Join me as I declutter and hoard!

[onadietcokebreak]

Well I have been meaning to do this for ages but have set myself the task to get my house in order....and some routine in my life.

I have been inspired by this book which I am currently reading (after repeated renewals at the library)
[http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0340836776/nomoreclutter-21 no more clutter]
after a fellow mumsnetter recommended it....but am finding it hard going to read when I crawl into bed its hardly the kind of book to unwind you....it makes me what to get back up and tidy!

However I have already hit a stumbling block in which I have decided to try and sell some things..buggy, travel system, books....but am setting a deadline for each thing to sell and then charity shop/freecycle! However as a single parent who has recently given up work to return to education money is tight so anything I can get helps.

Anyone got any other help or tips for a cancerian hoarder who has far too much stuff, clothes of various sizes, way too many cosmectics, smellies that are too good to throw away....thank god I got brought NONE for christmas this year!

I also have a tendancy to bulk buy and then forget about things...I have 6 fairy washing up liquids in reserve FFS!

So come and whip me into shape with your wisdom!

have read in decluttering books that holding on to clothes that are now too big for you gives you permission to become that size again and that holding onto clothes too small for you goes against self-acceptance. my book swore if you did the latter you would never reach the stage of self-acceptance neccesary to lose weight gain so i just held onto 1/2 things i loved and gave the rest away.

tis very feeing to declutter

my best tip is to find a charity shop that is dedicated to a cause you feel strongly about and find things you want to give them to support that cause. they do take and sell unopened smellies, eevn individual botttles i discovered. our travel system went to charity shop too

good luck!

Any opened cosmetics over a year old need to just go straight into the bin.

Your local Surestart centre may well want the 6 bottles of Fairy Liquid.

It is also quite amazing the amount of shite unwanted stuff that people will take off your hands when listed on Freecycle.

good advice from Claudia about clothes. If it is in the wrong size just get rid of it. Big clothes give you license to get that size again and small clothes will be out of fashion by the time you fit into them again.

i love de cluttering...

but all mine is done,so second best is to listen to other people talking about it!!

so,whats next to do?

Ebay, Freecycle, local shops for selling.

Your deadline idea is great, I like that.

When you go through your stuff, if you haven't used it for more than 6 months, it has to go. Also, make a rule of spending 15 min every day of throwing out / putting in charity bags - don't spend an entire day on it, it will wear you out and you will get stuck. But 15 min every day can become a nice habit and if you miss one day, it's o big deal.

I have moved house every 2 years on average the last 15 years, that's a great way to get rid of stuff, you just don't want to pack and unpack very much ;)

Thanks guys.

I really do need to sort out the clothes and claudia gives good advice! Problem is I am not happy with weight at the mo and need to lose several stone. Smaller stuff may be needed in the transitional period but the bigger stuff is going!

Next task is decluttering my food cupboards and menu planning around it. Fed up with duplicate purchases.

Cant wait to Charity shop to open on Tuesday!

Hello, another person with hoarding/mess issues here. What I have found helpful (have only just really come to terms with it) is telling people you like and trust that you havea bit of a problem with hoarding/clutter rather than making excuses not to let them in your house. And the 'bag a day' idea is good too.

ILoveTIFFANY - would you like to come to my house to clear out piles of sentimental rubbish e.g. old nursery school paintings by dd1 currently on gap year..please let me know when you start your own business

o get to grips with a messy cluttered area of your house (and make sure you tackle each area at a time and keep focussed, don;t get drawen to other areas as you put stuff back)

S- Sort into piles

P-Purge-chuck out what you don't need/want/like

A-Assign all leftover items to their own area

C-Containerise-buy apropriate storage

E-equalze-keep on top of the clutter with regular sort outs

See what I did there?

If not sure what to do with 'good' stuff..have a car boot..a front garden sale...donate to charity, especially those bags that come through the door, local scouts often will come and collect stuff.

Hmm. I don't agree about culling books. Not books. You can't have too many! . And I am a little handicapped by genuinely needing to have a certain amount of stock in the house - am a market trader.

Books are investment in the future. I still have loads of my childhood books in the house - even though it seems unlikely the dc have any interest, I am a great re-reader! Throw out textbooks and nasty editions, keep books which give you pleasure or which you reread (frequently).

Well two huge bags went to the charity shop today.......what a lovely feeling.

Now dont know where to start next!

Really dont know what to do about sons clothes. I would love another baby in 4 years time after I have finished my studies and got back on the career ladder. I cant bear to part with what I class as "the good stuff".....but is it madness to keep it? Also things like the moses basket and toys... what to do? They are lovely and would be wasteful to get rid of only to re purchase again.

The travel system is an easy decision to get rid of...I hated it..
Cot...yep was second hand and on its last legs. Not even good enough for freecycle so will get rid
Mattress....would buy new for next anyway. Shame to dump it butu with the risk of SIDs prob best not to freecycle it

Maybe Im best not tackling the loft yet.... out!

SolidGoldpiginablanket Am selling books except my faves....but know where you are coming from cos I feel that way about my CDs!