The Great Declutter Part 2

Kate78

I've heard flylady.net is popular with some MSEers and I am going over there myself as I had a total nightmare this morning looking for a misplaced item and it made me late for work. Enough is enough! :mad:

swingaloo

Im the same, I spend ages sorting out and putting things in baskets, boxes and bags. I feel really organised then it all comes undone because Ive moved everything and cant remember where I put them when I reorganised.

One thing I do know is that we all hang on to too much clutter. Probably a lot of it is useless. I once read a tip which I thought was quite good, it did work for me (although its all built up again so I need to redo.)

The tip was-

Sort every cupboard and drawer one by one.
Have 3 boxes ready.
If its vital put it in box No1.
If its rubbish put it in box 2.
If you dont really use it but cant bear to part with it or you think it may come in handy sometime put it in box 3.

Then--- Seal box 3 and put in in the loft/garage. Leave it there for 3-4 months. At the end of 3-4 months if you havnt needed or missed anything from that box get rid of it. You didnt really need it and you havn't missed looking at it! Do not open it to check whats in it or you will start the whole hoarding thing off again.

It worked for me, I just need to get motivated to do it again now.

Pee

Good luck!

I live in a small place and do have to make an effort to declutter. I find that sometimes I am in the right mood and can get rid of lots of things, wheras other times I don't want to let anything go. When one of those right moods strike me I do as much as I can, the rest of the time, I don't even start because it's clearly not happening. (This is clothes and books, mainly.)

With food, I buy in bulk when there is a deal on and find it useful to go through the cupboard sorting fairly regularly, then it is just a matter of putting like with like and I can do that whatever my mood.

Tish_P

Flylady is 90% sappy tosh but if you can cope with skimming through that, the other 10% really is useful. She advises decluttering in very small steps, doing only one drawer or shelf at a time and spending only 15 minutes. Unclutterer.com is also an excellent site with a helpful discussion forum.

dumpy

Sign up for the flylady daily digest and read the beginner steps.

It's all small steps and even I manage it! :rotfl:

As you get a "daily task", you break down the standing in the middle of the house thinking "where do I start first" barrier.

Best bit is if you forget or don't have time, you just pick up the next day.

It is very American and huggy but if you prune those bits out it can work.

Now go shine your sink you'll know what I mean when you go on her site.

flower85_2

thankyou so much for your replies,
just realised it is ds1 birthday in 12 days so i really need to get started before then so i have somewhere to put his new toys!! :eek:

does it sound like a good idea to start with one room and basically sort through ever cupboard/drawer etc before tackling the next room? i could spend a whole day on each and have my house clutter free in 6 days

i find the problem in my house is storage, i only have 1 cupboard, for starage, under the stairs which is where i keep hoover, ironing board, shoes, coats, mops etc. i used to send one of my boys in the cupboard if i needed anything but i cant even risk that now for fear of never finding him again or finding out he has escaped to Narnia!!:cool:

the dreaded cupboard is in my kitchen so that would get sorted the same day as the rest of the room.

Becles

Just do it a cupboard at a time. Be ruthless and if it's things that haven't seen the light of day for months, then bin/charity shop/put in the loft.

Try and reuse some clutter to organise other clutter. I cleared out the overflowing plastic box cupboard in our kitchen, then used some of the boxes to organise my cleaning cupboard so I've got a box with cloths and dusters in, box with shoe cleaning stuff in, and so on.

Primrose

I find the "One in, one out" rule helpful to stop the clutter building up.
MY OH, on the other hand, seems to operate on the "One out, Three in" rule, so I'm fighting a losing battle.!

kamperkat

Hi Flower85

There is a flylady thread here on MSE which is much better than the US version - i am a lapsed folllower but when i focus it is a brillant thread with lots of support and encouragement!!

Linky - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2753080 they have a new thread each week

Kkxx

ema_o

Does also sound like you don't have enough storage - is there any way of creating more (as well as having a declutter)?