The Great Declutter Part 2

greent

Lefs wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but I decluttered my laptop this morning. I was thinking I'd have to buy an external hard drive, or new laptop because was running out of space, but managed to free up 15gb - a quarter of the whole thing!

Virtual clutter and tangible clutter are linked, I find - if you let clutter in one area in creeps into another..... Same as I'll post on here sometimes that I've tidied/ sorted some stuff (without getting rid of nything) - if it's all untidy it's cluttered cos I can't see what I've got (esp under the kitchen sink!!):rotfl:

greent x

TudorRose

Hi everyone.

Been catching up reading the last few pages as seem to have been very busy this week and not had much time for decluttering or anything else for that matter so decided that this afternoon I must do something so that I have something to report.

IN
Post - all recyled etc.
Food shopping - all put away.

OUT
Old tatty candles into bin
2 old lip glosses & face cream into bin

PENDING
Had an email today to say I have sold a book on Greenmetropolis so hope to deal with that tomorrow.

Have found some more unused plates etc which can go to charity shop with the ones I boxed up at the weekend.
Moved toiletries from cupboard in bedroom into decluttered unit in bathroom so everthing is now in one place & have freed up space for something else in bedroom. Sure I re house something there.
Found homes for various items in the newly decluttered cupboards in the living room.
Put away a dvd I was given as a Christmas present.

Think the idea somebody posted about pretending that you are moving and would you want to take it with you is great. I think I'll adopt that myself when I dither about chucking something!

greent

OOh = forgot to add:

IN:
new school jumper for DS1
new slippers for DS1

PENDING OUT:
OH is making DS1's bed - so there will be masses of plastic wrap and cardboard to go tomorrow.
1 ebay parcel awaiting payment.....

Under kitchen sink cupboard sorted and tidied. Couple of bottles amalgamated and recycled

greent x

mineallmine

Evening all,

Thought I would just check in and see how everyone is getting on. Lots of decluttering (real) and (virtual) going on. Mmm, thinks about how bad the PC is running.....

I'm taking a little rest from decluttering (as per my sig). I had a very intensive January, but it was mightily rewarding. I am still on the using up (not buying duplicates) toiletries thread so am still decluttering.

Look forward to reading about everyone's progress. :A

Megs_mum_2

Hiya Guys, Read an interesting thread somewhere on MSE yesterday which spoke about someone getting on top of bills and direct debits. I have been feeling in a real mess with all our standing orders/direct debits - not the amount we spend so much as not knowing what they costs actually are and who they are to. This is especially the case with the whole phone landline, ISP, emails, sky package issue. I think this links in to our decluttering - its about being in control. SO I set myself the goal of by the end of the week sorting things out so I was in charge rather than being in the "errrr ummmm not quite sure .. will have to riffle through the file to find out" category. And I made a start with the phone/landline/ISP bundle yesterday. Will keep up the good work today! Good luck to everyone else.

mrs-moneypenny

morning all
havent been in for a couple of days, wow everyone else has been really busy. well done all:T

IN
post - dealt with and fliled or recycled
milk - new in, empty bottles out
newspapers
first aid book - from the course i went on yesterday

OUT
nothing really , i dont count the rubbish and recycling till tomorrow as its all still on the front even if it keeps leaving the house.

pending out
3 lost prophets tickets - treated the DS. DD and her BF had the tickets tucked away for a while but the concert is tonight.
glass recycling - trip down the bottle bank later
2 outgrown pairs of youngest DS school trousers - clothes bank later

plan today
ive opened the airing cupboard and let the avalanche fall - read on the school newsletter someone wants single sheets and pillow cases for an overseas orphanage they are visiting- ive rung and left a message i have some kids single duvets they can have if they want them. youngest is almost 10 but i have thomas tank, bob the builder, and postman pat duvets still in there:o. he would curl up with shame if his mates ever came round and saw them on his bed. mind you they are a good threat for the 15 yr old DS if he wont change his own bed - i could always offer to put one of those on before his mates come round:rotfl: .
I'll get the aring cupboard tidy and keep all the too young ones out and if they cant be used by the orphanage ill charity shop them.

re hanging on to stuff. i have bags of all my kids birthday cards and even have most of their school books and projects up in the attic:o
the eldest 2 have flown the nest now and all their stuff is still here - i really shoud ask if they want me to hang on to things they did in primary school.i should condense it down into special memory boxes -1st baby shoes, special outfits, certain school items etc not every scrawl they ever put to paper and every sum they ever did. if you take into account we have 5 kids and have lived in this house since we married 25 years ago you can picture how full our attic is;)

mrs-moneypenny

megs mum
in january we have an afternoon were we go through the incoming and outgoing money.
do a list of all your bills - mortgage/rent, gas elec phone tv council tax etc then use the bank statements to see how often the money goes out then you can work out how much they have a year once all the necessary ones are done work out your income then you know what you have left for food holidays presents non essentials and unforeseen emergencies etc. we keep last years list to compare so we dont risk missing anything and you can see how much things go up.


if you go into the bank they will give you a list of all the standing orders/direct debits etc that go out of your account

im sure everyone has different methods of doing this but thought id say how we do it to see if it helps you. that came about as in the run up to one christmas when the kids were small i checked the bank statements and realised we had twice as much going out in nov and dec as was coming in:o so we make sure that over the year it all balances out

Welsh_Totster

Megs mum, thats an excellent point! When my husband lost his job early last year we had a huge sort out of DDs and set up a spreadsheet for incomings and outgoings. We cancelled a load of DDs for things we didnt really need but were 'nice to have' since then we have been totally in control of the finances instead of it being in control of us. Another weight lifted and another virtual declutter. You'll feel great after youve done it and I bet you'll save a tidy little sum by doing it too.

Good luck!

Emptynester

Well I've taken a few more 'baby steps'. I want to do so much but I feel so weary. I wish February didn't exist I always find it a hard slog, roll on spring, asap please!

Anyway I have sorted out more paper work and put a small pile in the recycling bin and a huge pile under the kitchen bin. I don't have a shredder so I need to decide how to dispose of it. I thought of burning it in the garden but that is more than I can face at the moment. I also managed to fill a carrier bag of junk from the attic and put it in the wheelie. I am telling myself this is good and a step in the right direction and posting on here is helping. I just wish I had some energy. I know about getting out in the sunshine to make me feel better but I can't find said sunshine.

Sorry to be a moaning minnie. I actually feel a bit better for getting this off my chest.

Thank you

Empty

Yorkielass

In the last 24 hours:

In:
4 boxes of contact lenses - packaging recycled and lenses put away for when I need them
A couple of other bits of post sorted/recycled etc
Some food shopping
A new Sainsburys Magazine

Out:
2 Sainsburys magazines that I've finished reading into recycling
5 nail varnishes - sold - £10 into my money for cosmetics fund.
More paper sorted and recycled!

Every little helps.