loads.
Some more dvds out to the free shelf at work.
Couple of DSs clothes out to charity shop.
DS has also sorted through some clothes so have a pile to go out.
Threw away broken lunch bag and bag straight away rather than keeping them around for no reason like we normally would.

Made some progress this week. Stuff we brought from FILs-stamps, sent off to charity; some bric a brac to charity shop along with a bag of DD's no longer worn clothes. Trouble is this has added to the "to do" things.
I had some pretty amaretti biscuit tins which I put on Freecycle and they were collected this morning.

Sold a dress on Vinted within minutes of uploading it & have posted some more clothes & jewellery. DD17 got rid of a couple of bags for life full of stuff at the weekend.

i have sold 2 hoodies on vinted this week, will be posting in the morning. I have however also bought 2 new sports bras & put an offer in on sports vests as I am back to running every day & need more than 2 of each.
I’ve noticed a couple of my sons tops are getting short so will try to persuade him to part with them.
got next week off so hoping to go through a few shelves/cupboards/under the bed again.

I've been ruthless with a pile of not sure if they fit items today.
10 pairs of jeans
1 pair shorts
1 pair cargos
1 pair trousers
1 cardboard box that's hung around longer than it should have
1 pretty but sun damaged box
Total is 4427

Yesterday’s outs: Packaging that had been hanging around for a few weeks has gone in the recycling.

Yesterday’s in: Protective jacket for DH’s hobby (fencing), which will join the fencing mask that doesn’t really have a home 🙈

Another dress posted on Vinted. It’s only George but very pretty & priced low so should hopefully sell quickly.
Struggling to understand why certain pieces are scarcely getting any views, let alone being favourited. I’ve posted a striking green amber pendant (actually bought it on Vinted but wasn’t quite what I thought) & it’s not getting very much attention at all. It’s admittedly not silver, only silver tone, but genuine Baltic amber. I’ve bumped it & put what I think is a reasonable price on it as I paid £30 so want to get back as much as I can. Any tips?

Itchy jumper
Outgrown trainers
Two books
Total is 4431

4 more sales on Vinted. Now only have one big box to recycle. Have a couple of small boxes and book parcels.
Have sorted though one of the cupboards of dread today. I was anxious about taking the cat to the vets for his yearly injections. Ridiculous really but he hates going in cat carrier and disappears and he cries. It breaks my heart. But it’s done for another year!
But I do like to be busy when I’m anxious.
So more items on Vinted and a bag to Charity shop.
I have about 10 DVD’s to donate, but where? We do still have loads but I like hard copies. We still have a DVD player 🫣.

I also binned all of my stained T-shirts etc. but have kept one lot as my paintings gear.
The fact the spring is coming is making me happy. Clocks forward and lambs in fields. No lambs etc

Just found a Taylor Swift calendar which I bought in the sale at work but DD didn’t want - into the charity bag!

3 bags of clothes taken to charity shop today.

Or to be fair, there was a comedy record decades ago called "There's a hole in my bucket". Exactly the same challenge set to music!

Streaming is overrated ruby I love DVDs too.

I remember hearing that somewhere as a child mildmanneredmum.

One lip balm used up
Uncomfortable shoes donated
Total is 4333

Yesterday - homebrew kit went to friend who will try to sell it.

Mostly just tidying stuff, trying to make decisions. Not easy. Not buying anything unless essential.

Just sold a Jigsaw skirt on Vinted & can’t help feeling a bit smug as DD17 said nobody would buy it!

Decluttered:

1. Poetry pack with cards and manual
2. 1000 poems book
3. Old poetry photocopies
4. Place value cardboard counters
5. Used sheets 26
6. Old artwork 15
7. Unfinished projects 5
8. Inner fleece of rain jacket with tags

DH dropped off a bag of games to charity shop, 2 bags of his own clothes.
DM bagged up 8 bags of clothes and some items from the hot press.

Had a cleaner come for the first time ever, focused on parent's areas.

Unfortunately I bought some clothes (3) for spring/summer and have been eyeing up shoes. No wardrobe just a rail so it is heaving at the moment, along with the back of the bedroom door, under the bed and two drawers. Garden is also all overgrown and needs a massive declutter of old planters, bird seed buckets, hanging baskets, leaves and debris. I haven't mowed it yet for 2026, St Patrick's Day was my deadline but the weather is wet and the grass is saturated so it may wait a little longer.

Not exactly a declutter today. DS hooked up tv that had been in a box for more than a year, and also a games console. So that’s some packaging out for recycling, and a couple of boxes up off the floor and into the new gaps on the shelves.

I feel like I've dropped the ball for a few weeks - the garden was more interesting than the decluttering - but I'm back on it today! I've been back looking through the DIY pile of doom in the loft and think it's mostly sorted through now. Lots of stuff that is useful that I didn't know we had. And lots of utter crap I have no idea why we kept!
I also listed a load of stuff on Vinted and have sold a fair amount

Charity shop: new pack of hinges, new pack of baby proofing corner protecters, bag of furniture casters
Bin / recycling: roller blind, 2x pack floor tiles, drawer front, shelf, metal handrail, old loft hatch, bookcase, 4x sheets of plastic, 8x tins of paint, sponge, 5x old brushes, wallpaper scraper, 3 x packs of fittings/instructions for furniture we don't own, 27x random loft crap
Vinted/sold locally: 2x skirt, 2x jacket, jumper, dress

Total: 578

Today’s outs: two pairs of shoes taken to shoe recycling at Schuh (both pairs have been hanging around since well before Xmas).

Today's ins: one pair PJs, three cami tops, and a five pack of new knickers (all for me) - but I will be getting rid of the equivalent items as I’m just replacing worn out clothes.

3 pairs uncomfortable shoes
3 jackets that never get worn
1 pair of too small leggings
1 dress that doesn't suit me
1 shampoo finished up
Total is 4442

3 Vinted sales this week and some magazines to take to a community book case.

I have had a sort out in the home office aka spare room of doom. Found loads of old bank statements, bills etc from 2014, padded envelopes, notebooks etc.

Got to get shredding and binning.

We’ve decided to move house and I refuse to take clutter with us. Mission declutter has taken a step up!

Charity:
Stationery - a big box worth
10x Art supplies for paper crafts which I never use any more
3 books

Recycled:
Old birthday cards and thank you cards / goodbye cards from previous jobs

Random scraps of wrapping paper which I haven’t used in …….. years because they never fit anything

Binned:
old plastic wallets that have gone brittle
a broken lamp
a broken ring binder

I haven't posted in a while. Slowly keeping up with maintanence decluttering, but I did sell a few small things on Vinted, and a big cat activity toy on marketplace which has made some space on the floor.

bundle of 5 kids tops sold
kids crocs sold
kids shorts and top, sold
cat activity toy, sold
other bits out:
dinosaur toy
pants
plastic scoop
2 ornate drinking glasses, donated
fake flower
face mask tub, finally finished
5 school exercise books
old cough medicine
very scratched chopping board

Ins:
New crocs
world book day costume
world book day book
One little toy for DC
5 books

Total outs for the year = 195
Total ins = 85

Really doesn't feel like we have had 85 items come in - if I had been asked, I might have said 20 or 25 because of all the books and book swaps (like I said, we are moving from picture books to "proper" books so lots are coming in)

It is very illuminating to count all the bits and pieces I would have otherwise ignored or not even registered!!