The Great Declutter - 18 months on

Callisto

benjacksmum wrote: »

What does everybody do with old gas bills and things like expired car insurance documents? I'm on monthly direct debit payments for all our utilities and I'm not sure why I have kept so many old bills or if they would be any use, I've definitely used everything they are billing me for. Also, car insurance documents that have expired - once you have used them for proof of your no claims discount to the new insurer, is there any reason to keep them (accident and claim free year).

(Can you tell I'm sorting paperwork out? )

I keep most bills/documents for one year, then start getting rid of them after the year has elapsed (we have a real fire, so usually have a burning paperwork fest around October time and then again in February ish!). I don't see any reason to keep old insurance documents if you've not made a claim and have changed insurers.

I haven't managed to do any more decluttering as OH is ill and at home all the time at the moment. I'm working full time and looking after him the rest of the time, so I'd rather spend my spare time doing something I enjoy! Trying not to let the clutter get any worse though and will update again when I restart the clutter-busting!

got-it-spend-it

I really need to re-invigorate the decluttering at the moment. I have brought in lots of yummy baby stuff for this year's impending arrival, but have been less good at clearing out.

I have been pretty good at the eBaying, but need to sort through some more stuff for Freecycle and charity shop donations. I have got uber good at not hoarding books anymore, but could certainly get rid of some more clothes and desperately need to clear out the linen cupboard.

I commit to clearing out the linen cupboard and doing a charity shop trip before I go away on Tuesday next week.....

poorbutrich

got-it-spend-it wrote: »

I really need to re-invigorate the decluttering at the moment. I have brought in lots of yummy baby stuff for this year's impending arrival, ...

WOW congratulations! That's one big item IN! :j

Though there's lots going out of the door to PBR's clutterfest, the place still seems very untidy; am sure it's OH's stuff, like his bike which now lives in the sitting room, his box of car parts and his videos. If anyone knows of a way of getting rid of tapes with Red Dwarf and the like recorded off the TV in the 90s without adding to landfill or unkind to the environment, please let me know! :rotfl:

IN:
1. A new radio - so shiny and exciting that I haven't taken it out of the box yet
2. Lots of Cds for my birthday :T


OUT:
1. Two chests of drawers (another to go when I've cleaned it)
2. Two big electrical items on freecycle
3. Four boxes' worth to car boot sale and a massive bag of unsold books to the charity shop.
4. One massive box which has left my house and is now under my desk at work waiting for the eBayer to collect :rolleyes: wish he'd hurry up so I have somewhere to put my legs!

happy decluttering everyone -have a good weekend!

crumpetmonster

Is it too late to join?? i'm obsessed with clutter clearing!

Saw this thread a few days ago and felt inspired! Graduated a year ago and moved back in with my parents to start to pay off loans etc without a heavy rent outgoing! Well, wen I started uni my sister and I swapped rooms as my orginal room was larger.

We decided to swap back about 2 months ago as sister now lives with her boyfriend. I cleared a lot of my stuff, bags and bags to the tip, made myself about £2,000 on eBay (selling old stuff and clothes), carboots etc.

Now I'm back in my original room, but my sister has yet to move her stuff out of the fitted drawers and wardrobes etc - last night I'd had enough! 2 hours later I'd unearthed hundreds of carrier bags (!) from her stuff, the rest was clothes (mostly with the tags on!) and belts, hats etc - couldn't believe my eyes - she's sat on an eBay treasuretrove!!

Got rid of the carrier bags for her sake, but everything else got neatly folded and put in her new wardrobe - the level of clutter was just unreal - it made me feel a bit weak...

So, I'm transformed, tonight I'm going to go through an de-clutter some stuff I unearthed from under my bed. I've got a bag for bin, charity and eBay and I'm like a woman possessed - I'm glad it's not just me who gets obsessed with clearing things!

My target:

- completely de-clutter all my bedroom and cupboards
- have another look through wardrobe and eBay results!
- make some money freom my clutter
- encourage sister to be clutter free - she's really sentimental thogh - any tips on how to convert her?

greent

IN:
nothing!! Yippee!!!

OUT:
lots of coathangers (recycled at Tesco)
1 old lampshade
1 pr jeans (recycled)
1 pr shoes (recycled)
LOTS of paper - shredded & composted or filed or recycled

Am trying to work on OH to sort his mounds of paper in the office - mainly to do with his old job - have set him a target of half an hour 3x this week to clear rubbish - not file or anything, just to get rid of the rubbish/ recycling as a start. ONce that's all gone, THEN the filing can commmence! He's tired at the mo - due to our now 4 week old being an incredibly poor sleeper - then again, so am I, as it's not as tho' OH is the one up half the night feeding the little one! And I've had no daytime naps either (toddler....) so it's not as tho' I get to play catch up.

Ho hum.... off to see if I can sort any more from our old bedroom - we're meant to start decorating in tehre this weekend for DD - but it still has stuff in there! Oops!

Welcome to all newbies to the thread!


greent
x

Kaz2904

One of my ebay items has a bid on it! Yay me! It'll be the first thing I've ever sold on ebay. My fire basket is mocking me at the moment. I have tons of paper in it ready for burning but haven't used the fire in an age!
I ought to make some fire bricks ready for the winter but it's such a faff! Maybe I'll set that as my target for next week? To clear the paper and make some fire bricks.

essexgal

IN:
few leaflets and samples from food festival......:D

OUT:
ummmm.....nothing......:o will have to try harder tomorrow....


essexgal

Lemon_Tree

i have to admit to being another one who puts stuff in bags and then hides it in the bedroom where no one will see it.
I'm away this weekend but i have big plans when i get back for a major sort out
In
shopping
Out
fathers day card and pressy

currently baking 2 fathers day cakes one will go with us tomorrow and the other will be collected on sunday

fedupandskint

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

i have to admit to being another one who puts stuff in bags and then hides it in the bedroom where no one will see it

Snap that's me too! I stash it in the spare room and then it really does my head in big style - make it go away someone please!

scaty

Hi been lurking and like Fedupand skint I hide things. Well I did until DD1 informed me she was to move back in with 1 (and 1 other almost here).

Forced to look my bundles of joy in the face!!:eek:

I had kept a lot of my parents things, which was a bit difficult to part with, but baby shoes from 1952 had to go. Did feel like I was on a bit of a roller coaster ride doing this as the things would only have relevance to me, not my DDs.

Still, my friend made some dosh at the car boot - have neither the time or the stamina for that. Got to the tip with the remainder. The rest I have squirrelled away in my miniscule attic - I still have clutter needs, there must be syndrome for this:rotfl:

There is still scope for further removal of items but I need a bit of a breather now, re-group, revitalise my energise - and check if the attic can squeeze another box in.
Bye for now;)